The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-24
CONFIDENCE Seen
in LOCKER ROOMS
!, HELPS GRID TEAM.
BY "JOCK" SUTHERLAND
University of Pittsburgh Football
Club)

University of Pittsburgh Football
Club)
What happens in the DRESSING
room between the halves of q foot.
ball game?
Perhaps you have seen a team
leave the field al the half, seemingly
demoralized, apparently outclassed,
And that team comes back after the
rest period imbued with new spirit
and turns the tide.
Between the halves, much can he
done to correct errors and poor
play. There must be no guess work
and any fault finding must be
warranted. l never resort to harsh
criticism. l know that the PLAYERS
are young and that they are giving
their best.
A team frequently is disorganized
when 1T enters the dressing room
and It is up to the coach to encour-
age the players and give them con-
fldence and determination.
OrOwd 10 Be Avoided
when | played football it was Gus
tomary to allow any. alumnus of
friend of the school, the PLAYERS or
the coaches to gather in the dress
ing room before and between the
nalves OF game. Sometimes there
were thirty or forty in the room.
ana while that sort Of thing was not
objectionable to me at the time. /
nave since changed my opinion.
;. When ! started coaching, made
IL a point to exclude everyone from
the dressing room not officially con-
nected with the squad. This is not
an easy precedent to start. There
are many good friends Of the team
VINO feel they ought to be allowed to
hear the remarks of the coach and
the players between the halves.
The beginning of each season
brings up the same old problem and
l always follow the same plan. The
doors OF the dressing room are
closed to all except managers.
coaches. trainers and players.
Before big rames, players are
keyed to high tension. want
quletness to the superlative degree
and no outside disturbances.
For several weeks, perhaps all
season, the coach has been carefully
planning for this Zero hour" ID
want the players instilled with al
quiet determination.
Everything in the line of equip
ment the players are to use in the
game is carefully laid out for them.
Everything, possible is done to make
The players feel that the coach has
their interest at heart,
Get There First
I always make it point to pre-
cede the earliest arrivals to the
dressing room. As the time for the
game approaches, players feel more
and more reliant on the coach. III
try to be as busy in the dressing |
room as the players are, and am |
careful that everything do charac-
terizes business, confidence and de-
termination.
] feel for the players because II
know what tension they are under. !!
0asu 0h PASp0IeO W 0uSWeT any
questions that may have occurred
to them since our last practice.
! always know what I want to say
to the squad before I start talking. |
The attitude, bearing and voice Of |
the coach are as important as the |
words he says.
The talk to the players should
give them courage and confidence.
It need not and should not be long /
The coach should strive /
to show his confidence in his play
ers, confidence that they know
football to win, and that
leenness and determination will be
the deciding factor.
I try to point out why the boy
should give his best. !, try to in
spire him. The right kind of : talk
will transform an averagevbunc Of
players into team Of fj9hters.
When my team loses, want no
alibis. If there is any blame, ii
want to take it. / merely point out
the errors and hope for better luck
next time.