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Post by airman on Dec 2, 2006 17:37:50 GMT -6
How many of you would quit your job at a suburban school with a good football program or a private school with a good program to go to a city school.
I am talking city schools with out much success but which are in need of quality coaching?
I my state we tend to look down on the milwuakee wi school district. it gets a bad rap and the coaches are often seen as lower on the totem pole so to speak then the suburban powerhouses.
still, I sometimes wonder if we should not be going into the schools of the city and teaching the game of football. the kids could learn a lot. not that one should try to be a savior or some thing.
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Post by coachcalande on Dec 2, 2006 17:53:25 GMT -6
I am at that point in my career where I am considering that. I am 40 years old...I have to make a move soon. Besides, if I want to walk the walk about doing for the kids, and doing it for a school and community in need....well, then I must boldly go where no suburbanite has gone before lol.  heck man, two of the biggest schools in this state might have openings...can you imagine running dw and Gambler with GREAT SPEED AND TALENT? these schools have athletes but tend to lose them due to discipline, other sports, grades etc...anyhow, I think it comes down to truly doing what we say we do...doing it for the kids. Just recently I had a principal tell me I was overqualified because his school was "so small"...as if those kids didnt deserve a program like I layed out for him. |
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Post by cartwright on Dec 2, 2006 17:54:51 GMT -6
Do you know any good coaches in Milwaukee? I'll be there this summer, and likely relocating there in the late spring of 2008. I'll probably be looking for a place where I can volunteer a bit.
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Post by Yash on Dec 2, 2006 20:35:24 GMT -6
I'm from wisconsin (green bay area, more specifically west De Pere) and I know what you mean about the Milwaukee area. A lot of people don't want to coach there and a lot of the teams there have problems keeping kids eligible. Its worth a shot, just know what you are getting into. Half of your job is going to be getting kids to school so they are allowed to play.
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Post by blackfly73 on Dec 2, 2006 22:12:03 GMT -6
Half of your job is going to be getting kids to school so they are allowed to play. Sounds like what the goal of coaching should be... to change the lives of kids. Not just to win games. |
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Post by saintrad on Dec 2, 2006 23:52:42 GMT -6
sounds very Coach Carter-ish
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Post by fbdoc on Dec 2, 2006 23:58:42 GMT -6
I understand what you're asking and I wholly agree in principal. I started my career (student teacher and 2 years as a building sub) in an inner city school. Had a great time but ... I've got 2 kids in college and a third on the way. I do the best I can with sacrifice and service - our family does a mission trip in the summer - but a return to my roots is not gonna happen for me. I will applaud and support those who do because I believe, like you, that there is a need. However, I am not able to fulfill it at this time.
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Post by airman on Dec 3, 2006 9:45:23 GMT -6
Do you know any good coaches in Milwaukee? I'll be there this summer, and likely relocating there in the late spring of 2008. I'll probably be looking for a place where I can volunteer a bit. there is a guy name paydirt18 i believe is his name. he is a milwaukee hamilton. |
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Post by airman on Dec 3, 2006 9:47:47 GMT -6
not that i am going to do this. I have just wondered some time if we really preach that football is about building character and building up young men. Then maybe we should go where the young men really are in need of these things.
I believe a good coach can win where ever he works at. it might take time and effort. milwaukee for example, we are going on 20 years I blieve since a milwaukee public school was in a state championship game. beleive bradley tech was theire in 1989.
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Post by brophy on Dec 3, 2006 10:07:20 GMT -6
this is the ultimate case of "put your money where your mouth is"..
but I wouldn't even think about it unless you had two or three guys you knew and trusted to bring with you....AND you at least have a decent relationship with the AD.
Then, you've pretty much got a blank check to do what you want to do (not necessarily money, though)....it is a great opportunity to transfer your enthusiasm and optimism to hungry kids and fans.
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Post by blb on Dec 3, 2006 10:10:36 GMT -6
Read The Right Kind of Heroes about Coach Robert Shannon and the East St. Louis Flyers of the 1980s-early 90s.
That will give you some insight into what coaching at an urban school is like.
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Post by rebelyell on Dec 3, 2006 11:05:55 GMT -6
I did just that. left a private school that we turned in to a State Champion in 6 years. to take over a school in the same league that has had 7 winning seasons since it inception in 1962. I have no regrets. As a matter of fact Friday night marked the one year anniversary of coaching my last game with that school.
NO regrets! Best move I ever made, the kids love that some one is there to push them to the same levels of success in every facet that my old school had. I have not changed my standards just the opposite the kids have changed theirs. IT has been a great thing.
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Post by coachcb on Dec 3, 2006 11:44:40 GMT -6
I agree with brophy- I'd need to bring a good staff with me (or hire a good one) and have free reign over the program. It would be hard enough just to get through the season without having to deal with AD and outside issues. Personally, I get enough variety from each new groups of kids, that I don't know that I'd be comfortable throwing caution to the wind. It really would be waht coaching's all about; making the kids better people through football.
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Post by coachjaz on Dec 3, 2006 23:20:19 GMT -6
I was from WI, and am actually considering moving back. Riverside had a good season this year!!!
It seems that what happens in Milwaukee is that as soon as a coach gets things going he bolts for a suburban program. Wasnt Vincent "decent" for a few years, then the coach left? Where is he by the way?
Anyway I have often thought about that myself. It would be very difficult, but could be very rewarding in the longrun.
I also wonder how many kids Marquette and Pius take away. I know those are private schools with high tuitions but I am sure if the kid is a stud they could get him in. Two Phoenix private schools do it that way.
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Post by coachdawhip on Dec 4, 2006 5:24:31 GMT -6
what if the school had no real AD, that you had to worry about?
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Post by superpower on Dec 4, 2006 7:23:50 GMT -6
I also think you must consider what is best for your family. If you are young and unmarried, I say go and live the dream. However, if you are married and have kids, you have to consider how they will accept/support the move and if your wife can find a job and if your kids will be comfortable in the new school system.
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Post by sls on Dec 4, 2006 8:27:47 GMT -6
Here in Indiana the Gary School system is aweful in football. The biggest problems seam to be administrative and not coaching. Before I would consider a move like that I would have to be positive that the Principal and AD were stable and supportive. That is not the case right now in Gary, IN.
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Post by wingtol on Dec 4, 2006 10:31:30 GMT -6
Here is the biggest mistake I see coaches make in this situation. They think all these schools need is someone like themselves to come in and put in the right system to use the athletes at these schools and they will be successful. I have seen that happen many times around here and fail many times. X and O's is about 10% of what is needed in most of these city schools. When you coach at a school like that you wear many hats, not just football coach. And I know many of you do that now but most of the stuff you do is related to football. In the city schools not only are you the coach but you will probably be a guidence counsler, a truant officer, a tutor, a shrink, a cab driver, the entire booster program, parent and many many more things to your players. I know many of you feel you do that now but in the city schools it is even more important to be more than just a coach, if you go into a situation thinking your x and o's will turn a program around it prob isn't gonna work. They are hard jobs and it takes someone very special to turn those types of programs around. If you aren't use to working in inner-city schools you prob. don't understand, but if you do you know how hard it can be but also how rewarding it is in the end.
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Post by coachcalande on Dec 4, 2006 13:57:06 GMT -6
I dont know if you are a religious man wingtol but I believe that God puts us where we are needed most. I spent 10 years of my life working in Psych hospitals...it was rewarding, eye opening, scary, terrible, wonderful...it was many things...as I imagine coaching in a difficult enviroment is...I recently applied for a job where the word "Safe" was used more than once in a schools mission statement...that should tell me alot about what its like to coach there lol. ....never know...
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Post by wingtol on Dec 4, 2006 16:14:44 GMT -6
I am not taking shots at anyone I am just throwing out my own personal experiences with inner-city schools. It takes a special person to work/coach there and be sucessful. I hope you don't think I was refering to you about a coach comming in with a system and thinking they will be sucessful just because of the system.
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Post by coachcalande on Dec 4, 2006 16:34:15 GMT -6
well if I didnt believe in my system...what then? no, i didnt take it personally, ...its always about the jimmies and joes...and what i mean by that is caring coaches and kids that know the coaches care...thats what makes it work.
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Post by fbdoc on Dec 4, 2006 17:25:28 GMT -6
Funny you should say "Safe" as our headmaster frequently addresses the safety factor of our school. His background includes 15 years as an inner city school teacher and principal. I already shared in this thread my student teaching and early career was at an inner city school. I think it's great if you have that opportunity and if you have been gifted to work in that envirnoment - a point I believe that wingtol was making.
For us, as a private Christian school, our parents are paying quite a bit of money to make sure their kids are indeed safe while under our care - both in the classroom and on the field.
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Post by wingtol on Dec 4, 2006 19:32:18 GMT -6
I guess what I was trying to say and to be clear is that I have seen several guys think...well they have a ton of athletes at so-so school I can walk in there with all my football knowledge and wake the sleeping giant......only to find out that the x and o's are about 5% of coaching/teaching in an inner city school and then watch them fail miserably becasue they sucked at the other 95% that is involved.
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heck man, two of the biggest schools in this state might have openings...can you imagine running dw and Gambler with GREAT SPEED AND TALENT? these schools have athletes but tend to lose them due to discipline, other sports, grades etc...anyhow, I think it comes down to truly doing what we say we do...doing it for the kids. Just recently I had a principal tell me I was overqualified because his school was "so small"...as if those kids didnt deserve a program like I layed out for him. 
