"Family"

Be invested in each other outside the lines. They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Make it about service to others.

Activities outside of football.

I don't know if you're at a public school, but if you're at a parochial, faith-based things really turned our teams into a family when I coached at a parochial and played at one.

Community service activities. A friend of mine who coaches at a nearby school swears by it.

Don't be afraid to tell your kids that you love them. Actions obviously go a long way but sometimes it's nice to just say it out loud to them individually and as a group. Go to their extracurricular events outside of football and make sure they see you. Acknowledge them when you see them in the hallway even if it's just a simple "What's up Jonny?" Make a big deal about their achievements in the weight room, on the field, in the classroom, or in any other aspects of their life you know of. Also if you can manage it, have them over for dinner a few times during the season (Unfortunately this is one thing I can't do living in a small apartment. 20 OL would not fit in there lol)

I think it's been said here and other places before, but it's a big advantage to make some of it less about football. Most kids understand that a coach is there for them for sport things, but the kid who has bounced around the foster system might not fully understand football and family, until you show him family first.

Although sometimes, you can't make or force family. Having them do things together and on their own helps as much as any team activity.

We do a ton to emphasize family. It all starts in the weight room for us, like everything else in football. Our workouts are physically demanding and start at 6:00 in the morning. If the team slacks, we will start the workout all over again. This type of adversity lets them sweat together. No matter if you're rich/poor, black/white, or freshman/senior, everybody can relate to the feeling of adversity. It's a team effort for them to show up before sunrise and look adversity in the eye without flinching.

We also do "team socials" throughout the offseason. These are little 2 hour get-togethers every coach is responsible for. We do these roughly once or twice a month. These can include going to the theaters, dodgeball/boccer tourneys, or our floating trip we're taking in June.

We also host positional dinners once or twice a month at a coach's house. It's a nice way for the players to socialize and get to know the coaches outside of football.

It's the greatest game ever assembled (just ask the kids). It's a mix of basketball and soccer. It gets really physical and competitive

TEAMS AND EQUIPMENT:

1. Team Size: 7-10 players

2. Soccer goal- black mats on gym walls

3. Basketball hoops

4. Volleyball



RULES:

1. Each team occupies one side facing the goal they want to score in

2. Game starts with a kickoff backwards to teammates

3. The ball is dribbled and passed down the court using the wall as a way to pass as well

4. When playing soccer you must try and score in the black area on the wall from outside the line on court

5. You can have a goalie who is limited to the three point arch as their goal box

6. If the ball hits the ground, Soccer must be played

7. You can not kick the ball up to yourself and catch it to start basketball- you can kick it up to another teammate who can either catch it or trap it and continue with soccer.

8. If a player catches a kicked ball in air, basketball will commence.

9. Once playing Basketball, you can put the ball down at anytime and resume soccer.

10. A ball on the ground must be played as soccer



To change from Soccer to Basketball-

The ball is kicked in the air and is caught, basketball now begins!

1. You are only allowed 2 steps like in basketball- if player takes more than 2 -3 steps, turnover occurs at sideline.

2. YOU CAN NOT DRIBBLE the ball, only pass using hands to move ball towards basket. OH, chest passes only.

3. To score you must make a basket in the basketball hoop, always one point.

4. If fouled on the shot, a free throw is given, 1 shot only.

5. If shot is missed, live play resumes. If shot is made, ball goes to goalie and they throw it in. (can not go past half ct)



GOALIE:

1. If the goalie receives the ball for any reason they may pick the ball up and travel anywhere within the three point arch with no limit on steps

2. The goalie can not throw or kick the ball in the air past half court. Doing so, results in an automatic turnover, with the opposing goalie getting possession of the ball.



SCORING GOALS or BASKETS:

1. Each goal or basket is only worth 1 point.

2. After each point, in soccer the ball is returned to the center and possession is given to other team, and a backwards kickoff restarts the play.

3. After each point in basket, the ball is given to goalie where he or she can toss or kick it into play as long as it does not go past half court.





PENALTIES/OUT OF BOUNDS:

1. Ball can not be kicked at stage

2. Black sideline closest to stage is out of bounds.

3. Ball can not be kicked high enough to touch ceiling

4. Rough playing, unsportsmanlike conduct, whining not tolerated

5. If any of these or anything teacher finds offensive and inappropriate a 1 minute penalty will be given for that player and no sub will be allowed in!



Time Periods:

We will play four 15 minute quarters



While playing soccer or basketball, the ball can only be scored in the correlating goal for that sport.

**At any time the player who caught the ball can drop it to the floor and resume soccer.

**AT NO TIME CAN YOU KICK THE BALL UP TO YOURSELF.

**AT ANY POINT THE BALL HITS THE GROUND, SOCCER WILL BEGIN

I treat them exactly the same as I treat my kids too.

Unfortunately, most of them expect me to treat them like their parents treat them.  They're always right, they can do whatever they want, rules don't matter...

I hate the term. Your team's not your family. You can greate a supportive brotherhood. You don't have to be a family to care about each other.

However, in order to create a team rather than a group of individuals, it's necessary that players and coaches get to know each other outside football.

Arrange barbeques, bonfire nights, etc. Take time to talk to your players about topics that they are concerned with that have nothing to do with football. Maybe you can sit down in position groups and share life experiences? Some will contribute more than others, but many may benefit from it. When people share experiences, they forge bonds. You don't want to quit on someone you care about.