|
|
Post by tim914790 on Mar 29, 2010 7:12:27 GMT -6
Coaches,
How do you handle making the switch from one position to the next. Especially when a kid thinks he is a skill player and clearly makes a better linemen. In my experience when this switch has been made more then likely the kid ends up not coming back the following year. I think some of it has to do with the Win/Loss record but part of it may be the way it was done. I usually approach it from the angle of the position change will be best for the program and the player. The usual responses I get are I have always played (blank), Dad/Rec coach says I can get a scholarship at (blank). I guess what I am looking for is ways to handle it with the player and parent so that the kid transitions into the new position and actually trusts that I am doing what is best for him and the program. Parents will be parents so I dont think there is anything you can say to get a parent on board who is dead set against the move.
I really dont think letting the kid walk away if he doesnt like the position is a realistic answer in my situation as we are a small school and already battle basketball and baseball for the athletes in the school.
|
|
|
|
Post by realdawg on Mar 29, 2010 7:21:55 GMT -6
Tell him you would like for him to change positions. If he is against the move, leave him at his current position and let him stand next to you a little while, and keep reminding him he could be getting on the field at another position.
|
|
|
|
Post by blb on Mar 29, 2010 7:25:39 GMT -6
You're moving the kid to where he can help the TEAM most, where he'll have best opportunity to contribute.
Tell him either play there, or don't play (sit the bench).
If he doesn't care about what's best for the team, what do you lose if he walks away? I don't care how "small" your team is. As the coach you can't be held hostage by individual agendas.
|
|
|
|
Post by superpower on Mar 29, 2010 7:30:19 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by John Knight on Mar 29, 2010 11:38:05 GMT -6
We had a kid that was a man-child, he was shaving in 6th grade and was very big and strong in Jr High so he was a fullback, When he was a Freshman, I asked him what he thought about playing center. His response, "It Sickens Me". He was a pretty smart kid too. I kidded him a good bit his Jr and Senior year about his Sickens Me comment. He was a 4 year starter for me at center and mike LB on teams that went 10-0 and 9-1 his Jr and Senior year. He did not want to play OLINE but once we made the switch he discovered that he really liked football and the important jobs.
|
|
|
|
Post by tim914790 on Mar 29, 2010 11:44:25 GMT -6
Coach Knight,
Great story but how did you get from it sickening him to him actually playing that position? I have had it where the kid embraces it and does great, and where the kid actually under performs in hopes of being moved somewhere else. I understand that standing my ground as a coach is the correct answer, just wondering how you handled the push back while you stood your ground.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by amikell on Mar 29, 2010 11:50:05 GMT -6
tim, this won't help you, but I have another question to add.
what if he is the best person at his position right now, but it would help the team more if he were on the line?
Do you still sit the kid at FB if he didn't want to move to the OL?
Just some thoughts. The world of small (<250 kids) school football is an interesting place.
|
|
|
|
Post by tim914790 on Mar 29, 2010 12:02:25 GMT -6
Yea that is a tough one also but the way I look at it he can be the best FB out there but if the OL is awful we wont do anything.
|
|
|
|
Post by amikell on Mar 29, 2010 12:09:32 GMT -6
I completely agree with you, tim.
I was just curious how people justify that to the kid.
|
|
|
|
Post by John Knight on Mar 29, 2010 12:23:52 GMT -6
OK, I am going to tell the story. His best friend was our QB to be and they were both Freshmen and playing JV, the kid that ended up playing center could not catch the ball so we threw to him all the time in JV games. I had his buddy the QB on his case constantly. Finally, he got frustrated and came to me and said, Coach, I am ready to move to center. It was classic, peer pressure!
|
|
|
|
Post by wingt74 on Mar 29, 2010 12:33:02 GMT -6
#1 rule of day 1 of training camp. Everyone is an OLineman. The kids that worked the hardest learning how to block, will be assigned a starting position. (except for QB usually since our QB coach takes those kids...but that's fine, most kids want the RB or WR positions)
The message is, we take our 10 best blockers and put them on offense with a QB.
|
|
|
|
Post by tim914790 on Mar 29, 2010 15:25:48 GMT -6
wingt74,
That is a heck of an idea. I assume you are doing position specific blocking and not just putting everyone through OL drills?
|
|
|
|
Post by davecisar on Mar 29, 2010 19:21:14 GMT -6
Youth level coach, what I do:
First day of practice, pre practice meeting, all parents/players/coaches
Me: Football is a team sport, I'm always going to do what's best for the team. That means I dont really care what position you want to play. Im going to put you in a spot that benefits the team most and is commensurate with your abilities. The position I put players at allows them the chance for the most playing time. I dont play favorites, I dont have any kids playing, I dont dislike or favor anyone, Im going to do what's best for our team.
Postions arent forever, but your position doesnt change until the team dynamic changes AND I see great effort from you. That means positions change from season to season and on occaison within the same season. For me, all positions are of equal importance and I coach the offensive line. If you feel uncomfortable with this approach I will be happy to refund you your fee and have the phone numbers of area teams that are in need of players I would be more than happy to give you, if you dont want to continue with us. I dont negotiate with players or parents for positions or playing time. Everyone plays, some more than others based on effort and ability.
Personally I want kids that want to play, see the field and care more about playing time than position. I want kids who love to compete, hate losing and value team success more than individual success. I OFTEN move kids into positions they have never played or want to play. We make a HUGE deal out of the kids who are working hard in positions they didnt want to play. Case in point, 7-8th grade team this year- SMALLEST team Ive had in almost 20 years of coaching. Only 2 kids over 140 and only 1 over the 'striper" weight of 160. Had to move a second team FB to OG> talked to him about it, told him I liked him, appreciated him, if we had any chance at competing we needed him to move to OG> Told him I would let him run the ball IF we ever got up by 3 scores and would let him practice a LITTLE bit with the backs if he was working hard and kept a good attitude. Day 1 and 2, 10 minutes with the backs, day 3 , 5 minutes. Day 3 talked to entire team about this players great selfless sacrifice. Day 4 same kid volunteers to move from DE to DT because "Coach I know we are real small, if you need me to move to DT, I will". Kid is NOT a DT, started for us at DE last 2 years. Following day made a HUGE deal out of it, again lauding the kids sacrifice, letting him know how proud I was of him. Did the same thing in an e-mail to him. Day 5 when I tell him it's time to go with the backs he says, "Im good." Game 6, this kid is having season of his LIFE. I design fake punt play, he's the ballcarrier, the go to kid.
Day 6, a backup WB tells me he is willing to move somewhere if I needed him to, Just 120 lbs and a MPR kid. He ended up starting for us at power tackle and being serviceable. Both these kids got to carry the ball 4-5 times during the season as we went a VERY unprobable 9-1. Love those kinds of kids, let prima donnas be someone elses problem, robbing us of the joy of coaching. I realize youth ball is different, JMO.
|
|
|
|
Post by coachcastleman on Mar 29, 2010 20:08:12 GMT -6
I can relate to having to move kids. We are a small school <190. Our team usually has around 33 or so on it. I have made position moves every year out of necessity. Some times the kid understands the need and understands the team concept and does a great job at the new position. I moved a kid from QB to OL this last season. We don't play freshmen games, just varsity and JV. He was the backup QB on the JV team, but we needed offensive linemen. So I moved him and he did a great job. I really thought he would be a back up on varsity next season and start as a junior. Well he decided not to play next year. I am pretty sure it comes from home. We a kid hears from his parents that he is a great QB and coach doesn't know what he is doing, then you are fighting a loosing battle. Parents can be the biggest obsticle in trying to teach the team concept.
|
|
|
|
Post by khalfie on Mar 29, 2010 20:14:43 GMT -6
IMHO...
Coaches go wrong, when they aren't transparent with their criteria for a position. When a coach makes positions appear to be subjective, then the problem occurs.
Depending on what you are looking for, tell the kids... they know if they have the goods or not... and they know even better, when another kid is out performing them. Sure a kid may lie to himself, but his team won't.
Define the criteria for your team, provide opportunities for the players to demonstrate their proficiency at your criteria, allow your results to determine your players, and keep it moving.
When it comes to replacing a kid, for not meeting said expectations, be sure to use the criteria set forth.
|
|
|
|
Post by dubber on Mar 30, 2010 9:28:15 GMT -6
IMHO... Coaches go wrong, when they aren't transparent with their criteria for a position. When a coach makes positions appear to be subjective, then the problem occurs. Depending on what you are looking for, tell the kids... they know if they have the goods or not... and they know even better, when another kid is out performing them. Sure a kid may lie to himself, but his team won't. Define the criteria for your team, provide opportunities for the players to demonstrate their proficiency at your criteria, allow your results to determine your players, and keep it moving. When it comes to replacing a kid, for not meeting said expectations, be sure to use the criteria set forth. This is good. This is a thread from the General Offense section, and I'm going to recycle what I posted there, though it applys more to coaches' decisions, and less on coach/player relations: coachhuey.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=genoffense&thread=36863&page=3#364400You run X offense, because you know how to stress and break a defense from it, you know the adjustments, and your philosophy meshes with it.
Knowing all that, the REAL DIFFERENCE is not in the X's and O's, but in WHOM YOU HAVING PLAYING CERTAIN X's and O's.
When my X comes to block your O, there is certainly a technique involved (how we scrape, how we read, how we block, leverage, etc.), but more importantly, there is a "stud" factor involved, and that will determine who wins that battle, and ultimately how far the ball is advanced on that play.
So, in selecting your scheme, the larger question is not WHAT YOU RUN, but WHERE you put your STUDS.
You understand your scheme best when you know that A position requires more talent/size/speed than B position. And if Johnny is GREAT B, we will move him to A because that is more important.
In our schemes (4-4 and spread), we know where studs need to play (and here's the important part) over certain other positions.
Our second best DL kid last season was a shut-down DE, and a hellish 1 tech. Really, if we had 3 kids just like him to build around our monster 3 tech, we'd be in business.
However, we DID NOT have anyone step up and play our 2nd ILB spot, and we know from experience that while we can make it with inferior DL guys, we cannot make it without two ILB's that can make plays.
Even though this kid was a better DE than he was an ILB, we made the move, and got MUCH better as a TEAM defense.
On offense, our QB is the most vital position, but because we are modular in our approach from year to year (alter the toolbox), we can get by with a less athletic kid, but he must be SMART.
That being said, if we do not have someone to play QB, we will find someone and move them there, regardless of their prowess in their current position.
It's also knowing what you can and cannot get by with........
My OT's can get by with being mediocre run blockers, but they MUST be able to pass pro.
Our 1 tech can get by with being smallish, but not slow
Our SE's can get by with being slow footed, but not with poor hands.
Knowing this is what makes an offense functional from year to year.
Of LESS IMPORTANCE is "dry erase board" land or even "we're gonna drill em' til' they get it" land, thought both carry importance.
If you're going to be successful, you need to spend most your time in "where do we need Billy to play" land. |
|
