Sacrifice=success?

[Sammich]

Someone on CB said that you can't become national champions if football is #5 on your priority list. The argument is basically that Bronco won't win it all as long as he's going home to his family at 6:30 every night. Do you think this is true?

I have a real problem with this assertion, partially because it's a really common belief in my industry and at the company where I work. I've noticed that most people who work all the time are terribly inefficient with their schedules and work processes, and I suspect this is because they have more hours in the day to do all their work. It's a sort of self-reinforcing mindset.

Since family is a priority for me I decided that I could beat those guys with efficiency, good management, and smart planning, and I've successfully directed several projects now without having to give a lot of overtime. Like Bronco, I haven't made a game yet that gets perfect rankings, but I'm also attracting the best talent in the company to work with my teams and I suspect that in time the stars will align and we'll pull off something extraordinary. At least I have to hope that's true because I'm not willing to give up my family life for something where perfection is affected by factors I can only influence, not control.

So I want to believe that perfection is in reach for Bronco in spite of his priorities, both because I love BYU football and because my personal life reflects what he's struggling to achieve. But am I just being wishful in my thinking?

[hawkwing]

The first few thoughts to jump to my mind when reading this...

You can't win a national championship with CBs that are under 5'7" or a DL that cannot penetrate on Oline, ever on their own.

And also, I can't help but think that no amount of national championships will compensate for producing a bunch of Roided out criminals.

I really like Bronco's approach, and I know that I'm part of a quickly shrinking minority but I actually like having football 5th on the list. Because in reality that's where it is. That's not to say that on game day, and during practice you don't go out there and give it your best, you do! And if I felt like I weren't seeing that from the players I'd be upset about that, but it's just like my private life. My family is the most important thing to me, but when I'm at work, I give my entire effort to that (except for maybe a CougarCorner posting here and there...).

I believe that great things happen to people who have their priorities and goals straight in life.

[mcgregor]

Where items rank on a priority list is too little information whereon to base a judgment. It's about balance. For instance, my family is my top priority, but sometimes that means I need to set aside play time with the kids in order to get a project done at work in order to keep my job. Now, if that became a regular feature of my life, then I couldn't rightfully claim my family as my top priority.

Similarly, it's ok that football is 5th on the list so long as the coaching staff and team know when to shift the attention football gets. Sometimes a player needs to spend a little extra time in the film room. Sometimes the coaching staff needs to stay in the office until 10:00pm. Sometimes we need to pay recruits.

Scratch that last one.

[BoiseBYU]

Where items rank on a priority list is too little information whereon to base a judgment. It's about balance. For instance, my family is my top priority, but sometimes that means I need to set aside play time with the kids in order to get a project done at work in order to keep my job. Now, if that became a regular feature of my life, then I couldn't rightfully claim my family as my top priority.

Similarly, it's ok that football is 5th on the list so long as the coaching staff and team know when to shift the attention football gets. Sometimes a player needs to spend a little extra time in the film room. Sometimes the coaching staff needs to stay in the office until 10:00pm. Sometimes we need to pay recruits.

Scratch that last one.

well ok but how about throw in a get out of jail card?

[wazzucoug97]

When I was in college, I sacrificed family for school. My wife often told people she was a widow or single mom. I had 4 kids then. The oldest was 11 and the youngest was 1 when I graduated. The 2 oldest boys did not go on missions and fell away from church. We struggled with them mightily as teenagers. The 3rd, a daughter is sitting on the fence. The baby, who is now the 4th of 8 total kids is solid as a rock at 14 now. I graduated in 97 and for the last 12 years I have done everything I could to right the ship and put family at #1. I guess from a personal standpoint... if I could go back I would have figured out a way to put family #1 and school #2. I learned a valuable lesson as a parent and husband. It has helped, as I have 5 more future missionaries to raise.

I sacrificed, I have had great professional success. I make 2 x the income that some of my classmates are making.... but in the end it was not worth the strained relationships I had with my spouse and my 3 oldest children. I give props to Bronco for trying to keep things in perspective. My case is extreme. I agree that from time to time you gotta stay a little late to get things done right.... just don't let that time to time turn into everyday.

[Lawboy]

I would just like to point out that Steve Spurrier has taken the same approach as Bronco for years, and he won a lot at Florida. He gets in early like Bronco, and is out by 6:30-7 daily. He even plays golf early some days and comes in later.

Want to know the difference? Talent level of players. Fact is, you can not turn crystal into a diamond. Sure, you can polish the crystal, make it sparkle, but it is still crystal. For BYU to be a top 10 program, we know more diamonds, fewer crystals, no matter how shiny they are.

Bronco needs to recruit better. He needs to be willing to fight for kids, instead of taking his blase approach that if they do not want BYU, it is ok. Sell what BYU has to offer. Yes, it is different, but it has some great things as well. Sell it harder. Ad then we wait. It is going to take 2-3 years to rise above the current plateau.

[cachevalleycougar]

I agree with mcgregor. There's nothing wrong if it's 5th on the list as long as the situation or circumstance doesn't dictate that it needs to be re-assigned temporarily. But I also realize the quandary that would put the coaching staff in if they had the team pull out their calendars at the beginning of the season and said "the weeks leading up to these 3 games, you'll need to put in an extra 4 hours each in the film and weight rooms, our practices will go longer, and you'll have to skip FHE, the temple and family scripture time, but in all the other weeks we'll be done by 6pm and you can spend time with your families and get your home teaching done."
Sometimes the focus needs to be adjusted while the priorities remain the same.

[Schmoe]

If that assertion were true, then BYU would NEVER win an NC. We should never, ever, under any circumstance, expect our players to put football as their number 1 priority. Faith and family definitely come first, after that, maybe football if it will definitely be your career, but if not, then school. Then after that, probably football, unless you have good friends who are like family to you and the relationship with them is mutually uplifting and beneficial. But football over faith or family, fogeddaboudit!

[Mars]

I'll say two things that I think relate here:

1- Bronco has admitted now that 20-hour practice weeks are no longer cutting it.

2- Bronco is by far the best recruiter as a head coach that BYU has ever had.