Chaminade, Great Speakers, Leaders and Teamwork

A little speech my friend Dan prepared to celebrate the 1973 High School class and it's Football Team as they were inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.

So I’m thinking the speaker selection process went something like this: Coach Donahue says “We need someone witty, smart and intelligent…but since we don’t have anyone like that… let’s get Dan to do it?” (I will do my best.)

To prepare I did a little research. I found a list of the greatest orators of all time. On that list are people known for speaking …They all have places in history.You know, Public speaking requires great confidence and knowledge. (Again, I will do my best)

So….On that list of great orators there are… presidents like:

Barack Obama, His National Convention address put him on the path to the White House.  

Ronald Reagan, The Great Communicator. (No doubt, his training as an actor helped…as a speaker and as a president.) John F. Kennedy spoke with energy, youthfulness and vigor. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”  and of course Abraham Lincoln. Consider his Gettysburg address (which, incidentally, was only about three minutes long. Note to self: brevity is a good thing…)

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and…Martin Luther King Jr. His “I Have a Dream” speech was only about 17 minutes long…

(A powerful speech nonetheless. ) Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in Jail, led movement against apartheid and became the president of South Africa. (That’s a lot of time, 27 years. A lot of time to think about what you want to say.) Gandhi inspired people to walk on the path of non-violence. (I don’t know…we were a football team…more like gladiators than pacifists…)

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Winston Churchill gave inspiring speeches during World War II. (Now we’re talking.)  And on that list there were some ancient Greeks (with names I cannot pronounce) …like Demosthenes who overcame his stammering problem and Pericles…but you know…Names I did not see on that list… Ed Donahue…or Coach Olms…(Our leaders at Chaminade).

You see, Inspirational leadership isn’t all about motivational speeches …Vince Lombardi is often associated with the quote, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." The truth is he did not coin that phrase. You see, Lombardi was actually more interested in planning and preparation. The will to prepare to win was more important to Lombardi. 

(CHAMINADE Story could go here)…You know our team was out on the practice field every night. We never questioned it…we were a dedicated group. Each week…

Casey Stengel, the great baseball manager once said: “Gettin' good players is easy. Gettin' 'em to play together is the hard part.”

…We had star players …guys like Steve Dolan…and Bill Kinney…But our team came from all over…like recently closed schools…McBride, Augustinian…and transfers (from places like CBC)… we were a new mix or Junior and Senior players too…but…We came together as a team in what was a sort of perfect storm.

Andrew Carnegie said: "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."

(Room for another CHAMINADE story here) We were a common bunch maybe …BUT we did achieve uncommon results.

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For me, being a Junior and part of the dubious All Iberia Team exemplifies how we came together…and I credit the coaches, especially Coach Ed Donahue for guiding us to be the best we could be…All of us found ways to contribute…and we became winners... (It was the guidance and trust and support of those coaches, teammates and others that made all the difference).

We are proud of our wins …sure… but what is more important is what we learned…about doing our best…about being driven to succeed…doing what it takes to win, working together. The Chaminade experience taught us many things. But it was not pep talks or inspirational speeches that motivated us. No, it was really more about the daily effort and work ethic of doing the best we could with what we had...growing…together…every day – day in and day out.  (It is a special thing…) We know now, that it was about so much more than winning football games. 

As a team, we celebrated the successes of course. But, in hindsight it was more than that. (If I only had the oratory skills of Ed Donahue or of those on my list)…

I would I would offer you a concert of words …

to pay proper tribute…

and due respect…with words like:  

EFFORT…

SACRIFICE…

TEAMWORK …

EMOTION… and

LOVE…

You see, we were (and still are) a community: Stars, starters, back-up players, coaches, parents, friends, boosters, supporters…and Believers.

Ordinary people capable of extraordinary things!

That, my friends, is something to celebrate.

Go Red Devils.

Thank You Very Much.