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Post by gabehc16 on Mar 22, 2013 8:49:57 GMT -6
Curious if you guys have any thoughts on how to combat athletes from specialization in only one sport. We have had some kids that have decided to quit a sport to "focus" on another sport. It has gone in all directions...quitting to focus on football (which I strongly discourage)...quitting to focus on basketball, baseball, soccer, etc etc.
Are you doing anything to educate parents and kids as to the benefits of participating in multiple sports etc?
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Post by Chris Clement on Mar 22, 2013 9:09:01 GMT -6
Well, don't make football a 12month activity is the first step. Then work with other coaches, not against them. If coaches stopped believing that every extra practice was going to be the difference maker they'd probably end up better off.
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Post by mrjvi on Mar 22, 2013 10:21:29 GMT -6
I push kids to strength train year round. Many of our coaches think that means I am coaching football year round. They have fall baseball, fall lax, fall hockey,fall basketball, etc. but I'm coaching football year round!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by mrjvi on Mar 22, 2013 10:24:09 GMT -6
To reply to the post. The only way I get many kids to commit to football is to ........ Sorry, I don't know, I've tried everything. Being a prick about it correlates to my best teams, unfortunately.
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Post by carookie on Mar 22, 2013 11:50:40 GMT -6
Like Clement wrote above, you gotta connect with the other coaches on campus. I always encourage kids to play other sports; its not as if they arent training and becoming better athletes in basketball, track, baseball, etc. So I'm good with it. These kids don't need to eat, sleep, breathe football (at least not year round).
I think if you model this, and express to admin as such, then other coaches will get on board.
Your big problem is gonna be with mom and dad, who swear their kid is only gonna get better by totally immersing himself into one thing and then buy into all the AAU, winter ball, personal trainer BS
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Post by dytmook on Mar 22, 2013 17:12:11 GMT -6
Our staff encourages kids to do other things. At least we know that are doing something active. Now there are some kids we wish wouldn't do one sport or the other but we never say, "if you don't come to weights you won't play" or anything like that. On the other hand we have issues our basketball program basically telling kids to focus on basketball only or telling them that they will sit the bench if they play football...that's even if they were to make the basketball team. It's very frustrating since we have dropped 2 divisions in football over the past 10 years and we no longer 2 platoon. So the more athletes we have, the better. Plus they seem to convince these 6'2" forwards they could be dvision 1 recruits. I just don't get it.
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Post by bluedevil4 on Mar 22, 2013 17:43:52 GMT -6
Our staff encourages kids to do other things. At least we know that are doing something active. Now there are some kids we wish wouldn't do one sport or the other but we never say, "if you don't come to weights you won't play" or anything like that. On the other hand we have issues our basketball program basically telling kids to focus on basketball only or telling them that they will sit the bench if they play football...that's even if they were to make the basketball team. It's very frustrating since we have dropped 2 divisions in football over the past 10 years and we no longer 2 platoon. So the more athletes we have, the better. Plus they seem to convince these 6'2" forwards they could be dvision 1 recruits. I just don't get it. Sounds like the school I'm at now. Our starting flanker was going to easily be a starting Basketball player this year. In the summer; SUMMER; the kid wanted to attend the football workouts more since that was coming sooner. The B-ball coach told him that if he didn't commit more time to B-ball than he did towards football, he wouldn't play varsity. Needless to say the kid didn't play varsity B-ball this year, and he's perfectly OK with it.
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Post by fantom on Mar 22, 2013 18:02:25 GMT -6
the key really is to develop a good relationship with the other coaches. If one of the coaches is a selfish douche bag that's tough.
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Post by fcboiler87 on Mar 22, 2013 18:13:39 GMT -6
I echo the thoughts on working with other coaches. Of course there are places I have been where some just aren't very flexible and there is little to no working with them. Then you just have to focus on the kids. We are fortunate at our school not a lot of kids do this, though of course some do. Our coaches all work well together because to be honest there isn't a lot of talent in the school despite our size being very reasonable. We know we have to share to be successful.
The most interesting piece of advice I got came from the staff at Georgia Tech. One of their assistants told our staff that if they are comparing recruits and the two are equal, they will take the multiple sport athlete versus the specialized athlete every time. Their rationale is that the multi-sport athlete has untapped potential because he has spent time away from football in other sports. Therefore, he could end up with more upside and perhaps being a better player. We tell this story to our kids. It does seem to have a good influence.
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Post by mrjvi on Mar 23, 2013 6:21:15 GMT -6
I've tried many times to work with the other coaches. Most, and I'm not exaggerating, not only want them to do their sport, they want them to have nothing to do with lifting. our AD isn't very helpful in this area. I'm envious of all these programs where there is some unity. Neither school my career has been in has anything like that.
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Post by austinator on Mar 23, 2013 12:23:45 GMT -6
Specialization is killing football where I live. I know of at least two schools where the basketball coach has convinced guys that they are the next Lebron James so they quit football and focus on basketball 24/7 and this attitude has trickled down to the youth levels where the football teams here lose a few players once the basketball season begins. Kids these days don't know their history. Lebron James was a Parade All American in Football, Allen Iverson was a stud in football, and guys like Antonio Gates who played college basketball before becoming an All Pro TE.
And the HS FB coaches here are promoting playing other sports (track, basketball, etc) but the basketball coaches here know that basketball is a religion in KY and have capitalized on it - to the detriment of football.
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Post by coachweav88 on Mar 23, 2013 12:30:23 GMT -6
Does anyone have a link to any research on the value of playing multiple sports? Maybe this could help dispel the ignorance
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Post by coachjd on Mar 23, 2013 14:09:20 GMT -6
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tgun25
Freshmen Member
[F4:464798950222428]
Posts: 33
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Post by tgun25 on Mar 23, 2013 14:19:07 GMT -6
Being in norther Minnesota, hockey is king. We lose a number of excellent athletes who decide to specialize and focus on hockey. Our school has great hockey tradition, which I celebrate. It's a definite up hill battle and I've just decided to keep talking to hockey kids about football and not take no for an answer.
The sport I'm really getting pissed about is lacrosse. It's nothing more than a club sport, not even a state high school sport here, and I've got some really good players telling me they want to focus on that. WTF?? I don't understand how some kids would trade in Friday night lights to play a club sport in front of 20 people.
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Post by coachweav88 on Mar 23, 2013 17:37:23 GMT -6
Fantastic article! Thanks coach!
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 24, 2013 12:57:46 GMT -6
Great article.
I like to think that I have a great relationship with our basketball and baseball coaches, and I do. However, I have a hard time believing they (well, our basketball coach I should specifically say) actively push their kids to do other sports like I do.
I played them all. Even did 4 sports one year (football, basketball, baseball and track). Being a multi sport athlete, I genuinely want them doing other things.
Our multi sport kids are without a DOUBT our best 'gamers'. The most competitive kids on our team.
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Post by mariner42 on Mar 24, 2013 13:38:41 GMT -6
We have a fantastic repoire with our wrestling program, something like 20-25 football players are also wrestlers. Our wrestling HC is a great guy that pitches his guys on playing football and we do the same for him, it's a great situation.
On the other hand, our baseball coaches are inexcusable. Kids who are second string baseball players and two way football players are being told to play summer ball and fall ball because they will get a scholarship if they do. They carry a varsity and JV roster of ~20 each, but there's 8 players on the 'freshman team' who just practice and practice and practice when there's four sophomores sitting on the varsity bench and five freshmen on the JV bench.
It's all about the relationships with the coaches and encouraging your guy to play as many things as possible while supporting yourself with quotes, articles, etc.
Hate losing them, but some kids are going to hear what they want to hear.
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 24, 2013 17:49:01 GMT -6
^^^ I forgot to mention wrestling. Likewise here. Our wrestling head man just resigned after 20 years at the helm, he was also a long time football assistant. Our new head wrestling coach is also an assistant football coach, my neighbor and a good friend.
I love wrestling. LOVE. I personally can't stand to watch it, but for our football kids, it's the best off season you could ask for.
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Post by coachjd on Mar 24, 2013 19:02:00 GMT -6
I have not posted this yet in my new school but did all the time at my old school. Our head wrestling coach loves to have football players out for wrestling and I feel the same way.
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Post by mariner42 on Mar 24, 2013 19:20:56 GMT -6
Cover photo for the county wrestling preview, featuring the starting OT/heavyweight for my alma mater. Pretty sweet image, imo.
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tgun25
Freshmen Member
[F4:464798950222428]
Posts: 33
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Post by tgun25 on Mar 24, 2013 19:45:44 GMT -6
I would take an entire team of wrestlers and I try to guide any football players toward wrestling. Both sports work so well together. At the school I'm at we just had our stud fullback/linebacker win a state wrestling championship...it's just too bad he's a senior.
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Post by coachjd on Mar 25, 2013 6:56:03 GMT -6
We are trying to build our defense and OL around wrestlers. Tough, hard nosed kids that understand leverage and most importantly they are disciplined kids for the most part.
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Post by amikell on Mar 25, 2013 9:01:19 GMT -6
Our best all around football player is a 2x state champ in wrestling. We try and get as many football players as we can to wrestle. Great carry over. You'll have have a heck of a defense if they all are decent wrestlers.
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Post by macdiiddy on Mar 25, 2013 13:43:24 GMT -6
I think most can agree with the pros of wrestling. I loved what wrestling did for me as a player. It taught me so much about how to be an athlete. With that being said, in hindsight, the cutting aspect isnt worth it. I know there are plenty of rules about not being able to wear trash bags, body fat percentage or initial weigh-ins before the season.
But there are many ways to get around this. I remember cutting 20 lbs each year to get to the lowest possible weight class. This didn't help me mature physically nor did it help in the big picture of wrestling success.
If I ever took over the wrestling program here, I wouldn't allow anyone to cut weight unless they truly have weight to give. And have them do it the right way through a healthy, monitored diet.
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Post by amikell on Mar 25, 2013 14:30:11 GMT -6
Macdiddy. I couldn't agree more. I don't promote cutting weight. I a kid wants to cut, then we will look at how it helps him individually, how it helps the team, and if he is allows by the weight calculator. Our guy played football at around 205 and wrestled 195. To be honest, that's not a big drop for a bigger kid.
Personally, I lost about 40 lbs my sophomore years in high school to wrestle at 215. It was the best move for me athletically. I did it, b/c I had the weight to lose and it made me a better football player. The next two years I played at 230 and wrestled at 215.
The thing I struggle with as a coach is the need/desire for the wrestlers to get on the mat a wrestle in the off season so they can compete and be successful during the season. However, I don't want to burn the kids out, nor do I want to burn out my self. It's tough to find that balance sometimes.
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Post by dubber on Mar 25, 2013 15:56:17 GMT -6
Specialization DOES NOT increase success anyway.
Year round competition will do more good for your kids than anything.
Now if what they are doing is not competitive then there's no value.
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Post by Chris Clement on Mar 25, 2013 15:59:26 GMT -6
People who really understand wrestling (my brother tells me...) say that you should only cut a reasonable amount anyways. Enormous cuts aren't going to help you wrestle any better if you're unable to function properly. Unless you already carry excess fat that doesn't help you in any sport you aren't looking to cut more than maybe 5-8%, and only in the last few days before a tournament.
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Post by jpdaley25 on Mar 28, 2013 8:21:21 GMT -6
I and our baseball coach both encourage multiple sport participation. Not so with our basketball coach (and I've noticed that seems to be a trend judging by the other posts). He has convinced 20 or so kids over the last few years to not play football...and not to lift weights. Meanwhile, his best players each year are the football players that I have trained in our weight room, and all of this in a tiny school with only 100 boys 9-12. Frustrating.
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Post by mrjvi on Mar 28, 2013 9:18:14 GMT -6
JP almost parallel but we don't get baseball either.
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Post by irishdog on Mar 28, 2013 9:34:14 GMT -6
I and our baseball coach both encourage multiple sport participation. Not so with our basketball coach (and I've noticed that seems to be a trend judging by the other posts). He has convinced 20 or so kids over the last few years to not play football...and not to lift weights. Meanwhile, his best players each year are the football players that I have trained in our weight room, and all of this in a tiny school with only 100 boys 9-12. Frustrating. I could go on and on about this topic. In short...coaches have created this mess in the first place. We all want a piece of Johnny, and the more pieces we can get of him the better for us and our programs. Some sports (basketball, hockey, and baseball in particular) place a much higher demand on an athlete's training time, and so do their coaches. So...In order to keep up with the Joneses football coaches created 7 on 7 leagues, tournaments, and linemen competitions, on top of our demands that the football players lift weights over the summer. Our sport is demanding enough as it is. As long as the football players are lifting in the off-season I could care less how many other sports they play. The more the merrier. My beef starts when basketball and baseball coaches prohibit their football athletes from lifting weights during their sports' season! It is a documented fact that whatever gains in strength are made by an athlete can be lost in a week of non-strength activity.
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