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Post by ebergstedt on Sept 7, 2018 10:12:49 GMT -6
First of all small program (25 kids for 11 man 9-12), always hurting for numbers and struggling to keep kids out. So to hell with them isn't an option. The question is what do you do with those kids that do most of the right things but lack ability. We have a couple of seniors who have played all four years. They never miss practice, they work hard in practice and have good attitudes. They have always been team first and been content not playing but now as seniors you start to see the dissatisfaction in their eyes. Especially when younger players even freshmen are taking reps from them, or other kids who didn't play all four years but came out as juniors or seniors play in front of them. The problem is they simply have no talent. They are a true triple threat, small slow and weak. They don't do off-season work, but neither do many of our guys. There is simply no way to put them on the field that isn't a detriment to the team. It's a message question as coaches. Is just being there /loyalty important enough to our program that we suck it up and let them play more, or is the message best man for the job even if you haven't shown any loyalty to the program. What really is hard is these are good kids, you would love to play them if they had even a speck of ability.
Thoughts?
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Post by fkaboneyard on Sept 7, 2018 10:52:29 GMT -6
Special teams and field time when it's a blowout. Life isn't fair.
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Post by BrendanQB on Sept 7, 2018 11:13:45 GMT -6
Echoing the life isn't fair point. That's why football's great. It teaches kids that even if you work hard, sometimes it's not enough. It sets them up for the harsh realities of life.
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Post by coachcb on Sept 7, 2018 11:45:40 GMT -6
We ran into this issue when I was an 8-man HC... We had 14 kids out the first year, had some success and numbers jumped up to the twenties the next year. Our offensive MVP from the first year didn't even start the second year as we he was the 9th-10th best guy for us the next year. His folks threw a fit about it and I got dragged into a meeting with the AD. I did truly feel bad that the kid wasn't getting more playing time as he was hard worker during the season. But the reality was simple; he sat on his a-- from November to August. The other guys played other sports and also got a little time in the weight room while this kid worked as a lifeguard and did nothing.
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Post by Hitch & Pitch on Sept 7, 2018 12:28:36 GMT -6
First of all small program (25 kids for 11 man 9-12), always hurting for numbers and struggling to keep kids out. So to hell with them isn't an option. The question is what do you do with those kids that do most of the right things but lack ability. We have a couple of seniors who have played all four years. They never miss practice, they work hard in practice and have good attitudes. They have always been team first and been content not playing but now as seniors you start to see the dissatisfaction in their eyes. Especially when younger players even freshmen are taking reps from them, or other kids who didn't play all four years but came out as juniors or seniors play in front of them. The problem is they simply have no talent. They are a true triple threat, small slow and weak. They don't do off-season work, but neither do many of our guys. There is simply no way to put them on the field that isn't a detriment to the team. It's a message question as coaches. Is just being there /loyalty important enough to our program that we suck it up and let them play more, or is the message best man for the job even if you haven't shown any loyalty to the program. What really is hard is these are good kids, you would love to play them if they had even a speck of ability. Thoughts? This is the "Art of Coaching", and establishing a program. Couple things I've heard coaches do... Put the kid in the game, send him in motion and run the opposite way, some kids and parents eat that stuff up. Another guy used to say get them in the game early, they think they've played whole game. Sometimes you can get the kid in on defense when the ball is on the hash near your sideline, usually people run to the field and to their sideline, plus you can coach the kid up tell him what maybe coming. I worked at a school that the frosh coach was a master at pumping kids up and keeping kids in the program. He would have specific jobs for certain kids, maybe he would put a kid at LT and tell him he was the Counter trey tackle anytime we run ctr trey rt you are in get good at pulling and leading through the whole. HE told one kid he was the Two point TE, but he would go trips the other way and run sprint out pass or something.
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Post by hunhdisciple on Sept 7, 2018 18:02:11 GMT -6
It's all about putting kids on the field and hiding them.
Maybe figure out certain packages where you know what's coming, and can probably scheme them away from the play.
And honestly, those kids are really hard for me. Because I fully can relate to your heart being fully into it, but you just aren't that athletic.
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