Loyalty the forgotten principle

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The full text of “Loyalty the forgotten principle” by Mike Snyder, from the Vol 2 — Summer 2025 issue.

A s I got older, I realized how smart my father was. He instilled in me the things I did not realize he was doing. Quick life story on my dad. He was part of the generation that historians call the greatest generation in the history of America. He quit high school to help support his family. Joined the army to fight in WWll. He landed at Normandy and marched to Belgium and was wounded at the battle of the Bulge. I realized later his experience would have such a huge impact on who I was.

This article is about the importance of Loyality.My dad always talked how important it was to be loyal to the people around you, and especially to the person that hired you for the LOYALTY THE FORGOTTEN PRINCIPLE

16 job you have. He told me to always give your boss the full 8 hours a day or more if your job requires it. My dad was a roughneck in the oilfield. Along with loyalty, a great work ethic is something that was passed down to me as well. Leaders develop loyalty. As a leader of your program, you are chosen to serve others. You will have problems within your program when you forget this concept and begin to serve yourself. Loyalty is tested most when things do not go well and challenges seem overwhelming.

True leaders use these difficult times to demonstrate a commitment to those whom they serve. As coaches we must develop that feeling among our players that” you can count on me; I will be there for you.” The power of loyalty is the force that brings out teams best qualities during the time when this quality is most needed. Being loyal involves being a person who refuses to compromise your values for personal advantage. Loyalty to our structure, our goal, and each other would sustain us through tough times.

“Loyalty cannot be blueprinted. It cannot be prduced on an assembly line. In fact, it cannot be manufacured at all, for its origin is the human heart -the center of self-respect and human dignity.

It is a force which leaps into being only when conditions are exactly right for it -and it is a force very sensitive to betrayal.” “Loyalty is still the same, whether it wins or loses a game: true as a dial to the sun, although it can be not shined upon.” “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.” I prefer a loyal coach to a brilliant one.” Many ask the question does loyalty start at the bottom and go up or does it start at the top and go down.

I have been in both chairs, I think it starts at the top and goes down. Once loyalty is given it should be returned. There will always be a time in your career that your loyalty will be tested. Some one will say something negative about your head coach or as head coach they will say something about your administration. Loyalty will determine how you respond.

Loyalty is not taught to our youth anymore. When Johnny comes home he tells his parents that he is going to quit because he is not playing enough and that he does not like the coach. Many parents say I would do the same thing. That family has no loyalty to the program or the coaching staff. I tell our kids from day one., Not everyone in this room will like me, but you will have unwavering loyalty to the chair I sit in. I have coached kids in 5 generations.

The first four had loyal families and kids that were very loyal to the team and the coaches. I hope some day we can get back to parents that teach Loyalty. Riding For the Brand The term “riding for the brand” was an expression of loyalty to a man’s employer or the particular outfit he rode for in western days. It was considered a compliment of the highest order in an almost feudal society..

If a man did not like the ranch or the way they conducted their affairs he was free to quit, and many did, but if he stayed on he gave loyalty and expected it. If you do not like you’re coaching job and you disagree with what the head coach does or what the administration does go ride for another brand. Loyalty was not an option when you signed your contract> If a coach or a player gave his less than his best somebody always had to take up the slack, and he was not admired.

When you make the choice to live by a certain set of principles it will not only protect you from your feelings, it will allow you to step into your greatest potential. Starting his 54th year at Seminole High. 47 as head coach Record 392-145.

Winningest Football coach in Oklahoma Seminole High School Football is 5th winningest program in Okla High School Football 1 State Championship with 5 State runner ups Past President of Oklahoma Football Coaches Asoc Mike Snyder Seminole Public Schools Seminole OK 74868 CAA Athletic Director Head Football Coach Office 405-382-5134 Cell 405-380-2330

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The Peacock Blu Building a Cham “I want to be a great husband and father. I want to help young men get to where they want to be, whether that be playing football at the next level, joining the military, or just getting a job or career. “

What motivates you and how do you motivate your players to win championships? For me the motivation is to help our players excel in the classroom, weight room, and the football field. I also feel there is a lot of motivation for me personally with the fear of failure. When you are on top not only is everyone gunning for you, but there is a lot of outside noise about what you do and how you do it. Everyone is waiting and wanting you to fail. Not everyone likes the pretty girl.

What are the key areas you need/want to learn about your opponents? Offensively the biggest things we want to figure out is what fronts and coverages we will see against our formations. I want to dictate what we will see. Each week is different goals into what we want to dictate depending on our opponents’ strengths and weaknesses.

We are in 11 personnel almost 90% of the time and sometimes that makes it difficult to figure out what we will see, because we have opponents that play the entire season and never have to line up against a TE. Defensively we basically do the opposite. We find out what formations they run and what plays they run out of that formation. Then we figure out our best alignment to those formations to stop their favorite plays and adjust our defensive personnel accordingly. P

What is included in a typical Game Plan? Offensively we will have our top 20 plays that we will use to start the game. We will have a 3rd down chart with 3rd and long, 3rd and Med, and 3rd and Long with 5 each in the column. We will carry 3-4 exotic plays and 3-4 openers for the first play of the series. We also have a goal line short yardage package listed as well. We have all our runs and passes listed by formation. Most important jobs as Head Coach...top 5 Keys to Success for you? 1.

You need to have a quality staff that you can trust and they can trust you. This does take time and will not happen instantly. Once you get this accomplished you need to keep them. 2. You must have a great off-season program that develops strength, discipline, and mental toughness. 3. Expectations for you coaches, players, and parents must be clear and must be discussed even the hard things.

It isn’t always easy to tell a parent that their kid isn’t a scholarship player at the next level, but it is much better and much easier to be honest up front rather to have those discussions when signing day is approaching. 4. Culture. Your players and your influencers decide this. We have an influencer committee. Not every member is a positive influencer, some are negative. But we try to give them the tools to become that. We give them role play scenarios. 5. It can not be about you.

As a head coach if you make it about you, you will never have 100% buy in from your players and your coaches. We have been very fortunate in our program with our success, but I know it is about our players. They are the ones that play and do the work, our assistants mold and help them perfect their craft. We run a player lead program, its their team, I am just the spokesperson. You’ve been doing this for 19 years...biggest challenge left for you, what are your goals for the future?

I do not really look at it through those lenses. Each year is a new and different task. I do not feel like its been 19 years, I feel like I am in year 2. I really do not put much stock in to what we have done, I truly stay focused at the task at hand. Most recently was the off-season so my task everyday was to

25 get these players stronger and bigger. Currently we are in spring football, so my daily goal is to figure out what positions we need to put kids in, and who is the best player at that position. What defines Coach John Peacock? I want to be a great husband and father. I want to help young men get to where they want to be, whether that be playing football at the next level, joining the military, or just getting a job or career. I also want help my assistant coaches do this as well.

As we mentioned, the story we want to present is Why does John Peacock win so much? I think it is a combination of having been blessed with really good football players and a really good staff. Discipline and hard work are the base of our program. Its hard to put into words, you really just have to see it. I can show you better than I can tell you. What can we as fellow football coaches, learn from him that can help us be more successful too.

Coach Peacock is a person that loves his players and treats them great, but at the same time he holds them accountable and holds them to a standard each and every day, you can see his assistant coaches follow his lead in this example. Every player is held to the same standard, but the great players are held to an even tougher standard which you see the opposite in other programs.

Coach never talks about wins or losses his goal is to play the perfect game, which we all know is impossible, but that is what he is looking for. Coach also puts grades and character above winning. Coach Peacock is a person who I would love to have my child play for. Armando Solares Solares Photography, Inc. www.SolaresPhotography.com www.SolaresWeddings.com 941-521-6372 We asked Coach to Show Us what he means “Show us better than tell us” and this is the video he sent:

Coach Peacock enters his 27th year in the Venice teaching and coaching community. Coach Peacock has helped over 100 student athletes become collegiate football players totaling over 30 million dollars in scholarships. Coach Peacock was born and raised in Venice. Coach Peacock and his beautiful wife Georgia have 6 children and 8 grand kids.

Education BS – Georgia Southern Masters – National Louis University (Summa Cum Laude) Playing Experience 1989-1992 Cardinal Mooney HS 1993 – 1995 East Carolina University 1995-1997 Georgia Southern University Coaching Record 186 - 44 18 consecutive Play-off appearances 11 District Championships 8 Regional Championships 8 Final Fours 7 Top 100 Finishes 2 State Runner-Up 3 State Championship COACHING HONORS National Strength and Cond COY - 2010 FACA Coach of the Year – 10 times Herald tribune Coach of the Year – 2007, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2024 Dairy farmers 7A Coach of the Year – 2017 & 2024 Dairy Farmers Florida Coach of the Year - 2017

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30 **(Editor’s Note: This article was generated by a of football data, strategy analysis, and coachi synthesize information, the nuances of      For decades, the rhythm of American football had a predictable beat, especially on fourth down. Get stopped short? Punt the ball, play the field position game, and trust your defense. It was dogma, etched into playbooks and coaching philosophies from Pop Warner to the NFL. But the beat is changing.

A seismic shift, driven by data and pioneered by bold thinkers, is underway. Increasingly, across all levels of the game, "going for it" on fourth down isn't just an occasional gamble; it's becoming a calculated, strategic weapon.

31 n Artificial Intelligence (AI) trained on vast amounts ng philosophies. while AI can provide insights and game-day decisions remain deeply human.)**    
The reluctance to punt is no longer confined to desperate late-game situations. We see it in the first quarter, near midfield, even backed up in a team's own territory. What sparked this revolution? Primarily, the rise of analytics.

Win probability models and expected points analyses have consistently shown that the conventional wisdom surrounding punting often undervalues the benefit of retaining possession compared to the marginal field position gained. Giving the ball back, even deep in opponent territory, still gives the opponent a chance to score. Maintaining possession, even with short yardage needed, keeps *your* drive alive and your scoring chances higher.