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Post by senecablue on Jul 21, 2006 10:28:28 GMT -6
Hi coaches
I am trying to gain an edge to keep our team focused. We were young last year and there were times our team was not as focused as they should have been before games. I am wondering if any of you guys use some sort of a "prop" to signify that . For example, I have heard some coaches will have the players cross a line before practice and the player will proclaim to give 100% effort that practice. Some schools will touch a sign or object that have a special meaning to the team.
I am looking for an idea that we can use at home and away games that will signify to our team to be focused and give maximum effort. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.
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Post by chiefscoach on Jul 21, 2006 10:40:50 GMT -6
Our OC was telling me that when he was the head coach at his last school, thier motto for the year was that they were going to "Lay the Hammer down" so they had a big sledge hammer that one of the guys would walk out on to the field with and they would leave it on the sideline as a reminder.
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Post by bulldog on Jul 21, 2006 13:10:40 GMT -6
I don't think gimmicks work all that well. But then again, I don't believe in chants, yelling, banging thigh pads or breakdown head slaps either. I think the biggest thing you need to do is to develop leadership. When the leaders enforce the standards of the team, then you don't have the focus problem, because one of the things leaders do is to refocus the team. You will need to enable the leadership by empowering them. If you are interested in using a program that I have developed, drop me a PM. It is classroom based and takes about 8 hours to teach. The culmination of the class is goal setting, with action items that they undertake to meet the goals.
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Post by senatorblutarsky on Jul 21, 2006 13:12:38 GMT -6
One year, when I was at another school, we opened the season picked last in a conference of 10 teams. We talked about the media, the people in the city... all the nay-sayers as being the "little men". The voice of the little man, inside or outside of you is what leads to doubt...the little man does not know how hard we worked, etc... so we did not want to listen to the little man... we wanted to destroy the little man.
Of course, we got some little doll thing (I don't remember what kind). And the coaches would hide it all over the field. if we didn't find it that was good because if we don't see/acknowledge it, it doesn't affect us. If someone did find it though, they would CRUSH THE LITTLE MAN. The guys destroyed a few... it served a purpose, and was kind of fun.
(by the way... we ended 9-4. I'll give the 'little man" a little credit)
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Post by senatorblutarsky on Jul 21, 2006 13:23:40 GMT -6
RE: Bulldog's take... I agree 98%. The stuff he's talking about (leadership, goal setting, vision, etc.) is what makes the difference- not a gimmick. Still- these are HS kids, and sometimes some "gimmick" that is unique to them/their program helps with that focus. I was impressed with stuff like that when I was a kid- as long as it wasn't overdone.
Thinking about it now, one thing we do yearly (2x a year) is have every guy write something positive about their teammates. We collect all their sheets, type out all the positive things, and give them to the players on a laminated card (reg. season- any positive / playoffs- football positive). Some of our biggest, toughest "thugs" still have these cards today. They get them in a pre-game meeting because I do really believe that if they feel good about themselves, they will play with a little more confidence and play a little better. More importantly, this kind of thing can have lasting positive impressions.
It is important not to overdo any kind of motivational tool- gimmicks included. But I do think there is a time and place for stuff like this if used sparingly.
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Post by fbdoc on Jul 21, 2006 13:49:18 GMT -6
We're a young program (8 years) and when our rival school finally added football (4 years ago) it was a big deal. One of our parents bought a real sword and mounted it on a nice frame - we are the CRUSADERS and our rivals are the KNIGHTS - each year we have the Battle for the Sword and it is HUGE! Every year they have been picked to beat us and every year we have come from behind to win! We bring it out each year for the players to see, hear from our seniors about the importance of keeping it on our campus, as well as letting each player "hold it". We're going for 5 in a row this fall!
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coachf
Freshmen Member
Posts: 15
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Post by coachf on Jul 21, 2006 15:49:05 GMT -6
I say you use "keep chopping wood" and bring an axe into the locker room  No, seriously, I went to a clinic where a coach was speaking and said his team continued to be beaten by the same school. So, he put a bar in the middle of the door frame leading into the locker room. The bar read "Are you tired of bowing down to (insert school name)" The kids all had to duck under the bar to enter the locker room. He said that added an extra level of focus because the players could not duck under the bar without thinking about beating that team. I thought that was pretty cool, although, one of my players would probably run into it and get a concussion. |
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Post by senatorblutarsky on Jul 21, 2006 18:31:38 GMT -6
I like that fbdoc. The more I think about it... we probably do a lot of things involving props. I'm not sure that I would call them gimmicks, but some might. fbdoc's post reminded me of another thing we do- once in a while, we do "braveheart" 40s... I bring a sword (I collect them... have 7), and hold it up and the guys get set- then I throw it and they go running and yelling toward the sword.
Over the years, we've had a lot of stuff like that I guess. We've had WWII army helmets for captains (one captain was a big war history buff), a jolly rodger that I bought one year at Sturgis was on our sideline...even now, we have a pre-game ritual that goes back about 12 years. Most of our guys don't even know WHY we do it- just that we do it- and I never have told them to do it or not to do it. I think they still do because it is kind of a unifying ritual. The things that we do, or we have might not be a big deal and might be "gimmicky", but if they don't get in the way of what we are trying to accomplish and help a bit with pride/unity- I'm all for those types of things.
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Post by phantom on Jul 21, 2006 18:38:06 GMT -6
Using props can be effective if they become a tradition. In college Clemson's Rock and Notre Dame's "Play Like A Champion Today" sign are examples. Our theme is "TEAM me". We always try to sell the idea that the team is more important that individual goals. Some years we sell it better than others. To emphasize the point, on the double doors leading out of our locker room, we've painted "TEAM" above one and "me" above the other. When we go out for practice or a game, each of us reaches up and touches the sign and says "Team". At away games, somebody will write "TEAM" above the door.
I think that, like helmet stickers and such, things like that can be useful and fun if they fit your personality. If you don't want to use them, hey, knock yourself out.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2006 6:58:43 GMT -6
I think part of the measure of their value is in 2 things--that the kid buys into it and that he doesn't buy into it above preparation.
One school in these parts pick a player each week who on Thursday gets a big scoop of dirt from their practice field and whenever they go on the road they all grab a handful of dirt and when they run onto the field they throw the dirt onto it so they say that they make every field their homefield.
Kind of neat but a kid forgot the dirt once and it threw the team into more of a fit than the opponent did. They were the better team but came out flat and lost. Now they all double check to make sure they have the dirt.
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Post by phantom on Jul 22, 2006 9:45:10 GMT -6
After a few years they may end up with a pretty big hole there.
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Post by tothehouse on Jul 22, 2006 9:55:08 GMT -6
Are helmet stickers gimmicks? There have been discussions before about this here.
Most teams push the "TEAM" where helmet stickers are individually based most of the time. I think if you find the way to get your team to where you want them to be you could use whatever means necessary.
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Post by bulldogoption on Jul 22, 2006 11:19:48 GMT -6
Are helmet stickers gimmicks? There have been discussions before about this here. I think it depends how you use the stickers. We use the stickers but base them on team goals. 200 rushing yards, 3 and out series, no TD given up on special teams, etc. If a kid is in for just one play of offense, defense, special teams they get the stickers for that group. We don't award any individual stickers. Just how we do it..... |
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Post by brophy on Jul 23, 2006 15:26:33 GMT -6
is a profanity laced tirade considered a "prop"?
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Post by saintrad on Jul 23, 2006 16:09:47 GMT -6
is a profanity laced tirade considered a "prop"? only if your name is Billy Bob Thorton and you have a Heineken bottle full of vodka would it be considered a "prop". |
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