|
Post by hunhdisciple on Dec 7, 2015 12:48:20 GMT -6
I'm more shocked that the JV coaching was at a teaching conference on the day of a JV game. I don't consider myself at a sports centered school, but I could never imagine a coach being expected to miss a game. They're both first year teachers and we're pretty much forced to go. We don't really take JV games as seriously as some other schools might. We've learned that certain battles don't really mean that much when we win them. Both of these guys got much needed training hours early in the school year, so they kind of realized that it made the rest of the year easier.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Dec 7, 2015 12:44:19 GMT -6
I think a kid who was not playing texted him. It was an older brother that was a former player. He got there a little early and watched them trying to install some bone runs.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Dec 7, 2015 9:49:54 GMT -6
Major kudos for keeping it together. I don't think I could have held it together like you did. Especially being sick like that. I've never been more dehydrated in my entire life. If I hadn't gotten the text from the kid, I probably wouldn't have come to the game. I would have just gone back home and tried to not feel like I was dying.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Dec 7, 2015 9:25:03 GMT -6
I'm totally with you on that. Why ask the guy 30 minutes out to cover when there are five guys on campus who can do it? Your first post said nothing about covering for guys who aren't pulling their fair share. It said you should take into account what people are doing in the off season and that even though you all got scheduled equal time, you got the short end of the stick because of your distance from the school. You then followed the whole thing up with hating being in the weight room. If you're saying guys are not living up to their commitments, then I agree that having a guy on campus makes more sense to fill in than an off campus guy. I apologize for not being more clear. My phone wasn't cooperating when I typed that first one, and I tried to get it in quick. I meant it all more in the sense that, when something extra suddenly comes up, there are numerous guys right down the hall who can deal with that. I drive by our supply store every day, so I wouldn't expect any of them be asked to pick up tape or anything. I do stand being the statement that I hate doing off season weights, though.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Dec 7, 2015 9:10:40 GMT -6
It would build up resentment for me (a single guy with no kids) if I had a harder workload than someone else because of his family responsibilities. I think my personal time is every bit as important as anyone with a family. That's fine. Then that's an argument for everyone to work the same no matter what. I'm good with that. The post still had to do with cutting back on time spent in the weight room because of a commute. :rolleyes: I have to clarify, it's not about my commute. Specifically, this off season, we were all assigned weeks in the weight room. One of our coaches was going to be out of town for his week, and yet somehow I was the one who should have picked up his entire week. Because I don't teach. I was just talking about people who live further away or aren't in the building being asked to fill in when other people are closer, and are also being paid. I do a whole lot of stuff on my own time, and I really don't care about that. I do the things that need to be done to make things easier for the program as a whole. For me, the issue with people living a greater distance away comes when there are 6 people within 5 minutes of the school and who work at the school who aren't asked to do any of the extra things because of their "family obligations." I'm not trying to get out of doing my job or anything like that, but if there are 5 qualified people just down the hall who can stay after school 30 minutes to cover for someone, there really isn't any need to get in touch with me this week. Maybe you think I'm being a baby or something like that, and I'm really not. It's not about being lazy, it's just about the fact that my time is equally as valuable, regardless of my employment status. Sorry that I work from home and don't feel obligated to pick up the slack for people who are there all day every day.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Dec 6, 2015 23:38:07 GMT -6
**Sorry for the length**
I believe I've mentioned before that we have an older guy on our staff who isn't exactly up-to-par with the current game of football. If you throw it more than once a half, you might as well just sound the air raid sirens, and line up in quads and chuck it 80 times a game. He's been coaching since the late 80's. Every suggestion he makes is something that this team ran somewhere between 1989 and 2003, when there were something like, 4 HC's and they were all wishbone teams. Nothing wrong with that, I'm just making a statement that this is what the teams were. And they weren't very good at it, at all.
For the last 2 seasons, we've been all no-huddle (something that has never been done in this schools 50+ year history.) And the older guy thinks if you get more than 2 plays off in a minute, you're just going Oregon fast. And to him, "that aint' real football."
Anyway, I've done the JV offense for the last 2 seasons, along with another asst, who is one of my very best friends. And our JV DC is also one of my best friends. Our JV team isn't much of a JV team, it's a freshman team. JV games are just easier to schedule. We had a game coming up against a team that was just awful. Their next talented group of kids coming through their system might still be in elementary school. Area was hit hard with the recession and the population has vanished and it's kind of gotten to be a sad situation for them. It's a game that we should win, but it would be a close game.
Our HC, varsity OC and DC and STC all do varsity film during JV time. Our asst JV OC was at a teachers conference that was required and 2 hours away. We didn't want to pull any coaches from film because our game coming up was a pretty important game against the best team we had played so far. I woke up, and felt like death. Couldn't keep anything down. I had an involuntary loss of fluids, either end, 16 times between 6am and noon. I called the doc, and the only time they could get me in would be towards the end of their day, which is when the JV game would kickoff. Our JV DC was also at the same teachers conference 2 hours away. I was caught on what to do, because I couldn't leave the entire JV team with our older guy, but I couldn't not go to the doctor.
So I rallied, and made a call sheet for the guy and just had our base stuff on it. Rocket, counter, trap, power, and a handful of throws. Our JV team doesn't run any of our reads, triple or RPO's. We're a Faster than the Fly team, and we don't have a TE for JV. I take out all the stuff they can't run, because it just cleans up the sheet a whole lot. I do it for myself, because it's a lot easier to see what there is when it's not crowded with stuff that can't be done. I email it to him. He responds: Is rocket the same thing as toss???
I inform him it is, and then go back to a fever dream nap in which my teeth fall out and my GF leaves me.
I go to the doctor, and while I'm in the exam room, a kid texts me "Hey, um, they're running wishbone ISO. It's not going well. They haven't had a positive yard in 3 series."
I get out of the office, and hurry over to the school. And I'm getting on the sidelines, he burns a timeout on 3rd and 1 with 5 seconds left in the 1st half. We're down 21-0. He uses the TO just to scream at them for nothing being good at football. He then calls a play, he doesn't give them a color-number combination, he just calls a straight play. He almost foaming at the mouth, and just barks out "22-51-T Pipe W Corner" and storms off. The kids don't know this play. Heck, I don't know this play. Or this formation. I don't even think this is a real thing. They ask him what that means, just comes back, just to yell "22-51-T Pipe W Corner!!!!!" at them before storming off again. I have to intervene and call a 2nd time out. He's livid by this time, just losing his mind, and I successfully push him away from the huddle and call trap. We get to the half.
The kids go in the locker room and he's still just absolutely losing his crap over that last play. "Them dumb kids don't know a dang thing. I'm giving them a good play, and they're too stupid to run it. Can't even run ISO. Didn't know how to line up the wishbone. Idiots..... idiots...."
So I say "Man, I don't know that play either." He proceeds to belittle me, which I'm fine with. If that's what he needs to feel good about himself, that's fine. I've been called worse. However, when he says that I should be fired because I don't know what I'm doing, I take offense to that. I keep pressing him about the play, what it is, what his terminology means.
Turns out: 22 is a formation from 2001 that was for 2x2. 51 was a 5 step pass to the left, from 1994. T pipe was when the T ran a seam to split the 2 high safety (we were playing a 1 high team, but that's neither here nor there), but it was from 1996. We call our T an F. And W corner was a corner from the playside wing, from 2008. Obviously, none of our kids were on the teams that used these terms, and none of our coaching staff was here when these terms were used. Heck, almost our entire staff was still in school for those years, and I don't mean college.
He never really accepted that he was just making up something on the spot, with terms from 4 different HC's he's worked under at this school. He still blamed the kids for not knowing what he meant to say.
I take over the O, and let him have the defense. We battle back, score 3 TDs and get 3 2pt conversions. We end up losing 27-24 because we just couldn't punch it in at the very end. Parents came up, told me that they were proud of how the O battled back, and things like that.
I go back in our office, and the older guy is sitting there, scowling. "You ruined it! You should have scored at the end! And if you ever tell me that I don't know how to call a play to these kids again, it won't be pretty." I've never seen this side to him before, he's always be a very excitable person, but never mean or violent. Maybe sometimes a jerk when he gets flustered, but a lot of people are like that. So, I throw my hands up and say "Listen, I got us back into the game. I'm going home to have a beer, I'll see you tomorrow."
I get a call that night from our HC, asking what happened. Apparently this guy told him that he got us back into the game in the 2nd half, no thanks to me. And that I was telling parents that he was stupid and everything like that. Which our HC knew was bull, because I don't like talking to 90% of our parents. So, I tell him what happened, and how thing played out, and he isn't surprised. The three of us sit down before practice the next day, and he's still extremely defensive about it all. When our HC just basically says "we don't run that play, and we don't use any of those terms" and complains that he just keeps forgetting. We haven't used those terms in 5 years now.
Nothing ever came of it, although things were never really friendly between he and I after that. He never apologized to me, and he never apologized to the kids for that situation. He stopped being so defensive about it, which I guess is the best we could have hoped for.
He wasn't there for anymore JV games. If we were short handed with coaches, we cancelled the game. That's probably the better option, anyway.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Dec 6, 2015 22:01:06 GMT -6
We were able to platoon almost everybody. We had an OL/DL and WR/DB who went both ways, but both are in outstanding shape, so they didn't mind.
We were lucky enough that most of our situations worked out to where the better person started at a certain spot.
I think you have to play the best person, but if you're grading them and one is a B+ and another is a B-, and playing the B- helps to platoon, then you do that.
If the dropout isn't severe, I always say platoon. Especially if teams you play can't, because fresh legs are always nice.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Dec 3, 2015 8:34:54 GMT -6
I'm not an HC, but I really felt the need to weigh in on this. I think what you ask them to do should also depend on what they're doing in the off season.
We have 8 on staff, counting myself. 5 are in the building, 2 are in town, and I'm 30 minutes away in the off season. Last year, we were all expected to be in our weight room with assigned days. I know it's technically "fair" to have everyone with an equal amount of days, but I always felt like I was getting the short end of the stick. You have 5 guys in the building, they can all be there for the 45 minutes after school. I'm literally on the road to and from longer than I am there most days. I'll come when I can, but I hate being in the weight room.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Dec 2, 2015 14:19:35 GMT -6
We had weight room painted by our staff. We used a projector to put the image on the wall and trace it with a sharpie. The we painted them in. Costs way less, but very time consuming. Looks awesome though. We did this in our weight room and locker room. By far the cheapest option, but it really is time consuming. I agree 100% that it looks good when done, though.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 25, 2015 10:24:18 GMT -6
3 years ago we were playing a pretty big rival, and we hadn't won against them in probably 15 years or so. We were tied after 1. We were tied at halftime. We were tied after 3.
They had the ball to start the 4th. They drove and scored, missed the XP. We drive, have a very very very very questionable goal line fumble. The local TV broadcast confirmed the ball was 3 feet beyond the goal when it popped out. They got it back, got a first down and then had to punt. There was about 3 minutes left when we took over around midfield.
On their punt, however, one of their kids had a major broken leg (think Kevin Ware.) It took them 15-20 minutes to get him taken care of and in the ambulance. As they were loading him in, it starts pouring the rain. Absolutely raining sideways. But nobody left the stands. It felt like some sort of movie, with us driving to tie or win in a monsoon. We march down field, and get it first and goal with time for one play from the 6. We boot out and the CB comes up on the run, leaving the WR with no one around him. He sticks his route perfectly, a comeback, and the ball is thrown perfectly.
Right. Through. His. Hands. He hadn't really noticed that his gloves had gotten soaked in the rain, and it just slipped right through.
I've never seen one person be so emotional after a loss, and I honestly feared for his mental well being. His team mates picked him up as best they could, but he wasn't the same the rest of the year.
I've never sorrow drank as much as I did that night.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 24, 2015 10:44:21 GMT -6
If you think of it like college, how valuable can a redshirt year be for a freshman?
We have several kids who are a year behind, and they're our better players. Not exclusively, though.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 22, 2015 23:41:32 GMT -6
Considering we had some parents who thought we were HitlerStalinSatan for having a practice on Labor Day, I assume if we were ever around for a turkey day practice, we might have half a team.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 19, 2015 23:01:48 GMT -6
I always have several football books, but I also really like getting books on leadership or about how people have achieved success in various ways.
I always ask for the most recent year of the Nike clinics, as well.
And every year, my better half will always get me a few packs of pens.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 15, 2015 8:27:46 GMT -6
We had a kid sprain his ankle week 1. He still claimed it was hurting week 12. But, he made a great water boy.
Had a kid scream that he tore his ACL in practice, just stepping through a ladder. He was gimpy the next day, and then fine after that.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 14, 2015 20:33:23 GMT -6
We have one every year.
Everybody gets a guaranteed 4 total games. 4 team pools, everyone advances to the knockout round.
Never had any issues, except for this year. We swept our pool, and it wasn't even close. Our real game, first game opponent was also in the tourney. They finished 4th in their pool. Their HC git really crappy with us because he complained that we had it rigged in our favor. And he was just appalled that his guys didn't get the favorable break times ours did. So he pulled all of his starters in his pool game, and thought he was making a point. I'm not really sure what he expected.
It's a really good fundraiser. I'm not sure what we charge, but the entry fees and concessions we sell make this one of our best even though it's a lot of work.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 9, 2015 20:52:11 GMT -6
Every year I go back through all of our film and try and figure out some of the things that we might have missed or might not have thought about. Or even things that we might have thought were important at the time, but turned out to be a non-factor.
What are some things that you guys would/do chart that you think are beneficial? I know explosive plays, and points per possession are pretty big now. What are some other things that I might have missed?
Right now I'm working on drives that didn't gain a first down, scoring drives that were 5 plays and under, and drives after a turnover.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 6, 2015 12:02:12 GMT -6
I would totally buy that if it didn't have anything on the back.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 4, 2015 12:27:16 GMT -6
We gave our guys fast food gift cards one year. We also try to give the constant scout guys some really good treatment.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 3, 2015 21:16:27 GMT -6
Two years ago we had an awful group of seniors who really didn't mind that they only won 3 games. Sadly, it was 3 games against the right teams, so we made the playoffs. Got hammered, and they didn't seem to care.
I always hate the off season and everything like that, but man, I was extremely glad to be rid of those guys.
Had a great year last year and have had a better year this year. So, it can always get better.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Nov 2, 2015 14:36:22 GMT -6
We have a most improved and most valuable for every position group, both JV and varsity. We also have an O, D and ST MVP.
And we have a coaches award, which is basically our most coachable senior.
We don't have the players vote on it, so we get together as a staff one day and just hash out who is getting what.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 30, 2015 8:57:36 GMT -6
I've been curious on the ages of people on your staff, because ever week teams, opposing fans and officials always look at us like we're the youngest group on the planet.
I mean, I know we're young. Not it question, but I want go know if anyone else here is close. We played a team mid season whose youngest coach was the same age as our oldest.
38 OC 36 DC 34 HC 29 25 25 23 21 21
Like I said, I know we're young. But, are we really that much of an anomaly?
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 29, 2015 23:53:06 GMT -6
Just as a thought... Any DCs out there were a visor? Or is this a strictly OC HC thing? I've known a few. But, they've all been guys who looked weird in hats because their head was small or oddly shaped. The visor is pretty stereotypical of offensive minded coaches.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 27, 2015 11:12:50 GMT -6
I'm of the belief that it's more valuable with seniors than anyone else. They don't really have anything to gain or lose, so they can just be honest about everything.
And I'm sure some people won't agree, but I think one huge question that a HC needs to ask is one about position coaches and asst. coaches. Our HC found out that while the kids worked for a guy a few years ago, they all hated him and that he really took a lot of enjoyment out of their year.
Too often kids are reluctant to talk about any problem or issue, until it's too late. You don't really have to press them for answers just to have them, but I don't think anything should be out of bounds.
You need to be asking them what you could have done better to them personally as well as the team. What their biggest regrets are. Things they would have done differently. And what they would do in your shoes.
I'm not an HC, but I always do position talks after the season. I always ask them some questions after the season, just for my own benefit and education. My favorite question is a two parter: What was your favorite memory from your career, in game or out, and what was your favorite moment from this most recent season, starting with spring ball and going until the end?
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 26, 2015 9:59:05 GMT -6
I've got the luxury to be able to set my own hours for work, so I always try and go to the school at least a day or two. If there are in school functions, like a pep rally or we had class Olympics a month ago, I go to those. I make it a point to always try and associate with teachers and students not within the program. It always benefits you to have as many allies and friends as you can get.
Showing up to random events is a really good way to get you seen, because most of your guys will say something to you.
And something I've noticed that has been beneficial, is helping out other groups when they need something, even if it isn't something that gets you noticed. Early in the year, our band was using the game field for a competition and I helped them paint it. Because I know how much that sucks. Maybe 4 or 5 people were there who saw me. But it bought a lot of credit with their director. So when we needed their practice field after ours was flooded, he was more than okay with us using it.
If you aren't a teacher, it's all about being involved with what goes on at the school, in either public or private settings. Doing anything for anybody helps your street cred. I know that's broad, but it's true.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 19, 2015 22:15:39 GMT -6
I might go to a game on our open week or if we are out of the playoffs.
I prefer to go to places I haven't been or some of the more iconic stadiums in the state. And I'll always go to the state finals.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 17, 2015 2:32:23 GMT -6
We've had a great year. Extremely young team with over achieving sophomores. About a year ahead of where we should be.
That came to a stop tonight. We were only about a 3 point under dog to a really good team. Ended up losing by 40+. Just a complete and total melt down. Couldn't do anything on any side of the ball.
However, so many of the kids after the game looked totally shell shocked and some of them looked kind of demoralized. We have 3 extremely winnable games left in the regular season.
I'm fearful that tonight kind of ruined their mindset. What can be done to keep these kids from cashing out? How do we keep them focused on the rest of the regular season and post season?
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 15, 2015 22:38:48 GMT -6
If they're solid white, just bleach them to death. We went white on white on an average grass field that had been rained on for 3 days straight.
Hot water, laundry soap (not detergent) and a lot of bleach. After a bleach and soap pre soak for a day.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 14, 2015 13:40:12 GMT -6
I'll openly admit that I wear a visor because of Spurrier and now Malzahn. Plus I look much better in the visor with my hair perfectly pushed over the top just slightly. When it rains, I look damn fine.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 13, 2015 11:37:36 GMT -6
Dumb things they do? I did a lot and have now seen a lot.
1. Try to be the world's biggest hard@ss in an attempt to get the kids to fear them.
2. Always refer back to their playing days as a point of a good team, regardless of actual results.
3. Bring up "trendy" ideas in meetings.
4. Refuse to do the menial tasks. Everybody has probably had to sweep, mop, fill up water, stay well beyond the hours they want, come way earlier than they want. That's the job, everybody has done it.
|
|
|
Post by hunhdisciple on Oct 13, 2015 7:55:40 GMT -6
I can think of two players in my short career who benefit from being called out. One of them would get angry and then go out and run for 300 yards. The other would just go around and put other people out of the game.
It's not really that it had a positive impact on them, but they just got so mad and into a zone.
I don't like it, because it's not a good behavior for players to see. Regardless of who it is towards.
|
|