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Post by CoachUndershirt on Mar 28, 2018 12:15:28 GMT -6
The last couple of weeks I have been texting some of my kids reminding them to get into the weight room and was informed I was cutting into their "Fortnite time". I was floored and still can't believe it happened but sure enough right there in my inbox is the text messages.
Getting kids to show up to our morning agility training/weight room and after school weight room is like pulling teeth. We've instituted a point system that is required to play and it's an easily attainable number if they lift three times a week and I've had kids look me in the eye and say "If you stick to that point system you won't win a game." I don't know what to do, I don't work in the district and because of my 9-5 schedule can't work weight room but our HC and another assistant are there every day we're getting 1/10th of the team to show.
There are a handful of kids who are in baseball and track so they're getting SOME work done, but they're not lifting for those sports... I tell them about the importance of lifting, anecdotes and stories of athletes' successes because they lifted but they just don't give a chit.
I'm afraid we're going to have our 25th straight losing season this year because we're going to be physically over-matched. The staff and I spent this entire offseason working, learning and preparing and it sure feels like we're not going to get much in return.
Looking for advice on how to handle this and if anyone else is going through this... and I just needed to vent.
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Post by Coach.A on Mar 28, 2018 13:28:59 GMT -6
The cycle of losing may never end if you continue to allow kids to play without attending workouts. It may have to get worse before it can get better.
The only other way I can think of is to provide benefits and praise to the kids who do attend. In our program, kids earn a t-shirt if they attend a certain number of workouts. The kids with the best workout attendance get first pick of equipment. We hype up the players who attend our workouts on social media. We have all kinds of record boards and strength clubs and make a big deal of it.
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Post by CoachUndershirt on Mar 28, 2018 13:40:01 GMT -6
The cycle of losing may never end if you continue to allow kids to play without attending workouts. It may have to get worse before it can get better. The only other way I can think of is to provide benefits and praise to the kids who do attend. In our program, kids earn a t-shirt if they attend a certain number of workouts. The kids with the best workout attendance get first pick of equipment. We hype up the players who attend our workouts on social media. We have all kinds of record boards and strength clubs and make a big deal of it. I wish we could do something like shirts, but after reconditioning of equipment we don't have it in the budget. Trying to get anything that we absolutely need is like pulling teeth... we lost four kids last year because we didn't have enough helmets and it wasn't until week six that we got them ordered.
I don't want to see things get worse, but you may be right... I fear that if things do get worse they'll completely cut the program for a second time.
It's just a really really bad situation for the sport in this community and the small number of people trying to make it better just aren't the right people politically.
This thread is starting to feel like "Coach U.S.' personal b--ch session...
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Post by newt21 on Mar 28, 2018 14:13:47 GMT -6
If you're gonna lose, might as well lose with the kids that have busted their tails and dedicated themselves...
We're a MS program, we got a bunch of the little silicone bracelets and after you make it to like 1/3 of the workouts you get one. They're cheap and the kids like them. Not saying yours will, but ours do and it definitely helped some with summer attendance.
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Post by olcoach53 on Mar 29, 2018 9:03:20 GMT -6
When they say YOU won't win a game instead of WE won't win a game the culture is not changing.
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Post by dijackson08 on Mar 29, 2018 11:03:54 GMT -6
Sounds like the kids are calling your BS. They'll believe you when they actually can't play. I just took over as a Head Track Coach this year. My kids didn't want to come to practice because it wasn't required by the old coach, so I left them at school and checked out the 8 kids I had that didn't miss practice and only took them to the meet and fed them CiCis after. 1 kid quit the rest have been to every practice since I left their butts at school all day on a Friday.
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Post by CoachUndershirt on Mar 29, 2018 11:34:04 GMT -6
It'll be interesting to see what happens if the HC sticks to the point system. I'm sure they'll go to the administration who were angry when a kid was kicked off the team for talking chit about the team and coaches on the bus ride to a game... kid trashed another kid's equipment bag during the game and he was never punished.
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Post by coachfitz on Mar 29, 2018 18:09:55 GMT -6
Time to tell a bunch of kids, "bye" until they get their stuff together.
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Post by macdiiddy on Mar 29, 2018 20:24:19 GMT -6
It sounds like y'all want to change the culture. Those that say "you won't win a game" are a cancer to your culture. They need to change or you need to leave them behind.
That being said, the HC needs to get the AD on board with this point system. If the AD is going to under mind the HC or if the HC is going to under mind the HC, you may end up running off the "good" kids and you lose even more credibility.
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Post by chidesta on Mar 30, 2018 12:25:59 GMT -6
The last couple of weeks I have been texting some of my kids reminding them to get into the weight room and was informed I was cutting into their "Fortnite time". I was floored and still can't believe it happened but sure enough right there in my inbox is the text messages.
Getting kids to show up to our morning agility training/weight room and after school weight room is like pulling teeth. We've instituted a point system that is required to play and it's an easily attainable number if they lift three times a week and I've had kids look me in the eye and say "If you stick to that point system you won't win a game." I don't know what to do, I don't work in the district and because of my 9-5 schedule can't work weight room but our HC and another assistant are there every day we're getting 1/10th of the team to show.
There are a handful of kids who are in baseball and track so they're getting SOME work done, but they're not lifting for those sports... I tell them about the importance of lifting, anecdotes and stories of athletes' successes because they lifted but they just don't give a chit.
I'm afraid we're going to have our 25th straight losing season this year because we're going to be physically over-matched. The staff and I spent this entire offseason working, learning and preparing and it sure feels like we're not going to get much in return.
Looking for advice on how to handle this and if anyone else is going through this... and I just needed to vent.
what size school is it? 1A, 2A or is it a bigger school? The reason why I ask is usually you have numbers problems at smaller schools so it limits some of the after school of off-season stuff that you can do. |
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Post by CoachUndershirt on Mar 30, 2018 15:05:03 GMT -6
We're a co-op of a few schools, couple 1A's and a 2-3A school so we're a lower 4A program but we don't the numbers. We're clawing and fighting to keep the program alive, have a HC that is passionate about the kids and community. Assistants that want to learn and become better coaches, but there's not much return from the community, the players or even the admin... I'm moving at the end of the year, but my sole focus is to do whatever I can to leave the program in better condition than when I arrived and that looks like it's going to be near impossible. Breaks my heart.
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Post by **** on Apr 1, 2018 15:50:28 GMT -6
Find a new job.
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Post by coachphillip on Apr 1, 2018 22:26:58 GMT -6
Man. They really don’t care anymore lol. Hopefully, you guys do right by the kids that show and hold the ones who don’t show up accountable. For what it’s worth, Fortnite is a blast.
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Post by cbnindian on Apr 2, 2018 12:15:15 GMT -6
Why can’t you get kids in a weight lifting class? Do they have a class during the day?
Why can’t kids be made to lift during the school day if they want to play?
So many people say you can’t require a kid to show up but other extra-curricular activities make kids show up.
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Post by cbnindian on Apr 2, 2018 12:18:22 GMT -6
What is Fortnite?
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Post by coachwoodall on Apr 2, 2018 16:43:56 GMT -6
It's the love child of Minecraft and a host of zombie 1st person shooters like Left for Dead. |
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Post by jcamerot on Apr 2, 2018 16:57:49 GMT -6
Is that what our world has come to ?? (sorry, old guy rant)
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Post by cbnindian on Apr 2, 2018 19:20:20 GMT -6
Sorry fellas if it ain’t Donkey Kong or Galaga I don’t have a clue what it is. Basically it is kids missing workouts to play games?
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Post by CoachUndershirt on Apr 3, 2018 7:33:27 GMT -6
I'm already leaving after this season, headed back to school... thank dog. Why can’t you get kids in a weight lifting class? Do they have a class during the day? Why can’t kids be made to lift during the school day if they want to play? So many people say you can’t require a kid to show up but other extra-curricular activities make kids show up. There is an "advanced PE" class that is weight lifting, but the school doesn't have a PE specific teacher and have several classroom teachers teaching it and according to one of my kids who actually lifts (he's into fitness and aspires to be a bodybuilder) the advanced PE class is a joke as in they just goof around. Next year there's going to be a zero hour lifting class ran by the HC, so things could be looking up if they get enough kids in there. |
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Post by wolverine55 on Apr 3, 2018 7:45:49 GMT -6
A couple years ago, we had kids who would absolutely be dragging arse at morning workouts, because they were out doing Pokemon Go all night...but at least they were there.
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Post by fshamrock on Apr 3, 2018 8:26:18 GMT -6
Sorry fellas if it ain’t Donkey Kong or Galaga I don’t have a clue what it is. Basically it is kids missing workouts to play games? they are missing preperations for one game because they are playing a different game |
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Post by coachphillip on Apr 3, 2018 16:11:51 GMT -6
Third person shooter in last man standing format. It’s a blast. |
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Post by 19delta on Apr 4, 2018 3:15:57 GMT -6
I would play this video for the kids (NSFW):  |
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Post by 3rdandlong on Apr 4, 2018 11:45:00 GMT -6
Cut your losses and get the heck out of there. Obviously a 25 year drought doesn't bother them.
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Post by 3rdandlong on Apr 4, 2018 11:47:12 GMT -6
The cycle of losing may never end if you continue to allow kids to play without attending workouts. It may have to get worse before it can get better. The only other way I can think of is to provide benefits and praise to the kids who do attend. In our program, kids earn a t-shirt if they attend a certain number of workouts. The kids with the best workout attendance get first pick of equipment. We hype up the players who attend our workouts on social media. We have all kinds of record boards and strength clubs and make a big deal of it. The problem I have with record boards is that sometimes some of the laziest guys are up there simply because they are genetically gifted while the hard worker who finally squatted 225 doesn't get up there. Personally, I like to praise improvement more than anything else. |
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Post by coachfares on Apr 5, 2018 11:52:49 GMT -6
The cycle of losing may never end if you continue to allow kids to play without attending workouts. It may have to get worse before it can get better. The only other way I can think of is to provide benefits and praise to the kids who do attend. In our program, kids earn a t-shirt if they attend a certain number of workouts. The kids with the best workout attendance get first pick of equipment. We hype up the players who attend our workouts on social media. We have all kinds of record boards and strength clubs and make a big deal of it. I agree.. I think culture breeds behavior make it mandatory and if they don't show up you need to confront them about it and hold them accountable with extra conditioning. If it continues you need to meet with the parents and the player to discuss the standard and expectations of the program. You have to set the standard and hold everyone accountable to it. If they are not living up to it then you have to make them. If the standard is "I don't have to show up if i don't feel like it" then that will be the culture and that culture will breed a behavior which I'm assuming is not a good one. Have your HC go to the admin and make the morning lift a 0 period. Now the kids have a grade attached to it and the parents will see that as well. There may be some push back and kids may quite but at some point the process takes over and the new culture will breed the desired behavior. |
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Post by newhope on Apr 12, 2018 10:34:07 GMT -6
The cycle of losing may never end if you continue to allow kids to play without attending workouts. It may have to get worse before it can get better. The only other way I can think of is to provide benefits and praise to the kids who do attend. In our program, kids earn a t-shirt if they attend a certain number of workouts. The kids with the best workout attendance get first pick of equipment. We hype up the players who attend our workouts on social media. We have all kinds of record boards and strength clubs and make a big deal of it. I wish we could do something like shirts, but after reconditioning of equipment we don't have it in the budget. Trying to get anything that we absolutely need is like pulling teeth... we lost four kids last year because we didn't have enough helmets and it wasn't until week six that we got them ordered.
I don't want to see things get worse, but you may be right... I fear that if things do get worse they'll completely cut the program for a second time.
It's just a really really bad situation for the sport in this community and the small number of people trying to make it better just aren't the right people politically.
This thread is starting to feel like "Coach U.S.' personal b--ch session...
The fortnite kids need to be the 4 gone because you don't have enough helmets. Solve 2 problems at once. |
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Post by breakerdog on Apr 12, 2018 12:19:32 GMT -6
Thinking out of the box here. Bring Fortnite to your lifting session a few times a week. Rotate position groups through, make it a team bonding thingy. It's not exactly in the Woody Hayes playbook, but worth thinking about.
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Post by 3rdandlong on Apr 12, 2018 13:17:27 GMT -6
Want to know something really sad? I'm having to let go of a COACH because of the exact topic that's titled in the thread. You might think he's a 20 year old or something, but no, he's 40!!!!
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Post by godandgus on Apr 12, 2018 15:29:54 GMT -6
It's the love child of Minecraft and a host of zombie 1st person shooters like Left for Dead. I thought it was some sex game, I was gonna go to my room and exclaim to my wife "Tonight I shall Fortnite!!!!", I am a horrible person, I beg for forgiveness. |
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