Jesse Chinchar is about to turn 17. He's got a 4.0 grade average, and has been a winning Youth Flag Football coach for several years. Recently, he's been enjoying quite an accomplishment. He has been recognized by the popular website, Max Preps, as the number one scoring high school football player in the nation. He stayed in the number one position for several weeks. I wanted to know how that felt!
Sandy: How does it feel to have made it to number one top scoring player in the nation?
Jesse: It's a pretty unbelievable feeling. Well... the way I found out is actually a pretty funny story. I was at home looking at the stats on maxpreps.com of all the players on my team. However I wasn't looking at those stats compared to the other kids in the Nation, But my friends David and Arti were looking at the Nations leader when they came across my name as the number one scorer in the whole nation.
At first I couldn't believe it, I thought it could be maybe possible to be the leading scorer for 6-man football but not the whole nation including 11-man football. That includes every high school player in the entire nation so as you can imagine it came as a big shock to me. It was just great. On the one hand I was just happy because I had been able to accomplish such good stats but on the other hand it really made me think back to when I was always told I was too small to play. They would say "too small, too inexperienced in tackle football". I had previously had success playing flag football which is obviously a different game than tackle football and my coaches for this other team didn't think I could make the transition. I just wish I could see their faces now.
Sandy: Are you concerned about keeping up your record?
Jesse: Believe it or not the record is not all that important to me anymore. Yes it would be awesome to end up on top but it's just not the most important thing for me. Seeing I made it there was just really an acknowledgment for me, it really let me know that I could do whatever I set my mind to. And I didn't really need much more than that.
Sandy: Can you tell my readers how it is that you decided to become a football coach?
Jesse: For me growing up I always wanted to be a football player. I dreamed of throwing that game winning pass in the super bowl just like every other young football player. There isn't much comparison to the the thrill you get when you step out onto the field for the game or winning a big game. But I did discover something that I liked even more...
A few kids at my school around the age of 9-10 had entered the same flag football league that my friends and I had been in for years. However they didn't have the same success, they were assigned to a team coached by a drunk and they didn't win a single game. It really bugged me that someone could do something like that so I decided to help them out for the next season.
My friend David and I got together 10 kids from the school and we joined the league as the coaches for them. The league knew who we were so they welcomed it. From there I really just fell in love with coaching. Its pretty easy to describe why I would rather coach than play. When you are playing there is the thrill of making a big play or winning a game, you get huge wins and you can share that with the other players on the team. But when you are the coach of the team you get this amazing win for every single player on the team every day! You get to watch the players grow and grow. There really isn't much like it.
Sandy: What are your stats?
Jesse: The first team I coached in the 9-11 league we won 11 games and lost our only game of the year in the semi finals in all of Pinellas county. The second year we won 5 games and lost 3 games and just missed the playoffs. My third year we won all 9 games including the championship for all of Pinellas county. And for my fourth team we also went undefeated and were league champions this time for the league Clearwater Academy Plays in.
Sandy: How do the adult coaches react to losing to a teenage coach?
Jesse: Thats a funny question. Some coaches take it great, they congratulate you give you words of advice and let you know how cool it is what your doing. And then you get the guys with the egos who take it as a personal insult to be out-coached by two teenagers. Really both reactions are just as satisfying. :)
Sandy: Is it difficult for you to control kids when you are "just a kid"?
Jesse: No. I think if anything it helps because I have more reality with them.
Sandy: What do you think makes you a good coach?
Jesse: I think as a coach for youth football I use a few things that most people don't in youth football. I never underestimate my players. I set their goals so high and they never fail to reach them. I think some coaches would be afraid to let their team of kids run an offense similar to what they do in the NFL but I embrace the challenge. I think if you underestimate your team it just limits how far you can go. My offense for my teams is pretty darn complicated and it relies on a huge amount of trust from each player and that trust is there. I think this really helps me.
Sandy: Who is your favorite football team?
Jesse: Actually that question is a little embarrassing. My favorite team is the Oakland Raiders. I started liking them when my favorite player Jerry Rice signed a contract with them and I haven't been able to stop liking them since.
Sandy: Who is your favorite football coach?
Jesse: I don't have a current favorite football coach but my favorite coach of all time is Bill Walsh. I respect everything he brought to the game and how he changed it forever. He was a genius with plays and he could find talent where no one else could.
Sandy: Has Scientology helped you as an athlete and as a coach?
Jesse: Yes! I use a "locational" without fail before every single game as a coach, and as captain of my football team. That is something that helps put the players attention on the environment so that they are not stuck on past failures or pain. Anyone can learn how to do one and you don't have to be a Scientologist to benefit by it. I also use Ron Hubbard's management tech for coaching, such as "conditions". That is something that helps you manage and improve the condition of your statistics in any endeavor.
During my 3rd year in the Championship game we were losing for the 2nd time all season 7-0 at half time. Being in a new circumstance my players went into shock. The sideline was a mess until I gave the whole team a locational. On the first play of the second half we scored and never looked back, we ended up winning 20-7.
Sandy: Thanks for sharing your story Jesse. Good luck pursuing your coaching career!
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