12 Lessons Your Students Can Learn from Vince Lombardi

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by Jim Bowen

"Vincent Thomas Lombardi is arguably the greatest football coach of all time, and is on the short list of history’s greatest coaches, regardless of sport. His ability to teach, motivate and inspire players helped turn the Green Bay Packers into the most dominating NFL team in the 1960s"(http://www.vincelombardi.com/).

There is a lot that we can learn from Vince Lombardi. When he speaks, he is not just speaking about football, he is speaking about life.  As a soccer coach and a teacher, I find that my players and students can apply these lessons to any challenge that they might face in their lives.  I hope that these words of wisdom and encouragement will inspire teachers, coaches, players, and students to be the best that they can be in life, especially when facing adversity!

Here are my Top 12 Lessons that Your Students Can Learn from Vince Lombardi. (Source of Vince Lombardi quotes: http://www.vincelombardi.com/quotes.html)

12. Sacrifice:  “Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price that each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” Vince Lombardi


11. Discipline:  “Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in. It’s a state of mind – you could call it ‘character in action.’” Vince Lombardi


10. Resilience:  "The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." Vince Lombardi


9. Determination:  "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." Vince Lombardi


8. Commitment:  "Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." Vince Lombardi


7. Teamwork:  "People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society." Vince Lombardi


6. Leadership:  "Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile." Vince Lombardi


5. Innovation:  "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." Vince Lombardi


4. Excellence:  "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." Vince Lombardi


3. Will:  "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." Vince Lombardi


2. Success:  "Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." Vince Lombardi

1. Ambition:  "Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. Sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can." Vince Lombardi

For a full list of inspirational quotes from Vince Lombardi, visit: http://www.vincelombardi.com/quotes.html