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Post by coachplaa on Jan 26, 2010 21:22:55 GMT -6
I've always done the hole punch and whistle lanyard, but I love the retractable key chain/ID holder idea. I've never thought of that one. Great stuff!!
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Post by coachplaa on Jan 23, 2010 9:05:09 GMT -6
I agree with getting administrator support. Make sure your AD or Principal knows and understands your system. Preach the safety aspect of earning points by showing up to the weight room all summer to get stronger and "be able to protect themselves more."
Also, here is a BIG one....no matter how many points you set the bar at, the kids that want to play football will easily make those points. If you have kids that don't make the points, LET THEM GO. I have kept maybe about 8 players in the last 5 years, that were close to making points but fell short. Not only did I let down the guys that made the point cutoff, but none of those 8 guys were a true team player. I learned my lesson the hard way.
I've also had 1 player that would have been an outstanding football player scoff at the point system. He would have been our starting tailback. He came maybe to three football workouts all summer, then showed up in August ready to play. I sent him home. Parents got mad. Principal had my back. Every player on our team was happy about it, because even though he would have made us better, his ego was not that of a team player and he was really hated by his peers.
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Post by coachplaa on Jan 22, 2010 21:58:38 GMT -6
The BIGGEST shock comes when you hand out football gear. We give out football gear to the top pride pointers, regardless of what year school they are in. We give out jersey numbers the same way. Any rumor of extortion for a number means that kid is automatically locked out of that number for the season. The first season is the hardest, after that, kids know you mean business. The Champions Club is our reward club. It is Univ of Florida's idea. Reward the kids that deserve the recognition. Get the focus off the 10% of the kids that don't give you much, and makeup 90% of your stress. Focusing on the positives and the hard workers, makes the middle of the road kids work that much harder. So members of the Champions Club get lots of free stuff. Our handout from last year is here: www.tdfootball.com/files/Champions_Club3.pdf
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Post by coachplaa on Jan 22, 2010 7:46:21 GMT -6
At our school, teachers give a grade, and also give a Citizenship grade, so they can get an O-Outstanding, S-Satisfactory, or U- Unsat. 2 U's and they are ineligible. So we shoot for O's, and that way we are preaching always doing the right thing....no jerks.
We have tried the off-season captain approach but it hasn't worked to well for us mainly because of the organization part of it. I really like the idea of teams, etc., but the only problem with letting the kids draft; is even though its fun to draft, it encourages cliques without realizing it. Seniors pick kids they like, they know, etc. At the end Seniors get kids they've never met, and every one of them has 1-2 guys they are clueless about. So I think that the team part is a good idea, but we have considered doing it more by position group this year, to create some unit pride.
By the way, for 2010, we are not starting our Pride Points until mid-May. We are requiring ALL football players to do a Spring Sport and they will get 100 pride points. If they don't otherwise do a spring sport, we are putting them in Track where even if they don't compete for the team, they will do our Trackball workout (an idea from this board). No negative feedback yet from the kids. Again, I believe they like the accountability and focus on getting them better. And it weeds out the lazy kids quickly.
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Post by coachplaa on Jan 21, 2010 21:49:26 GMT -6
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Post by coachplaa on Jan 17, 2010 22:58:28 GMT -6
I have some recent stats.
Our Frosh & JV teams averaged 44 plays of offense (regular huddle pace), 43 plays of defense, and 18 Kicking Game plays. 105 plays total.
Our Varsity Offense, which is fast-paced no huddle, averaged 71 plays per game. Our defense averaged 68 plays per game. We had an average of 25 Kicking Game plays. 164 plays total.
Our opponents that ran a regular huddle offense (from scouting them) averaged 49 plays of offense, 49 plays of defense, and 22 kicking game plays. 120 plays.
I hope this helps. It gets very interesting when you start to look at plays in each field zone, and crucial down plays: 3rd/4th, Goalline, etc.
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Post by coachplaa on Jan 17, 2010 22:50:06 GMT -6
I use texting a lot, but find that kids change their number a lot. We've established our website now, so kids are pretty well trained to check it for updates. There is a site like Twitter out there, called Tumbler. It works like Twitter...you can input a blog entry from your cell phone, and it automatically updates your team's website; and can include pictures, announcements, etc. I don't know how to use it yet, but I think there are a lot of good uses for it.
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Post by coachplaa on Jan 17, 2010 22:47:40 GMT -6
YES! Just do it Coach. We've done that too with offense. When I first started at our previous school, many people didn't like the "wing-t" because it was a run only offense that couldn't come from behind when losing. That was their opinion, not mine. So we put the dive back in the slot and split out the Tight End, ran the same stuff, but called it a Spread offense. That made all of our "fans" much happier. We didn't appease anyone, we just did something a little different and it worked. I've also never been a big fan of the term 3-3 defense. It sounds feeble and easy to attack with the Run. We are going to that scheme this year, but we are going to call it a "Stack Attack" defense.
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Post by coachplaa on Jan 13, 2010 7:41:09 GMT -6
Coach- You won't find anything cheaper and more effective than Hudl. $800 is their cheapest package, and we feel liek it has helped us leaps and bounds to do exactly what you are looking for. Last year we threw together a small fundraiser just to buy it. This year we are hoping our Booster Club will pay the bill. Cheap compared to other products out there.
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Post by coachplaa on Dec 31, 2009 14:48:21 GMT -6
I used to think it was for the safety of the defense, but now I think its for the safety of the blocker. Too many kids would put their head down to make a cut block, exposing themselves to a neck injury. It would be the same thing as teaching a low tackle to a DB...it sounds good on paper, but you'd better know how to teach it so your own kid doesn't hurt his neck if he hits a guys knee just right. Too scary and not worth the risk IMO.
Whether you teach open field blocking on options, or open field blocking on WR screens, a high screen block, body on body, is just as effective and I think has less chance to miss the defender. An open field block isn't only about getting the guy on the ground, it is about not allowing the defender to get to the ball carrier. A high block can be more efficient, safer, and just as effective.
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Post by coachplaa on Dec 28, 2009 22:00:05 GMT -6
I use them quite a bit. I have always had good luck, and keep going back to them because I have a hard time beating their prices and their customer service has always been outstanding.
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Post by coachplaa on Dec 16, 2009 0:38:44 GMT -6
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Post by coachplaa on Dec 16, 2009 0:35:20 GMT -6
We practice Frosh, Sophs, Juniors & Seniors together for the first 20 minutes of practice. Post-season meetings told us what we thought....the players loved it. It gave the Varsity an audience of admirers with the younger kids. It gave the younger kids a sense of program and modeling. We platoon at the Varsity level, so the varsity would split O & D. The Soph and Frosh would go to the side they played on as well, but since many kids played both ways, they would go to Offense one day, and Defense the next. In those 20 minutes, on Offense we would work in two groups. The O-Line would get 15 minutes to work on stnace, starts, pass pro, and run game steps, either thru chutes or on the grid. They rep the heck out of Trap & Sweep, two of our main plays. The QB-WR-RB would work on our all-stop route as a warmup, Pat-N-Go, then 5 minutes of Screens on Air, and 5 minutes of our 4-vertical concept versus 0 high, 1 high, and 2 high. Lots of reps. During the same time, our defense would get a 10 minute tackling & takeaway circuit, 5 minutes of pursuit, and 5 minutes of basic stance/getoffs/reads. Only rule was Varsity could not hit Freshman player full-speed. We're looking at improving on this more this year.
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Post by coachplaa on Dec 9, 2009 7:45:11 GMT -6
I have always "tried" to do it in the past, starting with the outgoing Seniors. I have learned a LOT about myself and our football program by doing this. I have learned a LOT about how kids evaluate coaches, and either buy what the coach is selling, or tune them out. I have learned that kids are not afraid of hard work, but will not work hard unless they are motivated towards achieving a forseeable goal. We are implementing mandatory Track participation this year for all athletes that don't otherwise do a Spring sport. So I wanted to meet with each kid about it in case there was mass mutiny over this new policy. I have gotten about 1/3 through the 120 kids in our program, but it has been worth every minute. Some conversations are 1-2 minutes, some go an hour. Depends on the maturity of the kid.
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Post by coachplaa on Dec 3, 2009 0:53:47 GMT -6
Offense Running the ball out of the Spread as in: Oregon & Texas Tech's re-vamped pass set & scoop that they used a lot of. We had the #1 QB in CA this year in terms of passing yardage, but had to use our screen game extensively in place of the run. Defense Everything involving technique, especially how to work on reads/reactions in the Spring and Summer before we can put pads on. Have to go back to the drawing board after having one of the worst defenses in the state. Special Teams Ways to be more efficient in practice via circuits, to get better at Punt Block/Return, KO, and KOR. Weight Room Develop a poster for a system of "personal bests" in the weight room, to encourage kids to compete with themselves on a daily basis. Technology Find out more info about Tumblr, since it seems to have great implications for daily rewards in football, especially if you have a good website. Example: You could take a picture of your group of kids each day that break their personal best records, using Tumblr, and it will immediatly blog the photo to your website.
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Post by coachplaa on Nov 22, 2009 15:59:13 GMT -6
A4 is great for workout clothes too. Haven't tried their jerseys. We get a workout shirt and shorts for about $20 with a print, and they look and feel just like Underarmour. The same stuff for UA would cost us 65
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Post by coachplaa on Nov 10, 2009 0:18:16 GMT -6
We split our roster into 8 teams, and each week, each of the 8 teams has a duty... ours include locker room, video equipment, shed & timer, sled bags, trash can dummies, shields, water jugs, and big bags. Each team has 5-6 kids, and if a job doesn't get done, they have to "spin the wheel." I post a spreadsheet at the beginning of the season, and they take care of the rest. Kids get on each other when they slack with setup/cleanup, and I only get involved if they can't resolve their own disputes. We have a few kids that have to catch the late bus and leave practice immediately. Those kids just make sure they setup practice, since they can never cleanup. In this way, every kid has locker room once every 8 weeks, etc. It has worked for us.
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Post by coachplaa on Nov 7, 2009 17:47:41 GMT -6
I love the "Trackball" idea. That is sweet. Our kids are all about t-shirts. I also love the idea of creating as many 4x4 teams as possible in training.
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Post by coachplaa on Nov 7, 2009 17:44:18 GMT -6
We are having our young football coaches takeover the track program. Our track program was strong, and the last few years it has weakened. We have one coach who does distance, and one speed coach that are very good. The rest of the coaches will be football guys. We are lucky that way...it will be a track program built for football players, but because we are flooding the track program with football athletes, it will increase the competitiveness of our track program. The big issue I had was weight training in conjunction with speed and performance. We have a dozen good athletes in our program that also enjoy track. In the past, weights have been totally avoided by the track program. I watch my football players lose the opportunity to put on muscle because they are "doing track." For athletes that are not football players, but specialize in track, their program would be indiviudualized more so they aren't cheated.
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Post by coachplaa on Nov 6, 2009 7:58:20 GMT -6
I'm lookiing for any resources that offer insights on flooding the Track program with football athletes. Practice plans, stength training, etc., anything that relates to the subject. I know there are many programs out there that make football players that don't play another spring sport, join the track team. There must be resources of the things that work, and the pitfalls too.
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Post by coachplaa on May 30, 2009 8:58:15 GMT -6
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Post by coachplaa on May 28, 2009 17:55:12 GMT -6
Does anyone do a Senior Picture, or Promo picture, for the upcoming season? We did a basic one last year, put our schedule on it, with a sponsor, and then gave them to anyone and everyone. I've seen posters with themes...football players in their jerseys and jeans, with hardhats on in a construction zone with heavy machinery, with a theme like "Time to Get to Work." I also saw one with Harley's, bad biker dudes, and football players. Does anyone else do this, and have good ideas for themes? We allow all four-year seniors to be in the photo, and this year we have about 12 guys.
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Post by coachplaa on May 20, 2009 6:48:58 GMT -6
All Star Inflatables out of Texas. They were great to work with.
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Post by coachplaa on May 15, 2009 6:57:17 GMT -6
Agreed on the timer. We bought one and the timer display went out after one month.
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Post by coachplaa on Apr 14, 2009 8:25:45 GMT -6
I feel like I'm trying to re-invent the wheel though. Have any of you tried to do this before???
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Post by coachplaa on Apr 13, 2009 15:42:41 GMT -6
Coaches- We are in the beginning stages of implementing a big brother program into our high school program. The motive behind this is we are having trouble with 9th graders that play freshmen football, with staying out of trouble and motivated to play Sophomore football. We're losing about 35% of our frosh roster each year. We gain some new kids, but we want to retain all of what we have from the Frosh year. We are an urban school, and looking for answers. There just seem to be so many other things pulling these frosh away from sports and school at this age: hormones/girls, sudden grade problems, drivers' license, the Internet (mySpace, etc); and of course, their new found social life. We are taking our best Juniors, and going to couple them each with one Freshman. We are going to give them their phone number, and some stamped postcards, and train our Juniors about the importance of keeping these Frosh linked to school. For some it will be new friendships, and for some it will be more of a check-in type of thing. The goal is to let these Frosh know that someone cares about them on campus. Peers can be even more powerful than coaches, in my opinion. The trick for us will be to make good "matches" and to train our Juniors on how to "mentor" effectively. I know it will have a great impact on our Juniors too. So my question is, has anyone tried anything like this before? I'm looking for suggestions, resources (books or Internet), or anything else that will be useful.
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Post by coachplaa on Mar 24, 2009 17:00:30 GMT -6
YES! We did something like that last year and I think it was called "King of the Field." Winning team stayed on the field, but switched to the opposite side of the ball if they kept winning.
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Post by coachplaa on Mar 24, 2009 7:45:36 GMT -6
We have all taken our teams to Team Camps during the summer. Over the years, most every camp has something we really like and something that was a waste of time.
What are some of the best competitions, games, or drills that you have done while at camp. I've received some great ideas on this forum from coaches on here, and hope there are some more great ideas to come.
We are organizing our first camp this year, and want it to be competitive, safe, and as fun as possible.
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Post by coachplaa on Mar 23, 2009 21:08:20 GMT -6
It is Pro Tuff Decals who does the Fatheads. I would imagine that most helmet decals have the technology to do it now though. www.protuffdecals.com
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Post by coachplaa on Mar 21, 2009 9:44:28 GMT -6
We have started a couple of "new" traditions. One I took from a coach on this site. We did custom "fatheads" for all football players that got straight A's during the 1st quarter (during football season). It went over GREAT. I had only 6 out of 125 players, but I bet next year I have 15. There is a company that does a custom action photo (you e-mail them the photo), into a 3'x5' decal for about $35 each. Totally worth it. Another tradition...we had a problem with guys playing their Frosh & Soph year, and then not playing Junior year because they "weren't going to get much playing time." Huge excuse to be lazy. So we instituted a 4-year emphasis with two perks: 1) All 4-year Seniors get to pose in the annual Senior Poster that has our schedule on it. They like that. At the end of the season, all of the four-year players that completed the season get a 4" patch for their block jacket. They liked that even more.
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