A year ago this month, I and maybe several other fans may have had a little concern about how the change of leadership in the Blackhawk football program might affect the prospects of the 2016 season.
So much has happened since then, proving beyond any doubt that the new leadership wasn't going to be about demolishing then rebuilding, but be about building on the successes already achieved.
It wasn't that many years ago that Blackhawk football was at a low ebb. The number of participants wasn't high, and expectations weren't any higher. With perhaps the worst football facilities in the state in their classification, it was hard to see the 'Hawks attracting a high caliber coach to take on such a task.
However, Tony Travis left his job as a coach for the 7A state champion Fayetteville Bulldogs to take over the 'Hawks. I chatted with him a lot that first year about what he thought it would take to turn the team around. His opinion was that they weren't going to be successful until they changed the culture.
It took awhile, as any major cultural change will if it is to be effective, but change it did. It wasn't overnight, and it wasn't without some pain and stress along the way, but change came to Pea Ridge. Then to most folks' surprise, coach Travis resigned and moved on.
Enter new coach Stephen Neal. A top assistant for Tulsa Union, a team with a gym full of state championship trophies, Neal decided to come over to Arkansas to lead the Blackhawks. I got to speak to coach Neal late last summer, and I asked him how things were looking and he was as positive and upbeat as any coach I have ever met.
"When teams change head coaches, sometimes the athletes struggle with things before they get acclimated to new ways of doing those things. Fortunately, the senior class has been exemplary in their leadership, in their desire to succeed they have proven to me that they are capable of great things," said Neal last year.
When I talked to coach Neal in his office a couple of weeks ago, the idea of culture came up again.
"It is true that we have a lot of pretty good athletes," Neal said, "but that is not what puts teams over the top.
"It is not just enough to work for success on the field, but also every morning when they get up. Athletes need to make positive contributions to their family life, and they need to work to be successful in their student life. If you have the right culture, athletes are striving to be successful every day and in every way. If they have done the right things at home and in the classroom, they will do the right things on the playing field," Neal said.
I just got back from driving 1,000 miles to extreme northeast Florida and in doing so, I had plenty of time to listen to the radio. I dialed over to a talk show by accident but when I heard the speaker mention "culture," I decided to stay tuned for a bit to see what he had to say.
The speaker was an author and while I didn't hear the name of the book, he was discussing relational culture in American business. He had been researching the reasons why some companies are successful and others aren't.
He drew contrasts between Southwest and Delta airlines. Southwest, a smaller company, has one of the highest employee retention rates in the business and has been remarkably void of the many problems plaguing other airlines line Delta. He said he realized that the biggest difference was that Southwest management and employees really liked each other and were dedicated to making the business successful. Delta, on the other hand -- well, you've probably read the stories.
His research led him to believe that many employers look for the wrong qualities in obtaining new hires. Academic honors and high GPAs aren't always predictive of success. "A humble, hungry 'B' student will beat the pants off an arrogant 'A' student in terms of corporate success," he said.
You have to feed the culture.
The Blackhawks have a positive, successful culture and the sky truly is the limit on the 2017 season. Playing a 6A school in the pre-season game, then following that with two games in one week against top-ranked teams in the state is definitely a challenge.
I brought up the fact that the 'Hawks have been ranked the No. 2 team in the state to begin the season, while also receiving the No. 2 ranking in our district in a coaches' poll. Neal replied that while those things were interesting, they didn't really matter to him or his players because they were things over which they had no control.
It is important, Neal related, to exercise control over things that they can. That would be working on their speed, their technique and their knowledge and acceptance of their team's goals.
Hooten's magazine has named Pea Ridge as having the best offensive backfield in the state, but with an unproven offensive line and inexperienced defense. While Neal acknowledged that he expected great things from his skill players, he believed that the offensive line was going to be good as well. While admitting that the defense lost a lot through graduation, the talent is there to reload to the same level as before.
The past couple of years has seen the Blackhawk roster reach numbers usually reached by 6A or 5A schools. I asked coach Neal if that could be a problem, having too many.
"We as a coaching staff are always concerned with getting as many players into the game as possible," he said. "Rather than just putting players on the field, however, we are more concerned about preparing every player on this team to be able to go out onto the field and make a positive impact. The more players who can contribute, the better we will be."
The word culture could be used interchangeably with lifestyle. It is how you decide to live your life that will affect not only you, but those around you. The radio guest that I had the good fortune to listen to explained how best to summarize each persons role in the success of whatever endeavor they may be involved in.
"Don't think less of yourself, just think of yourself, less."
I predict a good voyage for coach Neal this year.
•••
Editor's note: John McGee is an award-winning columnist and sports writer. He is the art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools and writes a regular sports column for The Times. The opinions expressed are those of the author. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].
Sports on 07/26/2017