Beyond the arc
Grant Thierolf and the Warriors never cease to amaze me. After getting nipped by the Minneapolis Lions a week ago in a very sub-par performance, the Marion coach and his team took a huge step in the right direction Friday night vs. Southeast of Saline, and put their season back on track.
Thierolf said his team would be "ready to go, come Friday night." And they certainly were. But it should be of little surprise to those of us who follow the Warrior football team. In the years I've been following Marion, they always seem to "bounce" back into shape, something I credit to the team's coach and to a community that encourages athletes to get back on the proverbial horse after being bucked off.
Thierolf said last week in his post-game interview that the mistakes and discipline issues that plagued the Warriors in their loss to the Lions was as much about the Marion coaching staff as it was about the way the athletes played and executed.
It's my guess that Thierolf and Co. did two major things to prepare for their game vs. Southeast of Saline, these two aspects included changing their attitude and their overall intensity.
And for those who think sports don't have a mental side, you might want to take notes, because Thierolf is one of the masters of creating motivation and developing overall mental toughness.
The mentality of a team decides whether or not it is going to be successful. It's the difference between a .500 season and a championship season, and in the case of the Warriors, it's the difference between Marion vs. Minneapolis in week No. 1 and the Marion vs. Southeast of Saline in week No. 2.
So by creating motivation and overall mental toughness, Thierolf created a team driven by the passion to win and the pain of losing.
Those two variables can be two of the best additives in a depleted Marion fuel tank. For Thierolf and his Warriors, I think the bounce-back from week No. 1 will continue to fuel their fire, as it has in the past.
