|
|
Post by Coach Bennett on Feb 9, 2015 10:10:22 GMT -6
Was reading a post where a coach lets his Oline get first dibs to seats on the bus. What a great idea given that it seems, for us anyway, that not a lot of kids want to play these positions anymore.
What other perks do you offer your Olinemen?
|
|
|
|
Post by CanyonCoach on Feb 9, 2015 10:12:41 GMT -6
We pay for an OL/DL camp for them...and get them an additional t-shirt for going, plus weight room swag. I wish this was making us go bankrupt but not even close....
|
|
|
|
Post by newt21 on Feb 9, 2015 10:21:36 GMT -6
Mine are never responsible for getting our or putting up equipment, they're also not responsible for making sure locker room is clean after practice/games (some do anyways, but that's why those guys are called captains).
|
|
|
|
Post by bigmoot on Feb 9, 2015 10:42:14 GMT -6
Our OL are always first for anything...First to eat, first to get equipment, first on bus, etc. The frosh OL goes before the 12th grade QB and RBs. Makes them feel important and special.
|
|
|
|
Post by coachshepherd on Feb 9, 2015 11:05:40 GMT -6
Grade out their film for # of pancakes they have as a unit. Monday morning I get up early, cook and have pancakes ready for them to eat before school that day.
|
|
|
|
Post by coachbdud on Feb 9, 2015 11:18:46 GMT -6
I spent 25 bucks and bought a bunch of pancake stickers from sportsdecals
Our kids LOVED them
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2015 11:36:45 GMT -6
Do any of you tie these rewards to just "being an OL"?! What about if they aren't performing well?
Duece
|
|
|
|
Post by olcoach53 on Feb 9, 2015 11:39:55 GMT -6
I would provide food and treats all the time. Donuts for Saturday morning film if we won. I would buy them lunch after big wins too. Kids started to bring in food too, we had one athlete who had his mom make mint chocolate brownies. Best thing ever.
|
|
|
|
Post by coachbdud on Feb 9, 2015 12:41:26 GMT -6
Do any of you tie these rewards to just "being an OL"?! What about if they aren't performing well? Duece yes everyone gets rewarded with orange wedges and capri suns at half time we also use a 5-10 minute segment after INDYS but before team where all the under performing OL get to make macaroni art that displays how they feel about underperforming haha no the stickers i do are for actual pancake blocks, you have to show me the pancake block on your phone, or at least tell me which clip number to look at i am very intrigued by the pancake breakfast thing, i want to do that next year... i might go every OL gets 4 pancakes plus an additional pancake per pancake block or unlimited pancakes if we rush for 500 yards |
|
|
|
Post by coachshepherd on Feb 9, 2015 12:48:42 GMT -6
Coachbdub...you could try to tie extra effort into it as well. Get 2 pancakes or 3 pancakes on consecutive plays you get a stack of pancakes. That thought just came to mind.
|
|
coachdk
Probationary Member
Posts: 10 
|
Post by coachdk on Feb 9, 2015 13:33:07 GMT -6
I got our head coach to buy into a few things last year- especially after the reluctance of our incoming kids wanting to play line (despite it being obvious that's where they were going to end up).
Last year, one of the things we did that went over really well was Gatorade for the lineman during summer camps and August practices. I coach in Central Illinois and the humidity can be tough. We simply bought some of those mix packets and I mixed up Gatorade before practice and had it set up on top of our wooden shute. Only the lineman could have the Gatorade- everyone else had to drink from the old-school water spout thing.
We also did t-shirts, just for the lineman. Did some dri-fit shirts that said "Victory is won in the trenches" on the back with our logos on the front. Great thing about these is that you can actually make them earn these. Sadly, last year our QB broke his leg on first play of second game and we went winless after he got hurt.
Always looking for new ideas for the upcoming season. The pancake breakfasts are a good idea. I am going to start tracking pancake blocks in some way on our grade reports- in the past I have just done grade and comments. Thought about maybe doing some of those rubber wristband (like the Livestrong bands) with a motivational saying on it. Maybe a lineman-only bowling or movie night before August practice this year.
|
|
|
|
Post by flyinghelmet on Feb 9, 2015 13:51:12 GMT -6
The last two years, I have let the senior offensive linemen come up with a group nick name. 2 years ago it was the inglorious bastards, this year it was the Kodiaks. I come from a military back ground and I always liked having a platoon name, so I tried to pass that on. Part of it is that I want my guys to own the line and have an identity that is separate from the rest of the team.
I try and go out of my way to let them have a good time at practice, without it getting in the way of improving every day. I have a bluetooth speaker that I will set up and play during indy. If they have a song they want, if it is clean, I will add it to the playlist.
Post game, I give any senior offensive linemen and any others that played a piece of gum. Little things, btu one of our freshmen offensive linemen was totally jacked to get his first piece of gum.
There is a great book called "Coaching the Wing T Offensive Lineman". The author goes into depth about the offensive line mentality and what it means to be a fat guy. Just a great read regardless of what system you run.
|
|
|
|
Post by oriolepower on Feb 9, 2015 14:30:37 GMT -6
I tell the entire team that the OL are my favorites. Is that a perk?
|
|
|
|
Post by olcoach53 on Feb 9, 2015 18:32:18 GMT -6
The last two years, I have let the senior offensive linemen come up with a group nick name. 2 years ago it was the inglorious bastards, this year it was the Kodiaks. I come from a military back ground and I always liked having a platoon name, so I tried to pass that on. Part of it is that I want my guys to own the line and have an identity that is separate from the rest of the team. I try and go out of my way to let them have a good time at practice, without it getting in the way of improving every day. I have a bluetooth speaker that I will set up and play during indy. If they have a song they want, if it is clean, I will add it to the playlist. Post game, I give any senior offensive linemen and any others that played a piece of gum. Little things, btu one of our freshmen offensive linemen was totally jacked to get his first piece of gum. There is a great book called "Coaching the Wing T Offensive Lineman". The author goes into depth about the offensive line mentality and what it means to be a fat guy. Just a great read regardless of what system you run. We did that this year. We dubbed ourselves "The Unit" |
|
|
|
Post by ahall005 on Feb 9, 2015 21:44:31 GMT -6
The last two years, I have let the senior offensive linemen come up with a group nick name. 2 years ago it was the inglorious bastards, this year it was the Kodiaks. I come from a military back ground and I always liked having a platoon name, so I tried to pass that on. Part of it is that I want my guys to own the line and have an identity that is separate from the rest of the team. I try and go out of my way to let them have a good time at practice, without it getting in the way of improving every day. I have a bluetooth speaker that I will set up and play during indy. If they have a song they want, if it is clean, I will add it to the playlist. Post game, I give any senior offensive linemen and any others that played a piece of gum. Little things, btu one of our freshmen offensive linemen was totally jacked to get his first piece of gum. There is a great book called "Coaching the Wing T Offensive Lineman". The author goes into depth about the offensive line mentality and what it means to be a fat guy. Just a great read regardless of what system you run. We did that this year. We dubbed ourselves "The Unit" My senior year of college the oline was the "Meat Squad" |
|
|
|
Post by coachklee on Feb 10, 2015 8:57:45 GMT -6
One group I coached was called "the pretty boy protection squad"
|
|
coachv78
Probationary Member
Just looking for a job teaching and coaching the offensive line.
Posts: 14
|
Post by coachv78 on Feb 10, 2015 13:12:12 GMT -6
I don't if you call them perks but I think it is essential to have the group do a lot of things together because I believe that they are the only group that needs to have chemistry and trust. So doing things together is a perk because they are around each other all the time. But when I get my own stunt group. I plan on getting them all shirts made that says "Where's the syrup?" with pancakes on front, or for the guy who gets the most pancakes for the week both JV and Varsity. We did this when i was playing at the University of La Verne for the 5 starters and it was great because people knew we were a group because we were the only ones to have it. To me that is cool and people recognize you because of it.   |
|
|
|
Post by knightfan64 on Feb 10, 2015 21:56:05 GMT -6
At the college I played at we were called "The Herd" and had special t-shirts, as well as a "Fat Night" where the OL all went out to dinner together with the OL coach and OC. At the college I assisted at we took a giant boulder and put it down near the Offensive Line section of the field and titled it "The Rock". Then big stones (small enough to carry but pretty heavy) were painted with each OL's number. Upon graduation you got your piece of "The Rock" with your number on it.
|
|
|
|
Post by olinedude on Feb 11, 2015 10:14:39 GMT -6
I try to make sure its fun and crack a lot of jokes with my guys during practice, but I don't do any more "perks" than anyone else. I want my guys to understand they will always be under appreciated and work way harder than anyone else. They have to buy into the fact that there are not a lot of perks besides winning, because there is nothing that makes me want to cut my own ears off more than premadonna lineman asking if they can be a tight end.
Don't get me wrong, we have fun and do what we can to make it enjoyable to be a fat kid, but they have to understand they are Clydesdales and not purebred stallions.
|
|
osceola
Sophomore Member
Posts: 148
|
Post by osceola on Feb 11, 2015 14:07:43 GMT -6
I have always bought the guys a shirt with the motto or whatever on it. I feel the shirt is a good "were special" tool without going to far over the edge. I also always have a pre two a day meeting with the oline at the local bbq joint. We discuss expectations over a rack of ribs, it usually goes well. I only allow the people who have attended at least 80% of the summer workouts to go to it.
|
|
|
|
Post by coachrdc on Feb 13, 2015 21:23:59 GMT -6
At previous stops I created an award called "The Hammer." I took a 12 lb sledge hammer and painted it the school colors, then whoever graded out the highest that week got to keep the Hammer in their football locker, take it out to practice, and got their number painted on the side of the handle. If we won the game, they got to carry out of with them during pre-game up until kick off the next week. My kids always got into it, they loved it. The grading took a lot of work, but it was worth it. This past year I switched schools and was not the o-line coach, but I may try to do this again.
Edit; I almost forgot, whoever headed out highest at the end of the year got to keep the Hammer. We have it out at our banquet as the offensive line award.
|
|
|
|
Post by Coach Bennett on Feb 14, 2015 8:03:47 GMT -6
Don't get me wrong, we have fun and do what we can to make it enjoyable to be a fat kid, but they have to understand they are Clydesdales and not purebred stallions. Haven't done much work with hippology but we simply don't have Clydesdales anymore. I'm not sure what breed is between the stallion and Clydesdale, but whatever it is, that's where we're at. Throw in low numbers to boot and we simply have to find a way for kids to want to play those positions. We do plenty of the "Team above me" type team building, etc. but there are a lot of kids that want to play skill positions even if it means they're likely going to get less playing time than if they were with the "big" boys. I do get, however, your point of not separating/elevating any one person or group on your team as above another. |
|
