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Post by coachorm on Jul 1, 2014 19:35:41 GMT -6
Competition, I feel goes a long way to motivating kids. Make everything competition. This year we had players vote on a leadership committee. Then we had that committee have a draft of all remaining players to form platoons. Those platoons compete constantly. Events, fundraisers, lift-a-thon, conditioning, attendance. You name it we compete in it. Platoons get points for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. For attendance you get points when everyone on your platoon is present for the workout. Peer pressure is a wonderful thing when used appropriately. The ultimate reward this year in the fall will be the winning team having an ice cream social while the rest of the platoons do conditioning one day at practice. The losing platoon, gets to clean up the mess left from the ice cream social after conditioning.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 27, 2014 9:44:25 GMT -6
I helped coach at this level for one year when my youngest son was on the team. The main thing we did was tried to teach lots of fundamentals. Stance, Fire out, Form Tackling, how to hold a football. We did lots of Oklahoma drills and one on one tackle drills. Biggest safety point was Keep your head up and see the guy you are hitting. For our area we are allowed two coaches on the field during games. So for scheme we really only taught it to the backfield. Offensively one coach called the offense to the backs and I would make sure the line was set and knew where to go. Had a lot of fun with this cause I could get them pumped up before a play. Like others of said wins and losses don't mean squat for these guys. They are more interested in the 1 on 1 battles during the game and more importantly where are they going to go eat afterward.
Overall, make it fun for these guys and be ready to hear anything.... had a 5 year old one day at practice, I asked the kids; "What do you guys want to do now?" (stupidest question ever to ask a 5 yr old). This little kids replies; "I want to have sex with a girl!" I about died. Laughed my butt off, at the same time felt bad for this kid cause could easily tell he has been exposed to some stuff.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 26, 2014 14:01:10 GMT -6
We do 11 man football, but have very similar roster size... About 31 this year 9-12th. Our practice during the year is as follows:
Mon -film, workout, special teams review, defense formation recognition, offense wrinkle install/overview of opponents defense.
Tues - Defense all day until the last 10min then we do goalline offense for 10 min.
Wed - Offense all day until the last 10min then we do goalline defense for 10min.
Thurs - walk through
Fri - gameday
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Post by coachorm on Jun 23, 2014 9:23:25 GMT -6
One thing we do that may sound detrimental to the team is we convince our kids that everyone in the district thinks they are dirtbags and the worst team out there. We tell them this all the time and challenge them to prove those teams wrong. For whatever reason the kids by into that. Heck 3 years ago we convinced a kid that one of his opponents was talking about him and posted some crap about him on facebook. That kid went out and had the game of his life. Luckily for us this kid wasn't smart enough to realize it was all made up or to even bother checking facebook. Our kids seem to embrace that underdog role. I like the idea behind it... but I do not know if that is the best way to go about convincing kids of such. What if that kid did check facebook? What if he find out you lied to him? I am not standing on a pedestal and talking down, because in my younger days I did similar stuff. This is in the line of sending stuff to yourself from the other team... but especially with the singled out player, its more personal and could have lots of carry over. I have printed out home town articles from the other team's news paper and changed some quotes up to make it look like their coach was trashing us... looking back, that might have been a little bush league.. do not think I would do that again. Coach I totally understand your point. And I agree yeah it could have been a possible bad thing if this kid had checked. That year was our first year trying to revive a program that at that point was coming off the longest losing streak in the state. We did some pretty crazy things to inspire kids. Some worked really well like before the 1st game lighting the previous years schedule on fire and burning it in the opponents guest locker room. Then others like the facebook thing probably bordered on crossing the line. We have since changed some of our tactics due to growing and learning. But still always send the wreath from the cross town rival.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 22, 2014 17:33:31 GMT -6
One thing we do that may sound detrimental to the team is we convince our kids that everyone in the district thinks they are dirtbags and the worst team out there. We tell them this all the time and challenge them to prove those teams wrong. For whatever reason the kids by into that. Heck 3 years ago we convinced a kid that one of his opponents was talking about him and posted some crap about him on facebook. That kid went out and had the game of his life. Luckily for us this kid wasn't smart enough to realize it was all made up or to even bother checking facebook. Our kids seem to embrace that underdog role.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 20, 2014 12:13:06 GMT -6
1. Summer is not mandatory for us but we do require that: A. players call when they will miss a day and let us know why. B. if you miss you have make-up running the next practice you are at. NOT punishment running. Just a little extra to make-up for what you missed.
2. I think there is a correlation between summer workouts and fall success but I don't believe it is as strong as some coaches believe. A kid can make big gains in the summer but he isn't missing a ton of technique and teaching time, more just missing the weights and conditioning.
3. Yes I believe most of our parents understand the importance of summer workouts but we still have those parents that are not willing to put forth the effort to get their kid there everyday or make him get up and go.
On a side note we started a new attendance policy this year. Only players that achieve 95% or above attendance can be captains. This includes all workouts from December through August. This attendance is also used to determine who gets equipment first when its is passed out and who is first for pre-game meals. We make sure they know who is missing too. All names are put on the whiteboard in the locker room and you are listed under your attendance category.... Champions 95% and above, Players 85%-94%, Contributors 75%-84%, Rookies - 74% and below. We also understand there may be required misses like funerals, vacations, flu, etc. So we have some built in extra days where they can attend and help out with the summer youth camp or other activities to make up for 2-3 days.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 16, 2014 12:31:01 GMT -6
Could you let him play RB on the JV squad and then play K/P with 10-15 plays a game as LB for the Varsity?
I don't coach in a situation anything close to this so I am just trying to throw out an idea. For all I know your state has rules against that type of thing happening. But it may make him feel more comfortable that he can still play both which he seems to want and still help the varsity. If he is a stud then more than likely JV reps would be limited to the first half or just rotate him with another player.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 10, 2014 16:13:59 GMT -6
Coach, I don't see a problem other than a higher pupil to coach ratio. This is every year where I coach. We have myself, the HC, and two volunteer coaches. One of the volunteers is a construction worker and will sometimes be late cause he has to finish a project. Never know when this will happen. The other is only there on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We usually have between 35-45 boys out 9-12. We just practice everyone together. I agree it is harder to do when you go from a large number of coaches to a small number but its not impossible. One thing we do is split the week up during season. Monday - film, defense formation recognition, offense install wrinkles and cover opponent base defense, special teams heavy focue. Tuesday - defense all day Wednesday - offense all day Thursday - walk-thru Friday - play Mondays occasionally will be a JV game. On those Mondays the JV still practices but we usually give them some time to eat something and time to go over things with them. Hope this helps. Yep. The higher ratio is the concern and making sure they are all moving/repping like we have had going on the last few years. Any issues there? Yeah coach I am sure you will definitely lose some of the reps just because your groups have to be bigger now and you don't have as many eyes watching. However, what we have done is we really put a lot of focus on the fundamentals of the game. We still have halfline, team, skelly, etc... but we try to really make sure we work individual as much as we can. I think another thing we do well is on offense day when I am doing halfline and team stuff the DC works with the scout defense and really motivates them and coaches up their technique. I do the same for him on defense day. Mind you we still have to look at our position group as well but thats just the life of having a small staff. Definitely a tough situation but I feel you can still accomplish what you need with whats there.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 10, 2014 11:19:29 GMT -6
Coach, I don't see a problem other than a higher pupil to coach ratio. This is every year where I coach. We have myself, the HC, and two volunteer coaches. One of the volunteers is a construction worker and will sometimes be late cause he has to finish a project. Never know when this will happen. The other is only there on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We usually have between 35-45 boys out 9-12. We just practice everyone together. I agree it is harder to do when you go from a large number of coaches to a small number but its not impossible.
One thing we do is split the week up during season. Monday - film, defense formation recognition, offense install wrinkles and cover opponent base defense, special teams heavy focue. Tuesday - defense all day Wednesday - offense all day Thursday - walk-thru Friday - play
Mondays occasionally will be a JV game. On those Mondays the JV still practices but we usually give them some time to eat something and time to go over things with them.
Hope this helps.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 5, 2014 18:22:21 GMT -6
Our state doesn't allow helmets until the second week in July. Full pads is not allowed until week of August 1st. Last year they started a good thing imo by allowing players to go in shoulder pads and helmets the last week of July to help kids get a better transition to the heat. I'm not sure that it's such a good thing. It's just that much longer that the kids have to be hot and uncomfortable.
For me what makes it a good thing is you actually get the kids a chance to be in the uppers without having to worry about all the contact stuff. Basically we are allowed to have a helmet practice but with shoulder pads on. I guess in theory what makes it beneficially is coaches that do it right. I am sure there are coaches in our state that look at it as a chance to hit early.
I see your point though about it being a longer time of hotter and uncomfortable for players.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 5, 2014 13:51:23 GMT -6
Our state doesn't allow helmets until the second week in July. Full pads is not allowed until week of August 1st. Last year they started a good thing imo by allowing players to go in shoulder pads and helmets the last week of July to help kids get a better transition to the heat.
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Post by coachorm on Jun 5, 2014 8:40:28 GMT -6
1st 3 weeks of June we go M,W,F from 8am - about 9:30am. Weights, Agilities, and Conditioning.
Last week of June and 1st week of July is mandatory Dead period. We have a local gym that allows the kids to workout for free if they choose too. We don't make this manadatory or even check attendance. We just tell them its there if they want to go.
July we start with an overnight camp to refocus everyone and begin doing actual practice in helmets. July includes one 7 on 7 at our school. We also do a lineman challenge that same day so it replaces the workout for that day for everyone. The rest of July is M,T,Th,F from 5-7. Lift and condition first hour and then O/D/ST practice for the next hour. We alternate days for what we practice so the kids only have to focus on one part of the game and don't have so many transitions.
Week of August 1st we start full pad practice, but no 2-a-days because we are already in school at that point.
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Camp
Jun 2, 2014 21:05:25 GMT -6
Post by coachorm on Jun 2, 2014 21:05:25 GMT -6
One team building activity we did in the past was played chicken. Had a lineman put a back on his shoulders. The back had one of those foam pool noodles and an egg taped to his head. To win instead of knocking the guy off the shoulders you had to crush the other guys egg. The kids had a blast with it.
We have also done a frying pan toss for distance.
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Post by coachorm on May 29, 2014 21:33:25 GMT -6
Motto's/Slogans are sometimes so tricky. Kids these days can take what you say and make a slogan/saying out of it. 2 years ago our HC told the kids a story about being at a party and seeing the hot girl but not being confident enough to ask her out but later seeing a douchebag going out with her because he had confidence. The goal of the story was to get them to understand that some people where not stepping up to the plate when it was there time and they let other people not as good as them take their spot. The kids took this and for the breakdown before we went to stretch they broke it down on "hot chicks and parties". have to be careful what you say cause that stuck with them all season.
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Post by coachorm on May 27, 2014 7:14:48 GMT -6
We are a small school usually with an average of 30 players on the team. One thing we have started doing more of is Half-line drills. Instead of the full Team of #1's vs Backups we get Half our #1's vs the Best of the Rest which usually includes several starters and your solid contributors. This has been a big thing for us especially since it puts our starting teams in a difficult situation and against more competitive talent. Practice usually last 2 hours maybe less. Team time now last about 15 minutes and is more coaching formation adjustments and reads rather than trying to run as many plays as we can. One of the main things I like to do offensively with my team period is try to get the offense in a good flow before we stop. I don't just mean scoring against the scout. I mean every piston firing and looking like a well oiled machine. Since team is usually the last period of practice I want it to end on a high note that hopefully carries over into Friday night. Defensively we use team period to try and put our defense in the worst possible situation vs the opponents best plays.
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Post by coachorm on May 19, 2014 21:57:52 GMT -6
Just a personal opinion here.... Summer school means you are failing classes and need to make up work you should have done in class. To me if a player is in summer school they are there because of laziness. I know all the bull about kids don't learn the same and little johnny's teacher wasn't fair... but come on, high school classes aren't exactly rocket science. You can manage a passing grade in any class you take if you just show effort and choose not to be lazy. I say stick with the morning routine and tell those kids they have to do make-ups for each day they miss due to summer school. It's called a consequence. You choose to be lazy during regular school and now you have to go to summer school and miss practice which hurts your team.
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Post by coachorm on May 9, 2014 8:13:16 GMT -6
We have 3 managers. During practice they take care of the water and getting bags of ice for injuries, tape, and wraps. Also sometimes during practice they will go in and cleanup some of the lockeroom stuff. However they only go in the lockeroom when there is more than 1 of them able to go in. That way if a coach or player has to go in the lockeroom during practice, which is rare since we can send a manager in to get stuff, its not a 1 male 1 female situation. Managers will also do some laundry items during practice like towels and game uniforms if they havent been finished over the weekend. On wednesday afternoon during practice they put game pants in every players locker. One thing that helps is most of our managers are girls that are planning or interested in athletic training in college.
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Post by coachorm on Apr 20, 2014 20:19:22 GMT -6
In the spring we have 10 practices, including 2 scrimmages within that 10 days. We do: Monday - Defense, with 10 minute offense at end for Goal Line Tuesday - Offense, with 10min defense goalline. Wednesday - Defense, with 10min offense. Thursday - 1 hour defense, 1 hour offense. Friday- Scrimmage
During Season: Monday - Film, Special Teams, Defense Align to Opponents Formations, Offense preview of Opponents defensive fronts and Install any trick plays or adjustments, Condition, Occasionally a JV game.
Tuesday - Defense Day All Day, Punt Return/Block, 10min Offense for Goalline
Wednesday - Offense Day All Day, Punt Team, 10min Defense for Goalline
Thursday - Walk Through like the rest of America.
Friday - Under the Lights.
Probably 80% of our players are 2-way players. This format has worked well for us the last 3 years.
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Post by coachorm on Apr 18, 2014 15:09:36 GMT -6
Now back to the original question. It doesn't matter what the kids think was a set up or not, it matters what the police report says and finds. If the charges stand, then he must face repercussions in my program. If they clear his name, we are still going to discuss the situation and go from there. So, you're saying that even if you know for a fact that it was a setup, if the police say they can't find usable evidence to clear the kid, he'll be guilty in your eyes, too? Where's the logic in that statement? And, if the police do exonerate him, why would you have a discussion w/ him about something he didn't scheme up? I would guess what coachwilcox means is he will have a discussion with this kid more about choices in who you hang-out with and associate yourself with. Obviously if this kid is in a situation where someone is trying to set him up to look guilty then he is pissing off the wrong people. I agree once the law says he is innocent then its over, but part of our job as coaches whether we like it or not is shaping these young boys into men that will one day be men of Great Character. So, yeah I can understand talking with him and possibly the rest of the team too about ways to help avoid situations like this. I for one enjoy this part of my job, especially when a former player comes back and shows off his family and tells me how successful he has been because of something I did for him as a teacher/coach.
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Post by coachorm on Apr 10, 2014 18:52:11 GMT -6
If they prove it was planted I agree act like it never happened. You might even praise him for getting out of an obviously cancerous relationship and trying to get straight. If its his though you have to let him go cause this is the 3rd time and its obviously not sinking in to his head that you mean business. Plus if you let this slide what message are you sending to the rest of your team.
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Post by coachorm on Apr 5, 2014 20:20:51 GMT -6
Excellent baseball pants.
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Post by coachorm on Apr 5, 2014 20:18:58 GMT -6
Poor Coaching which leads to a lack of player safety is the main issue in my opinion. PLus as others have stated AAU/Travel-ball or whatever you want to call them, those coaches will no doubt tell kids they are better than they actually are. Then when Lil Johonny does come to you in middle school or high school his dad is gonna want to know why he doesn't start right away since coach so and so told him he was the next Manning.
I coach high school football and would hate to see this, because I also coach middle school baseball and have seen first hand what it does to that sport. Kids will play try to play both middle school and travel baseball. Which is illegal by my states rules. The punishment if the player is caught is the school team forfeiting all games that player participated in. I know I have had several players do both. None of been caught but when a kid come in and I need him to pitch but he can't cause he pitched a travel ball tournament that weekend its pretty obvious whats up. This season I had a kid make tryouts and then his parents try to tell me he couldn't be at my practices on Thursdays because he had personal pitching and hitting lessons. I told them this was unexceptable and of course he quit. May not seem bad but now I am down a player because I had already made cuts and can't go back and pick up kids I already cut.
IMO AAU football would do the same thing and suddenly that kid you counted on is gonna be gone because the coach he paid 2k to told him he was great and your just and idiot for not seeing that.
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Post by coachorm on Mar 20, 2014 19:09:15 GMT -6
Are you guys actually hitting in pregame? Never seen anyone go beyond thud or stuff on air . Coach about 3 years ago we inherited a program that had been 0-20 the 2 previous years. Actually had a 26 game losing streak going into the season. We had a good pre-season with them gaining some confidence in scrimmages. The first game we felt like they needed something to get them pumped up. So after Team Offense we called them all to the 25yd line in the middle of the field circled up and did the old youth football drill where two guys lay on their backs, one gets the ball and they get up fast and get after it. They got absolutely pumped and started enjoying it. We won 44-0, not necessarily because we did that drill, but ever since then it has become a part of pre-game for the last 3 years. So yes we do hit. We whistle once a wrap and tackle is made or momentum is completely stopped, but its all full speed.
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Post by coachorm on Mar 20, 2014 9:36:57 GMT -6
We do ours the 3rd week in June since we have a mandatory dead period the last week of June and first week of July. Usually M,T,W,Th from 9 to 12. Lots of fundamentals, Punt Pass and Kick Contest, timed 40s, flag football, and on the last day we do pizza and drinks and rewards. Kids get a t-shirt.
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Post by coachorm on Mar 17, 2014 16:45:25 GMT -6
Spring Schedule - All Days full pads. Focus on installing our core and trying a few new wrinkles. Really looking to see what we have coming back and who is going to step it up possibly.
Week 1 Monday - Defense Practice Tuesday - Offense Practice Wednesday - Defense Thursday - Offense Friday - Scrimmage
Week 2 Monday - watch scrimmage and Defense practice Tuesday - Offense Wednesday - Defense Thursday - Offense Friday - Scrimmage
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Post by coachorm on Mar 15, 2014 8:12:47 GMT -6
Sure enough. If I recall, it was a dogfight in 98, and you guys whipped us in 99. I hear Lambuth has shut down their program. Unfortunate... Yep, they have closed the doors. It's a real shame too cause back around 99 or 00 the Titans wanted to come in and have their summer workouts there and build new facilities, but the current president said no because he didn't want the school to be known as an athletics school. I guess he figured 75% of the schools population playing a sport didn't give that same message.
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Post by coachorm on Mar 14, 2014 21:29:20 GMT -6
1999, Belhaven College Coach is that Belhaven, MS? I ask cause I played at Lambuth University during that same time period and we would have played each other.
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Post by coachorm on Jul 28, 2013 20:34:40 GMT -6
Something that happened at our camp this year was playing chicken.. Players would hoist each other on their shoulders. The person on top had an egg taped to the top of their head and a pool noodle in hand. To win you had to use the pool noodle and smash the other teams egg. Was very entertaining and pretty sure some underclassmen won the event.
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Post by coachorm on Jul 24, 2013 15:31:51 GMT -6
This is really hard to do in a public school because you have to be careful about what you say. The best way to do it is through the example of how you live your life with and away from your players. Setting an example and showing the kids what you believe through your actions doesn't force anything on them. I think if you have God as your number 1 priority this will show on the field and eventually a player will ask you about it and at that point its ok to share your beliefs completely with them. One of our coaches is a preacher and he does not hide his faith at all, even calls guys out for inappropriate behavior on and off the field. Players have an unbelievable amount of respect for him. The key is don't hide your faith but don't cross the line of forcing kids to believe what you believe cause in the end you may push them away and may not be acting in God's timing. Hope this helps and I hope this thread doe not get locked.
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Post by coachorm on Jul 7, 2013 9:54:48 GMT -6
Tennessee
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