In my journey with Parkinson's Disease (PD), I find myself continually searching for ways to manage and overcome the challenges it brings each day. As many of us with PD know, having the condition is a lot like trying to hit a moving target and trying to 

keep up with it requires constant adaptation. As a former competitive athlete, I often look back at the lessons I've learned on the field and have adapted them to my current life with PD, especially with goal setting.

As a teenager in the late 70s/early 80s, I played football at Cumberland Valley High School under legendary coach Harry C. Chapman III. Coach Chapman not only taught me about the game of football, but also valuable life lessons that helped shape my approach to setting goals for myself and reaching them.

Here are 5 goal setting principles I’ve embraced:

Principle #1: Define Individual and Team Goals

Coach Chapman emphasized a team-first mentality and the importance of individuals maximizing their athletic abilities for the team's betterment. He would sit down with each player at the end of the school year and set specific strength, agility and conditioning exercise goals for their summer workout program.

With Parkinson's, I adapted this strategy to include my doctors and support system of friends and family in my health goals. When dealing with specific issues or symptoms, I would talk with my doctors about strategies to feel better, and would then share them with my support system. Communication is key, and over time, I’ve discovered that this practice has really helped unify us as a team and has been incredibly beneficial for my care.

Principle #2: Maintain Consistency and Dedication to Goals

During the summer, Coach Chapman held consistent morning and evening workout sessions every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and it was understood that we would attend one session a day. The workout sessions were not easy, but they helped me realize that sustained effort leads to improvement.

For Parksinon’s, my mantra is "Use it or lose it", as I have found out the hard way that if I don't regularly exercise specific dexterous activities, I often lose the ability to do them. This has led me to follow a daily routine of exercises to help maintain my mobility. I’ve found that if a consistent level of effort is directed toward achieving a goal over an extended period, that goal will likely be met. It also helps to have a partner to do these activities with. For example, I have a biking buddy I routinely meet up to take rides with, and we hold each other accountable for getting out there and staying active. 

Principle #3: Establish Benchmark Testing and Reporting Procedures

Coach Chapman regularly tested and recorded the team’s progress in key exercises and motivated us by tracking and posting our personal bests for all of us to see. For players who reached their new personal bests, he would mark their stats in his highly sought-after "blue ink." which encouraged us further.

This taught me the importance of recording my own Parkinson's stats, including treatment outcomes, medication efficacy, exercises that help specific symptoms, and more. This practice helps me determine what treatments or medications are working and which aren’t, and to adjust when necessary. I also share this information with my support system, which keeps them informed and allows them to help in the best ways they can.

Principle #4: Create a Culture That Fosters Competition and Teamwork

Coach Chapman would get really fired up when testing/recording players, especially when one of us was attempting a new personal best. His enthusiasm was contagious, often resulting in the entire team gathering around to encourage a player to succeed. His approach created an environment of motivation and inspired us to push our limits and support each other.

I believe a positive mindset can be infectious and help those around you rally in support.

By sharing my victories and gratitude with my support system, we have created our own environment of positivity and motivation. This has helped strengthen our bond and our shared commitment to overcoming PD together.

Principle #5: Persevere, Persevere, Persevere

One of the best messages I learned from Coach Chapman was the power of perseverance. His football program emphasized the importance of perseverance in all activities, both on the football field and in the classroom. I will always remember him phrasing perseverance, along with persistence, mental toughness, hard work, and overcoming adversity.

Parkinson's is a tough opponent that doesn't ease up or back down. This is where perseverance has been a key attribute in maintaining a good quality of life. I hold this message close, as I understand that very little is given to us in life, and most successes result from hard work, persistence and perseverance.

These lessons from Coach Chapman also inspired me to create my own strategies, which led to the creation of an audiobook, "Embracing Parkinson's". In it, I team up with my movement disorder specialist, Joe Green, and we discuss our personal experiences with PD and our game plays for handling the condition. We also dive deep into strategies we developed for stress management, which has been vital in not letting PD get in the way of my personal best.

Coach Harry C. Chapman III's principles and coaching philosophy have had a positive and lasting impact on my life, and for that, I am truly grateful.

Thank you, Coach Chapman, for everything you have taught and instilled in me, and for giving me the tools needed to go head-to-head with my fiercest opponent: Parkinson’s Disease.

– Frank Antonicelli -EmbracingParkinsons.com

A special thanks to my close grade school friends and teammates #13 Harry C. “Four” Chapman IV and #72 Brian “Bull” Bullock for their contributions to the creation of this post.

Harry C. Chapman III

Former Head Football Coach

Cumberland Valley High School

I would also like to acknowledge the countless hours the early 1980's CV Football Coaching Staff -- Coach Harry Chapman, Coach Butch Bricker, Coach Bob Crobak, Coach Ron Audo, Coach Joe Correal, Coach Tom Uhrich and Coach Jim Hess -- invested in teaching young men how to compete and conduct themselves both on and off the football field.