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Ethics
Jan 19, 2021 10:06:27 GMT -6
Doo likes this
Post by s73 on Jan 19, 2021 10:06:27 GMT -6
You gotta grab something when blocking right? I've always taught that grab the breastplate of the shoulder pads. Keep your hands tight. Most people would also agree that it's more with your feet and reaching where you get called for holding. We've basically been told by referees that they know the OL is holding every play, but the defender has to 'show' that he is trying to escape. 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.
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Ethics
Jan 19, 2021 10:03:26 GMT -6
Post by s73 on Jan 19, 2021 10:03:26 GMT -6
You gotta grab something when blocking right? I've always taught that grab the breastplate of the shoulder pads. Keep your hands tight. Most people would also agree that it's more with your feet and reaching where you get called for holding. We've basically been told by referees that they know the OL is holding every play, but the defender has to 'show' that he is trying to escape.
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Ethics
Jan 18, 2021 22:32:52 GMT -6
Post by s73 on Jan 18, 2021 22:32:52 GMT -6
Mostly unethical but furthermore, just kinda stupid IMO. I's much rather spend time coaching my guys up in the first place to try and avoid such nonsense. ON another note, I don't see yelling things from the sideline as a big issue. Guys are trying to work the refs and lobby for calls all the time. I don't have much issue with it. I've yelled something before to try and mislead, douchy, yeah I guess but we're all a little douchy on game days at times aren't we? Depends on what it is. Somehow a grown man yelling something to confuse a 16 year old kid trying to catch a punt seems douchier than most to me. I was referring more to the reverse when it's a fake thing. I don't really think that's all that bad.
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Post by s73 on Jan 18, 2021 22:15:01 GMT -6
Mostly unethical but furthermore, just kinda stupid IMO.
I's much rather spend time coaching my guys up in the first place to try and avoid such nonsense.
ON another note, I don't see yelling things from the sideline as a big issue. Guys are trying to work the refs and lobby for calls all the time. I don't have much issue with it.
I've yelled something before to try and mislead, douchy, yeah I guess but we're all a little douchy on game days at times aren't we?
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Post by s73 on Jan 15, 2021 9:35:32 GMT -6
I know this wasn't directed to me but I will be happy to share our approach. We play with 2 safeties and 2 OLB's in a base 3-4 look. Corners read 2 to 1. If 2 goes out zone your 1/3. If 2 does anything else man #1 S #1 = Roll down & replace pressure side OLB = reads 2 , if goes out expand under #1 (post / slant) rally to flat. If 2 is vertical he is yours, if 2 goes in compress unless he's under your rat in the hole player then settle and look for crosser, find work (back out, etc). OLB opposite pressure same as Safety #1 ILB #1 is in called pressure ILB # 2 is Low hole player (rat) S #2 = High hole player *both safeties learn the roll down and high hole to disguise pressure side Pressure side OLB will peel w/ any back release as will non pressure side DE. Essentially it's a type of quarters scheme which allows us to bring pressure primarily as our base defense and still be sound in coverage. If it's trips we pre -roll $ to split 2 & 3 / if OLB to trips is going he reads QB. If QB turns his back to you, you go, if he opens to you "slow roll" to take away RPO to # 3 then go, looking to contain QB or peel. If pressure away from trips ILB goes and OLB goes w/ OLB playing contain peel technique. Corner to single is in solo coverage. Hope this makes sense. Pretty similar base rules. Last few years switched it to more like a MSU/ Pitt alignment by cornerback to take away Rocket screen/ RPO by alignment. It basically becomes MOD if #1 goes vert or rocket and C drops back in cover 3 divider if #1 goes in. or OLB / safety takes #2 if he goes out or vert, looks for work under 1 to BOB. ILB or High safety takes #vertical, if High safety goes into MOFC drop, if backer looks for BOB if no detached #3 I'm not familiar w/ MSU / Pitt alignments. Can you explain more?
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Post by s73 on Jan 14, 2021 21:18:04 GMT -6
You can do some pretty amazing things with pattern match cover 3 Would you be willing to share more about how you do this? I know this wasn't directed to me but I will be happy to share our approach. We play with 2 safeties and 2 OLB's in a base 3-4 look. Corners read 2 to 1. If 2 goes out zone your 1/3. If 2 does anything else man #1 S #1 = Roll down & replace pressure side OLB = reads 2 , if goes out expand under #1 (post / slant) rally to flat. If 2 is vertical he is yours, if 2 goes in compress unless he's under your rat in the hole player then settle and look for crosser, find work (back out, etc). OLB opposite pressure same as Safety #1 ILB #1 is in called pressure ILB # 2 is Low hole player (rat) S #2 = High hole player *both safeties learn the roll down and high hole to disguise pressure side Pressure side OLB will peel w/ any back release as will non pressure side DE. Essentially it's a type of quarters scheme which allows us to bring pressure primarily as our base defense and still be sound in coverage. If it's trips we pre -roll $ to split 2 & 3 / if OLB to trips is going he reads QB. If QB turns his back to you, you go, if he opens to you "slow roll" to take away RPO to # 3 then go, looking to contain QB or peel. If pressure away from trips ILB goes and OLB goes w/ OLB playing contain peel technique. Corner to single is in solo coverage. Hope this makes sense.
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Post by s73 on Jan 14, 2021 14:58:43 GMT -6
3 deep / 3 under pressure defense as a base really if at all possible. You can do some pretty amazing things with pattern match cover 3 Yes you can. What I like about 3-3 pressure stuff as well is we feel like b/c of the pressure you have a little more room for error as well v. just sitting in C3 / regular defense.
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Post by s73 on Jan 14, 2021 9:29:54 GMT -6
3 deep / 3 under pressure defense as a base really if at all possible.
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Post by s73 on Jan 6, 2021 14:53:55 GMT -6
Hilarious. I love the old "you don't have to cover them, we're getting pressure" mentality. If it were that easy the NFL wouldn't be a passing league. Yeah, they have Tom Brady so let's send 6 so "he can't throw the ball". I must've missed something in the last 25 years LOL.
I wasn't surprised by the diagram; there's plenty of young coaches who scribble thoughts down on paper. Hell, I ran some complete garbage stunts I had concocted when I first started coaching. But, I listened when a veteran coach told me I was wrong..
I was a bit taken a back by the "coaches" lighting me up for asking a question. Honestly, if a "coach" doesn't know what the abbreviation "H/C zone" stands for when talking defense, then I doubt they know what a HOOK TO CURL ZONE actually is.
Nail meet head my friend. I feel like younger guys are less likely to "listen" due to social media influence nowadays. I never spoke a peep in a meeting for about 2 years & when i did it was nothing grandiose. More asking to learn. Now w/ social media at the fingertips I think more guys think they are more "educated" than they actually are. Or they have theory that they believe as fact before they have actually tried it. Don't get me wrong, not slamming all the "young guns" but there does seem to be a lot more "voice" and a lot less "ear" nowadays than when i first started. JME. Still a TON of great ones out there but a little more entitlement than i remember coming up. We had a young staff when i 1st started w/ the only notable experience coming from the HFC, and most of us just sat & listened and learned. Both for good or bad. I think I'm way better for it.
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Post by s73 on Jan 6, 2021 13:17:05 GMT -6
I haven’t had Facebook in 15 years, but I like looking at clips and diagrams on Twitter even though I don’t have it. They give you an idea and then you can research it more. I realized you won’t learn everything about a concept on Twitter so it wasn’t worth having anymore for me. You’re limited on Twitter with how much you can explain.
My issue with Facebook is that some of these coaches either a) can't answer your questions. b) don't want to answer it or c) get p-ssed off when you ask a question. So, it's can be superficial at best or an argument at worst.
For example, a coach posted up some hand-drawn diagrams of six man stunts with C3 behind it. It didn't look sound to me but I didn't state that; I simply asked how they would handle 4 verts and not covering the H/C zones. Good Lord, it turned into a chit-show and not just from the coach that tossed up the diagram..
"What's H/C mean? Use more generic language." "You don't have to cover four-verts; you'll get pressure...." "You don't have to cover the underneath zones; you'll get pressure.." "This is a junior high blitz, not something you'd run in high school."
Hilarious. I love the old "you don't have to cover them, we're getting pressure" mentality. If it were that easy the NFL wouldn't be a passing league. Yeah, they have Tom Brady so let's send 6 so "he can't throw the ball". I must've missed something in the last 25 years LOL.
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Post by s73 on Nov 8, 2020 13:28:27 GMT -6
Zoom meetings for sure. Kids can go home much earlier and we can do film w/ them from home. I've definitely reinforced the idea to myself about working smarter not harder. What’s the longest amount of time you’d take to do this? Just curious about doing it next year or during the spring I assume you mean how long are the meetings? No longer than 20 - 30 minutes. We haven't gotten to play this year but were able to have limited practices so we filmed practice and zoom met ( actually we used google meets) afterwards. Since we are not in season, we were practicing twice a week and we would meet once to discuss. My plan going forward for in season is to give kids the day off on Saturday. Coaches meet & get everything broken down and ready by Sunday evening. Then we google meet for 30 min w/ kids to share the scouting report / game plan. Monday longest practice of the week b/c kids haven't done anything since Friday & should be well rested. About 2h40m, no goggle meet due to length of practcie. Tuesday practice 2 hours & google meet 30 minutes to review practcie Wed 2 hours 30 min goggle meet Thursday 2 hours & 30 min google meet review of opponent. friday WIN & start all over. I'm hopeful this will be a welcome change for all. less time at practice for kids & coaches, more time at home.
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Post by s73 on Nov 8, 2020 11:03:19 GMT -6
Zoom meetings for sure. Kids can go home much earlier and we can do film w/ them from home.
I've definitely reinforced the idea to myself about working smarter not harder.
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Post by s73 on Oct 30, 2020 12:46:03 GMT -6
Defense definitely.
I have more of a philosophy on how i want to play offense.
Unfortunately, my "defensive philosophy" seems to be changing w/ all the RPO, spread to run stuff that has exploded in recent years.
We used to be so much about stopping the run back in the day & if you did see a spread team they were usually very pass oriented & you just gave up the short stuff KNOWIMG they would get bored eventually & start launching for what I used to call "glorious incompletions".
Now....they run the ball, screen like crazy & and are willing to take what you give them in the apss game which lends to trying to find ways to not give them much of anything which lends itself to change, etc.
Ironically, w/ spread being so prevalent, my run 1st style has even more appeal to me and I don't se that changing anytime soon.
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Post by s73 on Sept 28, 2020 11:53:05 GMT -6
So I am currently a position coach, hoping to become a DC in the near future. However there is a school that I would like to apply for the HC position when it becomes available again (it does every 2-5 years). So a background on the program. They are perennial LOSERS! They have 32 wins in the last 30 seasons. Only 2 winning seasons in the schools 50 year history. Last season, there was a running clock in 7/10 of their games. The school is located in a poor rural area. Nearest city is an hour away. Enrollment is slightly over 600. It does not appear that it is a situation where all the athletes are flocking to other sports either. Only a few good seasons in basketball and an average baseball program. On average, it appears there is around 25-30 players on the team. I would bet that is including freshmen. I'm sure some are asking why in the world would you want to take this job. So for a couple reasons. First, the schedule. The conference has two really strong teams. The rest are at best average. A few only chance for a win is against this program. The out of conference schedule is very favorable. It's the only show in town in town. There is no worries about competing with other schools for athletes. Also, considering their success, there is decent attendance to the games. I've watched highlights on max preps and there are a lot more fans than I expected. Also, there are a few things that I believe could be quick fixes. Watching those highlights, technique is awful. They do not run a gap sound defense. There are players walking on the field between the whistle. These are things I can fix and quickly! Lastly, who wouldn't want to be the coach to turn this program around. A few thoughts on how I would turn the program around. Obviously it goes a little more in-depth that this. 1) Get buy-in from the players. Create a leadership council that consist of two players from each class. This is the teams voice for when it comes to making team decisions. Obviously I make the final decision, but it would give them some ownership. 2) Recruit, Recruit and recruit some more. You have to grow your numbers. I feel like having given some ownership to current players, this will cause them to help you recruit even harder. Also, you have to try to create energy around the program. I realize this would not be easy. But start with t-shirts and stuff. 3)Keep it simple. Defensively, I would run a 4-4 cover 3 to begin. Stop the run and don't allow big plays. By keeping the playbook limited, it would allow us to focus on technique and tackling. I would allow the OC to run anything they want. Only stipulation is, they can't snap the ball until 3 seconds or less is on the play clock. I want to shorten games and keep it to where we have a fighting chance at the end. I don't want running clocks at the end of games, which has been the norm. Win or lose, I want kids to believe/ see that we are improving. Questions for you. 1) I'm a Defensive guy. Always have been. What do I do if I'm going into the season and still can't find an OC. I know this is a common question, but how do I improve a staff that in all likelihood needs to be completed rebuilt? 2) Raising funds in a poor, rural community. 3) Lastly, I know several will say "I'd never accept this job." Just entertain me for a moment, pretend that for some strange reason you did. How would you make this a competitive program. So....I took over a similar situation in 2003. Team had only won 8 games in 7 seasons and not a single win in the past 3 seasons. Also smallest school in conference by far. Why did I take it over? B/c I wanted to be a HC & the guy I was working for wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. W/o HC expereince usually you have to take over for a successful retiree who names you their heir, or you gotta take a tough job. Having said that. I dii the following: 1 - Got an incoming list of all fresh and called all of them. 2- Set a summer camp w/ minimal cost to encourage attendance. 3 - Try to get a staff you can trust & is WILLING to ACCEPT your vision. Don't have to be all stars, just have to be willing team players w/ some work ethic. 4- Expect some disappointment. They will not GET IT right away. 5 - Tied in w/ #4. Modify your standards some. You can't get to play off caliber immediately. It's a process. If you kick some dude off the team right away, they won't see it as "this guy is serious, I want to play for him". they will see it as "this guys unfair" b/c they probably haven't learned the expectations that legit programs have & it will take time. Not saying you don't have expecatitons but they must build gradually. 6 - Have a clear as day vision & stick to it. Know what you're going to do on O & D and do it well. it doesn't have to be earth shattering stuff, it's not necessarily what you do but how well you do it. When I took over we won 1 game the 1st year & it was like a SB party b/c they hadn't won in so long. next year we won 2 & it was a big deal b/c they hadn't won more than once in a season in almost a decade. next year we won 4 & got knocked out of a play off berth on the last play of the season. Next season we went to play off's for 1st time in 16 years & won the only play off game in school history. The follwoing week we lost to eventual state champs by a TD. After that I took over a start up program closer to home and kind of emulated the same process. We are not world beaters but average a play off berth about every other season. Haven't gotten to the next level yet but trying. Always remember TALENT plays a HUGE role. Don't go down the rabbit hole of trying to find "magic bullets" b/c you prob shoot yourself in the foot. Sorry if this came off preachy, but I'm pretty passionate about the subject since literally my only HC experience is taking over a perennial loser and starting program from scratch at a new school. Good Luck!
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Post by s73 on Sept 22, 2020 15:55:24 GMT -6
About 20 years ago I was a head soph coach. We took over a team that went 9-0 as frosh. However starting FS (stud) moved, 3 kids got pulled up to varsity, starting QB quit (6'8 quit for BB got a full ride to Cal) and a stud lineman's dad got arrested & they moved shortly after for whatever reason, and we had a season ending injury to one other kid. All 7 played both ways.
So....we essentially lost 14 starters. Is what it is. we went 4-5 I think.
Anyhow, last game of the season this dad who was riding me all season about how good they were last year (we nicknamed him smokes, dude must've owned Marlboro red stock) comes down onto the sideline during the 4th Q (away game, no fence from bleachers to bench, weird set up).
he's just going off. I tell him he's gotta leave.
He says "oh yeah, whatcha gonna do tough guy, give me a detention?"
I say as calmly and as dead panned as I have ever said anything in my life, "no sir, I will just sit your son's ass on the bench until you leave".
He goes "Oh yeah?" throwing his arms up in the air with such exasperation he knocks his ball cap off his own head, stumbles trying to catch it, & then leaves.
Three amazing things about this:
1 - If the other kids who moved, quit, etc hadn't his kid never would've played.
2 - Never asked for a meeting or heard about it again.
3 - At the banquet I was having trouble getting the AV equipment set up for our highlight tape (yes, tape) and he came over and set it up for me w/o being asked.
Craziness.
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Post by s73 on Aug 15, 2020 16:28:31 GMT -6
Ty Gower (DC @ Princeton HS in Texas) sent a tweet a couple years ago that I still think about a lot to this day. Basically, he talked about how he doesn't buy the " Keep It Simple Stupid" philosophy of coaching and instead is more of a " Keep It Likeable and Learnable" guy. I've heard the latter term more and more now in describing coaching philosophies. At first thought, I thought "K.I.L.L." was silly, but now I've really opened my mind to it. I see a LOT of coaches using "simplicity" as a way of justifying ignorance or inability to teach something - "we couldn't ever do that, we need to be simple!" I'd say if you're a K.I.S.S. guy on Coach Huey, this isn't you. So don't hate-message me. I think "simple" is relative, too. One guy might find having one blocking scheme with a thousand adjustments to be "simple", while another guy might find "simplicity" in having ten blocking schemes with no adjustments to them.
Opening my mind up to the "K.I.L.L." philosophy has led me into researching the works of Dub Maddox, Andrew Coverdale, Chris Vasseur, Kyle Cogan, and Kevin Kelley. Maybe it's brainwashing, but I'm starting to learn that it's not bad to be in a flexible, albeit expansive scheme if you're willing to learn it and learn how to teach it. These guys are also excellent teachers, which is what sets them apart. Two years ago, I'd have shut myself out from ever tempting to research a system that's not "simple".
But the "K.I.S.S." philosophy also still is alive and well in today's game with coaches I greatly respect. I have an entire binder of notes I've taken from Joe Daniel, Tim Murphy, Ron McKie, and Rick Stewart - all what I would call "K.I.S.S." guys. They still maintain a great amount of detail, but keep a heavy emphasis on simplicity. Joe Daniel especially comes to mind here with his entire LB key read being "if the guard pulls, follow; if he doesn't, fill". None of these guys are ignorant or unable to teach, they just greatly prefer to KISS.
Now, the best coaches obviously can get the best of both worlds. But if you had to describe yourself, are you a "K.I.S.S." coach or a "K.I.L.L." coach?
This is born purely out of curiosity, I'm not going to try to argue with anyone. I think both sides have their positives and negatives.
I believe in starting with KISS & developing continuity within your program by sticking to schematics that u believe in. Once this takes hold & kids & coaches are saturated with “the way we do things” & program familiarity has grown, then I think you can advance your concepts. JMO.
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Post by s73 on Aug 9, 2020 12:05:53 GMT -6
Hey guys, Have any of you ever had an athletic director on your football account as an admin. He’s never coached or played football and I’m a bit skeptical on why he added himself. Can y’all please share your thoughts on how you’d feel? Thanks I've offered any administrator (including our supe) and account that wants one. My thoughts are that I'm confident in our work ethic and approach as a staff so I have nothing to hide. I even feel it's a little analogous to police bodycam footage. If anything comes up accusatory or what have have you we have the visual evidence to dispute accusations. We film practice almost daily so we can teach and have evidence of teaching fundamentals, treating kids professionally (not perfectly mind you) etc. If you're doing things the right way I think it's a good thing. If you're not, I think it's a good tool to eval yourself and improve as you know that you're quite possible being evaluated on some of the stuff that's on their. JMO of course.
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Post by s73 on Jul 29, 2020 11:01:35 GMT -6
It will take a death which is said to say. That. Heres just my prediction: We start 8/10 as planned. Around 8/20 schools start pausing sports due to positive cases (about the time classes start). We miss week 1, we start playing week 2, maybe make it to week 4 before it all shuts down for good. Honestly, I'm sad to say that this is IMO highly optimistic. In reality, as much as I hate to say it, FB should either be shelved for 2020 or....maybe allow schools to play a series of intra-squad scrimmage games within themselves to throw the seniors a bone. No travel / bus issues, no scheduling issues and no contact with other teams. It would be something and if covid occurs you can easily shut it down and say you tried. I know it's not ideal but gives us something and is as safe an alternative under current circumstances as I can think of while still giving seniors something.
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Post by s73 on Jul 20, 2020 15:36:25 GMT -6
I;m sorry. and seriously not trying to be difficult, I just don't understand what you are trying to ask here. I guess I don't understand the thread. Assume your state decides that playing high school and youth football is too dangerous during the pandemic and cancels the season. Then a few weeks later a bunch of kids go outside to a park and start playing pick-up football. Would adults (parents, teachers, police, health officials, selectmen, mayor etc.) go out and tell the boys they can't play pick-up football because it is a banned activity? I think different areas will have different outcomes. I don't think it would happen by me. I'm a Dean and know our police force pretty well. They don't really care unless someone calls to complain. But most of the neighbors around the park my kids and their friends play at are the parents of the kids outside playing so I don't see that happening much.
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Post by s73 on Jul 17, 2020 22:41:47 GMT -6
Maybe I misunderstood then. Are you saying that kids organize their own football leagues with no pads, no officials and no traveling to games? So, in other words, your saying "what if the kids play pick up football?" My God the horror. Sorry to be facetious, but me and my friends played pick up ball as often as we could. What's the problem? Why would that be a problem? Are you suggesting that if kids REALIZE they can actually organize games for themselves that it's a threat to organized sports? That's all kids used to do. Yet organized sports flourished to unprecedented and some might even say unhealthy levels. Sure, but look upthread. What if adult-organized sports (or at least team sports) were prevented from happening for a year...or two...or several? Could it be hard to get them up again if children are meanwhile allowed to conduct their own? But now what about the other possibility: Will adults actively prevent children from gathering to play, saying it's an illegal assembly during the emergency? (Unless you're protesting something, maybe.) I;m sorry. and seriously not trying to be difficult, I just don't understand what you are trying to ask here. I guess I don't understand the thread.
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Post by s73 on Jul 16, 2020 20:42:25 GMT -6
Maybe I'm getting the short end of the stick, but the kids I work with can't organize a sock drawer let a lone a tackle football league. Not to mention, and the reason there is no travel football leagues, is the cost just to start up a program minimum is about $70G's. That's player equipment game, player equipment practice, balls, sleds, bags, pads, repair kits, mouth guards, reconditioning, etc. Not to mention field rental and / or maintenance, erecting goal posts, paint for lining, paying officials, transportation. Who said anything about wearing pads, having adult (or any) officials, or traveling to games? Maybe I misunderstood then. Are you saying that kids organize their own football leagues with no pads, no officials and no traveling to games? So, in other words, your saying "what if the kids play pick up football?" My God the horror. Sorry to be facetious, but me and my friends played pick up ball as often as we could. What's the problem? Why would that be a problem? Are you suggesting that if kids REALIZE they can actually organize games for themselves that it's a threat to organized sports? That's all kids used to do. Yet organized sports flourished to unprecedented and some might even say unhealthy levels. I think it would be AWESOME if kids got back to independence in this area of their lives and see them learning to be self starters as no threat to what we do. It's healthy for kids to host their own games with their friends and it was done that way for CENTURIES. I say more power to them. No daddy ball, no overbearing coach trying to show everybody how smart he is, no ridiculous parents embarrassing themselves and their kids w/ their absurd comments as if Johnny's NFL career hangs in the balance. No dad reliving the old days thru his boy. Sounds beautiful to me. JMO.
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Post by s73 on Jul 16, 2020 14:56:17 GMT -6
...because of Covid-19, or some other reason(s). What then? Do kids stop playing it? If not, what percentage of those who would've played under adult or faculty supervision, on the teams you're familiar with, play self-organized? Do adults chase away kids they see playing it? Call the cops? Are there publicity campaigns telling kids football is too dangerous? Let's say things stay like that for 2, 3, 5 years, and then whatever condition caused adult-supervised football to be suspended is lifted. The disease is gone, the war or strike is settled, or whatever other reason adults had for shutting it down is refuted or fixed. What then? Is it like it was before, immediately? Does it take 2, 3, 5 years to get back to how it was? What if the kids who organized their own games and leagues like it better that way, and boycott adult-organized play? What about if there'd been publicity campaigns in the intervening time to convince people football was too dangerous? Do those posters in the hallways come down one day? Maybe I'm getting the short end of the stick, but the kids I work with can't organize a sock drawer let a lone a tackle football league. Not to mention, and the reason there is no travel football leagues, is the cost just to start up a program minimum is about $70G's. That's player equipment game, player equipment practice, balls, sleds, bags, pads, repair kits, mouth guards, reconditioning, etc. Not to mention field rental and / or maintenance, erecting goal posts, paint for lining, paying officials, transportation. Not happening. ESPECIALLY player driven and almost just as unlikely adult driven. Besides, who's going to insure kids w/ no adult supervision? What parents are going to permit their kids to play with only kids teaching each other fundamentals and if they get hurt it's on their own dime b/c their own insurance ain't covering that either. Who's gonna develop an off season program for them to help reduce injury? It's not happening. JMO.
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Post by s73 on Jul 16, 2020 14:36:46 GMT -6
So today around 3:00 I was in a building near our football field when another coach told me a team we play the second game of the year (a military boarding school) pulled up in a couple of vans (probably 20 kids) and was standing in the parking lot by our field. I walked out there to find out what they were doing. There was an assistant coach giving a motivational speech to their team about playing us. The HC (who I know but not well) was in the back of the group. I said, “Coach, what are you guys doing here?” He said they were trying to motivate the kids. I said, “Well, Coach. I would rather y’all not do this on our campus.” The HC told the AC they needed to go and they left. It wasn’t like they stopped at the road at the edge of campus. They had to drive a couple hundred yards passed the school entrance to get where they were. I thought it was odd and inappropriate. Never seen that before. If he is spending time on things like this rather than actual meaningful prep I'd say your chances are pretty good.
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Post by s73 on Jun 21, 2020 13:40:27 GMT -6
Though I think most countries are going about this the wrong way, prolonging the danger by delaying transmission, the idea that football could be severely set back by not being played for one or even several years is unsupported. Sports have survived years of wars and refugee flight during which they couldn't be played. This is not the first virus that's more of a threat to the old than the young. My father was a physician and told me about how they'd encourage transmission of the common childhood viral diseases when vaccines weren't available, because childhood was the best time to catch the illness and get over it. A minority of children were killed or lastingly disabled by these viruses, but in the absence of a vaccine you were safer taking your chances that way rather than risking the disease in adulthood. Still, when I got measles he isolated me from my younger sister, who hadn't gotten it yet, because he knew that a vaccine for it that had been in the works for years was expected out soon. (That vaccine was not a rush job like those currently in development for SARS-COV2, and you can expect from them what you can from any rush job.) I still emerged from childhood without getting the mumps, so when I was about to start Pediatrics I asked to be vaccinated against it. My father on the phone told me my chance of catching it would be very remote, but he didn't tell me not to get it. They wouldn't administer it to an adult unless I had my antibody titer taken, but they gave the vaccine when I turned out to have no antibody. I still don't know if the vaccine "took", but by then I was done with Pediatrics. This is where I feel things are different now; nowadays a .001% of tragedy is no longer acceptable. Information spreads a lot faster, and when tragedy does strike we will all know that kids name and see his picture. Parents will be frightened, 'what if it were my kid' and districts will be scared, 'what if that was one of our students and we were liable'. I have to concur with this. Also, one of the things (besides concussions of course) that has hurt football is the year round expectations now PLUS the enormity of other options nowadays. Add to that the possible risk of becoming seriously ill? I appreciate coach bob's points but i feel it's a bit of apples to oranges, no disrespect of course. Which brings me back to my previous post which is....I'm concerned.
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Post by s73 on Jun 21, 2020 10:23:49 GMT -6
If we go back to school in person there will be a season. If we don’t go back there will be no season. Two weeks ago I would’ve said no way we play this fall. But schools are already making the decision to quarantine the kid/household and move on business as usual. Imo it’s trending towards we are playing and going back to school. Right or wrong I like the way you put this as "right or wrong," because maybe that raises the ultimate question: not "Will we go back?" but "SHOULD we go back?" Those are two very different questions to answer. I'm actually very interested to hear what coaches think about that question. In all HONESTY, I'm completely torn about what I want to do, but also torn about what we should do. I'm torn about what I want to do b/c frankly I've coached for 24 seasons now straight, and as much as I hate to admit it, I kind of wouldn't mind a break. Every season for the last 7 years now, I always feel like at the end, I need to re-evaluate if I want to keep going. Part of me wouldn't mind hanging it up, but on the other hand, it's so ingrained into my identity. So......SELFISHLY, not having FB would be a nice way of recharging the battery w/ no one the wiser. But I realize it's not just about me. Being a senior or having a senior student would be tough & I feel guilt for thinking it wouldn't be so bad to have a year off b/c I know that pretty much only favors my mindset right now and nobody else's. All that said, I'm also very torn on what I actually think about this virus b/c the media seems to be spouting off different things at different times. On the one hand people are protesting all over the place and no one seems to be saying much about it. On the other hand, many fatalities. So...what's one to think? Does missing a season and all the benefits FB brings with it to kids outweigh the risks? Months ago I would have said no. But after seeing my own kids confined to the house for as long as they were, I felt that may have been doing more harm than good. So now, like I stated above, I'm torn. Ultimately (sorry for the rant) I feel like if we have FB then it has to be FOOTBALL. If we have some FORM of football w/ a gazillion nuances to it to make it "safer" then I think we should probably take a pass. My only fear to this line of thinking is will 1 season w/o football harm this sport for years to come? Also, if we don't get a vaccine any time soon, we will not have FB for an extended period of time? That's a scary proposition to me. Hence, I will be open minded to whatever is decided.
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Post by s73 on Jun 15, 2020 12:41:03 GMT -6
I followed up on the twitter thread and it sounds a little bit like he was "walking back" some of his claims. I mean, nobody is buying and entire frosh team can do any of this. Just sayin.
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Post by s73 on Jun 15, 2020 6:27:35 GMT -6
The Murph doesn’t translate at all to football. Anyways back on topic: VA is in a weird phase where we may be able to go back soon but it seems as if each district will have to come up with their own rules and regulations. This is the 1st thing I thought. Seems like lazy coaching to me. What does running a mile or doing 300 squats have to do with football w/ everything we've learned about how the body and energy systems work in the past 2 decades? I challenge the validity of that coaches post big time. Few kids of any age nowadays can do 10 pull ups let alone 100 regardless of rest time. JMO. This is obviously a strenuous enough challenge it has it's own name, named after a KIA military stud and his whole frosh team completed it in their 1st try? Total BS. Sorry, not buying it at all. But MORE importantly, not SAFE at all. The 1st time back in probably MONTHS of inactivity? This is the type of guy that ruins it for the rest of us. Because of stuff like this, we're all gonna get that many more guidelines for "reintroduction" to activity if many more follow suit. Nuts.
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Post by s73 on Jun 9, 2020 15:42:49 GMT -6
I saw an air raid guy on Twitter today saying they were going to take a knee on first down their first play this season. He is really trying to get a national movement going with this, and he has like 4000 followers. I really wanted to ask why, as in what will it do to further anything but I didn't want to get roasted by the internet. My problem is I loathe symbolism and all of the #_____strong, and lights on the field for our seniors who don't get to play and so on. I believe it to be adults doing something to make adults feel good. So my question is, the Saturday morning after this happens will anything have changed? Does this guy want to do this so everyone will know that his program cares? I kind of feel this is akin to the pink out thing (symbolism, not issue). I am not against this or being a hater by any means, I just really don't believe stuff like this does anything. Please keep this civil guys, I think we all want the same thing, at least I hope we do. I just struggle with people doing something to be doing something. My take on this is as such: Isn't the athletic field a place where we can escape politics for once? Especially now? Furthermore, not a big fan of asking high school kids to make political statements, especially of someone else's choosing. Last but certainly not least, I feel like kids are the last ones that need to reflect on this kind of stuff. The kids I see around our school and neighborhood interact with different races all the time and their friend groups are much more diverse than mine ever was. I think the kids are eons ahead of the adults and most of them have this thing figured out. Let the kids focus on sports and play the game, let the people who need to do any soul searching (mostly adults) make a statement of their choosing. JMO.
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Post by s73 on Jun 8, 2020 8:07:56 GMT -6
As far as a twelve month program yes. Actual in season practice is far less. The mental side is harder now. Despite what many on this board want to believe about themselves the game itself harder and more demanding than what it was in the past. With all of the options they have I respect a kid who plays football today a whole lot more than I do myself or my peers. We had a 12 month program called other sports though. There is absolutely no difference in mental aspect for pretty much anyone outside maybe QB or RB. And even then, the triple option of the past wasn't anything easier than an RPO. Your saying the game is mentally demanding of a DL? I respectfully disagree with this. When I played we had no summer contact other than lifting. Now teams have 25 days of summer camp (pre-season) which has led to larger playbooks that, when done correctly by a solid program can still be executed at a very high level. Been coaching for 25 years and b/c of year round lifting in the last 15-20 years kids are getting bigger, faster and stronger. It also used to be when I first started, the defense you saw on film was pretty static. Now we see multi fronts, multi coverages all of the time. I can only speak from my experience but back in the day we basically saw 1 look from the defense. Now we tend to see more variations. I feel from a coaching standpoint this has made things more challenging and this gets passed onto the kids through more audibles and prep time to maintain a high execution curve. And, like I stated before, at least in my area, kids have improved physically due to more training, hence IME the game is more challenging both mentally and physically for kids and coaches. JMO though.
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Post by s73 on Jun 7, 2020 21:39:01 GMT -6
I see it kind of like this. If I go to the gym and bust my a$$ for 2-3 hours hard, I am then not going to say " well I just worked out hard so I better run 6 100 yard sprints to make sure I get my conditioning" . What did I just work out for if I need to follow up with a workout to make sure I worked out enough?
In other words, if you work your kids correctly they shouldn't need an extra work session to make sure they are in shape.
But....many (less now probably) still do this.
Bust it for 2.5 hours and then we're gonna run. Wait coach, I've been running all practice why do I need to run some more?
Basically to me this program is a complicated way of saying don't over train your kids if you expect them to feel good by game time.
It's the same for any athlete in any sport. Hence the term "taper".
I think FB coaches in the past were notorious for not understanding the concept of tapering before a competition but it's a pretty common form of training in almost any other sport.
JMO.
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