OTAs and HS football

one of the 'issues' becomes that if you don't do something, then (your kids) will do something else.

out of sight out of mind. I can totally see kids getting burned out, but we really don't let kids 'be kids' like it used to be, so if WE aren't doing something with them, then basketball, church groups, baseball, bowling, golf, wrestling, track, etc will be engaging them with something to do to stimulate them.

Certainly there is a point of diminishing returns. We don't do all of those things you mention. No team camp, maybe 1 or 2 7 on 7's over the summer at the most, no fundraising. However we do have summer practices (They are neither as formal or as intense as in-season practices) and we work out year round.

The most important of any of these outside of the season activities is the weight room. And I think that the weight room is important for a variety of reasons. It teaches the kids about delayed gratification, doing things they don't like in order to succeed at something they do like, etc, etc. So while all the other extraneous stuff may not be that important, at least some of it is necessary not only to win, but to teach kids lessons that most other sports don't. A school may be very successful in basketball or baseball without much of a weight program, but it's highly unlikely in football.

I agree with this, and in our case, that something was robbing a Pizza Hut at gunpoint.

Historically, we've had our kids lift, run and then do 7-on-7 for the skill guys and footwork, play install etc for the linemen. They're there 2.5 hours tops. We do that three days a week. We typically throw against one or two other teams once a week, and we're at some 7-on-7 tourney anywhere from 4-6 Saturdays during the summer.

I never understood having your team there 4 hours a day to lift and run and then have a formal practice afterwards. Seems like a kid could get burnt out pretty quickly that way.

PA just approved the use of shoulder pads in the summer for this year, in years past we were allowed to have workouts in helmets. We have always had 3 nights of basically OTA's (indy work, 7-7, O/D install, team) for as long as I have coached. We open the weight room for an hour before and work out 2 hrs. on the field. We don't have to worry about team camps and all that also we do not do 7-7 tourn. (we will do 7-7 vs other teams but only during our scheduled workouts). So if 9 hours a week in summer is too much for a kid to handle then shoot me now.

I would like for our state to end all summer activities in all sports, other than 3 hours a week of strength and conditioning. Every coach I've talked to about thinks it is a great idea.

I think 99% of us do team camps, 7 on 7's, etc., mainly b/c other teams do it, so we think we have to.

During the summer we work out for 2 hours. One hour has the skill players working on skills or agility while the linemen lift, then we switch. We have 7on7 one night a week during the month of July. That's it. Doing it this way has not prevented us from winning. There are some teams in the area that have padded practices two nights a week, lift three nights a week, and do 7on7. The coaches of these teams often comment on how their team is dragging in week three. Geee, I don't understand why.
I really believe that we have to give our players space and time to be kids.

<sup>I would like for our state to end all summer activities in all sports, other than 3 hours a week of strength and conditioning. Every coach I've talked to about thinks it is a great idea.

I think 99% of us do team camps, 7 on 7's, etc., mainly b/c other teams do it, so we think we have to.</sup>

I'd say 99% of coaches here would disagree with your 99% LOL....

Is anybody forcing you to work out during the summer?
Why would you want to make a rule to penalize programs that want to get better?
If you don't want your program to work out or do 7-7's, then don't.

IMO, for somebody to believe that they can just show up in August and expect to compete is ridiculous. It might happen somewhere, I've just never seen it.
I'm all for preventing "burnout" and having the kids get time off, but really, that needs to be something that the coach manages, not a legislative body. If coaches over do it then their kids and their parents should let them know.
We do a lot of 7-7 in June, none in July. We will workout 3 times a week in July. We get a lot done but I don't think we over do it by any means.

Phantom---- is exactly right, AND used a GREAT word to describe it. ARMS RACE. That is exactly what it is, and he is EXACTLY right discussing the NCAA and quiet/dead periods. Those regulations are there because the coaches want them...BUT they don't want to risk someone else "getting an advantage".

The most dominant programs in Louisana..National Powerhouses West Monroe rose to that point by instituting a holdback system (extra year of 8th grade) and making football a 24/7/365 thing. Evangel went from no program, to rival and tops in the state in 11 years doing the same thing. The holdback system has been outlawed, but there isn't much that can be done regarding importance and attitude teams put into football. Somebody is ALWAYS going to find a way to interpret the rules to their liking. 7-7 without a football for those places where conditioning only is the rule... No coaches on field...but watching from field house... and giving comments later... etc. etc.

Unfortunately, I don't know if the genie can't be put back in the bottle.

Jhanawa


It is relative isn't it? If nobody else is doing it....



Huh? Really? Thats going to be your input, arguing the semantics of the seasonal calender? Summer OBVIOUSLY..OBVIOUSLY .... OBVIOUSLY... means the time period between the end of one school year, and the start of another. Not the period of days between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox. Come on man.....

For a lot of reasons already put forth, we do the minimum amount in the summer we feel we can and still reach our potential-be competitive in the fall.

We do Conditioning (running and lifting) three days a week for an hour or so. We do 7-on-7 one night a week four times with another local school. We have a three-day camp (AMs only).

I don't feel bad if other guys are lifting four days a week or three and doing "Speed Training" other two, doing two nights a week of 7-on-7s or on Saturdays, going to Team Camps at colleges, etc.

Another consideration is I don't want to be ticked off at some kids before practice even starts because they miss a football activity due to any of the myriad possible reasons.

It should be an arms race...The Coaches that don't want to put in the effort to recruit kids will have less talent and those coaches that do want to put in the effort will have the more talented guys...I've always looked at football with the attitude "Sure it might be time consuming and tiresome...But if it makes me a better player or coach...Then I'll have a better chance at winning...And if I have a better chance at winning then it's worth it" Simple as that...If someone is lazy and doesn't want to recruit or have summer workouts and such then that's fine by me...But don't punish me or anyone else who isn't lazy and does want to recruit or have summer workouts...I'll gladly put in the time and effort while that other guy doesn't...And I'll gladly enjoy tearing him apart...Whether that's on the field or in the pressbox!

You have a lot to learn about the reasons why one should be a coach and what effective coaching is, young 'un.

I suggest you pay closer attention to posts from more experienced coaches like phantom et al on here.

YOU'RE COOL

Whacha gonna do...when the dcsworstnightmare is coming after you .....Brutha

Every situation is different.

Vast majority of high schools have a handful of football players, and then many kids who play football - unless they get turned off to it. There is a difference.

We are not coaching scholarship players, and thus able to make demands of their time, like in college.

HS football in most places is not as important to everyone as it is to some coaches. Nor should it be, if we really have their best intersts (and not just OUR won-loss record and EGO) at heart.

And that's not all bad.

Sorry for "soap box", leighty. You obviously can poo-poo this post.

Nope.

But you are obviously done reading-listening; if you last as long as I have in this profession (and others on this website) you'll get it - I hope, for the the sake of the kids you coach.

I will say when I first started out I was like you - everything was an absolute.