UofGH students find inspiration at Argos practice

Text that reads: “It’s a holistic approach to success.”

When University of Guelph-Humber instructor Jonathan Hood – who played six seasons as a linebacker in the CFL before becoming a PhD candidate, educator and motivational speaker – teaches his students in the Kinesiology program about the philosophy of coaching sports, he brings in lessons based on such famous figures as Pat Summitt, Phil Jackson and current Toronto Argonauts coach Marc Trestman.

Hood’s students in UofGH’s Athletic Coaching Techniques course could not have expected to hear those philosophies straight from the source, but Hood made that a surprising reality when he took his class on a trip to an Argos practice before the team went on to win the Grey Cup.

After Hood and his students watched the team engage in a vigorous and eye-opening practice session, first Trestman and then a series of coaches and others involved with the team took time to stop and share their experiences with the UofGH students.

“It was like a conference. It was amazing,” Hood recalled. “The students loved it. We do reflection at the end of every class – they had so much to write.”

The practice itself was illuminating enough. At one point, a player made a mental mistake that earned a stiff scolding from his coach. Minutes later, that same player made a standout play. For Hood, it was a valuable lesson in resilience.

Further, Hood said students were surprised and impressed by how “business-like” the practice was run.

“Practice is on a schedule. The horn blows, you move to a station, and it’s intense. They didn’t know it was that intense,” said Hood, who earned a Master’s degree in psychology at Western University before playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts.

“In some cases, practice can seem more intense than a game, and you practise in conditions that are more challenging than in a game so that you’re prepared.”

Ultimately, Hood felt that the most valuable lessons for the students might not have been focused on the field at all.

Hood, who has run the Ahead of the Game mentorship program at UofGH, says Trestman and others underscored the importance not just of building players, but building people.

“I don’t think the students would have imagined hearing so many perspectives on life, on faith, on people,” Hood said. “Another huge takeaway was that at the end of the day, it was all about people and building relationships. That’s something Marc Trestman firmly believes in. Not only did he reiterate it from the top, but everyone else was giving the same message.

“It’s a holistic approach to success.”