Tony Dungy Red Zone
Kickoff 2009
When you enter the red zone
in football, the intensity and pressure increases. You find out if the training
you’ve done as an individual and team comes together to put points on the
board…or deny points in the case of defense. Tony Dungy, NFL Super Bowl winning
Coach for the Indianapolis Colts, recently shared with area players his keys
for success in the red zone.
In front of thousands of
young athletes, coaches, and fans at PrestonwoodBaptistChurch,
Dungy and other notable NFL players and coaches offered insight on four
elements: Performance, Conditioning, Teamwork, and Character (PCTC).
Starting with Performance, Dungy made an example out
of Colts back up QB Jim Sorqi. While Sorqi rarely sees action in a game, Dungy
says he works and prepares as if he starts. He studies the specifics of his
craft, becomes the set of eyes to see what Peyton Manning can not, and he stands
confident to take over if needed. And, Sorqi himself says Performance requires
a commitment to doing your job 100%.
How incredible that Dungy
took the QB we know least about and made him the example of Performance. We all
know what Manning can do, right? That’s the key to Performance - you give 100%
no matter your position or place on the team.
Conditioning, the second key to success in the red zone,requires more than just lifting weights and attending practice.
According to John Torine, the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Colts,
nutrition, hydration, and adequate rest all play a major role in players
executing at their best level. According to studies, sites Torine, athletes
need to be in bed before midnight to be ‘training ready’. He revealed to all of
the players they need 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
Physical conditioning and
preparation goes without saying, but what about mental conditioning? Football,
like many sports, requires a high level of mental preparation. Peyton Manning put
it this way, “Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what you’re
doing.” Thus, conditioning your mind to make the proper decisions when called
upon moves you past average.
Michael Irvin, former
Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver, echoed Manning’s focus on decision making. Having
learned from experience, Irving
told the young football players to act wisely in who they hang around and who
they follow, “Do not decide to give something in 15 minutes that will cost you
15 years.”
I can’t help but pause
here for reflection. This is crucial in many of our lives. We feel pressure
everyday at work and at home. And for many of you, daily pressure exists in regard to eating and exercising. How well are you conditioning your mind to make the right decision
in 15 minutes that will not cost you 15 pounds later? How many of you physically
condition well, then sabotage everything you just worked hard for by eating
fast food or a dinner too high in sugar, fat, or alcohol?
Think about the situations
you face that trigger you to drop the ball in the red zone so to speak. Start
preparing your mind to make better decisions. Roll play in your head choosing different
so you score the kind of points you want.
Teamwork,
another key to success,hinges on a
certain chemistry among players. Dungy says his teams have been made up of 53
guys who may not be the best in talent, but they are 53 guys who have chemistry
together and will get the job done. The key, according to Dungy, is focusing on
the relationships. He went back to Sorqi as an example. Sorqi may never play a
down in the game, but he gets everyone ready. “When we win, I win,” says Sorqi
who Manning trusts to step in at any time.
I hope all this is sounding
familiar. I can not help but make the comparison between the keys to success
Dungy shares with what many of you have asked with regard to weight loss and a
healthier lifestyle. We’ve talked about commitment, nutrition, hydration in
this blog. We’ve mentioned surrounding yourself with right people and making
wise decisions in the face of tough feelings as a part of a new healthier
lifestyle. But where do we derive the above things? Dungy says for football
players, they come from Character,
the fourth and final key to success in the red zone. I think that holds true
for the rest of us.
State Championship Head
Coach Randy Allen of Highland Park
confirmed Dungy’s conviction about Character with the audience, “I’d rather
have a player of average ability and great character than a player with great
ability and average character.”
Character relates to your
attitude and actions when no one is looking. It defines your work ethic and
decision-making. It enables you to put points on the board or deny points
selflessly and in unity with your team. You alone decide what your Character
gets you. Talent alone is not enough and sometimes a barrier to the hard work
and chemistry needed to define success in the red zone.
Kip Fit Tip: Ask yourself how you are doing in each of these areas. Be honest in
your evaluation and change what is needed for you to achieve a healthier
lifestyle. When the intensity and pressure increase in life, how well prepared
are you to perform clean eating and moving? Do you give 100%? Have you
conditioned yourself to respond appropriately both mentally and physically to
the demands of exercising and eating right? How well does character drive your
decision making? Do you cave to peer pressure? Do you surround yourself with
others who are leading the kind of lifestyle you desire?
Stay inspired,
Kip #45
