Bob Ladouceur

Legendary Football Coach & Subject of When the Game Stands Tall

Bob Ladouceur

Legendary Football Coach & Subject of When the Game Stands Tall

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Biography

In an unprecedented winning streak that lasted twelve years, it wasn’t his team’s incredible 151 straight wins that impressed Coach Bob Ladouceur, it was their perfect effort – the wins were just a natural result. That is because “Coach Lad” believes that wins and losses are not indicators of success – it’s how you live your life. This philosophy was the driving force behind Ladouceur’s 399–25–3 record at De La Salle High School – the most victories in high school football history, including the longest winning streak in sports at any level. In fact, Bob’s story is so inspiring that it is now the subject of the movie, When the Game Stands Tall.

Ladouceur’s philosophy on life is quite unusual for a coach. It comes from a man who first started his career as a teacher and mentor, and as a result, his unique approach to team success transcends sports. Bob believes that football is merely a vehicle to teach life skills like respect, accountability, selflessness and commitment, and reminds audiences that sports do not build character, they reveal it. In October 2015, Ladouceur’s book Chasing Perfection: The Principles Behind Winning Football the De La Salle Way was published by Triumph Books, shedding more insight into his mentality on the sport.

Bob brings this understanding to his presentations as he clarifies to corporations of all sizes, including giants like Oracle and Sutter Health, how his formula draws parallels to success on the field with success in the office. Bob accomplishes this with cerebral, straight-forward strategies, so don’t expect the typical high-fiving motivational speaker. He will give you the tools and teachings to have an immediate, lasting impact on your company’s future. Ladouceur also customizes his approach for teachers, students and community groups with the same winning game plan. His leadership skills and philosophies on successful effort apply to any endeavor in any area and always result in an audience walking away with a renewed faith in themselves, their abilities and their team. His alma mater, San Jose State University, awarded him an honorary doctorate degree.

Coach Bob Ladouceur always brings something special and unexpected to his presentations. He illustrates the lessons he’s lived with inspirational anecdotes from the game one minute, and dramas that reach well beyond the field the next. He also actively involves his audience with “perfect effort” exercises, giving his presentations more of a workshop feel, rather than just a keynote. Bob Ladouceur’s unique way of translating his gridiron strategies into daily life, and uncommon approach to common problems, comes from more than a coach – they come from an educator, innovator, mentor and motivator who knows how to make an immediate and lasting impact on the lives of his audience.

Speaker Videos

Working Towards and Authentic Team Experience

When the Game Stands Tall

Commencement Speech at San Jose State University

Speech Topics

Perfect Effort in College: Pathways to Perfection

In this presentation, Coach Lad speaks directly to college students, sharing his proven method of perfect effort which can be incorporated into their daily routine and improve their college experience. With focuses on community engagement, commitment to perfection and personal accountability, students will see that higher grades, more free time and less stress are just a natural result of their efforts.

Audiences will likewise find comfort in the fact that Coach Lad was actually a teacher first, and considers himself more of a mentor than a coach. His innovations as an educator are apparent as he engages his audience with interactive exercises such as “commitment cards” that Bob has developed for his presentations, and used during his incredibly successful coaching career. By adhering to the core principles of his philosophy, and committing to the pursuit of collegiate perfection, Ladouceur promises students that they will get the most out of their education, and their lives to follow as well.

Teachers & Parents: Striving for a Perfect Effort

In this presentation, Ladouceur explains his method of guiding students into scholastic and lifelong success by inspiring “perfect effort.” Teachers, mentors and parents will benefit from this same philosophy which led to numerous successes for both the Coach and his players on the field, and in the classroom. Put simply, Bob believes that if a student focuses on the quality of effort they are giving, the success they are striving for will naturally result.

Coach Ladouceur’s provocative presentations always include an interactive component. Engaging audiences with exercises he developed during his 30 years as an educator, Coach Lad demonstrates how to inspire a positive and collaborative culture. His approach instills a strong sense of self-worth within every student. As he puts it, “Any team will be successful when the last player on the bench believes that they have as much to contribute as the first.” Ladouceur’s audiences learn how to inspire students to achieve their full potential.

Students: What Do You Want to be While You Grow Up?

Ladouceur challenges students to take responsibility for their actions every day. He reminds them that they can choose who they want to be while they grow up. Reminding students that the effort they give now defines who they are as people, the Coach inspires self-sacrifice and a collaborative environment to foster success in all aspects of life. After 30 years of teaching and taking an active role in child development, Ladouceur walks and talks like a mentor, not just a coach. Over his tenure, he has perfected the ability to communicate mature morals to today’s youth. After this presentation, both students and teachers will walk away inspired to always give a “perfect effort”.

Perfect Effort in Business: Leading Your Workforce into Unrealized Achievement

The approach of this presentation always resonates with executives because Ladouceur demonstrates how to raise the ceiling of expectations with preparation, rather than prophesizing, to achieve sustained results. He then illustrates how lasting success can be seen as a living thing that needs to be tended every day, ensuring that instead of withering, it continually grows and evolves. Bob’s system is so effective and widely relevant, that it is applicable to many areas, which enables him to tailor this talk with themes that include Achieving & Maintaining Goals, Teamwork, Commitment & Accountability and Leadership. The success his method brings is also felt on a personal level as well, becoming intrinsically linked within a person’s daily life, raising its quality as well.

Bob Ladouceur is not your typical cheerleading motivator, substituting spectacle for substance. He interactively engages audiences, utilizing exercises from his playbook such as “commitment cards.” Tools like this guarantee that lessons sink in and become a permanent part of you and your company, just like they did for his players and team. By the end of this keynote, it will be clear that his philosophies and yours share critical traits required for a winning business – regardless of your field.

Perfect Effort in Your Community: Foundations You Can Build On

In this presentation, Bob talks to audiences about methods that they can take with them and build on in their local community organization, church or youth group. His game plan is more of a life plan, as his sustained success would not have been possible without individual and team faith. This comes from putting forth a perfect effort with enough motivation and inspiration to overcome any adversity.

Ladouceur’s techniques build strong communities and strengthen families, using football as a vehicle to carry his message of inspiration, motivation and faith. As a teacher of theology first, Coach Ladouceur believes that every team has a soul that transcends sports and athletic competition. His philosophy reflects this understanding when he speaks about his players as a mentor rather than just a coach, “Every team has a collective heart which is based on love. Put simply, love means you can count on me.” – Coach Bob Ladouceur