He is a husband and the father of three beautiful children. Generations of players at Maplewood, a youth football team in the Washington, DC area, have embraced his passion and fire. He has mentored and placed more coaches than Bill Walsh. He is a local legend.
He grew up the youngest of eight brothers in a large, Catholic family in Bethesda, Md. As is customary in such tight-knit families, the older siblings appoint nicknames to the younger siblings. The Nalls Family embodied this tradition! Names such as “Stretch”, “Toot”, and “Whales” might as well have been printed on their birth certificates. What name did they save for their youngest brother, Joseph? “Rooster” Nalls!
Rooster Nalls has been coaching youth football for 25 years.
For him, coaching is a constant search for improvement. After every win, he thinks about how his team can better. After every loss, he thinks about how his team can better. But more than anything, he wants his boys to understand the fundamentals of building a successful team. And, just as critical, he wants them to carry these lessons into their adult lives.
At the beginning of each season, Rooster instills these fundamentals in a series of impassioned speeches to his team. Bite-sized nuggets of inspiration that form the backbone of a cohesive unit. Words of wisdom that serve his players far beyond the game of football. Each lesson is as important as the next:
- Hit**
- Have Fun
- Put the Team First
- Pay the Price
- Play With Pride
**Hitting also ends the list. Because it “begins and ends with hitting!”
These fundamentals apply to the game of football.
These fundamentals apply to the game of life.
“You Gotta Hit”
For Coach Nalls, hitting is about more than just strapping on your helmet and running into someone. It is the ultimate expression of self-confidence. It is a willingness to trust yourself completely. Initiating contact is a sign that you have let go of your fears and have committed to the team. When you make the decision to step up and deliver a hit, you have made a decision to go “all in”. It all begins with hitting!
In the same way, we can’t just sit back and let life wash over us. We have to initiate the contact. We have to overcome our fears and confidently pursue our dreams and goals. Sometimes, that means believing we will be successful even in the face of defeat. We only get one shot at this life. We have to commit ourselves to excellence. Either we are all in, or we sit on the sidelines!
“You Gotta Have Fun”
This is the hallmark of a Coach Nalls team. Having fun is not about messing around in practice and making jokes. Having fun means playing with passion. Having fun means playing with energy. Having fun means playing with emotion. When you make the choice to have fun (and it is a choice!), everyone on the team feeds off this spirit. The players put in so much work. If you aren’t having fun, why bother?
In the same way, we must choose to have fun in our own lives. We need to embrace our work challenges and attack them with energy. We need to throw ourselves into our relationships and openly express our emotion. We need to be that shining example that inspires people to keep moving forward. Having fun is a choice. And it is a choice that can have an enormous impact on all those around us.
Life is full of hard work and difficult challenges. But if we approach them with energy and enthusiasm, we will have a lot of fun along the way!
“You Gotta Put the Team First!”
Teamwork. It is absolutely critical in the game of football. And, as Coach Nalls preaches, it is simple, but not easy.
It is not easy because we all have egos. We all want to catch the passes. We all want to score the touchdowns. We all want to hear the cheers from the crowds. But putting the team first means everyone understands their role. Each role is critically important to the overall success of the team. No one player is above the rest. When the crowd cheers, they are cheering for the team!
In the same way, the best managers put the interests of their team above their own needs. They know that by sharing the spotlight and helping their team members succeed, the company will be stronger in the end.
Loving parents know that their family is the most important team. It is not about their individual glory or success. A healthy, functional family starts at the top and is the ultimate reward.
We all must cast our egos aside and put our teams first. That is the sign of a true champion!
“You Gotta Pay the Price!”
Having success on the football field is not about just showing up. Coach Nalls demands maximum effort. The work you put in during the sticky months of August will pay dividends down the line. Everything worthwhile requires sacrifice and effort. If you want to win a championship, you gotta pay the price!
In the same way, we can’t just go through the motions in our own lives and expect to achieve greatness. Life is not about just showing up. We have to put in long hours. We have to demonstrate maximum effort. We have to be willing to put ourselves out there and suffer ridicule and defeat.
The road to success is not easy. It will take courage and grit. There will be dark times and down moments. But if we pay the price and never stop believing, we will win out in the end!
“You Gotta Play with Pride!”
As Coach Nalls says, “You have to care so much, it’s stupid!” That starts with the little things. His players take pride in their uniforms. His players take pride in their pre-game drills. His players take pride in showing up on time.
That pride carries over into the games where they take pride in playing for one another. If everyone is playing with pride, the team will maximize their potential. And, win or lose, they can hold their heads high!
In the same way, we must take pride in everything we do in our work and personal lives. The menial tasks. The seemingly insignificant assignments. The mundane errands. We can’t pick and choose what we approach with pride.
This pride must shine through in every facet of our lives. Our relationships. Our family. Our career. Our hobbies. We have to care so much, it’s stupid! Because when we do, we lead by example. We inspire others to be better. And we proclaim to the world that pride still matters!
Where Do We Go From Here?
Every season, Coach Nalls takes his players on a journey. Over the years, he has inspired an entire generation through his passion and commitment to excellence. How long can he continue to coach? Is there an end in sight?
“I’ll stop coaching when football isn’t the only thing I think about when I’m there”.
Amen, brother. And thank you for providing the final lesson. When you are fiercely dedicated to a cause, there is nothing that can distract you from your goals. When you are coaching, you coach with passion. When you are playing, you play with reckless abandon. When you are working, you dedicate yourself to the task at hand. And when you are spending time with your family, you spend time with your family.
You cannot be physically in one place, and mentally in another. Regardless of what you are doing, you have to care so much, it’s stupid!
Take life head on!
Have fun with it!
Put your team first!
Pay the price!
Execute with pride!
And, finally, stay focused and passionate.
Coach Rooster Nalls has provided a guideline for leading a resilient life. It is simple. But not easy.
We all have this game plan inside of us.
Now let’s all go out and make the world a better place!
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Very well written Red. My son Zach, after playing only one year under Rooster, became much more confident and tougher playing for him. He’s a heck of a coach. Especially when it comes to preparing guys for high school on the defensive side of the ball.
Heck of a coach, indeed! And a little something for all of us. Thanks, Whit!
Words to live a great life by. I am inspired. And, after all, it is the year of the “rooster”!! (Chinese New Year)
Hysterical. And excellent perspective for the “new year”!
Nice story, Rob. Stay focused and passionate — that’s the key. Thanks for the weekly update!
Thanks, Kevin. Yes, it is the old “do what you are doing”. Gotta stay focused and have some fun with it!
Excellent piece. Rooster is a loving and caring man of strong character. He practices what he preaches. He is an inspiration.
That is dead on, Frank. Genuine, quality character. And we can all benefit from his lessons. Thanks for chiming in.
Just printed to share with my hoops team tonight. Thanks for the lesson. Was thinking the girls from holy redeemer could benefit from rooster’s wisdom, passion and integrity and Rob’s capturing the essence so well. Thanks
That’s an honor, coach. Rooster’s message is timeless and cuts across sports. HR is lucky to have you!
Rob, really well written! I had Brendan read it out loud to me on the way home. He did so with a smile on his face, especially as he recalled hearing Coach Nalls words reiterated as they became a part of his life. He loved playing for Coach Nalls and learned so many lessons that he will carry with him through life. Nice to watch his expressions and hear in his voice how much he admired and respected his coach! Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely, Sandy! And Brendan is a credit to Maplewood. The life lessons go both ways!