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Post by huthuthut on Jan 24, 2011 18:22:39 GMT -6
Lot's of good answers guys!
I never let a good looking kid walk by without asking him why he doesn't play football. I don't beg any kid to play for many of the reasons mentioned by others.
I think it's important to find out early in a new player's attempt to join the team how committed he is to really becoming a football player. I know I've wasted a lot of time on players who eventually quit and I should've known better. Spend your time wisely. It's the only thing that is equal between you and your opponents.
But you have to keep your eyes open for players. I heard a coach tell the story about one of his players who ended up being an All-American LB in college and All-Pro in the NFL. He didn't play football until his sophomore year in high school. When this coach was hired at the school he started walking the halls trying to get people to come out for football and noticed this student at his locker. When he asked why he didn't play football the kid shrugged his shoulders and said "I don't know...nobody ever asked me to." He told the kid "Well I'm asking!" The rest is history.
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Post by Coach Bennett on Jan 24, 2011 18:53:32 GMT -6
Just got this email the other day from a kid that I talked to about a month ago. Don't know if this kid will be a stud for us or not but it's an example of a young dude that may never have even considered playing if a coach didn't initiate a conversation...
Hey it's [John]...dont know if you still remember me. You talked to me about playing football. I want to say yes but i dont even know how to play anything about games or practices and equipement. I also wanted to get really into the wieght room. I have tried it a couple of time but i dont have much motavation. But being able to play football and good at it would modivatie me. If you get this bye the end of school tommaro I could talk to you tommaro activity period.
If he plays and isn't a game breaker, the kid still wins by virtue of taking part in something bigger than himself, right?
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Post by phantom on Jan 24, 2011 19:54:20 GMT -6
Just got this email the other day from a kid that I talked to about a month ago. Don't know if this kid will be a stud for us or not but it's an example of a young dude that may never have even considered playing if a coach didn't initiate a conversation... Hey it's [John]...dont know if you still remember me. You talked to me about playing football. I want to say yes but i dont even know how to play anything about games or practices and equipement. I also wanted to get really into the wieght room. I have tried it a couple of time but i dont have much motavation. But being able to play football and good at it would modivatie me. If you get this bye the end of school tommaro I could talk to you tommaro activity period.If he plays and isn't a game breaker, the kid still wins by virtue of taking part in something bigger than himself, right? When my son was in the 8th grade he had to stay after school for a project. When I went to pick him up his teacher, a retired Army officer, told me that he had another kid who may be a football player. A minute later the kid came in and he definitely passed the eyeball test. I asked him about playing football. He said that he'd never thought about it. I suggested coming to the weight room and he said he'd think about it. Thought I'd never see him again. A couple of days later he showed up and stayed. Ended up a three year starter and got a schollie to William and Mary. You never know where you might find a player.
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Post by 19delta on Jan 25, 2011 5:38:40 GMT -6
I recruit the halls but am not going to create more problems for myself. If we can get a kid to go out for football who has never played before, great. However, that kid is going to have to accept the same standards as the other players...if that means they quit because they aren't willing to play the position that most benefits the team, then we are better off without them.
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Post by 19delta on Jan 25, 2011 5:44:45 GMT -6
This is a big issue where I am at right now. Our high school program is terrible...basically the laughingstock of the conference. Head coach believes the only thing separating him from numerous state championships is a lack of players...can't even guess how many times I have heard him say "if we only had more kids on the team"...
So, they have this big recruiting drive going on with all these gimmicks (guy who brings in the most new recruits gets an xbox or something). Problem is, they will get more players out, but the bad coaching will remain so the results will be the same.
Recruiting is necessary, no doubt. But I have seldom seen consistently good programs that already don't have the best players out...if the team is built on a strong foundation and kids know they will be treated fairly and will have fun, recruiting really takes care of itself.
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Post by Coach Bennett on Jan 25, 2011 11:49:31 GMT -6
I think a lot of this entire conversation boils down to the fact that recruiting the hallways without sacrificing your ideals or standards is necessary for many of us, particularly at schools where an entire graduating class is less than 120 students.
There are so many pillars which support solid programs; recruiting the hallways is just one of them.
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