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Post by wingtol on Jul 13, 2009 11:35:26 GMT -6
Our team has has some success the past few years 11-1 13-1 then 5-5 last year with only 4 sr's who were very poor leaders and very selfish to be honest. Our seniors to be this year are a great group completely opposite of last years crew. They have been very dedicated and worked their behinds off. Now here is where I have my concerns, they seem to mention a state championship way to much for my liking. I mean we haven't even put the pads on yet.
I don't want to crush the players goals and am kind of struggling with how to explain that a state title is a great goal but there are other goals that need to be set and reached first. Any advice on how to address the team about their goals. I don't want them to not have a goal like that but I don't want them fixated on it.
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Post by fbdoc on Jul 13, 2009 11:56:32 GMT -6
Approach it just like you said - one step at a time. There are many steps (goals) along the way to a state championship, many of them out of your control. Make sure you are working on all of the factors that are under your control - this will put your team in a position to be successful. Let your seniors know that you both want a successful season, but to focus on the process and not focus on the end.
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Post by phantom on Jul 13, 2009 12:13:38 GMT -6
As Doc said you have to make it a step by step thing. Before you start the games you have steps like: 1. Win the opener, 2. Win 1st league game (if it's different from the opener, 3. Beat
___ (your rival), 4. Win the league. Once the games start it's simpler, each game is a step.
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Post by kylem56 on Jul 17, 2009 19:50:08 GMT -6
What I would do is is:
Ok your goal is to win a state title? Alright then as a team you need to make a list of objectives for getting there
i.e.
100% practice attendance
win x amount of games to make playoffs
etc etc. I got this from Bo Schembechler's book Bo's Lasting Lessons when his team said they wanted to win the Big 10 title so he and the team put together a list of what they needed to do to get there
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Post by coachd5085 on Jul 17, 2009 21:29:44 GMT -6
What I would do is is: Ok your goal is to win a state title? Alright then as a team you need to make a list of objectives for getting there i.e. 100% practice attendance win x amount of games to make playoffs etc etc. I got this from Bo Schembechler's book Bo's Lasting Lessons when his team said they wanted to win the Big 10 title so he and the team put together a list of what they needed to do to get there I agree. Your job is to come up with the road map to the goal. Nothing wrong with having a state title goal. The problem is when there is no plan of attack to get to that goal. You want to win state? We need x% offseason attendance, x% practice attendance, we will need x% alignment correctly. x% hustle/effort grade x% correct assignments x% technique grade... Great life lesson to teach the kids. People need to understand how goals are achieved, as well as differentiate between goals, and daydream wishes. How many times have we read/heard "I would do anything to coach college football" and yet as soon as someone says "hey, there is an opening at Inthesticks college that pays 2,000 for the season. Pack up and move there.... " and that "anything to coach college" becoms "Boy it would be really cool to wake up and be coaching at Notre Dame" |
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Post by coachguy83 on Jul 17, 2009 21:53:25 GMT -6
I would sit the whole team down before the first practice in front of a white board or chalk board. Start writing your team goals in the order of biggest to smallest. It should look something like:
Win State Championship
Win Conference
Make Playoffs
Beat Rival
Win First Game
Then make goals on how you are going to accomplish the first one. Like
0 Turnovers
2 Forced Turnovers
200 yards Rushing
100 Yards Pacing
4 Touchdowns
10 Points or less allowed
etc.
Then I would pass out note cards or pieces of paper and have them write down individual goals. They can hang those up in their lockers and look at them everyday when they get ready so they know what they have to do to help the team accomplish their goals. Preach to them that they can dream as big as they want but their are a million babysteps that must be taken before you finally reach the stars.
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Post by coachd5085 on Jul 17, 2009 22:16:19 GMT -6
I would sit the whole team down before the first practice in front of a white board or chalk board. Start writing your team goals in the order of biggest to smallest. It should look something like: Win State Championship Win Conference Make Playoffs Beat Rival Win First Game Then make goals on how you are going to accomplish the first one. Like 0 Turnovers 2 Forced Turnovers 200 yards Rushing 100 Yards Pacing 4 Touchdowns 10 Points or less allowed etc. I have to disagree slightly here. The bottom set of goals are product goals, just like the top set. Those things are results, they aren't the driving force by which you accomplish things. |
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Post by coachguy83 on Jul 18, 2009 7:29:53 GMT -6
That was why I added the etc. if I'd actually typed out all of the goals needed I would have been up all night. I didn't really have time for that since I need to get out to sign ups in about 5 minutes and then help finish our new equipment shed.
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Post by coachd5085 on Jul 18, 2009 8:43:34 GMT -6
That was why I added the etc. if I'd actually typed out all of the goals needed I would have been up all night. I didn't really have time for that since I need to get out to sign ups in about 5 minutes and then help finish our new equipment shed. Coach, I wasn't saying that your list was incomplete. I was stating that I personally don't like to include the second type of goals that you included, because they are products, just like the first type. Coaches commonly include goals like X yards rushing, X yards passing, X turnovers and I simply think that is not correct. Those are outcomes, just like winning. The PROCESSES are things like effort grade, off season/practice attendance, alignment grade, assignment grade, technique grade, 2nd man in strip attempts... Those are the things that lead to the results of 200 yards rushing, 100 yards passing, 4 turnovers etc. |
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Post by joboo59 on Jul 18, 2009 16:16:14 GMT -6
We use a checklist of goals that must be reached before a State title. It is posted on the board so all players see it as they enter the lockerroom. The first goals are to beat our rivals. If we win, we check it off, if we lose, the unchecked box becomes motivation. The last four goals are sectional, regional, semi-state and state. The kids cannot overlook one trying to reach the last.
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Post by wingtol on Jul 21, 2009 6:29:05 GMT -6
Hell I thought everyone's goal at the outset was to win a state title. I agree with that but when you have kids breaking it down in July by yelling state champs I think you need to get them in check because they haven't done s**t yet. |
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Post by ddddyyyy on Jul 22, 2009 1:17:52 GMT -6
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Post by coachd5085 on Jul 22, 2009 12:24:10 GMT -6
Hell I thought everyone's goal at the outset was to win a state title. I agree with that but when you have kids breaking it down in July by yelling state champs I think you need to get them in check because they haven't done s**t yet. Perhaps then the issue is not to keep the DREAM in check, but rather to ensure that the team recognizes the extradorindary amount of work ahead of them by setting short term process GOALS. |
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