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Post by champ93 on Jul 19, 2006 9:20:34 GMT -6
Let me pre-face this by informing you I am the HC at a program that has not had much success over the years. Lack of commitment and parent bullying was the norm for many years. This is my third season and the second using the program described below. I believe if I am to be accountable for this program, the members of the program must be accountabkle to me.
In order to qualify to wear helmet decals and stripes, I set a predetermined percentage of workouts that a player must attend. I give credit for school sponsored events (team basketball camp, any school sports, etc.). If a player misses too many workouts for whatever reason he can make up for it a number of ways such as Semester A grades, community service work, or run a mile for everyday missed.
We also have an appeals committee made up of the Varsity Captains and 2 coaches (not me) to decide appropriate make-up work for those who did not meet the attendance requirements. This gives the kid who missed too many to explain his position. The committee has the power to reduce the make-up miles, eliminate them, or keep the requirements. I have found them to be very fair. They know who is legit and who blew them off all summer.
When we run out for the first game and some kids that have not made up their work are standing on the sidleine the entire game with plain black helmets while their teammates have stripes and decals, every body knows why. by week two, everybody has made up their work.
I realize I lose some kids because I require commitment and accountability, but that is the lesson I feel must be learned about life.
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Post by champ93 on Jul 19, 2006 9:23:34 GMT -6
Let me pre-face this by informing you I am the HC at a program that has not had much success over the years. Lack of commitment and parent bullying was the norm for many years. This is my third season and the second using the program described below. I believe if I am to be accountable for this program, the members of the program must be accountabkle to me. In order to qualify to wear helmet decals and stripes, I set a predetermined percentage of workouts that a player must attend. I give credit for school sponsored events (team basketball camp, any school sports, etc.). If a player misses too many workouts for whatever reason he can make up for it a number of ways such as Semester A grades, community service work, or run a mile for everyday missed. We also have an appeals committee made up of the Varsity Captains and 2 coaches (not me) to decide appropriate make-up work for those who did not meet the attendance requirements. This gives the kid who missed too many to explain his position. The committee has the power to reduce the make-up miles, eliminate them, or keep the requirements. I have found them to be very fair. They know who is legit and who blew them off all summer. When we run out for the first game and some kids that have not made up their work are standing on the sidleine the entire game with plain black helmets while their teammates have stripes and decals, every body knows why. by week two, everybody has made up their work. I realize I lose some kids because I require commitment and accountability, but that is the lesson I feel must be learned about life. |
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Post by sls on Jul 19, 2006 9:31:57 GMT -6
I now have a question,
kid moves in from a new area, has not been to workouts and is a good player. Should he play as soon as he learns the system or should he have to do some makeup?
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Post by blb on Jul 19, 2006 9:50:33 GMT -6
I'm all for commitment and self-discipline. These are two of the major lessons taught by high school football.
But reading some of the posts on here, we (HS football coaches) are putting greater demands on teenagers than are permitted by the NCAA or NFL in the summer!
Are we really that threatened by summer baseball and basketball; too afraid of "not keeping up with the Joneses" (losing); or what?
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Post by superpower on Jul 19, 2006 13:20:07 GMT -6
Ideally we would all have 100% commitment and participation, but I am now in my 16th year of coaching high school football (9th as head coach), and I realize that I will never get 100% participation. Instead of worrying about who is not there, I focus on the kids that are in the weightroom busting their butts. I continue to call and encourage those who are not attending, but I am not going to worry about it. When the season starts, some who did not attend in the summer will still be better athletes than some who did. Since I want to win, I am going to play the best player at each position because I have a commitment to the team.
I think the best case scenario is when you have a group of players who take the leadership and get their teammates into the weightroom consistently. That is way more effective than having a coach riding them about it.
Anyway, that is my opinion.
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Post by coachcb on Jul 19, 2006 15:53:21 GMT -6
I disagree with those that think we are asking too much of the athletes during the summer. A typical weight room session along with some SAQ work will generally only run and hour to and hour and a half three to four days a week. Four and a half to six hours a week isn't assking that much of the kids, especially when the athletes that buck hay bails all day are the ones that make all the work outs.
The majority of the kids I have coached aren't working full time (or even close) during the summer, most of their day is spent being un productive. Asking for an hour and a half a day of their screw off time isn't going to kill them ands it will set the tone for your program. If you want to play then you need to make a minimal commitment to your team mates.
I say this not only from the stand point of a coach, but from that of those kids that do bust their butts in the weight room day in and day out. I want to win as badly as anyone around here, but we're teaching the wrong lesson if we start kids that haven't been lifting over those that have. I want my players to realize that hard work and dedication are the quickest ways to success and I can't do that if I'm not holding people accountable for summer workouts.
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Post by kcbazooka on Jul 19, 2006 16:26:05 GMT -6
Very interesting discussion that you could not have on a regular high school football chat line -- Many, (most) coaches in our State have the kids do a required number of lifts eventhough it very specifically says not to in the State Handbook. It does come down to Keeping up with the Joneses -- when the other schools in the conference are making it mandatory it is difficult not to do it and remain competitive. I do something similar to Champ in that I award the helmet stripes when they get a certain number of lifts in. Also, the only ones who do the program can be the team captains on varsity or j-v. I put asteriks next their names in the program if they lifted.I am letting those kids that do not get in the lifts make it up when two-a-days start but haven't decided on what they will do. All those are positive things designed to reward the kids but as has been mentioned -- what do you do with the kids that doesn't lift- but is so much better than the others that he should start. If you don't play him are you cutting off your nose to spite your face???
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Post by coachcb on Jul 19, 2006 18:37:32 GMT -6
Bazooka- I know a coach that has a mandatory weight training program that works very well. He utilizes a point system that takes into account other sports and weight training during the school year and the summer. He sets up his summer weight training around baseball and basketball, accounts for vacations, and is very fair. He also sets up make up sessions to make sure every base is covered. If you don't accumulate a certain number of points (80%) before the season starts, you don't play for him- PERIOD. He gets away with it because he's the AD and the community and the players (most importantly) back him up on it.
This guy's team is a power house every single year, an off year for them is not making the semis. The school is one of the smaller ones in the state, but the program spits out college prospects every year.
Several years ago, he had a starter decide he was going to "boycott" the weight training. The kid was a stud FB and didn't think this coach would sit him, boy was he wrong. The coach benched the kid and he quit, and the team still went deep into the playoffs. They might have gotten further with the kid, but I doubt it. Had he played the kid, I think he would have lost a lot of respect from the kids. The program has built its identity on the field and in the weight room.
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Post by tothehouse on Jul 19, 2006 19:10:44 GMT -6
Here is a good one.
We hand out of summer schedule in January. Players can go over the schedule with their parents to plan vacations etc. Players are required to be there. If they aren't attending they don't play as much as the guy in front of them who is at everything.
We work out in the summer at 5:45am because some of our players have summer school and WE DON'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT EVERYBODY. PERIOD. We get about 98% of the players on time and the others that are late are usually only about 5 minutes late. It is 10 down ups for every minute late.
When you look at the schedule the players have almost 5 weeks off in the summer.
Key is to stick to what you do and the future players coming up will understand what they are getting into......make it become standard!!!!
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Post by phantom on Jul 19, 2006 20:36:53 GMT -6
Even though our workouts are mandatory we get a good turnout. A guy who boycotts will likely have a lot of free time in the fall. If a guy isn't there as much as he should be then that will be considered when we make up the preseason depth chart. If he's the best man for his position, though, he plays.
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Post by exkicker on Jul 24, 2006 12:46:53 GMT -6
Interest topic indeed...we are a small school, we have about 34 kids out for the team total. If we are able to get 15 to 20 kids at a summer workout 2 days a week that is exceptional for us.
Becuase we are small, kids play summer baseball, work, vacations etc. we cannot make things mandatory even if we wanted to. The last thing I want to do is be a pain and hound them. I agree 100% summer workouts are important but at a school our size I do not want to run away the 'Fence riders', the 10 to 12 'Diehards' will be there. If we lose say 8 kids because we become too demanding in the summer that puts us down to 24 kids. It is a tough situation, what do other 'small schools do?
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Post by knight9299 on Jul 24, 2006 13:15:21 GMT -6
From a school as well. Probably 80 kids total frosh through senior. Attendance is kept on a giant board for everyone to see. Weight room is open 2 times a day Monday through Friday. The biggest incentive is being part of the football poster. You put the time in no matter what level you play, you're on the poster. The HC figures only the guys who bust their but in the off season get to represent the program on the poster. Participation in other sports is not held against them at all.
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Post by coachcb on Jul 24, 2006 14:26:38 GMT -6
Here's an example of a attendance point system I have seen installed-
Weight room session during the school year-1 pt (5 points max per week)
Other sport- 1 pt (5 pts per week, including games)
Weight room session while in another sport during the school year (only 2x a week)-3 points (6 weeks max per week)
Summer workout- 1 pt (5 points max per week)
Athletes have to have 80% of points during the school year AND 80% of points during the school year- or they don't play. Total points is also a consideration in team captains. Weight room sessions for inseason athletes are worth more because it shows a big commitment to football.
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Post by senatorblutarsky on Jul 24, 2006 15:26:01 GMT -6
We are a small school (68 students grades 9-12)
Our conditioning requirements are as follows (similar to others):
1. All players must complete the 12 minute run before eligible to play in a game (DB-10 laps, LB-9, DL-8)
2. Players who achieve 80% or higher attendance at spring and summer conditioning, camp and clinic will have conditioned enough that they may bypass the 12 minute run if they choose (no one has chosen to do it…)
I give 1 point credit for the following:
Spring- Out for a spring sport- 16/16, otherwise daily attendance at conditioning (T-Th, 8 weeks)
Summer 40 days. If they are at a camp for basketball, track, etc. that counts. If they had a late night away baseball game, I count that (we had 3 games that qualified this year). If they are at a non-athletic school or church activity, I count 1/2 point.
Camp/Clinic 14 days.- Camp is a bonus because they have to pay to go to it. Otherwise, same as summer conditioning requirements (though if they miss, their competition for that job is gaining).
So they need 80% of the points.
We have 24 out for football (29 boys in the school). 23 will make 80%. This will be the first year we have not had all make 80% since 1997.
One note, if kids are gone for a valid reason (visiting other parent, work that takes them away from town for days at a time), we have personal plans for these athletes (situations vary so much, we have nothing that I would call “standard”).
By not getting 80%, they can still play... but they have to earn it. The 12 mile run sucks (No football value, I know. But it does contain an "opportunity for growth" in it). On the 12 min. run, each consecutive day they run it, we deduct 1/2 lap (provided they always make half of the requirement). It usually takes about 2 weeks (8-10 times) to complete the run.
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