I can finally see it, the light at the end of the tunnel, and I’m absolutely positive (I think …) that it’s not a locomotive. In any case, here’s a joint post from me and our newest contributing writer, George Bashura, sharing our thoughts on the upcoming season.
The dog days of summer are winding down, and with that a new season of Notre Dame Football is about to commence. For me (George), it’s a rebirth of a program and an opportunity for #Team129 to show us what they are made of. Coach Kelly, in his press conference on Tuesday, opened up with this quote, “our team is ready to play.” Coach went on to say, “we need to run our defense, execute what we do.” Last year’s season should not just be accepted as a bad season, there are lessons to be learned from it.
Details Matter
This offseason gave the players returning for the 2017 season something to chew on. Winter nights are long and cold in South Bend, but the grind to get back onto the playing field is more than just the grind; it’s thought-provoking. The part that plays with the mind the most is the thought, “I can’t let it happen again.” The chatter coming out of the locker room, and the excerpts coming from the media are all about, “paying attention to details, because Details Matter.”
I (George) ran into Coach Quinn after the New and Gold game, and during our chat he dove into the science of preparing the players. “It’s just not about the physical aspect of training, but the mental portion as well.” Coach says “You have to be mentally prepared, and it’s just not on the practice field, the game field but also applying it to the classroom.”
Back to Basics
From what I (Lisa) have heard and seen, Coach Kelly seems to have gone back to basics just a bit. He is spending more time building relationships, both between himself and his coaches, and between himself and his players; which I feel is crucial to achieving success as a team. The other thing that I have heard a lot, and that strikes me as different this year, is the numerous sound bites on being “prepared;” which sounds just a bit like our last coach to win a National Championship, Lou Holtz.
Preparation
Being prepared is not only one of the keys to being a successful coach, but it is also one of the keys to being a successful player and a successful team. It is also a life skill that will be used off the field, for the rest of one’s life.
Preparation is key in becoming successful both on and off the field. “The time to worry is before you place your bet, not after you spin the wheel.” (Coach Holtz) Preparation does not create stress, failing to prepare does.
I (Lisa), myself, am very excited to see #Team129 hit the field. While I’d love to say that this team will go 10-2, or 11-1, or 12-0 … I’m not sure I feel quite that confident right now. But I think once we get through the first two games, we’ll have a pretty good idea of what kind of grit this team has. I love this time of year, when everyone’s optimism is high, and the glasses are full. I wish only the best for #Team129, and can’t see what the year has in store for them!
Cheers & GO IRISH!
May the road rise to meet you,
may the wind be ever at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Her Loyal ... Daughter
Lisa Kelly is a multidimensional marketing professional. She has over two decades of marketing experience and earned a bachelor of business administration and marketing from the University of Notre Dame (Class of 1993 ... Siegfried Hall!). She is a Digital Publishing Manager by day and by night is writing her third book, a continuation of "Echoes From the End Zone: The Men We Became" and its sequel "The Men We Became: MORE Echoes From the End Zone." In 2012, Lisa was crowned the "Biggest Fan of the Big East" in a blogging and social media contest, representing Notre Dame.
Read all posts by Lisa
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- A Football Player’s Lucky Charm? - February 22, 2018
- Part II: From Football to Coffee Beans? - January 31, 2018
I congratulate you both on your optimism, which I don’t share.
Beat Temple by at least 25 points
Beat Georgia – show them we are the better team.
Beat MSU – AT MSU – and you know they’ll be waiting for us.
Then I might start shedding my cynical coat, but not until we beat Southern Cal, who will probably come to town in the top 5 and favored over us.
I have been excoriated for saying over and over “talk is cheap” – but it is.