Happy B-Day Coach Sherbeck

“Top Dog!”

March 16, 2014

By Ted D. Nelson

Today we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Coach Hal Sherbeck. Arguably one of the greatest coaches ever; any sport. He was my coach when I attended Fullerton Junior College (FJC). I played football as an FJC Hornet for two seasons, 1967 & 1968. During those two years, our team lost one game by one point; (that loss ended a winning streak that reached 47 games). In ’67 our undefeated team won the first California State Championship and was crowned “National Champions”.

What we accomplished as a team in ’67 & ’68, as remarkable as it was, was only in line with what earlier “Sherbeck Teams” had accomplished (I still remember as a high school kid attending the Junior Rose Bowl to watch “The Hornets” defeat a very good

Henderson Texas Team; as I sat in the stands, I dreamed that just maybe one day, if I

worked very hard, I would be able to earn the right to run down the field as a member of their kick-off team, just maybe!). And, in the twenty-plus years Coach Sherbeck coached at FJC after our team moved on, accomplishments similar to ours were repeated over and over.

We had great coaches who worked with and supported Coach Sherbeck (during my time, Jim Moore, Howard Back, Marv Sampson & Al Feola); but the truth is, many assistant coaches came and went, just like us players, but the program never faltered. The one constant was Coach Sherbeck (and Bill Chambers, who didn’t love Bill Chambers?).

Coach Sherbeck provided the ingredient that somehow acted as the leaven that allowed each new group of athletes to rise to their potential and then some. What was that ingredient?

Over four-decades later I look back at that wonderful and special experience and ask

myself that question, what made Coach Sherbeck so unique? Why is it still so important to me for people to know that I am a Hornet? What did a “simple hick from Montana” bring to sophisticated Orange County that turned his program into the class of the county; I mean the class of the state (better make that the nation). He was able to take athletes who were not recruited to four-year schools and get them to perform at such a level that when they finished at FJC they were often welcomed to any University of their choice with the coveted “Full-Ride”. And many an athlete turned down a “Full Ride” to first get experience as a Hornet. If any fellow Hornets read this, perhaps you can share your point-of-view as to the answer to this question. In the meantime, I will share the answer I finally settled on.

I-N-T-E-G-R-I-T-Y

Like most truths in life, the answer is very simple, but not very easy. Everything Coach

Sherbeck did with the program seemed to be founded upon Integrity. If Coach Sherbeck told you the sun would not come up tomorrow, there would be no need to get out of bed to check, and there would be no sun. He only spoke the truth.

Anybody who says that Coach Sherbeck is soft spoken is obviously referring to his

words; his actions are anything but soft spoken. Some of his actions reflected in the

Hornet program that stand out to me these many years later are as follows:

Anyone who put forth their best efforts and sincerely tried to do their best

for the team made the team; Coach Sherbeck did not “cut” anybody (unless it

was a discipline issue).

In ’67 we had over 120 players show up at the first practice, of course there were many who didn’t want to “pay the price” and ended up quitting the team; but at the end of that season when we took the field at Angels Stadium to play the first ever California State Championship game, there were nearly 100 hornets suited up when we stormed the field like a band of wild marauders accompanied by the sound of a plethora of air-horns from the crowd and a very upbeat version of “Land of a Thousand Dances” from the band. (The other team, American River, was already on the field doing jumping-jacks (all forty-five of them in their neat rows); they stopped

what they were doing to see what all the commotion was about. From that

moment, they never had a chance!)

If you were a second year player, you were given the benefit of the doubt

over first year players; Coach Sherbeck was loyal. That’s not to say that a

freshman could not make first string; we had a number of freshmen earn the

right to start the game at their position. However, nobody made first string

based upon their high school press clippings. The first day of practice, they

were just one of 120 plus players given an opportunity to demonstrate their

“bona fides”. Coach Sherbeck let the “cream rise to the top”.

We practiced like we played; Coach Sherbeck made sure that every practice

was held to the same level of scrutiny that he applied to any game we might

play. Once you made it through the weekly practice schedule (not to mention

pre-season practices), the games often seemed to be a bit of a vacation.

There may not be an “I” in T-E-A-M, but Coach Sherbeck cared for every

Individual on The Team; without regard to football prowess. Coach

Sherbeck knows every player who played for him; he looked for ways to help

us on or off the field. When I needed him, he went to bat for me as he did for any in need of his help.

I love Coach Sherbeck and appreciate his leadership and example. As I think back to

those days and the rich experiences I had as a Hornet, one of my strongest memories

involved a ritual we referred to as “Top Dog”.

During football season, the Top Dog experience would typically start something like this. We would be on campus dealing with the rigors of getting formally educated. It might be wednesday midmorning and we meet up with several of our friends including some team mates between morning classes to indulge in our normal social routine when somebody starts the rumor; “we’re doing Top Dog today”. Suddenly, reading or writing or even arithmetic seemed to become largely irrelevant. We were doing Top Dog today!

So, what is Top Dog you may ask? You may have to have been a football player to

appreciate this, but here goes. Top Dog was a special drill the coaches would put us

through from time to time during football practice. During the season it would usually be on a Wednesday (sometimes earlier in the week, but never later) so that there would be a couple of days for everyone to “heal-up” from the potential effects from Top Dog before “game-day”.

Early in practice, but well after everyone had had an opportunity to get fully warmed up, we would be called together based upon which side of the ball you played on. Coach Black and the other offensive coaches would start yelling “offense, over here! Offense gather in!” At the same time Coach Moore and the other defensive coaches would gather the defense together, “defense, right here! Hussle-up!”

I never stood in the offensive huddle, but the defensive huddle went something like

this…Coach Moore would be grinning ear-to-ear as he announced, “alright! Who’s

ready for Top Dog?!” Immediately, Coach Feola might yell-out “legs, legs, legs…keep

those legs moving”. It was as if a charge of electric energy was infused into each of us.

Everyone was suddenly full of adrenalin; guys were jumping up and down, chin-straps

were being checked, pads adjusted…it was time to “go to war!”

Now in our separate groups, Coach Black would pick one of his very best offensive

linemen who would step forward to represent all of his offensive mates who started

chanting his name and otherwise shouting encouragement. Likewise, Coach Moore

would select one of his top lineman or linebackers who would also step forward to the

encouragement of a hoard of defensive mates. The gauntlet had been thrown down; it

was time to do battle. Everyone would get their turn.

It was a great honor to be the first to be selected to “represent” the whole defense or

offense in a one-on-one competition against one of the very best your team had to offer. It was time to “put-up or shut-up”. A piece of turf was identified; the offensive player took his position on one side and the defensive player the other; who would control the turf? Two players ready to compete with dozens of mates on either side shouting for all they were worth. There was no place to hide…

I-N-T-E-G-R-I-T-Y

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Postscript to Top Dog

Another Thought re: Coach Hal Sherbeck

March 18, 2014

By Ted D. Nelson

Two days ago, I spent Sunday afternoon writing a tribute to Coach Hal Sherbeck on his birthday, it was titled “Top Dog”. I’m glad that I did… It was very rewarding to ‘dig-

up’ and ponder such wonderful old memories; plus, by posting the tribute on FaceBook, it served to put me in touch with some fellow Hornets I haven’t connected with for quite some time.

Since Sunday, I have had further thoughts and impressions which have led me to the

conclusion that I needed to write a ‘Postscript’ to the tribute. In the book, “Good to

Great” by Jim Collins, he describes “Level 5 Leadership” as the highest form of

leadership and the type of leadership found in great companies & organizations. One of the characteristics of a Level 5 Leader according to Mr. Collins is that this type of leader “…looks out the window to attribute success to factors other than themselves. When things go poorly, however, they look in the mirror and blame themselves, taking full responsibility…”

The above quote from “Good to Great” describes Coach Sherbeck to the tee! In “Top

Dog”, I indicate that during the two years I played for Coach Sherbeck, we lost only one game. You guessed it, after that one game we lost, I didn’t see Coach Sherbeck point his finger at anyone else; instead he took full responsibility for not having us fully prepared and by so doing showed each of us by example that we needed to take personal responsibility for our own preparation and individual performance. The following game, a week later, we were all much better prepared (poor Mt San Antonio College, our next opponent, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time).

Finally, at the end of every game, Coach Sherbeck was quick to point out specific

examples of outstanding performance attributed not only to players and assistant coaches, but also to trainers, equipment handlers and others who helped make the program what it was. Every week, every player was “graded” on every play with the coaches looking for opportunities to acknowledge excellence.

Coach Sherbeck and his organization “looked out the window to attribute success to factors other than themselves”.

Coach Sherbeck led by example and acknowledged a power greater than himself… every game he kneeled down with his team and led them in reciting The Lord’s Prayer.

Thanks

Coach!

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