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Post by davecisar on May 8, 2008 13:45:11 GMT -6
Last week I handed out a paper at our Spring FASST program practice that asked the question of the kids: Why did you decide to play tackle football in the first place? We had them rank the reasons in order of importance and they used their own words, no check boxes. We did Not ask the question why they decided to play for our team ( that comes next week) This is non-scientifc and is from a group of 60 age 8-13 rural kids. We weighted the answers, #1 got 5 points, #2 got 4 points etc I got them back on Tuesday. Here were the results top to bottom: To have fun Football is their favotite sport- they like the game They wanted to spend time with their friends or make friends They wanted to get in shape/stronger etc They wanted to learn the game They love contact-hitting They liked being part of a team Love competition "Im good at it" Some of the other responses: Want to play in the NFL (1) Something to do Baseball "Isnt my thing" Because I want to get tough Because my dad coaches and I like spending time with my dad I like to travel to games It's a challenge I like watching the Huskers on TV My dad played QB in High School My brothers play I like scoring TDs To honor God with my play God built me to play football ( 190 lb kid) I like running laps  I like being admired I like winning I wanted to try a new sport I like carrying the ball I like catching the ball I love tackling Thats why kids sign up around here, thats a one time thing. I think it's equally important or maybe even more so to find out why kids quit playing football. What is it that runs kids off from the game after thier first, second, third-fourth seasons? Quite often some of the dynamics and things that keep and push a kid away from the game change a bit once they get a taste of what the game is really like. We did exit interviews for many years to get a handle on that as well. |
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Post by brophy on May 8, 2008 14:22:22 GMT -6
great stuff. the only question I would have is; Do you ever get tired of telling folks how great you are? Believe me, the rest of America doesn't....we can't do without it. Please post more of this |
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Post by davecisar on May 8, 2008 14:26:52 GMT -6
My web site Matt, no one forces you to go there  250 articles there, lots of variety. last weekends clinic in Florida was too funny not to share with the group. |
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Post by raiderpirates on May 8, 2008 15:07:16 GMT -6
Instruction(fourth item, learning more about football), reptition(conditioning and improvement), tempo(fun).
Those items should help you integrate each of the above motivations. All three of the above items are essential to helping the kids develop.
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Post by davecisar on May 8, 2008 15:11:48 GMT -6
I also did exit interviews of Inner city Omaha kids as to why they quit playing football for us. This was done over a 4-5 year period with kids age 8-14. I had 8-16 teams during this span. Our goal of this was to help bring our drop rate down to 5% or less. We did not use check boxes, the question was open ended. We aggregated the answers the best we could. I have no idea how accurate the answers were, it's just what they told me verbally as they tunred in their grear or over the phone. Question: Why did you stop playing football for the Screaming Eagles?: 1) Poor Coaching 2) Team wasnt competitive 3) Lack of significant playing time 4) Not fun Some other ones that come to mind off the top of my head: I visit my dad in prison in Missouri same day as we play Fall baseball Wanted to play reciever instead of offensive line Bus now transfers 2 times instead of 1 No ride Have to walk in bad neighborhood near dark to get home Mom and dad divorcing Mom thinks it's too dangerous Church ( we play on sundays starting at 12:00) Mom holding me out because of grades Mom holding me out because of attitude/behaivior Karate on Tuesdays Brothers on 2 seperate teams ( different ages) Parents didnt like Spectator Code/Contract Season is too long Helmet didnt fit right My dad says we dont practice hard enough Older brother quit Dad was asked to leave ( was not meeting the terms of the spectator contract) Got kicked out of school Moved Player didnt get to go on Florida Bowl Trip due to not meeting very minimal academic effort standards ( was warned 2-3 times) Mom got into it with the cheerleader coach Dad didnt want him playing with "ghetto" kids for free I got recruited by another program and got a "scholarship" My coach wont be coaching next year again. I only wanted to kick. Football not my thing, Im not any "good" Stud player wasnt getting to play that much in blowouts ( same mom didnt like the fact we let other teams score on purpose) Best friend plays on another team Went to a team that had the players name on the back of the jerseys Practice area isnt safe (neighborhood) Another team promised I can play quarterback (LB for us, not very fast and not very smart) |
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Post by coachwarner on May 8, 2008 15:26:01 GMT -6
Great job Dave. Your Welcome! Still waiting for my book  |
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Post by davecisar on May 8, 2008 20:10:01 GMT -6
Our goal was 90% retention. Any coach whose team fell below 80% was a huge red flag. Anyone that went below that number for a second time I almost always got rid of as a head coach. Retention is a great measuring stick as part of a yearly evaluation of each head coach. The good ones nearly always had very high numbers, the poor ones were always up against the lid. Couple of other reasons now come to mind why kids say they dropped: We had to drop a kid whose parents fought in the parking lot ( mom vs new girlfriend) neither would agree not to show up again. Kid pooped his pants (real bad) and was too embarrassed to come back 2 Moms got into it because of ( Native American ethnic slur) and 1 wouldnt come back Trophies were too small Didnt get to go on Florida trip even though his team didnt qualify academically Mom thought weekly academic "pizza parties" for the best academic team was "unfair" and all should get pizza Decided to play year round select basketball Moral of the story, even when you do your very best, there is some odd stuff out there, no one can ever solve |
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Post by davecisar on May 8, 2008 20:24:35 GMT -6
One more:
Kid had a wart come off in practice, bleeding like crazy.
He had been told if a wart comes off like that he was going to get cancer. He didnt want that to happen again. Kid was crying and everything, age 12.
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Post by raiderpirates on May 9, 2008 6:56:53 GMT -6
The mother mad about the academic team might of had a son with a learning disorder.
Most of the reasons you stated, I've encountered in some form.
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trojan
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Post by trojan on May 11, 2008 10:26:04 GMT -6
Question: Why did you stop playing football for the Screaming Eagles?: 1) Poor Coaching 2) Team wasnt competitive 3) Lack of significant playing time 4) Not fun I've seen kids stop playing (in high school) that were starters on competitive teams. I had them in class, and knew them real well. After I cut through the BS and asked them just to give me a straight answer (we can still be buds), they came clean: hard practices that take up the whole summer. Any thoughts on what to do there? Hard practices "all" summer sound like the normal fare for football. Great post on the answers in their own words. |
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Post by catz1 on May 11, 2008 11:55:43 GMT -6
Trojan... I think you are on to something. That said... as coaches we have a responsibility to make the program 'great'. 'Great' can mean more than one thing. Winning certainly helps, but committed coaches & well designed practices help a lot. Instilling a sense of teamwork, character, etc... helps. BTW, practices can also be designed to include some 'fun' components that the kids look forward to.
I've seen situations where the coaches didn't model the right behaviors and then expected the kids to be perfect. Putting together a complete, effective staff is a huge challenge in most programs.
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ptmtom
Freshmen Member
Posts: 33
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Post by ptmtom on May 11, 2008 14:56:56 GMT -6
We are having three 'coaches clinics' this year. Our coaches have to attend atleast two.
The clinics are covering these topics. We're bringing in speakers and keying on a lot of 'dealing with kids/parents' type of sujects.
Our program has two teams so we're dealing with about 50 to 60 coaches. It has been hard to have oversight on all these coaches but we have to.
I'm a big believer in the fact that retention of players has to be the coaches first goal.
Just some thoughts.
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Post by davecisar on May 11, 2008 19:42:05 GMT -6
Question: Why did you stop playing football for the Screaming Eagles?: 1) Poor Coaching 2) Team wasnt competitive 3) Lack of significant playing time 4) Not fun I've seen kids stop playing (in high school) that were starters on competitive teams. I had them in class, and knew them real well. After I cut through the BS and asked them just to give me a straight answer (we can still be buds), they came clean: hard practices that take up the whole summer. Any thoughts on what to do there? Hard practices "all" summer sound like the normal fare for football. Great post on the answers in their own words. Sorry Coach, I dont coach HS football, cant help you much there. If someone hasnt done something and has the hands on experiences, alls they can do is guess. I hate guessing, sorry, wouldnt be worth much to you. When I played I worked constuction in the summers, I LOVED the game but no way after pushing concrete all day or laying brick in 95 degree heat for 8-10 hours can I "condition". I did lift year round though. While Im a huge beleiver in making it fun and that success breeds success, I had to make my money in the summers if I wasnt working nights during football season. |
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Post by los on May 11, 2008 20:49:56 GMT -6
Thats a true post there Dave.....HS football today is a nearly, year round commitment, either in the weight room or training throughout the summer.....we didn't spend near the time, these kids nowdays do on "organized" football training.....to be honest....I don't know if half of us would have played, under these conditions?....matter of fact, if you weren't a serious, multi-sport athlete.....odds are, outside of PE class, our coach may not even see us, from late november till early august......sure, you tried to lift a little and run/workout during the summer....between working and goofing off......but only cause you knew "hell" was fast approaching.....come 2 a days.... I salute these kids nowdays, for their commitment......compared to them, we were slackers, lol....  |
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Post by los on May 11, 2008 21:50:21 GMT -6
On another point made earlier, about kids, who were good players, maybe even starters, quitting the game at some point......during my very short, coaching experience with HS kids.....nearly every guy who quit our team ,(and yes, I would always ask them) had about the same two reasons.....either = they weren't football players as their first sport......and used the "I'm scared of getting injured and not being able to play..........? or......I don't want to spend this much of my time/effort, to play in a 2 hr game, once a week! After thinking about this for awhile, came to the conclusion that......it's probably an "easy sell", to get a kid, who has enough talent to play at a higher level, to put a year round effort into this attainable goal.......but a "much tougher" sell to get the "average joe's", that make up the bulk of the supporting cast on a high school football team.....to put this same effort into it? What's in it for them? Why should they sacrifice so much? What is "their" motivation? Especially, when they see their classmates with job's, cars, I-pods, cell phones,extra money, fun after school activity's, etc.....while they're doing without , in an "all consuming", physically taxing sport? Something to think about! |
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Post by davecisar on May 12, 2008 5:35:00 GMT -6
2 a days was a piece of cake compared to pushing concrete around all day in the sun |
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trojan
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Post by trojan on May 12, 2008 8:48:41 GMT -6
davecisar and los:
You guys are right on the money. It is a tough sell. As an adult and a coach, I'd like to think that all kids would put in the time it takes to be the best football player that they can be. Realistically, it is a huge time commitment. Can't blame them for wanting to make money or just "play" and be kids.
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Post by davecisar on May 12, 2008 9:07:43 GMT -6
Trojan, Doesnt sound like work/jobs has been the real issue. Today, if I make all the out of season workouts and show nice gains, have a great attitude while school is in session and am working a full time heavy labor job in the summer, arent there accomodations made.? Im not talking about taking rickets at a theatre etc. I want my kids to work hard and play sports when they are of age. HEck I was happy when the summer was over back then |
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Post by coachd5085 on May 12, 2008 15:41:46 GMT -6
GREAT points all above. Unfortunately, the genie is out of the bottle on "year round" athletics. Another reason why so many really talented athletes are becoming more interested in the "X sports". I don't know if I blame them
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