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Post by knightfan64 on Nov 12, 2018 12:46:02 GMT -6
Hey Fellas,
Looking for any and all ideas for this one. We, like many schools, are in need of a major bump recruiting wise in the halls to get overall program numbers up. Any ideas? I've had mailers for kids (wrote each kid a personal letter last summer) had a middle school recruiting night, talked to kids personally etc. I am at the middle school and am now in 8th grade not 6th grade which is a step in right direction as I now see kids that will be coming to me the next year, and I have a willing and enthusiastic assistant at the HS level now. Any major ideas? I sit in gym class, talk to kids, scour youth league rosters, etc. We are in middle of a rebuild and it's tough to sell, but got a lot of winning kids coming up from rec program
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Post by PIGSKIN11 on Nov 12, 2018 14:17:30 GMT -6
Ask them twice, then move on...
Ask once to show interest...
Ask again to remind them where you train and how to be a part of it...
Then MOVE ON!!!
Last man on the boat is the first guy to bail when sh!t hits the fan...
They NEED to WANT to be a part of your program - not kinda in...
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Post by coachcb on Nov 12, 2018 14:22:11 GMT -6
Recruiting the halls is tough as a) kids will tell you what you want to hear and b) it doesn't take much to push them away from football by bringing it too much. IMO, the best way to recruit the halls is to get a few kids to do your dirty work for you. Talk to the kids that already play football and impart the importance of getting their buddies out for football.
After that, it just comes down to selling your product. Wear your football gear to school on a regular basis, put football posters up in your room (high school posters, local college posters, etc..), start up off-season workouts at the middle school, coach other sports (the kids are more likely to play football for if they've already played another sport under you), and just keep pressing the program.
Above all else; win at the high school level. Wins=kids.
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dbeck84
Sophomore Member
Posts: 170
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Post by dbeck84 on Nov 12, 2018 14:51:06 GMT -6
How I feel whenever I'm recruiting the halls.
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Post by 50slantstrong on Nov 12, 2018 15:44:05 GMT -6
Ask them twice, then move on... Ask once to show interest... Ask again to remind them where you train and how to be a part of it... Then MOVE ON!!! Last man on the boat is the first guy to bail when sh!t hits the fan... They NEED to WANT to be a part of your program - not kinda in... I agree. It’s kind of like dating. If you have to ask her out more than twice, it ain’t happening. |
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Post by carookie on Nov 12, 2018 17:14:38 GMT -6
What are you selling them on?
W's, camaraderie, getting to play a game, becoming a better athlete?
Have your athletes been echoing in this in the halls themselves?
Not meaning you should have kids go be pitchmen, but rather if you are selling a great experience playing football and your players are always complaining about getting yelled at and doing updowns then it won't sell. (not writing that you are doing this, rather giving an example)
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Post by wiscohscoach on Nov 12, 2018 17:14:39 GMT -6
Ask them twice, then move on... Ask once to show interest... Ask again to remind them where you train and how to be a part of it... Then MOVE ON!!! Last man on the boat is the first guy to bail when sh!t hits the fan... They NEED to WANT to be a part of your program - not kinda in... I agree. It’s kind of like dating. If you have to ask her out more than twice, it ain’t happening. This is exactly true. I'd almost rather have 40 All In guys then 60 where 20 have their toes dipped half in and half out. As much as it sucks, put your time and energy into the all in guys and start winning for sure. |
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Post by knightfan64 on Nov 13, 2018 9:22:02 GMT -6
What are you selling them on? W's, camaraderie, getting to play a game, becoming a better athlete? Have your athletes been echoing in this in the halls themselves? Not meaning you should have kids go be pitchmen, but rather if you are selling a great experience playing football and your players are always complaining about getting yelled at and doing updowns then it won't sell. (not writing that you are doing this, rather giving an example) Good point carookie.....I do have a lot of good rising seniors that are selling on the experience, camraderie, etc. and that helps. |
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Post by PIGSKIN11 on Nov 13, 2018 10:44:23 GMT -6
What are you selling them on? W's, camaraderie, getting to play a game, becoming a better athlete? Have your athletes been echoing in this in the halls themselves? Not meaning you should have kids go be pitchmen, but rather if you are selling a great experience playing football and your players are always complaining about getting yelled at and doing updowns then it won't sell. (not writing that you are doing this, rather giving an example) Good point carookie.....I do have a lot of good rising seniors that are selling on the experience, camraderie, etc. and that helps. That is my usual path - I have the kids recruit who they want to go to battle with.... positive peer pressure works way better than coach pressure... |
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Post by knightfan64 on Nov 13, 2018 12:41:38 GMT -6
Good point carookie.....I do have a lot of good rising seniors that are selling on the experience, camraderie, etc. and that helps. That is my usual path - I have the kids recruit who they want to go to battle with.... positive peer pressure works way better than coach pressure... I like the idea "who they want to go to battle with". Kids know who will put out for you generally. Interesting story near me happened this past year when an OC took over at his school. He was pulling in over 100 kids at workouts, getting the whole school out practically. Well he recruited a few of the wrong jimmies and joes and got fired for coaching the way he had been coaching as OC and the team had been run for years...some kids you pull in could be the death of your program. |
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Post by tothehouse on Nov 13, 2018 13:00:36 GMT -6
I took a day off and sat in all the frosh PE classes. I had gear out. Newest helmets. Jerseys, etc. Met with all the boys. Told them to try spring ball. See how it goes. Then follow through by coming in the summer. Laid out some must haves.
60+ "signed up". 18 showed up for spring ball. Summer practice started. 9 showed up. JV season cancelled. That was 2 seasons ago.
Weird set of kids going through. Not interested kids. Non athletic kids. And horrible student kids. A perfect storm of not having a team.
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Post by carookie on Nov 13, 2018 13:05:40 GMT -6
I took a day off and sat in all the frosh PE classes. I had gear out. Newest helmets. Jerseys, etc. Met with all the boys. Told them to try spring ball. See how it goes. Then follow through by coming in the summer. Laid out some must haves. 60+ "signed up". 18 showed up for spring ball. Summer practice started. 9 showed up. JV season cancelled. That was 2 seasons ago. Weird set of kids going through. Not interested kids. Non athletic kids. And horrible student kids. A perfect storm of not having a team. I bet your E-Sports rock though |
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Post by PIGSKIN11 on Nov 13, 2018 14:36:47 GMT -6
I will never beg anyone to hang out with me in life or on the football field haha
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Post by Hitch & Pitch on Nov 13, 2018 14:48:31 GMT -6
This may not answer your question and every situation is not the same.
I think the biggest thing for increasing participation numbers, is JV games. You may have to start with two or three, I have scheduled frosh/soph games (sometimes larger school Freshmen) with schools to play my JV, I tell them if I have a junior not playing varsity, there is something wrong with him. We are fortunate, there is a school a class higher than us that gets over 100 kids out every year, they'll play us in just about any combination of kids, back up JV, a frosh team, just to get their kids playing time.
I tell my kids and staff, the most important program is the JV. From personal experience, my most enjoyable season I ever had playing football was my sophomore year playing JV we went 4-6. But all the sophomore studs at my school as well as the opponents, played varsity. It was fun to practice (we did a lot of scrimmaging), 15 min warm up, 15 min special team, 25 minute, on the sled, 25 minute offensive scrimmage, 25 minute defensive scrimmage, 10-15 minute conditioning.
My rule is if they are not a varsity starter or a senior they play in the JV game that week. If they think they'll get to play with comparable talent, they'll come out and usually stay out.
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Post by mrjvi on Nov 13, 2018 16:49:21 GMT -6
We went to a league of 7,8,9th graders on modified and 10,11 and 12 on varsity. Didn't have enough for a JV the past 2 years and at a small school many sophs start on varsity. It seems like we have better numbers. Only 1 freshman was on varsity. The 9th graders playing this year were more than last year w/o a JV. Not sure if this is good long term but we had to try something. We scheduled a couple 7/8th games (scrimmages) so 7ths got time. Don't want to hijack the thread but I'd welcome opinions on it.
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Post by PIGSKIN11 on Nov 14, 2018 13:55:54 GMT -6
I am on the side of giving something to get something. No, I do not want the kid who the only thing going for him is his athletic ability. No thanks. On the other hand I am going to put a kid who can be legit part of our team on and off the field in the position of having to pick and choose between 2 sports. Beggers can't be choosers. I am at a place where we are Beggers but also want to be choosy, make kids make choice and kids inherently pick whatever else. I don't know how anybody can seriously walk down their hallways and go we don't really need that basketball player or track star. Either you want players or you don't. We are in the 2nd rd. And we don't have enough players to get to 3rd, unless our opponent just craps the bed. I want all of them - but I refuse to think I need them... If they need to play football they will come... I will make due with what shows up and have fun and try to win... With the guys that want to be there - my guys... |
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Post by PIGSKIN11 on Nov 14, 2018 17:33:41 GMT -6
I give them the chance to play... That is my give...
I never make them choose sports - they do that on their own as I WANT my kids to play as many sports as possible...
Football is not for everyone - including the stud hooper and/or stud starting shortstop and/or fastest kid on campus...
Football is special and requires a special kid...
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Post by PIGSKIN11 on Nov 14, 2018 19:23:35 GMT -6
I give them the chance to play... That is my give... I never make them choose sports - they do that on their own as I WANT my kids to play as many sports as possible... Football is not for everyone - including the stud hooper and/or stud starting shortstop and/or fastest kid on campus... Football is special and requires a special kid... I am not telling anybody that football is for everybody. I am not talking about the kid who is never going to play fb. I am talking about the kid who would be willing to play but..that but is where the give and take is. Not talking about the kid who is going to play scout team. The player who legitimately help but isn't going to play if... What is the but? It is too hard? too much time? not enough games? basketball is easier? baseball is easier? |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2018 16:25:00 GMT -6
Hey Fellas, Looking for any and all ideas for this one. We, like many schools, are in need of a major bump recruiting wise in the halls to get overall program numbers up. Any ideas? I've had mailers for kids (wrote each kid a personal letter last summer) had a middle school recruiting night, talked to kids personally etc. I am at the middle school and am now in 8th grade not 6th grade which is a step in right direction as I now see kids that will be coming to me the next year, and I have a willing and enthusiastic assistant at the HS level now. Any major ideas? I sit in gym class, talk to kids, scour youth league rosters, etc. We are in middle of a rebuild and it's tough to sell, but got a lot of winning kids coming up from rec program So are you wanting to get numbers up at your MS, or is this for the varsity program, too? Sell weights in the offseason. Don't even focus on football. Just try to get kids to come out and lift and talk about how fun it is to get jacked and strong. You'll get a bunch of them for football if you can get them in the weight room now. The big thing, though, is to get the kids to recruit for you because they will always be your best recruiters. Let it be known you want them to get their friends out so you can have a better football team. That will go a long, long way towards getting enthusiasm up. |
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Post by knightfan64 on Nov 19, 2018 8:25:51 GMT -6
Hey Fellas, Looking for any and all ideas for this one. We, like many schools, are in need of a major bump recruiting wise in the halls to get overall program numbers up. Any ideas? I've had mailers for kids (wrote each kid a personal letter last summer) had a middle school recruiting night, talked to kids personally etc. I am at the middle school and am now in 8th grade not 6th grade which is a step in right direction as I now see kids that will be coming to me the next year, and I have a willing and enthusiastic assistant at the HS level now. Any major ideas? I sit in gym class, talk to kids, scour youth league rosters, etc. We are in middle of a rebuild and it's tough to sell, but got a lot of winning kids coming up from rec program So are you wanting to get numbers up at your MS, or is this for the varsity program, too? Sell weights in the offseason. Don't even focus on football. Just try to get kids to come out and lift and talk about how fun it is to get jacked and strong. You'll get a bunch of them for football if you can get them in the weight room now. The big thing, though, is to get the kids to recruit for you because they will always be your best recruiters. Let it be known you want them to get their friends out so you can have a better football team. That will go a long, long way towards getting enthusiasm up. I['m recruiting MS kids to join our JV. Im the head varsity coach but teach at the middle school level. Not ideal, but we work it out. Only issue I have seen, but I have seen this all my life is when you push the weight room, we will get kids who use as a free gym membership. But, I'd rather get a kid through the weight room then get them to come out last second. We had a kid at my old school who in 4 years worked out every off-season, only played one season of football (sophomore year on JV). He was a pretty good undersized LB, but he used our weight program to the max throughout the school year, then would disappear in the summer only to return again the next winter lol |
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Post by Coach Bennett on Nov 19, 2018 8:54:46 GMT -6
I'm going to run flag football at our local college gym all winter long. I will do "sharks and minnows" with a football in hand for K-2, flag grades 3 & 4 and especially hit flag for grades 5 & 6.
Going to start there and make sure the kids have fun, everyone touches the ball, have snacks and let parents know they have an athletic option for their kids that doesn't entail sign ups, driving 2 hours one-way for tournaments, or worry about what team their kid gets selected to.
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