Travis L Wright

When it comes to coaching football, or even mentoring young people in general, one question always comes up: talent or discipline? Which matters more in the long run? For me, the answer is simple and unwavering — discipline wins every time. I’ve been coaching in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, for years, and I’ve seen every kind of athlete walk onto the field. Some are naturally gifted. They have speed, strength, agility — it all seems to come easy. But I’ve also seen those same athletes fade when things get hard. When the game gets tough, when the season stretches on, or when adversity hits, natural talent only takes you so far. Discipline, on the other hand, shows up whether it’s raining or sunny. Whether we’re winning or losing. Whether the spotlight is on or no one is watching. The players who show up to every practice, who stay late, who study film, who take care of their bodies and their teammates — those are the players I want on my team. And time after time, they outperform th...