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Post by coachd5085 on May 23, 2008 18:15:18 GMT -6
Coach Dungy made some interesting comments this morning on the radio. They were discussing how NFL players seemed to be retiring earlier (Barry Sanders, Tiki Barber etc..) rather than playing until their bodies don't function or nobody wants them anymore. He attributed this in part to the fact that Highschool and even Junior High football is now demanding such a commitment starting in the 7th,8th,9th grades...that these guys are essentially burned out by 27,28 years of age, and are ready (and have the means) to explore other avenues of their life...
Just found it interesting.
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kr7263
Sophomore Member
Posts: 228
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Post by kr7263 on May 23, 2008 20:13:03 GMT -6
That and they have 20 mil in the bank and enough invested so they don't have to work a day in their life.
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Post by coachd5085 on May 23, 2008 20:17:31 GMT -6
That and they have 20 mil in the bank and enough invested so they don't have to work a day in their life. That was kind of his point. We all like to say "wow, its grown men working by playing a kids game" but his point was..hey, this "game" has essentially been "work" for these guys since they were kids. |
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Post by brophy on May 23, 2008 21:26:46 GMT -6
A) In the early days of the NFL, the longest season was 15 games through the 'championship', then an off-season in the business world, then July training camp....
now in this era, 20 games + 4 preseason, a two week layoff, then back to OTAs, training camp, Fall camp, and back into the grind and with plenty of talent coming in ready and qualified to take your spot.
B) Advancement / specialization of the game today --- do you think you could get a Jay Glazer to do a "Paper Lion" ala George Plimpton in today's NFL?
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Post by Yash on May 23, 2008 22:15:27 GMT -6
Think outside of the lines though. These guys are working harder than ever off the field just to keep up on the field. That has got to get old. At some point you just want to sit back and have a cheese burger and forget about working out for a while. You can't do that and survive as a player. These guys are on strict diets, routines, schedules all of that. at some point you don't want to do it anymore. Plus all of the stuff mentioned above, pounding on the body and what not.
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Post by Coach Bruce on May 24, 2008 7:23:43 GMT -6
I know Brad Edwards and Donnell Woolford. They went to my HS. Both played in the league and will tell ya that you are not a man but instead you are property. Almost a slave. It wears on your mind and body. I can see why they are ready to move on much sooner than later.
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Post by phantom on May 24, 2008 7:45:28 GMT -6
Coach Dungy made some interesting comments this morning on the radio. They were discussing how NFL players seemed to be retiring earlier (Barry Sanders, Tiki Barber etc..) rather than playing until their bodies don't function or nobody wants them anymore. He attributed this in part to the fact that Highschool and even Junior High football is now demanding such a commitment starting in the 7th,8th,9th grades...that these guys are essentially burned out by 27,28 years of age, and are ready (and have the means) to explore other avenues of their life... Just found it interesting. I hope he's right. As much as I love the game, the human body is not built to play football after the age of thirty. If this means that there will be fewer knee replacements and physical wrecks among former NFLers, great. |
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Post by Yash on May 24, 2008 7:52:50 GMT -6
I know Brad Edwards and Donnell Woolford. They went to my HS. Both played in the league and will tell ya that you are not a man but instead you are property. Almost a slave. It wears on your mind and body. I can see why they are ready to move on much sooner than later. The term slave should never be used in professional sports. They are making millions of dollars and can walk away from the game at any time. Everyone playing the game made a conscience decision to do so. As for being property, yes its close to it but when someone has millions of dollars invested into something they deserve the right to control certain aspects of their investment. Again, you can walk away at anytime. |
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Post by coachd5085 on May 24, 2008 9:17:17 GMT -6
Kind of veering away from what I thought was most influential here though. Dungy points to the fact that the guys are sick of football partly due to the fact that they have been "property" like SINCE JUNIOR HIGH...
Just something to think about.
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Post by brophy on May 25, 2008 7:12:48 GMT -6
Kind of veering away from what I thought was most influential here though. Dungy points to the fact that the guys are sick of football partly due to the fact that they have been "property" like SINCE JUNIOR HIGH... Just something to think about. it is the same way in college recruiting, though - though the talent disparity may mask the immediate pressures players will find in the NFL. |
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CoachJ
Junior Member
Posts: 307
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Post by CoachJ on May 25, 2008 7:28:36 GMT -6
Kind of veering away from what I thought was most influential here though. Dungy points to the fact that the guys are sick of football partly due to the fact that they have been "property" like SINCE JUNIOR HIGH... Just something to think about. I played football from 7-27. Age does take its toll. I see where you are headed with your post. I think some of it has to do with not just football but the array of sports our kids play. We have kids play football, basketball, baseball, some also squeeze in a short soccer season. There is no off-season. Their is always some team doing something. Kids are forced (through peer pressure or fear of falling "behind") to run themselves ragged from the time they are 8 yrs old now. They don't HAVE to, but they want to play the games and thus want to meet the requirements of being on teams. |
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Post by schultbear74 on May 25, 2008 7:29:38 GMT -6
Another point is, that a lot of these guys, beyond the grind and the long service have something else in their lives like a college education and another profession looming in the future. It is hard for me to comprehend sometimes that football isn't someone's whole life ambition. I keep coming back for more.
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Post by 2leegit on May 27, 2008 9:31:03 GMT -6
I think this thread title sums it up, "Offseason/Summer workouts--Mandatory?". This is filtering down to the junior high and even youth football levels. I coach youth ball and I know coaches who start having "practices, conditioning, and speed camps" in April.
Putting this kind of focus on one sport at such a young age could cause players to get burned out at the pro or college level.
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Post by darebelcoach on May 27, 2008 13:00:03 GMT -6
I was driving in to work during th einterview, so I heard it as well, and I think one of the points Dungy was trying to make as well, was how sports have become so "SPECIALIZED" that kids/teens/adults do not have time to experience other endeavors or sports. I am only 30 years old, but i know when I was a little kid growing up, I played football, then I played basketball and then I played baseball and then I got ready for football season again. When i got to high school, it was football, wrestling, and baseball, and then it was football in college. Now a days, if you are above average at a sport, whether you are a kid or a h.s. teen, yuo are more than likely specializing in that sport year round. Basketball is now year round with AAu and summer ball, same with baseball and soccer. and for football, it is season, and then off-season workouts and camps. I love having my players around all the time working out and getting better, but you can see why some get burned out physically and metnally, it is all they are doing 24-7-365
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bhb
Junior Member
Posts: 259
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Post by bhb on May 27, 2008 13:39:28 GMT -6
I've been burned out with Coaching in the past.. This past offseason took me longer than usual to get back at it as a matter of fact.. Sure, I talked and thought about football in some form pretty much the majority of every day- but as far as the grind of putting practice plans, and parent meeting agendas , and other clerical duties that have to get taken care of in January and February goes- that wasn't something I jumped into with my usual zeal..
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Post by coachd5085 on May 27, 2008 13:54:07 GMT -6
How many of you coaches get burned out? That is a difficult question to answer. I know I do/did. Probably because my foundation comes from coaching college football, and unfortunately I just model those methods when I left that level. I just don't feel like I am doing it right if I am not doing it like I used to, which was 7am-midnight 7 days a week. It was tough for me when the other coaches didn't share this work ethic. Not saying I was better or worked harder...just that it did get a little frustrating watching the office clear out at 6:30pm the week we were playing for a district championship. It isn't just the time spent, but the mental energy expenditure. Some coaches spend a great deal of mental energy organizing the details, preparing, studying etc. Some show up and scrimmage. Some coaches do an enormous amount of research, self study, and experimentation to find answers. Other coaches' answers are yelling "you got to block somebody" or "you gotta get tough". So, when discussing H.S coaches who burn out, I think that you will find varied responses, because all coaches don't coach equally, and all coaches don't have the same responsibilities outside of football coaching either. |
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Post by fatkicker on May 28, 2008 18:09:48 GMT -6
i have been coaching for 10 years......i know that since my son has been here (he's 2), i like to leave the fieldhouse a lot faster after practice and games. it's still fun, but the "family thing" has become much more important.
i don't know if it's burn out or a priority change.
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lyons
Sophomore Member
Posts: 164
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Post by lyons on May 28, 2008 20:46:20 GMT -6
I know there have been a couple of seasons that I was ready to be done. Just because the kids didn't care and some of the staff felt the same way. My priorities have also changed since having a kid, Nothing better than getting home and he is standing at the door waiting and smiling for you. I still LOVE FOOTBALL, but I think it depends on the type of kids you have and staff!
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bhb
Junior Member
Posts: 259
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Post by bhb on May 29, 2008 10:11:08 GMT -6
I feel the same way.. I have 3 children- one is grown and out of the house- and the last few seasons I've felt somewhat guilty by the amount of time I've spent away from the family during the off seasons.. Whether it's for clinics or Coaches meetings, or league meetings- whatever it may be.. I've tried to really cut back in the off seasons since my oldest daughter moved out on her own.. Football has been a lot of fun for us as a family over the years- but it's time for me to start doing some things they like- as opposed to them always doing football related things with me..
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