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Post by coach2013 on Feb 19, 2016 3:06:57 GMT -6
I wonder if you guys find what I find?
Football season is always year round but the actual season, the time in the summer when you have NO CHOICE but to work on football has actually lengthened and its not actually about the game but about CYA.
It seems that every year we have a new meeting, a new certification, a new training, a new clinic - some kind of commitment that comes up that we have to lose another summer day of vacation to be trained one more time in what concussions can do etc etc.
Instead of Mid Aug, we are now meeting with fall coaches and Ads in July
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Post by groundchuck on Feb 19, 2016 4:33:44 GMT -6
I know people say grinder/grind/grinding but I don't really view it that way. It is fun. It is nerve wracking, but man is it fun, and addictive, and I guess I really enjoy it.
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Post by wingtol on Feb 19, 2016 7:23:05 GMT -6
American culture, and especially football coaching culture, worships at the alter of the Dick Vermeil and Bill Belichick and those that put in huge hours and sleep in the office. We bash coaches that are seen as not committed and lack preparation because we believe that they have not put in the time to get their troops ready. High school culture is not a lot different. I am always reminded of a piece of advice I saw on here long ago. "Just remember your players won't be the ones picking a nursing home for you some day." If you're "grinding" yourself into the ground in HS football it may be time to step back and re-examine things. Dick Vermeil also had a nervous breakdown and didn't coach for what 2 decades? Not worth it.
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Post by CanyonCoach on Feb 19, 2016 7:30:59 GMT -6
Great book on this topic: "Off Balance" by Mathew Kelly. Most of what I have read of his has been religiously based but this is a great read.
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Post by groundchuck on Feb 19, 2016 9:50:07 GMT -6
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Post by hunhdisciple on Feb 19, 2016 11:35:07 GMT -6
I think one of the big things with people who are grinders, is the fear of missing something. Maybe if you had of watched that clip a 25th time, you would have found something you needed to get the win last week.
We all are part of a profession where your failures and successes are public knowledge. Someone said on here about the difference between working 18 hours and losing and 12 hours and losing. That's 100% something that people feel about coaches. But, how many of us have done that to ourselves? A few years ago we got flat out embarrassed by a team, we did a normal healthy amount of work for the game, knowing it was going to be a struggle. They were great, we would be described by lesser terms. Our OL coach beat himself up and threw himself into film and everything after the game, even though we had an undersized TE who had to fill in at guard, trying to block someone who was able to use the term "SEC" in his signing day. Grinding didn't solve any of those issues, but he felt that he just hadn't done enough work.
Grinding is physically, mentally, socially and emotionally bad and unhealthy. But, I think a willingness to grind for your players is part of what every good coach is willing to do, and we are all guilty of that at some point in our lives.
On a completely committed and trusted staff, there is no reason to grind. Because you are able to split the work load evenly and get everything done.
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Post by olinedude on Feb 19, 2016 11:48:15 GMT -6
To me, the line that makes you a "grinder" is meeting to watch practice film after practice. That is a line I won't cross. I'm going home. I'll watch practice sometime before the next practice. When I hear guys talk about meeting after practice to watch the film, I make a note in my head not to work there. It shows a lack of efficiency, maybe a control issues with a coordinator or HC, or just that keeping up with the joneses. We're not college coaches, we don't get paid like it, there are better ways to do things than staying an hour or two after practice to watch stuff I can watch at home or during class the next day.
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Post by paydirt18 on Feb 19, 2016 12:03:20 GMT -6
I have always wondered what those guys were doing when they stay 2-3 hours past practice. I guess I never have been a guy like that. Get my work done and move on. Simple.
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Post by fantom on Feb 19, 2016 12:26:21 GMT -6
I have always wondered what those guys were doing when they stay 2-3 hours past practice. I don't know and I never will.
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Post by John Knight on Feb 19, 2016 12:38:04 GMT -6
Usually something at home they are avoiding! LOL!!!
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Post by holmesbend on Feb 19, 2016 12:41:04 GMT -6
I know people say grinder/grind/grinding but I don't really view it that way. It is fun. It is nerve wracking, but man is it fun, and addictive, and I guess I really enjoy it. I'm trying to figure out what this actually means to me.... From August-December. It's a drug. I LOVE everything about the grind...outside of my wife and little girls, it's my everything. Everything you said above? Spot on truth for me. January-March.....after that 4-6 week break, the off season gives me something to do. Weights, film, self scouts, breaking down next year opponents with the film you can get late at night or during down times of the day at school? Love it. Come April, I'm also a Turkey Hunting ADDICT. May, close out the school year= Spring Practice. Let's get after it. June and July, though? As much enjoyment and the DRUG that it is those other months? When I say it is absolutely the last thing I want to do...it's just that. Of my Top 10 things to do during those months? The thought of football might be #37.
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Post by blb on Feb 19, 2016 12:53:56 GMT -6
I have always wondered what those guys were doing when they stay 2-3 hours past practice. I don't know and I never will.
The last time I coached CFB after dinner we went back to the office and watched practice film.
Then we would break down any opponents' film we hadn't finished or rewatch some we had.
Usually got done around 9-9:30 PM. That was M-W.
Never saw the need to do that in HS, especially with a staff of guys who largely coached football as a hobby or for an extra paycheck.
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Post by fantom on Feb 19, 2016 12:58:13 GMT -6
I think "grinding" is a hold over from an era when the technology forced you to grind. I played high school football when the game film was just that. Reel to reel film. When I started coaching we were still using 16 mm. Know what? It wasn't more of a grind. It was less. The film had to be developed. You couldn't do anything Friday and most of Saturday if you wanted to.
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Post by coachcb on Feb 19, 2016 13:01:15 GMT -6
I used to be one of these guys until I realized that I wasn't enjoying practice. "WE'VE GOT TO PRACTICE FOR TEN HOURS THIS WEEK?1?!?! WTF!! I'VE ALREADY WATCHED TWENTY HOURS OF FRIGGIN' FILM!!!"
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2016 13:05:05 GMT -6
I have always wondered what those guys were doing when they stay 2-3 hours past practice. I guess I never have been a guy like that. Get my work done and move on. Simple. For a lot of them, it's a 15 minute meeting to talk about practice or something work related, then 2:45 of BSing about stuff on TV or school gossip.
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Post by tothehouse on Feb 19, 2016 13:50:44 GMT -6
The advent of the Facemelter has allowed me to not only sleep more...but the ability to not even practice at all. #facemelter #sleeplikeababy
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Post by PSS on Feb 19, 2016 14:03:19 GMT -6
I know people say grinder/grind/grinding but I don't really view it that way. It is fun. It is nerve wracking, but man is it fun, and addictive, and I guess I really enjoy it. I agree. I also have found as I have aged I have had to change my habits. I go to bed earlier, knowing that 5:30 is going to be coming soon. Honestly, Spring and Summer are tougher on me than football season. I coach 2 sports in the Spring. I may have a track meet on Friday and power lifting meet the next day. Start at 6:30 a.m. and finish at 6 p.m. M-Th. Makes for a long week. In the Summer we go 4 days a week for six weeks with Strength and Conditioning. But after 24 years I still enjoy it.
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Post by carookie on Feb 19, 2016 14:13:46 GMT -6
"If I had to stay up until 3 a.m. every night to formulate my game plan, frankly, I d be embarrassed to tell anyone."
-Tom Landry-
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Post by agap on Feb 19, 2016 14:18:09 GMT -6
There have been a couple times where I picked up something important after watching film for the 20th time. But I don't do it because I feel I have to. I just like watching film and I don't have a family to worry about.
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Post by 60zgo on Feb 19, 2016 15:06:20 GMT -6
I think "grinding" is a hold over from an era when the technology forced you to grind. I played high school football when the game film was just that. Reel to reel film. When I started coaching we were still using 16 mm. Know what? It wasn't more of a grind. It was less. The film had to be developed. You couldn't do anything Friday and most of Saturday if you wanted to. So it was the VCR and that stupid cowboy remote that created the grind...
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Post by John Knight on Feb 19, 2016 19:56:59 GMT -6
I wish I had typed that tothehouse, #Bravo!!!
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yimmer
Freshmen Member
Posts: 69
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Post by yimmer on Feb 19, 2016 20:25:17 GMT -6
I'm one of those coaches that doesn't have the luxury of watching film during the day. My job doesn't allow that time other than maybe 15 min during lunch.
So I guess I'm a grinder cause when I get home I spend my time w my family. If that means I'm up til 830-9 before the kids r in bed n then I get to go watch practice n the opponent til 1-2 am n back up at 530. I guess I fit in to that grinder/sleep when I'm dead category.
But I will say this u can throw out your data cause the excitement of the season is all the adrenaline I need to be successful. I will sleep in the offseason!
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Post by hunhdisciple on Feb 19, 2016 22:25:08 GMT -6
As far as sleep, I know I'm not the only one here who has been able to sneak in a nap in the coaches office, right? I've caught some quality sleep in there.
And I'm not above rolling out the cheer mats and taking a quick nap in the weight room.
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Post by coachcb on Feb 20, 2016 9:14:15 GMT -6
When I was a "grinder", it was because I was very involved in the Xs and Os of the game. I learned to focus on:
a) Their personnel. We watch film to see who is going to cause us problems and who we can attack. We work many of our adjustments around that.
b) How fundamentally sound they are. I, personally, don't see the point in pouring over hours of film, watching a team that can't execute for a crap. We'll game plan the way we usually do but we're only going to watch a game or two to get some scout cards done. If a team is very sound (i.e. DEs that use block down/step down rules) we'll need to get more turns at various skills (i.e. logging said DEs) during the week.
c)Not chase ghosts. In the past, we dig and dig through film if we saw a team do something odd once or twice in a game. For example, a pretty standard Air-Raid team lined up in the pistol once in a game and ran some veer. We watched every game film we had of them to see if we'd see it more. It was a waste of time; we knew how to defend option anyway so we tossed it into the scout cards and got a few more turns at it.
d) You won't need to be "as prepared" if your offensive and defensive schemes are simple and well-coached. You'll already be "prepared" because you've been smart with your scheme. We don't need to spend hours game planning around what defensive fronts we're going to see because our blocking rules already account for them and the kids have gotten a ton of turns at it. We won't keep watching film on the off-chance that we might see some different formation or alignment on defense because our base package has already accounted for it.
People say that "knowledge is power" which is true but there's also no need to be redundant.
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Post by fantom on Feb 20, 2016 9:14:30 GMT -6
I'm one of those coaches that doesn't have the luxury of watching film during the day. My job doesn't allow that time other than maybe 15 min during lunch. So I guess I'm a grinder cause when I get home I spend my time w my family. If that means I'm up til 830-9 before the kids r in bed n then I get to go watch practice n the opponent til 1-2 am n back up at 530. I guess I fit in to that grinder/sleep when I'm dead category. But I will say this u can throw out your data cause the excitement of the season is all the adrenaline I need to be successful. I will sleep in the offseason! How old are you?
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Post by carookie on Feb 20, 2016 10:24:12 GMT -6
As far as sleep, I know I'm not the only one here who has been able to sneak in a nap in the coaches office, right? I've caught some quality sleep in there. And I'm not above rolling out the cheer mats and taking a quick nap in the weight room. Only done this a couple of times, after long road games where we didn't get back till after 1am, and the HC still asked that I had all the calls typed in before our meeting the next morning (which was at 7:30 am). Plus, the wife and kids were out of town, so home was empty anyways. But I recommend the trainer tables if you are sleeping in the office; or, if you have the luxury, bring in an old couch for the coaches office.
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Post by coachd5085 on Feb 20, 2016 10:29:19 GMT -6
d) You won't need to be "as prepared" if your offensive and defensive schemes are simple and well-coached. You'll already be "prepared" because you've been smart with your scheme. We don't need to spend hours game planning around what defensive fronts we're going to see because our blocking rules already account for them and the kids have gotten a ton of turns at it. We won't keep watching film on the off-chance that we might see some different formation or alignment on defense because our base package has already accounted for it. People say that "knowledge is power" which is true but there's also no need to be redundant. I think this is a very key element, and one that really mirrors the evolution of my philosophy (and also why I left the college game, which ultimately lead to my extended hiatus from coaching all together). From a defensive perspective, I really evolved to a "play calls don't really matter that much" perspective (I think the same about offensive to a lesser extent, and recognize I have less experience supporting my philosophy there). I mean, did watching the 3rd and 4-7 cut ups after finishing recruiting calls until 11pm eastern time (gotta get those West Coast calls in..) really do anything for me? We either played with good body position and leverage, or didn't. We either shed blocks and maintained gap control or didn't. We either read and reacted to our keys well, or we didn't. We either stayed balanced and rerouted or we didn't.
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Post by hunhdisciple on Feb 20, 2016 12:41:52 GMT -6
As far as sleep, I know I'm not the only one here who has been able to sneak in a nap in the coaches office, right? I've caught some quality sleep in there. And I'm not above rolling out the cheer mats and taking a quick nap in the weight room. Only done this a couple of times, after long road games where we didn't get back till after 1am, and the HC still asked that I had all the calls typed in before our meeting the next morning (which was at 7:30 am). Plus, the wife and kids were out of town, so home was empty anyways. But I recommend the trainer tables if you are sleeping in the office; or, if you have the luxury, bring in an old couch for the coaches office. We used to have 2 old couches, and I've napped on both. Then the plumbing leaked through on one of them, so it got burned at a staff July 4th party.
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Post by coachirish on Feb 20, 2016 17:58:13 GMT -6
This will sound like blasphemy to some of you but I usually don't watch our film or trade film until Saturday night. Out of us five coaches we have about 11 school age kids. Saturdays are youth football game days in our area so we are about all busy with out kids doing that. We bring team in for two hours on Sunday for film. We have a simple offense and defense and condition are as$ off. We don't practice over 2.5 hours and don't film practice. We have success not killing ourselves as coaches on the grind.
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Post by Party@QB on Feb 20, 2016 18:32:03 GMT -6
If you take pride in the fact that it took until the AM hours to finish you are a "GRINDER" The guy who first thing he says when he walks in the building is, "man, I stayed up until 3 this morning watching film." Meanwhile he looks like death.
I completely agree with the above said, "work smarter, not harder."
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