Embracing Adversity
From the series: "STAND OUT IN THE CROWD"
by Frank Allocco, Sr.
Series Introduction
Some eye opening basketball statistics:
The beauty of sports is not in becoming a great player, it is the learning of valuable Life Skills that will serve players throughout their lives. If we look beyond the focus of winning and achieving success, the arena of competition is one of the finest classrooms a young player could ever have.
Some eye opening basketball statistics:
- 2.9% of high school players will play college basketball.
- Less than 1 in 75, or 1.3 percent of NCAA Seniors will be drafted by an NBA Team.
- About 3 in 10,000 players (0.03 percent) of high school seniors will eventually be drafted by an NBA team.
The beauty of sports is not in becoming a great player, it is the learning of valuable Life Skills that will serve players throughout their lives. If we look beyond the focus of winning and achieving success, the arena of competition is one of the finest classrooms a young player could ever have.
In 1972 the Notre Dame football team competed in the Orange Bowl vs. the perennially powerful Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Big Red was led by their phenomenal quarterback David Humm, All-American defensive tackle Rich Glover, and the amazing multi-purpose Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Rodgers. Rodgers was one of the greatest college football players I have ever seen. His prowess and domination was clear from the opening kickoff and his three rushing touchdowns, 50 yard TD reception, and his 54 yard touchdown pass led the Huskers to a 40-6 victory.
At the conclusion of the worst loss in his illustrious Notre Dame coaching career, Coach Ara Parseghian slowly entered the somber locker room and addressed our team with just one sentence: “Gentlemen, remember these words as long as you live…’adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which under prosperous conditions might have remained dormant.” He quietly turned and left the locker room leaving us to decipher his amazing words.
At the conclusion of the worst loss in his illustrious Notre Dame coaching career, Coach Ara Parseghian slowly entered the somber locker room and addressed our team with just one sentence: “Gentlemen, remember these words as long as you live…’adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which under prosperous conditions might have remained dormant.” He quietly turned and left the locker room leaving us to decipher his amazing words.
“Gentlemen, remember these words as long as you live…adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which under prosperous conditions might have remained dormant.”
His powerful expression, another of his countless lessons, became our battle cry in the offseason as each player accepted the challenge of his words and looked inward, committed to being more and giving more to our teammates. Our team took our workouts to a different level as we bonded through our exceptional effort and became a close-knit band of brothers that feared no one. Certainly not a team with elite talent, our strength was in our unity and total commitment to each other. Coach Parseghian’s locker room challenge and the memories of an 8-3 disastrous 1972 season that ended with back to back blowout losses to USC and Nebraska had our team believing in his new and demanding offseason plan.
Our 1973 season began with convincing wins against Northwestern and Purdue and a character testing four-point win over the Spartans of Michigan State. Although our focus remained steadfast week to week, we knew the Trojans were lurking around the corner and we eagerly awaited our chance to atone for the lopsided loss of a year ago. USC was loaded with talent and looking to extend their 23 game winning streak with superstars Pat Haden, Lynn Swann, and Anthony Davis leading the charge. Our Fighting Irish Team countered with Enthusiasm, Effort, and Love. The classic October battle was a slugfest, finally clinched when Eric Penick followed perfect blocking, broke two tackles, and dashed 85 yards to put the game out of reach. The speedy halfback was swarmed by fans and teammates in the end zone as Notre Dame Stadium erupted with a deafening roar that echoed throughout the nation. The 23-14 win was an exclamation point; the Irish were back! We convincingly polished off our five remaining opponents to end the season 10-0 and earn a Sugar Bowl bid against the undefeated, top-ranked Crimson Tide of Alabama, coached by the legendary Bear Bryant.
Our 1973 season began with convincing wins against Northwestern and Purdue and a character testing four-point win over the Spartans of Michigan State. Although our focus remained steadfast week to week, we knew the Trojans were lurking around the corner and we eagerly awaited our chance to atone for the lopsided loss of a year ago. USC was loaded with talent and looking to extend their 23 game winning streak with superstars Pat Haden, Lynn Swann, and Anthony Davis leading the charge. Our Fighting Irish Team countered with Enthusiasm, Effort, and Love. The classic October battle was a slugfest, finally clinched when Eric Penick followed perfect blocking, broke two tackles, and dashed 85 yards to put the game out of reach. The speedy halfback was swarmed by fans and teammates in the end zone as Notre Dame Stadium erupted with a deafening roar that echoed throughout the nation. The 23-14 win was an exclamation point; the Irish were back! We convincingly polished off our five remaining opponents to end the season 10-0 and earn a Sugar Bowl bid against the undefeated, top-ranked Crimson Tide of Alabama, coached by the legendary Bear Bryant.
The Irish-Tide, Parseghian-Bryant matchup, was the first ever meeting and quickly evolved into an exciting chess match between two of the greatest coaches in NCAA history.
The Irish-Tide, Parseghian-Bryant matchup, was the first ever meeting and quickly evolved into an exciting chess match between two of the greatest coaches in NCAA history. Coach Parseghian proved to have the best opening move as he instructed our team to leave the custom made blue and gold cleats in our bags and wear the borrowed black rain turf shoes, a decision that ended up making a difference on the soaked Tulane Stadium field.
Devoted fans, 85,161 in number, filled the cold, windy, and damp stadium while a huge New Year’s Eve television audience watched the ABC broadcast. The game lived up to its billing as “the biggest game ever played in the south,” an intense matchup of talent and emotion that saw six lead changes. The Crimson Tide looked to have the game in hand when Coach Bryant showed his wizardry with a surprising halfback pass play call. With the Irish caught off guard, sophomore halfback Mike Stock lofted a 25 yard touchdown pass to quarterback Richard Todd who scampered into the end zone untouched to give Alabama the lead for the the third time at 23-21. With just 9:33 left in the game, the Tide was rocking rickety Tulane Stadium while Coach Parseghian prowled the sideline looking for answers. He confronted his defensive coordinator who explained that the Bear had caught us in a man to man defense, a scheme that left the quarterback uncovered. The chess match had shifted crimson again with Coach Bryant making another brilliant play call. The ensuing missed extra point by Alabama proved to be crucial as Bob Thomas converted a 19 yard field goal with four minutes left to give the Irish a 24-23 lead.
Minutes later, Bryant would dig into his bag of tricks one last time as he declined a roughing the kicker penalty and a potential fourth down and five yards (that infraction was not an automatic first down at that time) to pin the Irish at the one-yard line after a booming 69-yard punt by Greg Gantt. His strategy appeared successful as the Blue and Gold faced a third and eight as Bama’s defense dug in to give their offense field position and a final chance at a game winning field goal. However, Ara had the last counter move and with the Irish in a tight running offensive set and the momentum apparently shifted, Tommy Clements faked a halfback trap and lofted a 35 yard soaked spiral to unheralded freshman Robin Weber who bobbled it briefly before cradling it in his arms to secure the 24-23 National Championship victory and checkmate!
Devoted fans, 85,161 in number, filled the cold, windy, and damp stadium while a huge New Year’s Eve television audience watched the ABC broadcast. The game lived up to its billing as “the biggest game ever played in the south,” an intense matchup of talent and emotion that saw six lead changes. The Crimson Tide looked to have the game in hand when Coach Bryant showed his wizardry with a surprising halfback pass play call. With the Irish caught off guard, sophomore halfback Mike Stock lofted a 25 yard touchdown pass to quarterback Richard Todd who scampered into the end zone untouched to give Alabama the lead for the the third time at 23-21. With just 9:33 left in the game, the Tide was rocking rickety Tulane Stadium while Coach Parseghian prowled the sideline looking for answers. He confronted his defensive coordinator who explained that the Bear had caught us in a man to man defense, a scheme that left the quarterback uncovered. The chess match had shifted crimson again with Coach Bryant making another brilliant play call. The ensuing missed extra point by Alabama proved to be crucial as Bob Thomas converted a 19 yard field goal with four minutes left to give the Irish a 24-23 lead.
Minutes later, Bryant would dig into his bag of tricks one last time as he declined a roughing the kicker penalty and a potential fourth down and five yards (that infraction was not an automatic first down at that time) to pin the Irish at the one-yard line after a booming 69-yard punt by Greg Gantt. His strategy appeared successful as the Blue and Gold faced a third and eight as Bama’s defense dug in to give their offense field position and a final chance at a game winning field goal. However, Ara had the last counter move and with the Irish in a tight running offensive set and the momentum apparently shifted, Tommy Clements faked a halfback trap and lofted a 35 yard soaked spiral to unheralded freshman Robin Weber who bobbled it briefly before cradling it in his arms to secure the 24-23 National Championship victory and checkmate!
Tommy Clements faked a halfback trap and lofted a 35 yard soaked spiral to unheralded freshman Robin Weber who bobbled it briefly before cradling it in his arms to secure the 24-23 National Championship victory and checkmate!
Our cramped locker room was filled with joyful enthusiasm and pride as we had fulfilled our mentor’s challenge to elicit our talents. With the New Year celebration just an hour away, the room became eerily silent as our revered Coach walked to the blackboard and addressed a Notre Dame football team for the last time, emotionally thanking us for our effort and the adversity we overcame!
The fond memories of that historic night have not been diminished by the passage of time. I will always remember the excited cadence of his voice, the sadness in his eyes, and the love in his heart. He truly was a gifted football coach, an amazing mentor, and an exceptional motivator, his impact made even more profound by his selflessness and commitment to modeling the lessons he taught throughout his exemplary lifetime.
Twenty-one years after that historic win, I called my parents on my typical Sunday afternoon cross country phone call. Toward the end of the conversation my father instructed me to watch 60 Minutes, the hit CBS news show, as there was a feature on Coach Parseghian. As I asked him for details on the content, he simply stated, “just watch it.” Hours later, I watched the west coast feed and listened to the unknown tragic story that had devastated his family. Coach painstakingly recounted the events of his grandson experiencing problems with his speech at school and how his coordination had been adversely affected. After several years of doctor’s visits and an extensive battery of tests, it was determined that the young boy had a rare disease called Niemann Pick Type C Syndrome, a neurological disease that effects the body’s ability to process cholesterol. The prognosis was not encouraging as NPC is a fatal disease that causes progressive deterioration of the nervous system. To compound the family tragedy, this was a genetic disease and required the testing of the seven year old boy’s siblings.
Coach Parseghian’s son Michael and daughter-in-law Cindy had four children and the test results sadly confirmed that their youngest three children were afflicted with this deadly disease. As one can imagine, their family was devastated with the hopelessness of this diagnosis. Because of the rarity of this affliction, less than 1,000 cases worldwide, there were very few researchers investigating the causes and potential treatments.
Coach Parseghian, already immersed in his support of a cure for multiple sclerosis, a disease that affected his daughter, made an unwavering commitment to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for this dreaded disease. He began traveling throughout the country, speaking, fundraising, and hosting golf tournaments in an effort to help discover a remedy. I attended one of the dinners in Berkeley, California and had the good fortune to spend fifteen minutes alone with my beloved mentor prior to the dinner. His smile was radiant as he talked about my coaching career and then presented a great analysis and insight into the “little things” that determine victory and defeat.
He then painfully retold the story of his grandson Michael’s issues at school and the subsequent diagnosis of the three children. He knew he could not save his grandchildren but was dedicating his life to ensure that no parent or grandparent would ever endure the grievous experience of his own family. After listening to his tragic recollection of his family’s challenges and their action filled response, I said: “kind of like adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which under prosperous conditions might have remained dormant?” He looked at me proudly, his face beaming as he proclaimed, “I taught someone something!” I then thanked him for all he had done for me and assured him that the success I had experienced and all I had become was attributable to the countless lessons I learned from him.
The fond memories of that historic night have not been diminished by the passage of time. I will always remember the excited cadence of his voice, the sadness in his eyes, and the love in his heart. He truly was a gifted football coach, an amazing mentor, and an exceptional motivator, his impact made even more profound by his selflessness and commitment to modeling the lessons he taught throughout his exemplary lifetime.
Twenty-one years after that historic win, I called my parents on my typical Sunday afternoon cross country phone call. Toward the end of the conversation my father instructed me to watch 60 Minutes, the hit CBS news show, as there was a feature on Coach Parseghian. As I asked him for details on the content, he simply stated, “just watch it.” Hours later, I watched the west coast feed and listened to the unknown tragic story that had devastated his family. Coach painstakingly recounted the events of his grandson experiencing problems with his speech at school and how his coordination had been adversely affected. After several years of doctor’s visits and an extensive battery of tests, it was determined that the young boy had a rare disease called Niemann Pick Type C Syndrome, a neurological disease that effects the body’s ability to process cholesterol. The prognosis was not encouraging as NPC is a fatal disease that causes progressive deterioration of the nervous system. To compound the family tragedy, this was a genetic disease and required the testing of the seven year old boy’s siblings.
Coach Parseghian’s son Michael and daughter-in-law Cindy had four children and the test results sadly confirmed that their youngest three children were afflicted with this deadly disease. As one can imagine, their family was devastated with the hopelessness of this diagnosis. Because of the rarity of this affliction, less than 1,000 cases worldwide, there were very few researchers investigating the causes and potential treatments.
Coach Parseghian, already immersed in his support of a cure for multiple sclerosis, a disease that affected his daughter, made an unwavering commitment to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for this dreaded disease. He began traveling throughout the country, speaking, fundraising, and hosting golf tournaments in an effort to help discover a remedy. I attended one of the dinners in Berkeley, California and had the good fortune to spend fifteen minutes alone with my beloved mentor prior to the dinner. His smile was radiant as he talked about my coaching career and then presented a great analysis and insight into the “little things” that determine victory and defeat.
He then painfully retold the story of his grandson Michael’s issues at school and the subsequent diagnosis of the three children. He knew he could not save his grandchildren but was dedicating his life to ensure that no parent or grandparent would ever endure the grievous experience of his own family. After listening to his tragic recollection of his family’s challenges and their action filled response, I said: “kind of like adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which under prosperous conditions might have remained dormant?” He looked at me proudly, his face beaming as he proclaimed, “I taught someone something!” I then thanked him for all he had done for me and assured him that the success I had experienced and all I had become was attributable to the countless lessons I learned from him.
After listening to his tragic recollection of his family’s challenges and their action filled response, I said: “kind of like adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which under prosperous conditions might have remained dormant?” He looked at me proudly, his face beaming as he proclaimed, “I taught someone something!”
Coach Parseghian was the perfect model of how a person should conduct their life. Ara lived to serve others and elevated the lives of everyone around him. He was the greatest of mentors, a man who not only spoke the words, but lived the words, modeling them for the countless “sons” who looked up to him. Through the efforts of the Parseghian Family and the Ara Parseghian Medical Foundation, more than 45 million dollars have been raised to support NPC research with labs studying this deadly disease growing from 2 to more than 50, many of them funded by the APMF. Hope is on the horizon as they have isolated the defective gene, identified a promising drug protocol, and are on their way to realizing Coach’s dream of no more families experiencing this tragedy.
Ara Parseghian lived another 44 years after leaving coaching, but never really left, just changed audiences and remained a mentor until the day he died. Although his 84% winning percentage and two national championships rank with the greatest coaches of all time, his exemplary life could never be trivialized by numbers. His greatest teaching was not the eleven amazing years leading the Notre Dame Football Program. His best “coaching” came in the face of tragedy and adversity in the most horrific of circumstances as he truly mentored and modeled a life of complete service to his family, his friends, and the community. His impact was and always will be infinite as his dedication and commitment to others will live in all of us who were blessed by his touch.
Ara Parseghian lived another 44 years after leaving coaching, but never really left, just changed audiences and remained a mentor until the day he died. Although his 84% winning percentage and two national championships rank with the greatest coaches of all time, his exemplary life could never be trivialized by numbers. His greatest teaching was not the eleven amazing years leading the Notre Dame Football Program. His best “coaching” came in the face of tragedy and adversity in the most horrific of circumstances as he truly mentored and modeled a life of complete service to his family, his friends, and the community. His impact was and always will be infinite as his dedication and commitment to others will live in all of us who were blessed by his touch.
The challenge of adversity is often a call to action that offers a path to unknown solutions and success. Great players, teams, and individuals accept the challenges and embrace adversity as a launching point for further success and accomplishment.
As we learn to lead and follow, may we always be mindful, not only of the impact of our words, but of the greater effect of modeling the words that we speak. It is essential that we all aspire to be true leaders by living and accepting the uncompromising challenge to be examples to those who follow.
Click here for more information on the Ara Parseghian Medical foundation.
As we learn to lead and follow, may we always be mindful, not only of the impact of our words, but of the greater effect of modeling the words that we speak. It is essential that we all aspire to be true leaders by living and accepting the uncompromising challenge to be examples to those who follow.
Click here for more information on the Ara Parseghian Medical foundation.
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