Post by groundchuck on Jul 12, 2006 15:39:23 GMT -6
I found this while "googling" around today. Some good points from a retired coach who won more than a few games for the Ben Davis Giants.
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A Conversation with Dick Dullaghan
July 3rd, 2006 by Tim Adams
Recently, I went down to visit one of my mentors. I call Dick Dullaghan a mentor because there are two coaches who I have had the privilege of being around quite often in the capacity of coach and media persona. Coach Dullaghan and Coach Chris Geesman have provided me with hours of conversation about Indiana high school football. They will tell you that our game is getting better and growing in our state. I trust their perception as they speak at multiple clinics during the off season and have a unique perspective traveling to assess football programs.
Dick Dullaghan has a unique perspective as he watches players develop every year at camp. If you ask him if the skilled players are getting better, he will tell you, “yes,” especially if they are returnees from his camp from the year before. Yet, last week at Franklin College, (along with Franklin College head coach Mike Leonard), the area of Indiana football development of most concern to him is middle school and junior high. In those three hours, I asked four or five questions and listened. The following areas seem to be of concern to Dullaghan. Coach “D” can be quite vocal and passionate about his concerns, but one thing you cannot fault him regarding his passion for Indiana high school football and this is something we share. Here is a message to coaches, players and parents.
Middle School – Jr. High Player Development
Coach “D” and I share this concern because the future of Indiana high school football development is dependant on having great coaches at the middle school/junior high level. For the most part we suffer here because most junior high coaches aspire to become high school varsity coaches. Many young junior high coaches aspire to be a varsity football coach, but discover it is hard for them to jump form one area to another. All of this is self defeating for Indiana high school football. According to Dullaghan, “We need middle school and junior high coaches who are first quality men and coaches to stay put and develop players ready for the high school game.” How we go about getting this done in our current situation is a topic we could spend hours of discussion on in the forum. We may start a topic on this after the article is published. Here are some practical suggestions:
1) Realize that if you are a middle school or junior high school coach, you are the future of the school’s football program. It is not an unimportant stop along the way to the future of the program’s success.
2) Don’t be a rogue. “I am going to run my offense and my defense, the head coach at ________ high school can teach what he wants when they become freshmen. If I want to run my deluxe double reverse throwback 5 times, no one is going to tell me I can’t.” Now, how do we build a football program at our school and teach teamwork? Model teamwork and kids will pick up your relationship with the varsity football program.
3) A very wise head coach will make the junior high coaches feel and know they are the kings of the football world. Include them in on everything if they want to and can. They get all the shirts, they get all the clinic opportunities, they get to go with you on Friday nights if they desire. The junior high football program is just the extension of the varsity program. Above all, send these coaches to clinics and camps to learn!
Don’t Get Caught in the Basketball Trap - Promote Skill Development
Are you familiar with the basketball trap in Indiana high schools? It is there, and you can see why it happens. There are coaches who believe that all you have to do to get better in basketball is play more basketball. But not so in football, though we seem to be falling into that trap with 7 on 7 and team camps. What are your players doing to gain more skills and abilities as a football player? Football camps are becoming more specialized. Coach Dullaghan believes that if a player will come to a skills development camp from middle school through high school, his skill level will naturally move him into the realm of college football. Training and skills development are crucial to becoming the best football player you can be. Attending 7 on 7’s and lineman challenges won’t cut it. Save your money, work a summer job and find a skills camp to go to for 3 to 5 days. Lift your heart out, work on speed development, and learn technique at a skills camp. Football is not “clear out the left side and let superstar go one on one to the goal line.”
The parents’ role is to simply be the parents, allow the coaches to coach, and the players to play. Every parent’s role should be to provide the opportunity and support. In many instances the football program who best becomes like a family often find success. Parents need to provide the best opportunity for their child to be able to play the game. The most important thing parents can do in contributing for college money is academics. Yes, it is true that if your son is the next Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, or a real athlete like Jeff Saturday, a college may take a chance if a player does not have academics. But, a parents’ role is better served making their child do the homework than worrying about whether he plays every down in a game.
Coaches need to coach! Players need to play! Parents need to parent! If each of these elements of success in a football program exist, it is remarkable what can happen I n Indiana high school football.
----------------------------------
A Conversation with Dick Dullaghan
July 3rd, 2006 by Tim Adams
Recently, I went down to visit one of my mentors. I call Dick Dullaghan a mentor because there are two coaches who I have had the privilege of being around quite often in the capacity of coach and media persona. Coach Dullaghan and Coach Chris Geesman have provided me with hours of conversation about Indiana high school football. They will tell you that our game is getting better and growing in our state. I trust their perception as they speak at multiple clinics during the off season and have a unique perspective traveling to assess football programs.
Dick Dullaghan has a unique perspective as he watches players develop every year at camp. If you ask him if the skilled players are getting better, he will tell you, “yes,” especially if they are returnees from his camp from the year before. Yet, last week at Franklin College, (along with Franklin College head coach Mike Leonard), the area of Indiana football development of most concern to him is middle school and junior high. In those three hours, I asked four or five questions and listened. The following areas seem to be of concern to Dullaghan. Coach “D” can be quite vocal and passionate about his concerns, but one thing you cannot fault him regarding his passion for Indiana high school football and this is something we share. Here is a message to coaches, players and parents.
Middle School – Jr. High Player Development
Coach “D” and I share this concern because the future of Indiana high school football development is dependant on having great coaches at the middle school/junior high level. For the most part we suffer here because most junior high coaches aspire to become high school varsity coaches. Many young junior high coaches aspire to be a varsity football coach, but discover it is hard for them to jump form one area to another. All of this is self defeating for Indiana high school football. According to Dullaghan, “We need middle school and junior high coaches who are first quality men and coaches to stay put and develop players ready for the high school game.” How we go about getting this done in our current situation is a topic we could spend hours of discussion on in the forum. We may start a topic on this after the article is published. Here are some practical suggestions:
1) Realize that if you are a middle school or junior high school coach, you are the future of the school’s football program. It is not an unimportant stop along the way to the future of the program’s success.
2) Don’t be a rogue. “I am going to run my offense and my defense, the head coach at ________ high school can teach what he wants when they become freshmen. If I want to run my deluxe double reverse throwback 5 times, no one is going to tell me I can’t.” Now, how do we build a football program at our school and teach teamwork? Model teamwork and kids will pick up your relationship with the varsity football program.
3) A very wise head coach will make the junior high coaches feel and know they are the kings of the football world. Include them in on everything if they want to and can. They get all the shirts, they get all the clinic opportunities, they get to go with you on Friday nights if they desire. The junior high football program is just the extension of the varsity program. Above all, send these coaches to clinics and camps to learn!
Don’t Get Caught in the Basketball Trap - Promote Skill Development
Are you familiar with the basketball trap in Indiana high schools? It is there, and you can see why it happens. There are coaches who believe that all you have to do to get better in basketball is play more basketball. But not so in football, though we seem to be falling into that trap with 7 on 7 and team camps. What are your players doing to gain more skills and abilities as a football player? Football camps are becoming more specialized. Coach Dullaghan believes that if a player will come to a skills development camp from middle school through high school, his skill level will naturally move him into the realm of college football. Training and skills development are crucial to becoming the best football player you can be. Attending 7 on 7’s and lineman challenges won’t cut it. Save your money, work a summer job and find a skills camp to go to for 3 to 5 days. Lift your heart out, work on speed development, and learn technique at a skills camp. Football is not “clear out the left side and let superstar go one on one to the goal line.”
The parents’ role is to simply be the parents, allow the coaches to coach, and the players to play. Every parent’s role should be to provide the opportunity and support. In many instances the football program who best becomes like a family often find success. Parents need to provide the best opportunity for their child to be able to play the game. The most important thing parents can do in contributing for college money is academics. Yes, it is true that if your son is the next Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, or a real athlete like Jeff Saturday, a college may take a chance if a player does not have academics. But, a parents’ role is better served making their child do the homework than worrying about whether he plays every down in a game.
Coaches need to coach! Players need to play! Parents need to parent! If each of these elements of success in a football program exist, it is remarkable what can happen I n Indiana high school football.
