When Larry volunteered to coach a boys’ football team, he wanted to help each youngster develop not only his football skills but his character and work habits. He also wanted to mold them into a winning machine.

Early on, however, he realized those goals were incompatible. In the end, his desire to win won, and he convinced himself that the youngsters would learn more by winning than losing.

His teams went undefeated for five consecutive years until one day it dawned on him that “I’ve made some very good football players, but they aren’t going to people I’d want as neighbors, let alone fellows I’d want to date my kids.”

And at once, all his victories turned to dry powder. When he saw some of his best players make bad life decisions, he knew he’d failed them. What he’d taught them about blocking, tackling, throwing, and running had made them better athletes, but he could have spent more time teaching them values that would have made them better people.

Today Larry coaches coaches. He tells them their primary responsibility is to provide kids with a safe and fun context for building character and positive life skills. He tells them competition and passion in the pursuit of victory are important to sports and, when kept in perspective, enhance enjoyment and personal development.

Then, using himself as an example, he warns them not to let the desire to win blur their vision as to what coaching is really about.