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PCA-Chicago Huddles Up with Coach Pat Fitzgerald

07.29.2020

VIDEOS FROM COACH FITZGERALD 

Pat Fitzgerald: The Growing Importance of PCA

Pat Fitzgerald: What Does Positive Coaching Mean To You?

Pat Fitzgerald: Conversations with My Team about Anti-Black Racism, Social Justice

College football fans. Former football players. Northwestern University alums. Students of good coaching – all gathered this past Monday (July 20th) for an exclusive hour-long conversation on Zoom with Northwestern Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. The virtual “Huddle” served as a benefit in support of Positive Coaching Alliance’s work with schools and youth sports organizations throughout Greater Chicago.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald in action on the field Coach Pat Fitzgerald in action on the field

Moderated by PCA’s Jason Sacks, there was no shortage of topics and current events to cover. Coach Fitz shared his thoughts on how he is leading his team through both the COVID and social justice issues, the Big Ten’s decision to move to conference games only to provide a one system standard providing for the health and safety of student-athletes, desire to keep athletes on the Evanston campus, turning negatives into positives, making decisions on a :40 second play clock and more. Additionally, guests on the call had an opportunity to ask questions via the chat room.

PCA-Chicago’s virtual huddle concluded with Coach Fitz sharing his thoughts on:

What does the term “Positive Coaching” mean to you?

It’s easy to talk it but it’s a lot harder to walk it, I’ll just say that. I think it starts with attitude, I think you have to as a leader show up every day with a mindset to help and improve everyone that’s around you and has an expectation of you as the leader. There are no rainy days in my world whether I like it or not…..

When I think about what it means to truly be that positive coach, what type of impact will your players say that you had on their life? Are you truly being a servant coach? Are you truly being that person that is there to help and assist your student athletes to be the best that they can be in whatever it is that they chose to be?

Why is PCA so important to you and why did you want to get involved with the organization?

Youth sports changed my opportunities in life. If it wasn’t for sports, I would not be where I am today.

You’ve got a lot of participants at the youth and high school level. They want to be a part of a team; they want to be a part of a community. They know they might not ever play but they just want to be a part of it.

At the grade school and high school level, PCA plays such a critical role coaching our coaches and learning how to have a positive impact on the day to day, moment to moment interactions because that power of influence you have as a youth and high school coach can be a difference maker in a young person’s life.

Fitzgerald on the July 20th Zoom call Fitzgerald on the July 20th Zoom call

At the grade school and high school level, PCA plays such a critical role coaching our coaches and learning how to have a positive impact on the day to day, moment to moment interactions because that power of influence you have as a youth and high school coach can be a difference maker in a young person’s life. It can completely change their trajectory and that’s what happened to me. That’s why I feel so strongly in the mission of PCA and why I’ll do everything I can to try to help because I think it’s making a difference in youth sports which means that it’s making a difference in our country. We need to get young people the proper tools to be successful mentally, emotionally, and physically as they move forward in their lives, to be able to be successful in their lives, along with their education. This is part of the fabric of our country and we just got to continue to be relentless and develop.