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Post by s73 on Mar 17, 2022 12:19:40 GMT -6
A little about my school. I am from a one team town that plays in the highest level of the state (5a nevada). We have an enrollment of 2,250 but generally lower football numbers than a team would have (35-40 players on varsity, 3 teams) Our reduced and free lunch percentage is at around 51%. New head coach, was on staff last year but are in full rebuild mode. Spring ball 6 weeks total 3 days a week 6am workouts (every other day) 4 days a week practice after school (M-th) We are in a very competitive league and we feel super behind. We are trying to cram a whole off season into 6 weeks. I know its a lot for the kids but if they commit I think it will lead to a lot of team success in the fall, if we cant put our offense in, then we will struggle which we have been for the last 3 seasons. What is everyone else doing for spring ball, would love feedback? I don't have spring ball where I'm from. We just do summer workouts and practice and I feel that's gotten out of hand. Our numbers all over the state have been dropping & I suspect this is a big reason why. We have tried hard not to use all of our contact time and let kids be kids. Otherwise, I feel the alternative is: they quit and then what you tried to do doesn't matter b/c they are not there to benefit from it. Or.....they blow it off, show up for the season and then you have the difficult decision to make what to do with them if some of them are better than the kids that did do your summer program. Hence, we try to keep it reasonable (2 weeks off after school lets out) 3 weeks at 3 days a week. Off thru the 4th of July and then 2 weeks at 4 days a week, 2.5 weeks off at the end. So....they get 5.5 weeks off total plus all Fridays - Sundays. Has been pretty good for us to keep numbers and stay competitive when we have the talent to do so. Just my 2 cents.
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Post by s73 on Feb 16, 2022 14:18:43 GMT -6
Anyone out there teach a class about all things football? History, strategy, conditioning, programming, etc.? Does the class also lift/condition? We do not but I've proposed it twice. Would solve a lot of problem. Have a coach run it, adds a section to the PE dept which in turn cuts down numbers for the other classes (ours are always too large). Probably grow your FB numbers if kids can do a sport and get PE credit. Get kids home sooner from practice so they can work and / or do HW at a more reasonable hour and get to bed. Prob cut down on kids quitting b/c they have to transition to a normal PE class Would improve practcie attendance since it's part of the school schedule. I'm sure it would improve performance based on increased attendance, numbers and time frame in which you can all watch film, weight train, speed development together on a regular basis without losing field time. So many advantages. I think admin is short sighted not to consider this at all schools. Furthermore, I know of some schools that also include summer camp as a summer PE class. I believe this to would be beneficial and have many of the advantages to it listed above.
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Post by s73 on Jan 22, 2022 15:32:00 GMT -6
If this has ever been an issue anywhere: 1: Across the total population of football players, across all levels of football, and across all ethnicities, very few players are interested in being a kicker to begin with; the only position people might be less interested in is punter (sometimes the same guy in HS) 2: Speaking as an outsider looking in (please feel free to correct me if i am off-base, here), black athletic culture, and black masculine culture in general, is overtly and/or covertly/unconsciously dismissive of and looks down on the position of kicker, and more highly values positions like RB, WR, CB, QB, DE, S etc. Basically, not too many players are interested in being a kicker to begin with. And, of that total pool of players, even fewer black players are interested in being a kicker than their other ethnic counterparts. I don't know if your points are valid or not, but it was simply an example I was using to prove a broader point.
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Post by s73 on Jan 22, 2022 15:29:00 GMT -6
I do think some suggest that color of skin should be the basis of hiring. Like I said above, if you start to tinker with hiring practices you run the slippery slope of then tinkering with why are so few non-blacks not playing in the NFL? Again, merit based hiring / drafting is my platform. If 15% of the blacks are now in HC/ upper management positions, that mirrors their share of the US population. I think outside of the Rooney rule & strong penalization based on EVIDENCE of discrimination, we leave the process alone. Otherwise we're going to get into a never ending spiral of "how come?" How come their aren't more white running backs? How come their aren't more white DB's? If you stick to merit based hiring / drafting practices and investigate where suspicions are apparent, the process should be respectable. I don't care that 70% of the NFL is black, or that few blacks are kickers. I care that through careful evaluation and processes that the best determined get the jobs they are seeking. So I guess I'm not calling for changes to the system. I think the numbers over time will fluctuate up and down. I do they hope the quality of the product meets it's best capacity regardless of color. I that means someday that 50% of HC's are black, awesome. If it doesn't, awesome. As long as the best of the best get their opportunities. I hope that happens but I don't believe we can tinker with it to project a certain outcome. I think worthy individuals will (in our current society) find a place for their talents. Nobody's trying to legislate who a team has to hire and nobody thinks that anybosy should be hired just because of their race. What's being said is that teams should take a closer look at candidates, to put aside their preconceived idea of what a HC should look like. Go into interviews with an open mind instead of just giving some guys a token interview in order to check off another box. Mike Tomlin is a perfect example of how the Rooney Rule should work. Tomlin wasn't considered a hot candidate. He wasn't a big name college coach or a highly successful coordinator. He was a position coach who was only granted an interview to satisfy the rule. The Steelers took the interview seriously, though, and given a chance Tomlin aced the interview and got the job. That's all anybody wants- a real chance. I guess Fantom that brings me back to a point I made earlier. How do we know that isn't already happening? That's why outside of the Rooney rule, I'm not a fan of anything more happening related to this situation b/c frankly, we don't know what goes on behind closed doors. If a black coach is interviewed and doesn't get the job it becomes tokenism. On the other hand, if he does it becomes "taking it seriously". I am simply suggesting that maybe many of them are taken seriously more so than we give credit for. And for those who don't I hope they get outed. However, I don't think it's for any if us to say unless we are in on the process.
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Post by s73 on Jan 22, 2022 13:23:00 GMT -6
No, I fully get that. But that dynamic is two-fold. They are also accountable to the other owners for perceived improprieties, governed by a commish and still want to make money. All this to say they are much better off hiring the best man for the job regardless of color. I think many mechanisms are in place for merit based hiring IMO and I feel it should stay that way. Again, JMO. Then what do you suggest might create the numbers that have been mentioned...70% of players are minorities, approximately 35% of all coaches minorities, but under 10% minority HC/management positions prior to the Rooney Rule and an average of around 15% minority HC since it was instituted? Which mechanisms are in place? That is the issue. I don't think anyone is suggesting that the color of someone's skin should be the basis of hiring. What is being said is that there is a significant amount of evidence showing that the color of someone's skin may be preventing them from showing they are the best candidate. As I have pointed out, the owners come from part of our society that likely does not have much of a history of meaningful relationships and interactions with minorities. To draw a parallel to on the field prowess, does anyone really think Warren Moon was the only human born in the mid 1950's that could play QB at an elite level? I do think some suggest that color of skin should be the basis of hiring. Like I said above, if you start to tinker with hiring practices you run the slippery slope of then tinkering with why are so few non-blacks not playing in the NFL? Again, merit based hiring / drafting is my platform. If 15% of the blacks are now in HC/ upper management positions, that mirrors their share of the US population. I think outside of the Rooney rule & strong penalization based on EVIDENCE of discrimination, we leave the process alone. Otherwise we're going to get into a never ending spiral of "how come?" How come their aren't more white running backs? How come their aren't more white DB's? If you stick to merit based hiring / drafting practices and investigate where suspicions are apparent, the process should be respectable. I don't care that 70% of the NFL is black, or that few blacks are kickers. I care that through careful evaluation and processes that the best determined get the jobs they are seeking. So I guess I'm not calling for changes to the system. I think the numbers over time will fluctuate up and down. I do they hope the quality of the product meets it's best capacity regardless of color. I that means someday that 50% of HC's are black, awesome. If it doesn't, awesome. As long as the best of the best get their opportunities. I hope that happens but I don't believe we can tinker with it to project a certain outcome. I think worthy individuals will (in our current society) find a place for their talents.
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Post by s73 on Jan 22, 2022 12:06:10 GMT -6
I'm just not a fan of legislating to anyone who they have to hire with their own money. I get it, that leaves loopholes for racism and bias. However, I feel the slippery slope of legislating control over another's ownership and decision making of their own assets IMO is even more abhorrent. Furthermore, if you really hang your hat on the equality argument I think you run the risk of some jokers out there who will start spouting about not enough whites getting opportunities as players on NFL rosters. Sounds ridiculous but that's the world we are currently living in. Like I stated above, I'm all about merit based appointments. That goes for players, coaches or any other life endeavor. I believe there are many blacks that are capable and the cream always rises to the top. Let's try to trust people to make their own decisions about what's best for their own organizations. If they pass up the best man for the job based on bias and prejudice, well truthfully while they are denying a qualified candidate based on bigotry, they are also hurting themselves and their own organization and their pocket books as well. Ultimately, money talks and more often than not I believe an organization will hire who they believe is best for the job regardless of race either b/c they are not racist or b/c they want to have success which leads to ticket sales, merchandising and a fatter wallet. Ultimately the almighty dollar will course correct where needed. JMO What you say is valid, however you must remember that NFL teams are franchises of the NFL. Therefore they do not operate with 100% independence as each franchise's decision impacts other franchise owners. This isn't a local mom and pop restaurant in the deep south choosing to fly a confederate battle flag and facing the consequences alone. This is a McDonald's restaurant flying the confederate battle flag in the deep south and potentially causing issues for the guy who owns a few Golden Arches restaurants in the middle of Iowa, or in Chicago, or in Vermont etc. No, I fully get that. But that dynamic is two-fold. They are also accountable to the other owners for perceived improprieties, governed by a commish and still want to make money. All this to say they are much better off hiring the best man for the job regardless of color. I think many mechanisms are in place for merit based hiring IMO and I feel it should stay that way. Again, JMO.
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Post by s73 on Jan 22, 2022 10:01:38 GMT -6
I'm just not a fan of legislating to anyone who they have to hire with their own money.
I get it, that leaves loopholes for racism and bias. However, I feel the slippery slope of legislating control over another's ownership and decision making of their own assets IMO is even more abhorrent.
Furthermore, if you really hang your hat on the equality argument I think you run the risk of some jokers out there who will start spouting about not enough whites getting opportunities as players on NFL rosters.
Sounds ridiculous but that's the world we are currently living in. Like I stated above, I'm all about merit based appointments. That goes for players, coaches or any other life endeavor.
I believe there are many blacks that are capable and the cream always rises to the top.
Let's try to trust people to make their own decisions about what's best for their own organizations. If they pass up the best man for the job based on bias and prejudice, well truthfully while they are denying a qualified candidate based on bigotry, they are also hurting themselves and their own organization and their pocket books as well.
Ultimately, money talks and more often than not I believe an organization will hire who they believe is best for the job regardless of race either b/c they are not racist or b/c they want to have success which leads to ticket sales, merchandising and a fatter wallet.
Ultimately the almighty dollar will course correct where needed. JMO
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Post by s73 on Jan 21, 2022 17:28:39 GMT -6
I don't know what the numbers would look like if you looked at coordinators and position coaches, but I wish the discussion in the media didn't present this as if HC is the only NFL coaching job there is. That's an outstanding point. Just like in HS / college there are a lot of guys out there who are either perfectly content or prefer not to have the life of a HFC. If the percentage of white guys who coach in the NFL is say 70% who are content not being a header and let's just assume the same for blacks, then maybe the lot to pick from is even smaller. We just assume they all want the shot but it's definitely not a life for everyone. I for one would want nothing to do with that lifestyle.
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Post by s73 on Jan 21, 2022 13:25:52 GMT -6
I guess the issue I have about monitoring race as a pre-indicator for hiring practices is that it doesn't take into account the interview process.
We don't really know what goes on in the interview. Maybe a team has some strong interest in a minority candidate but for whatever reason the process didn't go well or whatever.
I guess the bigger point I'm trying to make is, if you interview 8 guys for a spot and let's say 7 of them are white and 1 is black, essentially to hire the best guy, in order for the best hire to be black, he has to be better than the other 7. On the other hand, one of the white coaches ALSO has to be better than the other 7 to be hired but theirs' still a 7 out of 8 chance the new hire will be white.
Having said all of this, I'm glad we have a Rooney rule, but I don't necessarily think it not leading to more hires can be the sole judge of the rule. I would LIKE to think the rule was put in place to ensure that more candidates of color get a CHANCE to climb the ladder due to interview opportunities they may not have otherwise gotten, but in the end I still believe hiring who the organization perceives to be the best man for the job is always the best practice regardless of color.
I know it's not a perfect system, but at the end of the day no perfect system exists in any line of work.
But I will always be a fan of merit for any endeavor over demographics. And I hope that in 2022, owners in these positions also feel the same way and honestly hire based on merit. That to me ensures justice in the system.
JMO.
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Post by s73 on Dec 16, 2021 16:54:03 GMT -6
I would also add that the reality of the situation is that FB requires more kids and more work. Hence, even w/o specialization many times numbers are still not great. Sometimes you just have kids who don't want to work that hard.
For Example, maybe 35 kids tryout for baseball and they keep 25. To the outside eye it looks like baseball is swimming in numbers and had to cut 10.
On the other hand, 60 kids go out for football. You almost doubled up BB but it still feels nad b/c you NEED so many more.
I think we have to try as coaches to find a way to make FB more marketable.
In other words, look at what is "tradiitonally" done in FB and see if you can "cut the fat" to make the season more enticing.
I have done a good job w/ this myself in many respects (2 a days, condiitoning, shorter practcie times, no Saturdays for players) but where I hurt myself was playing time. In the fututre I have to get more kids on the field one way or another.
All of this is to say that I think you have more power over keeping your program xiable than any AD. He can promote all he wants but the reality of the situation is he is ultimately powerless to MAKE kids do anything short of finding some sort of incentive program for multi sport athletes. IDK what that would be but one I would consider pitching to admin is maybe optional final exams for multi sport kids.
I mean, a lot of people in education are devaluing tests anyway. Maybe something like that? Sounds radical but seems to me like a lot of education is getting pretty radical nowadays. Seems reasonable to me when you correlate higher grades, better behavior and more productivity for kids involved in athletics.
Just my 2 cents.
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Post by s73 on Aug 9, 2021 11:38:22 GMT -6
We are a school of 900 with a 40% ish latino population that has a strong soccer culture so those kids are tough to come by. Basically we draw from about 600 ish I would say consistently.
We're at about 55 kids as of today. 27 Varsity / 28 JV. '
Out frosh numbers are killing us. Lowest total I've ever seen (9) right now. Gotten the word out as best I can with social media, school website, word of mouth, emailing incoming frosh parents, flyer at the MS, etc,
Lost 2 kids who would've been key contributors this year. The one kid basically said after just coming off of spring ball he wants a break from football until next season. Other kid is his buddy and a follower.
Can't really blame them I guess. Other issue is low income kids needing / wanting to work.
Having said all of that, 10 years ago we were consistently in the 90 ish range.
Talked with lots of guys around the area with similar sized schools and all but one said they were down and the one who wasn't down said he's about the same over the past 2-3 years.
I personally think it is kind of a dying sport sort of. What I mean by that is yes, other things to do. Also other EASIER things to do. But...I don't put all that blame on the kids. Look at what we're asking kids to do nowadays. When I was in HS (80's) we lifted 3 x a week in the summer. That was it. Came to about 3 hours a week. Did it in the mornings M / W / F.
Off season we played other sports. Now we have lifting in the off season, summer camps and 7 on 7. You'll keep the die hards, but lose the fence riders. That's what's happening. I think HS FB coaches by and large are just as big of culprits IMO.
If everyone would scale back some so you don't have to do all the crazy amount of stuff just to keep it it might revive itself some. But that ain't happening. In the meantime I guess we'll do the best we personally can.
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Post by s73 on Aug 6, 2021 11:22:41 GMT -6
"Hit - its"
Problem Solved. You're all welcome. I'll be here all night.
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Post by s73 on Jun 18, 2021 6:19:01 GMT -6
Weights, speed development. I think our kids benefit from this a great deal.
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Post by s73 on May 20, 2021 17:12:07 GMT -6
Coaches, Without trying to sound like those guys that are saying “this generation of kids”, we Have more and more Incoming freshman who want to be fullbacks and TE’s and are pushing to NOT be offensive lineman. To be fair, they have not played football in nearly a year And a half due to Covid so I’m sure lots of them have just been playing throw and catch. Though I am not an OL coach, the OL is the most important unit on the team. What are the conversations you have with these kids to help them understand the value? I always tell them if your 40 time starts on Monday and ends on Tuesday you are a lineman. At some point I feel it's healthy for kids to hear realism. I try to coach them to embrace it and realize they are the most important unit on the team.
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Post by s73 on Mar 6, 2021 22:09:47 GMT -6
During this offseason, I have been doing some self scout for our defense (I'm a varsity DC). I am a huge believer in goal setting. I want our goals to be specific and measurable. Also, I don't want to just spit out some things that might "sound good". I've looked at 3rd down efficiency, turnovers, penalties, etc. So my question is this: In your experience, What are some of the stats, numbers, metrics, etc. that have largely impacted the outcome of your games? It could be defense, offense, or things that apply to the whole team. I would argue that NO stats,numbers or metrics influence winning. The fundamentals, strength/conditioning, and drills that allow for things such as better pad level, the ability to create linear force as well as torque, better pad level, situational awareness as well as just overall strength/speed/explosiveness lead to and influence winning. While this may seem like a snarky response, I don't believe it is. The key is to actually influence the performance on the field, not the numbers on the stat sheet. Find the things that impact THAT. People love to point out "turnovers" and then talk about "turnover circuits" I have always looked at that with some skepticism. Look at the top NCAA turnover stats. Every year it has different teams. Do those teams quit doing the circuits they lectured about at their clinic the previous year? Agreed and will add the following.....we did a "block destruction circuit" all season last season and guess what? Didn't notice any significant difference in our defensive performance in that regard. Hence, we dropped the circuit. Don't get me wrong, we still work on it in individual, etc but not at the length we did last year. IME, the faster we are the "better" we are at destroying blocks (aka faster kids are harder to block, just like faster kids are harder to cover, contain, tackle, and faster kids tend to be better tacklers). So....I agree w/ above post. Develop your kids physically to the best of your ability in the off season, then coach up technique, eliminate mental errors in scheme and let your athletes play. That IMO tends to lead to the "better stats" Again, JMO.
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Post by s73 on Feb 20, 2021 17:39:26 GMT -6
I think what you will find with the guys that don't have them but win, they still are very organized and structured they just don't have it written and printed. I think the opposite can also be true. I worked for a guy that had a practice plan and script that looked meticulous but we never followed it one time in three years. We were the most disorganized team I have ever seen, but our practice plan was pretty. I like a practice plan and think it's better to have one than not have one, but ultimately it comes down to how organized and efficient your practice actually is not just some piece of paper. I think it's good to have if for no other reason than to have some notes and reminders to avoid missing a detail you feel needs discussing and to simply keep everybody on the same page.
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Post by s73 on Feb 10, 2021 14:08:09 GMT -6
New member here looking for some help. We have a Spring season coming up, and while I am glad we get to play, it looks like we will be relegated to practicing in gyms with very limited space until kickoff. Does anybody have any tips for doing this? So far, it has been difficult to practice much. The kids keep slipping with no grip on the floor, the echoing makes it hard to coach up kids during drills, and the space limitation really hurts lining up in full formations or really working the pass game at all. Has anyone found any helpful tips for holding effective practices indoors? We're in the same boat. Don't have many answers. Only thing I will say is we definitely are working on getting good at running the ball b/c like you said, passing is almost impossible. The other thing I'm hounding my district on is trying to clear a partial field so our 1st time in the cold won't be such a shocker. Even if we can only go 30-40 minutes outside that would be helpful. Lastly, AD's in our conference are trying to see if we can find a turf stadium and host all games their for a week or 2. No luck yet.
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Post by s73 on Jan 29, 2021 11:05:54 GMT -6
WE have 45 mins. of weights and about 2.15 hours or practice time. Bit of a culture shock initially for our kids, but they have adjusted well. It has also paid off for the most part, in the past 5 years we've made 5 semifinal appearances, and 2 state championship appearances. Coach, can you give a brief outline of what your in season weights schedule looks like? What days / lifts you perform & set / rep combo. I am very intrigued.
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Post by s73 on Jan 28, 2021 14:33:24 GMT -6
Practice and play football. The more I've been exposed to "traditions" the more I've viewed them as a bit hollow. The majority of the kids don't take pride in them; they just view it as another thing they're required to do. And, it can backfire on you. We tried to establish a Monday night football tradition; we fed the kids in the cafeteria and watched an NFL game every other Monday night. We made it a voluntary activity and had solid participation early on. But, many of the kids viewed it simply a chore and stopped coming. It created a rift between the kids that showed up and those that didn't.THIS. Traditions need to be more genuine than about compliance. It has to be special to the kids. I lived through (as a coach) a program that tried to create traditions that were more of a chore, too cliche, or just not cool to the kids. It failed miserably and only created frustration for the HC. The real "traditions" (I am using that term loosely) in our program are: -A pre-game prayer/chant, created and implemented by a player several years ago, that gets passed down through the program -Donuts and gatorade for shutouts -Pre-game entrance Flag-Bearer...it is a cherished high-demand job saved only for your toughest kid(s) -Alumni get-together at a local restaurant around Christmas break (when our college kids are home) All but the donuts are kid-driven. If my senior doesn't pass down that prayer to a young kid before he graduates then the tradition dies. It's on them to maintain it. If it's important enough it lives on. The alumni get-together is really me and my coaches, our families, and any alumni that want to stop in and reunite getting together for the evening. We've done it at a italian/pizza joint and a pub (no drinking allowed until kids are gone of course). We emphasize keeping in contact with our alumni...kind of a "once you're our kid you will ALWAYS be our kid" thing. I have just started using Hootsuite to tweet at kids for their birthdays yearly (hootsuite allows you to make automatic posts on social media on a set day/time, reoccuring monthly/yearly etc). Big fan of traditions that run themselves!
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Post by s73 on Jan 27, 2021 11:59:21 GMT -6
I guess the other concern i should mention is we do have a S & C class through our PE dept. But.....it's PE (I'm a former PE teacher so don't give me the side eye). The reality that kids work as hard in 30 minute over crowded co-ed PE classes w/ a non football coach just isn't reality at all. So, for year I let that be our in season "training" but can't help but feel we aren't getting any stronger / maintaining through out the season. Yeah, having a 'true' athletics period is a benefit if you are at a school that has one. Especially if you get all the coaches on board; then you sell it to admin as 'we will be shortening practices for all sports by -- minutes". Of course that requires coaches to actually follow that and shorten practices. Still get good work done, and kids get home earlier The toughest part for us has been coaching buy in from a standpoint of actually running the program well aka learning how to teach compound lifts and sticking to a school wide program. The other issue is admin not using PE as a "dumping ground". Our "S & C class" was supposed to be athletes only, but never stays that way. Then it becomes a glorified PE does weights sometimes class. Plus it's only 30 minutes long by the time kids get changed, attendance taken, organized, etc.
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Post by s73 on Jan 27, 2021 11:06:37 GMT -6
What size school? I would feel the same but as a small school all need to learn both sides of the ball for depth. That would mean what? 15 min weights / 15 minutes speed dev. / 15 minutes meetings / 15 min install / 30 minutes O / 30 minutes D? I can't see how you can possibly practice offense for example and have fundamentals time / Run / fundy's pass / Situational & team time in 30 minutes. Not to mention special teams. Are you 2 platooned? Thats a very pertinent question, and in many ways should help prevent this from being an apples to oranges type discussion. I am 2:15 a day for Mon-Wed, thats with no weights on Tues & Wed (weights on Mon) but with players playing both ways. Would be less if kids only went one way. In season weights are on Mon, Thu, & Sat I guess the other concern i should mention is we do have a S & C class through our PE dept. But.....it's PE (I'm a former PE teacher so don't give me the side eye). The reality that kids work as hard in 30 minute over crowded co-ed PE classes w/ a non football coach just isn't reality at all. So, for year I let that be our in season "training" but can't help but feel we aren't getting any stronger / maintaining through out the season.
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Post by s73 on Jan 27, 2021 11:02:49 GMT -6
What size school? I would feel the same but as a small school all need to learn both sides of the ball for depth. That would mean what? 15 min weights / 15 minutes speed dev. / 15 minutes meetings / 15 min install / 30 minutes O / 30 minutes D? I can't see how you can possibly practice offense for example and have fundamentals time / Run / fundy's pass / Situational & team time in 30 minutes. Not to mention special teams. Are you 2 platooned? high medium pop.. so I am different in that I believe that all of it, fundies, scheme should be in by spring ball. Don’t need pads to do that. So am 75 minutes on the field. 20 minutes in weight room. 15 minute group install, 10 team. 5 minute team meeting. 90 minute Jan to may, all of summer.3 days a week. Go Go Go. Get the kids the fck out. I have done this long enough, watched enough football to know that I don’t need a play sheet. I need a team that knows wtf their doing, can execute. Yeah, i don't have spring ball but i see what you're saying. Do you worry about fundamentals eroding w/o doing them from spring on?
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Post by s73 on Jan 27, 2021 8:53:11 GMT -6
Coach, I am curious what size school you are. I would LOVE to do this, but we generally have only about 30 kids on the team so not sure how I can make it happen but would love to problem solve some ways to work towards it. Any ideas, suggestions? Thanks! We are a large school. 50 Freshmen and 90 varsity. I am sure it would a challenge with low numbers but I would be more than happy to tell you some of the things we have learned while doing it. Would love to hear it coach. Can always learn something.
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Post by s73 on Jan 26, 2021 14:34:20 GMT -6
WE have 45 mins. of weights and about 2.15 hours or practice time. Bit of a culture shock initially for our kids, but they have adjusted well. It has also paid off for the most part, in the past 5 years we've made 5 semifinal appearances, and 2 state championship appearances. So daily, you go 45min weights & THEN 2.15 practice for a total of 3 each day correct?
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Post by s73 on Jan 26, 2021 14:33:09 GMT -6
I am in favor of 2 hrs for all of it,weights, install, meetings, and practice. 2 hrs total for the kids What size school? I would feel the same but as a small school all need to learn both sides of the ball for depth. That would mean what? 15 min weights / 15 minutes speed dev. / 15 minutes meetings / 15 min install / 30 minutes O / 30 minutes D? I can't see how you can possibly practice offense for example and have fundamentals time / Run / fundy's pass / Situational & team time in 30 minutes. Not to mention special teams. Are you 2 platooned?
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Post by s73 on Jan 26, 2021 13:02:06 GMT -6
Let me first say that I am the king of trying to keep practices short. I have not done 2 a days since 2004. Big believer in quality over quantity, etc.
Having said that, instead of going 2 hours / 2 15 a day, do you think extending to 3 hours IF......45 minutes of that was spent on weights / speed development would still have the same negative "this sucks" effect on kids as a typical 3 hour Fb practice?
I think I know the answer already but interested in another perspective.
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Post by s73 on Jan 26, 2021 10:17:39 GMT -6
I know other people do it as well but we have been a two platoon football team for 4 years now and i think it has played a big part in our success. Coach, I am curious what size school you are. I would LOVE to do this, but we generally have only about 30 kids on the team so not sure how I can make it happen but would love to problem solve some ways to work towards it. Any ideas, suggestions? Thanks!
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Post by s73 on Jan 26, 2021 9:53:06 GMT -6
I love reading about what others do in our industry. A lot of times it seems like we are all doing the same thing and that the conversations almost become "cliche." What's one thing your program does that may be unique? Anything but x's and o's. Yes, I'm trying to steal your ideas IDK if this is unique, but it's unique to me. I developed our core values and had a banner made with them on it. I had 1 placed in the weight room, one in the locker room and one in our team (half time) room. Anytime any kid enters any of these rooms he must fist bump the banner as a recognition that they are there. Pretty standard I imagine. What's different FOR ME anyway, is I try to make 1 or more of those core values a theme or emphasis for each day and repeatedly try to invoke, reference through out the day and give examples as to how they can apply it to that days work / activity. An example was yesterday, we were back in the weight room for the 1st time in a while, Discipline and relentlessness are 2 of our values. So I tried to give examples of how they could be disciplined and relentless through out yesterdays workouts. IDK if it makes a difference but at least it makes me FEEL like I'm trying to build not just culture, but a SPECIFIC culture and mindset.
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Post by s73 on Jan 21, 2021 23:23:02 GMT -6
One of the things that I've been looking into a little bit lately concerns some of the most efficient learning practices with it relates to information consumption v. production. I read an article recently that talked about if we want to truly learn the material we are reading/studying that we really need to spend time "presenting" on what we are learning. Presenting in this case could be actually explaining it to someone else or something as simple as writing down summaries. The article said that a better way to truly learn would be to cut down the amount of "learning" (reading books, etc) and spend more time "presenting". Not anything overtly new I guess, I know we talk about getting kids presenting/teaching a lot in education in order to help them fully understand something. Anyway, I got to wondering how I can apply this to off-season football studies. I know we all spend a lot of time watching clinics, watching film, visiting other staffs etc. Sometimes I feel like I spend so much time in the consumption phase of information during the off-season that I don't really do much with it, and lose a lot of that information. I take notes over things but honestly I feel like I go way too overboard with notes in terms of writing down every little thing that is said, not ideal obviously. I'd love to hear any ideas that anyone has on "doing something" with the information that you are gaining over the off-season to make it more meaningful and make it stick. One thing I have always done, mostly b/c I enjoy it, is when I'm working on a play or concept is I draw it up repeatedly over and over again against the same defense until it's burned into my brain. Then I select a new defense and so on. Where this really helps me is not only the learning of the play, but also on what I don't want to see and how I can counter it, which will lead to compliments to counter what I think a defense may do. It creates a lot of trial and error on paper and the HOPE is that I can eliminate as much of the error as possible on paper BEFORE I commit the coaching errors on the field. I should also say that this process USED to lead to a rabbit hole of adding many plays to the original, but now....as I've gotten older and more experienced, it actually has led to me cutting fat in terms of numbers of plays and led to more formational answers and less expensive tags rather than just adding plays to the mix to solve problems. It gives you great anticipation for game day. Plus, I enjoy it. Nothing kills time in a terrible meeting better than doodling X's & O's.
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Ethics
Jan 19, 2021 10:28:36 GMT -6
Post by s73 on Jan 19, 2021 10:28:36 GMT -6
See.....this is where my "old school" approach is getting phased out of the game. First, i gotta listen to "why don't we pass more" Then I gotta listen to If we were in the gun we'd pass more Then, when my guys block downfield, we're actually RUNNING the ball Now, b/c we shoulder block I'm missing out on the holding to? Man...based on all this info I guess I need to start yelling more nonsense from the sideline LOL. yeah, but the issue I have is that if it IS a pass play then yeah; the DL is trying to escape to his gap side. BUT if it is a run play and we teach our DL to squeeze their gaps..... then the DL has to suffer I know coach, I'm w/ you. I'm bustin' chops on all the guys that are teaching holding.
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