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Post by mnfbcoach on Sept 16, 2011 13:48:19 GMT -6
I have been a head coach for 18 years. I have had moderately good success and have always prided myself on the fact that we got better as football players and as people each year. We are three weeks into this season and it is already my worst nightmare.
No chemistry, kids walking away (which has rarely happened before), kids getting suspended for chemical use. We are decimated and struggling to stay afloat.
Has anyone else ever had this type of season and how did you make it through? How did you keep the great kids focused on the season? How did you keep your younger kids from becoming part of the fungus that they see from the older kids?
I need some advice-----help!
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Post by fantom on Sept 16, 2011 16:52:00 GMT -6
BTDT. Had a year that we couldn't wait to end. Going into the last week we needed to win and have somebody else lose. We won a relatively close one against a bad (really bad) team. Afterwards we heard on the radio that the team that needed to lose won in the last few seconds. Should have gotten an Oscar nomination for pretending to be disappointed.
The younger kids will see what's going on. Use the seniors as a horrible warning.
Our underclassmen that year saw how the seniors had wasted their talent and their season. They were determined not to be anything like that.
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turney
Junior Member
Spread'em and Shread'em[F4:coachturney]
Posts: 279
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Post by turney on Sept 17, 2011 1:28:53 GMT -6
Focus on the ones who are doing right and want to be there. Try deserve it. Make sure you don't loose your head bc of frustration and build for the future. It's hard but playing the most talented kids doesn't always equal success. Some times lesser talented kids are more coachable and that makes up the difference
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Post by coachbuck on Sept 17, 2011 9:19:00 GMT -6
I agree with turney. I havent had a season like that yet, havent been coaching long enough. I would roll with the guys that are dedicated even if they where less talented. Good luck coach, fight through this, you will be better for it!
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turney
Junior Member
Spread'em and Shread'em[F4:coachturney]
Posts: 279
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Post by turney on Sept 17, 2011 15:22:54 GMT -6
The good kids will get better. Its hard to eliminate kids from a program Mike leach said something to the effect he never regretted getting rid of any kid he cut but there were some he wish he had cut after it was all done...... Adam James.
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Post by coachhartley on Sept 19, 2011 8:46:14 GMT -6
I've just written an article www.bafca.com about how to managed negative behaviour of players in a football program. It's based around a British Uni team model so it won't all be relevant but have a read and it may give you an idea. Also if you want to ask any follow up questions then my e-mail is on the article. I work in behaviour managment and I'm trying to use what I've learnt in that field to improve my program. It's not as bad as yours coach but my guys have terrible attitudes and poor work ethic. Another idea is to create a siege mentality in the remining guys. Tell them that the guys who have left aren't man enough to be part of the program and the players that are left will show them. Get the guys who are left to work hard to prove everyone wrong. (you get the idea) p.s. If anyone has any negative critisisum (sp?) of my article I would really like to hear it too |
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Post by coachcb on Sept 19, 2011 9:39:33 GMT -6
I am having a difficult time with my particular coaching philosophy this season. I rarely use physical activity as punishment with the exception of serious issues. I have always just pulled playing time for laziness, bad attitudes, etc.. But, I am finding that our kids need IMMEDIATE consequences for their actions or it just never sinks in. I tell them they won't play, follow through with it but it doesn't change anything. And, I'm not talking about a handful of guys; half of our team is this way. So, I get stuck p-ssing away practice time running the kids when they're being lazy or stupid. Our starting center/NT showed up 40 minutes before kick-off this week even after I ran the hell out of guys for doing the same the week before on top of pulling playing time. He looked at me like I was out of my mind when I told him he wasn't playing the first half. And, he's getting his ass run off today.
Several of our guys have to fight hard to earn their starting spots back this week after Saturday's game. It's incredible how the lazy, undisciplined of the kids' lives away from the field have such a detrimental effect come game day.
I hate to say this, but I am kind of anxious for this season to end. I took over a struggling program and we've become competitive; we could honestly make a play-off run. But, there is ALWAYS something to deal with, every single day. Kids showing up late (and getting their a--es run off and missing playing time), being lazy(and getting their a--es run off/missing playing time), dishing out attitude (and getting their a--es run off/missing playing time)....
My biggest frustration this season is the fact that some of our kids don't seem to be learning any life lessons from football.
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Post by dubber on Sept 19, 2011 10:05:19 GMT -6
Usually, you can see it coming in your off season.
I'm smart enough to see it coming (guys missing 15%+ of workouts, lackidasical work ethic, picking on horribly hazing the younger kids, in school suspensions, tardies, etc.)......
I am not smart enough to know how to avert it.
We are a big second (and third) chance coaching staff.........we get to know the kids without fathers, and while we will put a foot up their arse and keep demanding their buy-in, we are so SLOW to cut someone.
We just can't give up on them............there are some kids we probably should, but everyone once in a while we save one, and that's enough to keep us dealing with the crap.
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Post by coachcb on Sept 19, 2011 10:17:08 GMT -6
Usually, you can see it coming in your off season. I'm smart enough to see it coming (guys missing 15%+ of workouts, lackidasical work ethic, picking on horribly hazing the younger kids, in school suspensions, tardies, etc.)...... I am not smart enough to know how to avert it. We are a big second (and third) chance coaching staff.........we get to know the kids without fathers, and while we will put a foot up their arse and keep demanding their buy-in, we are so SLOW to cut someone. We just can't give up on them............there are some kids we probably should, but everyone once in a while we save one, and that's enough to keep us dealing with the crap. It's been difficult for me because pulling playing time has ALWAYS worked well, in terms of changing bullsh-t attitudes. But, our kids expect instant gratification/results so it makes sense that they need immediate consequences. |
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Post by fballcoachg on Sept 19, 2011 11:09:16 GMT -6
Usually, you can see it coming in your off season. I'm smart enough to see it coming (guys missing 15%+ of workouts, lackidasical work ethic, picking on horribly hazing the younger kids, in school suspensions, tardies, etc.)...... I am not smart enough to know how to avert it. We are a big second (and third) chance coaching staff.........we get to know the kids without fathers, and while we will put a foot up their arse and keep demanding their buy-in, we are so SLOW to cut someone. We just can't give up on them............there are some kids we probably should, but everyone once in a while we save one, and that's enough to keep us dealing with the crap. Thats the same boat we are in, the concept that we may be the only positive, structured, consistent thing in their life. My biggest fear is that we may be sending mixed messages to others but its a hard decision to make (not for me as an assistant, my answers are always cut and dry because I don't make them and therefore don't have to deal with the backlash!) and even when I get frustrated, I understand the HC's choices. |
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Post by coachhartley on Sept 21, 2011 6:54:49 GMT -6
Just my opinion - I'm a first year HC, I could be 100% wrong. Sounds like you've got 100% the right idea. Also make sue everyone knows why people are being punished and what they can do to get back to where they were (starting, playing etc) that way there is room for all the kids to improve. |
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turney
Junior Member
Spread'em and Shread'em[F4:coachturney]
Posts: 279
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Post by turney on Sept 23, 2011 17:43:00 GMT -6
Always make sure to let people know where they stand and why. Make sure the rules are clear and enforced.
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Post by coachorr on Oct 3, 2011 12:36:20 GMT -6
Coach Hartley, very good article thanks for sharing. I found this passage amusing however:
"Monthly rewards. Once a month the coaches pick one player on offense and one on defence to receive a reward. Some beer, a gift voucher towards some football kit, a free meal. It doesn’t have to be much, just something that the players will enjoy. "
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Post by tothehouse on Oct 3, 2011 12:54:00 GMT -6
In 1999 I kicked 6 kids off of the baseball team I was coaching. 1 was the best player in the area. We ended the season with 11 players. I was the only coach...on the varsity team. After the last kid was relieved of his duties...we won 18 straight games. Our starting lineup was 6 juniors, 2 sophs, and 1 senior. I had a junior player tell me "we would never be where we are if you kept those guys". BINGO!!!!!!
I kicked guys off the team for things like "you're one second late for practice and you're gone" or "if you don't have a hat (proper gear) you are gone". People attempted these things...and were dismissed.
Now, this was a drastic situation that had to change...but I agree with dcohio...about who is running the situation.
I moved out of the area after the season....and the team with the area title. I got a few phone calls from parents saying that the team won the title because what I had done the year before. I thanked them and moved on.
Just felt it was necessary to kick some a-- and take names to get things the way they needed to be.
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Post by CoachCP on Oct 3, 2011 13:23:10 GMT -6
I coached one year like that. When I look back on it, I remember that it felt twice as long as any normal season (we went 1-9 on varsity, and as the JV head coach we went 0-9). That was my worst season coaching. But when I look back on it, I remember all the lessons I learned from it (focus on technique no matter what, needing to make it fun when all looks bleek for the good kids... ect...). I'm a much better coach for it, but it really tested my love for this game.
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Post by coachklee on Oct 3, 2011 18:06:17 GMT -6
We are having a rough season. Had some of our best weight room attendance in my 4 years as an assistant (14 or 15 guys at 90% or higher), considerable experience (5 3rd year varsity players), and an identical system/blocking scheme to the previous 2 years. However, we had our starting off. guard/defensive end tell us he had to work (we've maybe put up with that for too long), his back-up believing that he was only a defensive player and not committing to play OL also, our starting QB & 2 year captain be very non-chalant, a group of DBs that always argued with their position coach and be lazy in group drills, constant excuses when we asked guys to do their assignment, guys pouting or complaining about playing time when they've missed practice reps and on top of all that while having small program numbers (25 9th - 12th). We've tried to remedy things with calm and positive motivation, I've tried the louder approach, and the HC has tried a variety of motivational things include a survey of the team's views on a variety of topics, but we still have inconsistent Tuesday practices and have yet to execute for 48 minutes. In my opinion, the only positive has been that we have played hard in the last two games (lost 6-26 and 8-13), but have yet to execute all 48 minutes. It is frustrating because it feels like several guys that were around all summer our deciding to give up when there are still 3 more games left. We are definitely in that salvage as much as possible for the seniors that want to be around and do the right things, but find a way to get underclassmen playing time. Anyways, we are still focusing on the fundamentals, but when you talk about: needing to make it fun when all looks bleek for the good kids... ect...). what did you do that made it fun for your core guys that stuck it out and were trying to do all of the right things? |
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