Pre-Game Coach Speeches Are A Thing Of The Past. It's All About The Pre-Game Face Slap Now
There's nothing more tired and worn out than sports coaches using the same cliches over and over and over again to try to pump up their players before a big match.
"Nobody outside of this locker room believes we can do it". "You have to hate to lose more than you love to win". "Great moments are born from great opportunity".
If you've heard one pre-game speech from a coach before in your life, chances are that you've heard them all. And it's not just a coaches issue. It's just because humans have been on this planet for so damn long. It's the same reason why pretty much every movie these days is a remake of an older movie. We're just running out of new shit to do.
But this German judo coach? Well here's a man of innovation. And sometimes in order to go forward, you have to go backwards. You have to get as primitive as possible. You need to dig deep and reach back to a time before we had words of inspiration. You want to get your athlete fired up to go to battle? How's about a little shake n' slap.
Granted, Martyna Trajdos would go on to lose the match. So it wasn't quite as effective as a Herb Brooks speech. But still. There are some instances where words aren't necessary. Some instances where you've heard everything you've already needed to hear at that point, and what you really need to get yourself going is a quick smack to the jowls. I love it.
The only thing I'm worried about now is all the hardo youth football coaches who think this gives them the greenlight to smack their kids around moving forward. Pandora's box might be opened on that one. But we can cross that bridge when we get to it.