Yet this attitude runs counter to everything we know today. Coaches can't play the game. They belong on the sidelines. Only the players go onto the field to compete and win the game. It is the coaches' job to create an environment, an atmosphere, within which his or her players have the greatest opportunity to succeed.
Good coaches have a clear, precise vision of what they expect of their team.
This picture of excellence, this vision is the essence of coaching. I arrived at this conclusion from studying an outstanding coach, my father. It is generally conceded that Vince Lombardi was one of the great coaches of the modern football era. Yet Vince Lombardi waited until he was 47 years old before he became a head coach. Waiting for his opportunity, he put the time to good use, formulating a clear and precise vision of how to transform a losing team into champions.