Adam Bighill made more tackles than all but five players in the history of Canadian football. He won three Grey Cups, was named the CFL's most outstanding defensive player three times, and is a shoe in for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
But the most revealing thing about Adam's relationship with football can't be found on the stat sheet. Born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, Adam was bullied as a kid and used sport to do the one thing it does better than almost anything else: earn respect and build belonging. His proclivity for sport and his relentless work ethic meant he was always one of the first picks. Sport levelled the playing field and gave him a place where he fit.
Now retired from the CFL and coaching his three kids in flag football, Adam has a clear-eyed, no-nonsense view of what's wrong in youth sport today: parents with mismatched expectations, a money grab masquerading as development, and coaches who yell instead of teach. His philosophy is simple, and the results speak for themselves. His team went from chaos to competing at the national level on one practice and one game per week, and more importantly, every player improved and contributed to the best of their ability.
Adam is very direct on the importance of coaching, the need for more resources, and his belief that sport can help everyone build confidence and self-worth.
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Chapters
00:00 Opening
02:07 Introducing Adam Bighill
03:32 Why He Retired
04:08 Three Kids, All Multi-Sport
06:03 Early Specialization
07:47 Too Many Games, Not Enough Practice
08:39 The Money Grab
09:25 The Power of the Coach
11:07 His Coaching Philosophy
14:41 How to Make Practice Fun Without Losing the Work
17:27 What Bad Youth Coaching Actually Looks Like
17:43 The Best Coaching Advice He Ever Received
20:08 Managing Parents
21:48 The Context of Team
23:47 The Word Every Coach Needs: "Yet"
23:59 Being a Sports Parent on the Sidelines
24:47 What His Dad Taught Him Just by Showing Up
26:41 Applauding Everyone on the Field
29:12 Conditional Love and What It Does to Kids
30:39 Youth Travel Sports
32:43 What Happens Outside Structured Practice
34:40 How Much Commitment Is Too Much at a Young Age?
37:05 Why Kids Play and Why Parents Should Ask
39:12 How Sport Gave Adam Belonging
41:28 Sport Broke Down Every Barrier
43:43 Sport Builds the People Your Community Needs
45:56 "Some Kids Need Football More Than Football Needs Them"
46:23 Canada vs. the US
48:50 Privatization in Youth Sports
52:33 Sport Should Be a Meritocracy
55:11 The Pressure Parents Feel
57:35 What Adam Expects From His Own Kids
59:02 What 14 Years of Pro Football Built in Him
01:01:29 The Mindset That Lasted Beyond Sport
01:03:45 Adam's Biggest Issue in Youth Sport Today
Resources
â Adam Bighillâ
â Operation Smile Canadaâ
â Better Sports Parents
