Bill Belichick can make anything sound epic. Even a Barbecue place in Anapolis, Maryland.
Some have called him the greatest coach of all time. Some have called him some other colourful phrases, some that can’t be repeated here in this space.
For football fans and fans of sports in general, Bill Belichick is the mastermind who unlocked the magic of the New England Patriots through its star quarterback … what’s his name? Tom something? Oh Brady, that’s right. Tom Brady. Maybe you’ve heard of him.
The Nature of Preparation
Hockey is a game that requires intense preparation for the body, the mind, and the collective psyche of a team. Football is no different in that sense, but it does require much stricter focus on strategy. A hockey player can turn left when he or she should turn right and it might not be noticed by anyone other than the individual committing the offense.
But football? Make a wrong turn and you might cost your team a championship. Living in Boston and steering the National Football League’s flagship franchise has taught Bill Belichick to not overlook the importance of preparation and details.
But is that what makes him such a successful coach? Anyone can study a playbook for a thousand hours, right? What about the ability to make in-game adjustments on the fly?
“The battle plan is great until you actually get into the battle. You see what your opponent is doing, they see what you’re doing, and then you have to make a change. Take the information, calculate it, process it, and then find out what the next thing is you need to do.”
Those words from the man himself in the clip below are a great message for minor hockey coaches who preach preparation and careful planning. Tactics are crucial to the outcome of the game, but sometimes the process calls for something else.
Sometimes the game calls for innovation.
There’s a balance to be struck. We’re all guilty of losing ourselves in systems and analytics from time to time, just like we can easily find ourselves relying too heavily on reacting to the flow of the game.
You need both.
But don’t take my word for it. Check out New England’s legendary coach in the video below from earlier this year.
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