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Post by Chris Clement on Nov 9, 2014 20:48:07 GMT -6
That's the beautiful thing about science; it doesn't care what you believe.
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Post by casec11 on Nov 10, 2014 7:26:42 GMT -6
I don't think an anonymous survey would give you no info. It may enlighten you to something you never noticed or wouldn't normally think about. It may let you know that during Y period the kids are dialed in but when we go to X period their not focused because its not as engaging. You have to take it for what its worth, you know they are teenagers,its not to share with the administration its for you... If anything you might get a laugh out of it.
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Post by jrk5150 on Nov 10, 2014 9:41:15 GMT -6
I will only jump into these threads when they wander into "real world" topics that I have experience and expertise in. Employee surveys and 360* reviews happens to be such an area, and this is exactly what you're talking about - in the business world, it's employees giving feedback on the company and/or reviewing their managers.
First - employee surveys and 360* reviews can be extremely useful, IF done correctly. If done wrong, they are poison. And this thread shows that very well - giving a 16 year old kid the option to say "this offense sucks" is inviting disaster. A good survey isn't going to do that, but good surveys are hard to come by. I've taken courses specifically around survey design, and I know enough about it to say I wouldn't want to design a survey, they are really hard to do right. So I would caution you NOT to do it unless you have access to someone experienced in designing valid and reliable surveys. There are subtle elements of it that if you get it wrong, you end up with garbage results. I've taken plenty of online "professional" surveys and just shake my head because the questions are crap.
Second - sample size/pool. While a random sampling or using the entire pool of candidates is technically "correct" from a scientific point of view, it's not necessary here. You aren't writing a white paper, you're trying to make your program better. You can absolutely cherry pick your pool, just realize that's what you're doing. For instance, why on earth would you give a sh*t about the opinion of a slug that can't get to practice on time and has a p*ss poor attitude? Now - be careful, because it is possible that your program has a problem that created such behavior, so maybe there is valuable information there...but honestly, I doubt it. And even then, if something is that rotten, you'll get that information from the "good" kids too. You do want a variety of opinions, but I would not offer the survey to the problem players, or any that you know have a gripe or a bone to pick. On the other hand, I also wouldn't just give it to the starters, or some other small specific group. I would do most players, but definitely not all.
You have to do it anonymously, you won't get truth otherwise.
Open ended questions are great, mix them in, but just realize there's the opportunity to turn things into a b*tch fest.
Don't have the survey be about the coaches individually, have it be about the kids' experiences, behaviors and processes. And you can use graduated answers like a 1-5 scale - actually, I'd use an even number to force them to "take a side" so to speak. A "3" on a 1-5 scale just isn't that useful. If you want some coach specific feedback, you can do it using "more/less/same" questions - take X coach, what one thing do you want him to start doing/do more of, one thing you want him to stop doing, one thing you want him to keep doing. I use that professionally, and it gets you some really good answers with minimal sniping.
As has been mentioned but I'll say it again, be careful what you ask a 16 year old kid. Is the opinion of a 16 year old important? Sometimes. If a reasonably large number of kids tell you they're bored in practice and don't feel prepared on Friday night, you might want to know that. And a 16 year old certainly can determine if they're bored or challenged.
And finally - don't do it if you aren't prepared to hear the results. Asking someone for their opinion and then doing nothing about it is far worse than not asking them at all. If you don't want to hear or aren't going to believe it when the kids tell you they don't think you prepare them to play in the games, or they don't believe the program has good leadership, then don't ask.
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Post by s73 on Nov 10, 2014 18:33:33 GMT -6
One point I did not see in this thread (unless I missed it, then my apologies) is that if you are really doing your job correctly then IMO you shouldn't need anymore additional evaluation than what you are already doing.
I evaluate our season through end of the season staff sit-downs, as well film review and study through the off season, clinics and meeting with like minded successful staffs in the area. What are 16 year olds who watch a minimal amount of film comparatively going to tell me that my position coaches, AD and myself along with other seasoned staff members from around the area can't tell me?
If I watch a play and the scheme was faulty bc we didn't have enough blockers at the POA then I need to look at scheme. If, on the other hand, we have the blockers but the play didn't go, then I need to look at technique and the drills we used to teach the technique. If tackling sucked, then I need to review practice schedules and see how often we practiced tackling. If you are truly being thorough, then IMO player evals are simply window dressing. You are simply doing something that "sounds good" but really doesn't make a rip of difference. Again, JMO.
Furthermore, they could even be harmful bc make no mistake, while some kids are responsible, other kids will write the eval with a personal agenda. It's not out of the realm of possibility that receivers want you to throw more bc it's best for them, but not necessarily best for the team. Running backs want to run more for the same reasons. Now I have MORE DATA that I have to delineate? For what purpose? Next year will I really be a better program for it? Or did I just find another way to do more work for the sake of doing more work bc sometimes that is what we Fb coaches have a tendency to do? Again, JMO.
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lagooty
Sophomore Member
Posts: 151
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Post by lagooty on Nov 14, 2014 15:03:05 GMT -6
At a previous school, we did senior exit interviews. They have no reason to BS you because they're out the door. I think it's a great way to get feedback on your program. Plus, if you have a computer lab, you can easily setup a survey on SurveyMonkey and take them all down there after the season and knock it out in 20 minutes.
I would keep it general and not lead them in any direction. Have them rate different aspects of the program, and answer general questions like:
What did you like most about being a part of this program? If you could change one thing about this program, what would it be? What advice would you give an incoming freshman?
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