Some of the qualities of great NFL quarterbacks are pretty obvious and well known to coaches and football fans alike. The best quarterbacks tend to be around 6’3″ tall and typically weigh around two hundred and fifteen pounds. In addition, they need a strong throwing arm, quick feet, the ability to read defenses, sharp vision. outstanding, fine reflexes, clock management skills, self-discipline, focus, confidence, and a personality that allows them to remain calm under pressure.
Great quarterbacks also tend to be good leaders and outstanding communicators. Politicians have the luxury of using speech writers to help them when they need to communicate with their publics. Quarterbacks must be able to communicate effectively with players and coaches during the fast-paced heat of battle.
Several years ago, a talented young quarterback came to me because he wanted to know how he could best relate and communicate with his teammates at the meeting. This fine young man had all the physical tools of a great football general. He was a star in high school, but he had a harder time managing his varsity team members who came from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.
This young man was quite quiet, shy and soft-spoken and had some difficulty motivating and cheering on his teammates, especially when faced with the pressure and chaos that are often present in a close and important match.
The first thing I helped him with was building his own self-confidence. Once I strengthened him a bit and his self-confidence grew, we started discussing how I could improve his relationships with his teammates.
We spent some time working on his communication style and improving his relationships on and off the field with his teammates. He made a point of spending more time off the field with members of the soccer team. I suggested that he keep a journal of each of these teammates that would remind him of what might motivate them during the course of a game.
Once he understood more about the other players, it was easy to develop more effective ways to talk to each and every member of his offensive team.
I familiarized him with motivational speeches and gave him some tips on how to inspire, motivate, encourage and get his teammates focused on the bench and in the group. After all, I spend a lot of my time giving emotional pep talks to patients every day.
A good quarterback needs to know how each of his teammates is likely to behave during a game. He also needs to know that what motivates the lineman to block effectively may not be the same thing that inspires receivers to perform well. He also needs to know what to do to make his teammates feel good about him.
These types of management and leadership skills are not easy for a young athlete to learn. Consider how difficult it is for seasoned managers, leaders, and executives to communicate effectively with their staff and employees.
However, a young athlete who develops these interpersonal skills is building a foundation to be a good leader in sports, as well as in his or her career off the field.
