The decision to quit often depends on the rapport built up with others. In football this obligation to perform is between the player or employee and the principal, usually the coach.
Football and the football coaches I came across when playing football have been an important part of my life. Mr. Frank at my high school was my first coach, followed by people my own age - Jeffrey, Lennie & Des.
Jeffrey was an excellent speaker except when we were behind at three quarter time in some crucial game. His vocabulary could then become a demeaning and offensive tirade of abuse. One of the Macartney brothers decided Jeffrey was such a good speaker that he would “tape” one of his three quarter time speeches to replay to his mother over tea but decided it was too offensive! Jeffrey, a school teacher, later became an Education Advisor.
Lennie, an electricity meter reader based in Ballarat, was also a good speaker but had the unhappy knack of belittling out of form players on the off chance they would improve their performance. I often quote Lennie as he was a great running coach having trained many Stawell Gift winners. He trained sprinters at the Lake Oval during the summer months, entering his fastest runner in the appropriate Gift meetings. During this period Lennie would build up a rapport with the sprinters he trained to the point where they would not think of quitting.
I was not all that keen on playing football in the late 1980’s. I had been successful at coaching a school football team and was looking forward to quietly fading into the dark as far as football was concerned. However Des, a fellow employee, coached Wallan football team which was short of suitable players. Des ‘bailed’ me up and asked me to play for Wallan. I felt I couldn’t say no as doing so would affect our relationship.
The last game I played, the one that convinced me that this would be my last, was brought on by appalling weather conditions at Wallan. The ground faced south and was exposed to the oncoming weather.
I can remember vividly thinking, “Why put up with these conditions Saturday after Saturday when I could be at home with my wonderful wife Carole - who was always encouraging me with sporting pursuits - and our two delightful children, Luke and Marion?”
I can still remember the moment when it struck me, staring down at the sodden ground ‘on the wing’, to ask “Why am I here?”
It wasn’t the fact that we were unsuccessful as a team. We had won the premiership the previous year in a hard fought battle against Sebastopol.
The writing was on the wall to my inner self however as I told myself I QUIT!
Quitting or resigning is a newsworthy occurrence in today’s football where many “good” options are available. Lance Franklin from the Sydney Swans must have filtered these options when deciding to leave Hawthorn (reigning Premiers) to take the $9,000,000 offered by Sydney over a ten year period.
Mine was just that cold wind and sodden ground.
Football and the football coaches I came across when playing football have been an important part of my life. Mr. Frank at my high school was my first coach, followed by people my own age - Jeffrey, Lennie & Des.
Jeffrey was an excellent speaker except when we were behind at three quarter time in some crucial game. His vocabulary could then become a demeaning and offensive tirade of abuse. One of the Macartney brothers decided Jeffrey was such a good speaker that he would “tape” one of his three quarter time speeches to replay to his mother over tea but decided it was too offensive! Jeffrey, a school teacher, later became an Education Advisor.
Lennie, an electricity meter reader based in Ballarat, was also a good speaker but had the unhappy knack of belittling out of form players on the off chance they would improve their performance. I often quote Lennie as he was a great running coach having trained many Stawell Gift winners. He trained sprinters at the Lake Oval during the summer months, entering his fastest runner in the appropriate Gift meetings. During this period Lennie would build up a rapport with the sprinters he trained to the point where they would not think of quitting.
I was not all that keen on playing football in the late 1980’s. I had been successful at coaching a school football team and was looking forward to quietly fading into the dark as far as football was concerned. However Des, a fellow employee, coached Wallan football team which was short of suitable players. Des ‘bailed’ me up and asked me to play for Wallan. I felt I couldn’t say no as doing so would affect our relationship.
The last game I played, the one that convinced me that this would be my last, was brought on by appalling weather conditions at Wallan. The ground faced south and was exposed to the oncoming weather.
I can remember vividly thinking, “Why put up with these conditions Saturday after Saturday when I could be at home with my wonderful wife Carole - who was always encouraging me with sporting pursuits - and our two delightful children, Luke and Marion?”
I can still remember the moment when it struck me, staring down at the sodden ground ‘on the wing’, to ask “Why am I here?”
It wasn’t the fact that we were unsuccessful as a team. We had won the premiership the previous year in a hard fought battle against Sebastopol.
The writing was on the wall to my inner self however as I told myself I QUIT!
Quitting or resigning is a newsworthy occurrence in today’s football where many “good” options are available. Lance Franklin from the Sydney Swans must have filtered these options when deciding to leave Hawthorn (reigning Premiers) to take the $9,000,000 offered by Sydney over a ten year period.
Mine was just that cold wind and sodden ground.
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