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Pelini: Make smart choices
CAMPBELL
Bo Pelini, head football coach at Youngstown State University, told Campbell’s student athletes that they deserve congratulations for being at Thursday’s Student-Athlete Recognition Banquet.
“It marks achievement, and the effort and commitment,” he said, that are necessary for achievement in life. The banquet was at Campbell Elementary School.
Pelini, who grew up in the Mahoning Valley and is a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School, said he understands “where you’re coming from.”
“We’re all shaped by who you associate with,” he continued. “You’re getting to an important time in your life. ... Society is changing,” he said. “Values are changing. I see it firsthand.”
“I’ve seen a lot and been around the greatest football players – hall of famers,” said Pelini. Of his 21 years on the sidelines, 12 have been either as a head coach or collegiate coordinator, and nine were as a defensive assistant in the NFL, according to his biography on YSU’s website. He came to YSU in December from the University of Nebraska.
“And I’ve seen a lot of people who’ve had just as much physical talent go down the wrong road because they didn’t have the discipline to have success,” he said.
“No matter what type of household or economic status you come from, you can make choices that are strong enough, disciplined enough and focused enough,” he said.
“Can you stay away from the alcohol? Can you say no to the marijuana? Because there will be groups that say, ‘Hey, that’s the cool way to go,’” he continued. “The people who are going to make the right decisions are going to have the most success.”
“People will make jokes,” he warned. “And say you aren’t cool. But at the end of the day, you have to be willing to stand for something. That’s what a leader does.”
Pelini also said great success is about doing “ordinary things consistently.”
“It’s not about one great dunk or one great play,” he said. “It’s all about doing the fundamentals and executing the techniques over and over. It’s the same way in your everyday life.”
He also said the next five to seven years will be a foundation for the students.
“You’re setting a foundation,” he said. “It’s the next 40 to 50 years of your life. Invest in it now. Make the decisions you need to make now. You don’t know when that wrong decision is coming back to haunt you. There is no rewind button in life,” he said.
He pointed out that if they make mistakes, those mistakes will end up on social media and prospective employers will see them.
“Think,” he continued. “In 10 years, what would you like to do? Well, a lot of people want those same things. There’s a lot of competition. Are you ready to make the tougher choices, make better decisions, stay focused?”
“I could paint a different picture, but that’s reality,” he said. “I wish you luck.”