Documentarian Matt Waldeck explores the 40-year career of one of high school football’s greatest coaches, Chuck Kyle, from pulling St. Ignatius High School out of football obscurity to making it a go-to school for many NFL players. Named after Kyle’s book, The Object of the Game, Waldeck’s documentary gives us the secret sauce behind the legacy.
Our tale begins with Coach Chuck “Chico” Kyle taking over as the head coach at St. Ignatius in 1983, inheriting a Wildcats program that had never seen a championship, not even a playoff, in its entire history. From day one, he made five demands of each player: a competitive spirit, physical toughness, leadership, intelligence, and adaptability. He instilled in each player that the “object of the game” wasn’t getting more points than the opponent, but playing to one’s ability and being part of a team. By 1988, St. Ignatius made the playoffs for the first time in school history and eventually won a championship.
In the second episode, the story delves into what it took to keep the program running decade after decade, and the answer keeps coming back to faith. A sideline scene shows Kyle and his team drop to one knee mid-game and run through the Hail Mary together as if it were a normal play. One of the biggest lessons is that, even in victory, one must remain humble and grounded. The episode also includes a history of amateur athletics spotlighting Teddy Roosevelt establishing safety standards in the development of the newly formed NCAA. The drama of this episode focuses on the tumultuous beginnings of Coach Kyle’s final season.
Chuck Kyle stands among decades of championship trophies in The Object of the Game.
“By 1988, St. Ignatius made the playoffs for the first time in school history and eventually won a championship.”
The last chapter reads like a Hall of Fame induction; we’re brought into a formal room full of family and former players whom Coach Kyle had touched on the field and in their personal lives. Along with Coach Kyle’s family are NFL greats Bill Belichick, Sean McVay, Tony Romo, Mike Tomlin, Tony Dungy, Urban Meyer, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, all of whom appear in the documentary. With all the pomp and circumstance, the film brings Coach Kyle back to the field on a cold late night to watch a player run out the string. This is where Kyle’s legacy was built and where it will keep growing.
Though I’m not the biggest sports fan, I love sports documentaries, and The Object of the Game is no exception. In these times, we need to hear stories not only of people who have pushed the boundaries of what human beings can do, but also, in the case of Coach Kyle, of people who have spurred many others to do the same. He’s creating superheroes, but with much-needed lessons in perseverance, endurance, and, in the case of football, teamwork.
The series consists of three episodes, each about 45 minutes long, and every minute is more engaging than the last. I just like hearing stories about good people doing good things, and Coach Kyle is one of them. In the doc, NFL greats laud Coach as a coach and a human being, while Kyle’s track record and archival footage provide evidence of his accomplishments.
The Object of the Game does everything a sports documentary should: it gives us a clear example of what greatness looks like, shows how Kyle got there, and inspires us with the idea that we could get there too in our personal lives. A must-watch documentary for football fans and non-fans alike.
For more information, visit The Object of the Game official Facebook page.
"…He's creating superheroes...with much-needed lessons in perseverance, endurance..."
