Kids dropping out of football

How many of those kids started or played significant time? I've heard several examples of those guys who think they should be playing more time decide to quit out of frustration and go to another sport.

Coach,

Our numbers have been down w/ kids coming into the high school as freshman. This has been a trend the last 2 seasons. Hopefully turns around some this upcoming season as we have a more accomplished group coming in. But the past 2 years our numbers for our incoming frosh. have been BAD. Not sure if it's concussion related or a problem at the MS level. My guess is, a little of both.

Coach, we had a ton after an 0-9 season last year including a kid that was up for starting QB and was a returning starter at safety and a college prospect at DL/OL.  Lost 21 kids all together after the 0-9 season.  Went 12-1 the very next year.  It honestly allowed us as coaches to focus on the kids that wanted/accepted coaching instead of focusing on kids who were half in and half out the boat.  Could be the best thing that happened to you!!

We're losing an all league two way lineman, just doesnt want to play; also a fair number of younger players. Does not look like anything new though, same song and dance 5-10 years ago. Heck even 20 years back when I played.

Just got word that last year's back up center is dropping out to focus on wrestling. Told me he was not having fun was too small and did not want to have to cut to 170 next year.

Truth is the kid who graduated is playing in the all state game so he didn't play a whole lot. He was in the mix to see decent pt at guard and back up the kid I'm moving to center (starting guard as a soph) not a expert on wrestiling but if you haven't made it out of districts buy your sophomore year wrestiling is not something I would focus on.

Ironically the kid I'm moving to center ( 6 '2" 285 sophomore nephew of a famous Olympic gold medal heavyweight) caused the same issue on the wrestiling team (kids quiting or changing weights to avoid him) kills my depth as the kid quitting can play all 3 spots

I have only had 1 incident in which a kid has quit due to concussion fear and it is a legitimate reason for this young man. He was our starting Free Safety last year as a junior. Not very big but a 4.0 student who wishes to attend Northwestern University and runs the 40 in 4.63 legit time.

He did not play as a sophomore due to two concussions as a freshman. Coming into last season him and his mother both said that if he sustains 1 more concussion than he is done with football for good. He made it through the entire season with no injuries at all. He had a very good season for us.

Well, he goes snowboarding back in December. He takes a fall, while wearing a helmet, and goes unconscious and begins to go into a seizure. He was unconscious for just over 30 minutes. Needless to say he is done with football and is still waiting for clearance to start running track.

It is a big blow to our football team, but the heart ache that he has knowing he will not play next year is tough to see for him.

Who knew there was semi-pro cage fighting?

I think there is an underlying theme to all of this. First off, your players won't ever care as much about football as you do. The ones who do, generally end up coaching. I think we all look at our players through those "rose colored glasses" and expect them to love the game as much as we do, and it's just VERY unrealistic. That being said, with numbers already down, losing players hurts. I get the whole "it allows us time to focus on the ones who want to be there", BUT, when you only have 3 LB's and run a 3 LB defense, things can get a bit sketchy when the season rolls around and the injury bug hits.

Where I'm at now, we are constantly losing kids to baseball. Why? He!! I wish I knew, I always chalk it up to laziness b/c baseball is played when it's cool out and they don't call it 9 man stand around for nothing. The one thing I've always tried to push is that your football program is a "brand" and you have to find a way to make your brand the thing kids want to be a part of. It's tough, b/c it's a tough sport, but the old idea that kids like to knock the sh!t out of people, is fading fast. I heard a coach, a dam good one from TX, talk at a clinic last month about very little contact in practice during the course of the season. Maybe only full contact once a week. Concentrates much more on the mental aspect of the game and fundamentals. Not all kids relish the chance to knock someone's d!ck in the dirt, they play for the appeal of competition, the speed of the game, the excitement of being in front of the crowd etc. Contact is low on their list of priorities. I think once, we as football coaches, can see this, it'll make us better at keeping players in our programs by redesigning the way we practice. I know this year, we are GREATLY reducing the amount of contact we're going to have in practice. This reason is two-fold, low numbers means low depth, AND it reduces the "grind" that kids go through during the course of a season. Our HC is really taking a completely different approach, and we are going more "Pete Carroll" here than say, Bill Parcells. We are going to lay things back, kinda let it all hang out, and see where that gets us. It's a different approach, and for those rolling their eyes or in denial, just remember the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.

Duece

I played Little League baseball from second grade until 8th, but it was against other town teams. We only traveled once in those years other than for the state post season tournament. I never played padded football until I was a freshman in HS. I started wrestling in 6th through the school's team.

IMO youth sports are just a symbol, or outlet for a lot of our society's problems.

I agree. In my town we are on the cusp of losing youth football, and I see nothing wrong with it, however when I pipe up about it, folks look at me like I have an arm growing out of my azz. Anyhow, football, with its collisions, and usually the lack of satisfactory coaching at the lower levels, could really start at the Jr. High level and I'd be totally sold on it.

Duece

I think you also have to take into account how extreme our society has become. Everything is taken way too far. Just have to watch that program Friday Night Tykes to get my drift. Teaching youngsters how to play football by itself isn't a bad thing. It becomes a bad thing when adults take it to the extreme.

In the last 10 years I haven't met a HS basketball coach, or a HS baseball coach I could trust. Used to be the HS football coaches were also the basketball or wrestling coaches in the winter, and/or then became the track or baseball coaches in the spring. And when the HS HFC got older he became the golf coach! Aahh, the good ol' days!