Nick Saban, the head coach of the University of Alabama football team, is thought of by many, as the best college football coach – not only of our generation – but some believe of all time. A career head coaching record of 271-67-1, for 4 diff schools, he’s won 7 national championships & multiple coach of the yr awards (coming from many diff voting sources).
He’s a guy who’s had success in his craft…undeniable success even to those rival fans of ‘Bama. When he talks, therefore, ppl listen.
The Today Show’s been nailing some very impt guests to talk abt MH. Who can forget the storytelling of 5 of the families, together, of college athletes who recently lost their battle to suicide?
This piece is one of the more important ones they’ve done as well. Saban, in the interview was asked if it’s as difficult now, to get “big strong men to talk openly abt this stuff” & his answer was powerful:
“I don’t think it’s as difficult now, as it used to be…I don’t think the players look at it as ‘I have something wrong with me.’ They look at it more like: ‘’Maybe I can use the help.’ It’s always good to take help, when help is given, in anything.”
This is an “old school guy” – one who enforces smash-mouth, hard-tackling football, & he’s talking abt openness abt feelings – on teams that have had national championship success multiple times. So, for any naysayers – in any arena: sports fields, offices/places of work, homes, his msg is clear: openness abt our MH and the help we may need (and/or working on our MH proactively), IMPROVES our performance (not just health).
This should be plastered on every bulletin board we can. I know we have a lot of student athletes that follow this page: use this for your internal discussions w your coaches/ADs/professors. Use it in HR w your office leaders & decision makers. Use it with your families – parents to kids…kids to parents.
Like the image of the monstrous NFLer Eddie George doing yoga w a football next to him on his mat, this image & example of Saban sticks out like a sore thumb – in a good way. When we don’t expect it, it grabs us even more. It changes minds. This is great stuff.