“They are great kids at Maple Grove, and it’s pretty rewarding to see how far they have come,” Lombardi said. “It’s an interesting dynamic to be outside the painting, but obviously I want a win for Minnetonka.”
Just like a theater performance, football is a shared, emotional experience. It also provides an opportunity for people to gather and cheer on performers. And in both cases, it involves building a community, something that has long motivated Lombardi.
“That was my goal at Maple Grove,” he said. “And I’ve always told my teams, ‘Don’t complain about how many people are in the stands. Be worth cheering for. If you want the Friday night spotlight, you have to be worth cheering for.’ Football is such a powerful vehicle. If we don’t use it to the best of our abilities, we are wasting a great opportunity for ourselves and people around us.”
Deconstructing myths around his championship defenses has also been important. Once he arrived at Maple Grove, he showed his new players the Wayzata 2010 defensive roster and the Trojans players’ unspectacular heights and weights. The size of their hearts was another matter.
“Just because you’re not granted the greatest hand in life,” Lombardi said, “that doesn’t mean you still can’t be great.”
Minnetonka players received the same message.