5 THINGS I LEARNED FROM PLAYING & COACHING FOOTBALL
Avelino Valencia was a standout athlete at Katella High School and Fullerton College who went on to play football at San Jose State University. He briefly pursued a career in the NFL before returning home to Orange County, where he coached football at Fullerton College.
1. HARD WORK PAYS OFF
In football, you can earn a name for yourself by being the hardest-working player on the field. Hard work is also critical to success when making public policy. In the State Assembly, I’ve invested the time needed to research issues, meet with experts, talk to the residents of our district, prepare for hearings, and build coalitions.
2. INTEGRITY IS EVERYTHING
As a coach, I tried to instill lessons of integrity and accountability in all of my players. As an elected leader, I saw the negative impact that former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu’s corruption had on the city. In the Assembly, I’ve championed new ethics and campaign finance reforms to root out corruption and restore public trust.
3. WE’RE STRONGER TOGETHER
Football teams succeed when every player works together toward the same goal. That’s also true in the state legislature when we attempt to solve complex problems. Since my election to the Assembly, I’ve done my best to serve as a good teammate by listening to colleagues and stakeholders and working collaboratively to enact change.
4. GET THE DETAILS RIGHT
Getting the details right in football can turn a good team into a great one. It’s critical that our next State Senator gets the details right when it comes to public policy. That includes eliminating wasteful and duplicative spending and ensuring California’s budget reflects the priorities of our state’s residents.
5. STAY HUMBLE
The unpredictability that makes football, and all sports, exciting is also what makes it humbling. Good coaches teach players to stay humble, and that’s a lesson I’ve always carried with me. I’ll never let serving in public office get to my head.