The name Tony Robichaux should sound somewhat familiar. The Louisiana-Lafayette baseball coach went viral earlier this year after going on a rant explaining why so many kids quit sports today. His words about "you've got to work while you wait" rang true with coaches, parents, and adults across the country.
Overnight, I noticed that some folks were sharing some more comments from Robichaux that resonated with them, and while they appear to be from the same talk (same clothing, same backdrop, etc.), what he has to say about toughness and building a culture is once again worth sharing.
"That's the challenge. How far can you go to get your team tough before you get reprimanded by soft people? That's just where we are in athletics."
I have a strong feeling that statement right there really hits home with a lot of coaches who are striving to build toughness in their team, and in that pursuit, they occasionally butt heads with their administration. But as Robichaux explains, you must remain committed to finding a way to build that type of culture.
"You have to figure out a way to create that type of culture, because kids today believe that correction is criticism. That's the first root of it. They believe that 'when you correct me, you criticize me.' Then they fold like a tulip when you criticize them."
"That's the challenge today out there. I think that's why there are so much parity in athletics today, because if you can get your culture tough, and if you can get your kids tough, you can give them an advantage. You have an advantage today. I don't care if you lack a little pitching, or fielding, or whatever, if you got 'throw down,' you've got a shot today."
Hear Robichaux's full comments below.