by Dr. Gerald George Mannikarote
I had seen him on TV. I had read about him in books, newspapers (remember those?), magazines, and the internet. I had even seen him in a movie (my kids enjoyed that one, as I did!). It was the coolest when I got to meet Da Coach in person.
Over the years, Mike Ditka has been known to be an outspoken person. You may not agree with many things he’s said, But there are things we all can learn from him. Here are 5 lessons I’ve learned from Da Coach, Mike Ditka.
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Commit to excellence
Da Coach has been known to speak of HIS coach, Vince Lombardi. He has spoken of his time with Coach Lombardi as some of the greatest times in his life. Ditka said of Lombardi, “He had a saying that the quality of any person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence.” Ditka has also said, “If you want to be mediocre, then be mediocre. Nobody is stopping you. But if you want to get to the top, you’re going to work and it won’t be easy.”
Commit to excellence. It won’t be easy. You will have to work. But you just may get to the top.
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Put in the work
According to Chicago Bears History, Da Coach’s high school coach saw a ‘wimpy 10th grader with chicken legs’, but ‘that simply 10th grader would work so hard he would cry. If you beat him to the ground, he would bit you, kick you. He was going to be a ball player. He was going to be a ball player if it killed him.’
Ditka put in the work. He knew it wouldn’t be easy. Some things you may not know about his is that Ditka was in the Astronomy Club, and class president in his high school. Though he was recruited by 40 schools, he went to University of Pittsburgh on a full ride for playing football, to pursue a career in dentistry. The man worked hard. He just chose to continue playing football and not go into oral surgery.
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It’s not about the fans
During my short time with Da Coach, I told him how my kids were fans of his. He then quipped, “Wow. It’s good to know I actually have fans.” I then told him, “Well, it’s not for football…” and he quipped again, “Oh yeah… for ‘Kicking and Screaming’”. We both shared a laugh with that.
Ditka showed me that it’s not about the fans or the glory. Working hard is its own reward. Fans, glory, success… these are all by-products of putting in the work.
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You’re never a loser until you quit trying
This quote is attributed to Mike Ditka. What does it mean though? As we discussed in lesson number 2, Ditka’s high school coach said he would work so hard he would cry. He was not going to lose for lack of trying. We all can learn from this. Keep trying. It’s only when you give up, you lose. It doesn’t mean not to pivot or try something else if the situation is not a good fit. Case in point, dentistry vs professional football.
Before I show you the last lesson I learned, I just want to tell you thanks for reading this far. It means a lot to me that you’ve read my article. If you found any value in it, please hit the like button. If you feel others could benefit from this article, please share it with them, or tag them in the comments. And now, the final lesson…
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Stop Kicking and Screaming
I talked about my quip to Ditka about movie, ‘Kicking and Screaming’. Well, Da Coach had something to say about people that whine. “Don’t be a moaner and complainer. Don’t [complain] about the people you work for or the people you work with. If you don’t like it, don’t do it.”
Don’t complain. If you don’t like your situation, find a way to change it. Like a couple of friends of mine have said, “Muscle through it.”
So what do you think? Do you think Da Coach’s lessons are relevant to life? Do you think his lessons are relevant in your field of work (like mine, sales)? Let me know in the comments below. If you prefer, you can contact me directly via email – jerrydmann@dmanntraining.com or simply click the email icon on the side bar to send an email. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments.
Resources:
- Personal meeting
- https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/lessons-from-a-football-legend-mike-ditka-talks-leadership.html
- https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/4/13/18410120/as-bears-legend-mike-ditka-nears-80-he-is-shaken-not-deterred
- http://www.bearshistory.com/lore/mikeditka.aspx
- https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-mike-ditka-endorsements-htmlstory.html
