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Post by cwaltsmith on Apr 4, 2017 7:32:39 GMT -6
We start every offseason with a white tshirt and solid shorts inn what ever color you decide. Players can get both for less than 10 dollars at Walmart. We have bought them before when funds were available. The team gear is earned through attendance and gains in wieght room. When new stuff is earned player can wear it or the white shirt.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Mar 23, 2017 10:10:28 GMT -6
I think coaches over coach or think like a coach entirely too much. This is a little different than your situation and I dont wanna high jack the thread but its along the same lines. I think as coaches we try to scheme and be smart way to much. My dad has been in the box on the headset with me since I got first HC job. Its not bc hes a guru that can disect defenses or tell me where the 3 tech is. His job was to be the guy at home watching the game. He might say he stupid, your RB that is averaging 8 yds per carry hasnt ran the ball in 9 plays. Or I might be running the ball down someones throat and the coach in me thinks hey this is good time to play action (which isnt completely wrong), but he would kindly remind me to don't fix what aint broke and continue to run ball.
Agree with young guys being to knee jerk as well. A ballgame is long. 1 missed block in the 1st quarter will not decide a game
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Post by cwaltsmith on Mar 23, 2017 8:32:24 GMT -6
I try to keep a kid in spot he wants to play bc I feel that he will work harder. I understand your predicament, I think you should try to get your best 4 or 5 players the ball some. If he is one of those 4 or 5 then move him where he can get it. If he isnt leave him at gaurd. If he isnt one of your best 4 or 5 then the next level isnt a concern. After putting the best 4 or 5 where they can get the ball, fill in the others with your best 6 or 7 left. Get your best guys on the field.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Mar 22, 2017 9:32:18 GMT -6
I impressed the importance of practice upon our kids by telling them that I knew we would have some bad practices during the season, but it wasn't going to be today, because we were going to get two good hours of practice in even if it took us six.
That seemed to have a positive effect on their concentration and effort.
We also told them that if it wasn't important we wouldn't be doing it, and the most important thing in the program was whatever we were doing at the time. I wonder how many practices would change if this was truely every coaches outlook. I think it should be!... It seems alot of times that coaches conduct practice like its always been conducted simply bc thats the ways its always been done. Whatever is the most important thing should be worked on until you as the coach are satisfied and then move on down the line. I think practices would change drastically if more coaches would take this approach
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Post by cwaltsmith on Mar 22, 2017 7:28:20 GMT -6
I hate it... I recieved a letter from a parent of a band member 2 yrs ago bc I continued coaching and talking to my players while an opponent was cramping. Letter said she was ashamed that I was teaching my players such disrespect. My 11 yr old son refuses to do it. I love him for it lol!!!
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Post by cwaltsmith on Feb 22, 2017 9:18:10 GMT -6
We started going 8 years ago when my kids were 6 and just turned 3 ... 3 is the absolute youngest I would try and prolly woulda waited a year lol but it was fun. We have now been 5 times. I LOVE IT!!! Im a big kid myself but watching the kids is awesome. We are 12-13 hours away and we have flown all but once. I suggest flying but driving is doable if you do it while little ones are slepping in the back. www.allears.net is the best prep site I have found. It is mostly done by moms who go alot. Tons of tips for everything about the trip. Hope you enjoy as much as I have.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Feb 22, 2017 9:08:13 GMT -6
Ditto. Every taste I've gotten has made me just that much more eager. why? to repeat everyone that has been there, brother its a title. and it goes with alot of hats. if it were just coaching monday thru saturday from 3-5 and games thrusdays and fridays, it would be awesome. but its much, much more than that. that title under your email signature, Head Football Coach, seems really cool and all that. until you realize its a daily chore for 52 weeks a year and the off time as an assistant you get is like gold when your the boss. becuase there isnt any off time. even on a weeks vacation, your phone is glued to your hip and answering texts, promoting program, calling coaches about players. etc....... there is so much more to it than just being the HFC. The why for me.... Bc its what I was called to do I believe. Nothing wrong with feeling called to be a lifetime asst. I enjoy being the guy. Some of it I hate yes, but mostly I love the grind. And as far as all of the off field stuff, I deligate some of that stuff. For instance, at my last job, I had an asst that was super organized and prolly woulda been an accountant if it was more exciting. He did all my collections for me. He loved it. I knew he would do it correctly and I cut him breaks in other areas bc he did it. You dont have to do everything yourself as HC.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Feb 21, 2017 8:38:04 GMT -6
Good stuff. Im an intense guy. I have learned that over the last 10 years, kids mental state have changed. When my coach got in my butt, it made me trying harder to please and bare down more. Kids today (alot of them) have never been yelled at in their entire life. They dont know how to handle it and they shut down. Coaching is not the same today as it was 10 to 15 years ago.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Feb 15, 2017 12:25:32 GMT -6
You need those role players that come from the 2 yearr JV guys... You possibly could still have them but I believe football is the greatest bc it has more people involved. Also it allows you to help more kids. The majority of guys arent gonna be all state or go to play in college. Football is the best teacher of life there is ... JV allows chance to impact more young men in a positive life shaping manner.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Feb 14, 2017 7:58:45 GMT -6
I loved week 10 off ... Helped heal all the little nicks from the grind of a long season right before playoffs
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Post by cwaltsmith on Feb 10, 2017 8:08:26 GMT -6
I was watching a youtube video on modern military training and it's effect on PTSD... Basically the speaker explained that throughout history a big issue in war is the psychology of killing another human being. He claimed that throughout history only 1/4 of troops have fired their weapon at an enemy when it came time to engage. He points out a common issue during the Civil War was the "paralysis of the trigger finger hand" Basically, soldiers would choke up at the point of attack and "miss their assignment" He theorizes that the few that do kill, do it for a few reasons: 1 They are simply a psychopath and are psychologically inclined to kill 2 They do it out of fear for their own lives 3 They do it out of love for their fellow soldiers (or family in the case of home invasion/crime) 4 or simply due to modern training that makes killing into second nature i.e. I see the target, I hit the target rather than I see the target, I over think the situation, I miss the target His point was that to create more efficient soldiers the U.S. military has used "Skinnierian Psychology" Skinner came up with: operant conditioning -- the idea that behavior is determined by its consequences, be they reinforcements or punishments, which make it more or less likely that the behavior will occur again The military did this with soldiers in order to teach them to kill as natural reaction to seeing the target Even though you really aren't suppose to compare football to war, I see a lot of similarities Think about it in terms of game day. On both sides of the field (you and the opponent_ What percentage of the players on the field know the entire gameplan and are able to execute it majority of the time? What percentage of the players know majority of the scheme but still choke 50% of the time? How many kids are just surviving? Whether they are on the field due to injury or by default numbers They just show up on game day, have the "deer in the headlights look" and are just going through the motions hoping the clock runs out? We all have our "dudes" These guys are our "psychopaths" who just have the "it" factor when it comes to football or have been playing since they are 7 and have learned it over time. As lower level football is, we don't have 33+ "dudes" for Offense, Defense, and Special teams to go around This brings me to "everyone else" "Everyone else" is the type to get "choked up" due to their psychology They know the scheme, but will simply over think things or the game day jitters will get to them Or they simply are afraid to play and "playing out of fear" "Everyone else" makes up the rest of the team and we need to fix them to the best of our ability We combat this through two things 1 Team/ Culture building aka "killing out of 'love' ", they bond with each other and WANT to get better, for the team. 2 (and more important) Through repetition that will make the game of football into a second nature. This way when game day comes there is no thinking involved, they may be nervous before kick off, but once they step onto the field its just time to do what they do. These are things we need to take into consideration throughout the season. Before the season we need to create and effectively plan to teach a scheme that the "lowest common denominator" can do During the season we need to drill the Techniques and Reads to the point where the worst player on the field can get by through the reactions conditioned in practice This way come game day: The "dudes" have their skills and reads refined in order to "make the big plays" i.e. score TD's, make the most tackles, etc. The average players can play their role and limit mistakes and when the "bottom of the barrel" players find themselves on the field they are at least going executing the scheme through muscle memory even though they are still only "surviving" Here is the video in case you were interested in watching: Im not sure about the training holding up... But I think this is a great explanation of what goes on on your average Friday Night. The teams that win are the teams that find a way to get those survivors to perform the best. Now every now and then a team has a RAMBO that takes over, but i like the analogy
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Post by cwaltsmith on Feb 7, 2017 8:34:26 GMT -6
We tell our Scout OLINE to hold like crazy. The defense cries terribly, but they get held by better players on friday so it teaches them to over come. Plus it gives scout an edge to make up for talent
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Post by cwaltsmith on Feb 3, 2017 8:31:04 GMT -6
I agree that talent is relevant, however, There are some things that that big boys do that I cant do. For instance, Bama can sit there safety at 12 and buzz on the snap come down on the run bc he runs a 4.4 and can get to the LOS. My safety runs a 4.9 so I would have to play him at 8 and thus risk giving up deep pass. I listened to Mickey Andrews once on coverages. He talked about taking your best cover guy and letting him shut 1 side of field down and rolling coverage other way. I am not gonna have that guy most years. Thats why I like Glazier & this site. Several preakers that deal with stuff I do on daily basis.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Feb 1, 2017 8:41:54 GMT -6
I wanted our kids (10 kid Leadership Council) to come up with them (or feel like they did) if they come from them then it improves the buy in i did a little suggestive psychology to steer them in the direction i wanted they gave me their top 5 on ballots and i added them up to get the winners ended up getting the 5 that i had already mapped out after reading Coach jackson's book Monday - Energy Tuesday - Competition Wednesday - Toughness Thursday - Family Friday - Finish I have them printed up on paper hanging up in my classroom (where most of the team spends lunch) and in 2 spots in the weight room This is just a rough thing for now, going to have them printed up nice on bigger poster style paper so they can really look nice and POP off the wall I really like the 1 for each day and make that your focus!
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Post by cwaltsmith on Jan 30, 2017 8:28:58 GMT -6
I have a GAMEDAY list that divies out jobs that have to be done for games and after. But I think what your asking is housekeeping things. I usually have 1 asst that handles the equipment issues. I had one guy that was my money collector. Then I would try to spread the other things out. For instance we sold popcorn one spring and I had one guy who held it all and gave it out. We usually would divide the lockeroom up and be in charge of x number of lockers each for clean check purposes. As HC you have to control and be hands on in alot of areas. delegating as much as possible really helps your stress level
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Post by cwaltsmith on Jan 20, 2017 8:55:33 GMT -6
1.) Bc I love talking football. I like to see how my idea stack up and compare to others. I like to know the why.
2.) No. There are no secrets. Everything has been done. Its all about tweeking it and getting it the fit your people and disguising it.
3.) I agree that this is more about organization of thoughts.
THIS BOARD IS THE BEST THING IN COACHING FOOTBALL!!!!!
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Post by cwaltsmith on Jan 17, 2017 8:41:36 GMT -6
I think it is hugely important to have "SOME" success in year 1. Its not always possible, & building a good program can happpen without doing it. In todays landscape, you dont have long to prove your the right fit. Early success helps bring excitement and buy in to what you are trying to do. I do agree with BLB tho... dont sell you core beliefs out to keep a kid that might help you win a game or 2 that first year, bc it will cost you down the road. Set examples early, but winning early does help IMHO.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Jan 3, 2017 9:42:47 GMT -6
I feel combo blocks are tough at the high school level. Not nessecarily hard to teach, we teach the heck out of it daily, but hard to master or execute properly which falls back to teaching. Hogh school OLinemen aren't always super athletic. I feel this is one factoor that makes it tough. Some guys I know don't even teach them, they simply stay on the double team. Anyone else have problems with this and if so what helps.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Nov 18, 2016 11:02:04 GMT -6
To me you have to have 3 coaches to be successful teaching fundamentals at all. Hopefully you get to have more. Here is how I break it down...
HC OC DC OLINE TE/HB WR RB QB DLINE ILB OLB DB
youcould combine a number of these responsibilities depending on how many you have and what you run. Also unless you practice seperately you need 2 coaches that coordinate the frosh and 2 for JV to be ideal
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Post by cwaltsmith on Nov 14, 2016 9:40:18 GMT -6
what will your 2 way players do? Im a little confused by question... We will do kickoff return, then offensive team vs scout for x number of plays, then extra point, then kickoff team, then team defense vs scout for x number of plays, then punt return or block, then off team again, then punt, then defense team, then fg block, then kickoff return, then team offense, ...the theory is that it would keep kids moving and keep tempo of practice from getting stale. If we are in team offense and need to look at something we will stop and look at it but try to limit those occurances. I agree, it will take lots of planning and attention to making sure we dont lose reps, but I believe the energy will be better and more kids will stay attentive in during team.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Nov 14, 2016 8:18:40 GMT -6
I am planning to change completely the flow of practice. Forever, we go kicking... off indy... off groups... off team...kicking...Def indy... def groups... def team... conditioning. We are looking at running the majority of practice like a simulated game. Doing indy for both sides to start on monday and tuesday, then simulated a game. We are gonna script the results so we get everything covered, but no more 30 minutes of kids standing on side watching during team periods. At first this will take a little extra time, but we are hoping it helps with getting kids in field for sp teams, hoping also it helps cut down on the standing around. We plan to do indy at the end on wednesday so that we can fix what we need to based off of what we struggled with in practice. Also plan to end every practice with some kind of end of the game situation. ie hail mary off/def... taking knee, taking safety, 2 minute drill, tight punt, etc....Any thought on how we could make this better would be welcomed. Are you a two platoon system? No not completely...
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Post by cwaltsmith on Nov 11, 2016 13:29:42 GMT -6
Thats the stuff we have to workout. It would be the same as team but just in short spurts and switching which team is out there more... The change over time will be more ... good thoughts
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Post by cwaltsmith on Nov 11, 2016 8:36:08 GMT -6
I am planning to change completely the flow of practice. Forever, we go kicking... off indy... off groups... off team...kicking...Def indy... def groups... def team... conditioning. We are looking at running the majority of practice like a simulated game. Doing indy for both sides to start on monday and tuesday, then simulated a game. We are gonna script the results so we get everything covered, but no more 30 minutes of kids standing on side watching during team periods. At first this will take a little extra time, but we are hoping it helps with getting kids in field for sp teams, hoping also it helps cut down on the standing around. We plan to do indy at the end on wednesday so that we can fix what we need to based off of what we struggled with in practice. Also plan to end every practice with some kind of end of the game situation. ie hail mary off/def... taking knee, taking safety, 2 minute drill, tight punt, etc....Any thought on how we could make this better would be welcomed.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Nov 10, 2016 8:26:40 GMT -6
I give out an assignment sheet every year before the first game. This will include all pre and post game duties and places to be. It will also include what to do during the game (special teams subs, equipment problems, medical problems, etc). Don't ever assume someone knows what you want.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Oct 20, 2016 7:23:27 GMT -6
I agree it cant always be dog and pony show, but I do think its good to have fun some... But I love the end of game situations... End everyday with some kind of end of game situation.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Sept 1, 2016 11:15:20 GMT -6
We have been struggling to keep intensity during our practices the last 2 weeks. The other day we basically ended with a Head/Heart Simon Says that the kids loved and got excited for at the end of practice. I tried something different yesterday, but we ended up being flat again. I prefer to end on an up note and the kids do too. I know that can't be every day, but I'm curious what other teams do. What is something your team does to wrap up practice on an upbeat note? Sorry if im being ignorant here but explain your head/heart simon says. I love the idea of end of game senarios but also wanna do some fun stuff as well.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Aug 30, 2016 11:32:55 GMT -6
Field... I like to get a feel for the game and players, can make adjustments faster, and I like to look those kids in the eyes and see which one I wanna depend on in crunch time.
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Cramps
Aug 29, 2016 9:57:33 GMT -6
Post by cwaltsmith on Aug 29, 2016 9:57:33 GMT -6
Id swear by pickle juice. There is a company out of Texas I think that sells a bottled sports drink containing it, but I started buying jars of pickles, and it works same. Have kids chase it with gatorade or whatever for taste. Research it. Some believe its the sodium content, and new studies have shown that it causes neurological reactions in the brain that stop cramps as well.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Aug 25, 2016 7:42:48 GMT -6
We did a thing this year that I thought was great. We scripted kicks all over the field and took 15 minutes. We got 35 kicks in in 15 minutes and used it as conditioning and getting on and off the field.
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Post by cwaltsmith on Apr 18, 2016 7:59:20 GMT -6
I'm in Tennessee and we started playing Frosh & JV games back to back on Monday nights last year. I loved it.
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