Two-time Super Bowl Champion Chris Long Learned the Value of Hard Work at Young Age

Chris Long has played at the highest level and understands what it takes to be successful, not just in sports but also in life. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long, Chris had natural talent but soon learned that you needed more to play in the NFL. Hard work, dedication and doing things the right way were just as important.

Long joined the Youth Inc. podcast to talk about the life lessons he learned through sports and how he’s now applying them as a dad and youth sports coach.

“When you’re coaching youth sports you’re teaching a mindset. You’re teaching a life skill,” said Long who was the No. 2 overall pick by the Rams in 2008 and went on to win a pair of Super Bowls with the Patriots and Eagles.

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Key Takeaways

There’s no substitute for hard work

Long admits that he wasn’t the hardest worker as a kid. That all changed when he was 13 and his father hired a basketball trainer to “run me until I cried.”

“Things kind of changed for me that day,” said Long. “Something clicked and I understood what hard work really was.”

Parents should employ the 360 approach

Hard work and discipline goes way beyond sports. The same standards should be set in all phases of life. School, family and work around the house should be treated the same. The discipline and work ethic to get the job done right is the same.

You can be your kid’s best friend and the heavy too

“Don’t worry about withholding praise and don’t worry about knocking them down,” said Long. You can do both things and your kids will be OK. Sometimes they just need to hear the truth. “That’s kind of the way it was with my dad and me,” said Long.

Everything is not always OK

In life and in sports things are going to go wrong. You can’t just wish things away. “We try to get our kids we coach to understand that while not everything that is in their control, a lot is,” said Olsen. “Too many people coach toward the scoreboard and the outcome. There are a lot of things that are more important."