Whether it's a player or a coach, their rookie season in the NFL has to be filled with a huge amount of anticipation, thoughts/ideas, dreams, excitement, satisfaction, and maybe even a little fear. But the job must be performed and preparation, hard work, attention to detail, and a great support system provides the individual player and/or coach with the opportunity to put themselves in a position to be successful during that first year and for the years to follow.
I've never met the man personally, but I'm sure Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach, Mike Tomlin had similar feelings in his first year as the leader of the Steeler's organization. I mean, being that young, leading a great Steelers' organization, and following in the footsteps of the legendary and hopefully future Hall of Famer, Bill Cower. And look, in less than 3 years Mike Tomlin has not only solidified his role at the leader of the Steelers organization, he has won the Super Bowl!!!On March 26, 2009 I completed my first full season as the Cabrini Connections Head Coach. And on my first day in the organization I will filled with anticipation, thoughts/ideas, dreams, excitement, and not fear but thoughts on if I would be able to do as good of a job at the former Cabrini Connections coach Ana Llorens.
And as the days and weeks continued to go by I made an effort to be as much of a student of the game as the Head Coach. I made an effort to read and understand the playbook that had been used to determine what plays worked and what didn't work...and why. I worked towards getting to know the organization's personnel, from the players, parents, coaches, alum, to the fans and other supporters of the organization. And one of the biggest ways in which I prepared for the entire season was by working towards learning the history of the organization and the overall goals in which the organization wants to reach in the near and far future. And today, all of those actions are on a continued basis.
And as a result of that preparation, continuing to learn week in and week out, putting the right people in the right places on team, and always trying to get one day better I am happy to say that my rookie season went pretty well. Our organization has had some successes in the last year and I am confident that we will continue to have even more successes in the future. I've made some rookie mistakes, but learning from those mistakes and with continued efforts to move and keep this organization on the road to success I'm sure that our Super Bowl victories will be coming soon as well.
Hopefully YOU will join our team in one way or another, and not only assist me with my 2nd season and the seasons to follow, but put yourself in a position to assist the overall organization. Whether you're a student reading this blog and want to become a player on the team, a prospective volunteer who is looking to become an assistant coach, or a fan/supporter of the organization and would like to donate to the overall organization....Any and all of these roles and more are not just welcomed but are greatly appreciated!
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As General Manager, President and CEO of the Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection team, I want to offer my appreciation for the way El Da'Sheon has taken over his role as "Head Coach" of the Cabrini Connections program. I hope that in coming years we'll have more and more people take roles on this team, leading to greater impact on the lives of everyone who becomes a member, which includes students, volunteers, staff, alumni and the greater Chicago community.
Thanks "Coach" for your hard work.
Dan Bassill
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