|
|
Post by paydirt18 on Jun 2, 2007 20:34:52 GMT -6
With the end of the school year, the beginning of a new season is fast approaching. Unfortunately, we don't have spring ball up here-so other than weight room stuff and things that I do on my own, I don't have a ton of contact (in terms of football prep) with my kids. I am now about to enter my 2nd year as a HC and when I look back at the past year I can admit that my staff and I did some great things-this includes an overall better structure for the kids, great fundraising, and some success on the field. The one downfall however I admit was that I went into last year assuming my kids already knew alot about football. I was very wrong. It showed during our first 4 games of the season. As a result we started out 0-4. When we went back to the basics and "dumbed down" some things, we managed to win 5 of our last 6.
I was wondering if there is anybody else out there who also just experienced their first season, if they would be willing to share the ups and downs of the season. I guess this also applies to you old vets out there who have been doing it alot longer than I.
Just interested in some thoughts and maybe some ideas on how to improve (in general) with the things that I am doing.
|
|
|
|
Post by coachjim on Jun 3, 2007 7:01:43 GMT -6
Every year, I realize how much I didn't know the year before, and nothing ever changes.
|
|
|
|
Post by bulldogoption on Jun 3, 2007 13:37:34 GMT -6
Coach,
I finished my 2nd year. 2nd year went much better in terms of practice intensity. Took over a terrible program. However, I think there is a general consensus that you need to get the first two years of kids thru before you will start to see your kids doing things the way you want. LIke it or not the jr/sr classes you inherited knew the "old" way. Your way is different. I think you will still have frustrations for that reason. It probably runs deeper than that ( I think it takes 4-5 years) but many of those issues will be gone after two seasons.
I found my 2nd year to be not a lot different from my 1st. That may be a reflection on me however. I am really looking forward to the upcoming season, my 3rd. The kids now will have three years in teh system. The same for the coaches. I anticipate our practices flowing even smoother as we are aware of what we want for our system as a staff.
It sounds like you had a nice finish to last season. That should help this season a lot. Good luck !!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by brophy on Jun 3, 2007 13:59:05 GMT -6
Every year, I realize how much I didn't know the year before, and nothing ever changes. yeah.....tell me about it. In response to the original thread - during the year, some folks 'journal / blog' their experiences on here and it can be entertaining and refreshing to hear folks that deal with the same stuff we all deal with. It is cheaper than counseling......  |
|
|
|
Post by fbdoc on Jun 3, 2007 14:09:11 GMT -6
Been doing this for awhile (25+) and beginning year 7 as HC at my current school. The fundamentals and motivational factors should always be among the most important points for you. Everyone who has coached has drifted away from these two from time to time so don't worry about it. The ups and downs come with the territory so get used to it. Right now one of the biggest factors in me looking forward to this coming fall is the fact that we just graduated 8 seniors who were pretty good players but were not the best leaders. The group we have now is much better in that area. You also have an advantage working for you with your strong finish from last season. Build on that momentum and get this season started off on a good note.
|
|
|
|
Post by darebelcoach on Jun 4, 2007 19:43:39 GMT -6
I just finished my first yeas as a HC at the age of 29. Overall it was a great success, we went 5-4 and 4-2 in conference after being picked to go 0-9 by major papers. I went in to my first year with a lot of great ideas and also a lot of doubts, but after the season ended, I can honestly say that my first year was a success and is something that my team and I will build on. I truly believe that your team takes on the identity of the head coach...the coach at my school was 4-12 in his two years there and when he left, he told people that "this school doesn't know how to play football and how to win". I was new to the school and came in with an open mind and showed the kids how determined I was and how I believed in them. The juniors on my team had been 0-18 in their first two years in the program. I think the thing that helped me the most as a first year coach was that I had a good staff and that I showed faith in my kids, through the good and the bad and I think high school kids need to see that their coach believes in them. Are there some things I can do better or add to my program this year and the following years, most defintely, but overall, being myself and sticking to my guns proved to be successful. Needless to say, the coach who left went 1-8 and his new school.
|
|
|
|
Post by senatorblutarsky on Jun 4, 2007 21:07:13 GMT -6
I didn't just experience my first season (in my 17th), but your situation reminded me of my second year. I was too dumb to figure out that whole "cutting the playbook down" thing my first year. I probably wouldn't have figured it out my second either, but after having to suspend 5 seniors after starting 0-3, and starting 3 juniors and the rest sophomores and freshmen, I had to "dumb it down". We lost the next, but then won 5 in a row to get in the playoffs (before losing 46-6 in the first round). Unfortunately, I have to relearn the same lesson a lot. At the end of last year a few of our OL said it was tough for them to switch from unbalanced to balanced formations, because the continuity of working with the same people every play was not there. Hopefully, we've amended that problem for this year... but I'm sure I'll find some other way to confuse the players.  I think it is important to try to know a lot of football, but more importantly than that is an ability to filter down and simplify for players. If I want to make any addition/change there must be a good reason, and it must translate well in to what we are doing. We are multiple on offense, and I've borrowed a lot from a lot of systems- but for it to work it has to fit in to what we do... that is the toughest part sometimes, but a step that is very necessary according to our philosophy here. |
|
|
|
Post by spreadattack on Jun 5, 2007 7:50:22 GMT -6
I agree with the good senator (and most everyone else in the thread). Since Coaches don't get to play, "scheme," your "system," or your strategies are only meaningful insofar as what your players can figure out and execute.
One way to think of it is just that if you overload your players, they are sure to play worse than their potential, and sharply so. If you get it "just right," you may maximize it, but you're better off erring on the safe side and focusing on what you know they can execute, and installing new things when they have mastered the old.
|
|
|
|
Post by paydirt18 on Jun 5, 2007 11:38:34 GMT -6
These are all good comments. This year we are beginning with a very minimal amount of play installation-maybe 4-5 runa and pass game plays and then add as they are ready. Being able to convey to the kids is my number 1 objective, and I will build off our late season successes. What strategies do you guys use to motivate your players both individually and as a team?
|
|
|
|
Post by tothehouse on Jun 5, 2007 12:54:58 GMT -6
Dirty - Have THEM talk about their goals....TO EACH OTHER. It is one thing coming from you and your staff, but to have it come from them it's big. They can hold each other accountable.
For the season, and especially big games, this will come in handy.
|
|
kdcoach
Sophomore Member
Posts: 194
|
Post by kdcoach on Jun 6, 2007 10:30:07 GMT -6
One thing that we do (to tie into what tothehouse said) is to get together with our players and discuss our goals for the year. After they come up with their goals we talk to the about what behaviors they are willing to do to accomplish their goals. We continue to remind them of both their stated goals and the behaviors that it will take to get them there to help us focus on what we are trying to accomplish as a family.
|
|
|
|
Post by flexspread on Jun 6, 2007 13:19:52 GMT -6
I have just finished my first season as head coach and I am just into the beginning of summer weights and conditioning. I took over a program that had been aweful. I was the third HC in three years. Two HCs ago, the school hired someone who came, talked to the kids and then the next day resigned so the School had to go with another guy. The guy that I replaced was the 5th choice for a coach. Supposedly I was the 1st choice by the school last year but to tell the truth I don't believe many applied for the position. I'm 25 years old and did my best to hit the ground running. The school is in a small, economically depressed area and in the past kids were not held to very high standards and were free to come and go as they pleased. Coming in I made it clear that athletes were to be involved in the summer weights and conditioning and we had 24 kids participate. Those 24 carried over into my 9-12 football team, which finished with 19 players, 3 seniors and 2 juniors. We went 0-9, which was their 2nd straight year going winless but out of our team, which was basically a JV squad with minimal players of former varsity time, we return all but three starters, which gives us hope. I've invested time and effort into getting the kids to believe that I care about them and believe in them and they have begun to respond. This year we have had 45 kids "sign-up" for football and after our first two days of weights we have had 34 participate. I'm excited about what the future may hold for us as a team but I am also nervous. Many of my kids are not used to responding in a positive fashion when they are pushed to their limit and I am pushing them as hard as I know how during weights (fast paced intense workouts with no time to jibber jabber with your buddies). In the first day out of 30 kids that showed up we had 5 pukers while lifting (just through the workouts not running). The second day all five pukers returned. I'm hoping I am helping turn the corner and we will win football games but when keeps me putting in countless hours is that I know that I am impacting some of these boys lives who have had very few people in thier lives believe in and care for them.
|
|
|
|
Post by fbdoc on Jun 6, 2007 13:53:32 GMT -6
Flexspread - Keep Coaching em' Up!. Those are the exciting times that you will look back upon and remember fondly when celebrating victories and winning seasons down the road. It sounds like you have your kids buying into the system. Keep up the good work!
|
|
|
|
Post by optioncoach on Jun 6, 2007 20:18:43 GMT -6
One common mistake is to try and do too much. I know I did, and I still have to fight the urge to do more, more, more. Having 5 plays your kids can execute well is better than 20 plays they can't.
I think in part, we do that more early in our careers because we all go into a job with a predetermined plan (which we should) of what we want to do and install. But unless you're lucky enough to coach in a school that has the kind of athletes that can truly run any offense or defense, coaches have to adapt and evolve. I went into my first year with a Power I offense, because that is what I knew. I played for and eventually coached under the same guy, so most of what I knew about football, he taught me. In reality, my offensive "philosophy" was what I had borrowed from him. I'm now in my 9th year as head coach, and we run split back veer, which we recently adapted to after running inside veer and midline from the "I" for several years. I joke with my former head coach about how far the apple has fallen from the tree, but its what I had to do to survive and eventually, attain some measure of success. But what I did learn about coaching from him has little to do with Xs and Os. Passion, attention to detail, work harder than your opponent. Offenses will come and go, but these things won't.
Long story short...have a core set of beliefs, and allow yourself the ability to change and adapt to meet the challenges that are unique to your situation. Sounds to me that you're well on your way!
|
|
|
|
Post by coachjim on Jun 7, 2007 4:44:39 GMT -6
It is odd, how a winless season can turn the little things into 9th run game ending hr's. Winless seasons are like little seeds, planted in crappy soil, but sprout huge flowers (usually.)
Our previous season, in which we won only the "Garbage Bowl" at the end was a good example. I ran on the field like an idiot when we won that one, so did the kids. Great times. Enjoy this season Flex and have fun, you can find success now in the little things so the big things that are in store for you, by all this hard work, will be even better. They will be awesome, good luck!
|
|
