BleedGopher
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per Streich:
A lot of that perspective is carried over from Fleck’s “Row the Boat” mantra. Row the Boat has nothing do with his former team the Western Michigan Broncos nor the Gophers. “It’s a never-give-up mantra,” says Fleck. “that has to do strictly with life or adversity or handling success, never giving up, and it means a few things.” Fleck says Row the Boat has three parts. An oar, the boat, and a compass. “The oar is the energy you bring to your life, your family, your team, your spiritual life, it’s the energy.” The second part is the boat itself. “The boat is the sacrifice,” says Fleck. Fleck asks his players what they are willing to give up for something you’ve never had. The bigger the boat, the sturdier it gets. Lastly, the compass. “The compass is most important for our young people. It’s who you surround yourself with. Your compass is the direction of where your boat is traveling, but you’re traveling in the direction of people you’re surrounded by, and you’ve got to be okay with your circle getting smaller as your life goes on by the decisions you make.”
Fleck and his wife Heather live through Row the Boat as a version of their son’s life. Their son, Colt, passed away in PJ’s arms due to a heart condition in Feb. of 2011.
His voice and perspective are so polarizing, you can try and mimic his greatness. The way he sees things in such a positive light is truly awesome. This past week Fleck was all over Twin Cities media platforms on podcats and radio stations. One that stuck out to me was one of the Gophers’ many team mottos. “Don’t be afraid to fail.”
He spoke about not being afraid to succeed. “Don’t be afraid of success” to him, is all about how he and the program defines success. Fleck says defining success is the peace of mind you get from knowing you can to be the best you can be as long as you can change your best.
Sure, the Gophers haven’t won a championship in over 50 years. Fleck says eventually there will be a team, at the University of Minnesota that snaps that streak. He preaches to his team why can’t that be us? You do that and you set your name(s) in stone in Minnesota football history. “There’s a lot of people out there that are really scared of success because they’re scared of failing.”
Fleck then pounded home an all-time favorite quote of mine, “you can’t have success without adversity and a lot of failing.” The only thing you can do, Fleck says, is quit. “And if you quit, you’ll never become legendary, you’ll never succeed, but if you continue to fail and grow, you can have a life of success somehow, someway.”
PJ Fleck was deemed “too positive”, a “car salesman that coaches a football team”, those takes are still horrible and way off base. He started winning and everyone wants what he has. It’s the power of positive leadership, it’s not a nice way to lead, it’s the way to lead.
I will close it out with this. Fleck even pointed this out in his press conference following the game. The final drive that the Gophers intercepted in the endzone to close out the game. I totally felt that Minnesota sports paranoia, here we go again. Fleck says we as fans have to let go of that. “50 years ago, 40 years ago, 30 years ago, 20 years, and 10 years ago, we got to change that at some point.” This team has proven that we don’t have to keep saying things like that. The Minnesota Golden Gophers PJ Fleck culture is here to stay. Get used to it and Row the Boat!
https://www.sleepyeyenews.com/news/20191113/balls-and-streichs-row-boat
Go Gophers!!
A lot of that perspective is carried over from Fleck’s “Row the Boat” mantra. Row the Boat has nothing do with his former team the Western Michigan Broncos nor the Gophers. “It’s a never-give-up mantra,” says Fleck. “that has to do strictly with life or adversity or handling success, never giving up, and it means a few things.” Fleck says Row the Boat has three parts. An oar, the boat, and a compass. “The oar is the energy you bring to your life, your family, your team, your spiritual life, it’s the energy.” The second part is the boat itself. “The boat is the sacrifice,” says Fleck. Fleck asks his players what they are willing to give up for something you’ve never had. The bigger the boat, the sturdier it gets. Lastly, the compass. “The compass is most important for our young people. It’s who you surround yourself with. Your compass is the direction of where your boat is traveling, but you’re traveling in the direction of people you’re surrounded by, and you’ve got to be okay with your circle getting smaller as your life goes on by the decisions you make.”
Fleck and his wife Heather live through Row the Boat as a version of their son’s life. Their son, Colt, passed away in PJ’s arms due to a heart condition in Feb. of 2011.
His voice and perspective are so polarizing, you can try and mimic his greatness. The way he sees things in such a positive light is truly awesome. This past week Fleck was all over Twin Cities media platforms on podcats and radio stations. One that stuck out to me was one of the Gophers’ many team mottos. “Don’t be afraid to fail.”
He spoke about not being afraid to succeed. “Don’t be afraid of success” to him, is all about how he and the program defines success. Fleck says defining success is the peace of mind you get from knowing you can to be the best you can be as long as you can change your best.
Sure, the Gophers haven’t won a championship in over 50 years. Fleck says eventually there will be a team, at the University of Minnesota that snaps that streak. He preaches to his team why can’t that be us? You do that and you set your name(s) in stone in Minnesota football history. “There’s a lot of people out there that are really scared of success because they’re scared of failing.”
Fleck then pounded home an all-time favorite quote of mine, “you can’t have success without adversity and a lot of failing.” The only thing you can do, Fleck says, is quit. “And if you quit, you’ll never become legendary, you’ll never succeed, but if you continue to fail and grow, you can have a life of success somehow, someway.”
PJ Fleck was deemed “too positive”, a “car salesman that coaches a football team”, those takes are still horrible and way off base. He started winning and everyone wants what he has. It’s the power of positive leadership, it’s not a nice way to lead, it’s the way to lead.
I will close it out with this. Fleck even pointed this out in his press conference following the game. The final drive that the Gophers intercepted in the endzone to close out the game. I totally felt that Minnesota sports paranoia, here we go again. Fleck says we as fans have to let go of that. “50 years ago, 40 years ago, 30 years ago, 20 years, and 10 years ago, we got to change that at some point.” This team has proven that we don’t have to keep saying things like that. The Minnesota Golden Gophers PJ Fleck culture is here to stay. Get used to it and Row the Boat!
https://www.sleepyeyenews.com/news/20191113/balls-and-streichs-row-boat
Go Gophers!!
