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Post by pirate1590 on Jul 29, 2013 17:37:28 GMT -6
This isn't a conundrum or anything that is major at the moment. My youngest son is 9 and in his first year of tackle (don't allow kids to play tackle until 4th grade 3rd and 2nd is for flag). His older brother who is 13 is a tight end/flanker/defensive end. Decent player good hands, 1 way starter on O when I coached him, nothing earth shattering. He didn't play a skill position so no one had an objection to me coaching him/ no politics etc. This one however has a stronger arm than his brother at his age and is equally as fast, albeit a little bit smaller and more outgoing/leader etc. We did the skill evals for our team today and he was the top thrower and our 3rd most aggressive kid came in 7th out of 21 for speed. My AC told me he would be a heck of a quarterback in a year or two. This is where it gets hazy. I played QB from 5th to 11th grade so I definitely know the position well but I have coached against countless teams that have the coaches son playing QB and often times that kid is a very poor athlete and it significantly hinders the team. I played behind a coaches kid in HS who was also not very good and I still think about that to this day. I do not want another kid to not get a chance because of my son and I do not want the parents who respect me and think of me as a stand up guy as a daddy baller. There is another kid who is in 5th grade, 1st year player, who has the 3rd strongest arm and came in 9th out of 21 in speed, very good kid too and a capable player, aggressive enough and football smart. I want the fifth grader to play Q for us and have my son be the backup, he will start on defense and play wherever we need him to on offense wether it be tail or tackle lol. But he will be our backup and learn the ins and outs of the game. it is his first year as it is 80 percent of our team and he will earn his role. I just don't want people to think oh hes only starting because of his dad its not fair so im going with a lesser talent at the position and hurt him. I want him to be successful like any parent. But I know that he isn't gonna be a world class athlete and 99 percent sure he will not play in college. Am I handling this the right way?
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Post by mahonz on Jul 29, 2013 18:39:13 GMT -6
Good question.
First off paragraphs will help out your audience.
I have been coaching youth ball of decades. My son played QB from about the 4th grade on and got a D1 FB Scholarship to play QB. He was a 3 year Varsity starter at a 6A HS as the QB. A serious rotator cuff injury ended his dreams.
He was by far and away a great talent and a very good QB. He didn't get that from me. I cant throw a football to save my life. What he did get as a Daddy Ballers son was training off the field. He watched more film than anyone else by the time he played Freshman HS ball. Got an ear full from me and his Uncle who also coached him. His off season was throwing 10K footballs at tires and trash cans....running ladders....stairs....jump roping...
He basically learned how to play the game with a solid worth ethic long before any of his team mates learned what that even meant.
That is what a good Daddy Baller can do for his son and since we are all parents here...its natural of all of us to want our kids to do well in everything.
I have seen youth coaches the size of Shaq before and its not hard to spot their sons playing LOT as he is generally the best OLM on the field. Former HS QB's coaching...well where do they play their son? Ed McCaffery coaches in our Youth League. His oldest just graduated from HS as a WR. He has four sons...they all play WR.
Its all relative.
Do what is best for your team and then do what is best for your son. You give 200+ volunteers hours for free every season. Playing your son at QB or RB or MLB or where ever...look at that as your pay check. Your son starts and if he has the best abilities at QB then so be it. NEVER hold your own son back due to these ridiculous fears.
If the Peanut Gallery doesn't like it...hand them a whistle.
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Post by pirate1590 on Jul 29, 2013 19:17:16 GMT -6
My oldest one didn't find QB to be fun. He liked catching and kicking.
This one is completely gung ho to do it. He has the temperament and quite a bit of potential. My older one will probably not play football in HS he will do baseball or something. This one is definitely the better athlete and has a shot at playing in HS. I don't care if he does or doesn't. I just want him to realize that you don't always get handed a job and you have to put in your dues just like everyone else. Im not gonna shortchange him at all he said he would play whatever position I put him at so I will have him be a football player first, than a QB.
He can learn a lot playing a few different positions and cause him to be a well rounded player. He can come off and play QB a few plays a game and start if Johnny goes down. I think its fair. Im playing devils advocate here, if my kid wasn't the best QB on the field I would do the same thing im doing now. But since he is that's what is causing a conundrum.
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Post by coachrobpsl on Jul 30, 2013 10:34:31 GMT -6
If he earns it give him the job. I think you send a bad message to him if he earns it but doesn't get it. Have the acs all vote on the qb. That can help with your doubts and the parents claiming "'daddy ball". On the other hand, if the other kid is serviceable your son may be more valuable at another offensive position. The need for athletic ability of qbs on most youth teams is overrated. Most youth offenses simply need a kid with good footwork and an arm that can keep the defense honest using a quick passing game. Honestly, what % do you plan to throw the ball? Even with our best qb(back in 2009) with 2 future D1 wr(both have nice D1 offers currently) and a D2 te we only passed about 20% of the time. That was at the Pop Warner JM level(middle school basically).
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Post by coachdoug on Jul 30, 2013 23:53:14 GMT -6
Pirate - if you're that worried about what everyone else thinks, you probably shouldn't be HC. Yes, you should do what's best for the team, but if you look at it objectively (collecting input from all your ACs) and determine that your son at QB is what's best for the team, then that is what you should do. Not doing so when it's the best thing for the team just to avoid the criticism of the uninformed parents is just as bad as naming your kid as a starter at a position he doesn't deserve just because you're the coach.
Honestly, I bristle when I hear Daddy coaches talking about how they don't play favorites because "I'm harder on my son than any other player." Well, I got news for all those coaches - being harder on your own son is playing favorites. If you can't treat your own son the same as the other players (not better, no worse), then you probably shouldn't coach him. It's tough, but I've coached with a number of guys who did it very well, so it's definitely doable. Good luck to you and your son.
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Post by pirate1590 on Jul 31, 2013 21:11:50 GMT -6
First scrimmage is next Tuesday. I talked it over with the mrs and the ACs. The mrs of course wants him to play. 2 of the ACs want him to start at Q and the other one wants him to play wing and be the backup QB and start on defense. We have our best athlete currently at wing so we settled on alternating him and the fifth grader every series. I sat the parents down and explained my feelings to them and they said this method was fair and responsible.
The best player will emerge by Tuesday. Right now Johnny Doe is about even with my son as far as throwing but my son is a better overall athlete. We will know by next Wednesday who our QB will be.
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Post by 33coach on Aug 1, 2013 9:48:41 GMT -6
First scrimmage is next Tuesday. I talked it over with the mrs and the ACs. The mrs of course wants him to play. 2 of the ACs want him to start at Q and the other one wants him to play wing and be the backup QB and start on defense. We have our best athlete currently at wing so we settled on alternating him and the fifth grader every series. I sat the parents down and explained my feelings to them and they said this method was fair and responsible. The best player will emerge by Tuesday. Right now Johnny Doe is about even with my son as far as throwing but my son is a better overall athlete. We will know by next Wednesday who our QB will be. thats the best way to handle it. when it doubt...talk with parents. communicate. parents can be a SERIOUS pain the A$$...but if you come to them first...it will be less of a problem. now...parents should never have a choice. you are explaining WHAT is going to happen. good work coach. and good luck |
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