What separates elite high school programs from losing ones

I am in year 2 at an "awful program." Our story is this. There was an a-hole coach that ran kids out to other schools. Now, we are playing with undersized guys and weaker numbers than guys in our division and region. We have a hard time competing with them. The elite programs graduate kids and simply reload. We are in an area with little to no growth, so reloading doesn't ever happen.

Good coaching at all levels and all positions
Community and administrative support
Facilities
Talent

I don't think it is possible to nail down a specific recipe, but I definitely feel that there are characteristics that most elite programs share. Over the past 8 years our team has won the state championship 4 times and has been finalists 2 additional times. We've also been conference champs 6 of those years. So I will speak from what I see occurring in our school.

1. Expectations must be high! I don't just mean in regard to performance during the season. Our head coach stresses commitment to the program year round. We routinely have 30-40 kids in the weight room after school; and during the summer, conditioning and lifting sessions are held and the turnout is even better (usually around 50). Furthermore, our head coach strongly emphasizes the importance of excellence in the classroom. He mandates that all students share their progress reports and report cards. Kids whose grades dip below a 2.0 don't play.

2. Weight room! Strength is essential. Kids that don't visit the weight room can't generally compete with the best teams. There is always that freak athlete who is an exception, but for the most part, we all have average athletes. In order for the average to beat the average, they have to be stronger.

3. Rules must be clearly articulated and consistently enforced. I feel that the biggest mistake that coaches make is allowing exceptions for unique circumstances. Things like allowing the star player to play on Friday even though he missed two practices due to illness. At our school, our head coach has a two absence policy. After your second unexcused absence during the season, you are off the team. He is not hesitant to enforce this rule. In 2003, he kicked our stud running back off the team for the season for missing two practices. This same kid currently plays in the NFL as a free safety.

4. Condition! Condition! Condition! When I was in high school, we did not condition enough. Of course at the time I thought we did, but we didn't. At my school now, our players double as track athletes. They run a lot. I'll give you an example workout. It is not uncommon for them to engage in 20 100 yard sprints after a 2 hour practice. We also do a lot of conditioning circuits. Some coaches might call this excessive, but the results can't be argued. Our second half performance is superb. Our kids don't get tired.

I could go on, but in all honesty, I feel these are some of the most pivotal.

You'd better have talent. You don't necessarily need D.1 prospects year in and year out (unless you want to be in USA'a Top 25. Those guys really like to see big name recruits)but you better have good football players.

Our program is about .500 over 5 years, qualified for playoffs 2 out of the past 4 years but not won a game in the playoffs since 2003 and have not had a home playoff game since '95. Overall I think we have a solid program and do many of the aforementioned characteristics well and are getting better year to year.

My top 4 are:

1) Coaching Staff - Committed, dedicated, and loyal coaching staff. I am in my 5th year at the same school and we have had 3 head coaches and 14 different assistant coaches. Go back 4 years ago and I am the only one still on staff. We went from having 8 coaches last year to 5 this year on all 3 levels.

2) Community/School Support - All administrators and teachers must support the program along with the community. Being a rural district it is hard to get community support since we are a small town with many rural neighborhoods and not many people identify with the town. Our administrators support all sports programs and are present at each and every football game and most other competition. Teachers have little support for sport and extra-curricular activities which stems from most teachers not living in the community.

3) Player Development - this starts at the Pee Wee and Junior High level. Get the Pee Wee coaches to run the same scheme and drills as you do and be present at Pee Wee games. Interact with Pee Wee coaches and players as much as possible. Once they get in high school encourage weightroom attendance and continue to recruit players to play. Don't alienate the freshman during practice, run all individual drills as a team then split for team. Allow the varsity players to set the example for the freshman.

4) Consistency - be consistent in your rules and enforce the rules equally and fairly to all players. Keep the same offensive and defensive system year in and year out. Due to coaching turn over we have had 4 defenses in 5 years and 3 different offensive systems. For example our seniors ran a Pro Style as freshman, Double Wing Triple Option, and now the Spread.

5) Excitement and Enthusiasm centered around the TEAM- people must be excited about the program. Get younger kids to feel "left out" by being involved in football. Place posters around the school and community promoting players and their accomplishments.

Thank you for the insight guys I'm always learning some new on this site.

I agree with a lot of the above, but it seems like to me that a lot of the top elite programs either have amazing talent or are in upper-middle class areas. Places where jimmy and joe can devote themselves to football and not worry about working, babysitting their little sister, etc.

I agree with all the posts above and I would add one thing confidence. Great programs believe that when they step on the field they are going to win. This confidence has to be gained overtime as a program becomes successful. It can not be coached but is build through both success and tradition. When young men believe in themselves, coaches, and the system, they are half way to victory before the first whistle.

So do you believe a schools in low income and high crime areas can become elite with the right coaching staff?

I am in year 2 of an awful program.  We have little to zero support from our board.  We hired a brand new coaching staff that seems very committed to turning our program around. Football is not a concern at our school.  Basketball runs the show and we kind of get the shaft.  We have very little parent support.  Until we put a good product on the field, I don't see much changing. 

coachbry,

We haven't had a winning season in our 5 years as a football program.  So, there isn't a problem with winning with someone else's players.  We almost have a brand new team this year, 6 returning starters.  I think that winning does increase financial support (ticket sales, concession sales, more attention for fundraisers... etc.).

Beg to differ, you win you get more kids out.  You get more kids out you get more possible parents involved.  You get more kids out and more parents involved you have a bigger voice in the school and possibly community.  Everyone loves a winner...much more likely to watch and support a winner then a perennial loser, a lot of band wagon people out there.  I have been a part of a city program that was down with minimal support and while the support level never got to where we wanted before I took a new job, it was increasing every year as our product and numbers improved.  We did a lot of additional work and were more visible in the community as well as hounded some big whigs but slowly things were getting better.  They may never get the level of support other schools get (and unfortunately I doubt they will) however it is no coincidence that with a competent program came more support.

Yes however there are a few other things in play.  MOST schools that fit that description that have become elite have benefited from one or both of the following.  Open enrollment and/or a very charismatic coach.  The staff doesn't necessarily have to be the greatest X and O wise but there is someone on that staff that has drawn kids in that want to play there.  Once that ball starts rolling, the talent aspect can really get going but from what I have witnessed/experienced, this situation is typically more fragile then other "elite" programs.

but that is the point. they haven't won. They don't give it you when you lose, NO INCENTIVE TO GIVE IT to you when you win.
If you want financial that you don't have to split with the sports programs, you are going to have to go outside the norms of what produces revenue....get parent who have money involved, get small business's involved.
You will be gone long before the money is redirected from the basketball to the football program.