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Post by jsucoach79 on Oct 1, 2007 7:03:31 GMT -6
As many of you know I took over a team that did not win a game for 2 years before I arrived. Last year we won 2 games with a junior team. this year as a majority senior team we were 2-2 headed into Friday night with the top offense in the region at 36 points a game. We were up 7 when my 4.3 star went out, 2 plays later my qb went out. Despite the setbacks we were down 14-12 at the half. We should have stayed in the locker room. In the second half the majority of my guys gave up when they found out that those two were done for the day. The only 2 that did not were 2 9th graders that start on varsity that were not around when they were losing the previous 2 years. Any one that can help me teach these guys that every time they see a cloud Hurricane Katrina is not on the way please do so. My first mind is to start more 9th graders that were not around when all this losing took place. Its my thinking that most of my upper classmen are brainwashed into thinking that every time they play they are supposed to lose. please offer any advice that you have
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Post by brophy on Oct 1, 2007 7:45:50 GMT -6
you can PUSH / CHALLENGE players, but if they have an OUT ( a way of getting out of it ) they will find it. It is human nature.
PUSHING one's self beyond your comfortable means is what "heart" or mental toughness is about. That is why most folks will tell you this is developed in the off-season weights.
Most kids (I'd like to believe) are raised to DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD. Unfortunately, some have been raised to find ways out of unwanted situations (whine, complain, avoid, power thrust) by being 'babied' (IMO).
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Post by buck42 on Oct 1, 2007 9:48:42 GMT -6
We are a in a little different situation but similar enough...we are 0-6 this year...we have scored 20 points in 6 games and we are giving up about 45 points a game. We play hard until the other team scores, then we seem to go through the motions.
I agree with dcohio said...do what is best for the program not the team...but how do you do that when the newspaper is calling for your head coaches job? We have to win now in order to stay around...looking at our schedule, we will probably not win a game...but like I told the HC...we can go 0-11 with kids that want to be out there or 0-11 with guys that are going through the motions...
I guess that is easy to say as an assistant though...
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Post by jsucoach79 on Oct 1, 2007 10:37:04 GMT -6
you can PUSH / CHALLENGE players, but if they have an OUT ( a way of getting out of it ) they will find it. It is human nature. PUSHING one's self beyond your comfortable means is what "heart" or mental toughness is about. That is why most folks will tell you this is developed in the off-season weights. Most kids (I'd like to believe) are raised to DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD. Unfortunately, some have been raised to find ways out of unwanted situations (whine, complain, avoid, power thrust) by being 'babied' (IMO). they are told and are being pushed. They are so used to losing that when we were .500 it was a celebration around the community. THey are physically pushed and challenged its the only thing that shows on Friday nights. I need help in getting them to stand up insted of sitting down to use the restroom when things get a little rough. I am avery arrogant person so it is a shock and awe inspiring to see guys get down when losing at halftime by 2 poins and we are getting the ball. Please help |
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Post by groundchuck on Oct 1, 2007 11:43:25 GMT -6
I think that heart is an investment. If you worked hard for something in the 1st place and invested (time, energy, money etc) into it you are going to fight harder for it. If you believe in it (the cause) you are going to fight for it. I think that the words HEART and FIGHT are interchangable in this case.
I also think some kids/adults have more fight in them. It could because of the way they were raised (home environment) or something in them genetically from dad and mom. Probably both.
I don't know if you can coach heart so much as bring it out of an individual through challenging them to rasie the bar.
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juice10
Sophomore Member
Posts: 200 
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Post by juice10 on Oct 1, 2007 13:09:54 GMT -6
I feel your pain and anxiety. Very similar situation where I am at, and we as coaches started focusing more on the more controllable factors in a game, mental breakdowns, penalties,etc. For some reason our kids success for the night is dictated on the first drive on offense. If we are unable to have any success, we are in for a long night. We try to preach and sell to our kids one play at a time and one first down at a time. We put this in 3 weeks ago and have seen some pretty good results from this. We have been in every game the last 3 weeks and given ourselves the chance to win with lesser talent.
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Post by ajreaper on Oct 1, 2007 13:12:21 GMT -6
I think you can develop- heart (I equate the same way groundchuck does- it's really fight) in the off season/spring ball. We do what we call Matt drills in the spring (they are called that because they were designed to be done indoors during winter conditioning). They consist of a series of running, jumping, bear crawls etc along with a mental component- don't cross this line, do not jump etc. Fail to complete each with a great effort or fail one of the mental components and start all over again- not that cycle but all the way back to the beginning. You get focused and bust your tail no matter the circumstances or we'll keep starting it over again- it's your choice. The one's who will not fight quit, the ones on the fence decide which side they want to be on and the fighters help them choose  . |
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Post by coachjim on Oct 2, 2007 1:48:21 GMT -6
The kids that want it the most, have a vested interest in success, and have faced the most adversity to get there, are the ones that will have the most heart. Tackle those three categories or look for those types of individuals as a beginning.
Also, team, town or school pride can build heart. Emphasize legends from the schools past and that each one of them can leave their mark as well, and become immortal. But the immortality (doing at least one thing that NO ONE will ever forget) of the team comes first; or that, every player that is a part of the team, must strive for.
Which one of you is gonna get six sacks tonight? What offensive line... game 4, didn't allow a single sack or through the entire season?! Set lofty goals, like individual and team immortality. If not heart, at least pride and a dangling carrot come in second. It works for some religions... why not football?
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Post by coachjim on Oct 2, 2007 1:49:03 GMT -6
The kids that want it the most, have a vested interest in success, and have faced the most adversity to get there, are the ones that will have the most heart. Tackle those three categories or look for those types of individuals as a beginning.
Also, team, town or school pride can build heart. Emphasize legends from the schools past and that each one of them can leave their mark as well, and become immortal. But the immortality (doing at least one thing that NO ONE will ever forget) of the team comes first; or that, every player that is a part of the team, must strive for.
Which one of you is gonna get six sacks tonight? What offensive line... game 4, didn't allow a single sack or through the entire season. Set lofty goals, like individual and team immortality. Its not heart, but pride and a carrot come in second.
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Post by wingtol on Oct 2, 2007 5:12:54 GMT -6
When our HC took over our program they were on like a 23 game loosing streak. I didn't coach with him the first year but I know he never stressed winning just getting better every game improving on mistakes playing tough. Took some lumps his first year but now we are 5-0 and have a 19 regular season game winning streak. He stressed getting tough, getting better, and never quiting and never mentioned winning to the kids. I think that can help build heart don't think you can coach it but I think you can build it.
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Post by coachd5085 on Oct 2, 2007 8:02:48 GMT -6
I agree 100% with wingtol on this one, and have to disagree with jim. If you set "lofty, measurable goals" like winning, doing something no one has done, not giving up a sack etc....once the bubble is burst (and it will, like it did with your team) Then you have given them the opportunity to revert back to the 2 year losing streak.
Win THIS play. That is the only one that matters. Not the last one, not the next one, just WIN this play. How can you do that. Keep better pad level. Align correctly, RUN TO THE FOOTBALL. Maintain your blocks .5 seconds longer. Have them concentrate on a bunch of little things.
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Post by Yash on Oct 2, 2007 8:46:54 GMT -6
You can't coach it, but its contagious. If find that one kid who really has it, and will bust his butt for his teammates, rally around that kid and hope that it catches on. You'd be amazed how much the team can rally around a scout team JV guy who is really busting his tail to make the team better even though when he knows he wont' see the field for 2 years. Trust me, I was that kid!
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Post by coachcalande on Oct 4, 2007 6:54:45 GMT -6
I am not able to read the entire thread at the moment and I apologize if someone else already said this...FORGET COACHING HEART, coach the details of your schemes, coach the fundamentals, stress team and togetherness and work hard on all of the PERFORMANCE elements. Heart comes from the investment in the team really.
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