Perfect Effort

Wanted to learn more about Coach Ladaceour's methods and why his teams win so much. This documentary is really interesting. It shows a lot of in the locker room speeches and focus' on 4 players and their stories.It chronicles the 13 weeks of the 2000 season where De La Salle held the winning streak intact and the teams goes through a lot of adversity during the year - you can feel the pressure that the QB is facing and how difficult it is to live up to expecations and play in big football games.One of my favorite scenes in the film was when Coach Lad went off on the kids because they had a food fight at one of the player's parent's home during a team meeting. He really teaches them a lesson here and it has nothing to do with football but more about life...His quote is "That's a f....ng reality" its interesting to see all the players not take their eye off him as he reads them the riot act and its well deserved - great drama and its real - no acting.Again, people interested in coaching or youth sports should watch this film as it is real and raw. The language is tough so not for young kids although the dvd has a toned down language version. Amazing to see the hitting going on in HS Football - DJ williams and Simon and Demetrious Williams can really hit on both offense and defense. You see guys like Maurice Drew, Derek Landri in the film in the background when they were just the role players. They played against Matt Leinert at Mater Dei and blasted them. Amazing to see where the 4 players on DLS focused on wind up - you'll have to watch.some of the games are not pieced together real well - wanted to see the final scores of some games and what happened but overall a fine documentary. coach eidson was not a good model in this film as he actually calls out guys by their names in front of the whole team - rips them a new one - and embarrasses them in front of the team and cameras - guess they screwed up.Not sure why not more review on this DVD - I watched it after hearing a KNBR radio interview on Coach Ladeceour and hearing how pleased he was with the film.

This provides a great insight to how one of the greatest football dynasties operates. Each player is accountable for each other and the coaches guide the growth and maturity of these young men. 151 games in a row is unprecedented and the efforts were never about the streak but playing with a purpose and accountability.I would have love to see this focused over a few years versus just one as you would see the growth of some of the players through the program.

What made this film stand out from other sports doc types, is the access that the crew had. It is pretty rare to be able to see and hear the locker room discussions and all the on field conversations, etc. This kind of access provided a really human and tangible perspective that keeps the viewer feeling really close to the story.The De La Salle legacy is a pretty amazing one on it's own- this portrayal gives you the non glamourized, no BS storytelling it deserves. A great watch

Kudos to the team that pulled together this fine documentary. Very inspiring. I was particularly impressed by the coaches. They talked about "perfect effort" - playing to your ability and being committed to yourself and your teammates - never mentioning the need to win. I'm reminded of how John Wooden handled his UCLA team during their record setting basketball streak years ago. The coaches at De La Salle have put together a great program.

I've watched this at least 10 times since I purchased it. We show it to younger players in our organization. Instant classic. Production and soundtrack work extremely well.

Was a gift for my football fanatic son......haven't heard much from him about it yet.

Waiting now for Movie When the Game Stands Tall! Good man, good coach!!!!

Possibly the greatest film ever made