Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Something from ... President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Football

I have begun reading a biography on President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  He attended West Point (Class of 1915) and played on their football team until a knee injury ended his football career.  Below is something from Eisenhower about football and leadership which I found quite interesting.  

I have considered football about as close as we get to military training, and the glory received by those who play it as a pale comparison to those who have survived military combat particularly in regard to the camaraderie.  Perhaps President Eisenhower thought so, too.

"Looking back on his time as supreme commander, he wrote, 'I noted with real satisfaction, how well ex-footballers seemed to have leadership qualifications.  I think this was more than a coincidence.  I believe that football, almost more than any other sport, tends to instill in men the feeling that victory comes through hard work--almost slavish--work, team play, self-confidence, and an enthusiasm that amounts to dedication.'" (p 25, Eisenhower in War and Peace, by Jean Edward Smith.  Random House: New York, NY.  (c) 2012.)

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