Like the military, the U.S. National Team builds from a foundation of structure, integrity, courage and brotherhood. The program brings together American athletes and coaches from all across the country to celebrate and take part in the great game of football. 

One particular coach who has become a valuable member of the National Team program is former U.S. Marine Bill Williams.

Williams, who served as an assistant coach for the U-18 National Team at the North American Championship, believes much of his success as a coach derives from the experiences and lessons he’s learned in the United States Marine Corps, which he joined at 17.

SEE MORE: Military Appreciation Week

Throughout his time enlisted, he was stationed in Hawaii, Japan, 29 Palms California and Camp Lejune North Carolina, and also served in the Gulf War and Somalia. His time in the military also brought him to Saudi Arabia, Australia, Tonga, Tahiti, American Samoa and London. 

These experiences taught Williams about “overcoming physical and mental obstacles” and also “how to love, trust and respect all people from all ethnicities, all places, and backgrounds.”

Williams said that his military experience prepared him more to be a coach than any other aspect of his life, because both the military and football require mental and physical preparation and challenging of oneself.

Today, Williams is the head football coach and defensive coordinator at Holdenville, Oklahoma. His coaching philosophy is modeled after his military experience, and centers on these three points:

• Discipline. “It teaches a person to do what he is supposed to do, both how to do it and when to do it."
• Structure. “It gives a person a plan and process, paired with discipline he can master his skill and task that he is challenged with.”
• Confidence. “When a football player has the discipline to show up every day and sticks to the plan, he will have done his job so many times that it’ll leave him a master of it. Because he has mastered it, he will be confident that he can succeed at doing the job he was given to do.”

Learn more about the U.S. National Team here and follow Bill Williams on Twitter.