Carroll learned some tricks from local mentor

Published on August 5, 2010 by Seahawk Fanatic     

What drives this ball of energy the Seahawks hired to get them back to football’s promised-land, the NFL playoffs?

It turns out Pete Carroll has many of the same core beliefs as former high school coach Lou Tice of Seattle’s Pacific Institute, who’s built a motivational speaking and seminar empire.

The two first became acquainted in 1994 when Carroll followed Bill Parcells as coach of the New York Jets. Parcells was a no-nonsense, hard-nosed, old school football coach. Carroll wanted to lead the team a different way. So Carroll enrolled in one of Tice’s programs on his Pacific Institute ranch in Twisp, Washington.

Tice is a former high school educator and football coach who also saw the need for building self esteem in players, boosting them to maximize their potential in every aspect of their life. “Making thoughtful, affirmative statements about who we are and what we want to achieve” is a major part of Carroll’s new book “Win Forever.”

The new friends collaborated on many projects over the years. Tice mentored Carroll and his USC assistants, including the new Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Tice’s Pacific Institute has recently been working with the Huskies and has programs with the Alabama and Oklahoma football teams. Those are led by former UW and Seahawks defensive back Nesby Glasgow.

Tice says he and Carroll are most proud of “A Better L.A.” The program brought together warring gangs in central Los Angeles to talk out their problems and as Lou says, get “kids to stop killing kids.” They would like to start a similar program in the Seattle-King County area.

But first, there’s the matter of getting the Seahawks organization to buy into the Carroll philosophy to live, work, and play like a champion. Compete against yourself to improve every day. Tice says with Carroll at the helm, the whole Seahawks staff will feel valued, respected, and dignified.

Spend five minutes with Pete Carroll and you feel like you’ve just chugged a quad espresso with a Red Bull chaser.

Is all that energy phony? Tice says Carroll’s external persona is real.

“His inner spirit is so strong and so bright that nothing or no one can blow out his light.”

Tags: Affirmative Statements, Bill Parcells, Building Self Esteem, Coach Steve, Core Beliefs, Espre, football coach, head coach, Lou Tice, Motivational Speaking, New York Jets, NFL Playoffs, Oklahoma Football, Pete Carroll, S Pacific, School Coach, School Educator, Seattle King County, Steve Sarkisian, Twisp Washington