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Post by coachjim on Aug 2, 2007 8:13:46 GMT -6
Well, we had our first practice... I'm so depressed. As a result of the previous HC going 3 years without a win or who knows why, we have only seven kids so far, signed up. As a result of that, the B squad and D squad are already drooling over who can play up or down, and it doesn't look like i'm going to have a team this year. I feel like crying. I don't really even know who or what is to blame; it's my worst nightmare. I feel so bad for the kids, especially. We have another practice tonight, but i'm dreading it now. I'll have to do what I did yesterday with the three kids who showed up, and help out and have them practice with the little guys on D. We have a couple more weeks to see what happens but i'm having a really hard time. And yeah, i've done everything that I could to recruit, so I just don't know... If I don't get to HC this year, my dream, than I want to thank everyone on this site for at least making me feel like one, for a moment in time. Thanks for all the help, advice, and patience. I admire all of you for what you do and are doing, and the truly kind and outstanding types of individuals you are in a not so perfect world. I guess i'll keep plugging along and trying to hold my head up high, hoping for more kids, but man... it's really tough. There are too many people to thank, but those who helped me most know who they are. Your time, patience, and advice was invaluable and not wasted. I've learned a lot about life, while learning how to coach and if nothing else, I know I will be a better person for it. I wish you all the best of luck, a safe season, and get at least one win for me or of course the kids. You all deserve it and are already championship calibre coaches and great role models, in my eyes. I guess I'll see you guys around... if not on the field... best wishes.  -just plain, jim. |
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Post by zippy on Aug 2, 2007 8:43:14 GMT -6
COACHjim
FWIW, last year our team only had 8 players on the first night of practice. We made it up to 17 by weigh-ins. The kids toughed it out (1-6, two overtime losses, we were in every game and never got blown out) and this year we had 27 show up to our first practice this year.
It may sound hollow right now but if, in your heart, you are a coach...you always will be. Its more about who you are rather than what your title is IMHO.
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Post by coachcalande on Aug 2, 2007 12:32:36 GMT -6
Coach, where are you located, perhaps we can help find you a HC spot?...is your org going to have another sign up period?...hang flyers at the grocery store, local rec pools, the Y etc...get the word out there, run an Ad in the paper too.
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Post by davecisar on Aug 2, 2007 13:55:48 GMT -6
Thats why I keep telling these High School coaches that at the youth level you need to be competitive in order for kids to stick it out in football.
If your teams arent competitive, the kid NEVER makes it to High School ball, heck he doenst even come back to youth ball in most cases if they get blown out every week.
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Post by brophy on Aug 2, 2007 14:27:09 GMT -6
Thats why I keep telling these High School coaches that at the youth level you need to be competitive in order for kids to stick it out in football. If your teams arent competitive, the kid NEVER makes it to High School ball, heck he doenst even come back to youth ball in most cases if they get blown out every week. if you're organized, well-prepared, teach fundamentals, and communicate with the parents.............wouldn't that be 4/5ths of a "winning program"? I mean, bottom line, wouldn't THAT be what keeps kids out / involved? Usually, if you can do those things, the wins happen almost naturally, right? |
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Post by coachtfry on Aug 2, 2007 14:59:59 GMT -6
Sorry, to hear that you are having trouble fielding a team. I coach in a small town and we sometimes have to recruit to field a team also. Have you held an emergency team meeting with your parents and players yet to let them know the situation? Don't give up yet! I do everything I can to recruit but I always need the help of the players and parents. Tell them they need to go recruit some kids or at least provide you with the kids phone numbers so you can contact them if they want to have a team. Did you call kids/parents on the rosters from the last couple of years and explain that you are the new coach and what you are doing to turn the program around? You may be able to recruit some kids if you do so. Have you gone to the baseball games or soccer games and recruited kids? What about the local swimming pool or water park? A lot of kids will be there this time of year. I have found the kids on your team usually have friends that want to play but for one reason or another none of them ever sign up. If you find out who these kids are you can talk to the parents and hopefully get them to sign up. Have you tried hosting a free football clinic or a Pass, Punt and Kick competition for trophies or t-shirts. This is a great way to recruit kids. Advertise the free football clinic with prizes for anyone in your age group in the paper and on the radio if you can. Sometimes you need to hold more than one clinic. You can do it coach! Good luck.
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Post by eickst on Aug 2, 2007 17:48:02 GMT -6
I'm a new head coach for a league where the last year's two teams in this age group went 0-8 and 4-3-1. I have most of the kids from the winning team who could return due to age, and none from the losing team.
Even if the losing team's coach spent all practice time teaching fundamentals and preparing them for football later on, it's wasted because they'll never play again after that horrible debacle of a season.
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Post by coachcalande on Aug 2, 2007 19:09:28 GMT -6
Nobody wants to be associated with a loser. You have to win some games. The kids dont come out for youth football because they want to "prepare for the next level", they come out to play, have fun, compete, be with their friends, be like their heros and to win because winning is fun!
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finley
Freshmen Member
Posts: 38
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Post by finley on Aug 2, 2007 20:03:20 GMT -6
Coach, let me know where you are located, I would be glad to help all I can. Leep pluggin away learning and studying. You will get there.
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Post by cmow5 on Aug 3, 2007 21:47:47 GMT -6
We started strength and conditioning 3 weeks ago with about 10-15 kids. at are last session we had 44 kids. Found out most of them was still playing baseball or on family vacations. Maybe thats the case with your kids. I hope so, good luck coach!
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Post by coachjim on Aug 5, 2007 23:24:57 GMT -6
Thanks guys. We are up to nine but like I said, the other squads are taking my ten year olds. They are low in numbers on the B squad as well. That leaves me to practice with about four kids. I have been taking control of the D squad practices, mostly, but i won't be HC when they start their season.
We have put ads in the paper, I have hung a hundred fliers in five adjacent towns, and have recruited at soccer and baseball games. I'm not giving up, I wouldn't be HC I suppose if I was a quitter but it still doesn't look good. Week two is coming up and maybe some more will show up... i'm hoping.
Coach Calande you are too kind. I'm in CT and i'm betting that it's more than an hour drive to wherever you might be, I haven't seen too many other, if any, CT coaches on here. I probably wouldn't be going into some of the detail I do about my formations, etc.. if I did. It would be an honor to be on you or one of Dave's team's, the sentiment is much appreciated.
We need 14 on the field gameday. I'm going to do what I can to get my ten year olds back and some play-ups from D but the president of team is coaching the B's and it will be an uphill battle. You can't sacrifice two squads, obviously... At least i'm getting to teach them the fundamentals this year and i'm good at it, so the kids are having fun.
Maybe it is just an off-year or bad luck. Thanks again for the kind words, i'm staying on the site and will advise as things unfold... someone once told me that God does little things to make you appreciate them more, maybe that's what this is and i'll look back twelve weeks from now and laugh. I hope so, we'll see what happens..
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Post by coachalan on Aug 6, 2007 2:08:42 GMT -6
Keep the faith... I only had 7 kids after the first two major signup days. Now I'm up to 17 kids.
School starts this thursday so I may get a few more after they all get to talking to their friends about playing...
Good Luck
Coach Alan
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Post by coachcalande on Aug 6, 2007 5:02:25 GMT -6
Thanks guys. We are up to nine but like I said, the other squads are taking my ten year olds. They are low in numbers on the B squad as well. That leaves me to practice with about four kids. I have been taking control of the D squad practices, mostly, but i won't be HC when they start their season. We have put ads in the paper, I have hung a hundred fliers in five adjacent towns, and have recruited at soccer and baseball games. I'm not giving up, I wouldn't be HC I suppose if I was a quitter but it still doesn't look good. Week two is coming up and maybe some more will show up... i'm hoping. Coach Calande you are too kind. I'm in CT and i'm betting that it's more than an hour drive to wherever you might be, I haven't seen too many other, if any, CT coaches on here. I probably wouldn't be going into some of the detail I do about my formations, etc.. if I did. It would be an honor to be on you or one of Dave's team's, the sentiment is much appreciated. We need 14 on the field gameday. I'm going to do what I can to get my ten year olds back and some play-ups from D but the president of team is coaching the B's and it will be an uphill battle. You can't sacrifice two squads, obviously... At least i'm getting to teach them the fundamentals this year and i'm good at it, so the kids are having fun. Maybe it is just an off-year or bad luck. Thanks again for the kind words, i'm staying on the site and will advise as things unfold... someone once told me that God does little things to make you appreciate them more, maybe that's what this is and i'll look back twelve weeks from now and laugh. I hope so, we'll see what happens.. One thought, offer to scout, film for the local high school, stay involved, never know what might come of it. |
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Post by coachjim on Aug 9, 2007 10:09:16 GMT -6
The torture never ends!!! Now I have 11 but need fourteen for game days. I was able to get some of the D squaders but now its starting to resemble a kindergarten class. I've got giants and midgets! Its like a scene from Darby O'Gill and the little people.
MAJOR ISSUE: When do you start worying about whether or not you practice them, not knowing if they will be able to play {with a diff. offense/defense than the other other squads they will go up or down to} if the qouta doesn't get filled? How long do you wait and hold your breath, teaching them universal fundamentals? No matter what I install for my systems, its going to mess them up if at some point IF they get reshuffled.
lol! HC'ing is like volunteering for high blood pressure. Anyone been through this? Opinions/thoughts?
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Post by casec11 on Aug 9, 2007 11:27:25 GMT -6
CoachJim,
this is my first year coaching and the first day we had only 3 kids the first 2 weeks we had no more than 8 All of a sudden last week we had 12 and had a scrimmage on Sat. we did not do very well (most of our kids are first year players and our opponets have a roster of 35 with experienced kids) we have our game coming up this Sat. we have now have 14 kids.
What I am saying is hang in there and make it fun for the kids and more will come. Work the fundamentals, play a half line to get used to some plays...simplify
Good luck Coach.
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Post by coachcalande on Aug 9, 2007 12:40:01 GMT -6
The torture never ends!!! Now I have 11 but need fourteen for game days. I was able to get some of the D squaders but now its starting to resemble a kindergarten class. I've got giants and midgets! Its like a scene from Darby O'Gill and the little people. MAJOR ISSUE: When do you start worying about whether or not you practice them, not knowing if they will be able to play {with a diff. offense/defense than the other other squads they will go up or down to} if the qouta doesn't get filled? How long do you wait and hold your breath, teaching them universal fundamentals? No matter what I install for my systems, its going to mess them up if at some point IF they get reshuffled. lol! HC'ing is like volunteering for high blood pressure. Anyone been through this? Opinions/thoughts? take the 11 you have, put in a wedge play and put in THE BEAST blast, power and counter play. For your age group that is a complete offense. work on tackling and teach adn rep the concept of "contain" every day. You just might find yourself with a few more kids once school starts. Have you tried giving these kids incentives?..."bring two friends, get a free pizza" or whatever. |
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Post by coachjim on Aug 9, 2007 23:54:06 GMT -6
I've been studying wing-t for six months now, I have my heart set on it. The jet series seems equally easy to install but it is much different than the other offenses the other teams are running. None of us had winning seasons last year and none of my players will be moving upward next year so at the time I didn't have to worry about feeding.
That pizza idea is a good one, I already have the "pizza block" ala Ted but that's a good one too, to recruit, i'll try it. Thanks Coach C.
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Post by coachmoore42 on Aug 11, 2007 3:03:24 GMT -6
Have you tried giving these kids incentives?..."bring two friends, get a free pizza" or whatever. That's genius Calande. I'll have to try that next summer and see if I can't get more kids at our summer condinioning program. Bring someone else for 12 days (half the summer workouts) get two free pizzas for your family to enjoy (since the parents are the ones giving the ride anyway). |
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Post by coachcb on Aug 14, 2007 11:31:36 GMT -6
One thing to remember also jim; it's youth football. I know it sucks when numbers are low, but be patient and have fun with the kids you've got. If your team is having fun, everyone is playing, and you're having some success, you'll pull in more numbers.
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Post by coachjim on Aug 14, 2007 22:08:41 GMT -6
Update: Week Three:
9 avg. showing up for practice...
14 written names to make off. league req roster... (I am told)...
Installed weakside wing-t in one day ala you, et. al., Ted Seay, etc... and great advice/knowledge from this site...
Have some studs, int, aware, heart, smell for the endzone, and team spirit...
Playing a scrimm in a week... must install def. soon...
and offensively I thnk we are going to rock... wow...
Thanks for everything... I learned so much here from you and the resources...
It shows. My team, if we really do get our quota, is scary good... already (offensively) and it was so easy to do, it's scarier... blame it on the three beers I just guzzled... but I have rays of hope, thoughts of winning games... handedly!, and l**e you guys.
wow *crosses fingers and prays*
-c/jim
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Post by ttowntiger on Aug 18, 2007 14:08:36 GMT -6
Thats why I keep telling these High School coaches that at the youth level you need to be competitive in order for kids to stick it out in football. If your teams arent competitive, the kid NEVER makes it to High School ball, heck he doenst even come back to youth ball in most cases if they get blown out every week. I agree 110% Coach! You HAVE to win or at the very least be competetive or the kids won't stick with it. |
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