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Post by mrjvi on Mar 28, 2012 8:22:29 GMT -6
Sorry if this has been covered alot but I'd like to know what people think about bringing sophs and maybe freshman up to the varsity. You hear about "you are down a TD for every soph who starts" or the opposite that they will push the others and themselves will be better for an extra varsity year. I had no sophs up last year but see next years soph class with decent talent but very good off season work ethic as opposed to next year's juniors that aren't doing much of anything. If they are good enough bring them up? Would they have to start? I have brought up 6 one year some years back and they ended up being great as seniors even though they didn't all start as sophs. GUIDELINES? OPINIONS?
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Post by mrjvi on Mar 26, 2012 16:32:49 GMT -6
That and coaches that tell their kids not to lift make my blood boil. They say that they don't when I confront them but the kids who play for them or have played for them say they absolutely do. Baseball is an even bigger problem at our school.
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Post by mrjvi on Mar 25, 2012 17:31:50 GMT -6
I've had quite a few kids over the years that were average athletes but committed to serious strength training and became very good. Probably makes up more than half of my players. Ironically, other players, coaches and parents then say that those athletes are naturally talented. They don't really see the committment the kids made. Those are the players I would say have "heart". The truly natural athletes are much rarer and many times come with issues. If I get them to display "heart" then they are truly special.
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Post by mrjvi on Mar 6, 2012 7:39:11 GMT -6
I agree. Spring ball would be nice but as long as nobody up here has it, the playing field is more even.
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 29, 2012 9:28:50 GMT -6
We run weights in the morning so that everyone has an opportunity to get there and it is obvious when they don't. I know that it is hard for some to get there but with our car pool system nobody has been unable to arrange it. My concern is that kids who do another sport are being rewarded for it. The problem here is that almost none of the sports strength train and in fact almost discourage it. (dark ages) If a kid does another sport but doesn't come to the morning workouts ever, I have trouble rewarding that. I know I should be a school "team player" and push 3 sports but I'm not sure if the benefits out way the weakness that is prevalent in our other sports. I'd love to see kids do 3 sports but ones that strength train. Reward them in my situation? Not sure about that.
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 28, 2012 11:38:08 GMT -6
We have tried a lot of things in my 30 years of coaching. At the present we use alot of peer and coach pressure for kids to attend workouts. I have a pre-season test that a minimal but somewhat challenging level score must be achieved to get on the field. They are still on the team but need to get that level. A next level must be achieved or they must do an extra hour session after each day of doubles (about 10 days). I also have a minimum number of summer workouts they must attend or it applies also. I justify it by saying it would be remiss of me to subject someone to the physicality of football without doing my best to make sure they are physically at a certain level. I also reward high scores with conditioning breaks, shirts, etc. After the 3rd game, all are eligible because they would have had 5 weeks of football practice and I "feel" they are ready. Seems to be decent at this time but I'm always open to new stuff.
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 23, 2012 9:30:08 GMT -6
We had our 3rd daughter on October 2nd a long time ago. We got home from the hospital and I went to the game 2 hours later. Left her with a new born and 2 toddlers. Yes, She is a saint. We Don't really remember it much now 20 years later.
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 17, 2012 11:13:04 GMT -6
bigmoo73, Great points. I absolutely relate. There is a difference between a coach being very confident in their system and cocky with it. There are 4-6 schools in our section that football is number 1 in their school. They get the top athletes and can win despite what they do or don't do. I find much more value listening to the coaches who have been able to be successful in a school where football is one of many sports and the athletes you get are a cross section.
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 11, 2012 11:31:05 GMT -6
I have summer strength and conditioning from 6-8PM on Monday through Thursday. We have 6 weeks so I expect 18 attended. (I allow that a week of vacation will be taken and a couple of emergency days) Anything less than 18 attended causes an extra 45 minute conditioning session after each day of doubles until they get 18. They also have to achieve a minimum score on my pre-season test or they have that conditioning session all of doubles. If they score above a quite high level, all bets are off and they are OK no matter what ones they attended. This allows a kid who is gone all summer to still be OK provided he did the necessary work on his own. The extra conditioning sessions are easy to justify as I would be REMISS to allow him to play a collision sport like football and not think of his safety by preparing him properly. Now, I don't care what else they do. It's covered. If they don't want to committ...oh well. I also give shirts for achieving all the summer workouts or achieving certain exceptional levels. I usually give out 8-12 varsity shirts each year
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 7, 2012 11:45:23 GMT -6
Coachbrown3, I agree 100%.
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 2, 2012 12:30:35 GMT -6
How does an athletic period work? We have nothing like that in NY. where I am.
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 2, 2012 9:22:39 GMT -6
Most college coaches have thanked me for being honest in all respects regarding prospective players. Hopefully that is my reputation. It's difficult though, because lately many of the kids that went to college to play football are back for good by thanksgiving. Some get by me.
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Post by mrjvi on Feb 1, 2012 9:13:01 GMT -6
The rawlings st5 composite sometimes can be tough when it is very wet and cold, but wet and warm it has been good. Though...... we fumbled alot this year so... ?? We've used it for 2 years. I still keep some leather ones around also.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 31, 2012 13:36:35 GMT -6
Our kids like the composite ball the best.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 31, 2012 13:29:19 GMT -6
I agree. If football was more important in our school it would be easier to have top level success more often. In some of our area schools, football is blatently the most important and highest prestige sport. It's a bit easier for them to have success but not impossible for others. Sometimes poor coaches in those schools do well despite their coaching. It is what it is. I guess that's the challenge.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 28, 2012 7:43:42 GMT -6
I pick a different offense and/or defensive scheme (new or old)and research the heck out of it. I either get good ideas that I can incorporate or I realize how much I like what I am already doing. I also try to get more info on what other coaches are doing which is why this forum has become so valuable to me. It's hard to find clinics with alot of info on stuff that isn't just x's and o's. Plus the school won't pay anything for clinics anymore so I need to be selective. 31 years of coaching and still learning.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 26, 2012 12:28:51 GMT -6
I've gotten to a point that most of my HS helmets are revolutions. I prefer them because with the air fill ability, I can fit more kids in what I have a little bit better. They are also ranked well and I'd like to just use 1 helmet if possible. Also the short air needle is needed with revos so if you use the longer needle (from others) you can easily pop the bladder.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 21, 2012 16:14:58 GMT -6
At different times during my years we have had a group like you describe. I feel that it is pobably just a few with others who are impressionable just going along with it. I'll probably catch hell for saying this but I do go out of my way to work hard trying to get freshmen excited but by sophomore and definitely junior year, I don't. I can't let that attitude become a cancer. As a result I have had some senior classes of only 5-8 players. They were studs, though. Luckily I haven't had 2 classes in a row with that problem. Probably doesn't help you, though, but give them some time, then cut your losses. I always tell my players that not everyone can play football-it's too hard. Even put it on shirts one year.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 19, 2012 11:03:01 GMT -6
Coachhart, I'm envious. I worked hard to get our athletic program on the same page but the resistance and ignorance caused me to just push my players. I would need more AD support for it to happen. In my 30 years of coaching and teaching I've never been part of a unified athletic program. It would be alot less stressful to know that the other coaches support a 4 year plan of growth for all of our athletes.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 13, 2012 14:24:50 GMT -6
Then they can't make excuses about something going on after school. Actually the suggestion came from my returning players. We go until 7:10 then they start school at 7:30. I should have done this years ago. I always thought it would be just too early. It doesn't seem that way so far. They do need to make the committment, but isn't that what we want?Football Kids doing other sports (who never lift in those sports) are coming also.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 13, 2012 11:51:24 GMT -6
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 13, 2012 9:45:21 GMT -6
We have a lousy rapport with most other coaches in terms of strength training. They say that we are coaching football out of season because our kids lift. TOTAL IGNORANCE. And very frustrating. I tried to be a school "team" player but it only hurt us. Now I am back to being a prick and we are more successful again.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 12, 2012 6:39:42 GMT -6
My biggest drop off is from 10th to 11th grade. We usually only have about 25 on varsity. Even 2 state finalist teams for us only had about 28 kids. We always try to platoon at first but it never seems to happen by the games. We usually have 8 very good players and about 10 who are OK. We do OK but probably because all the schools struggle at times with numbers. Upstate NY !!!!!!!!!!!!! One of my best teams only had 19. We lost in playoffs because we ran out of gas.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 10, 2012 13:31:55 GMT -6
Our school is definitely not a football school either. Our x-country team has more participants. I'm not joking. Having success from this atmosphere because a set number of kids paid their off season dues and having those few stand out because of their efforts make it all worth it to me. Being the underdog is always an exciting challenge for me even if we don't have as much success with wins and losses. But don't get me wrong , I am insanely competitive.
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Post by mrjvi on Jan 6, 2012 9:54:29 GMT -6
Had this happen a few times in my 30 years of coaching. If you can get the guys past this first girl, they almost always become obsessed with keeping other players from the same problem. Easier said than done, though. I'm usually very blunt with them even if it involves asking them about sex, which is almost always the case.
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Post by mrjvi on Dec 30, 2011 21:19:52 GMT -6
My team this season went out at 6:35 (left the locker room for a 7:00 game) after the pre-game talk and stayed out. We started our games so much more ready to play. we don't even get to the site until about 6:10. Alot of locker room movement getting ready, then out and play. Worked great. We will keep doing it.
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Post by mrjvi on Dec 30, 2011 15:53:54 GMT -6
The only reason I do any warm-up at all is for attendance. I agree that it is a waste of football time. Slower drills specific to your position is plenty. The best way to get ready for any activity is to do that activity-a little slower at first. Kids who come off the bench in games never do much of a warmup other than running on to the field.
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