Zero-Talent Skills Each of the pillars represents a zero-talent skill. That's something that anyone can do regardless of their physical abilities. Everyone can give relentless effort even if they can't throw accurately farther than a yard. Everyone can cultivate toughness through hard work and grit, even if they flinch when a ball is kicked in their direction. Everyone can strive to be excellent in the little things, even if they struggle with the big things.

Focus on Character The focus of each pillar has nothing to do with winning championships. Instead, the pillars are all about how to be a champion. A trophy doesn't make you a champion. Having more points than the other team at the end of the game doesn't make you a champion. Being a champion is about living with character every day of the week. Champions are only as good as their character.

Life Lessons The Six Pillars were created by Coach Smitty to help his team win championships and to turn the athletes into champions. But what they really teach the athletes (and coaching staff) are life lessons. Each of the Six Pillars goes beyond the game. They apply to playing the sport, of course. But ultimately, toughness, integrity, growth, excellence, relentless effort, and service all go beyond the scope of a football game.

1. Which of the Six Pillars is most important to you?
2. Which of these do you struggle with most in your life?
3. What six words or phrases would you choose to live by that require zero talent, focus on character, and teach life lessons?
4. How do you think the Six Pillars can help Coach Smitty's team overcome the issue of racism they're facing?
5. What are some other locker room or team issues that pillars like these can help a team face?

Personal Pillars of Excellence

• Use the three columns below to create your personal pillars of excellence.
• Choose six truths about where you currently are in life or on the path to your goals. This is the reality of your situation
• For each of these truths, write what the end goal (the ideal) looks like.
• Finally, create a one- to three-word pillar to help you get from the reality to the ideal. An example is provided on the first lines of each column.
• Feel free to use as few or as many lines as needed to identify the pillars that will help you go from where you are to where you want to be.

1. Refer back to the cultural acronym you created in Chapter 7. What words or phrases did your team decide on?
2. How have you lived out those concepts since that discussion?
3. When have you had an opportunity to live out those concepts but have fallen short?
4. Which of the Six Pillars from this chapter resonated with you most?
5. How are your team's pillars or concepts similar or different from those in this book?

Pillar Talk

• Lay out markers for each of the pillars your team agreed on in the Chapter 7 exercise. These could be chairs, Hula-Hoops, cones, or similar—just something to represent the six or so pillars of your team culture. These should be spread out over a good-sized distance, such as a basketball court or half a football field.
• Create a list of questions related to the pillars (some follow, provided for inspiration).
• When each question is asked, team members run from a central starting point to one of the pillars, based on their personal answer.

This exercise opens up the opportunity for deeper discussion about the importance of the pillars and how they apply both on the field and in the game of life.

Pillar Questions

• Which pillar helps you succeed in class?
• Which pillar helps you be a better athlete?
• Which pillar do you understand the least?
• Which pillar is your favorite?
• Which pillar helps you be a better member of your family?
• Which pillar helps you be a better teammate?
• Which pillar is absolutely indispensable on the field and off?
• Which pillar reminds you of something you've already learned?
• Which pillar feels like completely new information?
• Which pillar makes you want to tell other people about it?

Notes