Strack: Under PJ Fleck, Gophers Will Never Lack Motivation

BleedGopher

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Per Strack:

PJ Fleck teaches same life lessons, with different approach​

Fleck is using the same message, just packaging it into a motivational football tool. Simply put: with all the distractions going on in life today, it’s easy to lose focus on controlling what you can control in the moment, like focus and engagement into the task at hand.

It’s a simple concept but difficult to practice soundly day-to-day, hour-to-hour, even minute-by-minute. Which is why the Minnesota Gophers head football coach takes such an exaggerated approach to tackling one of the most complex and under-the-radar skills of leading a group of over 100 people.

Everyone has individual distractions they are dealing with in their own personal lives. How do you get that many people to, as much as humanly possible, put those distractions aside and focus on a team goal, no matter how insignificant that goal might be to the outside world? By making it a really big deal.

Take his ‘Row The Boat’ mantra, for example. Many people despise it, but he adopted the saying when he and his first wife were grieving the death of their infant son (heart condition) back in 2011. There’s a lot more to it but, essentially, it’s a motivational euphemism meant to help those who buy in deal with life’s roller-coaster ride.


Go Gophers!!
 

I like how PJ coaches, his values & how he runs the program. Success on and off the field is how one should judge a coach, player & program. Winning is not only found on a scoreboard! Morales, values & integrity are still valued.
 

I like how PJ coaches, his values & how he runs the program. Success on and off the field is how one should judge a coach, player & program. Winning is not only found on a scoreboard! Morales, values & integrity are still valued.
I like that PJ is molding these young men for a lifetime of good citizenship and success. However, he has to win to keep his job, so he can keep leading the team to success on and off the field.
 

As rough as this year was.

Games like the Nebraska game showed that PJ's team have some grit that other teams really didn't as a whole.

RTB
 

If Fleck is going to crowd surf after every win, then there needs to be a similar thing after every loss.

Proposal: players tie him up with rope by the feet and drag him around on the floor of the locker room, like in ancient times when they would drag prisoners.

Shows accountability beyond just "it's on me".
 


Pretty rare for a coach of a team sport not to teach life lessons. Coaches have to instill the team concept over the me concept to have any success in a team sport. Sacrifices have to be made for the good of the whole.
PJ differeniates himself by making his lessons more personal to him and by using his own life philosophies that he has authored versus doing it more like other coaches who use more conventional or proven ideas pointing to the Bible, books other coaches have written, books business leaders have written, books military leaders have written, classes coaches have taken etc etc. Blended with their unique ideas from their life experiences but in a more traditional approach.
They all attempt to motivate. PJ definitely does it his own unique way.

Only one does not believe in momentum and is obsessed with chasing ghosts.

The title says the Gophers will never lack motivation.
The results say PJ is one spot from the very bottom...the worst at motivating his team to upset or defeat top teams.
Rankings

No, I'm not suggesting we fire PJ. I am saying his results make him open to criticism about his unique unproven ideas.
 


If Fleck is going to crowd surf after every win, then there needs to be a similar thing after every loss.

Proposal: players tie him up with rope by the feet and drag him around on the floor of the locker room, like in ancient times when they would drag prisoners.

Shows accountability beyond just "it's on me".
Woah 😂
 




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