Is it easier to be a successful football coach or a successful teacher?

Teaching is hard work.

There is no other way to say it.

But why?

I found a glimpse of why it is so hard when I read this in a Sports Illustrated article on college football:

(Coach Jimbo) Fisher explained that since taking over (as head coach at Florida State), he had hired a nutritionist to monitor what players ate. He had contracted a mental-conditioning coach to change how players thought. He had inherited two strength-and-conditioning- assistants, then hired six more and was on the verge of bringing on a seventh to ensure that players received more individual attention in the weight room. Fisher then asked the boosters to dig deep because he needed more. He wanted better dorms for the players and an indoor practice facility.

In my district, the expectation is that teachers will do all of those things. I don't have the luxury of hiring a nutritionist or a mental-conditioning coach or a strength coach.

I hire first grade and third grade and math and Spanish and Japanese and history teachers and expect them to attend to all of the variety of issues that a first or third or eighth or eleventh grader has.

If a student needs to learn to focus, I expect my teacher to help them do that.

If a student has to get organized, I expect my teacher to help them learn to do that.

If a student needs work on the basics, I expect my teacher to help them with that.

College football coaches have it easy. They get to hire strength coaches and nutritionists and tutors. The coach needs to have a vision but they get to hire people to help execute it.

Teachers, on the other hand, have to have the vision and the ability to execute.

So, Jimbo Fisher and Nic Saban can be acclaimed as great coaches, and they are, but to really see a successful person find a teacher!