BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake has frequently said he believes it is important for Cougar athletes to have fun playing the game, that they do better when they play loose and relaxed.

On the flip side, however, no team wants to play so loose that it loses focus and commits critical mistakes.

So how does BYU look to find the balance?

When asked that question after practice on Wednesday, Cougar sophomore wide receiver Keanu Hill immediately thought about the importance of bringing energy to the sideline and before and after plays — but then he looked at it from a different angle.

“I feel like having fun is the whole thing really,” Hill said with a grin. “You should want to get to play and to stay focused. I feel like balancing those two is really just putting them together. It’s about staying focused but also about having fun doing what you do. Football is supposed to be fun. If you love football, than I think it is going to be fun while you focus at the same time.”

While he doesn’t believe it is harder to have fun when things aren’t going well on the field, he said those are the moments to start focusing more.

“We talk about how after a bad play you put it in the back of your head and move on to the next play,” Hill said. “Keep it going and stay positive. Don’t get too down on yourself. If you get down on yourself, you get too much in your head and you don’t play the game you want to play. Coach Kalani (Sitake) always preaches to not let negative things get to you, to stay positive always.”

Hill’s position coach, Fesi Sitake, said that finding that balance starts by understanding that everyone is different in how they approach things but the fundamental preparation is necessary for everyone.

“If you if you put in a week’s worth of work and doing the right things, you’re truly earning the right to be proud and confident,” Sitake said. “To me, playing loose is when you’re mentally free. Some people equate being loose to guys who are happy-go-lucky on game day, but that doesn’t mean that those people are necessarily prepared.

“I tell them I don’t care about if you’re happy-go-lucky personality like Puka Nacua and Samson Nacua or if you’re someone who holds stuff in more like Gunner Romney or Brayden Cosper. Playing loose is when you earn the right to be proud and confident. You do that by how you carry yourself throughout the week.”

Cougar cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford said Tuesday that the biggest key is confidence and that comes with knowing you are ready.

“If you are prepared, you can play with confidence in everything you do,” Gilford said. “If you aren’t prepared, that’s a completely different story. There are going to be wrinkles in every game. It’s football. There are going to be things that aren’t perfect but you can continue to play and believe in yourself.”

BYU junior offensive lineman Connor Pay said that both having fun and being focused aren’t always about outward appearances.

“I have the most fun when I’m locked in and execute,” Pay said. “Personally I err on the side of more being zoned in a little bit. I’m not going to run around, jump around and scream. I’ll get people going and get hyped with my teammates, but at the same time I’m locked in on my responsibilities and what I’m supposed to be doing. Then as as that starts to unfold and our execution increases, then that’s when the smiles start coming in and we’re having a really good time.”

Fesi Sitake said that seeing guys embrace the effort required to be able to truly be both locked in and enjoying the game is rewarding to see as a coach. It’s something he has seen from a lot of his receivers this year.

“It’s a credit to them the way they work and the way they were raised by their parents,” Fesi Sitake said. “It really makes my job easier to know that I’ve got guys who get it, who have a have a grasp on the bigger picture and the things that really matter. They are guys who are not being affected emotionally if they’re not getting the reps they want. I’m just happy I’ve got the group of guys I’m with.”

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