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Post by CoachA21 on Feb 1, 2010 15:54:37 GMT -6
If football is more than 50% mental, why don't we focus more on the mental part of the game than the physical? This was a question I heard in the Nike Coach of the Year clinic and I was stumped by this question. What do you as coaches think about this and what do you as coaches do to focus more on the mental part of the game?
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Post by doublewing on Feb 1, 2010 16:23:08 GMT -6
put the kids in competitive, pressure situations in practice. make them give max effort and deal with defeat. getting the kids to understand how to compete is essential.
our mat drill program is just one of the things we do to attain mental toughness. also due to our remediation of academics during the morning hours of doubles forces us to practice in the heat of the day. that by itself helps us get tougher mentally
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Post by jgordon1 on Feb 1, 2010 17:55:26 GMT -6
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Post by brophy on Feb 1, 2010 18:03:39 GMT -6
Thanks for the book recommendation.
Its an often overlooked facet of the game, and it truly is important.
However, isn't a big part of PHYSICAL training MENTAL?
The body will do whatever the mind tells it, and pushing the body to its limits requires mental toughness/conditioning (so it becomes a 2-for-1)
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Post by CoachA21 on Feb 1, 2010 18:17:50 GMT -6
Thanks for the book recommendation. I also wanted to bring up that how many of us really make the players take two minutes of their time after practice to answer three questions:
1) How do you feel about todays practice?
2) What would you do in practice/previous game differently?
3) What would you do in practice/previous game the same?
If they write this stuff down maximum 1-2 sentences and put this stuff in a folder, later on in the season they can see what they did to do get better at this. Using it as a reference tool or a reminder. I think that players need to be reminded that it's their accountability to perform to the maximum potential they have.
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Post by jgordon1 on Feb 1, 2010 19:16:38 GMT -6
Thanks for the book recommendation. Its an often overlooked facet of the game, and it truly is important. However, isn't a big part of PHYSICAL training MENTAL? The body will do whatever the mind tells it, and pushing the body to its limits requires mental toughness/conditioning (so it becomes a 2-for-1) After reading the book I would say they are ALL related....although this seems intuitive..the book goes into really good detail....not everyone will like the whole book but take what you want..it's a pretty easy read and for $7.50..you can't go wrong...much better than "mind Gym" IMO |
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Post by brophy on Feb 1, 2010 19:35:07 GMT -6
If they write this stuff down maximum 1-2 sentences and put this stuff in a folder, later on in the season they can see what they did to do get better at this. Using it as a reference tool or a reminder. I think that players need to be reminded that it's their accountability to perform to the maximum potential they have. good point. What about verbalizing step-by-step checkpoints pre,post snap...during a play...on the sideline....situation... So that through classical conditioning they learn how to correctly process and frame situations (this becomes a subconscious thing), where we train the "kid" or "dysfunctional family" out of them (negative self talk / focus on the series of small 'wins'/etc) so that it becomes the way they can see any situation (in or out of football)? |
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Post by touchdownmaker on Feb 2, 2010 8:22:19 GMT -6
If football is more than 50% mental, why don't we focus more on the mental part of the game than the physical? This was a question I heard in the Nike Coach of the Year clinic and I was stumped by this question. What do you as coaches think about this and what do you as coaches do to focus more on the mental part of the game? The mental stuff is highly impacted by peer pressure. Its an every day, all day thing in our school. We have kids in the building that tear down our motivational posters/signs and try to ruin/destroy everything. I am more than a little convinced that is an attitude that can carry over into football season.  |
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Post by CoachA21 on Feb 2, 2010 10:55:04 GMT -6
Do you as coaches get your players pumped up and all hyped up before a game? Or do you hold your players accountable for that?
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Post by dubber on Feb 2, 2010 11:05:03 GMT -6
Do you as coaches get your players pumped up and all hyped up before a game? Or do you hold your players accountable for that? I do not consider that important. I'll take resilancy and execution over emotion and hype. |
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Post by brophy on Feb 2, 2010 11:16:37 GMT -6
Do you as coaches get your players pumped up and all hyped up before a game? Or do you hold your players accountable for that? to each his own, but I figure that if you need something to get you pumped up for a game, then I either didn't do my job properly during the week or there's just something wrong with you. (kids should be responsible for the rah rah crap) This is also an area where your leaders should be/feel empowered to commandeer |
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Post by CoachA21 on Feb 2, 2010 11:20:38 GMT -6
But isn't execution and resilancy depended on by emotion? I mean like every player has his own level of emotion. Some players require don't and some players do...
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Post by phantom on Feb 2, 2010 11:23:07 GMT -6
Do you as coaches get your players pumped up and all hyped up before a game? Or do you hold your players accountable for that? IMO pregame hype and mental toughness have nothing to do with each other. It seems to me that often a team that makes a lot of noise is whistling in the graveyard and when things go wrong they collapse. |
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Post by blb on Feb 2, 2010 11:27:08 GMT -6
Agree with dubber, brophy, and phantom.
Confidence from preparation most important thing. Our kids snicker at opponents who spend pregame looking like they practiced chants, yelling, and rhythmic clapping all week.
Besides, early in my career when I thought I had to get kids "fired up" with the big pre-game speech - I realized all I was doing was making them nervous and uptight.
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Post by dubber on Feb 2, 2010 11:28:31 GMT -6
But isn't execution and resilancy depended on by emotion?... No. Execution comes from preparedness and confidence. Resilancy is a choice. Emotion is nothing after kick-off. |
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Post by CoachA21 on Feb 2, 2010 11:42:59 GMT -6
Agree with dubber, brophy, and phantom. Confidence from preparation most important thing. Our kids snicker at opponents who spend pregame looking like they practiced chants, yelling, and rhythmic clapping all week. Besides, early in my career when I thought I had to get kids "fired up" with the big pre-game speech - I realized all I was doing was making them nervous and uptight. Exactly, thats what I think too about them being nervous and uptight. Thanks for the input coaches, really appreciate it. Just wanted to attach the powerpoint the speaker had shown. |
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Post by jgordon1 on Feb 2, 2010 12:36:34 GMT -6
Well I am a little different..I want my kids to play with emotion....I think emotion is important..It rises and falls whether you chose to recognize it or not...much like momentum.....we are talking about 16 year old kids (not pros)that have emotions and it's important to manage that function..
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Post by blb on Feb 2, 2010 12:53:46 GMT -6
Of course emotion is important, and kids should have it on Friday night. I believe it will affect their performance positively in most instances to the point that they won't "Play like (they) practice" - the emotional charge of the contest will inspire them higher.
But I don't think coaches can manufacture it for them, or "manage" it. Before we leave the locker room,, I tell them whether we're kicking off or receiving, what the game means to us, and what (specifically) we must do to win.
I don't think evangelical emotionalism is essential to victory. I try to stress execution, effort, playing smart, and hitting - those things that are within our control. I think that approach has more basic honesty in it.
Some coaches have success using devious dramatic or emotional means, making a crusade or passion play out of games. If you are a real "motivator" in that sense, then you can dismiss this post.
My point is that I don't think kids respond to such tactics like they did when I played for example (late '60s-early '70s) and that they do not fit some coaches' personalities, or some (like me) simply are not good at them.
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Post by touchdownmaker on Feb 2, 2010 13:09:00 GMT -6
Man, I have had seasons where we absolutely killed people and I never saw my kids celebrate, they just expected it. Then again I do recall seeing some teams on film where the crowd goes crazy and gives them a standing ovation for a first down...they lost every game of course.
Id rather have kids just a "quiet before the storm" appearance ....raise he%% and then leave.
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Post by phantom on Feb 2, 2010 13:15:20 GMT -6
Well I am a little different..I want my kids to play with emotion....I think emotion is important..It rises and falls whether you chose to recognize it or not...much like momentum.....we are talking about 16 year old kids (not pros)that have emotions and it's important to manage that function.. I don't mean that emotion isn't important. It really has to be internalized, though, or it's just flash. With that said, our kids take a back seat to nobody when it comes to pregame chants, dances, rituals, etc. Do I think it matters? No but I'm not interested in experimenting to find out. |
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Post by blb on Feb 2, 2010 13:34:06 GMT -6
One of best teams I ever had I called "The Quiet Assassins". Never heard a peep out of them during pregame, just went about their business.
But, man, once the ball was in the air, all he11 broke loose...
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Post by CoachA21 on Feb 2, 2010 13:48:46 GMT -6
Of course emotion is important, and kids should have it on Friday night. I believe it will affect their performance positively in most instances to the point that they won't "Play like (they) practice" - the emotional charge of the contest will inspire them higher. But I don't think coaches can manufacture it for them, or "manage" it. Before we leave the locker room,, I tell them whether we're kicking off or receiving, what the game means to us, and what (specifically) we must do to win. I agree. Players should be held accountible for that so they can play up to their potential. |
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Post by blb on Feb 2, 2010 13:52:16 GMT -6
our kids take a back seat to nobody when it comes to pregame chants, dances, rituals, etc. Do I think it matters? No but I'm not interested in experimenting to find out. LOL, phantom - I love that! |
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Post by oriolepower on Feb 2, 2010 14:03:07 GMT -6
It comes down to knowing your players. I had a really outstanding group of athletes a few years ago and I learned with that group I had to calm them down before games to help them focus. This last season the players were very passive and if I didn't get them going before the game it took them about a quarter to figure out they were in a football game.
I know the players from our hours together in the weightroom and how they push themselves in practice and camp.
I think my assistants favorite pregame speech is when I told the theme song of the Beverly Hillbillies as our pregame speech.
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Post by blb on Feb 3, 2010 7:04:27 GMT -6
To the topic:
I've always believed that physical condition precedes mental toughness. If kids can't force themselves to do what is necessary to be in shape to play a full 48-minute game the first day of practice, you can't expect them to come from behind to beat a good team or rise up when it's 4th and Goal at your two and the game in the balance.
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Post by touchdownmaker on Feb 3, 2010 8:15:49 GMT -6
The mental toughness thing goes back to discipline.
those who are not mentally tough are going to be like scrambled eggs when it comes to discipline in the wt room and on the field.
having had a team with very poor work ethic and being able to compare it directly to a team with its reciprocal work ethic...wow, the mentally tough play comes with the discipline and desire that goes back to work ethic.
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