Stop Talking to the Team, Start Talking to People
Every pregame room has “the team.”
But sitting in front of you are actual human beings: the over-amped linebacker, the quiet perfectionist, the joker, the worrier, the kid pretending not to care.
You’re not speaking into a crowd. You’re speaking into nervous systems.
If you give the same speech, in the same tone, the same way, every game, you’re really just talking to the guys who are wired like you.
Everyone else has to translate.
Start before the speech.
You already know who tends to tighten up and who tends to drift. Instead of treating that as background noise, use it.
The kid who spirals after a mistake? You look him in the eye and say, “You’re going to mess something up tonight. Fix it and move on. We trust you.”
The one who plays small? “You don’t need permission to make a play tonight. When you see it—go.”
The one who loves chaos? “We need your energy, not your penalties. Be the spark, not the explosion.”
You just gave three micro-speeches before you ever opened your mouth to address the team.
Now, during the main talk, sprinkle in specifics.
Instead of “Some of you need to step up,” try:
“O-line, tonight is on you. You don’t have to be perfect. You do have to be physical. You create everything for us.”
“Bench, you’re not extras. You control the sideline energy. Every big play we make, your reaction adds to it.”
Suddenly they’re not hiding in “the team.” They’re seen.
And then there’s the post-speech walk-off.
After you break it down, don’t immediately sprint out the door like the building is on fire. Those last thirty seconds are money.
Hand on a shoulder: “You good?”
Quiet: “I like this matchup for you tonight.”
Nod: “You’re ready. Trust your work.”
That might be the line they remember, not the big crescendo.
The goal isn’t to deliver a Netflix special.
The goal is to land the right words in the right hearts at the right time.
Pregame speeches aren’t about you sounding awesome.
They’re about your players feeling known, trusted, and pointed in a clear direction.
Stop talking to “the team.”
Start talking to the people sitting in front of you.
Friday Night Fire: The Anatomy of the Pregame Speech is your plug-and-play playbook for what to say when the locker room is looking at you and your brain goes, “So… uh… gentlemen?” It gives you both the framework for powerful speeches and dozens of ready-made examples you can adapt for your team in any situation.
Inside, coaches get:
The Anatomy of a Great Speech – how to open, build, and land the message so it actually sticks.
Game-Specific Speeches – playing a rival, coming off a tough loss, facing a superior team, bad weather, mid-season fatigue, injuries, championship games, final game of the season, and more.
Halftime & Fourth-Quarter Moments – talks for when you’re down big, up big, flat, banged up, or one play away from a comeback.
Coach-as-Storyteller Coaching – how to use stories, metaphors, and emotion without turning into a cheesy movie coach.
Each speech comes with context, coaching points, and a structure, so you’re not just reading a script—you’re learning how to think about pregame talks. The ebook format makes it easy to search by situation, highlight your favorite lines, and tweak speeches for your own team and personality.
