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Post by rabbitdundied on Nov 5, 2014 21:49:16 GMT -6
What is the one thing you did as a coach that made you a better coach that you would recommend another coach to do?
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Post by dubber on Nov 5, 2014 21:55:12 GMT -6
Stop watching the football during film
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Post by brophy on Nov 6, 2014 6:50:57 GMT -6
find another coach / football guy that will challenge you. We all want to be the best football coach out there and often times we think that the true metric is to come up with some great scheme, awesome brand, or be a renowned clinic speaker (because that is what is demonstrated as valued). The thing is, working towards that end will make for a single-mindedness of insular thinking , where we shut out critical voices. Coaches, particularly those that are starting out, need someone to call them on their {censored} and, even if you're right, get you to galvanize your position on what you're doing. Once you get through the core tenets of football, you'll see its just fundamental (technique/theory) and what is most important is teaching the game to your players and building those relationships.
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Post by Defcord on Nov 6, 2014 7:16:44 GMT -6
I coached for a guy that told our staff "I don't want you yelling and screaming all the time or putting on a clinic out there." He told us the kids need to rep good drills that would carry into actual action. He talked about coaching on the run and not taking away from actual reps that will make them better. He said to coach them up but he should never see us stop a drill for 5 minutes or whatever to talk about football. This really changed how I coached. I was at one time and still see the guy who will explain something for 5-6 minutes in a 10 minute drill and then the kids get one or two reps each. It just doesn't work if that is an everyday thing. I understand that maybe the first time we run a drill there will need to be some explanation but it shouldn't be the same way every time we run that drill.
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Post by shocktroop34 on Nov 6, 2014 7:52:28 GMT -6
Study the mental side of coaching. We always use the analogy that sports are 75% mental/25% physical (or whatever % you deem appropriate). Most coaches place a higher % on the mental side of the game, but many do not coach that part of the game. Lots of good books out there on sports psychology (and some bad ones too). But, if you want to see real growth, study the mind.
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Post by coachphillip on Nov 6, 2014 9:47:00 GMT -6
Got together a comprehensive manual on my position. The scheme responsibilities of the position, how it fit into the overall scheme, the skills I would need to teach them in order to execute the scheme, the drills I would use to teach these skills, tweaks to the skills or scheme that could be used if I had a player with strengths in one area or weaknesses in another area. I got all these things together so that I could better understand HOW I was going to go about coaching these kids. It's amazing how little you realize you know when you're putting this thing together. I'm the DC and have a manual for every position. They're mainly for my use, but I also have the added benefit of being able to give it to each of my assistants when they start. Everything they do is from my book. We are literally on the same page.
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Post by WTR on Nov 6, 2014 10:06:24 GMT -6
Work hard at where ever you are and whatever you are doing.
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Post by kkfootball on Nov 6, 2014 10:46:17 GMT -6
I coached for a guy that told our staff "I don't want you yelling and screaming all the time or putting on a clinic out there." He told us the kids need to rep good drills that would carry into actual action. He talked about coaching on the run and not taking away from actual reps that will make them better. He said to coach them up but he should never see us stop a drill for 5 minutes or whatever to talk about football. This really changed how I coached. I was at one time and still see the guy who will explain something for 5-6 minutes in a 10 minute drill and then the kids get one or two reps each. It just doesn't work if that is an everyday thing. I understand that maybe the first time we run a drill there will need to be some explanation but it shouldn't be the same way every time we run that drill. This is great. One thing I have been told that helped me with this is planning out all my drills in the off season. This will give you time to simplify and anticipate where the mistakes may happen. Also focusing on each player rep to rep. After each rep tell them one thing to work on for the next time through. You can build on this by continuing to add a new point each time while letting them know what they did better from the previous rep, instead of stopping each time and and explain all their faults. It's amazing how many more reps your kids will get through while getting better each time.
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Post by CoachBrownAZ on Nov 6, 2014 11:06:51 GMT -6
I make a conscious effort to put the kids 100% FIRST in EVERYTHING I do on that football field. Every x and o decision has a kids name attached to it so I'm not just installing something cool I saw on Saturday... I'm putting players I have in position to make plays that they actually can make not the ones I want them to.
I study for my kids, research for my kids, clinic for my kids. So that way if I want them to do something I have turned over every stone to make myself a better coach for them.
I know coaches that do this more for their resume. They love the game but really don't love the kids.
My advice .. give 1,000% to your kids, bust your A$$ for them and watch what they do for you in return... Kids are smart.. they pick up on the adults that are really out there for them.
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Post by Inthesticks on Nov 6, 2014 11:15:09 GMT -6
Film practice and coach off that as much as possible
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Post by coachwoodall on Nov 6, 2014 12:22:48 GMT -6
Something I picked up along the way, every drill you do should show up in the game film. If not, then you need to reevaluate your drill work.
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Post by CoachBrownAZ on Nov 7, 2014 20:19:45 GMT -6
Something I picked up along the way, every drill you do should show up in the game film. If not, then you need to reevaluate your drill work. THIS IS THE BEST ADVICE I'VE READ ON ANY MESSAGE BOARD ANYWHERE EVER!! Emmett coach on this board should "like" this over and over. Taking this into past season evals coach..thanks
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Post by CoachBrownAZ on Nov 7, 2014 20:20:57 GMT -6
Every not Emmett
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 7, 2014 20:51:10 GMT -6
In my opinion, experience trumps all. If you want to get better at coaching, then coach as much as you can. Coach summer teams, camps, all-star teams, youth teams, guest coach, etc.
I'll add to that - speak at clinics...essentially coaching the coaches. Before you step in front of a group of other football coaches to present on a topic, you will force yourself to know the topic inside-out! You become an expert.
I'll also echo what @dcohio said - learn to coach every position on the football field. I think that a head coach should have a strong knowledge of every position group.
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Post by jg78 on Nov 8, 2014 5:52:58 GMT -6
What is the one thing you did as a coach that made you a better coach that you would recommend another coach to do? I would contact the best coaches I know who are running the kind of schemes you want to run and ask if I could meet with them and talk football. After a rough season three years ago I decided to change offenses and called the best coach I knew who ran the offense I wanted to run. I met him at his school and we drove over to a camphouse and spent the day talking football. Learned a lot from him that day and we proceeded to score 500+ points the next year and made it to the state finals. What I learned that day was the basis of our turnaround. We wouldn't have done it had I not taken that step. Books, videos, and clinics are good and all, but if you can get some extensive one-on-one time with a really good football coach, that's invaluable.
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Post by rabbitdundied on Nov 8, 2014 16:23:38 GMT -6
Thanks for the responses. I am reading them instead of posting.
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Post by wolfden12 on Nov 10, 2014 17:54:33 GMT -6
What is the one thing you did as a coach that made you a better coach that you would recommend another coach to do? I would contact the best coaches I know who are running the kind of schemes you want to run and ask if I could meet with them and talk football. After a rough season three years ago I decided to change offenses and called the best coach I knew who ran the offense I wanted to run. I met him at his school and we drove over to a camphouse and spent the day talking football. Learned a lot from him that day and we proceeded to score 500+ points the next year and made it to the state finals. What I learned that day was the basis of our turnaround. We wouldn't have done it had I not taken that step. Books, videos, and clinics are good and all, but if you can get some extensive one-on-one time with a really good football coach, that's invaluable. I try and do this every year. I research several coaches whom I believe have been successful at a variety of places. I have a template I have created to ask questions specific to my interest of becoming better as a coach and development of a program. I usually only get 1-2 responses that I send out however, they have become valuable in becoming more well-rounded.
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Post by IronmanFootball on Nov 11, 2014 10:20:27 GMT -6
Brought in a good offense guy (I'm usually a DC) and told him to destroy me in practice, then sat down and asked how he did it.
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Post by gibbs72 on Nov 12, 2014 8:09:55 GMT -6
X and O wise - the best thing I did as a DC/defensive coach was start going to offensive sessions at clinics. Once I started really understanding offensive football...how they do what they do, the decisions they make in their blocking scheme, philosophy behind doing what they do, how they teach their kids, etc. I feel like this alone has made me a much much better defensive coach. A side benefit is when you're an even front and all the film you have is vs an odd front, you can still draw up their stuff with accurate blocking scheme. Along with the clinic deal - as a young DC I knew linebacker play and I could coach LB play but I couldn't coach DB's or Dline. So I spent a lot of time early on learning to coach Dline and DB play. I think that's important. It's to the point now that when I work a college camp, I work with the Dline every where I work. I rarely work with the LBs and never with the DBs. Game is won or lost on the LOS, that's where the money is. This is pretty close to what I do at clinics. If there is a speaker who is dead on point with something I want to get better @ teacher (i.e. this year it is man coverage techniques), then I make sure to go to him. If not, I pick an offensive coach and listen. As they show their blocking schemes, routes, I sketch how I would defend it. Am I always 100% focused on every word the speaker is saying? No. But it makes me better because I have to figure out how to defend these top offenses. As the DC, I try to hit at least one session for each defensive position during the spring. So, sometime between January and May, I want to listen to one guy talk DL, one guy talk LB, and one guy talk secondary. I found setting myself "clinic goals" helped me maximize my time better in between beer drinking/ white board sessions!
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 12, 2014 8:41:50 GMT -6
Nov 12, 2014 9:09:55 GMT -5gibbs72 said: This is pretty close to what I do at clinics. If there is a speaker who is dead on point with something I want to get better @ teacher (i.e. this year it is man coverage techniques), then I make sure to go to him. If not, I pick an offensive coach and listen. As they show their blocking schemes, routes, I sketch how I would defend it Agree with this. I often make a point of asking the presenter what defensive looks (fronts/blitzes/coverages) give them the most problems when running "X play". Or vice versa with with an defensive presenter.
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Post by snakeyes on Nov 12, 2014 13:05:08 GMT -6
As a head coach, I had a couple offensive line coaches that I taught everything I knew (I was an O-line coach before becoming a head coach). Then, during scrimmages I assigned one to watch the left side of the line, and one to watch the right side of the line plus the center. I would watch the QB and RBs. As soon as the play was over, a VERY quick coaching point was made to anyone who needed it. As a result, everyone (that needed it) would receive immediate QUALITY feedback.
I will warn you...this only works if you have QUALITY coaches that understand the offense, and understand how to coach quickly and not put on a clinic between plays. We were averaging 2 plays a minute with great coaching.
Later, I lost those two coaches, tried the same thing with two more coaches...and they stood around and talked to each other instead of coaching. It was my fault for not having them focused and coached up, but it was amazing how BAD it worked that year!
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Post by Rooster on Nov 12, 2014 13:17:52 GMT -6
I agree with everything on here, plus I'll add what an ole coach told me when I became a HC.
Be willing to cut your best player.
Rooster
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Post by rabbitdundied on Nov 30, 2014 10:50:00 GMT -6
Great responses guys. Any more?
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Post by coachd5085 on Nov 30, 2014 10:53:15 GMT -6
Great responses guys. Any more? Have a reason for the things you do. Think about that reason... and if it holds up. This is true in all walks of life
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Post by coachd5085 on Nov 30, 2014 11:04:29 GMT -6
Great responses guys. Any more? Have a reason for the things you do. Think about that reason... and if it holds up. This is true in all walks of life Didn't get to edit in time. In a similar vein-- Ask "Why"
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Post by coach2013 on Nov 30, 2014 11:30:51 GMT -6
What is the one thing you did as a coach that made you a better coach that you would recommend another coach to do? Stick with the same system, make small tweaks, not major changes.
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Post by jlenwood on Nov 30, 2014 11:53:01 GMT -6
You've got to know what you don't know. I don't know squat about offensive lineman play, so if I ever have a notion of being an offensive coordinator (which I don't), that is one thing I have got to "know". Look at what you do, or what your responsibilities are and find some people who are doing it great. Call them up and don't be afraid to let them know when you do get a meeting with them that you you are lacking in an area.
An example from when I first started, there is a program not to far from me that just plays lights out defense, they seriously look like piranhas getting to the ball carrier. So I contacted the DC out of the blue, set up a meeting and he was more than happy to talk ball with me. He said most coaches thought they were pricks because they always won, and that nobody ever called them to meet up. He said his wife hated talking about football so he was more than happy to share some knowledge. Met him several times and picked up a ton of great stuff.
Also, when I didn't get something he was telling me, I would let him know. He didn't look down at me because of my lack of knowledge, he appreciated that I wasn't wasting his time by pretending to understand, and then walking out scratching my head. I was over time able to give some things back to him that I started doing and he was able to use (or maybe he was just humoring me!). A great connection was started with that phone call.
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Post by coachd5085 on Nov 30, 2014 12:09:41 GMT -6
Also, when I didn't get something he was telling me, I would let him know. He didn't look down at me because of my lack of knowledge, he appreciated that I wasn't wasting his time by pretending to understand, and then walking out scratching my head. This is a big one. One of my best coaching friends was GREAT at this. He had ZERO ego and 100% bluntness and when he didnt understand something he just said it straight out. Could care LESS if it was the most elementary thing , he would just say "i don't know what you are talking about". Was great watching him interact with name-droppers/ buzzword users.
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agame
Junior Member
Posts: 378
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Post by agame on Dec 1, 2014 9:28:10 GMT -6
Challenge yourself...
Being in certain situations you wouldny normally and not having what you normally take for granted, shows a side to you coachin you either didn't realise you had or could use
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Post by tiger46 on Dec 1, 2014 15:38:43 GMT -6
Along with what indianacoach and azcoachbrown posted... I'm a youth coach. But, this should be important to any and all levels: Actually, know what and, how much, your players actually know. You can go to all the clinics and speak all the jargon, etc... that you want. If you have not translated and broken it down in a way that your players actually understand their jobs then you've only wasted your time. Anyone remember this thread. It's humorous. But, it emphasizes the point. coachhuey.com/thread/35220/increasing-player-football-advice
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