|
Post by fantom on Jan 31, 2014 12:47:04 GMT -6
As a young coach I went to clinics and heard college coaches talk about their ninety minute practices and wondered how they did it. Then I visited practices and found out: they didn't count pre-practice, stretching, special teams, and conditioning as part of practice. To me, if you have to be there and you're practicing, that's practice. Don't quote me on this but I am sure pre-practice was originally a way for colleges to get around their time limit on practice time. "It's not practice, it's pre-practice and it's not mandatory" But I am sure it was mandatory. I agree if I am coaching players on a filed, it's practice no matter what time it is! This was 1980. There were no NCAA limits on practice time then.
|
|
|
Post by coach2013 on Jan 31, 2014 13:09:33 GMT -6
True story (you cant make this stuff up) We have assigned duties every day. Linemen bring up blocking bags and sled bags. Backs take cones, vests and all of those little lightweight things, managers and injured players get water and ice. Qbs and coaches make sure balls/white board get to field.
One day absolutely nothing made it to the field. I hated practicing taking that stuff up and back but I did it for quite some time until everyone knew how to pitch in and do the necessary duties. I sometimes hate that kind/part of practice.
|
|
|
Post by newhope on Feb 1, 2014 11:24:57 GMT -6
It's already been said, but when either side of the ball says "They don't line up like that", or "They won't do that". I think it's great to prepare for the worst case scenario as well as the best. If it always works in practice and it doesn't on Friday night maybe someone will see a correlation. There are times where I want to be prepared for everything that anyone can throw at us--and we'll practice that way. But there are other times when I want to offense (or defense) to see, as close as possible, what the other team will do. During those periods, I don't want some supercoach on the other side trying to show us how much he knows--I want him to just get them lined up in the look I want to see.
|
|
|
Post by fantom on Feb 1, 2014 12:05:54 GMT -6
It's already been said, but when either side of the ball says "They don't line up like that", or "They won't do that". I think it's great to prepare for the worst case scenario as well as the best. If it always works in practice and it doesn't on Friday night maybe someone will see a correlation. There are times where I want to be prepared for everything that anyone can throw at us--and we'll practice that way. But there are other times when I want to offense (or defense) to see, as close as possible, what the other team will do. During those periods, I don't want some supercoach on the other side trying to show us how much he knows--I want him to just get them lined up in the look I want to see. Yeah, I work hard putting the script together so that we'll get a look at what the opponent has shown us that they'll run. There are only so many practice reps. We don't have time to chase ghosts or our OC to show how HE'D attack us. We won't be playing ourself on Friday.
|
|
|
Post by coachdawhip on Feb 1, 2014 12:49:37 GMT -6
Being the line coach I despise special teams period I usually try to go do some work on the side but enuff of the line kids are on various special teams we need to be in the vicinity. But my all time least favorite part of practice is any sort of align and assign period where a dc talks for ever and the oline has to take a knee might be a coaching issue but any drill that requires players taking a knee is a waste of time use bags or cans or some thing. 90 plus kids standing around for 11 don't make much sense to me. Granted it's usually a Thursday practice thing. If you have 90 kids, why are your lineman on special teams? We have made a commitment (and we only have 50 kids on varsity) that no lineman will play special teams outside of PAT/FG teams. Not on punt, KOR, KO, Punt return. Get fast guys on there. And if the other team is playing their lineman on special teams we expect our fast kids to run past them. Fat kids suck in space and a lot of special teams are played in space. Plus it gives the lineman 15 more minutes of indy time. Some of us got lineman that run faster than DBS
|
|
|
Post by coachdawhip on Feb 1, 2014 12:53:19 GMT -6
Oh no...those are the words of a true Oline coach right there. Oline guys always coddle their guys when it comes to running anywhere other than the all you can eat buffet. It's not coddling. Why would I want an offensive tackle to try to cover kicks? My OT lead the team in kickoff tackles
|
|
|
Post by s73 on Feb 1, 2014 12:56:22 GMT -6
I didn't read all of the posts so hopefully this is not repetitive but here are some other things I hate about practice.
I hate scout team All - Americans (coaches & players)
I hate holding up the diagram for the scout offense & you break the huddle & align wrong.
I hate watching coaches condition forever w/ no secondary football purpose (gassers v. pursuit drill for example)
|
|
|
Post by coachjd on Feb 1, 2014 13:07:10 GMT -6
To be honest with you, I love football practice. The biggest thing I hate is the end of practice.
|
|
|
Post by fantom on Feb 1, 2014 13:16:02 GMT -6
I didn't read all of the posts so hopefully this is not repetitive but here are some other things I hate about practice. I hate scout team All - Americans (coaches & players) I hate holding up the diagram for the scout offense & you break the huddle & align wrong. I hate watching coaches condition forever w/ no secondary football purpose (gassers v. pursuit drill for example) I'd disagree that pursuit drill has no other purpose than pure conditioning.
|
|
|
Post by s73 on Feb 1, 2014 13:17:29 GMT -6
I hate offensive team/inside run period - where you are running the opponents defense and they give you cards, with a particular coverage or blitz to run and they have a big play every time...yet it never seems to work like that on friday...perhaps the offense should give the other team the cards so they line up in the right front and run the right blitz or coverage for our play call OR even better is when one of the defensive kids reads the play correctly and makes the play and you get the "THEY DON'T DO THAT" response from every offensive coach. More than anything else this just pi$$es me off to an unhealthy level. This but flipped. Drives me nuts. Worked with a DC that scripted everything and magically his blitz or stunt always lit up the scout play. God forbid you went off the script it would be like the Spanish Inquisition. I would always say something about how we aren't always going to have the right call for their call, heck Techmo Bowl had 4 options and you still got it wrong sometimes. I'm all for scripting, do it myself, and sometimes I prefer to see a specific coverage at a specific time but I'm not going to tell you every blitz, coverage, twist, etc. to do on every play because I don't know. The greatest part about all of it was the LB coach would run his mouth nonstop during team about stuffing scout team plays when they had the scripted defense called and would lose it when you went off script...or better yet when you were on script and a LB screwed up, somehow it was always the guard or tackles fault for not giving him the right read. I was an assistant at a school many years ago for 1 year (you'll see why in a minute) and the HC was a good guy but notorious for not communicating well. One day I was running the scout team O and the DC gave me a script and play diagrams. Well they blew us up a coupe of times. Then the HC comes over and whispers in my ear to run a pass concept they had trouble w/ last year & the DC "forgot" to include in the play cards. We run it b/c the HC told me too & it goes for a TD. The DC goes crazy. Well, a few minutes later the coach winks at me to do it again. I run it, it goes for TD & the DC flips on me again. This went on for 15 minutes. Looking back, pretty hilarious, as a new young guy at the time, REALLY SUCKED! I hate practices when staffs are not on the same page.
|
|
|
Post by s73 on Feb 1, 2014 13:19:10 GMT -6
I didn't read all of the posts so hopefully this is not repetitive but here are some other things I hate about practice. I hate scout team All - Americans (coaches & players) I hate holding up the diagram for the scout offense & you break the huddle & align wrong. I hate watching coaches condition forever w/ no secondary football purpose (gassers v. pursuit drill for example) I'd disagree that pursuit drill has no other purpose than pure conditioning. Coach i think you misunderstand. That's what I'm saying. Gassers have no other purpose. I hate seeing gassers when you can do pursuit drill or something along those lines. We are saying the same thing.
|
|
|
Post by fantom on Feb 1, 2014 13:20:51 GMT -6
I'd disagree that pursuit drill has no other purpose than pure conditioning. Coach i think you misunderstand. That's what I'm saying. Gassers have no other purpose. I hate seeing gassers when you can do pursuit drill or something along those lines. We are saying the same thing. I did misunderstand. Sorry.
|
|
|
Post by powerfootball71 on Feb 1, 2014 13:21:41 GMT -6
Yea kind of off topic but here was the starting line last year
lt= 6'6" 260 starting 5 tech lg= 6'4" 235 c= 6'2" 250 did not play St or d Rg= 6'3 275 nephew of famous greco roman gold meldiast top wrestler in insane shape rt= 6'5" 240 would start at mike but tends to wear out do to how hard he plays top 5 220 in state in wrestiling and a good soccer player all but the center is back it's not like we play fat asses at o line
|
|
|
Post by fantom on Feb 1, 2014 13:31:08 GMT -6
Yea kind of off topic but here was the starting line last year lt= 6'6" 260 starting 5 tech lg= 6'4" 235 c= 6'2" 250 did not play St or d Rg= 6'3 275 nephew of famous greco roman gold meldiast top wrestler in insane shape rt= 6'5" 240 would start at mike but tends to wear out do to how hard he plays top 5 220 in state in wrestiling and a good soccer player all but the center is back it's not like we play fat asses at o line Nobody said that you did. No matter how athletic they are for their size, though, there have to be faster, more athletic players who would be better suited for STs.
|
|
|
Post by powerfootball71 on Feb 1, 2014 14:07:32 GMT -6
I got you 2 things we didn't have a punter so we rugby punted so the 5 where out for that as well as pat fg as we where a swinging gate team. Kor we had 3 punt return was 3 to 4 as it was whatever d was on the field ko we do use the fast guy theory and get them off but we still have to be around for 4 of the 5 St phases
|
|
coachpsl
Sophomore Member
“Don’t Cuss. Don’t argue with officials. And don’t lose the game.” -John Heisman
Posts: 197
|
Post by coachpsl on Feb 1, 2014 15:14:29 GMT -6
Oh classic. How about picture day and the first day of school. I hate those practices altogether. PICTURE DAY-100% my least favorite day of "practice" all season.
|
|
|
Post by thammons on Feb 1, 2014 18:20:40 GMT -6
I hate when we have days when we have to go in the gym because of weather. I feel the kids are not as focused.
|
|
|
Post by dodson10 on Feb 1, 2014 19:50:53 GMT -6
I completely agree about presnap alignment in scout periods. Our jv is our scout team so getting them to be an exact replica of the other team is tough for us. I meant more of a post snap look. I don't care who wins practice reps. I just get a little angry when a coach chews out a sophomore trying to do his best to run another teams offense and thinks he should know how the other team runs their offense.
|
|
|
Post by kylem56 on Feb 1, 2014 21:20:55 GMT -6
Well to kinda follow up on some others comments..
1- Stretching 2- Team Defense "calls & alignments" - boring but important. I only coach offense but I do realize the importance of it... 3- practicing in the gym, (not a part of normal every day practice otherwise it would be #1)
I was surprised at how many coaches said special teams. The longer I coach, the more I realize how importance special teams is. You can win a game that you shouldn't, and lose a game you have no business losing just because of special teams.. I actually have spent quite a bit of time researching special teams this off-season and I become more and more interested in. I seem to enjoy the game planning/scheming part of special teams and approach "team" special teams period with just as much energy as team "O". I think a lot of the importance/energy that goes into special teams is because of the Head Coach. He devoted to make our program better at special teams back during the 2011 season and it has snowballed from there. Good things on special teams starts at the top!
|
|
|
Post by sweep26 on Feb 2, 2014 12:02:27 GMT -6
If you do not enjoy practice...you are really in the wrong business!!
|
|
|
Post by 33coach on Feb 2, 2014 12:23:44 GMT -6
If you do not enjoy practice...you are really in the wrong business!! Not nessessarilly. I hate drilling my players over and over on how to step correctly. I do it. But its not that enjoyable . Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards
|
|
|
Post by fantom on Feb 2, 2014 12:34:38 GMT -6
If you do not enjoy practice...you are really in the wrong business!! If you can honestly say that you really enjoy every part of every practice you're a lucky man. I love being a coach and I loved playing football but as a player and as a coach there are parts of it that I do not enjoy. That's true of every job. I loved teaching but certainly did NOT enjoy grading papers. Chefs may not like chopping onions. Artists probably do nit enjoy cleaning their paint brushes. It doesn't mean that, overall, they don't like their job. I doesn't mean that they're not good at their profession. It's how well you do the small parts of your job that you do not enjoy that separates the good ones from the bad ones.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2014 12:44:16 GMT -6
Amen. We practice for 2-2.5 hours. Every day, we spend at least 15 minutes on team static stretching and then 10 on "conditioning" to start things off. "Pre-practice" sucks, too. I can see the potential for value in a period like that, but for us it's 20 min. of "goof off time" so a couple of our coaches can play hacky sack while the players half-ass it through some self-directed, light warm up exercises. So the first 45 minutes we have the kids there, we just waste our time. It kills me. I also dislike it when we go offensive team and it's just me trying to coach the entire unit while the HC and rest of the staff stands around BSing for a half hour, occasionally yelling at some kid who plays a position they don't coach for correctly doing something they don't understand. Now.. team is important, but I hate the way we do it.
|
|
|
Post by coachdubyah on Feb 2, 2014 12:47:42 GMT -6
1 on 1 Pass Pro vs DLine --- Yes I am an Offensive Line Coach and probably the only Oline coach that loves to throw the football and teach pass blocking as much as I do, but it's just a pain and my butt. DLine coaches need it to work their technique stuff but, man it's a pain. I do suck it up and do it. At the end of last year we treated this as a half line or 2 on 2 type drill just to make it a bit more realistic.
I don't know, I guess it is necessary. But, those defensive linemen (and their coaches) just get under my skin during this period. (LOL)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2014 12:50:09 GMT -6
Oh classic. How about picture day and the first day of school. I hate those practices altogether. You only have 1 picture day? We have 3: one for the paper, one for the yearbook, and one for the programs.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2014 12:57:18 GMT -6
It's not coddling. Why would I want an offensive tackle to try to cover kicks? In our case, they're probably the best option you have. That's us. Our top "skill" players only run about 4.9. The backups are in the 5.5-6.0 range and run like they have sticks up their butts or shy away from contact. Our top linemen run in the 5.0-5.2 range and know how to do things like snap, block, and tackle. Who would you rather put out there?
|
|
|
Post by coachd5085 on Feb 2, 2014 13:01:43 GMT -6
Oh classic. How about picture day and the first day of school. I hate those practices altogether. You only have 1 picture day? We have 3: one for the paper, one for the yearbook, and one for the programs. REally? YOu don't just use the same picture for all three?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2014 13:05:07 GMT -6
You only have 1 picture day? We have 3: one for the paper, one for the yearbook, and one for the programs. REally? YOu don't just use the same picture for all three? No. That would make too much sense... Each one uses a different photographer. Paper sends their guy (takes all these really weird "ESPN" style photos), yearbook is the librarian, and the program photos are taken by whoever we contract that out to. I've never seen a school do a lot of the stuff we do here.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2014 14:31:55 GMT -6
REally? YOu don't just use the same picture for all three? No. That would make too much sense... Each one uses a different photographer. Paper sends their guy (takes all these really weird "ESPN" style photos), yearbook is the librarian, and the program photos are taken by whoever we contract that out to. I've never seen a school do a lot of the stuff we do here. Coach, I'm serious with this suggestion. Have a "media day" and put the onus on them to all show up that day. If they don't, that's on them. My current program and my last program did this on the first Saturday of the season and it worked out very well.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2014 15:41:51 GMT -6
I like that idea, wolverine55. I'll pitch it to the HC. We do a "Meet the ______" day before the season starts, where players wear their jerseys and stuff. We might be able to fold it into that.
|
|