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Post by germanjohn on Feb 18, 2014 16:00:33 GMT -6
Let me set the stage for you guys. I coach in a town with a *lot* of money, and apparently not much regard our HS team. But it's okay- bowling team just won state champs so apparently this year is a success athletically. Our number one problem here is $, $, and more $. Kids' parents are sending their kids to private schools, I kid you not a guy actually said this to me, solely "Because they wear uniforms". So there's talent already lost before they can make it to High School. So now we're stuck with the guys whose parents were either loyal to the town (10%) or not willing/able to send their kids to a private school (90%).
We try our best to build a solid sense of team unity, but especially during football season, our players clique up and aren't hanging around with each other during the school day (I'm also a lacrosse coach at the same school, and oddly enough this is the complete opposite case when the spring rolls around).
ON TOP OF ALL THIS- when the season is over and we try to start our weight program, we view it as an opportunity to get started on something meaningful. In order to do this, we need to build a team bond through constant involvement in the weight room. We need to set goals, track numbers, seek improvement. This is all counteracted by the fact that our players go to outside trainers and gyms.
Personally, I can't blame them, to a degree. Our weight room is WAY too small for all the people we are trying to get in there during the winter. The problem is multiplied with all the other non-athletes and athletes from other sports that are in there. In a room with 5 platforms, 3 DB racks, and 10-12 machines, and random benches scattered everywhere, we can't operate efficiently when we have in excess of 60 kids in there every day.
And don't even get me started on our AD. It's not even worth it bringing it up to this guy. First, he's not even qualified to be an AD, so because of tenure rules (he held a former spot at the school that he left) they couldn't get rid of him. No problem. They just gave him the title of "Athletic Supervisor", and he's doing all the things an AD does. Second, this guy will not take initiative on anything. If there's something that he thinks could possibly bring any potential negative attention his way (even from the crazies), he will not do it. There's no loyalty to the school or the athletic program- he literally just sits in his office and does his job to the exact letter of his job description. Nothing more. What's worse, he's a passive-aggressive wuss. He buddies up with BOE members, exhibits a favorable bias towards the coaches that are "submissive", and will hold grudges against any coaches that express any sort of discontent with how he does his job.
Long story short.
Given all of the above information about my school, and the program I work in, how would you advise me to better my situation?
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Post by mariner42 on Feb 18, 2014 16:39:49 GMT -6
Step 1: Fill out a facilities request with your school so that you are officially the person that is supposed to be in there when you want to be. Then tell kids to kick rocks or join in your program, but either way your name is on the time slot.
Step 2: Get over the AD. Regardless of his performance and habits, he's the AD, so try to find a way to make him an ally or at the very least not an obstacle.
Step 3: I would look into upgrading your facilities. See if you can qualify for some grants or discretionary spending in order to do so. Get rid of useless machines in favor of more platforms/free weights is my advice for space efficiency.
Step 4: When dealing with parents who want to drop $$$ on the latest trainers, etc, there's not much you're going to do. Best thing you can do is get great results with the kids you have so that the common sense thing is to send them to you.
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Post by coachbdud on Feb 18, 2014 16:56:15 GMT -6
some thoughts
let it go about the AD
if the community has so much money, start fundraising for new weight room equipment
talk with parents/team about the importance of lifting with each other as a team building, shared bond, brotherhood, chance to develop leadership... that's our biggest problem with a kid who is our best player and should be our team captain/a D-1 kid... as a player he is great, in season he is there... summer he is there... but all winter/spring he works out with one of his older brothers... one is a former player/coach here and a trainer at a really nice gym, the other plays at the local JC and he will work out with the older brothers
i know he is lifting, i just wish he was in our weight room to be a leader... he will only be a junior next year and is one of the best players in our county
in cases where of wealthy schools I have heard of schools hiring a "S&C coach" to come in and run the program... see if parents would be interested in that, if they are gonna pay anyway, they can all chip in together and everyone can benefit
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Post by germanjohn on Feb 18, 2014 19:44:26 GMT -6
Step 1: Fill out a facilities request with your school so that you are officially the person that is supposed to be in there when you want to be. Then tell kids to kick rocks or join in your program, but either way your name is on the time slot. Step 2: Get over the AD. Regardless of his performance and habits, he's the AD, so try to find a way to make him an ally or at the very least not an obstacle. Step 3: I would look into upgrading your facilities. See if you can qualify for some grants or discretionary spending in order to do so. Get rid of useless machines in favor of more platforms/free weights is my advice for space efficiency. Step 4: When dealing with parents who want to drop $$$ on the latest trainers, etc, there's not much you're going to do. Best thing you can do is get great results with the kids you have so that the common sense thing is to send them to you. We have no way to fill out a facilities request. Our weight room is considered an open weight room and is open from 3 to ~5 for the entire school population. Sports of any kind are not given any preference whatsoever, because working out the conflicts would be inconvenient for our AS Also, he's not our AD. He's an AS. There's no way for anybody to make this guy an ally unless they're filling out a facilities request for the inside of his pants. And you can't make him not an obstacle because he'll give you a hard time about anything over the most minute, pointless details. I've thrown out your step 3 suggestion already to my HC, and he brought it up to the AS, but the AS turned down that request because the weight room is supposed to be a common area for all students, not just athletes who need platforms and free-weights. Step 4 was the answer i was hoping not to get, but was expecting anyway  problem is, with everything I've explained above, I don't think we can get great results with what we have. That weight room is 10 lbs of you-know-what in a 1 lb bag during the school week. And I've considered asking about weekend workouts with supervision- I don't think that'll work out either because of administrative red tape. It's bad, man. |
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Post by germanjohn on Feb 18, 2014 19:51:50 GMT -6
some thoughts let it go about the AD if the community has so much money, start fundraising for new weight room equipment talk with parents/team about the importance of lifting with each other as a team building, shared bond, brotherhood, chance to develop leadership... that's our biggest problem with a kid who is our best player and should be our team captain/a D-1 kid... as a player he is great, in season he is there... summer he is there... but all winter/spring he works out with one of his older brothers... one is a former player/coach here and a trainer at a really nice gym, the other plays at the local JC and he will work out with the older brothers i know he is lifting, i just wish he was in our weight room to be a leader... he will only be a junior next year and is one of the best players in our county in cases where of wealthy schools I have heard of schools hiring a "S&C coach" to come in and run the program... see if parents would be interested in that, if they are gonna pay anyway, they can all chip in together and everyone can benefit I like the S&C part of your comment. At the end of our (less than stellar) season, our HC had a parent meeting to basically let them vent all of their frustrations about what came up during the course of the year. Hiring a strength and conditioning coach was one of them that they wanted. I don't know what has come from that point as of yet, but it was enough to make me consider going to the NASM to get my strength and conditioning training certification. I'm about to graduate college to be a teacher, but I think that could be a great way to work my way into the school's system. One thing that we used to have was an elective course in which student-athletes would be able to substitute their P.E. classes with weight room work. They got rid of it because of funding/payroll issues like the year I entered. Never understood why, because I personally, especially as a coach not actively working in the school, would take 15$ an hour to supervise our weight room throughout the day if it entailed my players getting better. |
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Post by mariner42 on Feb 18, 2014 20:19:59 GMT -6
Step 1: Fill out a facilities request with your school so that you are officially the person that is supposed to be in there when you want to be. Then tell kids to kick rocks or join in your program, but either way your name is on the time slot. Step 2: Get over the AD. Regardless of his performance and habits, he's the AD, so try to find a way to make him an ally or at the very least not an obstacle. Step 3: I would look into upgrading your facilities. See if you can qualify for some grants or discretionary spending in order to do so. Get rid of useless machines in favor of more platforms/free weights is my advice for space efficiency. Step 4: When dealing with parents who want to drop $$$ on the latest trainers, etc, there's not much you're going to do. Best thing you can do is get great results with the kids you have so that the common sense thing is to send them to you. We have no way to fill out a facilities request. Our weight room is considered an open weight room and is open from 3 to ~5 for the entire school population. Sports of any kind are not given any preference whatsoever, because working out the conflicts would be inconvenient for our AS Who is in charge of the room from 3-5? If you weren't in there, would another adult be? SOMEONE is responsible for what happens in that room. Who gets sued if something goes wrong? You need to become that person and then enact some sort of guidelines in order to make it organized/not a sh!tshow. Otherwise, you either need to get kids to sign a release of liability or you need to GTFO because eventually it's gonna go BAD for someone. |
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Post by olinecoach61 on Feb 18, 2014 20:43:17 GMT -6
I wish I had 60 kids showing up in February...
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Post by coachplaa on Feb 18, 2014 20:51:08 GMT -6
#1 thing that has worked for us, increase the rigor. I've found the more disciplined, competitive, and challenging we make our program, the higher the attendance rate we have. It doesn't give kids a reason to go seek "training" elsewhere.
Every year we get better and one thing we started doing last year was incorporating more "body-weight" exercises for our newcomers that can't handle much weight. Pushups, squats, burpees, and some other boot camp stuff that is demanding on the body without being demanding on equipment when you have large numbers and not lots of equipment.
For kids that DO go the outside trainer route, we tell them they must do both, and our workout first.
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Post by fantom on Feb 18, 2014 21:13:11 GMT -6
We have no way to fill out a facilities request. Our weight room is considered an open weight room and is open from 3 to ~5 for the entire school population. Sports of any kind are not given any preference whatsoever, because working out the conflicts would be inconvenient for our AS Who is in charge of the room from 3-5? If you weren't in there, would another adult be? SOMEONE is responsible for what happens in that room. Who gets sued if something goes wrong? You need to become that person and then enact some sort of guidelines in order to make it organized/not a sh!tshow. Otherwise, you either need to get kids to sign a release of liability or you need to GTFO because eventually it's gonna go BAD for someone. If the OP is in charge of the weight room he can institute his own program and insist that everyone in the room use that program. You can't stop non-players from coming in but you can run a program that kids who just want to look good for bikini season won't want to do. |
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Post by veerman on Feb 18, 2014 21:28:10 GMT -6
I'm not opposed to them going to a trainer if they participate in our training as well...anything those kids do on their own to get better is great.
The other sounds like it sucks but every program and school has its problems when they are struggling. Encourage the kids to work hard and do whatever they can to improve, if that's spending an extra hrs working out more or doing more agility drill Great! As long as they put their time in with the team as well. There was a group of us that did extra lifting and running in high school, we all went to college. In college a group of us did same thing. Again I have ZERO PROBLEMS with them having a trainer as long as they work with the team as well.
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Post by rpetrie on Feb 18, 2014 21:50:06 GMT -6
I don't know how much you can really do? It might not be worth openly fighting it (by calling kids out) because at least they are doing something to improve themselves. Our weight room is terrible...so many kids go elsewhere to get better equipment and more options for when they can work-out. But they are usually upper-classmen who have already put in the time to build the foundation based on what we do. Some not...but most.
We have many issues you mentioned and others not worth discussing. But I do understand that changes you want aren't likely to happen because those decisions come "above your pay grade." If it is strictly about improving their physically preparedness then you have to decide if you are REALLY willing to hold it over their heads for playing time, even at the expense of possible wins. I personally won't do that because we typically aren't that high in #'s to have that option. But if its more about building the concept of team...I suggest doing the following.
1. Praise them for doing something to improve themselves but always follow-up with accountability to the team begins with being present amongst team functions. Testing days, 1-2 days per week they should show up in your room...even if for only major lifts, then go to your trainer.
2. Keep the majority of attention focused on those that do what you want...how you want. Do this publicly, in front of the team...over announcements after testing days. Those kids get the shirts, captainships, post-season team awards, etc.
3. During testing be very critical of form and don't give them the benefit of "almost." When they give you the "My Trainer says.." statement, you have the opportunity to emphasize that your trainer isn't a member of out team and doesn't share the same goals. Also get those that lift in school to REALLY get excited over every aspect of every lift/effort given by those that are buying in.
Peer pressure works wonders.
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Post by jsk002 on Feb 18, 2014 21:52:07 GMT -6
It sounds like you have to get your kids to care about each other and care about the team. It also sounds like you have very little leadership among your players. I agree with Mariner that you or someone on the staff needs to be in the weight room running your program. It doesn't matter who else is in there, grab the football players and run them through your workout. Culture change isn't easy - but it sounds like that's what you are dealing with. Kids need to know you care, and clear expectations on what is acceptable need to be set. Again - a lot easier said than done. But this is what I would concentrate on.
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Post by rpetrie on Feb 18, 2014 22:29:29 GMT -6
Just something else that we do...since you mentioned in your OP about not having team unity that carries over after the season. We have our Senior players pen hand-written letters to at least one underclassmen. They present them to each other at our banquet which usually takes place at the end of January. EVERY Senior is asked & then paired with an underclassman. Some kids do more than one, some kids receive more than one...but everybody gets one. It builds a bond that carries over. The topics of the letters vary from motivational to just simple appreciation for what they bring to the program and their overall experience. Believe it or not...the majority of them keep the letters. It's been pretty powerful for us.
Just an idea
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Post by mariner42 on Feb 18, 2014 22:36:00 GMT -6
Who is in charge of the room from 3-5? If you weren't in there, would another adult be? SOMEONE is responsible for what happens in that room. Who gets sued if something goes wrong? You need to become that person and then enact some sort of guidelines in order to make it organized/not a sh!tshow. Otherwise, you either need to get kids to sign a release of liability or you need to GTFO because eventually it's gonna go BAD for someone. If the OP is in charge of the weight room he can institute his own program and insist that everyone in the room use that program. You can't stop non-players from coming in but you can run a program that kids who just want to look good for bikini season won't want to do. Totally on board with what you're saying and it's exactly what I've done in the last few months with the weights program where I'm at. I had the backing of the HC and the AD, however, so I had more leeway in determining who comes in and who doesn't. OP probably needs to be more delicate than I was. |
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Post by germanjohn on Feb 18, 2014 22:48:46 GMT -6
Who is in charge of the room from 3-5? If you weren't in there, would another adult be? SOMEONE is responsible for what happens in that room. Who gets sued if something goes wrong? You need to become that person and then enact some sort of guidelines in order to make it organized/not a sh!tshow. Otherwise, you either need to get kids to sign a release of liability or you need to GTFO because eventually it's gonna go BAD for someone. If the OP is in charge of the weight room he can institute his own program and insist that everyone in the room use that program. You can't stop non-players from coming in but you can run a program that kids who just want to look good for bikini season won't want to do. No, it's not like that. I'm not in charge of the weight room, but a faculty member (usually the head football coach gets preference, or if not, a Phys. Ed teacher)'s duties reach only so far regarding controlling the weight room. All they are there to do is supervise and make sure people aren't screwing around, are using the equipment properly, exhibiting proper lifting technique, etc. They cannot mandate that a certain workout be done. Their primary purpose of being there is liability reduction and not much more. Theoretically, if it got so bad that nobody wanted the job, the home ec teacher could get it. |
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Post by germanjohn on Feb 18, 2014 22:51:02 GMT -6
Just something else that we do...since you mentioned in your OP about not having team unity that carries over after the season. We have our Senior players pen hand-written letters to at least one underclassmen. They present them to each other at our banquet which usually takes place at the end of January. EVERY Senior is asked & then paired with an underclassman. Some kids do more than one, some kids receive more than one...but everybody gets one. It builds a bond that carries over. The topics of the letters vary from motivational to just simple appreciation for what they bring to the program and their overall experience. Believe it or not...the majority of them keep the letters. It's been pretty powerful for us. Just an idea We did that at the beginning of the season as well. Not so far as writing pre-written letters, but other than that exactly what you're talking about. Never took off. We announced it, paired them up, etc, but I don't think anything ever resulted from that. |
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Post by germanjohn on Feb 18, 2014 22:53:46 GMT -6
It sounds like you have to get your kids to care about each other and care about the team. It also sounds like you have very little leadership among your players. I agree with Mariner that you or someone on the staff needs to be in the weight room running your program. It doesn't matter who else is in there, grab the football players and run them through your workout. Culture change isn't easy - but it sounds like that's what you are dealing with. Kids need to know you care, and clear expectations on what is acceptable need to be set. Again - a lot easier said than done. But this is what I would concentrate on. You're spot-on with the very little leadership part. And we do have someone from our program in the weight room at all times when it's open. It's either our current head coach, the one he replaced (very well respected among our players, got a job at another school nearby though), and occasionally myself if I can make it there before it closes after I'm done with student teaching. We keep on the guys about their workouts, at least the ones who are there to begin with. |
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Post by germanjohn on Feb 18, 2014 22:56:32 GMT -6
I'm not opposed to them going to a trainer if they participate in our training as well...anything those kids do on their own to get better is great. The other sounds like it sucks but every program and school has its problems when they are struggling. Encourage the kids to work hard and do whatever they can to improve, if that's spending an extra hrs working out more or doing more agility drill Great! As long as they put their time in with the team as well. There was a group of us that did extra lifting and running in high school, we all went to college. In college a group of us did same thing. Again I have ZERO PROBLEMS with them having a trainer as long as they work with the team as well. The only one out of all of them that does the trainer's workout as well as ours was one freshman I coached this past season. Everybody else either goes all trainer or all weight room. Sorry for all the spam-posting guys, trying to answer each one individually without having one big jumbled and difficult-to-read post. |
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Post by fantom on Feb 18, 2014 23:08:01 GMT -6
Any theories about why he left? |
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Post by joelee on Feb 19, 2014 9:12:16 GMT -6
I saw this exact same issue at a school in a town I used to coach in. Here is what the HC there did. He told them go do your thing. I'm not going to fight you. Get stronger and faster by any means necessary. However I expect each and every one of you to be here on Thursdays where we will do competition and team activities that are vital to the success of you and our program. Make your schedule accordingly. One of our coaches will be here Monday, Wednesday and Friday to design highly effective workouts for those of you who want to use our weight facility. In year 3 he went 12-2!
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Post by utchuckd on Feb 19, 2014 9:25:22 GMT -6
If I understand the situation right, I'm not sure the problem is with the guys that go to their own trainer. Sounds like you have too little facilities/equipment, too many distractions because it's 'open gym' format, and a non-existent lifting program that you can't tell them to follow or be held accountable to, and no coaches supervising any of it? If that's the best the school could offer I wouldn't mind at all if my kids went to someone who will work them hard, I'd just try to work with them and their trainer on training goals.
As far as a fix, is that the only time the weight room can ever be open? Is there any way to set up another time for football only workouts? You really need to have (some of) your coaches pushing your team through your workout. I know it's not you or your team's fault, it's basically the hand you've been dealt, but I don't see how you could get much production football/team building-wise out of the current set up.
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Post by fantom on Feb 19, 2014 9:40:07 GMT -6
If I understand the situation right, I'm not sure the problem is with the guys that go to their own trainer. Sounds like you have too little facilities/equipment, too many distractions because it's 'open gym' format, and a non-existent lifting program that you can't tell them to follow or be held accountable to, and no coaches supervising any of it? If that's the best the school could offer I wouldn't mind at all if my kids went to someone who will work them hard, I'd just try to work with them and their trainer on training goals. As far as a fix, is that the only time the weight room can ever be open? Is there any way to set up another time for football only workouts? You really need to have (some of) your coaches pushing your team through your workout. I know it's not you or your team's fault, it's basically the hand you've been dealt, but I don't see how you could get much production football/team building-wise out of the current set up. If the OP wants to have a comprehensive offseason program I think that that's the only way to go. OK, so the weight room has to be open to everybody from 3-5. Fine. How about after 5? |
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Post by rpetrie on Feb 19, 2014 11:47:18 GMT -6
Like others have said, it sounds like a culture issue. If you read my mini-tirade/hijack in the one thread culture is basically my frustration. So the question really is: How can we change this culture? How can we get the kids to buy into each other? I really like the letter writing idea but that doesn't really alleviate your issue at this time. Have you read "Five Dysfunctions of a Team"? The person in the weight room...you can mandate the workout program the football players do correct? I'm sure you have a group, though it may be small, a group of players who are in there and working hard and doing the things you guys want done, how you want them done. Focus on those kids. Build your team around those kids regardless of athletic ability. Structurally your team should be built on that foundation. I heard a coach once say "In any program you have 10% of the guys who are exactly what you want. You have 10% of the guys who are nothing at all like anyone you want. Your job as the coach is to get the remaining 80% to the top 10%. But that 80% will gravitate to which ever 10% is stronger." Forget about all the stuff that is outside of your control. Focus on the things you can control and cultivate that top 10%. BRAVO!! |
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Post by larrymoe on Feb 19, 2014 16:38:50 GMT -6
Institute a points program. Kids don't want to lift at the school? Fine. Just make them perform some sort of task- for us it's running during two a days- if they don't get their points. Your attendance will jump considerably after you attach some sort of negative reinforcement to not showing up. When their parents complain to you about you wanting them there instead of their hand picked trainer mention your desire for teamwork and a sense of team and say that if you are going to be responsible for their well being and performance, you want to be responsible for training them.
As for the hangers on that are clogging up your weight room, make it an unpleasant place for them to be. Whether that's by being rude to them yourself or getting your kids to shun or not encourage their stff or whatever, you have to get those people out of there. Until you can get control of the room, there isn't anything you can really do to fix this situation.
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Post by coachbdud on Feb 19, 2014 17:06:13 GMT -6
We also do a points system
Everyone here loves spring ball... We always have a ton of kids (before pads come on and it gets really hard so kids taper down)
Anyway we do a point system now, we establish a minimum to attend spring ball... You show up to spring ball and it's a point per mile u run until you get that minimum
Then you join the rest of the team at spring ball
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Post by rpetrie on Feb 19, 2014 17:27:23 GMT -6
Institute a points program. Kids don't want to lift at the school? Fine. Just make them perform some sort of task- for us it's running during two a days- if they don't get their points. Your attendance will jump considerably after you attach some sort of negative reinforcement to not showing up. When their parents complain to you about you wanting them there instead of their hand picked trainer mention your desire for teamwork and a sense of team and say that if you are going to be responsible for their well being and performance, you want to be responsible for training them. As for the hangers on that are clogging up your weight room, make it an unpleasant place for them to be. Whether that's by being rude to them yourself or getting your kids to shun or not encourage their stff or whatever, you have to get those people out of there. Until you can get control of the room, there isn't anything you can really do to fix this situation. I know this won't be popular of an opinion, but I can't say that I agree that this approach works to be honest. If a kid is training albeit in a different environment, how can you honestly punish them? We always attach this word MANDATORY to things of importance, but how often do you allow a miss here/there for other things...why is where they lift any different? IF you're not willing to make the superstar the example then don't make false threats and think they will work. You will get challenged on it at some point.
Also be careful about how you treat the weight room. They are not "football only" rooms...at least at any place I've ever been. I can't imagine parents or administration accepting their kids being run out of the room that they pay taxes on to have function. How do you expect to build a rapport with other coaches if you are running their kids out of the room? You can say that you're not there to babysit their kids...that's an issue the AD should address. In our district if you accept the weight room stipend then you oversee everyone and its accessible to all. Perhaps discuss a scheduling regiment about when you can designate it sport specific for training, but running out kids is another land mine IMO.
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Post by fantom on Feb 19, 2014 17:50:53 GMT -6
Institute a points program. Kids don't want to lift at the school? Fine. Just make them perform some sort of task- for us it's running during two a days- if they don't get their points. Your attendance will jump considerably after you attach some sort of negative reinforcement to not showing up. When their parents complain to you about you wanting them there instead of their hand picked trainer mention your desire for teamwork and a sense of team and say that if you are going to be responsible for their well being and performance, you want to be responsible for training them. As for the hangers on that are clogging up your weight room, make it an unpleasant place for them to be. Whether that's by being rude to them yourself or getting your kids to shun or not encourage their stff or whatever, you have to get those people out of there. Until you can get control of the room, there isn't anything you can really do to fix this situation. I know this won't be popular of an opinion, but I can't say that I agree that this approach works to be honest. If a kid is training albeit in a different environment, how can you honestly punish them? We always attach this word MANDATORY to things of importance, but how often do you allow a miss here/there for other things...why is where they lift any different? IF you're not willing to make the superstar the example then don't make false threats and think they will work. You will get challenged on it at some point.
Also be careful about how you treat the weight room. They are not "football only" rooms...at least at any place I've ever been. I can't imagine parents or administration accepting their kids being run out of the room that they pay taxes on to have function. How do you expect to build a rapport with other coaches if you are running their kids out of the room? You can say that you're not there to babysit their kids...that's an issue the AD should address. In our district if you accept the weight room stipend then you oversee everyone and its accessible to all. Perhaps discuss a scheduling regiment about when you can designate it sport specific for training, but running out kids is another land mine IMO.
Over the years we've had a few rare kids who insist on working with an outside trainer rather than in our program. They NEVER make anywhere near the progress as the kids who work with us. Never, and it's not even close. In fact we've never had one who was physically capable of competing for a position. That's not because they weren't given the chance. It's because their personal trainer wasn't training them to play football at this level. Our program doesn't involve lifting weights. It includes other activities including football and team building activities. If a kid wants to do a personal workout IN ADDITION to our workout, fine. He's expected to be here, though. If the school has a policy of an open weight room from 3-5, you're right, there's nothing that the OP can do about it. That's why I suggested that he explore the possibility of getting the team into the room after 5. It's not ideal but it's better than what he has now. |
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Post by windigo on Feb 19, 2014 18:22:31 GMT -6
When I was playing college and living in major college recruiting hub, my mentor was a trainer to elite athletes in the area. Most of the kids who came through his program went onto Div I programs. His key was that he had a strong relationship with the local schools. And his results were unquestionable. This guy could turn doughboys into beasts way faster than any cookie cutter assembly line football lifting program could.
Realize that when its you vs. the parents you will lose especially when the parents have money. If they want to spend the money on training they will spend the money on training. Honestly, a IMHO coach has no right to tell the parents no. Instead of fighting battles you will lose get acquainted with the trainers in your area. Find out who is good and work with them. If the parent insists give them the trainers info. Now you at least have some control.
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Post by coachcb on Feb 19, 2014 18:45:06 GMT -6
Honestly, I don't even fight the "personal trainer" battle because I've never won. I know coaches who throw fits over it and nothing ever gets resolved, They're not working out with the team so they're absent, it's as simple as that.
In past gigs, those kids would sit at the bottom of our theoretical, off-season depth chart and may not be eligible to letter. There's usually griping about it but its made real clear that they have to train with the team, in the school weight room.
I have never had a player workout with a personal trainer in the off-season and end up starting or even playing much. They spend their gym time following whatever bodybuilding program their trainer has set up for them. They walk into the season ill-prepared and get their butts handed to them by the players that worked out with us.
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Post by rpetrie on Feb 19, 2014 19:21:24 GMT -6
I know this won't be popular of an opinion, but I can't say that I agree that this approach works to be honest. If a kid is training albeit in a different environment, how can you honestly punish them? We always attach this word MANDATORY to things of importance, but how often do you allow a miss here/there for other things...why is where they lift any different? IF you're not willing to make the superstar the example then don't make false threats and think they will work. You will get challenged on it at some point.
Also be careful about how you treat the weight room. They are not "football only" rooms...at least at any place I've ever been. I can't imagine parents or administration accepting their kids being run out of the room that they pay taxes on to have function. How do you expect to build a rapport with other coaches if you are running their kids out of the room? You can say that you're not there to babysit their kids...that's an issue the AD should address. In our district if you accept the weight room stipend then you oversee everyone and its accessible to all. Perhaps discuss a scheduling regiment about when you can designate it sport specific for training, but running out kids is another land mine IMO.
Over the years we've had a few rare kids who insist on working with an outside trainer rather than in our program. They NEVER make anywhere near the progress as the kids who work with us. Never, and it's not even close. In fact we've never had one who was physically capable of competing for a position. That's not because they weren't given the chance. It's because their personal trainer wasn't training them to play football at this level. Our program doesn't involve lifting weights. It includes other activities including football and team building activities. If a kid wants to do a personal workout IN ADDITION to our workout, fine. He's expected to be here, though. If the school has a policy of an open weight room from 3-5, you're right, there's nothing that the OP can do about it. That's why I suggested that he explore the possibility of getting the team into the room after 5. It's not ideal but it's better than what he has now. I don't disagree one bit about the results aspect as most "personal trainers" don't understand the goals we have. The lifts are different. And our system also incorporates Speed/Agility training & team building. If they are going to Mr. LA Fitness, then most realize they are lacking when we test and others continually make greater strides. But if they are working with a Sports Trainer who has a reputation for training athletes...OR it is their best option because their commitments to other sports then its better than not at all. We (as I'm sure many programs) don't have the luxury to turn away 3-4 athletes because they aren't in our wt room. We don't have an issue with attendance to other things football related so I'm only referring to the wt room aspect. |
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problem is, with everything I've explained above, I don't think we can get great results with what we have. That weight room is 10 lbs of you-know-what in a 1 lb bag during the school week. And I've considered asking about weekend workouts with supervision- I don't think that'll work out either because of administrative red tape. It's bad, man.
