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Post by jg78 on Jun 9, 2015 9:09:01 GMT -6
Those of you who have some say in your scheduling - maybe in your non-region games - how ambitious are you as far as the quality of competition you seek to play? Even though we're all competitive people and would like to conquer the best teams we can, at the end of the day losing games isn't good for job security. Do you still try to play tougher teams than you have to even though it may end up causing you to finish the year, say, 6-4 instead of 8-2? |
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Post by 3rdandlong on Jun 9, 2015 9:31:57 GMT -6
Playing big teams doesn't just risk win/loss record, it also plays a role in injury
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Post by jg78 on Jun 9, 2015 10:21:46 GMT -6
Playing big teams doesn't just risk win/loss record, it also plays a role in injury That's true. |
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Post by coachwoodall on Jun 9, 2015 11:06:35 GMT -6
In our current system, you have to play as good as you can in order to earn points for playoff and seeding. If you had a weak region, and played patsies out of region you can get screwed con play off time.
We're moving to system that will be straight seeding based on region finish. It will interesting to see how some teams work their schedules now. Our proposed region will be blood bath.
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Post by coachphillip on Jun 9, 2015 11:17:54 GMT -6
If you play a bunch of pansies, play some tougher guys in the preseason to get ready. If your league is a buzz saw, schedule some wins early on to build momentum going into the first league game. Schedule based on where you're at as a program and where the other teams in your league are at.
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Post by coachbdud on Jun 9, 2015 11:37:30 GMT -6
Our league is really good
We've been the bottom feeder, trying to turn things around
I do out scheduling
I'd schedule wins because we needed them
We've improved enough and have some good returners where I can't find those easy games anymore
Our non league schedule next year will be significantly harder than past years
I'm hoping that being more "battle tested" will improve how we play in league
We had the opportunity to win every game in league but seemed to make a couple key mistakes at times to lose it
Hoping better early competition will make us better overall in league
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Post by fantom on Jun 9, 2015 12:01:42 GMT -6
Schedule based on where you're at as a program and where the other teams in your league are at. I think that that's the answer. It depends on what situation your program is in. If you've taken over a perennial loser and you're trying to build a program, getting physically beaten up and demoralized is a pretty lousy way to start the season. On the other hand, if you think that you'll be good enough to make some noise in the playoffs you want to play somebody who's going to win some games and is your school's size or bigger so that you get enough power points to help your playoff seeding. |
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Post by coachwoodall on Jun 9, 2015 18:59:56 GMT -6
Not trying toot the horn, but we've been in the mix recently and needed both something to get the blood moving early, and because of our playoff system to earn 'brownie points'. Coach dud, I think getting some thorns early will help when they count the most, but your staff needs to put that into the program plan right now to handle the 'mentality' of how those games can affect the kids. Things like mentioning it in the weight room/off season will start gearing their minds to those games might not count for playoffs, they're there to prepare for those crucial games.
I had a HC in a previous stop where only your region games counted come seeding time, who talked about the 3 seasons: preseason (which he included non-region games), region season, and playoff season. It made sense in terms of the non-region region games didn't matter come play off seeding, but sometimes the kids didn't the bigger picture.
Like phantom says, you've got to plan for which ever gets your program moving forward. Going 5-0 in non-region play, then going 1-4 in the region can be just as demoralizing as going 1-4 and trying to get anything out of them in region play.
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Post by coachwoodall on Jun 9, 2015 19:04:50 GMT -6
If you play a bunch of pansies, play some tougher guys in the preseason to get ready. If your league is a buzz saw, schedule some wins early on to build momentum going into the first league game. Schedule based on where you're at as a program and where the other teams in your league are at. Sometimes an early loss/butt cutting/nail biter gets their attention so you can coach 'em up for the buzz saw. |
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Post by runitupthemiddle on Jun 9, 2015 19:44:12 GMT -6
I think like people have said it depends on where u are at as a program.
We have been 6-4,12-2 runner up, 6-5, and this fall
We should be in the mix.
Buuuutttt next year, oh my, we are going to lose 24 seniors and 18 starters. We already had a super rough time
Scheduling games after our finals run, and we practically have to beg people to play us in junior hi. So it's tough rt now, so far nobody has committed for the 16-17 season. We have gotten 3 maybes and they all want to play the same
Week.
We are trying to get some winnable games,
Because next years seniors have never won
More then 2 games at any level till this past season when we finished 6-5 and the jv was 3-1, but the jv
Was mosty non starting juniors.
Ok that was long winded,
Sorry
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Post by coachwoodall on Jun 10, 2015 5:08:20 GMT -6
Does anyone have to schedule games EVERY year?
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Post by coachphillip on Jun 10, 2015 8:25:31 GMT -6
No. Typically do the home and home.
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Post by coachbdud on Jun 10, 2015 9:26:35 GMT -6
Does anyone have to schedule games EVERY year? Typically I schedule a couple every year We have 5 non league games Perfect world you have a 2 year deal And just have to deal with scheduling every 2 years But in the past we've had some schools happily play us at their place, then call me in the off season and say they refuse to play us That's how our schedule became a mix of expiring contracts and new contracts I use the term contract loosely, I've discovered it means nothing lol This year was difficult, had to replace 4/5 games The most I've ever had to schedule in one off season... |
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Post by fantom on Jun 10, 2015 9:39:25 GMT -6
Does anyone have to schedule games EVERY year? We're the opposite. We're in a ten team league so we only have one non-league game a year. Usually we do a home and home. |
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Post by coachwoodall on Jun 10, 2015 10:43:45 GMT -6
Does anyone have to schedule games EVERY year? Typically I schedule a couple every year We have 5 non league games Perfect world you have a 2 year deal And just have to deal with scheduling every 2 years But in the past we've had some schools happily play us at their place, then call me in the off season and say they refuse to play us That's how our schedule became a mix of expiring contracts and new contracts I use the term contract loosely, I've discovered it means nothing lol This year was difficult, had to replace 4/5 games The most I've ever had to schedule in one off season... Dame, our association would fine the heck out them |
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Post by coachbdud on Jun 10, 2015 10:58:59 GMT -6
Typically I schedule a couple every year We have 5 non league games Perfect world you have a 2 year deal And just have to deal with scheduling every 2 years But in the past we've had some schools happily play us at their place, then call me in the off season and say they refuse to play us That's how our schedule became a mix of expiring contracts and new contracts I use the term contract loosely, I've discovered it means nothing lol This year was difficult, had to replace 4/5 games The most I've ever had to schedule in one off season... Dame, our association would fine the heck out them we've put things into every contract I have ever done saying 1,000 dollar fine if a team tries to back out of it but there is no one to enforce it CA is split up into different sections none of them want anything to do with it and say theres no way any of them can enforce it, just move on |
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Post by coachwoodall on Jun 10, 2015 11:01:01 GMT -6
Dame.......
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Post by coachwoodall on Jun 10, 2015 11:01:57 GMT -6
Coach dud, holler if want a game next cycle. Might be tuff road trip tho.....
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Post by pvogel on Jun 10, 2015 21:37:14 GMT -6
Ya this is not a cut and dry issue. Lots of variables.
Building programs should be scheduling weaker teams. You need wins. It teaches the program HOW to win and that they can win. It can generate excitement and keep incoming kids in your area or current kids from transferring. And it helps you keep your job. And yes when you stink and you're thin and fighting for numbers, losing only kills your program. Less kids come out and you risk injuries that will sink your season.
Once you're established and want to make a name for yourself and win championships you will have to beat serious teams. You can't roll through bad teams all year and then win a championship. You'll need to have that experience first.
Generally if you have 5 non league or non region games or whatever I think you should have 1 sure win, 1 difficult challenge, and the rest of the games should be reasonable 50/50 games.
The money zone for job security IMO is you want to find bigger teams that aren't very good.
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Post by 44dlcoach on Jun 10, 2015 22:08:02 GMT -6
We've definitely scheduled tougher as we've improved as a program. But its a little bit of the chicken or the egg too, because weve improved dramatically since we started putting real legit programs on our schedule.
We are at the point now where we are kind of the big fish in a small pond in our area, but to win our state championship we would have to beat one of the top programs in the country. So we try to get the best opponents we can early just to try to experience something that approaches what a state championship game would be like. Makes for some difficult experiences early in the season sometimes but we think it's raised our level of play.
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Post by coachwoodall on Jun 11, 2015 7:46:01 GMT -6
I think this also is a chance to be open and honest with your players/team on why these teams are on the schedule regardless of the state of the program.
We have teams on our schedule that we talk about beating. Whether it's "We have to beat Podunky HS to have a winning season/make the playoffs/win the region/win a championship......" You should use that as you're building to your season. It doesn't have to be a rally cry, but just make it conversational terms, "If we're going to get to HERE, we've got to beat teams like X, Y, and Z."
It's about getting them to see themselves in relation greater than where they are currently. Use it in the weight room, in drill time, all the time. Every team in the SEC West knows the have to beat Alabama to make it to the SEC Championship. Michigan knows it has to beat Ohio State. Pick your target and start aiming for it.
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Post by 3rdandlong on Jun 11, 2015 14:40:00 GMT -6
I think this also is a chance to be open and honest with your players/team on why these teams are on the schedule regardless of the state of the program. We have teams on our schedule that we talk about beating. Whether it's "We have to beat Podunky HS to have a winning season/make the playoffs/win the region/win a championship......" You should use that as you're building to your season. It doesn't have to be a rally cry, but just make it conversational terms, "If we're going to get to HERE, we've got to beat teams like X, Y, and Z." It's about getting them to see themselves in relation greater than where they are currently. Use it in the weight room, in drill time, all the time. Every team in the SEC West knows the have to beat Alabama to make it to the SEC Championship. Michigan knows it has to beat Ohio State. Pick your target and start aiming for it. While I respect your thought process, I disagree with it. I try and avoid talking about our opponents and talk more about us. What we need to do and controlling the things we can control. We have a major cross-town rival and it's like a mini-college atmosphere when we play them. I try not and talk about them or how much we hate them etc. because the kids already know that and do that enough. When we play a team that is considered to be one of the top-dogs, our kids already know that. I try and focus on us. Obviously we scout and breakdown film etc. but I don't want us to get so wrapped up in who we're playing as opposed to what our process is. If we follow the process and stay true to our values, then we can look in the mirror with pride regardless of the outcome. |
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Post by coachorm on Jun 11, 2015 14:51:44 GMT -6
Before this year we always tried to schedule our non-region games with the weakest opponents we could. So did just about everyone else in our state. Why? Because for the last few years our state playoffs have been based off of two things. 1st you got in if you finished 1st or 2nd in your district. After that everything was based off of number of total wins, then common opponents, and all sorts of other tiebreakers. So scheduling really tough opponents was foolish unless you knew that you had a really good team that was gonna make a deep run in the playoffs and wanted some tough games to prepare you.
This year that has changed. Now playoffs is simply top 4 teams in your district. So our non-district games this year will be teams that are on our level. This should give us decent games and if we happen to lose... Oh well... it doenst matter come playoff time.
So IMO, the big thing is where is your team and how does your scheduling effect your teams chance of making post-season?
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Post by ahall005 on Jun 11, 2015 20:02:43 GMT -6
In ohio the best case scenario I think you would be to schedule a bigger school that is winnable because you get more computer points for beating schools that are in a higher division than you are
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