Helmet Awards Criteria

I googled it and found Ohio State's criteria. We will use this next year and I am also adding a component that rewards them for participation in the offseason program- 15days attendance = 1 sticker.

I agree with giving helmet decals for academics. We have navy helmets, and we give out silver decals each Friday, if a kid turns in his grade check with all good marks. We will also give them a silver decal if a teacher calls or e-mails a football coach about improvement, effort, or good behavior in class.
We give out white decals for two things...everyone gets a white decal if we win. And each coach gives out a "practice player of the day" at the end of our hard practices. The coach says a few words about how much effort that kid gave in practice that day, and everyone gives him applause. It is the only "individual" award we give in terms of helmet decals.

We only use team goals for awards. I sit down with the captains at the beginning of the season and we set offensive, defensive, and special team goals. Everyone gets one for the win.

I was impressed with Coach Vasey at Dean College who had a real logical combination of academic, civic, and team accomplishments. Having used a system before, I echo the idea of keeping it simple. Which of us has extra time in the week to crunch #'s and have a kid angry that you missed 1 tackle.

Here is what I would do:
1. Grade incentives - Passing all classes, A on a major test
2. Civic Accomplishments: We have a 60 hour service requirement for graduation. If a student does a project in the community of 4 or more hours in a week, give a sticker.
3. Team Performance: Use the goals you set for the team at the beginning of the season as a weekly criteria. For instance, If a player was a part of limiting an opponent to 7 points or less, give them a sticker.

I am the DC at a high school and I just came up with how we are going to do it.

I thought to myself that giving out decals for tackles and everything under the sun is fun and the kids like it but it doesn't do much in terms of motivation. Kids were more worried about stickers than anything else...

So I did this.

Effort - No loafs in a game = 1 sticker
Tackles - No missed Tackles = 1 Sticker
Takeaway = 1 Sticker
Def./SpT TD = 1 Group Sticker
3rd Down Win = 1 Group Sticker
Sack/TFL = 1 Sticker

My philosophy is this... you need those things to win. Little Johnny makes 6 tackles in a game, but misses 5. The 5 that he missed more than likely made the difference of that game than anything. Effort is just a give in. I am big on Takeaways and 3rd downs. You win those and you are in a pretty good situation to win the game.

It's about production and results. It's a focus on being mistake free and excelling in the aspects of the game that you believe you need to win.

I coach at a high school so it might be a little different than for youth coaches.

Taz

coach--since you recognize the truth about stickers (kids worry about them more than other things) I just wanted to help you trouble shoot your idea in advance--

Effort-- You need to clearly define a loaf and realize potential "trouble areas", namely increasing the attempts also increases the opportunity to fail.

example. Johnny hustle played in 48 snaps of your game on defense, and 35 snaps on offense. He plays on every special team. On the 54th snap of the game, in the midst of a 12 play drive for the bad guys, Johnny Hustle.., a corner doesn't fly to the ball on a zone play away from him. Conversely, Scotty sophomore plays on all the special teams, but only saw 5 snaps on defense. Scotty hustled on all 5 of those plays. Does Scotty get a sticker but not Johnny Hustle?

Tackles--Same premise as before. Scotty did a good job coming up on secondary support in one of his 5 plays, and made a tackle against a quality high school running back. he had no other attempts, therefore he is 100%. Johnny gave a great effort but had a tackle broken by the WR who just early commited to Florida. He did make six tackles and did a good job taking the stud out of the offense.

Takeaways/Special TeamTD/D Unit TD-
What is the "group" Is it every single member of the defense? If so, then aren't you just decorating the helmet, since Freddie F'up is getting the same reward as George Gung Ho? If not..if the group is simply the "starting d" or "kids on the field...consider the following scenario :

You play 16 kids in the course of a drive that ends with a turnover/Defensive Score. On play 3 of the drive, a nickel corner makes a touchdown saving tackle, and on play 8, an extra D lineman does a great job splitting a dbl team to force them into the passing situation in which you pick off, and take to the house. Neither player was on the field when the pick 6 happened...Do they get stickers?


The above scenario actually applies to almost ANY of the situations you pose.

So...how will you handle them, because..as you said..the kids just start to care about stickers.

Hey Coach,

Thanks for your input.

Effort, We have clearly defined the term Loaf. In essence every kid that is a starter has the same attempts. Consistency over a game is more important than a flash in the pan performance on a play. Example, Sophomore DE who gets put in on the first team. Wraps up a kid and basically loses his legs because he figured he was done. Missed tackle and then lays there... Loaf. No stickers for effort and tackles. Johnny Hustle on the 54th snap doesn't get to the ball before the whistle, that's not a big deal. Johnny Hustle standing there watching the play go away from him and saying in his head "I am good for right now" is what drives me nuts. You watch the film of my team and you get 4 to 6 kids standing around on most plays. That was one of the things that drove me nuts, so I wanted to fix it.

Tackles- you have people early committed to Florida? It is my belief you have to make a play when the opportunity is presented. If you get a guy wrapped up whether he is Barry Sanders or Joe Schmoe, you need to get him down.

Takeaways - Kid who gets the takeaway gets the sticker. It is my belief that a Def TD is a result of everyone on the field. In some instances, right a guy gets the pick and runs three inches to the endzone. But it's the same thing on offense, the RB doesn't get the TD if no one blocks for him. Causing a Turnover can be added, that's a really great idea.

Group sticker is for the people on the field. I have also added that there are special circumstances that will deserve a sticker. TD saving tackle, big hit, and other criteria. So nickel corner makes TD saving tackle gets a sticker for that play because that was special to our effort.

Hope that helps. Thanks for helping me clarify my position.

Taz

www.savefile.com/files/1405873

Our defensive helmet sticker criteria for 08. Thoughts?

5085 - our goal is to try and avoid the "doing your job" sticker. If a team keeps the QB under 40% passing the pass rush got there and the DBs did their job, etc. A momentum swinger is a colossal hit, etc. Tough to get, but you'll know when it happens.

Shut out sticker...is BIG. Why? Because when we do sub....the subs need to play. They don't get to go out there and give up TDs. They need to go out there and stop people. If the offense does score....in a way...oh well, but I'd be pissed. Not about the losing the sticker, but the fact that we gave up points.

I believe the concept we are trying to create is that if the team does it's job over the course of the game the stickers pile up. It's not the carrot of the sticker that will motivate them.

In 2005 we had a similar system for a team that went 12-1. Helmets were covered with stickers because the defense was crazy good....but, for sure, they weren't motivated to play because the stickers....the stickers became the product of the ass whoopins they put on people.

Agreeing to disagree, but yet agree. We don't have those arguements amongst our players. Again...in the years I have been here...our players aren't playing for the sticker. PERIOD. It is just a goal for the team to achieve. The team completes the goal...they have accomplished something together. The Sticker and hopefully the W. The HC and I are the determining factor if a sticker should be awarded. Brings up good discussion at meetings. Now, I will say that everything is scrutinized by me and the HC. If it's close on something...they don't get. Close isn't getting it.

To explain the agreeing part....it would be a lot more simple to go without them and focus on just getting it done. Definately agree, but not what we are doing.

I think he is saying that the sticker is not the goal but what the sticker represents. If a dumb sticker is what it takes to get a kid to bust is a$$ that much more I will spend the extra time grading the film myself on my own time. We live in a what do I get for doing my job society. Kids now do not see the whole pride thing for the most part. I see both sides of the argument and neither are wrong by any means. I am just saying that if it takes a sticker to get my kids to reach that goal then I'm for it--I just make sure to relate to them that the sticker represents the goal and I think the pride for doing one's job will evemtually take over. People get paid to do their job in the real world. I know that I teach/coach b/c I love to do it, but if I did not get paid to do it I would not be doing it. Kids cannot get paid for doing their job on the fb field so what is wrong with giving little incentives. It is about teaching them to reach a goal and a sticker is a physical representation of meeting that goal.

I love the idea of giving stickers for weight room attendance and grades!!!