End of discussing those that do not play

I hear you. I think sometimes we spend more time worrying about the ones we dont have then praising and coaching up the ones we have. I would not stop recruiting the halls but definately I subscribe to the Show Me dont Tell Me Philosophy.

Kids love getting attention they don't have to work very hard for.....


Those type of kids will always be cock teasers.

no!

Good posts here. One valuable lesson I learned in about my 3rd year as a head coach was to quit worrying about the ones who weren't there and coach the ones who were there. It was presented to me with a lesson about what kind of message coaches send to the kids who are there when all the coach does is complain about the kids that aren't there. It got my attention and helped me to focus on the kids who wanted to do what it takes to be good football players.

Exactly. I gave that speech to my kids and coaches last year and we are nipping it in the bud this year. I was on a couple of the quitters yesterday and one of them it seemed told his friends that hes not playing this year because a) he wants to go to camp during august two a days and b) I have him slated to play offensive line instead of fullback (eyes rolling just about out of my head).

the fastest way to get rid of a cancer is to tell him "youre on the line" ha ha.

We recruit recruit recruit until the first day of practice and then we stop and concentrate on the boys we have --- we discourage talk about how good we would be if so-and-so went out. that goes for the coaching staff as well as the players.

I could write the text on the subject, I love when a 12 yo's parents tell me I'm killing his "career".

I coach youth football. My son gets the 'might gonna play' and the 'I would dominate if I played' trash talking kids all the time. These boys think they'd be good at real football because they're good at BS recess tag football at school and backyard football at home. I've taught my son several variations on answers. But, it goes about like this.
kid: 'I'm so good blah, blah, blah"
son: 'Do you put on pads and a helmet?'
kid: 'No. But, I could if I wanted to'
son:(shrugs) 'Then you don't want to. So you're not any good.' Walks away.

Touchdownmaker,
I have a swift way of dealing with the 'it's all me' RB's, also. My o-line has veto power over any RB. They can boot his a$$ right off the field at any time during practice or in a game. Our starting TB tested their patience in a game once by whining about blocking. During a time-out, they informed me that he no longer had the privilege of running the ball behind them. I took him out of the game and rotated another kid to his position. We marched down the field and scored.
The whole time, the kid was pouting and whining to me, 'What I do coach?! Why am I out?!' We both knew what he had done to pi$$ off his o-line. But, I would shrug at him and say, 'I don't know. And, I don't care. But, if our o-line doesn't think you're good enough for them; then you're not good enough. You get replaced. No questions asked.'
When I finally let him run the ball again after half-time, his ego and attitude had been properly adjusted. He performed brilliantly. None of the RB's ever got uppity again after that.
It even got filtered to the parents not to say a thing to my o-line or about my o-line within ear-shot of me- especially if their kid ran the ball. Had one kid's dad and another kid's uncle learn that lesson.