MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS BUILT NOT BORN

This article sums up my feelings on where our program can find that winning edge.  
Coach Larsen


"GATORS HAVE PLENTY OF FOURTH-QUARTER CONFIDENCE"

By Robbie Andreu
Staff writer
Published: Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

Ask the Florida Gators to explain their amazing fourth quarter in last year's SEC Championship Game and the response is immediate, and always the same.

Mickey Marotti.

The players credit their strength and conditioning coordinator for that 14-0 fourth-quarter dominance that propelled Florida to a 31-20 victory over No. 1 Alabama and into last season's BCS Championship Game.

"Absolutely, a lot of (the credit) goes to Coach Mick," quarterback Tim Tebow said. "He brings a lot to our program, just the toughness, the character aspect of it. What he brings to the table is huge.

"Very little of our offseason program is getting physically strong. It's getting mentally stronger. When your back is against the wall, what are you going to do? The flight or fight syndrome. That is so much what our team is about."

The Gators found themselves in a flight or fight situation heading into the fourth quarter of last year's game.

Alabama had just physically dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Gators 10-0 to take a 20-17 lead. Alabama's touchdown drive covered 91 yards in 15 plays, consuming almost half the quarter. The other scoring drive covered 65 yards in 10 plays.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Tide seemed in control.
Somehow, the Gators turned the game back in their favor.
Tebow engineered two touchdown drives and the Florida defense held Alabama to 1 yard in the quarter.

How did that happen?

"Mickey Marotti," strong safety Ahmad Black said. "He does things in the weight room that keep us physically prepared, keep us mentally prepared. And we were able to stop them in the fourth quarter."

Coaches always stress that big games are won and lost in the fourth quarter, that the fourth quarter is the ultimate test of mental and physical toughness, of manhood.

The Gators passed the test in a big way in what will go down as one of the greatest fourth quarters in school history.

"It was because all year long we had been working on finishing. We had been striving to finish," Tebow said. "That's something that Coach Mick preached in the weight room, on the practice field, to our coaching staff. We have to finish. We have to be a tough team in the fourth quarter and we have to have heart.

"In that fourth quarter, we really rallied together and really came up with a lot of heart, found ways to finish. We just kept finding ways to get a first down, put it in the end zone against a great team. We weren't going to leave anything on the field. That's what I'm most proud of."

After getting punched in the mouth and knocked down in the third quarter, the Gators got up and delivered the knockout blow in the fourth quarter.

"To be honest with you, I don't even remember the fourth quarter," Alabama cornerback Javier Arenas said. "All I remember is we didn't finish strong.

"We didn't finish strong and that's something we've worked on all season. It's something that we tried to improve in, and I think we're better at it. So, I mean, we'll basically see."

We'll see early Saturday evening, because this SEC title game likely will come down to the fourth quarter, too.

"We always pride ourselves on dominating the fourth quarter," Alabama middle linebacker Rolando McClain said. "We didn't dominate the fourth quarter last year. Consequently, Florida won the game.

"This whole season, we pride ourselves on the fourth quarter."

So do Mickey Marotti's Gators.

"We feel we've won these games because of what we did in January, February, March, April and May," Tebow said. "The work that we put in then, that's why we feel we're 12-0 right now. The work we put in with him. He does such a great job."

Throughout the offseason conditioning program, the focus is on winning the fourth quarter, on finishing.

"Coach Marotti builds our bodies and minds to last the whole four quarters," offensive guard Mike Pouncey said. "We play our best in the fourth quarter."

END OF SEASON WRAP UP

"If you don't win it all, you can't feel like you've accomplished anything." - Ben Rothlisberger, Pitsburgh Steelers QB. 

I wouldn't go so far as to say that the above statement sums up how I feel because there were a lot of good things that happened this year.  We won more games this year than we ever have.  We built a coaching staff that will bring about great things in the future.  We had a great group of guys.  We are building a program that will be competitive.  All positive. 

Having said that, I also saw how far we can go.  And thankfully I feel like I know how to approach making the changes that will make us more competitive. 

I want to thank the seniors that have walked down the path of growth with me and the program.  Every graduating class is hard to lose but these guys have brought about some real change and we'll be able to grow from their examples.  Thanks guys. 

To the up and coming classes, I have a challenge for you.  Be leaders.  Be determined to succeed.  Be willing to put in the time and make the sacrifices to be champions.  Be mentally tough and don't back down from a fight.  We've been told to fight good fights and I believe that has everything to do with learning how to put your whole soul into accomplishing something.  Learn to be the guy that wants the ball when the game is on the line. 

ADDRESSING A CONCERN

Everyone, and I mean everyone, I've talked to is very concerned about our turnovers.  So, let me address it here. 

1.  Two of the turnovers were called turnovers when they shouldn't have been.  It wasn't that the calls were questionable and I'm complaining, it's that the man was clearly down and mistakes were made. 

2.  We made some adjustments that caused our timing to be a little off.  The adjustments made it so we ran the ball for more yards than we ever have but it also took some time to get used to.  As we went on we did better. 

3.  We had some legitimate fumbles and we've worked on how to fix those.  Our fumbles came from kids trying too hard to gain more yards.  It's a problem we are glad to deal with. 

So, for all those that are Lobo fans:  Keep cheering, look forward to a good night of football, and don't worry, the kids and coaches have addressed the problem.  I'm confident the kids will do very well. 

ADVERSITY AND COURAGE: A PLACE FOR BOTH

Great teams are born out of adversity and courage.  Both of them are good for you.  But it's like going to the dentist.  It's scary, but in the end you're better for going through it.

These past few weeks have been tough for us.  Emotionally, it's tough to find out you aren't perfect.  It was hard to bounce back.  But I feel like I've learned some lessons from our boys. 

Here are a few:  

Adversity strips a team down and exploits it's weaknesses.  It creates doubt and humility.  Adversity is a fire that burns to ashes all of the facades and false pretenses.  It chases away false friends and scourges pride out of a heart.

Courage rises up out of the ashes.  It heals the wounds.  It reminds us of those who have stayed by our side and it brings hope and faith back to the heart.  Courage replaces facades with brick walls and creates iron out of raw ore. 

Every team deals with fear, doubt and discouragement.  Every player questions the ability they have to succeed.  That's a part of life and, honestly, it's healthy.  Great teams fight back through the adversity and show great courage.  Great players fight back the doubt they feel and find renewed purpose.  The team that goes through adversity and doesn't give up finds stockpiles of courage that make it better than the team that hasn't been challenged.

My kids have learned the lessons that adversity had to teach.  They have been through the fire and they have found the courage to work on the weaknesses and fix the problems.  I feel very proud of each of them because they each made a conscious decision to fight back and improve.  I can't see the future so I don't know how the story will end but I will step out just far enough to say this:  I wouldn't want to play us. 

SHOW LOW GAME THOUGHTS

I can't say enough good about how tough our kids played this week.  They were especially stingy on defense.  Coach Reidhead has created an identity and personality for our defense.  Show Low was a great opponent and a good football team and it was a great game.  Final score 35-14 with Snowflake on top.

A ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS

We've spent the last week evaluating and changing our practice schedule.  It's been a tough process because we had to look at the way we were doing things and ask hard questions.  Why isn't this working?  Why are we still doing that?  Is this worth our time?  Tough questions, but necessary ones.  We really feel like the process of improving at something takes time, evaluation, change and reevaluation. 

There's no question that I work with great coaches.  The best thing about them all is that they take criticism well.  It's hard to be the best at what you do if you aren't willing to change the things that don't work.  So, when we evaluate ourselves we are pretty critical.  Pointing out weaknesses in the program is tough.  This program and it's kids are my biggest concern outside of my own family.  To hear that it's not perfect is tough.  Having said that, the progress that this kind of assessment has lead to is staggering. 

The other great thing about my coaches is that we aren't convinced that the way we are doing things is the only effective way.  They are constantly learning, studying and evaluating.  They are willing to listen to others that have a different viewpoint.  I believe this is the key to our success.  Everyone has a voice in the success of our program. 

It's fun to work in an environment when the people around you are like this.  It's a breath of fresh air to work with men that are so eager to succeed.

Robby Martindell gets ready to play.

The guys on the car at the homecoming parade. 

GOOD JOB LOBOS

The Snowflake Lobos beat the Payson Longhorns 31-0.  Watching game film gave us more things to work on.  Even with a great win we can still improve.  So we move on to another week of improvement and look forward to another great test this weekend. 

Shawn Walker getting ready to pass.
Ammon McKinlay in the background.

BLUE RIDGE GAME OVERVIEW

Nobody wants to lose but, if you do lose, it's nice to be able to walk off the field with your head up. 

We learned something about ourselves and how fast we can play the game.  We learned something about how far our program has come.  I'm not going to spend too much time doing "If only..."  because we learned what we needed to learn and we walked away from the game with respect.  Self respect. 

We now are very confident in our abilities.  We made mistakes in alignment that we can fix.  We made mistakes in execution that we can fix. 

I'd expect to see a much improved team for homecoming.   

STATS, RECORDS, AND RUNNING UP THE SCORE

I've never been one to put much stock in stats for high school players.  If it were up to me we wouldn't keep track of any of them because they turn the game into a horserace.  Everybody worries about who's ahead and who's behind.  I was raised in the John Wooden camp of, "play every down hard and the score will take care of itself."  Having said that, I believe that creating a winning program is important.  It reflects the skill level, hard work and mental toughness that you've taught your young men.  Besides, it's fun. 

The really fun games are the ones that take all your skills to win.  The coaches use strategy, the players use skill, the fans cheer their brains out and win or lose you come away better for it.  On the flip side, we've all been a part of boring blowouts where the game is out of reach by the end of the first half.  In my opinion this is where you utilize a totally different set of skills as a coach and try to keep the game fun and interesting. 

I've run all my linemen as running backs and receivers.  I've played the kid that has never played and helped him get 50 yards.  I've let the worst kickers kick.  I've even had the majority of the freshmen team take the field.  I've kept my third string in at the expense of a shutout. 

I've also been on the other side of the blowouts.  You just try to survive.  I've always appreciated the coaches that have realized that the game was over and tried to work on their plays without humiliating me and my kids. 

Those experiences, both the good and the bad, have helped me to keep a little perspective. 

The bully wins the games when he plays the 1st graders.  He should!  He's more skilled, bigger, and faster.  But no matter how much he tries, he'll never win the respect from his peers for wins, records, or stats he gained playing the little kids.  No matter how many newspapers cover it. 

REPUTATION CAN'T TAKE THE FIELD

This is the week of the question, "Well coach, how are you guys going to do against Blue Ridge?" 
I love that question because I get to talk about how good we've been practicing and how much I enjoy a good game. 

I spent a few minutes at practice this week teaching the kids about reputations.  I thought it might be worth repeating what we talked about.   

Blue Ridge has a great reputation as a winning program.  You've really got to give their coaching staff and kids credit for creating and continuing a great tradition.  Their kids are fast and strong.  I have a lot of respect for all of them. 

Over the past three years I've watched our program turn a huge corner.  The athletes enjoy playing and THEY AREN'T AFRAID OF A REPUTATION.  Our athletes have earned the right to line up against a great team and believe they can win.  We're just as fast if not faster.  We're just as strong if not stronger. And we are just as big if not bigger.  

So, when you ask me how we will do, don't be surprised when I say, "We're going to win!"  

Congrats to the Freshmen

I forgot to give congratulations to the Freshmen team who played Show Low on Saturday and won 30-14.  Great job guys!

FINALLY COMING TOGETHER

In our game against Globe we finally got it all together.  Our running and passing game were clicking and our defense was dominating.  With more practice we'll be able to take our program to the next level of execution.  I'm looking forward to playing a great team like Blue Ridge.  They are a great opponent and that will bring the best out of us. 

CONGRATS TO THE JV

The JV had a great game last night beating Globe 56-0.  Congratulations guys. 

WINSLOW GAME IN REVIEW

The game against Winslow showed us that fixing a few things can make a huge difference.  We ran the same plays against Holbrook but with one more week of experience and a few more reps we were a lot more successful.  Everyone is excited about the turn around we saw in one week but nobody's more excited than I am.  Great win guys. 

CONGRATS TO THE JV AND FROSH

The JV team beat Winslow 57-0 last night and the Freshmen beat St. Johns 44-48.  Great job guys. 

Week 2: HOLBROOK GAME IN REVIEW

We learned a lot from a very good Holbrook team.  We are definitely still working out the kinks of our offense but I think the potential is there to be explosive.  Overall I was pleased with the intensity we played with and the effort the atheltes put out.  When we watched film there were very few, if any, times that our players weren't hustling.

With a few more reps and more game experience this squad will do very well.  Take my word for it. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE JV/FROSH

It's great to see the younger teams succeed.  Everyone played well.  This game was unique because we combined the JV and Freshmen teams.  It presented some challenges for us because we wanted to give the Freshmen team an opportunity to have a game experience this week but we knew it would be hard to get them all in the game.  I have to applaud the coaches at making such an effort.  For those that didn't get to play, we're looking forward to the game against St. Johns and Winslow next week. 

INSANITY AND CHANGE

"I am told that the clinical definition of insanity is the tendency to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results." Stephen F. Lynch

Every year, around this time, I get asked the same question, "How's the team look? Are they going to be better this year?" That's a great question and I appreciate the interest of the people that talk to me. However, I'd rather them say something like this, "Last year you were 7-4. What are you doing different this year to help the kids improve on last year's record?"

You have to understand. My philosophy is based on the quote above. I believe that changing the way we do things in Snowflake is the only way to win games. Let me give you an example that will help illustrate this.

A shipping company owner bought a new boat. He hired a good captain and set them both out to sea. At first the ship and its captain were very profitable. But as the years went by the profits became less and less and the owner knew he needed to make a change. He hired a new captain but the profits didn't increase so he hired another one. Still nothing changed. Finally he found a captain he thought would really make a difference. He hired him and sent him out to sea and sat back and waited for the first reports to come in but the only thing that returned was a list. The captain wanted to clean the barnicles off the boat and give it a new paintjob. He wanted to buy an updated engine and new sails. The boat had potential but in it's current state it wouldn't run fast enough to be profitable. The owner realized his folly and made the changes and the profits rolled in.

Now don't get me wrong, this story is an illustration of a mindset, not an individual. We're all owners of the boat and we've spent too long looking for a different result while we've continued in the same rut of activity.

As this season starts I expect differrent results because we've changed some things.
We've installed an offense that will benefit our atheltes.
We've hired a Defensive Coordinator that will take our defense to a new level.
We've changed the way we train in the off season and we are stronger than we've ever been.
We are continuing to train during the season so we can be stronger at the end of the season.
We've changed the way we practice.
Weve hired new coaches that bring a fresh perspective to the program.
We've started a Freshmen lifting time after school to make sure our Freshmen aren't a year behind the teams they play.
We've started an "athletic weights" class where the atheltes are pushed to improve.

I'm expecting to see results because we've cleaned the barnicles from our boat and we've bought a new engine. I expect to make future changes but I'm excited for the season ahead.