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Post by holmesbend on Mar 14, 2013 8:46:29 GMT -6
Alternative school out in our county. It's actually an All boys reidential facility and we have kids from all across the state.
I'm 8 miles from the high school (which, I get there during 6th period bc it's my planning) and 10 miles from the Board of Education.
Truth be told, If I wanted to do football and football only from 8-2pm, I could. Every minute of every day, but I don't (really, I don't).
The perks about the job are the fact that during the season, if I want to do football stuff, I do. Also, I get 25 extended days for being out here. Another perk about having kids that nobody else wants to deal with? They powers to be don't come out here. They dang sure arent going to tell you what to do with kids that they don't want.
However, I have to say, it wears on me at times. One of the best parts of coaching is seeing kids grow. They improve, even if just a little over the days, weeks, months and years. Out here, though? It's ground hog day with 80% of them. It wears on a man. Because you just don't see any progress a lot of times....socially, behavioral or academic.
Truth be told, if it werent for about 6 or 7 of the boys out here, I don't think I could teach here (we have roughly 40 at all times). Those 6 or 7 that WANT to do something with their lives are what makes it worth it.
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 10, 2013 21:32:44 GMT -6
I think I always knew, but for some reason tried thinking that I wouldn't be when I was in high school and even college. I think I wanted to be something else because I always had football. But, not two months after the last game I played my senior year of college, I knew.......it was gone & the only way I could get it back was to coach.
My grandpa (head FB coach in KY for 33 years) and my dad (27 year coaching vet, half of that as a HC) were. I've been on a sideline since I was 5. Literally grew up with it and lived it.
Once it's in your blood, you can't get it out of you I don't guess. Next year will be my 9th and 2nd as a HC.
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 10, 2013 21:16:09 GMT -6
Coachbdud, Why you hating on the visors? Do you have a reseeding hair line and you get your widows peek sun burnt? J/K! I am very amazed that this thread is as big as it is. I don't even remember thinking twice about what I wear to clinics, unless I am speaking. I thought we were all football coaches, not the fashion police! I think, if anything, this thread is an awesome indication to how boring this time of year is for the majority of football coaches. I HATE February and March. And as visors go, I can't really stand the stereotypical visor wearing spread guy, but I have one I wear nearly every day of the summer and to every practice. It's disgusting, dirty and smelly but I like it because it shades my eyes but isn't very hot. I never wear it to games, but it's an awesome thing to wear to mow or do stuff throughout the summer. Have no fear.....here is a visor wearing Wing-T, Wishbone guy. Hats bother me. Probably because my head is so abnormally large (why do visors fit? No clue). I'm a HC who is a visor guy, that's old school offense and half of the time, my practice schedule is jotted down on a standard note/index card. I don't wear them at clinics, though. Matter of fact, outside of being in a gym watching a ballgame, I try not to ever wear hats indoors. Lord knows Im not Captain Manners, but that's one thing I've always tried to do (or not do). Trying to break the mold.....
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 10, 2013 21:08:34 GMT -6
ha! This! A good friend, who happens to be a very good coach in our state once told me, "Clinics are to drink beer. Visiting colleges and other HS coaches are for football." I went to two this winter (and, am going to visit other schools and colleges during their spring practices over the next couple months), one of which was the Nashville Glazier clinic. Apparently it was pretty good from what I hear lol (annual trip) One thing though, for the love of everything, don't wear your coaching gear out to the bars. I'm sure most of you are like me and outkicked your coverage by a long way when you married your wife, so the dress to impress when you go out is irrelevant, but don't wear your gear out to the bars. How about to the casino as many staffs did? That's an even bigger He11 no!
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 10, 2013 18:00:47 GMT -6
We had a team Facebook page, but parents always would post that so-and-so would be missing that day. Not really an issue in itself, but it seemed to open the floodgates. If one was missing, it seemed they all were coming up with a reason their little Johnny had to miss too. Now, we use Remind101 for our updates (www.remind101.com). They can sign up for text or e-mail messages, most use the text option. We can send messages immediately and easily. The best part is that they have to go out of their way to respond that they are missing practice (in-person usually, sometimes via e-mail). Also, it doesn't make the absences public knowledge for everyone else who is signed up. That way we don't get the snowball effect on absences. On a side note, I use it for my class too. Saved my butt with a parent complaint earlier this year. The kid's mom e-mailed my principal saying she never knew about tests or grades or yada-yada. I took a screen shot of my Remind101 account with her name, and her son's name, right there as being signed up. I also took a screen shot of the plethora of messages I had sent out detaling that information or how to access it. I sent that to my principal and the discussion ended there. Neither of us has heard from that mother since. Good stuff here! I just signed us up. Easy stuff right there. They sign up. You just send the text.
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 10, 2013 17:38:10 GMT -6
"Coaching Clinic" attire = Sports Bar attire did I say that out loud? ha! This! A good friend, who happens to be a very good coach in our state once told me, "Clinics are to drink beer. Visiting colleges and other HS coaches are for football." I went to two this winter (and, am going to visit other schools and colleges during their spring practices over the next couple months), one of which was the Nashville Glazier clinic. Apparently it was pretty good from what I hear lol (annual trip) One thing though, for the love of everything, don't wear your coaching gear out to the bars. I'm sure most of you are like me and outkicked your coverage by a long way when you married your wife, so the dress to impress when you go out is irrelevant, but don't wear your gear out to the bars.
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 10, 2013 17:21:24 GMT -6
Glad this topic was brought up.
I am thinking about going with UA for us, too. Our biggest rival up the road just went with them & it seems like a pretty sweet deal. Granted, I know that UA is getting theirs through this, but the below sounds like it's a pretty good set up for our program as well.
3 Year Deal (must buy one set of uniforms in that 3 year span..keep in mind, they bought two full sets, so these perks are adjusted accordingly I'm sure) -3K off total uniform cost. -35% off any additional catalog gear -30% off footwear -$5K in kickback year one....$4K in years 2 and 3.
Does this sound familiar for anybody else that has gone with them?
The last two years we have gone with Russell & I like Russell for the most part, but our two year old pants are starting to unravel at the knee on many of our pants (sending them back) and we have had a handful of jerseys where the numbers have cracked really bad (they replaced those for free).
Plus, and others have mentioned this, but the kids love them. For some reason (I don't get it, but it's fact or so it seems), parents and kids will hesitate to buy something for 25-30 bucks that is a knock off brand, but will buy that hoody with the UA Logo on it for 45-50. I don't get it.
Anybody else out there have there have their Little League and Middle School tied in as well?
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Post by holmesbend on Mar 1, 2013 21:27:21 GMT -6
No pregame meal.
But, we have a local guy who is a DJ on the side. He comes to all of our home games, sets up about 2 1/2 hrs before kick off in the endzone with his big A$$ subs and cranks it loud. The way our field sits, we have a a parking all around the stadium, so people come out and tailgate.
He does a good job playing feel good music that first hour or so (Buffett, Classic Rock, Country, etc), then come pre game, he crancks the "Jock Rock" as Scott Cochran of Alabama would say.
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Post by holmesbend on Feb 20, 2013 21:53:40 GMT -6
Love it. One of the first things I did last year when I took the job. I have a personal facebook and twitter, but we also have a football facebook and twitter page. Put it this way, outside of emergencies (which, thank goodness we haven't had any), I don't get texts past 7:00 pm like I stated in the first team/parent meeting I had almost a year ago. (It's also partly due to the fact that I told them I turn my phone off about that time, which I do for the most part, but a little white lie never hurt.... ) I told our parents and players then, that during the season, after practice (and, this hit home with the parents more than anything) I want to go home, leave work and be the same things that you all become when your horn sounds at work; become husband and daddy. I didnt need all 40 players plus their parents texting/calling me all through the evening about random bull. Check Facebook, twitter and email (or feel free to message me on either of those) for ANY change in plans. With these forms of social media I can answer a question and it get out to everyone, instead of answering multiples of the same questions.
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Post by holmesbend on Feb 20, 2013 21:39:52 GMT -6
Love it. I'd give anything to have one of the treadmill desks, too.
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Post by holmesbend on Feb 17, 2013 21:26:12 GMT -6
^^^ I might add to this, also. I'm more concerned that our skill kids get on the track. Obviously, they need both the weight room and the track to get faster. But, I'm a lot more concerned that my stud RB gets a step faster than puting 25 lbs on his bench press. Is what it is.
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Post by holmesbend on Feb 17, 2013 21:22:46 GMT -6
We have 3-4 that do both.
You're also talking to a guy here who's noseguard this year was also the 2nd leading scorer on the soccer team this year. He wanted to do both, was worried he couldn't and I figured we would be better having 1/2 of him than none of him at all. So, he came to football practice on Def days (wednesdays), part of Thursdays practice (before he had a soccer game), and started at nose on Friday nights. By the way, he was voted 1st Team All-District too (which included a district of our states Class 3A State Champs 5 out of the last 6 years).
Anyway, these kids make it work. Best of all, the coaches allow for it to work. The sacrifice? They just know they can't compete in as many events. Kind of like my soccer/football kid. Wanted to play soccer? That's fine. But, lets be realistic...you'll probably only be able to play one side of the ball.
As far as lifting, our Strength/Conditioning Coach in football is also an assistant baseball coach, so they lift twice a week in season. He's damn good, too. I played all through college at two different schools, and he's the best I've ever been around. Our football/track guys who don't have our S/C Coach in class during the day lift on Monday's-Thursdays after school and practice solely on Track on Tues/Wednes/Friday. On day's they have meets, we make sure an switch up their workouts accordingly.
Small, rural, county school here in KY. Have to do what we have to do.
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Post by holmesbend on Jan 23, 2013 23:13:46 GMT -6
^^With you here, too, we don't do anything either. No offense to those that do, because I've got some coaching buddies of mine that do it, but I think it's one of those things that sounds a lot better than the results actually reflect. Just my 2 cents, though. If worth that......
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Post by holmesbend on Jan 6, 2013 17:35:01 GMT -6
We came out this year in the first half of our season, running our Wing-T out of the gun. I called it a "Hybrid Spread" in the paper just for sh!ts and giggles. Everybody thought we were running a brand new offense, so I just went with it.
As the year went on, we ended up getting back under center, but still did a lot out of Trips, Empty and our Double wing/Double Flanker (Flexbone look, I should say). Everybody thought it was something crazy and different, but it wasn't
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Post by holmesbend on Jan 1, 2013 14:55:47 GMT -6
Rural Public school here in KY of about 720 kids.
I make $10,800 as the HC, and......I have $32,400 (including a $2,800 weight room stipend) to split up amongst the assistants however I see fit. For the sake of the thread, I have 6 paid assistants, with the highest being TWO guys @ 7,400 w/ the lowest being $3,500.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 16, 2012 10:04:18 GMT -6
Our upperclassmen lift during the day with our strength/conditioning coach who is also one of our PE teachers, obviously. The only kids coming after school are our incoming freshmen and current frosh.
We start going three days a week after Christmas for those young kids, but only an hour if that. They are never there past 4:30, and most of the time are out by 4:15.
We have our spring practice window from mid April-Mid May Like you, BLB, we get done what we need done in June or July.
The vast majority of our kids are two and some 3 sport athletes. I want them to play other things. The off season strength part is clutch, but IMHO there is also no substitution for competition. Our best "gamer" type kids on Friday nights are our kids that play something all year long.
Wrestling is big here, and two of our assistant football coaches also coach wrestling, including the head coach. You want an offseason program? Get your football kids in wrestling.
Here in KY, though, we can get balls out starting in January, but we very seldom do anything formal until it gets warmer. And even then, it's nothing real organized/detailed.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 16, 2012 10:02:22 GMT -6
Below...posted same one,twice.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 16, 2012 9:57:25 GMT -6
Our upperclassmen lift during the day with our strength/conditioning coach who is also one of our PE teachers, obviously. The only kids coming after school are our incoming freshmen and current frosh.
We start going three days a week after Christmas for those young kids, but only an hour if that. They are never there past 4:30, and most of the time are out by 3:15.
We have our spring practice window from mid April-Mid May Like you, BLB, we get done what we need done in June or July.
Here in KY, though, we can get balls out starting in January, but we very seldom do anything formal until it gets warmer. And even then, it's nothing real organized/detailed.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 14, 2012 8:41:07 GMT -6
We used to have a full staff meeting on Sundays. Now just the OL/DL coach, my DC, and I meet. The other coaches can come if they want. With Hudl we all have the video tagged and watched on Saturday. The DC and DB coach talk/text and get things figured out. The OL coach and I talk Sundays and we are good to go. Bingo. Same here on everything, except I'm the HC and DC....OC and OL coach come in. Others can if they want. I made a general rule last year.....if you want to chime in, come Sunday evening. If not. Roll with the plan come Monday. We had/have a couple guys who in the past were notorious, "Well, you could do this", "You could do that" after EVERY. SINGLE. REP... blah, blah during the week after our gameplan(s) for the week were set.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 11, 2012 22:06:27 GMT -6
So much good info on here. I look at a few of the coaches I know, that spend a lot of time on football and don't have families, and I think it would be hard to NOT have a family to share and support. I know I'm blessed to have three great kids and a supportive wife, even though she can get annoyed throughout the season. My wife actually runs my endzone camera during the game. She was tired of hearing parents/fans yell at me from the stands, so she was either going to stop coming, or she needed to get away from it. Its been a big help. One of my sons is our ball boy, and my other son did all of our Hudl Live Tagging this year, and did a great job. My daughter is busy imitating the cheerleaders most of the game, but after the game she runs at me and gives me a big hug (only 9yo), and I quickly am reminded that no win is too important and no loss is too much to overcome. Along with this, I try to keep in mind what I ask from my staff. I have single guys, guys with girlfriends, guys with wives, guys with young kids, guys with older kids, etc., all on my staff. I try to keep their time commitment reasonable out of respect to them and their own families. The way I do it is I try to keep practice at two hours for a variety of benefits, I give our team and coaches Saturday off, but each coach has an expectation of watching Hudl (whatever their role is), and each player is required to watch game film. Sundays we meet in the afternoon for 2 to 2 1/2 hours max. I ask for each coach to come prepared, but we do not watch film as a staff. I may have 5-10 clips I want to show the staff, but we won't sit down and break down a whole game(s). I probably spend an hour each night after practice, at home, while the kids are doing homework, or right after they go to bed, to grade/review practice film. Coach Plaa, Had I read yours, I could have just liked your post...instead of writing mine, then "liking" yours. It's kind of funny....in the time that I was writing that post, my wife just looked over and said, "Coach Huey?" "Yes...but, I'm actually talking about how good of a coaches wife you are." To which she replied, "Bullsh!t.....nice try with the answer, though."
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 11, 2012 21:55:59 GMT -6
It's a total family commitment ,that's for sure...but, one that can easily be made into a very enjoyable way of life.
In August of 2011, our daughter was born. Even more than that, she was born the Monday of our opening game. Like many on here, I have the epitome of a coaches wife. We've been married for almost 3 years, but we dated for 5 (as I call it, "test drove" her lol ). I grew up in a coaches family, though...my mom and grandmother were/are both coaches wives for 30 years each.
My wife has missed one game game in 8 years (I'll give a hint as to which one), and it was all I could do to finally get her to understand that it'd be ok not to go.
But, as others have posted. You just have to make them part of your football family, as well as learning to just balance things throughout the year. From the first part of July-1st week of December, it's what we do. "We" meaning, my wife, my daughter and I. If it's not our games on Friday nights, it's them coming out to home JV games on Monday's, Middle School games on Tuesday's, Freshmen games on Thursday's and even a few hours on Saturday's when I'm out there with Little League. I'll even include them to go with me to playoff games after we have been beaten out. Something here in Kentucky that I've noticed the last couple years is that, the Thursday night before the 1st day of finals on Friday's is and always has been "guys night". On Friday's for the first three games, it's just coaches...but, for Saturday's finals games, many have had their wives come down for that day. I/We are going to start doing that next year.
On the flip side of that, and I know these both might sound like the anti-Christ of football protocol, but we don't really meet on the weekends as a staff, either. Obviously, we text/call each other as needed about stuff we see on film and reminders for when the week of practice begins. However, on Sunday evenings from about 6-10 pm, our offensive coordinator, OL coach and myself (Head Coach, but I also still handle the defense) block that time off to meet. It's open to everyone on staff, but they are the only ones I actually require to be there. We might meet an hour or 4 hours, just depends. Why don't we meet longer? Well, fact of the matter is...one of the main reasons why I believe staffs met all day long on Saturday's and/or Sunday's is because there was ONE film. So, everyone had to get together to watch that one film. Well, the evolution of burning multiple DVD's and now with Hudl has changed that. Now.., we don't meet, but each staff member has their Hudl responsibilities and what not that they are to have ready come Monday. I ask my coaches to basically give me all they have Monday-Friday, and come the weekend...spend that with your real family (I require each coach to work a full Saturday of Little League, though...usually a 12 hour...8-8 day).
In the offseason, I have a strength and conditioning coach (who also does our in school weight lifting...athletes only) along with two other assistants who handle the offseason (I mix things up with my appearances in there...I might be in there two full days or parts of all three, etc) Thankfully, all of our upperclassmen have weightlifting during the day, so the only ones after school are our soon to be freshmen and sophomores who aren't playing another sport. The three assistants and myself who handle the weight room split this up as well, essentially just needing to be there two days a week. One thing learned from guys I know who have been in this a long time and who also have happened to be very successful is, HIRE A STRENGTH guy before anything. Find somebody who loves it. Find somebody who wants to make that 'their baby' so to speak. That was the first hire I made this time last year when I took our head job, and I haven't regretted it yet.
Point is....it can be done. These are just some of the things I do, and some of the things I was given insight to do from those who wished they could have gone back and, "Shoulda, coulda, woulda" if they had the chance to do it all over again.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 10, 2012 0:00:50 GMT -6
I ordered 130 of them for our youth tackle divisions this year. They loved them and all have held up great. As far as fitting goes, for the little kids, these were the best. Fit like gloves bc of their bonnet system. The Riddell and schutt s didn't fit so well for the odd shaped cranium s out there.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 6, 2012 21:06:54 GMT -6
It's something we are looking at as well. We finished 6-6 this year in KY's class 3A, and had 9 (and, a 10th who played 75% of the snaps the last 3 games after he came back from injury) who never came off the field. EVER. Problem is, all 10 were seniors(the only ones we had), and next year, of our expected 45 (9-12) or so, 30-35 of them will be freshmen and sophomores. That's right, 10 seniors and juniors to be, returning (7 seniors and 3...count them...3 juniors, which could be only two due to one of the kids being military and potentially moving after Christmas).
Of those expected 45 (+/- 3 or so), only 4 of them will be what I'd consider our "studs" (I use that term lightly lol). 1 linemen and my 3 starting RB's (2 of which will be sophomores) . Outside of them, the other 8 I am thinking about platooning bc they are all about the same.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 6, 2012 20:56:09 GMT -6
We have 6 classes in Kentucky. State Champions in the top 4 classes all platoon. The smallest 2 who didn't try to platoon thier lines and play as many people as possible. It was almost 5 of the state champions, Caldwell County (2A runners up for you non Kentuckians) two-platooned, also.
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Post by holmesbend on Dec 5, 2012 23:21:47 GMT -6
We are a small school that two platoons. We try and put the best guys at the position that suits them best and where we have needs. We don't have a side that picks first How many kids are on your team?
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Post by holmesbend on Oct 28, 2012 22:39:19 GMT -6
I actually haven't watched it yet and am going to do everything in my power not to watch it.
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Post by holmesbend on Oct 28, 2012 20:21:57 GMT -6
I'm guessing Thanksgiving rivalries don't exist outside the northeast? The earliest we can possibly be done every year is on thanksgiving. In the bigger classes in Arkansas, if you're practicing on Thanksgiving it means you're in the semi-finals. Pretty big deal and something a lot of coaches stress. Same here in KY about practicing on Thanksgiving. Nothing like it for sure.
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Post by holmesbend on Oct 28, 2012 20:20:55 GMT -6
The regular season just ended here in Kentucky. First round starts next week and the state finals are played at Western Kentucky University on November 30 and December 1st.
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 19, 2012 9:38:54 GMT -6
cclement,
I'm with you...I've wondered if they are actually worth it or if they are done merely off perception. I think back to my high school and college days, and the only thing that I could tell was productive was the fact that we had to mentally push through it....which, as we all know, is what football does...it pushes you to the limits, mentally and physically.
We are supposed to start our Two-A-Days next week and we only have 23 kids 10-12, so Im wondering if we need to actually go twice or make it like a little mini camp deal where we only practice once for about 3 hrs (each side about an hour and 20 or so with a 10-20 minute break) followed by film/chalk talks before or after (probably before).
Any ideas?
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Post by holmesbend on Jul 10, 2012 23:22:11 GMT -6
Much like you here, ndcoach.
We go from 4:00-9:30. We typically go just under 2 hours each practice, and they'll get an hour and a half break in between. If it's to hot early on, we'll just go one long practice and/or have position meetings. It's worked well.
The last hour of practice at night is the fun part...we have lights on our practice field, so we flip them on and have a little fun. Something about those lights isnt there?!
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