Post by coachfore on Jun 18, 2012 22:39:30 GMT -6
Coach,
Entitlement is one of the greatest challenges we all have working with kids these days. Hang in there. You are not alone. I took over a program in South Orange County, California that was 0-10 the year before I got there, 2-8 the year before. We won our first game my first year there, meaning we snapped about a 17 game losing streak. All of a sudden, the kids were happy campers, and totally stoked, the kids and their parents partied like we won a state championship. I was sitting back with my coaching staff going, "this is what is supposed to happen." It was very interesting. Then we won our second game.
I'll never forget that next Monday, were we were 2-0, having won as many games in two weeks as they did the previous two YEARS! Talk about entitlement! They were done with the season, their goals accomplished.
A few things I did to help battle this "entitlement" issue at that school of very privleged kids:
1. Raise the bar high.
They may think they are entitled to jump over it, but wait until they can't! As some coaches have already said, you will see the group divide in to three groups, from my experience: those who want to work hard to jump over it, those who really don't care if they jump over it but they will try, and those who think the bar is too high, and walk away. Target that second group! Make those kids want to jump, spend 80 percent of your time reaching out to those kids, 10 percent to the ones who think it is too high, and 10 percent to the one who want to work hard. Put some assistants on both groups of the 10 percenters, to encourage and equip, you keep going after that 80 percent!
2. Instant Feedback. There is a coach here in Southern California at Santa Margarita High School, Harry Welch, one of the greatest coaches in CA history. He has won three state championships with three different schools since 2006. I got to know him as we competed in the same league in 2007-09. I spent some time with him at a few of his practices when our season was done, and they were on a 46 game winning streak. The most important take away: instant feedback on effort. His teams have very few plays. Very basic offense and defense, but they execute better than any team most have ever seen. Why? They work so hard on effort, and giving instant feedback. Again, this will separate those who believe they are entitled to a position, a win, etc. ANY TIME there is not fantastic effort by every player on his team, during a play, they IMMEDIATELY go to the sidelines and run a crossfield. I must have seen them do this 30-40 times during practice. It was amazing. I started it the year after I saw it, and I don't think there is anything that helped us win a League Championship more than that.
One coach said you can't coach effort, I totally disagree. Harry Welch is the master at coaching effort. I've seen it first hand, and raising the bar of effort will help to get rid of that entitlement issue. Be ready to lose some kids, and as others have said "you will be better without them!" If I can help with anything more, please let me know.
Entitlement is one of the greatest challenges we all have working with kids these days. Hang in there. You are not alone. I took over a program in South Orange County, California that was 0-10 the year before I got there, 2-8 the year before. We won our first game my first year there, meaning we snapped about a 17 game losing streak. All of a sudden, the kids were happy campers, and totally stoked, the kids and their parents partied like we won a state championship. I was sitting back with my coaching staff going, "this is what is supposed to happen." It was very interesting. Then we won our second game.
I'll never forget that next Monday, were we were 2-0, having won as many games in two weeks as they did the previous two YEARS! Talk about entitlement! They were done with the season, their goals accomplished.
A few things I did to help battle this "entitlement" issue at that school of very privleged kids:
1. Raise the bar high.
They may think they are entitled to jump over it, but wait until they can't! As some coaches have already said, you will see the group divide in to three groups, from my experience: those who want to work hard to jump over it, those who really don't care if they jump over it but they will try, and those who think the bar is too high, and walk away. Target that second group! Make those kids want to jump, spend 80 percent of your time reaching out to those kids, 10 percent to the ones who think it is too high, and 10 percent to the one who want to work hard. Put some assistants on both groups of the 10 percenters, to encourage and equip, you keep going after that 80 percent!
2. Instant Feedback. There is a coach here in Southern California at Santa Margarita High School, Harry Welch, one of the greatest coaches in CA history. He has won three state championships with three different schools since 2006. I got to know him as we competed in the same league in 2007-09. I spent some time with him at a few of his practices when our season was done, and they were on a 46 game winning streak. The most important take away: instant feedback on effort. His teams have very few plays. Very basic offense and defense, but they execute better than any team most have ever seen. Why? They work so hard on effort, and giving instant feedback. Again, this will separate those who believe they are entitled to a position, a win, etc. ANY TIME there is not fantastic effort by every player on his team, during a play, they IMMEDIATELY go to the sidelines and run a crossfield. I must have seen them do this 30-40 times during practice. It was amazing. I started it the year after I saw it, and I don't think there is anything that helped us win a League Championship more than that.
One coach said you can't coach effort, I totally disagree. Harry Welch is the master at coaching effort. I've seen it first hand, and raising the bar of effort will help to get rid of that entitlement issue. Be ready to lose some kids, and as others have said "you will be better without them!" If I can help with anything more, please let me know.