How We Define Success in Our Athletes

Our Definition of Success

At The OH Line Academy, we work with a wide range of athletes:

• Young, aspiring athletes, who are beginning to develop a passion for the game.

• Guys battling for their first varsity start.

• Established starters with aspirations of playing college football. 

  
  

All of those athletes train here.

A few years ago, a parent once asked me “How do you measure success? Is it the number of D1 athletes you’ve produced? The number of NFL athletes?”This question really made think, because the short answer is - Yes. I would consider having multiple former athletes of ours become D1 and/or NFL players a success. But is it what I would DEFINE as success? I spent a lot of time after that conversation thinking about the question—and here is my answer.

Success at The OH Line Academy is not measured by a scholarship, a level of attainment or achievement, or the number of stars an athlete receives. Success for each athlete is measured by answering two simple questions:

1. Did the athlete reach the highest level his goals and potential allowed?

2. Did he develop the habits and skills needed to succeed at the next stage—on and off the field?

For one athlete, that may mean becoming a one- or two- year starter and All-Conference player.

For another, it may mean All-Division honors and an offer at the Division II or Division III level.

For another, it may mean All-Ohio honors and an opportunity at a major Power 4 program.

Each of these are a success in their own right. If an athlete commits to the work, develops strong fundamentals, builds discipline and accountability, and leaves better prepared for what comes next than when he started, that is success.

Ultimately, development isn’t just about what an athlete accomplishes while he’s here. It’s about whether he leaves better prepared than when he started—and whether the lessons learned and habit built during his time with us continues to pay dividends long after he moves on from here.

That idea shapes everything we do.

Why Outcomes Are a Poor Definition of Success

It’s natural to want to measure success by outcomes.

A starting role.

A championship.

How many stars you are.

Division I offers.

Those moments are visible, easy to point to, and easy to compare. But they represent only a snapshot in time—not the full picture.

Football careers don’t fail or succeed in a single moment. They are shaped by what happens before the opportunity arrives, how an athlete responds once it does arrive, and what he does after the moment has passed.

When success is defined only by an outcome, it ignores the processes required to sustain performance as expectations increase. It also ignores what happens after that moment passes—because every level of achievement brings new challenges, higher standards, and greater responsibility.

An outcome, by itself, doesn’t tell you how an athlete got there.

A player may earn a varsity starting spot. But that doesn’t automatically explain what he did to earn it—or whether the way he earned it will hold up when the next challenge arrives.

Earning a varsity role leads to the question: What are you doing now to earn a college opportunity? 

Earning a college opportunity leads to the question: Are you prepared to compete once you get there? 

Becoming a college starter leads to the question: Can you sustain that role as expectations continue to rise?

At every step, the outcome changes. The demands increase. And your process either evolves—or it gets exposed.

Some athletes reach certain milestones largely because of natural ability. A physically dominant high school lineman may earn All-Conference or even All-Ohio recognition simply because he’s bigger, stronger, or more gifted than the players around him. During that time, he may never be forced to develop the habits, discipline, or attention to detail required to keep improving. 

Eventually, this well runs dry. The competition improves. Physical advantages shrink. And without a process in place, progress stalls. At that point, how you prepare and the habits you have grown will allow you to make that next step in realizing your true potential as an athlete.

What Drives Success (Process Over Outcomes)

When people talk about success in football, they usually point to outcomes.

Starting varsity.

Winning championships.

Earning scholarships.

Those moments matter. They’re earned. They should be respected. But outcomes are not the foundation of success—they are the result of it.

The athletes people admire most didn’t stop once they reached a milestone. Championships and accolades were never the finish line. They were feedback—confirmation that the process was working. That mindset is what separates short-term achievement from long-term success.

At The OH Line Academy, success is defined less by what an athlete achieves and more by how he goes about achieving it. Consistency. Discipline. Attention to detail. Learning how to do things the right way—even when no one is watching.

An athlete who learns to show up prepared, take coaching, and stay committed when progress feels slow is building something that lasts. Those habits don’t disappear after one good season or one big moment. They continue to move forward and evolve with the next demand.

The earlier an athlete understands that football success is built through daily decisions—not just game-day results—the better positioned he is for long-term success at whatever level he reaches. 

Outcomes will always come and go. The process is what stays.

Football Is a Young Man’s Game

Football ends for everyone at some point.

For some athletes, it ends after high school.

For others, after college.

For a select few, they squeeze out 3-5 more years in the NFL (Not For Long)

But the game always ends.

That’s why the lessons an athlete learns while he’s playing matters more than how far he goes. 

The habits required to succeed at football—preparation, discipline, accountability, resilience—are the same habits required to succeed in life after the game. Football exposes how an athlete responds to pressure, adversity, and responsibility. It rewards consistency and punishes shortcuts.

Those lessons don’t disappear when the pads come off.

An athlete who learns how to work, how to handle expectations, and how to commit to a process is building skills that carry into school, careers, relationships, and leadership within his community.

Success isn’t defined by how long football lasts. It’s defined by whether the athlete leaves each stage of their career and life better equipped for what comes next.

Passing It Forward

All of our coaches are former Division I athletes. We’ve walked the same path many of our athletes are on now.

At my alma mater The University of Iowa, we have a saying: “Leave the jersey in a better place.” It means you’re responsible for more than just yourself. You’re expected to move the program forward and for the next group to pick up the torch and do the same.

That idea shapes how we coach. We understand the level of detail, discipline, and long-term focus required to succeed because we’ve lived it. In some cases, we did things the right way. In others, we learned through mistakes and hindsight.

Our responsibility now is to pass those lessons on. Not by making promises. Not by chasing outcomes. By helping young athletes learn how to work, prepare, and pursue their goals the right way.

If an athlete leaves The OH Line Academy better prepared for football—and for life beyond it—then the jersey has been left in a better place. That’s the standard we coach by. That’s how we define success.