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Post by s73 on Jul 11, 2013 15:41:32 GMT -6
Before anyone says: Yeah, yelling for a little while works but then kids tune you out, that's not what I'm really talking about.
I'm also not talking about yelling as your 1st choice of communication. I always tell my kids I will TALK to you about performance until talking does not work anymore. Then I will yell. But that's not even what this thread is about.
Here's what it's about: Today we looked pitiful during team offense for about 15 straight minutes. Then finally after a slow boil, I blow a gasket for a good 30 seconds to a minute. Suddenly, my fullback who couldn't run through a wet paper bag starts running like Earl campbell. My line start hammering dudes, and we go from 1 yard gains to 5-10 yard gains and scored 2 long TD's 1 on the ground and 1 in the air.
We as FB coaches probably get the reputation as "yellers" more than most coaches in other sports. My question is, why does it take that? And.... don't the kids bare some of that responsibility? Like I said above I will talk until it doesn't work anymore than I will get your attention w/ rather loud "verbal cues".
But again, my voice does not make them bigger, faster or stronger. So why the sudden "change in ability"?
I know I'm not the 1st coach to see a difference when this happens, so what is it that makes the kids suddenly tear it up after you tear them up?
Just curious what your thoughts are.
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Post by blb on Jul 11, 2013 16:11:35 GMT -6
It's July 11.
How many days or weeks until your first game?
Can you really expect them to practice as hard now as Game Week?
Human Beings are naturally lazy. Most, especially juveniles-adolescents, need prods.
Being Positive but Demanding works best.
Our kids know that when I raise my voice something serious has happened (or not).
Now because I have a way of projecting and enunciating pointedly sometimes they (like my daughters did) think I'm "yelling," when I'm not. But no one can use "I didn't hear you" as an excuse.
So long as you also enthusiastically praise them when they do what is expected or better - which frankly is underrated by most coaches - they will listen and respond.
Kids have a weakness for the "soft sell" meaning compliments-positive reinforcement and will work harder to receive it. And isn't that where confidence comes from, too?
Our kids also know they only get their azz chewed for mental mistakes and lack of effort.
And it is possible to chew azz with a smile on your face.
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Post by fantom on Jul 11, 2013 16:30:44 GMT -6
Before anyone says: Yeah, yelling for a little while works but then kids tune you out, that's not what I'm really talking about. I'm also not talking about yelling as your 1st choice of communication. I always tell my kids I will TALK to you about performance until talking does not work anymore. Then I will yell. But that's not even what this thread is about. Here's what it's about: Today we looked pitiful during team offense for about 15 straight minutes. Then finally after a slow boil, I blow a gasket for a good 30 seconds to a minute. Suddenly, my fullback who couldn't run through a wet paper bag starts running like Earl campbell. My line start hammering dudes, and we go from 1 yard gains to 5-10 yard gains and scored 2 long TD's 1 on the ground and 1 in the air. We as FB coaches probably get the reputation as "yellers" more than most coaches in other sports. My question is, why does it take that? And.... don't the kids bare some of that responsibility? Like I said above I will talk until it doesn't work anymore than I will get your attention w/ rather loud "verbal cues". But again, my voice does not make them bigger, faster or stronger. So why the sudden "change in ability"? I know I'm not the 1st coach to see a difference when this happens, so what is it that makes the kids suddenly tear it up after you tear them up? Just curious what your thoughts are. If you don't normally yell and now you're yelling they realize that you're serious. Up until that point they didn't realize that it was that bad but now they understand that they really need to focus and make more of an effort. Not saying that yelling is the answer. Everybody's different.
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Post by s73 on Jul 11, 2013 19:02:25 GMT -6
It's July 11. How many days or weeks until your first game? Can you really expect them to practice as hard now as Game Week? Human Beings are naturally lazy. Most, especially juveniles-adolescents, need prods. Being Positive but Demanding works best. Our kids know that when I raise my voice something serious has happened (or not). Now because I have a way of projecting and enunciating pointedly sometimes they (like my daughters did) think I'm "yelling," when I'm not. But no one can use "I didn't hear you" as an excuse. So long as you also enthusiastically praise them when they do what is expected or better - which frankly is underrated by most coaches - they will listen and respond. Kids have a weakness for the "soft sell" meaning compliments-positive reinforcement and will work harder to receive it. And isn't that where confidence comes from, too? Our kids also know they only get their azz chewed for mental mistakes and lack of effort. And it is possible to chew azz with a smile on your face. BLB, I like many of your posts, but don't give me the it's July routine. I have posted on many occasions that my approach to FB is work smarter not harder. We do not use all of our summer contact days, we do not do 2 a days and we do not practice on Saturdays and we do not condition. But......I also tell them that since that's my approach, when we DO PRACTICE, it had better be {censored} good! Hence, the unpleasantries. With that being said, as I stated in OP, I am not looking for the is it okay to yell discussion. I am looking for why kids suddenly improve when you do. I suspect it's fear or they were just lazy before or whatever. I guess that just does not compute to me b/c I was limited in my ability as a player, but as a result, I went very hard when I practiced and did not need to be motivated to do so. In a nutshell, I guess I just don't understand or accept lack of effort very well. PS _ I should also mention that we frontload our summer. In other words, we do everything at the beginning, and then take a month off before August practice. Hence the other reason we need to "get going" b/c were almost done.
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Post by coachd5085 on Jul 11, 2013 19:11:30 GMT -6
Adrenaline
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GANNO
Sophomore Member
Posts: 207
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Post by GANNO on Jul 11, 2013 19:39:09 GMT -6
Before anyone says: Yeah, yelling for a little while works but then kids tune you out, that's not what I'm really talking about. I'm also not talking about yelling as your 1st choice of communication. I always tell my kids I will TALK to you about performance until talking does not work anymore. Then I will yell. But that's not even what this thread is about. Here's what it's about: Today we looked pitiful during team offense for about 15 straight minutes. Then finally after a slow boil, I blow a gasket for a good 30 seconds to a minute. Suddenly, my fullback who couldn't run through a wet paper bag starts running like Earl campbell. My line start hammering dudes, and we go from 1 yard gains to 5-10 yard gains and scored 2 long TD's 1 on the ground and 1 in the air. We as FB coaches probably get the reputation as "yellers" more than most coaches in other sports. My question is, why does it take that? And.... don't the kids bare some of that responsibility? Like I said above I will talk until it doesn't work anymore than I will get your attention w/ rather loud "verbal cues". But again, my voice does not make them bigger, faster or stronger. So why the sudden "change in ability"? I know I'm not the 1st coach to see a difference when this happens, so what is it that makes the kids suddenly tear it up after you tear them up? Just curious what your thoughts are. Nick Saban was asked why he is so hard on his players. He told a story of a year he coached at MSU, where he tried to treat them well, and it backfired. He said that team was his worse in regards to effort! He said that was the aspect of coaching he hated most. He feels like you have to treat players like dogs to get them to preform. He said he wished you didn't have to do that and still get results.
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Post by tothehouse on Jul 11, 2013 20:02:58 GMT -6
If you have competition for positions this makes things easier. "Hey Johnny. Billy is better than you right now...he's in". I didn't have to yell.
But heck yes I'll jump some ass a lot of times. It means a lot to me that the team is doing well...I need to convey my point. It's amazing how much I swear off the field compared to on it. I get my point across pretty clear when my voice flexion goes up.
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Post by blb on Jul 12, 2013 5:04:16 GMT -6
It's July 11. How many days or weeks until your first game? Can you really expect them to practice as hard now as Game Week? Human Beings are naturally lazy. Most, especially juveniles-adolescents, need prods. Being Positive but Demanding works best. Our kids know that when I raise my voice something serious has happened (or not). Now because I have a way of projecting and enunciating pointedly sometimes they (like my daughters did) think I'm "yelling," when I'm not. But no one can use "I didn't hear you" as an excuse. So long as you also enthusiastically praise them when they do what is expected or better - which frankly is underrated by most coaches - they will listen and respond. Kids have a weakness for the "soft sell" meaning compliments-positive reinforcement and will work harder to receive it. And isn't that where confidence comes from, too? Our kids also know they only get their azz chewed for mental mistakes and lack of effort. And it is possible to chew azz with a smile on your face. BLB, I like many of your posts, but don't give me the it's July routine. I have posted on many occasions that my approach to FB is work smarter not harder. We do not use all of our summer contact days, we do not do 2 a days and we do not practice on Saturdays and we do not condition. But......I also tell them that since that's my approach, when we DO PRACTICE, it had better be {censored} good! Hence, the unpleasantries. With that being said, as I stated in OP, I am not looking for the is it okay to yell discussion. I am looking for why kids suddenly improve when you do. I suspect it's fear or they were just lazy before or whatever. I guess that just does not compute to me b/c I was limited in my ability as a player, but as a result, I went very hard when I practiced and did not need to be motivated to do so. In a nutshell, I guess I just don't understand or accept lack of effort very well. PS _ I should also mention that we frontload our summer. In other words, we do everything at the beginning, and then take a month off before August practice. Hence the other reason we need to "get going" b/c were almost done. I understand, you know why you do what you do - but the players don't have the "reward" of the actual contest to look forward to. It's too far down the road, not even on the horizon. So simply based on human nature you are going to have some "lulls" in the effort department at this time of year which are going to require you to "motivate" them. I tell our kids I know we're going to have a few bad practices during the season, but one's not going to be today. And we're going to get two good hours in, even if it takes us six.
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Post by s73 on Jul 12, 2013 5:56:42 GMT -6
BLB, I like many of your posts, but don't give me the it's July routine. I have posted on many occasions that my approach to FB is work smarter not harder. We do not use all of our summer contact days, we do not do 2 a days and we do not practice on Saturdays and we do not condition. But......I also tell them that since that's my approach, when we DO PRACTICE, it had better be {censored} good! Hence, the unpleasantries. With that being said, as I stated in OP, I am not looking for the is it okay to yell discussion. I am looking for why kids suddenly improve when you do. I suspect it's fear or they were just lazy before or whatever. I guess that just does not compute to me b/c I was limited in my ability as a player, but as a result, I went very hard when I practiced and did not need to be motivated to do so. In a nutshell, I guess I just don't understand or accept lack of effort very well. PS _ I should also mention that we frontload our summer. In other words, we do everything at the beginning, and then take a month off before August practice. Hence the other reason we need to "get going" b/c were almost done. I understand, you know why you do what you do - but the players don't have the "reward" of the actual contest to look forward to. It's too far down the road, not even on the horizon. So simply based on human nature you are going to have some "lulls" in the effort department at this time of year which are going to require you to "motivate" them. I tell our kids I know we're going to have a few bad practices during the season, but one's not going to be today. And we're going to get two good hours in, even if it takes us six. I guess my thoughts are that the reward of starting would be enough to want to go hard. But, I see what you're saying. After further reflection, I guess a better title for the thread would have been, why do kids go out for a contact sport and then practice like they are afraid of contact? I know we've all seen the kid who seems to love football, but hesitates on the contact portion of things. That's really more of what was happening. I developed a rather unique FB philosophy about 8-10 years ago that I was not going to be a FB coach who meets or practices for the sake of meeting or practicing. In other words, we will meet ad practice as minimally as possible but the practice had better be good when we do. I would define it as quality over quantity and it has worked rather well for us. I guess I felt like they were kind of "breaking the deal" yesterday. But... I recognize that as being kids. What confused me was that the kids who were playing poorly were better than that. Today is a new day, the 1st thing I'm going to do today is remind them of my philosophy and "the deal". I hate being the "yeller" but I hate non passionate football both from a player and a coach even more. Thanks for the replies.
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Post by brophy on Jul 12, 2013 6:11:43 GMT -6
isn't this thread really about intensity?
You don't have to yell (or you could) You don't have to have a deep depth chart (it helps) You don't have to have rewards/punishment (can work)
it ultimately comes down to kids getting after it in practice and trying to improve, amirite?
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Post by s73 on Jul 12, 2013 6:41:42 GMT -6
isn't this thread really about intensity? You don't have to yell (or you could) You don't have to have a deep depth chart (it helps) You don't have to have rewards/punishment (can work) it ultimately comes down to kids getting after it in practice and trying to improve, amirite? Brophy, Nail on the head. Well said. I told my kids yesterday after I reamed them and they started playing w/ INTENSITY that I believe that it is my job as their FB coach to "take them where they cannot take themselves". I learned long ago that I cannot control the talent that comes through our doors. Nick Saban is not visiting us anytime soon for sure. But... I also decided a long time ago, that my NUMBER ONE ON THE FIELD GOAL was going to squeeze every drop of potential out of every team I coach, and that if I do that, I believe even our worst teams can be competitive. With that being said, it looks as though this season may involve more "squeezing" than I am used to. Thanks for the reply.
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Post by hammer66 on Jul 12, 2013 7:27:28 GMT -6
Another thought. I tell my kids the mental mistakes are on me. Effort is on them. If they aren't mentally prepared I am not doing the things I need to do to put the right kids on the field or doing the right things to teach them. They however control effort. Effort takes zero talent.
One poster mentioned competition. Yesterday my starting SAM showed up for the first time in 2 weeks he has been skipping and going to wrestling his back up has been getting better and understands what we are doing. We only do defense twice a week. So when we went to indy run reads he was not with the first group. MAN DID HE DIAL UP THE EFFORT..... I kept riding him about how much harder he was working now.
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Post by carookie on Jul 12, 2013 11:56:13 GMT -6
Looking just at the specific instance.
Heres the thing, performance will usually balance itself out, if your team has 5 below average plays, then odds are they will have 5 above average plays (otherwise those youd assume those below avg. plays are just who they are). Your team was already not preforming well compared to what you expect (and I imagine what they have shown), so odds are that if you would continue to do your normal job coaching (holding them accountable) they would've balanced things out.
Now I imagine that yelling now and then can create a brief (1 or 2 plays) spike in performance, but there is also diminishing marginal returns. Still, you remember that one play and the point you yelled as the turning point, so it appears that the yelling was the cause for the complete turnaround.
The same theory is shown in the inverse. Often times when our players are performing well we compliment them (or for some yell less); now odds are if theyve had a lot of good plays they will have some bad ones. And when those bad ones come, what do we attribute it to? Us yelling less. When really its just the way things are.
Now please dont assume that I think everything is just random, we have a great influence on how our players and teams perform. Its just that I think we can hold our players accountable and demand certain things without blowing a gasket and getting all emotional.
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Post by s73 on Jul 12, 2013 16:57:13 GMT -6
Looking just at the specific instance. Heres the thing, performance will usually balance itself out, if your team has 5 below average plays, then odds are they will have 5 above average plays (otherwise those youd assume those below avg. plays are just who they are). Your team was already not preforming well compared to what you expect (and I imagine what they have shown), so odds are that if you would continue to do your normal job coaching (holding them accountable) they would've balanced things out. Now I imagine that yelling now and then can create a brief (1 or 2 plays) spike in performance, but there is also diminishing marginal returns. Still, you remember that one play and the point you yelled as the turning point, so it appears that the yelling was the cause for the complete turnaround. The same theory is shown in the inverse. Often times when our players are performing well we compliment them (or for some yell less); now odds are if theyve had a lot of good plays they will have some bad ones. And when those bad ones come, what do we attribute it to? Us yelling less. When really its just the way things are. Now please dont assume that I think everything is just random, we have a great influence on how our players and teams perform. Its just that I think we can hold our players accountable and demand certain things without blowing a gasket and getting all emotional. For the most part I believe and i agree w/ this. However, I also feel that a team is a reflection of their coach. Like I said, this wasn't a thread about is it right or wrong to yell so much as why at times it seems effective. But, I also think that this is an emotional game and it requires a lot of fire and passion. I think your philosophy about a team being up and down probably applies to coaches as well. I think you have to treat kids well and morally, you should. But I also think they need to see your passion, even if it's a butt chewing. I think the law needs to be laid down from time to time and I believe some kids feed off of a fiery coach, as long as it's kept in perspective. I also believe that emotion in the minds of many people means that you care. BTW, we had our best practice of the summer. I don't care why we did, just that we did. Good discussion.
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Post by carookie on Jul 12, 2013 17:55:55 GMT -6
For the most part I believe and i agree w/ this. However, I also feel that a team is a reflection of their coach. Like I said, this wasn't a thread about is it right or wrong to yell so much as why at times it seems effective. But, I also think that this is an emotional game and it requires a lot of fire and passion. I think your philosophy about a team being up and down probably applies to coaches as well. I think you have to treat kids well and morally, you should. But I also think they need to see your passion, even if it's a butt chewing. I think the law needs to be laid down from time to time and I believe some kids feed off of a fiery coach, as long as it's kept in perspective. I also believe that emotion in the minds of many people means that you care. BTW, we had our best practice of the summer. I don't care why we did, just that we did. Good discussion. Oh yeah, I'm not writing don't be emotional. If you're a yeller-yell. Me, Im the excited always being loud and positive coach (heck I lose my voice day two of the 10 yr old youth camp), thats just who I am. I just think often times we falsely associate specific outcomes with specific actions. In regards to yelling, I think now and then it can get players attention (as with any change in attitude or setting), but if done on a regular basis it will become white noise; and I don't think it takes that.
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Post by rsmith627 on Jul 12, 2013 18:04:15 GMT -6
I very rarely will raise my voice at a player out of frustration. It just isn't who I am. I don't feel that it is usually productive when I can tell them what they did wrong and show them how to correct it. If I do raise my voice, they know {censored} just got serious. I chewed a kid out at our mini camp because he blocked the wrong guy after I just told him where to go less than 30 seconds before. I wasn't even that mad about the mental error, I lost it when he started to argue by saying "I didn't do that."
Normally if I raise my voice though, it's about something loud and positive. Our kids are used to being the doormats of the league and have very little confidence. I am trying to instill some enthusiasm.
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orion320
Sophomore Member
"Don't tell me about the labor just show me the baby!"
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Post by orion320 on Jul 16, 2013 8:35:01 GMT -6
Nail on the head. Well said. I told my kids yesterday after I reamed them and they started playing w/ INTENSITY that I believe that it is my job as their FB coach to "take them where they cannot take themselves". I learned long ago that I cannot control the talent that comes through our doors. Nick Saban is not visiting us anytime soon for sure. But... I also decided a long time ago, that my NUMBER ONE ON THE FIELD GOAL was going to squeeze every drop of potential out of every team I coach, and that if I do that, I believe even our worst teams can be competitive. With that being said, it looks as though this season may involve more "squeezing" than I am used to. Thanks for the reply. This is the same approach that I take to coaching as well. I usually don't raise my voice and when I do the kids respond immediately as a team. If a kid continues to make mistakes, instead of yelling at him I put in the next kid on the depth chart, call him back to me and explain to him in a stern manner what my expectations are of him and what he is doing wrong. I make sure to say "if it continues you are not helping the team and I am going to have to find someone else." This works 9 times out of 10. I use this methods because certain kids shut down when you yell at them and you do more harm then good but you do have those occasional players that respond well only to being yelled at. During camp I don't yell much at kids because I don't know their personalities but once I do and I can change my demeanor toward each individual kid during the season.
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Post by fantom on Jul 16, 2013 8:48:57 GMT -6
Nail on the head. Well said. I told my kids yesterday after I reamed them and they started playing w/ INTENSITY that I believe that it is my job as their FB coach to "take them where they cannot take themselves". I learned long ago that I cannot control the talent that comes through our doors. Nick Saban is not visiting us anytime soon for sure. But... I also decided a long time ago, that my NUMBER ONE ON THE FIELD GOAL was going to squeeze every drop of potential out of every team I coach, and that if I do that, I believe even our worst teams can be competitive. With that being said, it looks as though this season may involve more "squeezing" than I am used to. Thanks for the reply. This is the same approach that I take to coaching as well. I usually don't raise my voice and when I do the kids respond immediately as a team. If a kid continues to make mistakes, instead of yelling at him I put in the next kid on the depth chart, call him back to me and explain to him in a stern manner what my expectations are of him and what he is doing wrong. I make sure to say "if it continues you are not helping the team and I am going to have to find someone else." This works 9 times out of 10. I use this methods because certain kids shut down when you yell at them and you do more harm then good but you do have those occasional players that respond well only to being yelled at. During camp I don't yell much at kids because I don't know their personalities but once I do and I can change my demeanor toward each individual kid during the season. But the OP isn't talking about a case where one kid is having a bad day. He's talking about days when the whole team is having a bad day: poor focus, lackadaisical effort, silly mistakes, etc..
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Post by brophy on Jul 16, 2013 9:16:40 GMT -6
This is the same approach that I take to coaching as well. I usually don't raise my voice and when I do the kids respond immediately as a team. If a kid continues to make mistakes, instead of yelling at him I put in the next kid on the depth chart, call him back to me and explain to him in a stern manner what my expectations are of him and what he is doing wrong. I make sure to say "if it continues you are not helping the team and I am going to have to find someone else." This works 9 times out of 10. I use this methods because certain kids shut down when you yell at them and you do more harm then good but you do have those occasional players that respond well only to being yelled at. During camp I don't yell much at kids because I don't know their personalities but once I do and I can change my demeanor toward each individual kid during the season. But the OP isn't talking about a case where one kid is having a bad day. He's talking about days when the whole team is having a bad day: poor focus, lackadaisical effort, silly mistakes, etc.. I suppose that is why it is important to establish HOW you practice. Practice not until you can get it right, but practice until you can't get it wrong. We talk about "play like you practice" all the time, but that has to be true during the moments that a play isn't being ran. How much effort and body language is being reinforced during those times? Since we, as coaches, are ultimately responsible for the team's performance we have to control (eliminate the chance they can screw this up) our kids on the field. Keep them moving, keep them engaged, provide different opportunities for them to win. What can we do to not lose our players (instead of expecting them to always be engaged at on point)? The point is, reinforce the speed, effort, intensity they should compete through the entire duration of practice (between drills, during stretch, moving on the field, etc) Being organized (down to the reps) and having the rest of the staff on this same schedule is what it will take. Easier said than done, I know, but the more we rely on individual kids to make plays or make us look good, the more your practices will be at the mercy of their emotions (if they feel like giving effort).
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Post by fantom on Jul 16, 2013 9:48:21 GMT -6
But the OP isn't talking about a case where one kid is having a bad day. He's talking about days when the whole team is having a bad day: poor focus, lackadaisical effort, silly mistakes, etc.. I suppose that is why it is important to establish HOW you practice. Practice not until you can get it right, but practice until you can't get it wrong. We talk about "play like you practice" all the time, but that has to be true during the moments that a play isn't being ran. How much effort and body language is being reinforced during those times? Since we, as coaches, are ultimately responsible for the team's performance we have to control (eliminate the chance they can screw this up) our kids on the field. Keep them moving, keep them engaged, provide different opportunities for them to win. What can we do to not lose our players (instead of expecting them to always be engaged at on point)? The point is, reinforce the speed, effort, intensity they should compete through the entire duration of practice (between drills, during stretch, moving on the field, etc) Being organized (down to the reps) and having the rest of the staff on this same schedule is what it will take. Easier said than done, I know, but the more we rely on individual kids to make plays or make us look good, the more your practices will be at the mercy of their emotions (if they feel like giving effort). While all of that is true I think that you'v done this long enough to know that every team will have a couple of lousy practices every year. Sometimes they're predictable (first day of classes; an abrupt, drastic change in the weather; etc.) sometimes it's random. I'll agree that if they're happening a lot the staff is probably doing something wrong. Even if the coaches are doing things right, though, you'll still have a few of those days.
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Post by s73 on Jul 16, 2013 11:17:03 GMT -6
I suppose that is why it is important to establish HOW you practice. Practice not until you can get it right, but practice until you can't get it wrong. We talk about "play like you practice" all the time, but that has to be true during the moments that a play isn't being ran. How much effort and body language is being reinforced during those times? Since we, as coaches, are ultimately responsible for the team's performance we have to control (eliminate the chance they can screw this up) our kids on the field. Keep them moving, keep them engaged, provide different opportunities for them to win. What can we do to not lose our players (instead of expecting them to always be engaged at on point)? The point is, reinforce the speed, effort, intensity they should compete through the entire duration of practice (between drills, during stretch, moving on the field, etc) Being organized (down to the reps) and having the rest of the staff on this same schedule is what it will take. Easier said than done, I know, but the more we rely on individual kids to make plays or make us look good, the more your practices will be at the mercy of their emotions (if they feel like giving effort). While all of that is true I think that you'v done this long enough to know that every team will have a couple of lousy practices every year. Sometimes they're predictable (first day of classes; an abrupt, drastic change in the weather; etc.) sometimes it's random. I'll agree that if they're happening a lot the staff is probably doing something wrong. Even if the coaches are doing things right, though, you'll still have a few of those days. I agree w/most what was stated above. Interestingly, yesterday was solid (1st 3 plays stunk and then we got going). Today was solid as well. Nothing great, but probably a B-. I will say this about myself, I fall into the trap of looking at a team in June/July and comparing them to the team the year before. Last years team was very good. So, this thought process can be good as I evaluate the positions and say I need "X" amount of production from this spot or that one. I have a measure through comparison of what we need to be successful. Where it is also bad is the fact that the last memory I have of my team from last year is the play offs. It's like apples to oranges. One team is a play off team at the end of a season's worth of practices and the other team is in summer camp, so obviously things are not going to look the same. I know that, I just have to be more cognizant of it. We've been successful for a little while now, so I just catch myself expecting things to be smooth and well done all the time. I know better, but it seems to be a fault I need to correct. With that being said, we have 2 kids on our team that if things don't go their way or they get corrected repeatedly and you do end up yelling at them or replacing them, they seem to be somewhat cancerous. By this I mean, pouting, sitting out, sudden change in effort, body language, etc. I am wondering how you guys deal w/ this situation. I have been fortunate that we don't see this much at my school, so I'm a little "rusty" in dealing w/ these kids. My 1st inclination is to confront it. But I wonder if ignoring it is almost better. Look forward to any responses you might have.
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