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Post by throwahitch on Aug 19, 2018 11:43:51 GMT -6
The adults are the problem ultimately. Ultimately a lot of coaches are trying to replicate guys at the highest levels and obviously it's mot apples for apples. The adults in the room need to look in the mirror. Cross town has numbers relatively speaking, we do not..reason? "Disciplne" pending how you look at it and not necessarily the way to think. Yep. It’s too many peoples lives. Guys we can not hold these kids feet to the fire the way the coaches who are paying for these kids college can.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 29, 2018 9:34:51 GMT -6
I have to admit, I'm intrigued by Grad17's posts. He seems to be coaching in an environment where coaches regularly miss practices and show up late to meetings? Or am I misreading? Coaches screaming at kids for tardiness and after the same coach walked late to the same meeting. Or claim that you are a man and have to support a family as reason you are not in a workout. Kids are not going to go for that. I understand that may turn kids off, but thats not what this thread is about. Its about a dropping number of kids in the sport with a correlation to an emphasis being put on grinding at the field house for umpteen hours a day.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 28, 2018 21:53:54 GMT -6
We talk of grinding as football coaches and making it grinding for our kids we work with in the summer.. I ask some of our kids today after workouts about playing for the fun of it. Many of these kids I ask specifically that are playing basketball and baseball this summer along with doing our workouts. Here was my conversation with a few kids today about playing for fun! Coach to player: “you go play basketball or baseball in the afternoon and on weekends for AAU or some organized travel team in a tournament?” Player to coach: “yes sir, we play so and so this weekend” Coach to player: “does it cost you?” Player to coach: “we have to pay some fee to help with entrance fee for tournaments and jerseys” Coach to player: “When is the last time you played a game for fun. Got some guys together and played pick up basketball or maybe a game of wiffleball?” Player to coach: “last time I played a pick up basketball game was on spring break” (2 months ago) Another player to coach: “we played some ball over the Christmas holidays” Funny we talk about kids playing a game for fun and bring up going to play AAU basketball or travel baseball yet the kids I ask today hadn’t played for fun in at least a couple of months. We can provide excuses about workouts and grinding but face it those kids paying money to play AAU basketball and travel baseball ain’t playing for FUN! They just dont have to work hardly at all in AAU or travel baseball. Like I said in my other post we don’t grind as a staff or ask our kids to grind. Come in and do what you do and get gone. this whole thread is adults using kids a human shield to attack their issues with time being spent "away from family." That has not been said in this thread, but it is at the heart of it. A lot of "coaches" would rather be do something else and I would bet family is not the list. Adults have a problem with the work and the competition, not the KIDS. Kids love it. This is the guy who posts videos of his players in the weightroom daily with the hashtags I was talking about. It is not about not wanting to coach. Did the coaches in the 60s-90s not want to coach? This whole thread was meant to gauge other coaches opinions on how some coaches are turning a high school sport into some of these kids entire life. Resulting in the alienation of players who do not love it the same as the 5% of players who become coaches.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 28, 2018 7:22:06 GMT -6
Baseball and Basketball kids play GAMES in the Summer. Games are fun and hell I would love to play in a baseball game or hoop game every night, I can't blame them. Let those kids play in their games, encourage them to come to the WR, if they don't at least you know they are competing a few nights a week. Should they be playing and lifting in the morning, yes, but reality is now they probably won't. Don't be a fool and rip those kids, you need the 2nd baseman as your corner, the catcher as your Mike, the point guard as you slot, and the FWD as your TE. Just accept that its their 2nd sport. If they are competing all summer in a different sport, then you know on 3rd down when needed those guys are going to be the guys you rely on. Get them in when the season starts. Have to bend now and do whatever it takes for numbers. Scary and different than how we grew up, but it is here and I feel its the only way to have consistent numbers in your program. These are the times we are living in. Some states Football is still King, but others you have to adapt or you will be destroyed! Some coaches are unwilling for football to be a players second sport. Like it’s so arrogant on us as coaches to think that since we coach the best game in sports that the kids should throw down their balls and bats to get out there and run gassers and lift weights. If the player likes another sport more than football, and you get them to the field. You’re not going to magically make them addicted to playing football.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 28, 2018 7:18:45 GMT -6
I was the HC of our varsity baseball team this year. I had some kids that were decent baseball players that would be very good football players. I tried to hook them into the football program but they all said the same thing - "I don't want to spend every day of my summer vacation working my ass off in the heat while my friends go to the beach and go on vacation just to end up playing 10 or 12 games. I'd rather start practicing baseball in the middle of January and start playing games in February. I only have to prepare for one month before I get to play 30 games." So we should lower the bar? We should encourage less? Let's just make it recess time I guess at least then everyone will have fun. Take it the way you want, however, people can keep calling 15 year olds soft because they don’t play football like they did in the 60s-80s, or we can look at what’s different between now and then. Guys I understand society has changed and that parents aren’t pushing kids to stick with something as much as they used to, but I remember to this day how hacked off my dad got at me when he found out I had to be at summer workouts rather than his construction company everyday of the summer. To me, we’ve moved the Goal post, and most of us are acting like it’s the kids and the parents that have changed. When 20-30 years ago football was a fall sport, now it’s a year long part time job. Yeah, you still have the players who really really want to play, but you don’t have the numbers like the older teams. If you’re okay with that, more power to you. However, if what you say is true about it’s the kids getting soft and the parents not being parents. How much longer can you keep pushing the grind season and not lose total interest?
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 27, 2018 20:59:59 GMT -6
There's nothing wrong with 12-15 hours a week in the summer. We are 8-11 (generally off the field by 10:45) Monday-Thursday. Kids get Friday, Saturday, Sunday to do whatever they want plus 12-? during the week. If we didn't go at 8am 85% of our kids wouldn't be out of bed prior to 12 anyways. I'm of the opinion people just don't want to work very hard, kids and adults included and that's sad. While I do agree that most of them would sleep till 12 anyway, i think too many coaches use that excuse to start at 7-8 and work till 12.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 27, 2018 7:00:06 GMT -6
TO GET OFFERS COACH!! (Obvious sarcasm) I’m with you. I’m shocked a coach just said “I don’t want a kid who is out there for the fun of it”. Hold on. Hold on. Any statement can be taken out of context. No one wants a kid who is out there JUST to laugh or JUST to goof off or JUST to play the games. Football has to be fun, but if all you do is fun is then you probably won’t win much or teach much, and then football WON’T be fun. There just is a balance. We want the kid that plays football because it is MORE than fun. Not JUST fun. The kid that sacrifices, works hard, has commitment, discipline, plays for pride, competetion, and his teammates, etc. I could go on all day. And where the satisfcation and joy of having been apart of it all outweighs the “fun”. Just saying don’t crucify someone for a comment on the internet because we all know what he really means. I think... Yeah there’s always a context. I’m just saying it’s possible he’s one of the ones who call the kids who have part-time jobs selfish. Not saying him as an individual, and no it can’t be a big circle jerk everyday. It does take hard work.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 27, 2018 6:09:59 GMT -6
To each his own but I don’t want a kid who is out there for the fun of it. I want the kids who are going to have fun at it. We coaches need to make it fun. We don’t necessarily grind but we do get our kids on Tue, Wed and Thur from 8-12 in the morning. We get the kids in the weight room then speed and agility work and then football specific. We coach them hard but don’t kill them. This in your first sentence lies the problem. Football is a freaking game. Games are meant to be fun. If a kid is not out there to have fun and for the fun of it, then what the heck are we all doing? TO GET OFFERS COACH!! (Obvious sarcasm) I’m with you. I’m shocked a coach just said “I don’t want a kid who is out there for the fun of it”.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 27, 2018 6:06:21 GMT -6
Way too many people simply waste time just to inflate their ego. They'll take 2 hours or actual work, stretch it into 6+ and then brag about it. And it sounds good. Because it sounds like you're super committed. And you don't win rings unless you're committed. And everybody wants rings. And it's all bull. 100% bull. Former HC would have workouts at 6AM and 6PM. Would not go home between them. When he was fired I remember him saying no ones going to be up there as much as he was. Never mind he never came to practice..
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 26, 2018 7:25:45 GMT -6
A few other things are just as guilty as well -7 vs 7 tournaments -Concussion hysteria -Insane parents -Cell phone/social media controlling lives It’s all kind of a perfect storm and as a result you’re seeing declining numbers. Fortunately, football is the best team sport EVER invented and those that reap its benefits are bound to pay their experience forward, at least that’s why I became a coach. Eventually this cycle of BS will blow over and it’ll become as popular as it once was. The game is too resilient to die. Us as coaches just need to coach it smart and make sure we don’t allow politicians like the loons here in California to compromise it. I agree the game is not lost, nor are we in danger of losing it. I guess my point is. At what point is this going to rebound and how?
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 25, 2018 21:18:17 GMT -6
Who's gonna be the first to implement this "new fangled" way of thinking? Who's gonna be seen as a guy who let another coach "out work" him? I have coached teams in the past who could show up and put a couple of weeks of hard work in and be ready to go come that first scrimmage. I have also coached teams where we could have practiced 12 hours a day for months and they still wouldn't be able to get out of their own way. I agree, the arms race is killing the sport. Not only driving kids away, but I am sure every one knows that one or two coaches in your building who just say they don't want to do it anymore. Not only football, but other sports as well. It just seems that football is the worst offender. And I’m not saying I’m going to stop summer workouts because you have to keep up with your competition. Just see schools locally doing so much. We used to do an hour 4 days a week and we were in great shape. 21 110s under time. Those who disagree and think that you could go for 12 hours a day 5 days a week and the kids you want on your team would do it. That’s fine, but I do feel like a large portion of the coaches who go over 10 hours a week are just stroking their egos
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 25, 2018 20:40:18 GMT -6
I wouldn’t say anything about that and would tell the kid how much I admire his work ethic. Also if he was one of my best 11. He’s playing even if he couldn’t make it to my workouts. I agree. Just know so many coaches who would be like your old coach and would just move on.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 25, 2018 20:32:50 GMT -6
I think most of it is to feed the coaches ego. I’ll never forget my high school coach running off a 6’6” 300 pound guy. This kid was a genetic freak, but he came from a family that had a logging business. He’d still come to the summer workouts but sorta half assessed the running and conditioning, which I would too after working all damn day pulling cable up and down mountains hooking up chokers on logs. Our high school coach though couldn’t have that and kept chewing his ass till the ole boy told him where he could go. I currently coach in a community that seems to be 30 years in the past and we have a kid like this who isn’t at summer workouts because he is literally welding in Houston 12 hours a day. Like. What do you want me to say to that? Kids making more than I am.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 25, 2018 20:30:56 GMT -6
Is #GrindSeason killing basketball or baseball too? I think numbers are declining because football is difficult and it isn't easy to be successful. Football is dependent on strength speed and getting 11 players to do it right. When a program is down there is no one stud player that can change the whole season. Basketball and baseball can count on a small number of players and be successful. A football team can't have one star. Football teams can't win by scoring 1 run. A "game winner" in football needs either a successful series of plays, pass protection a good throw, a good catch, or some collection of events to work. A "game winner" in basketball could merely need an inbound and a quick flick of the wrist. I am not downgrading other sports, but summer basketball and baseball do just as much or more than a one or two hour work out 3 or 4 days a week. I don't work kids to death, but the kids that roll up in August and haven't done anything or tried to be a part of the team can just stay away. I am not #GrindSeason, but I am about kids who care. August guys don't give a rat's ass. Go have fun shooting the ball while we build around a group of dependable young men who have a goal of committing and being successful. No disrespect to your post, but weight lifting is important to being good at football and preventing injuries. It isn't unjust to ask kids to better themselves and their team. Kids play basketball and baseball all summer. My post was saying the kids who you are missing are the ones that traditionally did it for fun. If you want to successfully play football this day and age, it’s a year round sport, that you play no less than 10 games in. Football is difficult yes. Weights and conditioning make you better yes. But the most difficult part of football to the kids is all the time spent when a game is so far away. To prove my point to you. If your first day of football was the first day of school. Would you have more players on your team?
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 25, 2018 20:14:26 GMT -6
I have been thinking about this awhile. I graduated high school when the Grind season was beginning to start catching attention. It seems coaches have fallen into this as well. If you dont spend 18 hours a week in the summer at the field house, than you are not a committed coach. I have seen numerous threads talking about various things i'll mention in this thread. First, there was a thread months maybe years back talking about the declining numbers in football. I am currently coaching at a school where the numbers are in the lower 20s, and in the 80s and 90s they would be in the upper 30s to lower 40s. I am about to say something that either everybody wants to say, or nobody wants to hear. Most Summer workouts and Summer activities are killing off the classic football roster. Used to, kids would be able to show up for fall camp two weeks before school and be able to play. Kids would be able to be recruited to play during the first days of school. Kids played because it was something to do. Kids played because it was fun. Now, it has turned into a summer job for players. How many kids on your teams work the traditional summer jobs? Construction, Farms, etc. Talked to a coach today at a large school who said only 20% of their players even have part time jobs. The reason the numbers are declining is the kids who would play for fun are now being kicked off or bad mouthed by coaching staff. Today, if a kid chooses not to make football his life for four years, he's wasting his potential, or he is lazy. These are the players who do not play anymore. The number one thing I hear from a quitting football player is "I just want to focus on *insert sport here*". They say this because they were playing football out of boredom. Something to do in the fall. But since you want to spend 2-4 hours a day everyday in the summer, it is no longer worth it to those type of players to play. Thus, killing the large roster size, and the "every boy in the school plays football" era. Long story short, if a Kid is unwilling to make football his summer job, he doesnt play football anymore. I understand everyone is doing it, which makes you have to out work them or keep up with them to be successful, but at some point, you have to remind yourself that we are turning a generation from football. I think we have gone to far, and long for the time where kids were able to be kids, and football at this level was a sport and not a year round job. Back in the day a kid who had a part time job was considered enterprising. It was a good thing. Now, a lot of coaches consider it selfish. “You have your whole life to work!!”
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 25, 2018 19:58:08 GMT -6
I have been thinking about this awhile. I graduated high school when the Grind season was beginning to start catching attention. It seems coaches have fallen into this as well. If you dont spend 18 hours a week in the summer at the field house, than you are not a committed coach.
I have seen numerous threads talking about various things i'll mention in this thread. First, there was a thread months maybe years back talking about the declining numbers in football. I am currently coaching at a school where the numbers are in the lower 20s, and in the 80s and 90s they would be in the upper 30s to lower 40s. I am about to say something that either everybody wants to say, or nobody wants to hear.
Most Summer workouts and Summer activities are killing off the classic football roster. Used to, kids would be able to show up for fall camp two weeks before school and be able to play. Kids would be able to be recruited to play during the first days of school. Kids played because it was something to do. Kids played because it was fun.
Now, it has turned into a summer job for players. How many kids on your teams work the traditional summer jobs? Construction, Farms, etc. Talked to a coach today at a large school who said only 20% of their players even have part time jobs.
The reason the numbers are declining is the kids who would play for fun are now being kicked off or bad mouthed by coaching staff. Today, if a kid chooses not to make football his life for four years, he's wasting his potential, or he is lazy. These are the players who do not play anymore. The number one thing I hear from a quitting football player is "I just want to focus on *insert sport here*". They say this because they were playing football out of boredom. Something to do in the fall. But since you want to spend 2-4 hours a day everyday in the summer, it is no longer worth it to those type of players to play. Thus, killing the large roster size, and the "every boy in the school plays football" era.
Long story short, if a Kid is unwilling to make football his summer job, he doesnt play football anymore.
I understand everyone is doing it, which makes you have to out work them or keep up with them to be successful, but at some point, you have to remind yourself that we are turning a generation from football.
I think we have gone to far, and long for the time where kids were able to be kids, and football at this level was a sport and not a year round job.
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Post by throwahitch on Jun 13, 2018 21:00:50 GMT -6
Maybe somebody can create a google drive of initials and abbreviations and share with everybody? Yeah, my players have been saying “it’s lit” a lot, and I was just wondering if that was an acronym for something inappropriate because that always laugh when they say it.
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Post by throwahitch on Mar 9, 2018 7:32:49 GMT -6
So here's my issue....stay with me as long as possible. I start structured weight room every year on the first week of December and it runs throughout the school year and summer, as most programs do. I invite ALL (girls and boys) athletic programs to lift with us and offer to tailor their workouts to what ever the coach might want, specifically the in-season teams so that it might take some burden off of the head coach in concerning him/her self with training. I do this for 2 reasons: 1. I think that EVERY kid in our athletics program should be in the weight room and lifting properly with a structured program suited to their needs. 2. I want to take some burden off of our head coaches who are in-season or pre-season, as it's not that hard for me to work with their athletes when I'm off-season. All of that being said, I only have a few programs that take me up on the offer (girls soccer, girls softball, and girls basketball). None of the other sports lift on their own regardless of the time of year. That brings me to the first question: Why the crap wouldn't you want someone to train your athletes with absolutely NO extra effort, responsibility, or time required of you? I'm asking this because many of those in-season kids are MY football players. I want them to train, but their coaches won't let them train in-season (even if it's only twice a week.) ISSUE NUMBER 2. The varsity track coaches (boys and girls.. they co-coach both teams). Don't spend ONE SECOND with their athletes outside of their scheduled season until about 3 weeks before their first meet. At that point they approach the AD and tell him they want the weight room for themselves after school (3:00) until 4:45. Despite the fact that I fill out a yearly calendar and reserve the WR for after school lifting (for all sports) in advance. The AD has caved to this for the past 3 years (including this year) and told us that we're out. Here's my problem... I've been training my athletes (many of which are THEIR athletes) since November and now they want to demand the weight room to themselves 3 weeks before their season? To be clear, they're not doing this because they don't understand or because they're simply unaware...they're D-bags. Believe me, I have a million examples of how I know this, but I won't kill you with them here. So my next question is: Am I missing something and just not getting it? I think I may have been a little hasty when discussing this with our AD last week in stating that we have awful coaches who don't put any time or consideration into our school's athletics. I continued by telling him that they are paycheck hounds who have no idea how to approach athletics of any kind and that we'll always have mediocre to bad athletics as long as we have guys like this on staff. I don't want to come off whiny, but I'm sick of busting my pickle to put together a great program for our boys only to have other coaches pee on it with their garbage effort and habits. What to do? Opinions? Tell me I'm wrong. Plus the amount of asshats out there who think that the weight room makes their players slow and unathletic. Seriously have family members who’s children play top notch state championships the whole nine. When I said they’d really fill out if we got them in the weight room their response was “yeah but we want him to be able to move”.
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Post by throwahitch on Feb 28, 2018 19:12:29 GMT -6
A blocking sled is something that I’ve found to be a pretty needed part of a school. Any one have a good replacement for this?
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Post by throwahitch on Feb 28, 2018 19:07:06 GMT -6
What are some ways you guys bribe some managers to come out if you don’t have enough for daily and game day duties?
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 31, 2017 9:37:17 GMT -6
I am sure that no coach in the history of coaching has ever felt like they needed to be replaced, or that they werent doing a good job. That being said, on the outside looking in, do you think having a program for over 4 years, around the same talent level for years. You have won 5 games in 5 years. They were better before you came in, and it always looks disorganized. Would you say its time to go?
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 26, 2017 13:54:01 GMT -6
So if a teacher emails you and says Johhny hasn't been to my 3rd period class all week. No consequence? I will be glad to help the teacher and admin out. I will be glad to give the kid bear crawls for missed work, misbehavior, and missing class. But, that teacher should be emailing the admin and parents if Johnny hasn't been in 3rd period all week. I/m for helping, not doing their job. Exactly. Treat the players as you do every other student.
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 26, 2017 13:09:23 GMT -6
What do you guys do about kids who miss all or parts of school day but then come to practice? To put it bluntly, it only becomes my problem when they don't come to practice. As a player under a good program. It was unacceptable to miss practice. You did your dr appointments, drivers license, etc during school. You didnt miss practice.
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 24, 2017 13:48:15 GMT -6
Make sure to include the feeder school or junior high. I think it is easier to start with younger kids and indoctrinate them. K-12th school
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 24, 2017 11:32:36 GMT -6
Looking into next season. What goes into killing the idea that the players can miss practice. That effort isn’t important. To get parents to stop scheduling appointments during practice times. To get kids to summer workouts/ 7on7. What is your advice to getting these problems fixed in the best way possible in a place where two things have happened
1st Head Coach (school was built in the 80s or 90s). Good coach.... but extremely old school. Like to the point he didn’t believe in summer workouts. It finally caught up with the guy in like 2011. Principal was anti sports hires a guy who was a JR high coach somewhere and that guy has been operating the program like a JR high program for the last 5 years. Things have went really down hill. Lost kids to the point they lowered the classification. Still have crazy speed and size. New principle has come in. She wants things to be fixed. Very pro sports. Husband was a coach. She was a coach. So what’s your ideas on fixing this situation going forward when it’s all the program has known.
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 24, 2017 11:24:38 GMT -6
Encouraging kids not to play next season. Leaving things a mess on purpose. Allowing kids to miss practice. Just seems he’s trying to make it more of an uphill battle for the new guy.
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 24, 2017 9:28:33 GMT -6
Ever seen anything like this?
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 15, 2017 15:55:37 GMT -6
Hey everyone, I have been out of coaching high school ball for a couple years now because of grad school, but I want to get back into it after I graduate. I know this is a touchy subject, but it's something I really want to discuss, because it is personal to me, and I think it is important to talk about. Since I left coaching, I have come out of the closet as bisexual. I also do a lot of volunteer work for the LGBTQ+ community in my area, and am a big advocate for including the younger community in athletics. If I do get back into coaching, I do not intend to lie about my identity, but I'm not going to centralize or highlight it either, because it is not relevant to my coaching duties or abilities. I wanted to see a discussion here on where the world of K-12 football coaching is on having LGBTQ+ coaches and players. Where are we in the coaching world? What factors stand out more in different areas and age groups? Do you have any co-coaches or players that are part of the community (or are you yourself)? What has your experience been? What needs to be done still to make the game more inclusive? What decisions/actions would, your school, or your program make in matters that involve LGBTQ+ players and coaches? Your best bet, is not to lie. Its not to bring it up. Let me elaborate. I do not talk about my sexual endeavors to anyone in the football world that I am in. Its not discussed, and neither are the relationships I am in. Anyone of any orientation talking about their relationships get on my nerves. Coach, and take care of your business. Granted, if you get caught out in public with a man, youre going to get in hot water with the fundamental Christians.
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 11, 2017 8:28:32 GMT -6
We have a ton of injuries and only dressed 30 kids for varsity last week... we have been doing longer film sessions and way shorter practices to try and reduce injuries during the week so we can field a team on Friday night... but we watch film with a purpose and we teach what we would try and teach at practice with the film. I cutup full college games I find online and we tag them with what we call the plays in our offense. If we need work on Power, we pull up some college teams running power and show them good examples and bad examples, and WHY. It isn't a waste of time if it is done right. The program we are at, kids literally know nothing about football. We had to sit them all down the night before our first varsity game this week and explain what a safety was because we practiced taking one during our Thursday walkthru and the kids all started yelling at us that you don't kick from the 20... FML If the coach just wants out, that isn't right, but watching film shouldn't be a "waste of time" either. It is when he and half our kids are asleep.
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Post by throwahitch on Oct 10, 2017 9:26:07 GMT -6
Okay, so no joke here. We have been watching a ton of film lately. Like giving up valuable coaching and practice time to watch film. Our HC has been dying to get in the film room. I dont think theres much of a point in watching it as much as we have. He sends me up to the classroom we watch it in while he gets the "stragglers". I start to go over it AGAIN and its 35 minutes and still no HC. Found out hes tired of practice and ready for the season to be over. This guy became a HC before me, and I WORK FOR HIM?! *sigh* I want to quit but if I do all the kids will quit.
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