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Post by bulldogs29 on Feb 25, 2020 7:46:32 GMT -6
This past season was first year at a new school. It is a 1A Rural school that hadn't had a lot of success in the past. I am the OC and in the weight room. It was our head coach's second year at the school. We went 7-5 made the second round of the playoffs and won only the 3rd playoff game in school history. We have a chance to be better next season. But our kids will not come to the weight room. They come up with every excuse in the book. Most don't have weight training during the school day so they need to lift outside of school hours. I have had conversations with our head coach about kids not lifting and he agrees that it's not good. But he won't necessarily make them come. Any advice, suggestions on how to turn things around?
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Post by syphrit7 on Feb 25, 2020 7:54:11 GMT -6
Lift before school if you can. Don't make the sessions too long, I think 50 minutes is perfect.
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Post by coachd5085 on Feb 25, 2020 7:54:47 GMT -6
This past season was first year at a new school. It is a 1A Rural school that hadn't had a lot of success in the past. I am the OC and in the weight room. It was our head coach's second year at the school. We went 7-5 made the second round of the playoffs and won only the 3rd playoff game in school history. We have a chance to be better next season. But our kids will not come to the weight room. They come up with every excuse in the book. Most don't have weight training during the school day so they need to lift outside of school hours. I have had conversations with our head coach about kids not lifting and he agrees that it's not good. But he won't necessarily make them come. Any advice, suggestions on how to turn things around? Don't know if the negative aspect of my idea will play in 2020, but I know that in my situation when I was playing we had a similar issue. As stupid as it sounds for a LOSING team (we were losers..big time) it just never seemed to occur to us that the reason was that we were weaker than others. We thought 200lb benches were big. 300lb squats were big etc. Now, we didnt' have organized weight training (our coaches were coaching other things) so that didnt help. Anyway, if you could make video cut ups of the players being physically dominated, that may help. I know for ME personally, if someone would have simply shown me play after play after play of me being physically dominated, it would have clicked. |
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Post by bcoachk on Feb 25, 2020 11:06:46 GMT -6
Had a some what similar situation last year was my first full off season as HC, some kids lifted some didn't see the value, after the season was over I only talked about getting stronger and this is how we can compete with the teams that are winning state. I found 4 or 5 kids who were totally on board and I lifted with those kids everyday, we had a program that showed the progress we were making weekly and eventually our group grew to about 15 to 20 and during the summer we had about 30 of our 35 guys there about 90 percent of the time. I truly think finding the right kids to be your advertisers for importance of lifting is huge. We also created a 1000 pound club, gave shirts for making it, posted a decent amount to social media of our guys lifting, kids wanted to be involved. This year to somewhat combat the kids who play basketball and want to lift we convinced the school to move homeroom period to the last hour of the day. Myself and another coach are there during that period and all kids that want to lift get out during that period if they are eligible and come lift for about a half and hour which is better than nothing but also takes away the excuse of rides and practice.
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center
Junior Member
Posts: 485
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Post by center on Feb 25, 2020 11:32:03 GMT -6
A couple out of the box ideas in case you get desperate.
Is there a study hall or homeroom period during the day? Kids usually want out of these anyway. See if you can find a way to get kids in. Even for 20-30 minutes a day and a couple days per week are better than zero.
We have been able to do that with some real hard to reach kids in the past. They had no PE and had to work after school. We called them the "blue jean lifting club" because they lifted in the clothes they wore to school.
I know that sounds below a last resort but it was far better than nothing...
Other possibility is an all out assault to get them out for spring sports, especially track...
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Post by blb on Feb 25, 2020 12:39:48 GMT -6
Give special T-shirts to kids who come to every off-season lifting session and-or summer workouts.
Give special T-shirts to kids who hit specific goals (200-lb Bench, 250-lb. Squat, etc).
Test them before practice starts.
Give equipment including jersey numbers to kids who attended summer stuff first.
In the end though you are at the mercy of 15-18 year old kids, especially in small schools where they know they will play even if they don't do anything in Off-Season because there isn't anybody else.
If they don't care about being as good as they can be or winning, they won't and you won't.
All you can do is give them the opportunities, be they before school, after school, summer.
You can't force them to want to be good, it has to be their idea. |
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Post by coachcb on Feb 25, 2020 13:23:51 GMT -6
Give special T-shirts to kids who come to every off-season lifting session and-or summer workouts.
Give special T-shirts to kids who hit specific goals (200-lb Bench, 250-lb. Squat, etc).
Test them before practice starts.
In the end though you are at the mercy of 15-18 year old kids, especially in small schools where they know they will play even if they don't do anything in Off-Season because there isn't anybody else.
If they don't care about being as good as they can be or winning, they won't and you won't.
All you can do is give them the opportunities, be they before school, after school, summer.
You can't force them to want to be good, it has to be their idea.
You nailed it on the head with this statement coach. It's easier to get kids in the weight room when you've got numbers; it can be pulling teeth when you don't. This season, we would point out "weight room" plays (positive and negative) during every film session.
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Post by blb on Feb 25, 2020 13:44:38 GMT -6
"There is No Substitute for Strength, and No Excuse Not to Have it!" (James Lofton, Pro Football HOF WR)
"If We Do Not Get Stronger in the Off-Season, We Will Surely Lose Next Season" (Michigan HOF HS Coach)
The first was on a sign above the door to our weight room, the second inside, and obviously repeated orally to kids.
Some take them to heart because it matters to them, some don't because it doesn't.
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Post by bucksweepdotcom on Feb 25, 2020 16:39:28 GMT -6
We do not have weight training during the day either. IMO the best way to improve weight training after school is make it the place kids want to be. Make it a positive and fun place to be.
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Post by blb on Feb 25, 2020 16:42:35 GMT -6
We do not have weight training during the day either. IMO the best way to improve weight training after school is make it the place kids want to be. Make it a positive and fun place to be.
Good idea.
Any suggestions how?
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Post by bleefb on Feb 25, 2020 17:32:33 GMT -6
We do not have weight training during the day either. IMO the best way to improve weight training after school is make it the place kids want to be. Make it a positive and fun place to be.
Good idea.
Any suggestions how?
Syrup.  |
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Post by gator30 on Feb 25, 2020 17:35:54 GMT -6
We have had problems in the past with kids lifting. All kinds of excuses for not lifting at school. First and foremost the head coach better be on board and in the weight room. We had a head coaching change two years ago and he is in the weight room every day along with at least 4 or 5 assistants in the room. Our participation is through the roof. We divide our kids into four teams and have some type of competition every Thursday at the end of lifting, kids love it. Point totals are kept and the winners (3 month period) get some type of gear for winning. When we test we have a bell attached to the wall, new PR's and kids get to ring the bell, they love it.
We are in the room 90 minutes, 3 days a week. That includes 15 minutes of some type of plyo's, agility or conditioning.
At the end of the summer prior to camp, kids get gear based on participation.
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Post by dubber on Feb 25, 2020 19:37:05 GMT -6
Peer accountability is your best bet....let the kids who lift convince the ones who dont
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Post by bucksweepdotcom on Feb 26, 2020 7:46:23 GMT -6
Good idea.
Any suggestions how?
Syrup. Positive experience: Kind of a like a Plant Fitness philosophy: No shaming, No comments on the weight they are using. I try to celebrate any positive experience on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. We have had a problem of younger kids being intimidated by older kids. I have tried to create a culture of eliminating that. Thousand Pound and twelve hundred pound club T-Shirts again celebrated. I use snap chat to communicate with players. They CHECK IT ALL THE TIME unlike text messages from me. I call out all positive things the kids do to entire team. To be honest I have to fight the urge to do some kids face for not coming, etc. I have found in my situation "you get more flies with honey then vinegar" when it comes to the weigh room. It is a constant struggle and not easy, but it is getting better. Just like everything we do, we try to build on it each year. We used to have poor summer attendance now it is great. We have built on that culture over a long time. The after school weight room is a constant work in process. I will say this year is our best freshman participation in a long time. I am hoping to build on that for the years to come. |
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Post by silkyice on Feb 26, 2020 9:02:42 GMT -6
Syrup. Positive experience: Kind of a like a Plant Fitness philosophy: No shaming, No comments on the weight they are using. I try to celebrate any positive experience on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. We have had a problem of younger kids being intimidated by older kids. I have tried to create a culture of eliminating that. Thousand Pound and twelve hundred pound club T-Shirts again celebrated. I use snap chat to communicate with players. They CHECK IT ALL THE TIME unlike text messages from me. I call out all positive things the kids do to entire team. To be honest I have to fight the urge to do some kids face for not coming, etc. I have found in my situation "you get more flies with honey then vinegar" when it comes to the weigh room. It is a constant struggle and not easy, but it is getting better. Just like everything we do, we try to build on it each year. We used to have poor summer attendance now it is great. We have built on that culture over a long time. The after school weight room is a constant work in process. I will say this year is our best freshman participation in a long time. I am hoping to build on that for the years to come. Really good advice here. |
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Post by Down 'n Out on Feb 26, 2020 9:06:53 GMT -6
Lots of great info already posted: gear, 1,000 pound club is a big deal, make it fun - music is good, have those that do participate talk to the others, competition in the form of Worlds Strongest Man type events once a week is always good (tire flip races, medicine ball throw for distance, etc), no shaming for the weight theyre using(its all about getting stronger, break them up by age/ability so the weaker kids dont see the 275 Tackle deadlift a house while theyre still working of proper form).
Something Ive always thought about is taking an after school field trip to a neighboring school(different classification, if youre a small school then take them to a big school) and visit theyre weight lifting program. Your kids can see how the successful teams do it and get a great visual of what hard work can do for them. Ive never done this or been a part of it but I always thought it would be a cool idea, obviously lots of parties involved.
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Post by coachcb on Feb 26, 2020 10:39:00 GMT -6
We've done 500lb, 600lb, 800lb and 1,000lb (bench, squat, DL) clubs in the past. We included the 500lb club as it's an incredible incentive for those younger lifters; many hit it within a few months. And, those younger kids are the demographic you want to target the most; get them in there young and they'll stick around.
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Post by macdiiddy on Feb 26, 2020 12:20:29 GMT -6
This seems like more of a head coach thing, but getting all the sport programs on the same weight lifting program. (Like Bigger-Faster-Stronger). Getting Athletic Department buy in, and support other coaches to in-season weight lifting. Nothing is worst than a basketball coach that does not want his kids to life because it will "screw up their shot".
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Post by coachd5085 on Feb 26, 2020 12:27:24 GMT -6
Lots of great info already posted: gear, 1,000 pound club is a big deal, make it fun - music is good, have those that do participate talk to the others, competition in the form of Worlds Strongest Man type events once a week is always good (tire flip races, medicine ball throw for distance, etc), no shaming for the weight theyre using(its all about getting stronger, break them up by age/ability so the weaker kids dont see the 275 Tackle deadlift a house while theyre still working of proper form). Something Ive always thought about is taking an after school field trip to a neighboring school(different classification, if youre a small school then take them to a big school) and visit theyre weight lifting program. Your kids can see how the successful teams do it and get a great visual of what hard work can do for them. Ive never done this or been a part of it but I always thought it would be a cool idea, obviously lots of parties involved. Something similar to what you described in the 2nd paragraph happened organically with me years ago. I was coaching at successful large class school. During spring work outs, the school was hosting a track meet, where a smaller school where I had coached about 3 years previously was competing. I had coached that school's upper classmen when they were jr high students. We were talking a bit in the weight room, and they were shocked when they saw a group of players all powercleaning 275. Jaws dropped when they found out the three players in question were DBs. When the DL and LBs all were squatting over 400 (and when my SS cleaned 345) they were just in awe. They had no clue that players lifted at that intensity. |
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Post by Down 'n Out on Feb 26, 2020 15:48:46 GMT -6
Lots of great info already posted: gear, 1,000 pound club is a big deal, make it fun - music is good, have those that do participate talk to the others, competition in the form of Worlds Strongest Man type events once a week is always good (tire flip races, medicine ball throw for distance, etc), no shaming for the weight theyre using(its all about getting stronger, break them up by age/ability so the weaker kids dont see the 275 Tackle deadlift a house while theyre still working of proper form). Something Ive always thought about is taking an after school field trip to a neighboring school(different classification, if youre a small school then take them to a big school) and visit theyre weight lifting program. Your kids can see how the successful teams do it and get a great visual of what hard work can do for them. Ive never done this or been a part of it but I always thought it would be a cool idea, obviously lots of parties involved. Something similar to what you described in the 2nd paragraph happened organically with me years ago. I was coaching at successful large class school. During spring work outs, the school was hosting a track meet, where a smaller school where I had coached about 3 years previously was competing. I had coached that school's upper classmen when they were jr high students. We were talking a bit in the weight room, and they were shocked when they saw a group of players all powercleaning 275. Jaws dropped when they found out the three players in question were DBs. When the DL and LBs all were squatting over 400 (and when my SS cleaned 345) they were just in awe. They had no clue that players lifted at that intensity. Having a 180lb Freshmen Guard to talk to a 230 pound Senior Guard that says "yeah, I was about your size before I started lifting" and then watch him decimate a 315 pound deadlift can make quite the impression. Small schools face the big fish in a small pond problem, take them to the lake and let them see how its done. I mentioned going to a larger classification, hell take them to a highly competitive school in the same classification and see how champions do it. |
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Post by CanyonCoach on Feb 27, 2020 10:34:22 GMT -6
Every place is different and everyplace has a culture some good, some bad.
Our culture was that no one lifted in season and only a few lifted out of season.
We started with lifting in season, Olympic lifts 3 days a week and we treated them like a practice (no show no play), we lost a QB for a few games and missed the play-offs by a tie-breaker.
We ran a summer program the first summer and had 80 boys and girls now we are at 180. 1st year 15 hit 80% attendance now we are at 100 kids above 80%.
I would say the biggest thing early on was to celebrate whoever was in the room and make sure they were getting loved up for being in the weight room. We made PB&J sandwiches every morning and protein-fruit smoothies. We gave out T-shirts for hitting 80% of the summer lifts and during school out of season kids got car wash coupons and DQ ice cream treats. If they came in during school breaks and were above 80% of lifts we gave them bonus t-shirts.
We rarely give out t-shirts now or any free stuff. We award a lifter of the week and have started the 1000LB club, we have a record board by grade level.
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 27, 2020 16:08:17 GMT -6
Not totally on point but today-this week-we had a pretty good turnout. Between seasons. I brought in a bunch of snicker bars and told my veteran guys that any PR in front of me will get them a snickers. They went nuts and 1 kid who was after school for extra help heard and hustled down. Lots of PR's. I'll go broke but something so little pumped them up. Fun day. Sometimes I forget they are still kids.
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Post by bucksweepdotcom on Feb 27, 2020 16:13:03 GMT -6
Not totally on point but today-this week-we had a pretty good turnout. Between seasons. I brought in a bunch of snicker bars and told my veteran guys that any PR in front of me will get them a snickers. They went nuts and 1 kid who was after school for extra help heard and hustled down. Lots of PR's. I'll go broke but something so little pumped them up. Fun day. Sometimes I forget they are still kids. Nice I am stealing for next week! |
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Post by bucksweepdotcom on Feb 27, 2020 16:32:19 GMT -6
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Post by blb on Feb 27, 2020 17:03:58 GMT -6
PayDay
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