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Post by 33coach on Sept 11, 2012 13:54:55 GMT -6
Im looking to revamp our pre practice and pre game routine.
We need it to be alittle more 'aggressive' or 'firey'.
what do you guys do to warm up and mentally prepare with aggession?
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Post by mariner42 on Sept 11, 2012 14:37:07 GMT -6
I start every defensive session with this drill or something akin to it. Every position group, every player. In this case, white was O and blue was D. Technique is non-specific beyond "whip his a$$". This was their 'rubber match' for the day, both had gotten the best of the other in previous rounds.
Last year I couldn't convince our HC to let us do it in pre game, but at other stops we've done it as part of our pre game routine.
This is not a technical drill and I don't think of it as much of a 'physicality' drill, it's about effort and competing. There's no hiding and everyone can plainly see if you're not giving it full effort, your only choice is to compete against the man in front of you.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2012 9:29:41 GMT -6
Can you explain why you would do a drill like that without pads and helmets? Practice is about improving your ability to be successful on Friday nights. I don't understand how two guys running into each other without equipment on accomplishes much more than giving a kid a concussion.
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Post by mariner42 on Sept 12, 2012 10:14:45 GMT -6
Well, in CA your access to pads/helmets is limited significantly during spring and summer, so that's one reason. That's a drill that goes on year-round. In-season, sure, we're in pads because that's how you play the game.
In three years, I've never had a concussion from that drill. The worst injuries that I've seen in it were several bloody noses and one split eyebrow and, frankly, neither the kids nor I made a big deal out of them. It's fairly low impact since they're only starting about a foot apart, so "running into each other" isn't accurate for what's going on. Also, instincts will keep their heads out of the way, similar to how you wouldn't naturally tackle with your head while playing rugby.
It's a specific drill that I insist on running and won't do without. You can use it or not, but believe me when I say the chance of injury is much lower than a lot of stuff that I've seen go on at football practices. I was introduced to it from one of the best coaches in CA history, he's been doing it for God knows how long and he doesn't do anything without a reason. It teaches effort, intensity, and competition on a personal/1-on-1 level and kids don't get injured doing it. His whole right hand sports championship rings so I have stolen a lot of what I do from him because he didn't accidentally win it all... 5 times.
Take it or leave it.
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Post by coachdennis on Sept 12, 2012 12:31:49 GMT -6
A coach I know was frustrated last week with his team's lack of aggression. He decided to do a pre-game "bull in the ring" type drill to get everyone fired up. Yeah, that went well - his starting Mac backer slipped on a wet, bad patch of grass, went down funny, and fractured his hip. Gone for the year. In the game itself, the team got blown out again anyway, and didn't show a lick of progress from the week before.
Moral of the story - game preparation happens during the week. If your kids aren't ready to play when they arrive at the field, what you do five minutes before kickoff isn't going to do a blessed thing to change that...
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Post by fantom on Sept 12, 2012 12:33:37 GMT -6
I prefer a more businesslike atmosphere during warmups. They're already up. We need them mentally ready to go to work.
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Post by silkyice on Sept 12, 2012 12:48:00 GMT -6
The longer I am in the business (twenty plus years), the more I realize that while emotion is important, it is way down on the list of what it takes to win.
Knowing what you are doing and how to do it are by far the more important factors when teams are equal.
All kids want to win. If they know what to do, they will do it with effort.
One game years ago we got beat and didn't play well. We were watching film and saw us break the banner and run on the field right before the game. My DC commented that is the reason we lost - look at us and how we run on the field. Really?? Really?? No, I think it was when our defense was confused and misaligned ten times to give up first downs and touchdowns. But whatever.
I went back and looked at the previous week run-through where we won. It looked the same as when we lost. It has been my own private joke ever since.
Last week I remarked to my guy in the box (who was at my previous school) as we ran onto the field sacarsitcally how fired up we look. We just jogged to the sideline with little emotion. We were up 35-0 at the end of the first QUARTER. LOL
Just know what you are doing and play with effort. The rest will take care of itself.
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jlt
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Post by jlt on Sept 13, 2012 4:05:56 GMT -6
I came about that opinion this year Silkyrice. We played a bad team. We played with no enthusiasm but good execution. No get up and go and beat them 50-0. The following week we were like rabids dogs flying all about the field, putting bodies on line, playing with bad injuries, pure heart. And lost by 5.
Being pumped running onto the field doesnt help you make reads or move at the correct time.
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Post by paulfrantz on Sept 13, 2012 8:02:28 GMT -6
I was a very fiery player, so I always wanted those who played for me to play the same way. Over the years I've found, as yall have said, it's much more important for them to be mentally ready to play (I was just mental when I played
). For me where I coach now, we run through onto the field, then have the national anthem, then prayer. By the time we take the field any emotion that was there before is gone, and as I see it now, energy wasted. I still give them a little "pep" talk before they take the field, but it's just a remember your assignments and punch them in the mouth.
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Post by coachd5085 on Sept 13, 2012 23:58:28 GMT -6
Well, in CA your access to pads/helmets is limited significantly during spring and summer, so that's one reason. That's a drill that goes on year-round. In-season, sure, we're in pads because that's how you play the game. In three years, I've never had a concussion from that drill. The worst injuries that I've seen in it were several bloody noses and one split eyebrow and, frankly, neither the kids nor I made a big deal out of them. It's fairly low impact since they're only starting about a foot apart, so "running into each other" isn't accurate for what's going on. Also, instincts will keep their heads out of the way, similar to how you wouldn't naturally tackle with your head while playing rugby. It's a specific drill that I insist on running and won't do without. You can use it or not, but believe me when I say the chance of injury is much lower than a lot of stuff that I've seen go on at football practices. I was introduced to it from one of the best coaches in CA history, he's been doing it for God knows how long and he doesn't do anything without a reason. It teaches effort, intensity, and competition on a personal/1-on-1 level and kids don't get injured doing it. His whole right hand sports championship rings so I have stolen a lot of what I do from him because he didn't accidentally win it all... 5 times. Take it or leave it. Mariner--just a nickles worth of free advice here. You are putting yourself in an "indefensible" position here doing a drill like this without headgear. Regardless of your, or any other coaches feelings..should anything happen, you will not be able to defend your actions here. This will be the immediate line of questioning : "Coach Mariner...in your ___ years of experience, how many games have you coached" Mariner: _____ "and out of those ___ games, how many were played without helmets" Mariner : 0 "Coach Mariner, why do you think football players wear helmets with facemasks when they are hitting each other...." That's it, party over. Heck, with all the attention on brain trauma and injury on young brains, it looks even worse because you are doing the drill without helmets because the governing body has decided that there are certain periods they don't want kids wearing equipment. Easy connection there to "there are certain periods they don't want kids hitting" You simply can't defend your actions should something go wrong. As far as a coaching having 5 rings...I wouldn't let success justify this type of action here. Bryant had success, and almost killed boys/men. Heck, Joe paterno had success, and his action (or inaction ) or just reporting it to his superiors, which almost everyone everyone deemed"indefensible" (even before the Freeh Report) appears much more defensible on the surface than authorizing this drill. TO BE CLEAR...I am not talking about any morals or anything like that. I am simply saying, that in the Penn State case, the coach did "what he was required" to do, and this was deemed indefensible. Here, one could easily argue that they are "supposed" to wear equipment for contact drills, so the coach isn't doing that. |
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Post by coachd5085 on Sept 16, 2012 11:59:30 GMT -6
And Mariner--I just wanted to be very clear that I wasn't trying to pass judgement or comment on you using the drill without helmets (although, to be honest, I personally disagree with doing so). I was just trying to help you out from a personal liability perspective. I have seen several classroom teachers do things that were seemingly not big deals, yet when one person made a stink, they were "indefensible"...and those teachers had to deal with repercussions. One was playing the song Wobble at an elementary school "pep rally". Sure, most of the kids have heard the song, there were no "curse words"...yet one parent got wind of it, was the type that wanted to raise a stink, and naturally, when put infront of the school board, can't defend the innuendo or lyrics.
I would hate to see a good "youngish" coach fall victim to a situation like that.
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Post by mariner42 on Sept 16, 2012 17:32:23 GMT -6
And it's much appreciated. I haven't responded because I'm trying to think about tweaks for it that make it better/safer. You raised several worthwhile points  |
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Post by macdiiddy on Sept 16, 2012 20:59:14 GMT -6
I start every defensive session with this drill or something akin to it. Every position group, every player. In this case, white was O and blue was D. Technique is non-specific beyond "whip his a$$". This was their 'rubber match' for the day, both had gotten the best of the other in previous rounds. Last year I couldn't convince our HC to let us do it in pre game, but at other stops we've done it as part of our pre game routine. This is not a technical drill and I don't think of it as much of a 'physicality' drill, it's about effort and competing. There's no hiding and everyone can plainly see if you're not giving it full effort, your only choice is to compete against the man in front of you. Our OL and DL will do this nearly every day. If there is a lack of competition, a small incentive normally helps (5 updowns/pushups/manual squats/what ever for the loser) The one thing I hate about this, is their can be awkward falls when someone is getting their butt kicked, and I have seen acouple of ankle sprains, tweaked knees etc. through out the years.....but then again who is to say something like that wouldnt of happened in a game or during indys. Its football, things like that happen. |
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