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Post by 1bignasty on Feb 9, 2012 11:23:28 GMT -6
Is it just me or do kids today seem to almost resent be pushed?
I am in a a program that has had a lot of success but the last few groups to come into our school seem to have a resentment and disdain for anyone who tries to push them to be their best. It doesn't matter if it is in the classroom, weightroom or on the field.
They just seem to get an attitude if you try to correct them. That does not fit my wheelhouse. I am going to coach them and correct them whether they like it or not. But it sure does make coaching a lot less fun.
Some of these kids would just as soon walk away from as to be pushed to excellence. The parents back them with this attitude.
The logical thing is to just say, "hey let them go, or run them off." Only problem is in a relatively small school like ours you would cut your own throat to run off some good athletes.
As a staff we have resolved to keep pushing and trying to change attitudes, but it is a slow go right now. Suggestions???
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Post by spos21ram on Feb 9, 2012 11:30:00 GMT -6
We have a talented 8th grade class coming up and I know several of them from Baseball. And they're very similar to what you describe. They have athletic ability, but don't want to work to get better and if you try to push them they really don't respond. They are very lazy and it's going to be a rude awakening when they realize your natural ability at some point will turn to mediocrity and won't be good enough. It's extremely frustrating.
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Post by coachwilliams2 on Feb 9, 2012 11:55:33 GMT -6
Push them, set them up for success, develop a relationship with them. Show them how it makes them better, not just tell them. You will have to run a few off to get your point across.
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Post by blb on Feb 9, 2012 12:03:18 GMT -6
spos, unfortunately if-when that happens - it will be unfairly viewed as a "coaching problem" by many (parents and some players), not a talent or work ethic problem.
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Post by coachcb on Feb 9, 2012 12:22:32 GMT -6
In my experience, it varies from group to group. And within groups as well.
I coached on a team in '08 that went to the state title. They were very athletic but also a very tight group that pushed each other. We went 5-5 with the next year's group and missed the play-offs. It was just a different dynamic; they were a cliquey bunch of kids that didn't get along. There was a general sense of apathy among the group that was very hard to break.
There are a lot of factors that tie into the general mentality of a group of kids. Parents, their relationships with the team and coaches, socialization among peers, school problems, socio-economics etc..
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Post by spos21ram on Feb 9, 2012 12:26:13 GMT -6
As far as the weight room goes, I've noticed over the years that if you have that group of 5-10 kids that love lifting and will lift on their own when they don't have to etc. then that mentality and "tradition" will get passed down and you'll see a group of 5-10 die hards every year. That's how it was when I was playing. The younger kids saw this group and some wanted to be that group so it was almost passed down like a tradition. We haven't had this in several years. One main reason is that our locker room is no longer in the same building as our weight room.
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Post by fantom on Feb 9, 2012 12:52:25 GMT -6
Is it just me or do kids today seem to almost resent be pushed? I am in a a program that has had a lot of success but the last few groups to come into our school seem to have a resentment and disdain for anyone who tries to push them to be their best. It doesn't matter if it is in the classroom, weightroom or on the field. They just seem to get an attitude if you try to correct them. That does not fit my wheelhouse. I am going to coach them and correct them whether they like it or not. But it sure does make coaching a lot less fun. Some of these kids would just as soon walk away from as to be pushed to excellence. The parents back them with this attitude. The logical thing is to just say, "hey let them go, or run them off." Only problem is in a relatively small school like ours you would cut your own throat to run off some good athletes. As a staff we have resolved to keep pushing and trying to change attitudes, but it is a slow go right now. Suggestions??? I'm sorry to hear that you're in a situation like that. In my experience kids want to be better. They want to be pushed. These guys who you think you need, are they really that good? |
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Post by love353football on Feb 9, 2012 16:52:48 GMT -6
Its a reflection of the parenting, coaching and schooling they have had.
I spent too much time in one place, everyone , it seemed was pulling on the wrong end of the rope. Parents, Admin, Boosters, students, and even coaches to some extent.
I took a new position, set the expectations, saw a few drop out, and in three years have found that we have changed the culture so that essentially EVERY KID is in the weight room now at some level of investment. EVERY KID comes to practice and they stay eligible. There simply is no room at all for the individual who isnt on board.
Do it your way, DO NOT LOWER YOUR STANDARDS. DO NOT LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS. You may not last long but promise yourself right now, those who do not want to work hard will not be on the field. Its better to lose every game by fifty doing it the right way, by rewarding hard work.
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Post by Yash on Feb 9, 2012 17:05:57 GMT -6
I think its all about how you correct them. I don't know your strategies so I'm not saying what you are doing is wrong but here is how I do it. 1. I focus on one thing to correct at a time and really encourage them in that. As long as they are safe in what they are doing, I fix one thing at a time, really pump them up, make them feel good about that and then work on the next part of if. 2. Never keep it too serious. I want them getting better but at the same time if it isn't fun they won't be there. So I joke with them and keep it loose. That doesn't mean we don't work. When our hands are on the bar, we grip it and rip it. And you can't take too much time inbetween sets but I love giving my kids crap when I catch them checking out the gymnastics team (practices right next to the weight room) when they go to get a drink (we were all 16 once, you know you looked when you were 16). They get a laugh about it. Keep it loose, but focused.
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Post by coachcb on Feb 10, 2012 9:14:53 GMT -6
Honestly, sometimes you have to let "natural consequences" set in.
We had a real problem with laziness and attendance this year. We ran the kids, we lectured, we suspended them for games, we kicked a few off of the team... I finally snapped one day and did two things:
1. I gave the captains the practice schedule and told them to run it. "I'm tired of running you guys, we're nothing but white noise so you guys take care of it. You won't work for the coaches, you better work for each other.".
2. I told them that the natural consequence of their laziness was losing and losing big. I told them to start getting on their teammates because they were the ones out their getting their a$$es kicked on the field, not the coaches.
We played pretty well that week, tied up with one team until the fourth quarter and then got blown out. We won the next game 65-14.
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Post by hchscoachtom on Feb 11, 2012 17:16:02 GMT -6
It might be worthwhile to visit with each player and find out what their expectations of the upcoming season are, or what their goals for the off-season are. If they don't have any, you could work with them to establish personal goals and team goals. Try to give some ownership to the team and see who steps up as leaders who can put some positive peer pressure on the rest.
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Post by cqmiller on Feb 12, 2012 13:46:57 GMT -6
#1 issue I run into is that everyone wants to be 10-0 and a future D1 football player, but getting them to want to put in any effort for that goal is me being a d!ck. Had a parent send me a very long email complaining because her son did not letter this year and that he is not going to play next year because we wouldn't let him listen to his Ipod during weightlifting and the fact that he was injured the ENTIRE season and played 10 snaps the total on the year.
Accused our coaching staff of "picking on him" for making him put away his Ipod in the weightroom, but then said that he felt like he wasn't part of the program because we coached all the kids that were not injured during the weeks of the season. Each of my coaches tried to get him to come to position meetings and be involved as much as possible, but he was just there for the jersey so he could say to the females, "I'm on the football team".
Now it's my fault that his friends harass him about not lettering when they did and the fact that he doesn't wanna play football next year. Each of my coaches basically say, "good riddance" because the kid has done plenty of stuff to undermine the program. I'll have to deal with it for a while because the mom has a lot of time on her hands to make my life miserable.
Good times these days.
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Post by mattyg2787 on Feb 12, 2012 14:52:46 GMT -6
Had a parent send me a very long email complaining. And there's there problem. No accountability for the kids. my granddad always tells me about getting the cane at school. If he went home complaining to his dad he'd get it again because he had done the wrong thing. These days, kids do something wrong, run home and tell their parents and its obviously not their darling little angels fault so its got be the teacher/ coach/ boss. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using ProBoards |
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Post by ajreaper on Feb 13, 2012 11:03:08 GMT -6
We live in the world where kids are use to the reset button, game going bad for you hit reset, choose an easier opponent or a stronger team and restart that game on xBox or Playstation. Many desire all the that hard work can bring, being a starter, all region or state or perhaps a scholarship to play at the next level but they want all that cheap- they desire those things on their terms and their terms alone. Hard work for most people is no longer hard work its work until you are uncomfortable or tired and stop- since you were breathing hard or were sore you then must have worked hard.
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Post by IronmanFootball on Feb 15, 2012 9:54:16 GMT -6
Dealing with that here. HS kids at my school were all cast offs from other HS programs, we had a crew of 6-7 seniors that were used to beating up on 8th graders in practice, when we got to real games... lost by 80 and they quit after the 1st quarter.
Most of the worst kids re weight room, attitude/academics, and coach-ability are gone, but 1-2 remain. One has disappeared from the off-season program because after skipping a week he came back and threw up (he was even late to the field work part, HE THREW UP FROM THE LIFTS!!). Another is learning quickly that I'm not playing around and has bought in about 90% (still complains about doing squats bc he's more into biceps than winning football games) which is an increase from 50-60% in the fall.
How have I tried to change the mold around here that losing and 50% effort are ok? By being at everything early and often. I'm always around. I cruise the hallways, I show up in classes on my planning time, I'm always present. If I'm always there and on time, they have to be. Also by lifting with them here or there and explaining why more. Not just "do it or else" lots of "this is how it will = wins"
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Post by mattyg2787 on Feb 15, 2012 14:16:13 GMT -6
Just a side note as well guys(remember this is from the outside as week, don't know whole story) do you treat every guy different?
My first gig, I had an olinemen that f'ed around on other coaches and they kept telling how they wanted to make him quit. I came in and he quickly turned into my best player. The guy was 17 at the time and like most guys at that age (me included) was going to argue for the sake of arguing.
I took him from d line, sat him down and asked why he played. He said cause his mates do. Then I asked if he enjoyed it. I got that he loved game day but hated training (mind, still just short of perfect attendance) this went on back and forth till it came up that he felt that the stuff he was doing in trainings was stupid and irrelevant. (another reason why I started coaching them)
the other big issue ive seen is lack of respect from coaches to players. its not like it used to be where just because your older and your pay check says coach on it so the kids will respect you.
As I said, by the end of the year, he was our best o linemen and the line all told never gave up a sack in our final. (I watched the qb go through his checks twice on one play and still had time)
The point (and its kind of a long one) is that everyone is different. I was the exact same kid as him, I still do the same thing now in the men's comp I play in. if my coaches dont a)want to treat me with respect and
B) get me doing relevant stuff
Then they have no chance of me keeping my mouth shut.
With all of this said, some times you just cant get guys to pull their heads in but if the whole team is dropping like flys, maybe its something to look at
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using ProBoards
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