Talent Sets the Floor, Character Sets the Ceiling

A Proactive Coaching podcast interview with Angus Reid — 13-year Canadian Football League center for the BC Lions, fourth overall pick in the 2001 CFL draft, two-time Grey Cup champion, author of Thank You, Coach: Learning How to Live by Being Taught How to Play, and TED Talk speaker on why we need high school football — hosted by Bruce Brown. Topics covered: the purpose of the book (thanking his coach and reminding all coaches of their impact); "How good do you want to be?" and the accountability that comes with answering it; talent sets the floor, character sets the ceiling; the two characteristics of greatness — durability and dependability; how his coach built trust (knowing the person before the player, objective standards with subjective coaching, consistency and patterns); his first-round-pick-to-cut rookie year and a coach he didn't trust; the handwritten game-day letters and why he kept all 200-plus of them; and a closing challenge — coaches may be the last people who can get a teenager's undivided attention, so teach something that matters.