Lesson 11- Reading #5

Where the Game Stands Tall

Hayes, N. (2005).  Where the game stands tall. Berkeley, CA:  Frog, Ltd.

This text is about a memorable season at De La Salle High School.  The reading below is a description of the coaching philosophy of Coach Bob Ladouceur.

He didn't set out to build a dynasty. Ladouceur just wanted to create the type of experience that he should but never found in college.  \

"Our issue wasn't whether we'd win or score a certain number of touchdowns," Thomas explained.  "We wanted to train kids to play at a level of excellence that satisfied us, and we were people who didn't play for the adulation.  We wanted to take the spirit of the game and infuse it in the kids.  We wanted them to play with pure joy and abandonment.  Winning was secondary to that.  It was a by-product of playing at that level.  As starry-eyed as that sounds, that is what he [Ladouceru] believes."