“You’re Not Soft If You Say I Love You” — Lou Roe on What Calipari Gave Him

I was recently down a rabbit hole of old ESPN 30 for 30s, and got caught watching about 20 minutes of the “One and Not Done” documentary revolving around John Calipari. I watched the portion dedicated to his rise at UMASS and his time with players like Marcus Camby and Lou Roe in the mid 90s. What really hit me was the interview with Roe, where he credited his coach with teaching emotional connection and vulnerability, and he literally said “He taught us love for another man. Cal gave me this…you’re not soft if you say I love you.” While you may very well have an opinion on Coach Cal the marketer, the influencer, etc, this reflection from a former player was refreshing for me to see. It is EXACTLY what we want our TeamsOfMen partner coaches to be leaving, in terms of legacy, with their guys.

Coach Prompt:
What’s something you’ve wanted to say to your players… but haven’t, because you were afraid it might “soften” your image?

Optional Player Prompt:
What’s a time when a coach said something to you that stuck—not because it was loud, but because it was real?

#CoachPrompt #EmotionalFluency #30for30 #HealthyManhood #Calipari