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Post by holmesbend on Mar 25, 2014 17:26:55 GMT -6
Agreed. Totally agree.
How does it work in Iowa?
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 25, 2014 7:26:03 GMT -6
I know this topic has been talked before I believe, but I'm just curious as to how each state does things.
I'm going to keep this as short and sweet as possible, while puttin the necessary info out.
KENTUCKY
- We have a Two Week state mandated "Dead Period" for all sports that runs the last full week of June, through the first full week of July...so, two weeks. Once it's over, around July 9th we can resume "workouts" (lifting, conditioning, can get the balls back out...heck, you could have full fledged practices if you wanted to do so...just with NO GEAR on).
-July 15th is the first day of practice. Here in KY, you have to have 5 practices with helmet, and 5 in shoulder pads before you can move onto full gear. There is no max limit to the number of practices you can have before your first game.
-7v7 vs outside competition isn't allowed until AFTER the above Dead Period, and you can only compete in 7v7's until your first full contact date (we essentially get 2-3 weeks of allowed 7v7 vs outside competion).
-Start of our season is the last full weekend in August, so last year is was August 23/24 (this year the 22nd and 23rd).
-We have an 11 week regular season...10 regular season games and one Bye week. Our state championships are played the 1st weekend in December.
-As far as the offseason goes, there are no restrictions on lifting or getting the balls out for that matter. We could (we don't and I never will) have full fledged practices with a ball, and no gear if we chose to do so from January up until July 15 if we chose to do so.
-We get Spring Practice, and each school gets to pick the time best for them (but, it has to be AFTER their schools basketball season is over). Most start up after Spring Break and we about 20 days to get in 10 practices.
Just curious as to what other states do? In particular those of you close to us (Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, WVA, etc.)
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 14, 2014 11:18:47 GMT -6
Off track here a little dytmook, but when are you all allowed to start actualy practice in Ohio...August 1?
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 13, 2014 19:06:18 GMT -6
...at a school a little larger than yours. We have about 700 and rural. Most of our skill kids play baseball and are either starters/contributors. Last year for example, of the 9 baseball starters, all were football. Our other skill kids are running track.
Moral of the story? We make it more of a Linemen camp which I've grown to really love.
Good times.
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 9, 2014 0:18:09 GMT -6
My biggest things are the MF's, GD's and F bombs....with those, it's push ups on spot. Kind of like somebody else said, things get quiet really quick to see if any of us coaches heard it. Other than that, I really couldn't care less. I can be the worlds worst about it around my closest friends, then turn it off no problem (knock on wood). Sh!t real loud can push the edge, too IMO. He11, D@mn, A$$...who cares.
For what it's worth, I dropped an F bomb out loud last year (not directed towards a kid), and I dropped down and did push ups and had the kids count.
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Post by holmesbend on Feb 5, 2014 21:42:53 GMT -6
Stretching.
Picture day. BUT, the last two years we have done picture day on the Friday before school starts...which means no practice. I hate picture day. Hated it as a player. Hate as a coach
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Post by holmesbend on Jan 4, 2014 14:41:02 GMT -6
Good thread.
I know here in Kentucky, a sporting goods company out of the Lexington area called "Bumblebee Sports" has become an authorized Adidas dealer, and they are absolutely taking over. We are a couple hours west of there, but even some schools in my area have gone their route.
UA and Adidas both are doing some good deals. I'm hearing a lot of the same here as far as UA goes, our local sporting goods store has even hooked up with them and they are doing a lot of UA business (along with Russell contracts)
We have Russell Unis, and while I love the Unis, a lot of Russell's other stuff just isn't the quality of the Adidas and UA.
Russell's "coaching" shorts though, might be the single best thing since sliced bread. Want to wear them to play golf? Check. (side and back pockets). Wear them to workout in? Check. Wear them to sit around all fat and lazy, eating Cheetos all day? Check.
Their uniforms are VERY solid, too, but as far as everything else…it's hit or miss. When it's good, its good….when it's bad, it's just generic.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 23, 2013 22:02:37 GMT -6
We had 14 concussions this year. Trainer. Impact testing (for all athletes), the works. We started doing the impact testing in 2011.
I don't know that we had 4 in the previous four years combined, let alone 14 in one.
Someone else said it, but it's becoming to new wave and going overboard IMO, but who in their right mind is ever going to question a kid complaining of symptoms which are largely all Q and A before being taken to the ER.
Some facts to keep in mind. Of our 14 concussions this year: - All but ONE of them were freshmen and sophomores. - We finished 0-11 (largely in part to playing a whole slew of guys that age ^^^..as in starting in upwards of 15 9th/10th at times this year). - Of the 14 we had....all, but ONE came in a blow out (28 pts or more) in either Varsity or JV. - We lost four games by a TD or less.....no concussions. - Only TWO of our concussions came when we were on Defense.
We had two that I know for a fact were legit. One was a sophomore (and, he might not get cleared to ever play again) & the other was a Senior (who also happened to spend about two weeks in the hospital a few years back due to a head trauma he had in a Motor Cross event.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 20, 2013 23:14:31 GMT -6
That they could and still can! A little rough around the edges, don't exactly "look the part" I guess you could say…don't talk to the talk…probably not going to be the tops of the list when it comes to clinic type speakers, but you nailed it; they win, and have won at places for a long period of time that will most likely never be duplicated. They just have "IT".
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 20, 2013 22:08:34 GMT -6
Chuke has since passed away in the past few years. It was Belly double dive series. I think he ran both inside and outside belly. They would ride the RB and either hand off to the first or second back or keep. Now I know there are plenty of other people that run Belly/Double Dive but he was considered THE GUY or pretty darn close here in KY. The other thing was Chuke was a strange bird. I never met the guy but everyone I have heard talk about him talked about how he would smoke on the sidelines and wore flipflops all the time. ..and, in practice. I didn't play for Chuke, but two of my closest friends from college…one, who is probably still my closest friend played QB for Chuke. They tell stories about Chuke coming into the practice huddle, and in Chuke's way asking them if they wanted a hit off of it or not? lol Flip flops, wisbone belly-double dive, cig smoking and permed out. Never played for him, but he was a character. I was able to get to know him through my dad, Dudley Hilton, Mike Holcomb, etc…all that crew who were about the same age & quite frankly, cut from the same tooth in their styles (minus the perms, cig smoking on the sidelines and flip flops).
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 20, 2013 21:54:45 GMT -6
First off, congratulations. It's exhausting, but awesome. The biggest piece of advice I can give (and others have already touched on this) is to "be home" when you're home. I struggle with this daily, and quite frankly am not very good at it. Keep your laptop and cell phone out of sight until the kid is asleep. It's a lot easier said than done. ^^You said it.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 20, 2013 21:52:07 GMT -6
Everybody else has already said it all.
Very doable, and for me it really hasn't changed much of all. We have a 2 year old little girl and another little girl on the way. She was born two days before our first game in '11 when I was an assistant…and, the last two years since I've been the HC, nothing has really changed.
-Make Saturday or Sunday, or half of each a day for the fan in season -Home Frosh/JV/8th grade games a family time. It might not sound ideal, but it's fun. I know the last two years, those nights were family nights for us and/or times when my wife will bring my little girl up…we get a little daddy/daughter time on the Gator. My wife does her cross fit or whatever in our weight room…watch the games, hang out. - Get home and go walk….if close to a golf course, do that. The 10th hole tee box is 200 yards from my front door…we load up on the golf cart and go make evenings out of it, especially in August and September. - HUDL from home. I'm a night owl, so I do most of mine at night after the girls are sound asleep..so, when I'm home…I'm with them. - Sitting around the office shooting the bull is good…it's needed….we all enjoy it, but get in and get out. Matter of fact…trade out nights on who sticks around to make sure everybody has been picked up. We do that….two a night…flip flop.
I out kicked my coverage in more ways than one marrying her, but we were together for 5 years before we got engaged, then married. As I tell people…I had to test drive her for a bit, and I'm sure the feeling was mutual. I had to see if she was made for this, and not all women are. If anything, she is ready for the football season to begin, especially this time of year and throughout the winter. We've been done a little over a month and I'm already driving her crazy.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 15, 2013 20:58:28 GMT -6
Shock collars...for players and parents.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 13, 2013 11:57:47 GMT -6
The X2 is one of the 5 star rated helmets.
Our entire youth league has them. I ordered 120 of them last year. Parents really love them b/c they just fit better, especially the odd shaped heads.
I have about 10 of them being used at the HS level and our MS is half speed, half X2.
No complaints.
As far as the chinstrap goes, you just need to have the extra chin cups on hand and they are fixed easily. We've only had one of those happen and the kid was taken off on a stretcher (bad stinger, so they cut his chin strap off).
My Riddell Rep who I also used for reconditioning wouldn't even say anything bad about them. Of course, he's not telling me to go buy them, but when he saw that I had bought some, he couldn't say anything negative---gave a couple of the "negatives" that he hears, but no helmet companies are flawless.
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Post by holmesbend on Nov 12, 2013 22:13:01 GMT -6
In Kentucky all 6 classes hold Championships at Western Kentucky University's field. Its done over a 2 day span, 3 games on Friday and 3 on Saturday. WKU's stadium is newly renovated and is the minimum size for a D1 school so when 2 teams with good traveling fanbases make it, it really feels full. I personally love it, it used to be held at Louisville's Papa John's Stadium and it felt empty to me. But I'm a WKU Alum so I am biased as it gives me a chance to go back to campus every year! He said it. Only thing to add is that ours are held on the first Fri/Sat of December.
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Post by holmesbend on Oct 29, 2013 21:40:45 GMT -6
To add to the above, and what some others have said; it's a to each their own type thing & all styles work.
Just to use those in my family, but my grandpa was a HC here in KY for 33 years (retired after the '98 season) and won 5 State Championships at 3 different schools (places that hadn't won a title before and haven't since he left), and he wasn't a big film guy. Just this past Sunday when I was over his house, he was talking about that, saying how he didn't watch the opposing teams film, but maybe twice before they played…or in his words (SBV coach his first 10, then Wishbone his last 20), "It didn't take me 12 hours over the weekend to figure out that so and so was going to line up in a 4-4 or 5-3."
My dad on the other hand, was and is still a film nut (he retired a couple years back, but I created him a Hudl account to watch our stuff and I sometimes wish I didn't do that lol). He coached for 27 years, 15 of that as a HC at two different schools and took one to a State Runner Up finish and won a State Title at another school. On Sunday's, it was an all day event for him.
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Post by holmesbend on Oct 29, 2013 21:27:56 GMT -6
My 2nd year as a HC. We come in Saturday morning as a staff from about 8-1:00. Film, laundry, help set up for Little League that day, etc.
Last year, my first year, we went 6-6. District Runners Up and a playoff win.
This year, we are what Id consider a competive 0-9 (we've lost 4 games by 6 pts or less) all while starting 14 freshmen and sophomores (9 of those on defense alone). I dont really know the protocol for an O'fer season, but they are still showing up with great attitudes M-TH and battling on Friday nights.
Case in point, this past Friday we lost to our (KY) Class 3A 5 out of the last 6 years State Champion who is in our district, 34-0 and it should have been 100-0 in terms of personell. They won it all last year and we played them to a 16-8 score.
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Post by holmesbend on Aug 29, 2013 11:19:40 GMT -6
Was told by a senior-to-be during summer workouts that there were too many fish to catch and too much beer to drink. That sucks, but so awesome at the same time. lol That makes me rethink things my dang self. The other night, one of my buddies who is the HC at a school just south of here called about 7:00.....my wife, our little girl, myself....along with the golf coach & his family...and, our baseball coach and his wife/little boy were all out there riding around on the golf course. We were playing whatever ball we hit the best (loose term there).....the girls were shooting the bull in the carts & the kids were running around well behind us in the fairway. Anyway....my buddy, who had just left practice like me asks what we were doing. I proceeded to tell him the above...he says, "Nothing wrong with that." To which I responded, "The only thing we all see wrong in it is waiting until 7:00 to do this instead of 3:00." lol
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Post by holmesbend on Aug 15, 2013 11:43:35 GMT -6
^^ That sucks & once more proves that my dad (a HS football coach for 30 years)always saying, "There are idiots everywhere." becomes more and more relevant by the day.
I was having a conversation with a retired, former long time coach here in our area of KY the other day & he made a great point; even up to 10 years ago, coaches would try to run some kids off (either problem kids, or ones that you knew were a liability for themselves, other members of the team and yourself as a coach if he ever played), but now you are having to do everything in your power to keep the ones that actually want to do it. I thought that was a very fair and honest observation for the most part (whether all of us want to admit it or not).
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 23, 2013 12:16:27 GMT -6
So do you believe a schools in low income and high crime areas can become elite with the right coaching staff? Better have the right administration, too.
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 23, 2013 11:01:51 GMT -6
Good coaching at all levels and all positions Community and administrative support Facilities Talent This, and my order of these would be: Talent Coaching Community and Admin support Facilities
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 22, 2013 7:06:45 GMT -6
We do not do 7 on 7 at all. We do not do a spring game or pre-season game. We only workout twice a week during the summer. If you are out of town, you are excused from that workout. We have no minimum number to make, but if you are in town you have to be there. We do workout twice a week all year though. Everybody workouts in-season and off-season. We have great summer participation and most of our players make up the workouts they miss although they are not required to do so. We do spring training, but I don't worry too much about it. We could have had 15 practices but only went 8. Same here, except we do 7v7 for the main reasons of 1) It's competition (our kids like it, and I do myself) and, 2) to go along with that, it's really the only time we get great looks from a defensive standpoint for our coverages. We just do two weeks of it, in July, though...Tues, Thurs and two Sat. tourneys. Everything else, though, the same. We do two days a week from the 1st week of January-last week of June. Our older kids lift everyday, as we have it in class (athletes only and mostly football players, taught by our football Head S & C guy). We have Spring Practice here in KY, but since we can't include our incoming freshmen into practice just yet & so many kids playing baseball (all 9 of our starters in baseball this year were football kids) & track, it just doesn't do anything for us.
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 20, 2013 17:14:00 GMT -6
With my wife and 2 year old little girl....either on the golf course,even if its just riding around in the cart or we hook up the boat on the weekends, and at the lake(s). Once school/season starts, that pretty much ends the lake time..so, it's nightly trips over to the course and hang out.
When we have home frosh/JV games, they'll come out to those, too.
Fortunately, my teaching position allows for a lot of this relaxed time when I'm home. I can get a lot of football stuff done during the day, from noon on...that's about all I do (during the season it's like that).
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 18, 2013 6:59:57 GMT -6
This would be during the actual football season. It is a continuation of their summer baseball season and it would be a big regional tournament. This is a tough one, as we talk about finishing what you start, but also you'd be missing many fall camp days and playing in a non- school activity. First of all, if they committed to another team I think they should finish that commitment. I would not expect kids to leave my team early for another sport so I will respect other commitments likewise. Secondly, I used to be a hard liner on this, but I found that conditioning the crap out of them as a make up rather than punishment keeps unnecessary missing to minimum. I may get blasted for this, but I don't think I'm compromising my values all that much, the kids are still receiving a consequence and you can still keep the guys you need. Let's face it , in HS ball we are expected to win nowadays. So my view is to find a way to keep commitments relatively strong while keeping my team competitive and keeping my job security as well. I'm sure I'll get blasted for this, but I think compromise has become a necessity especially in smaller schools b/c some kids are stretched thin but we need them. Blast away fellas, but in a smaller school, I think it's what's needed. 110%, whole heartedly agree with everything you said, especially the bolded. It didn't come into play during the actual season last year (he came out two weeks before our 1st game), but we had a kid (by far our best athlete in the school, good student as well and just a great kid in general) who was one of the top 20 basketball players in the state of KY that had told me alllllllll of last summer, "Coach, I'm coming out. I swear. I just have these basketball teams and all-star tourney's up through the 1st week of school that I had committed and/or been selected to play on." So, I had two options: 1) Pretend that I was running some college program & I wasn't ..or... 2) Realize I was the HC of relatively small, extremely rural school here in KY that needed all the help we could get & let this kid play. I chose #2. Now, with that said, this kid was expected to make up conditioning and weight sessions that he had missed, on top of completing what was now expected as being part of the team. He did just that. I was fortunate enough a few years back to coach alongside a legendary HC around these parts who had decided to come out of retirement, and join our staff. One of the first bits of info he gave me about being a head coach was, "You can't have the same approach at every program (specifically speaking about urban/rural, big/small)." (He'd had over 30+ years of coaching at multiples of both)
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 13, 2013 23:43:21 GMT -6
The Bourbon Capitol of the World...KY here.
As a matter of fact, I'm right in the middle of bourbon country...Jim Beam, Makers Mark, Knob Creek, Woodford Reserve, Four Roses, Wild Turkey and many more are all under an hour away from my driveway.
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 12, 2013 0:21:49 GMT -6
We designate one game a year to Breast Cancer awareness, that's where our 3rd pair of socks come in, but they are white with two, bright pink stripes at the top (New England Patriots type socks). My grandmother (breast cancer survivor & coaches wife for 37 of her 51 years of marriage thus far) even made a comment last year how ugly all of the pink was (hates the solid pink socks).
This is the one game a year where if they want pink gloves, rock'em out. Want pink wristbands? Go nuts. Pink cleats? Knock yourself out.
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 12, 2013 0:01:16 GMT -6
- Two pairs of game socks. Pull them up to their knees or if they prefer down around their calves, I couldn't care less.
- I hate elbow sleeves and sleeves in general. Like another poster said, the moisture effects the grip from my experiences.
- As for cleats, it doesn't matter to me so long as they are in a white, black or royal (or mix of all three color scheme).
- I haven't had any kids wear a visor, yet, but I agree they get foggy as all get out.
- When it comes to spatting, they are on their own. They buy the tape, unless our trainer recommends it. Granted, we haven't an issue with that over the years, either. We'll have 2-3 a year that do it. My college trainer gave us the increased injury spill, too...didn't see an increase or decrease in ankle or knee injuries. I spatted up & I was a lineman, but I also did it b/c of having broke both ankles outside of football.
If it's anything outside of the above, I have other things to worry about.
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 9, 2013 21:21:51 GMT -6
Started ours both ways last year. Couldn't afford not having him out there. Actually, he was our best DB returning and we needed a QB.
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 1, 2013 18:20:12 GMT -6
I don't see anything wrong with it. I did both SOME last year, and did the defense as I will this year, too. I don't think Ill ever not be able to call one side of the ball. I heard a coach who did this for 40+ years (was the HC and called both sides every year) that if he got fired, his assistants were going to have a job...he wasn't. He was more worried about his wife's feelings getting hurt/being mad at having to move than he was his assistants being mad at him for calling both. With that said, he also let them have a lot of input in game planning, but when the lights came on...he called it all. My dad did just that for 15 of his 30 years...won a State Championship and was Runner Up one year @ two different schools. Granted, as he would be the first tell you also, the Jimmy's and Joe's he had those years made it a little better, too. lol It can be done and done well. Even when I was an assistant, I didn't mind the HC's having total control on Friday night. It was their baby when it all gets down to it...
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Post by holmesbend on Jun 22, 2013 21:36:29 GMT -6
If you can somehow integrate the following into your workouts: 1) women 2) water
Those two things work off of each other and are sure to get more participation from your 14-18 yr old young men during these hot a$$, fun summer evenings.
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