“5 Minutes”
Last week, I had the honor of speaking with a team on game day morning. They were stuck in a 17-game losing streak. During our time together, we discussed approaching the game with a different mindset than they had ever done before. We talked about pushing ourselves to play harder than our opponent over a five-minute stretch of time.
I hope you can use this one with your team. It's not too much to ask for five minutes of 'superpower effort!'
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The Talk - '5 Minutes'
“Everyone possesses a unique superpower. Who on our team is willing to share your superpower that separates you from others?” (you will get a few responses, but mostly generic). I usually add, “I mean something like being able to solve a Rubik's Cube, playing the piano, or speaking a foreign language.”
“We all have a superpower whether you know it or not. I will tell you what one of yours is today and how we must all harness it as a team. In almost every game, the team that plays the hardest wins. Tonight that must be our shared superpower.”
“Am I asking too much for us to play harder than our opponent?”
“I'm not talking about just playing harder than the other team, but playing harder than you've ever played. I'm asking for superpower energy and effort.”
“How long is an average football game?
48 minutes? Three hours?”
(heads will nod yes)
“How many plays are in a typical game?”
(most teams don't have a clue on this, so I tell them 150)
“There are approximately 150 plays in a typical football game. We will have around 60 offensive plays, 60 defensive plays, and 30 kicking game snaps.”
“How long does the average play last?”
(someone will probably know this...4 seconds)
“So, if there are 150 plays at 4 seconds each, how long will the game actually last?
If we do the math, here’s where it gets interesting:
150 plays at 4 seconds each equals 600 seconds of actual gameplay.
That’s just 10 minutes of play in a typical three-hour game.
Tonight will be three hours filled with excitement, cheers, and intense moments. But if we break it down, we’ll find something astonishing—amidst all that time, the actual moments of play are incredibly brief.”
“Most of you will play for around 5 minutes!”
“Am I asking too much for you to go from 0-100 mph for 5 minutes?”
“Is it too much to ask for every one of you to play with a fanatical effort like no one's ever seen before for 300 seconds?”
“You've put in a ton of work to get to play a few minutes tonight. You’ve sweated and grinded for hundreds of hours all off-season, spring ball, fall camp, and even this week to get the opportunity to enjoy a few precious minutes of gameplay.”
“What about when you're not on the field? Then our sideline must be so electric that the people in the stands notice something different tonight. Whenever we have a big play, we need to have more juice than we've ever had. High-five, congratulate, encourage, and lift each other up. If the coaches film our sideline, they should be able to see you cheering every time you aren't on the field. Your job is to help your teammates crush their five minutes!”
“Am I asking too much?”
“One of the most beautiful things about sports is in each contest; a few plays turn the tide. We never know when the play will occur, but if we're playing harder than anyone's ever seen for just a few minutes, we will win those plays!”
“So when that whistle blows, don’t hesitate. Leave everything you have on the field. Play with intensity, with heart, and with purpose. Embrace the Five-Minute Challenge. In those brief moments, give it your all; I guarantee that every drop of sweat will be worth it.”
“Remember, those five minutes can be your legacy—your defining moment in this game. Let’s go out there and seize the moment with our superpower effort!
“Five
Minutes.
Am I asking too much?”
Did the team I spoke with win?
Yes! they broke their losing streak with a 21-point victory!
