"Right team"? With essentially the same personnel the Packers won one game the year before Lombardi got there. In the ten years before Lombardi they won 34. That's not to say that there wasn't talent there but let's not make it sound like he walked into a gold mine.
Team obviously was at a point where they were WILLING to change what they were from before... I am fighting this battle where I am at right now. This may be my last as HC at this place.
They say they want to win and turn it around, but here are the reasons they have been bad in the past (Problem), my reason for fixing it (Solution), and the drama I get over my solution (Drama):
P1) Lose kids to grades
S1) Implement 1 hour study-hall each day after school before practice
D1) "I don't have homework.", "My son shouldn't be forced to do homework", and 100 other excuses. Currently (from 4th quarter when I have no control over study-hall) we have 6 kids that cannot play this entire season due to grades. Those 6 are all at least a starter on one of the levels in the program if they are eligible. Parents all complaining about why they can't play in games.
P2) Lose kids to other programs (open-enrollment here. Any kid can go to any school he wants to start, then transfer rules apply)
S2) Make our program 'enticing' to 8th graders by having nice stuff and showing them all our nice stuff. Secured Under Armour deal thru local retailer, have new set of custom uniforms, custom practice jerseys (2 each kid - 1w, 1g), team cleat, under armour spirit packs, under armour girdles, new field equipment (5-man lev, 5-man powerline, 30' trap chute, 2 1-man tackle sleds, full blaster, dozens of new footballs, QB accuracy and Drop-in nets, etc...)
D2) Fundraisers... issue. They all expect me to provide 100's of $$$ of cool stuff on them and their kids, but as soon as we have them try to sell gold-cards, it is like I am asking them to drown their first-born son.
P3) Dedication in offseason and to detail
S3) Provide structured opportunities to get better year-round and provide them with the best HUDL account we can afford with a new EZ camera tower, HD-video cameras with 100 GB hard drives, and a good group of assistant coaches who teach the scheme and fundamentals for our O, D, & ST.
D3) About 30% attendance to offseason. About 70% attendance during "2-a-days" (which aren't even that anymore with all new national rules) and then refusal to do simple things like listen during meetings and film, step correctly with feet when we work on the technique in indy for about 30 minutes minimum each day, and just a lack of respect for BEING A GOOD FOOTBALL TEAM.
I could go on and on and on for about 15 of them...
I have had a letter of resignation ready to go from about the 2nd week of camp. I'm not gonna bail on them that late or during the season, but I have it ready to go so I can find a community and group of kids who are willing to work toward having more than 8 winning seasons in 53 years of football. Feel like I have provided them EVERY opportunity they didn't have before I got here to make the decision themselves to get better and fix the problem.
Lombardi did the same thing... his guys decided to buy in, they were successful. He was not an easy guy to get along with, but they were willing to sacrifice other things in their lives for the sake of the team and success.
This week, I won't have my starting QB at halftime because he and his mom went to the principal and got her okay before coming to me and telling me that they have the band playing a song, cheerleaders holding up a sign, and he is going to walk up in the stands with flowers to ask a girl to a dance (homecoming). Other things are still much more important than focusing on winning games. Gets frustrating!
