Championship Coach’s Secrets to Life Helps Southern Utahn

I found some real nuggets to live by when I watched an interview with Andy Reid, the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, along with his wife.

He now has two championships with the Chiefs and a runner up with the Eagles. I enjoyed listening to his stories about coaching in college and the pros, but I was particularly intrigued when he and his wife talked about losing their oldest son to a drug overdose. 

They talked about how their faith helped them to navigate such a traumatic time. They are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and they talk about how it helped them keep things in perspective. 

“We understand there’s going to be these tremendous hurdles to get over,” said Reid. “Stay strong, still hurt, but stay strong.” 

It was an inspiring interview as Reid and his wife are not flashy or flamboyant, just two down to earth people talking honestly about a busy, pressure filled job, along with life’s ups and downs, and how they calmly navigate it all.  

At one point Reid talks about a slogan that he keeps in the locker room and repeats to the players often. I really like the concepts contained in it. This is what it says; 

Eliminate Distraction 

Create Energy 

Fear Nothing 

Attack Everything 

"We all have these distractions,” said Reid. “Focus in on this job at hand. Then, are you going to be an energy giver or an energy taker?” That means giving your best every day according to Reid. “We all have fears, but we can minimize those fears by attacking them,” he said.

I found that concept inspiring. Rather than minimize the fear or ignore it, turn and face it. Attack the fear head on. This is applicable if you are the head coach in the NFL or a resident of Southern Utah trying to carve out a life in the desert like me.

I have watched a lot of interviews with players and coaches that were almost mind numbing in their way of saying lots of nothing, but this was an interview that was refreshingly candid and real.