CTC-23 "Building Trust with Players and Inspiring Them to Be Awesome" Nick Jackson

Nick Jackson is currently a nationally respected motivational speaker who lives on the West Side of Cincinnati. After a collegiate football career at Mt. St. Joseph, Nick has had coaching stops at Norwood and Highlands High School.
His motivational speaking career was kickstarted as he partnered with Cris Collingsworth through an organization called "U-give" which not only coordinated assemblies at schools but also activated tons of service projects.

Transcript

spk_1:   0:00
This is the coach to coach podcast episode Number 23. Game job. Hey, what's going on, guys? Welcome to the coach to Coach Podcast, where we believe every kid deserves a coach that cares, and every coach deserves someone in their corner. I'm your host, Nate silly. And this podcast is sponsored by the Northern Kentucky Fellowship of Christian Athletes, also known as F C A. And we worked with so many great coaches and teams all across another Kentucky region. We have a presence at about 23 different schools in the moment, and we wanted to pass along and provide a way where local coaches could share their story their wisdom. And through this, Maines can share that wisdom with other coaches in the area and beyond. And we have another great episode lined up for you today. Our guest this time is Nick Jackson. Nick is a He's an alumni from Mount ST Joseph, a football player there. He's coached at Norwood High School. He's kind of at Highland High School with coach Dale Mueller. Multiple state titles. There he was running back and devious coach as well. He's now a nationally known motivational speaker, right in our back yard. But he has some great stuff to talk about. As far as getting student athlete leadership going the importance of focus where he gets his confidence from so many great nuggets. I can't wait for you to hear from Nick. And hey, while you're at it, we come out with an episode on the first of the first and 15th of each month as best we can. And we would be honored if you would subscribe and share this episode with at least one person. If you found it helpful. It's just a huge benefit to help get the word out to your friends and other countries, stabs and have this kid a little bit more visibility. So let's hop right into our conversation with Nick Jackson. All right, Super Pump. We're here with my man, Nick Jackson. How you doing this morning?

spk_0:   2:06
Great. Great. How are you so

spk_1:   2:08
good to see a man? Well, hop right in. I've given listeners a little bit of an intro, but tell us, look who's Nick Jackson? How'd you get into coaching? I know you're not coaching a sport right now, but you get tons of experience. Just give us a flyover. Like what? Your journey been like growing up. How'd you get into coaching?

spk_0:   2:25
Yeah. Yeah, Well, what? I mean, the start with who's Nick Jackson? And I'm still trying to figure that out. To be quite honest with Nick Jackson, my motivational speaker and a minister, I'm a coach right now in the spirit and not on the field and show up. Life has changed a little bit for me in the game that we're coaching change, too.

spk_1:   2:45
Yeah, that's good. Where'd you grow up to go to school and then you coached football. So I had it all that kind of start.

spk_0:   2:52
Yeah. Where I grow up, I go to this insistence on any question, right? Yeah. Eso where I grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. My my dad was G guy, and we moved out to Cincinnati sixth grade middle school. Around that time I went to Loveland. Schools played football. Loveland played college football at the college Mount ST. Joseph and I ended up coaching at Norwood. Where was the first black coach in the history of the school district? First African American male teacher. Yeah. Yeah. First African American male teacher in the district right. And same thing at Highlands, which is in Northern Kentucky. Good

spk_1:   3:25
stuff. Did you play? You haven't played with Alex Harbin and mounting Joe. Or is that different?

spk_0:   3:29
Yeah. So Alex came in. Hey, was a freshman when I was a senior, and so I actually helped him put his business plan together for his first off, and and really, he had the plan. He just needed the motivation he needed somebody that said, I believe in you and it's so funny because he's a beast. He had a bunch of people, so I was honored to be the guy. I was honored to be the one guy. I also believe in you, So yeah, get get. Really?

spk_1:   3:55
Yeah, that's cool. Well, tell me a little bit about the Norwood days and a little bit. A little bit of islands. Like What was it like starting out coaching? What was your approach going in? Were you just trying to stay around the game or, you know, what was your Where was your heart That start now?

spk_0:   4:10
Yeah, definitely. So I wanted to coach Princeton. Princeton High School was the place to go. Student taught there in the interview went incredibly well. I had an opportunity to get a call from the Vice Principal Norwood High School, and I remember him telling me that nor would need you, and I didn't know what that meant. I remember playing against Norwood when I was in high school. We had a lot of issues, a lot of racial issues between the two schools, and I remember being on the bus with my friends and just knowing one day we're gonna come back. You know, when I got the opportunity to even go into the interview it nor would I knew in my heart like I need to come here didn't not really. I need them, but but are they need me? But I need them, you know? And so I needed to reconcile some things that I had with that community. And also I love the game of football, and I wanted people to look a football over drugs, alcohol, fighting, all that other kind of stuff. Sex and everything else right? T find football is a way out, and they did. We did real well. Way good. We did good and I really enjoyed it.

spk_1:   5:18
That's cool. It's amazing how a passionate division. If you're getting after something, a lot of the other stuff just kind of fade away because you're so focused and driven on. Whatever you got right in front of you and sports could be that for people in a lot of these. And yeah, that's awesome. So you go from Norwood Thio Highland. So either school man, we always like to share every once in a while. What was that? What's a funny story or embarrassing moment, then as a coach, What's something? You still kind of look back and you just can't track

spk_0:   5:49
so embarrassing moments it was. So maybe, you know, I really can't. I can't just put my finger on one. But I think probably the most embarrassing moment I had a code as a coach was that Highlands was in. Norwood from for one year knows that Highland. For multiple years, I I had this one player and I mean this guy. So every coach has that one or two guys that'll do everything you ask him to do. But they're horrible. I mean, they're just the worst athletes ever, and they're they're phenomenal, right? But But whatever. We're playing cub, calf and our good of

spk_1:   6:27
the biggest game in Harlem.

spk_0:   6:28
Oh, yeah? You think this is? The J B version was calling the place for the J V team. I was still a varsity. Coach Bell's complaint for J V. Team Our number one back gets into a fight, right? Uh, hey. Punched a guy on the on the sound, The cup cast sidelines right and gets ejected. So we have to pull up freshman for the Jamie. Now, this is a big time talking. Oh, yeah, Stands with Paige even though it's J. B. Right? And I'm looking at all right, So my number two guys in there and we have to bring a freshman in In my mind, I'm thinking, Whatever you do, do not call a play with his kid, Gets the ball like that. Do do not call that play whatever you do, right. And I ended up calling the play where he gets the ball right, right counter instead of left counter called the wrong way. Right? And so I'm looking out there, and I'm seeing my number one guy Duke to the juke down and not get the ball. And then I see my number two guy step to the right and get the ball. And I'm like, Oh, we're in trouble. So we're up six points, right? It's fourth quarter, four minutes left. War on. The 25 were on on our side of the ball. Where are 25 this kid gets the ball. And let me tell you, he took off like you got now. My June score you went fast, right? But the fact that the fact that he got the ball and I'm like, no, and he broke the line. And then he got past the linebackers and he met the D B. No, he's running with the DBS, right? And I just remember like, Oh, yeah, I called him. I need to do that like your street. Yeah,

spk_1:   8:07
they didn't see it coming. That's why I called it. That's amazing. Absolutely. Well, let's, uh, well, actually, we'll have released a couple of episodes with Coach Mueller has some really great stuff from Highland days as well, But yeah, it's a little bit more about just coaching what you believe about coaching, how it can impact kids, anything you've seen. As far as I've seen, kids go from here to here, either personally or athletically like I know we just believe about the power or the impact of coaching.

spk_0:   8:38
So I gotta tell you, this is a group of stories, but I consolidate all to one. I saw you also have Brian Tone on your list, right code. Now I just want you to know, for people who speak, they spit more than anyone else I've ever seen. I'm telling you, the went up the front row of any crowd. They really will, and like it's It's interesting because what I've learned, especially when I first started coaching with Dale and then even I did some leadership stuff over a crossroads is those were super focused guys. They don't have a lot of stuff going on life. I mean, they do, but they don't let it get to them. They do, and dailies to say this thing is like I do football, family. That's it. Very focused. I don't do this other stuff. He's a guy go home and my kids and my kids. They don't even ask me whether scissors are having no idea that football and family, that's all I do. I don't I can't hang out with you. I don't go out at night and I don't I don't do this other stuff because it's not within my my my what we call my rum of influence, our kingdom and what you are buying. So when I was a crossroads, I didn't have a lot of super close contact with Brian Tone. It was the same thing. So he does this. He does this and he does that. That's that's who he is. He's a motorcycle guy, loved motorcycles. He's a preacher, love, creature, but preaching. And he's also a family man. It's funny because Chuck Mingo, I didn't say money. Listen anything, but he's the same way. And other other guys that I know that are highly successful in the word are very simple. I don't have the coolest guys did not age students. They're not. Do the ones that say I will not be moved.

spk_1:   10:16
It's good you're saying as a coach, if you if you said you stay focused and you kind of know your lane and what you're gonna be intentional about, then that can rub off into the end of the kids you're influencing

spk_0:   10:28
Oh, absolutely, absolutely into millions. Really. Beauty may I know this is coast to coast. So to put this in the room off coaching, a lot of times we're looking at what the parents are saying. A lot of times we're looking at what, Grass prep? Yeah. Yeah. Next. Perhaps. Bluebird. Bluegrass, perhaps. Like we're looking at all of this stuff we're looking. And we get so busy when really we had the opportunity to minister and love these kids. That's it Really got us with you. I don't really even get confused with no one. All the plates. You know, Sam. Now, mind you calling plays, right? I care less about half a mile. You don't mean because I knew my guys were so good. It doesn't matter what I call, I call it. I call lunch. I'm saying we're gonna score touchdowns. And he's one was kind of things. Were we practiced so hard and we had this identity and we also re and we re instilled this thing, this identity into our players, to the point where we we believed in everything we did because we did it so much. We're not even worried about failure. And then we watched at least about eight hours of film per game, right? So to our game as we know with the kid with the kids is no. Yeah, yeah. So? So we were highly invested in the highest level of expectation. Possibly can give a child and, uh, the kid's menace there. So the key thing for me is knowing who you are more so than even knowing plays stay in your lane.

spk_1:   12:01
How did you build it? So big? Big buzzword right now is culture. Everyone's to build amazing culture, culture, culture, culture. You're describing that you were saying we had an identity we had believed we had. I was having confidence, too. Where did that confidence come from? Was it just the sheer this year hours you're putting in or I'm guessing there's probably some other stuff that went into How do we get the point where we were like everybody believed every time they showed up, they were gonna win. Where did that? Where did that come from? Killing

spk_0:   12:32
My confidence came from Christ on. Then it was backed up, but not only the ability, but the way that we would push each other as coaches. But the way also that we would push our players and I know for me I coached running bags DBS in and I was. These assisted the up in accordance, right? So my my role was more of a personnel kind of, ah roll, making sure that our guys got from Point A to point B soundly and our point B was further than everybody else's. I didn't want just my number one and number two guys to run perfect routes. That's not good enough. I wanted everyone not only to run a perfect rabbit, also know what everybody else was doing Everyone else is supposed to do on the field. I allowed my seniors to coach my freshman or my sophomores every day, and I would teach them yet so I would teach them what I would learn at pro camps in at at college combines. I would teach him what I learned, and then I would have them coach it. Not only did I'm coaching, I wanted to go home and practice it. Then with our playbooks, I would put it on mad. So I put my playbook on mad and I had them do the same thing and you know, have been get online play each other using our playbooks. Right? So, I mean, we're eating these every day Gonna

spk_1:   13:46
upload your playbook to men.

spk_0:   13:49
Oh, no, no, no. You have to do every player. Oh, yeah, You can't upload it. So every every play where you see the tackle on our playbook, you have to put that in on the med on the man game. Yeah, and it was the expectation of our whole team, you know. And so I started doing that when I would I would go thio like it was a playbook app. And so, in the playbook cap, I would have to write down what every player was doing on his play, right? And then I would give it to my back. So I would say we're gonna have a test on this weekly, and I'm gonna have you stand in front of the class. I'm gonna say the name of a plan. I want you to draw it. And then I want you to tell me what you would do in this situation, right? And so the bottom guy to the top guy, we did the same thing with blocking too. Right into we would go through so many situations and I would test them is hard as I possibly could. And not only that we were also doing character buildings up. So with no one asked me to do this. I just felt called Do it Right So we would do character building and have all their cell phone numbers. And I'm texting them every day asking questions about what we would do in life situations and how would we how would react, you know, And then we would quiz them in front of the team every week. And so, having that kind of camaraderie, we were we were You're a group of soldiers. I mean, our backs was so nasty. Oh, it was so funny because I had another coach tell me because we played cool writing. He said, I wish our backs words goes cold rains bags. And I'm like, looking cooler and kids, right? I mean, these guys were trains and they run like airplanes, right? And I got I got I got Opie over here trying to be a cool right. And I was like, How did I get this guy right to play like Herschel Walker? Right. I wanted to believe that he serves worker. So I'm gonna put him to a Herschel Walker work out. I want him that I want him to have Herschel Walker tight competition. So by the time, even our fourth string guy, everyone thought they were going to college and they played every play. Like I'm hungry for the bone. A block like I deserve to be on the field like you with a few. Yeah,

spk_1:   15:52
also very cool. What you did something that I'm guessing. Actually, you said was probably out of your own heart, but it's something that's backed up a lot, and one of the trains we do is three dimensional coaching, which is Jeff Do former assistant for Bobby Bowden. He's actually been on a pike as well, but he talks about the value of as a leader. You have to demonstrate like you have the lead and show how to do it. But he said the next layer is the peer modeling fee F peer to peers. If you get seniors Cochin sophomores, that benefits the senior because they have to know it enough to teach it. But then they get the blessing of serving their teammates. Obviously, the younger kids feel because the seniors are showing that they value them and it's it's awesome cycle and then eventually get to the point recon, basically self evaluate and self model. And you know OK, I've made this mistake that I could self correct as I go. So without that, I'm I'm sure. How did that go when seniors coaching software is like, What was the I'm sure Was there any, like, awkward middle, like trying to get to where that was flowing, or did that work around the gate like Tell me more about that.

spk_0:   16:54
So I I set this expectation that the seniors, they're gonna know what the drill is, so I'm already going in trusting them now when I put them in the position where now they're coaching younger people, they have to demonstrate that knowledge is expected from me. So in the beginning, there was there was a short learning period when they needed my I trust you get it. I trust, you know, Van. Outside of that, I would encourage them to start coaching the minor league teams. So four Thomas has a junior league system to start running these with these guys. So by the time you come to my practice, you're ready to coach. It was to the point help her through this season. Or I could sit down there coaching themselves, you know, and their coach themselves. And it really weeded out people who were there for themselves. You know, when you're there for yourself, it weeded you out. It showed me as a coach who has character, who's gonna put every ounce of themselves into this block and on with my running makes you could block. You can get the ball, you know, and not for everybody. Because if you're also meeting at the bottom, right, let's be honest, Ready? You're Jordan, you're throwing the ball right there. But now, for the guys who weren't our top tier guys, you could become on the top tier team because of your character. And that worked out well.

spk_1:   18:14
That's cool. When you said if you were there only for yourself. And that would just just again that that word that would come up now would be the culture with almost by definition, drive you out like you don't fit in, that if you show up in here all about yourself in your selfish than you literally wouldn't fit into players coaching other players and get that. It's really good

spk_0:   18:35
stuff and it really helps. So every coach has a couple kids get on their nerves. I had had a good number, right? And so what I would do is I would have one of my player coaches sit down with this kid. I need you and I want you to practice now what it's like. And now all of these guys are leading in the companies that they're either running or in the management positions that they're in. And so they learned how to lead because we gave them the platform to do so. And so I feel like a lot of times, a lot of coaches, they don't trust student leadership unless they're dictating it. And that child actually gets gets gypped, an opportunity to be a leader, right? And so for me it was an expectation that these guys can lead now just so I could be lazy, right? Just so when they leave football there because they're more than football players, right? So when they leave football, their leaders and they're not guys who are looking for you all the time to tell them what to do

spk_1:   19:28
now That's huge. I've heard you could have growth. You could have control, but you can't have both in it. It's a tough thing toe release that in 100% control over exactly what's going on. And yet you have to trust somebody, and you can't trust him until you've given them an opportunity to be trusted, right? But then I've also heard, especially on the youth sports side. There's a lot more science behind it, even of when you are always just telling us what to do all the time. 24 7 then they don't have to think, Hey, they get, they get rattled because they're getting all that you know. They're trying, They're in the game. They're trying to figure out all what's going on. I mean, my five year olds playing his first basketball game on Saturday morning, and he's trying to figure out just like what's defense is, where's the ball in all this stuff? And he's gonna be processing a ton of information and then if I'm yelling at him, what to do the entire time, he's gonna be overwhelmed. And even when he finally figures out basket a little bit and isn't as overwhelmed. He's still not gonna be forced to think and, like, he would have maybe figure that out or get to that conclusion on his own. But if we as coaches tell him every single thing all the time, like you said, they're not gonna be as equipped later on when you're not there. Yeah, and there's not a whole lot of companies that love people that have to be hand held and spoon fed everything their whole lives. I think that it's an incredible opportunity for coaches to really think through it. And maybe it's, I don't know. Did that start in the off season for you with the student leadership stuff for when did you kind of like

spk_0:   20:57
this? So for me, it actually started. When I was in high school, I was being coached by an offensive lineman, so his biggest fear is ball control. It was in the loss of the bull, right? And if you have a runningback coach hates being a runningback coach is that used to be a running back. My biggest fear is that you're not gonna be aggressive enough cause you're too worried about losing the ball, right? Expectations that you're not gonna lose the ball now. I want you to have vision, right? And so, as a coach, I was able to coach vision and what it looks like if you were talking football guys as a running back, I want to look for my linemen, butts, and wherever your buddies where you're the good guys are. Yeah, but But if your if your buddies is facing the hole, that means that your shoulders and your hands in the defense of players, usually on the other side So it's not like I'm gonna hit a hole. I'm gonna I'm gonna hit the light, right? No, no, no. Your mind has now changed when a lineman would say, Here's your whole right. You're gonna go through the one holding too old for home a runningback coach to find the light now And when you're finding the light, if you find like there and you score touchdown going in a different hold of what we expected. God bless Your Grace. You know, you make me look smart in the more freedom I would give them, the more excitement they would bring them, like they were incited to coach in practice. They were excited for the games and they owned. And we had other coaches that didn't coach the way that I did. And the reason why I did is because, as a running back, very rarely are running backs running back coaches. Because usually it's somebody who doesn't know, you know, whatever. You couldn't do this. You couldn't do that. So he put you here. And so as a running back, like, not only do I know, I know that you're gonna have the ball and there's gonna be thousands stains 1000 people in the stains on there's gonna be 11 guys on the field.

spk_1:   22:47
There's a collision of 21 people, right at the exact same time is a huge message,

spk_0:   22:52
right? And they all want everybody don't kill you, right? And if you drop the ball, we're gonna kill you too, right? There's a lot of pressure. Yeah. So the way you take the pressure off, you say I trust you. I trusted We don't come back at this. I trust you, right. And so and so with that trust, I'm gonna give you an X. I'm gonna give an expectation that not only can you run the ball, you can also coach. We called the line of scrimmage freedom, right? So once you pass the line of scrimmage, do you write whatever you want to do? I trust you. I would encourage them to keep the ball on the outside of hand. But if they didn't, God bless you. I understand why you wouldn't labor but way coach like that. Everybody want to be a running back in the old theme. Everybody wider seems there. But one of you running back, you know, you could push him harder and practice because they trust

spk_1:   23:39
you. And you have that you have that foundation. You were doing eight hours a week of film, you know, they knew the place. So they you had already laid that foundation that they could have freedom on top of you kind of laid. Here's the guard rails. And he was, in general, what we need to be doing That's good. You said a big word there, too, about freedom, like feeling free when you're playing. There's a lot of games playing baseball. Where I was pressing, I felt anything but free. It was just like I've got to get this thing done or if I missed this, you know, blocking this pitch, guys gonna score. It was it was all very real. Things like things you gotta do is a player. But there'd be so many times where it didn't feel like freedom. And there were times it didn't it wouldn't want too much fun. And it's like they were playing, playing football, playing baseball. It should be It should be fun, but released that out. Like that, having scrimmage line, uh, discovered being being freedom and insane. You trust him? Because a lot of times I just wonder if we because teenagers specifically get a whole lot of flak and then now, millennials, we're getting pounded, usually to this town and under generation. But is it because we're not expecting trusting and Colin are people too? You know, I know there's a 1,000,000 things going on that contribute to the issues that we have going on today. But why not, You know, give them a higher Barto live up to and trust that they can get there and speak that until I know you're a big, big proponent of speaking life. You know, even have you know you can't even explain. You speak love moving a little bit, too. But why do you think? Why are words so powerful? So we know what coaches words have a tremendous weight. There's opportunity. They're good or bad. But why do you feel like like speaking? Life is so important?

spk_0:   25:24
Yeah, so, I mean, just a just a shameless plug. Yeah, 11 of the companies that run and I was blessed to be able to found is called Speak, Love and hashtag I'm speak love. Their social media stuff and speakers of love dot com is our website stuff. My my website is Nick Jackson speaks dot com, but we do the same thing and speak love. So I have a group of people that I've been disciple ing to go into schools with me in speak, words of love over students and each one of these kids. Every one of them has tried to commit suicide at some point in their life. I know for me, when I was in that dark place, what I really latched onto with people that were building into me in a way that was giving me freedom based on their own platform. So anybody could say like you're gonna be fine, right? But not many people say you can get in my car and we're gonna go, and I'm gonna pay for you to eat. And then as I am investing in you, I want to hear about your day right now. For me. That's how Jesus talks to me, right? So I've been bought at a cost, right? And then I'm worth his time. And then he says, I'm I'm giving you freedom to feed my sheep, and he doesn't say how to do it. He doesn't say when to do it. He just don't You? Yeah. And the coolest thing is a machine to write. So a lot of times you get used to feed you like out, man, I'm hungry. Oh, you know, I mean, I decided to coach that way, and I decided to disciple that way within our company and to see the growth in the folks. I mean, like these guys, these guys were starting their own stuff. They're doing so well. It's such a beautiful thing, but what it takes is faith. That's what it takes straight. Oh, like I have the faith. Not that you got it all right? Right now. But you are on a journey, and I'm not gonna lose anything by sharing my trust with you. If anything, you're worth where we're going. Like like like that trust that I'm sharing with you because I literally I get booked to speak places. And I allow people who have been prostitutes, drug dealers and whose balls have been straight. A students from real good schools again busted drinking and lost the scholarship that a division one college like Like I let these people come with me and speak to kids about choosing love over over myself or what I think might be my need. Right? And so So it takes faith. Right? And Dale Mueller had that faith in me, and when he hired me, is the first African American in the district of Highlands, right, period. And like before that the folks that know what did the same thing there there was a lot of people that gave me gave me an opportunity based on their faith because I didn't have a resume to get the job.

spk_1:   28:07
You tell you have the experience. You could have done this this and this for sure. want me here like now taken. I think they were taking a chance on you for, like, her better word.

spk_0:   28:16
Right? Right in. Really? I didn't notice it back then, but it was based on my character. So there was production. Don't get me wrong. So there was a little bit of a resume living room, but like what? They what they felt or what they saw was happening while I was in college or what they felt that this all happened when I was in high school, these people were paying attention. And a lot of young people don't understand that your opportunities in the future will be mitigated by how well you're making decisions in the present. You know what I mean? Including Snapshot. Oh, yeah, Glitter included. Right, right. Listen, but it all gets

spk_1:   28:54
deleted, right?

spk_0:   28:55
Yeah, I see that. It's not really you just You know, I didn't mean to say that. I didn't mean to take that picture. Yeah, Yeah, I would have struggled if I would have had Instagram. I was a kid.

spk_1:   29:06
I had a little flip phone when I was 16 and 1/2 so I only had a cell phone period for a year and 1/2 high school and it barely had a screen. Uh, yeah, I'm kind of grateful. Honestly.

spk_0:   29:16
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I didn't have that had a beeper. Yeah, I had a beam on the belt clip. Yeah, Yeah, Bebe roam about. And so and so with that being said, the one thing that got me out of my dark places was interpersonal connection with people who are willing to invest in me no matter where they are, right. And then what I've done is I've magnified that and multiplied it by doing it in expecting it in other people that bring that same mindset to our business. And we brought that to highlands as a coach. Like, That's how we coach way spent personal time with each player. And I spent personal time with their parents because I want you to know I'm on your team. And with that buying,

spk_1:   30:00
and you had a small enough group with the running back. So we're talking. You're not worried about 80 players. You're worried about eight probably or less, right?

spk_0:   30:08
Yeah, Well, is Highlands were, like, 16 20. But I mean, like, eight varsity guys that they're both for one position. Yeah, yeah, yeah. To keep them all motivated to keep them all rolling. I knew it had to be something bigger than who's gonna play on Friday. First,

spk_1:   30:23
if that was the only metric of how you value them. It's one out of 8 to 8. Maybe per Friday night is going to feel feel that way. But that's not how I rolled in there. That's good

spk_0:   30:36
in the thing. That's interesting, too. I noticed because there was a lot of coaches that were coaching them before I got there, right. And so when when I got there from Norwood, right, a place where they thought they were way better than Don't get me wrong When I got there from Norwood, the level of assistant coaching focus, an intimacy raised exponentially just because I was there, I wasn't telling them like a do what I'm doing or whatever, but I know what my expectation is, and I know what I want from my guys right and it challenge other coaches now. A lot of didn't like that challenge right, But every like so when we practiced as running backs, we practice in the ends up because that's what we want to be, right. And so? So they wanted to put me on the 50. And I'm like, No, no, no, no. You don't understand the mentality, right? Like we would

spk_1:   31:22
be used to being

spk_0:   31:22
in the Yes, this is our home. Right? So when I'm on the 50 I'm not at home right now, so I can't I can't calm down until I get passed the home. We would even spread through the end zone to the back of the end zone, past the goal post every time we scored. Right now, people like, why would you do that? And honestly, because we could, you know, saying there was no real reason. What do you mean? Like what we could. And if you didn't, we would watch. The film would be like you stole down into five yard line. Why did you do that, right? Like you're better than that. And it was so sad when I when I ended up moving on and getting in the motivational speaking Josh Connor, number one back big guy, right during a during a practice game. He got hit on the one yard line because he stopped at the five and slowed down, took his knee out and you get to play to come out for the season. And I was I didn't even think about the safety of it. I think I was thinking that we're just that awesome because it's your

spk_1:   32:20
DVD. You're taking one last shot. Yeah, yeah,

spk_0:   32:23
that's exactly what happened. And And I didn't think about how many guys we were able to save from these injuries because we had this crazy expectation to be awesome at all costs. And, you know, it was so much fun.

spk_1:   32:39
That's great. And look, if you're talking to you, can kind of pick which one you want. Talk to either a coach and just start now, what would be some? Hey, I wish Nick Year one coaching would have known this better will be one of those things or you're around for several years and you met a bunch of different teams and coaches and sell different programs. You know? What did you see that we just might be an encouragement or any sort of other, like other leadership principle. All you want you want leaving with

spk_0:   33:08
yet. So my first year I was coaching under a coaching staff and I was with a group of people were character was not as good as scores on the board, right? And if I could have talked to Young Nick, it would have been. Do not allow yourself to be frustrated by low character situations. Your high character is gonna raise them up. Don't don't judge them in like even made him wear the right. What? These are other coaches. These are your bosses. People, right? Like your character in your energy is challenging them. That's why they're coming at you, right? So don't be mad if they don't like you, I ask you to go to lunch. You know, whatever, right? You continue to be you no matter what. What happens in the storm and the whole team will be. It will be better because it's easy for a new coach to see low character situations and also recognized they have low care to tendencies, right and meet down at the bottom right and lose that ambition that, you know, it's just like going to church, right? So, like you can go to church and be great ready. And then when you get the parking lot, you so you were straight jerk, right? And then you might cut you off. Right? Yet your wife did something you don't like. How do you pay? Right? And I just won't leave with this story. So we had to take the There's like a medical test that you have to take as coach of the Northern. Right. I feel that, like, seven times right now, they were, like, Nick cheat on the test, cheat on a test, just cheat working. Look, we're gonna take somebody and send them to the class with you right now, and I'm not a great test taker. And I and I looked one of my coaches in the face and I said, Look, check this out. If If I have a 15 year old kids playing on our team and he's having a hard time blocking an 18 year old kid, do you want me to tell him? Did she Now, if you do keep saying what you're saying, but if you don't, I can't cheat, because if they know it or not, it affects my character as a human being and that 15 year old right that 15 year olds worth my time, whether he knows it on the field or with my personal life. So I'll take this class of 1,000,000 times. Right? Then after a while, I found that ended a passing test. You know, they are, But but, I mean, like, it was funny, because the guy that I was talking to was a leader, you know? He's a good guy, right? And he's like, I'm tired of you going through. I'm trying to help you out, right? Like, this is this is something you keep doing. You're taking this dog on test over and over and over. Everybody cheats on it. Just get it done. We all cheated. Don't Don't worry about it. You're fine. And I'm like, that's cool for you. And I know you're one of my bosses, right? But I will. I will lose my job before I will stoop to that level, you know, and so that actually it actually helped me out. Dude, totally respect. You know, it's so funny that I've been blessed with the opportunity to be that honest with people because I would never say that to somebody above them. The game. And really, when you're when you're rolling with Jesus, anybody above you. Everybody decide you but Jesus and the blood of Jesus Christ covers assault. Let's go

spk_1:   36:16
right, man, that's such a great such a great word, Nick. I just appreciate you, man. No need for actually about your first meeting when I first started out four years ago with the CIA, and you just been encouragement and blessing the whole time. And I know you've impacted so many kids either that gym full of kids or one on one. And I just appreciate you what you do for this city, man. Thanks for being

spk_0:   36:39
no problem. And there's any coaches that that would like me to come out motivate their schools. I'm in. Nick Jackson speaks dot com hit me up. Love to come to your school that come to your team. I want you to know that a lot of kids don't go to church, but almost everybody plays a sport. And when we do, we need you to be that minister. So God blush. See

spk_1:   37:02
you next time. Well, there you have it, guys. Our interview with Nick Jackson made what a guy. What a heart really loved his storytelling and a lot of things he learned along the way and a couple of big takeaways. For me, looking back on the conversation is his emphasis on empowering his players to lead themselves and giving them opportunities to lead and be right there alongside of them. Still, to coach them up, he said. One of the ways to take pressure off of a player is to say, I trust you and to build that trust over time. And then another thing I really hung with me the whole time was when he lived out a life of high character that it automatically challenged others to kind of raise their game as well. Just the power of our day to day decisions and our lives are speaking so much. We need to speak the truth with our words, but also with our actions and just the impact that could have on your coaching staff, your players, your program and, ultimately, the Win loss column as well. There's a great proverb. It's Proverbs 10 verse nine, and it says a man who walks crooked paths will eventually be found out, and it's so important that we were living a life of integrity and just seeing that the impact that could have well, hey, we have a couple of opportunities. We want to make sure you know about one is our leadership camp for your players? Got an in K Y F c a dot org's slash camp, and then also we have. We've had multiple teams recently bring us, and they would love to go through the three dimensional coaching material. You can go on our website and check that out a little bit more if you like, as a coaching staff, learning how to coach on the all three dimensions, physically mental and also the heart of the athlete. And then also, we've had interest more more interest of teams going through the five marks of a man content mainly for male teams. We've also prevented it for some female teams as well. It's not limited limited to that, but there's two of the prime things that we've been able to serve teams with, and we would love to talk to you more if you were interested in either one of those our leadership camp for your athletes or also three dimensional coaching with your country staff. Well, until next time, keep growing, keep learning it, keep changing lives on your team and in your home