University of Tennessee Athletics
4th-and-1 Prepares Vols Off The Field
March 12, 2015 | Football
More training and awareness. Players heard from @ElainePasqua about the challenges of college life. #VFL pic.twitter.com/XTzy5FJHqy
-- Antone Davis (@Antone_Davis) March 12, 2015
By Brian Rice
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
UTSports.com
In the same way, a person's life and future can hang in the balance based on a decision made in one second away from the football field. Preparing players for that one second in life that same way they are prepared for that one second on the football field is the focus of Tennessee's 4th-and-1 Wednesdays.
"Everything is about the educational process and that is what the 4th-and-1 Wednesdays are all about," head coach Butch Jones said.
The program, part of UT's offseason training program, brings in speakers and experts to work with players on a variety of topics that range from leadership building and character development to education programs on sexual assault and domestic violence. Because it is a mandatory program, the hour each week counts against the 20 hours that the team is allowed each week in winter workouts.
To Jones and his staff, the hour of mental training is well worth it. UT developed the concept of 4th-and-1 Wednesday to help reach the goal of developing student-athletes into all-around people, not just football players. The sessions are another step in giving the Volunteers every tool necessary to be successful in life and in their futures, regardless of what happens in football.
But the lessons pay off on the field as well. As Jones frequently says, football is just life sped up, and having the tools and training to make smart decisions is a concept that applies to both life and the football field. In both situations, one decision can change everything.
"We call that the `One second rule,'" Jones said. "In one second, your life can change, just like on 4th-and-1 and executing your assignment. I think the many individuals that come in all really speak the same language. It's all about character, it's all about great decisions and making great decisions at the moment great decisions are required."
The final session of the program featured Elaine Pasqua, a nationally-renowned speaker on sexual assault that spoke on that topic and on preventing life-altering decisions. Pasqua works with college and professional teams and athletes to educate them in avoiding situations away from the field that can change a life forever and how to react when those situations present themselves to others.
"To have Elaine Pasqua in here and to be able to have her relate to our players, it's all about growth and development," Jones said. "It was great dialogue and great conversation. It's part of that educational value that is a part of our program each and every day."
Pasqua gave the players an extensive education on the interactions and potential pitfalls of one-on-one situations, particularly those fueled by alcohol. So implored them to individually think about their legacy and their future at all times, because even the seemingly smallest decision can have a lasting effect on a life.
She also spoke at length about acting as a team and the role teammates and team leaders can have in stopping potential issues. She told the team that intervention can make the difference in a situation and that it is everyone's responsibility to make sure teammates make smart choices. One bad decision not only impacts one life, it reflects negatively on everyone else on the team, even those that made good decisions.
The underlying message was one of accountability, both personally and as a team. And it was a message that sounded very familiar to the Volunteers.
"Every speaker we have brought in on 4th-and-1 Wednesdays, no matter what the topic is, the one parallel that comes true is to be great teammates," Jones said. "It's one thing to be team leaders, but it's another to be great teammates and educating them on what teammates are all about."
@UTCoachJones and I after my Domestic Violence workshop w/the @Vol_Football team. #NoMore pic.twitter.com/dQZYuRddgu
-- Freddie Scott II (@FreddieScott) March 4, 2015
