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Post by larrymoe on Jun 29, 2009 23:25:23 GMT -6
I've got a question that perhaps some of you can help me with.
Increasingly, at our school, we are getting kids who act like they want to do the work to be good and put up a pretty good front. They show up regularly during the year, they attempt to take up leadership roles, the work relatively hard, they seem dedicated. Until summer hits.
And then they begin to miss weights/other things regularly. They attempt to pass off BS excuses (even after we see them not doing those things) or just don't seem to care.
My question is this- How do you motivate these kids show up and care, or is it just a bad school? Even when they show up, not all of them work their hardest. And when we lose on Fridays it's never on them. It's the refs, or some other kid, or the coaching staff. And they're regularly backed up by their parents in this (one of which is our principal). How do you combat this or is it time to get out?
I thought we had turned this around to some degree last year. Kids were great. Worked hard in the summer, showed up all the time, did the work. And we went 4-5 despite having much more talent. Coaching issues were a major portion of our failure, but that has been rectified. But we're almost back to where we were three years ago as far as attitude of our kids.
It's very discouraging. We've historically been so-so to bad in football. I had had hopes we were beginning to turn it around, but this summer has been very trying. And we've only been out of school three weeks.
Any advice?
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Post by coachjm on Jun 30, 2009 6:22:31 GMT -6
Have High Expectations for the Summer and even a higher Level of Accountability (most states will not allow it to be mandatory but somehow you are getting players to do it in the winter spring do even more during the summer)
Establish a No Excuse environment, if you don't even listen to them or allow it to occur at practice it will be greatly minimized, if you make them, or listen to them they will grow like wildflowers.
Establish your level of summer conditioning/accountability at a young age, if Freshman come in your program doing what they are going to have to do for four years they will look at it as the norm rather then an increase level of dedication.
Finally, remember that it is impossible to maintain the same level of intensity all year round for four years, there has to be highs and lows in your program, we decrease our days of lifting to two in season and maintaing just two days a week all the way into Jan. We do very little conditioning until April then start doing about 10 minutes worth (we will do some speed training/plyo's but nothing that takes them to muscular exhaustion) then summer we crank up the conditioning aspects and deemphasize the weight lifting to some degree we still lift hard just expect kids to be done in 35 minutes whereas during the school year it is 45, now more worried about kids maintaing strength, being able to get in cardivascular condition, and doing football specific condtioning. Can't have one constant method all become bored with it.
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lyons
Sophomore Member
Posts: 164
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Post by lyons on Jul 1, 2009 8:40:29 GMT -6
dcohio that is awesome about calling the OC! The kids know if they miss I am going to call or text but I have never called parents or gone to their house- might be the next step. I have gone and picked kids up and so have the other coaches. I hope that shows the kids we feel it is important enough to go get them, even if it is a crappy player. We walk away if kids are feeding us bull crap excuses.
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Post by coachjm on Jul 2, 2009 6:06:58 GMT -6
dcohio, that is tough that the OC doesn't get it, obviously the HC doesn't either or else the OC would be there or you would have a new OC. Nothing wrong with calling a guy out at least when the O doesn't score you aren't pointing things out in hindsight. Also you probably win all your games if you don't give up a score so at least the right side of the ball is there.
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Post by leighty on Jul 2, 2009 8:24:33 GMT -6
Yea - the OC and I aren't the friends that I think he had hoped we would be. Today we had exactly 1 varsity Olineman there...OC was absent (as usual) - my text simply said "good job coach, everyone except Brandon followed your example, he came to weights." Phuk him. I started calling the parents...if I have the parent's number because I learned that some parents thought their kid was at weights, but the kid skipped. If I was the OC, I'd tell you to piss off.
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Post by phantom on Jul 2, 2009 15:29:10 GMT -6
Yea - the OC and I aren't the friends that I think he had hoped we would be. Today we had exactly 1 varsity Olineman there...OC was absent (as usual) - my text simply said "good job coach, everyone except Brandon followed your example, he came to weights." Phuk him. I started calling the parents...if I have the parent's number because I learned that some parents thought their kid was at weights, but the kid skipped. If I was the OC, I'd tell you to {censored} off. Explain that.
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hawke
Sophomore Member
Posts: 209
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Post by hawke on Jul 2, 2009 16:15:01 GMT -6
You know my opinion on motivation Phantom, it's the biggest crock of crap you can find. You can't motivate people who don't want to be motivated. The first thing is to find out what is important to them whether it is being noticed, BMOC, a girl, whatever. Then drive that home. Hate to say it but coaches have to be psychologists also. No 2 people are motivated the same way and unless you can find what is the right switch to hit you won't do jack in the motivation dept. I had one today who said his mother didn't wake him up. I blew my usual gasket. "Since when the hell is your mother coming to conditioning that she has to wake you up?" Find out if you really want to be here and why you want to be here and then do what you need to do to accomplish those goals, otherwise keep your ass in bed and get up when Mom wakes you up. I will guarantee you he will be on time because he likes to be complemented on every little thing he does right and hates to be ridiculed. Now, I have got to make sure I compliment him to a degree. Don't try the same thing on each kid. Use different methods that fit their individual personalities. Is it work? Damn straight it is, but that's what coaches do. Hell, my wife, who loves soccer and hates football, can draw up plays and defenses. Any damn fool can do that. People win and lose, not plays and defenses. How you get them to do what you want them to do is part of your motivational skills. remember if I can get my kids to do what I want them to do better than you can get your kids to do what you want them to do my chances of winning have jumped dramatically.
"We got "STUFF" in the basement," Rocky Balboa
Hawke
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Post by mitch on Jul 2, 2009 20:39:26 GMT -6
There are some lazy sumbitches in this profession.
I feel sorry for the kids they 'coach'.
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Post by bigm0073 on Jul 3, 2009 4:37:41 GMT -6
With summer motivation I really think it is complex and can be very tricky. Let me explain:
I am entering the second year as head coach and I am at my second program. Prior to this program I was head coach at a school where we had some tougher, rougher kids that did not have the family support, money and overall guidance and assistance we wanted. We as coaches were their father figures and we had to teach many of them these lessons (Hard work, accountablity, academic excellence, behavior expectations) these values just were not taught. Most were not college educated parents.
It was challenging and I had to do what Ohio did (I would go to their house too, call). Now my current school we just came off a 1-9 season and did an overhaul of the program. The kids come very very strong homes (Strong military background. Many players are parents of Marines and they work in the pentagon and other government agencies... our school is in nova - quantico). These kids love structure, discipline and do everything you ask. If they miss this summer it is because they are out of town. Just a great group of kids. We have set the bar very high and they go above and beyond to achieve.... I could not be happier.
One thing is to start it a 9th grade. I had a parent meeting in June for all 9th grade players. I was very up front and made it clear what the expectations were for playing in our program... Working out three days in the summer, no excuses, ibehavior, classroom.... I basically painted a pretty nasty picture. The kids are all hopping to it and really are meeting what we want. Teaching them this early I believe helps. The players learn this is part of the culture and carry this on as they go.
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Post by powerdog on Jul 3, 2009 8:15:00 GMT -6
There are some lazy sumbitches in this profession. I feel sorry for the kids they 'coach'. amen
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Post by spartancoach on Jul 7, 2009 8:49:30 GMT -6
I have come to the conclusion that the bench is the only real motivator. Play the ones that are working hard, period. It may take time, but eventually the core of your program will get it.
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Post by chuge325 on Jul 7, 2009 20:27:50 GMT -6
I think I will post this in the locker room with the last post highlighted
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Post by schultbear74 on Jul 7, 2009 21:02:11 GMT -6
I am a strength and Conditioning guy and a Dline guy so I coach'em all. I like havin' the other coaches in the room when I got 50 or 60 goin' at once. I have a hard time keeping them in there though.
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