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Post by NC1974 on Jul 10, 2017 21:16:16 GMT -6
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Post by NC1974 on Jul 5, 2017 21:38:31 GMT -6
There are behaviors that could be considered "grooming" behavior, in which a predator is trying to make a prospective victim feel special. Thankfully, I've never had direct experience with this. I do think programs should have clear expectations for coaches' behavior to make sure predators don't have easy access AND to make sure good coaches don't get accused of being something they are not. Just some basic expectations that I have seen over the years:
- never be alone with one player/student in a closed office or room - don't have kids over to your house (unless it's all kids and multiple adults/coaches) - don't carry on private email/text conversations with individuals, instead use all team messages
These are just a few and may or may not fit every situation.
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Post by NC1974 on May 22, 2017 7:09:55 GMT -6
Society is always changing and there are pros and cons. In regards to the "what is said in the locker room, stays in the locker room":
cons:
-kids might seem to be less loyal to the program at times -maybe gossip has become more of a problem -maybe parents have more influence than they should have
pros: -it's harder today for a bad coach/coaching staff to get away with blatant abuse of power -as a player, I heard/saw coaches (a minority of them for sure) say and do things to players that were clearly wrong and in some cases criminal....and everyone just kept their mouths shut about it -If anyone is familiar with the Lake Zurich scandal in Illinois, it's an extreme example of how bad things can result from a "what is said in the locker room stays in the locker room" culture.
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Post by NC1974 on May 6, 2017 10:06:47 GMT -6
I'm sure I'll take some flack for this, but I think this is a sign that we have made football way too important in some areas. I love football, hope to coach it into my old age, but priorities seem off here. Shouldn't the number one goal be having good educators in the classroom? Shouldn't everything else be secondary? Why would you want to get rid of a good teacher because he can no longer make the huge time commitment, after he has given you several years of dedicated service. Shouldn't we ask why these accomplished coaches are stepping down after 4,5,8 years? Is it possible that it is partially due to the arms race that has slowly turned a fall sport into a year round rat race? 7 v7s, satellite camps, watching 12 -16 hours of scout game film on weekends (i read that one on here), allowing parents to pressure AD's into making changes because they're unhappy with the way tings are being run, firing coaches for not making it to the playoffs etc. It seems the author, and maybe some of the coaches posting here, don't hold in high regard what goes on the classroom.
All of that being said, I can see how the problem he describes is real. I just think the answer is to recalibrate what we want out of football. I wonder how many coaches would step down if there wasn't such an intense pressure to win, outwork other staffs, etc.
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Post by NC1974 on Feb 12, 2017 21:25:43 GMT -6
The best lectures are those that are interactive. Listening to the lecture at home means it is NOT interactive and thus less engaging. The problem is that few teachers are capable of being engaging with lectures, so we promote flipping the classroom because it is something even poor/novice teachers can do- this allows all teachers to be on the same level (in other words levels the playing field by dulling the diamonds) so no child can get ahead of others simply because he has a better teacher. In regards to football, how much time do we actually lecture our players? If I am introducing new material or teaching them I prefer it is to be done in an interactive manner (heck even film or scouting report breakdowns). Not to mention, unless we are cutting out practice time to do this, we are taking up even more time from our players for football. Consider how much time you need to get the job done. This is a very unique view of flipping the classroom. I'll offer another view. It's a chance to use class time for application as opposed to lecture. So for instance in math, where a teacher might teach a new concept in class and then assign the kids 10 problems for hw, now they do those problems in class where the teacher is there to help.
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Post by NC1974 on Feb 9, 2017 14:47:25 GMT -6
Or is it similar to DIII where they offer financial aid packages?
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Post by NC1974 on Jan 17, 2017 16:53:00 GMT -6
Could be entitlement culture, could be parents that are too involved and breathing down their necks, but this seems to be something where we could possibly have a positive influence by educating these kids how to react more appropriately.
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Post by NC1974 on Jan 17, 2017 11:50:37 GMT -6
I think that this and the Iowa story should be a cautionary tale for coaches who are considering mat drills and boot camp type activities. In both cases, the players affected were mainly young guys, just back from an extended winter break (no bowl game), and participated in workouts designed to show that the program was going to get tougher. I think that you have to be smarter than that. I'm not against some boot camp stuff- in fact I like them- but you do need to establish a base of conditioning before you get to the really hard stuff. I completely agree. I think this is even more true with high school kids who are minors. If I were in charge of a program, I would want to be able to demonstrate to parents, lawyers, etc, that we safely ramp up our intensity in the weight room through periodization and careful planning.
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Post by NC1974 on Jan 17, 2017 8:41:37 GMT -6
Well, Now I'm wondering if Radcliffe was involved at all. He is the long time S&C guy there but apparently the new HC brought in someone as well.
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Post by NC1974 on Jan 16, 2017 22:06:54 GMT -6
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Post by NC1974 on Jan 11, 2017 13:22:55 GMT -6
I assumed the offensive parts were: -the part about guys wearing earings because they want to be women -implying that these young men grow up wanting to be like their mothers Incidentally, it has been my experience that single mothers are some of the toughest, fiercest individuals in this world and I mean that as a compliment I certainly have nothing against fathers...I am one . But I have to admit I felt that he was implying that women are too weak too raise sons on their own.
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Post by NC1974 on Jan 4, 2017 10:53:41 GMT -6
For you guys who play music at practice or in weight room, do you have any rules about language?
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Post by NC1974 on Dec 20, 2016 12:51:26 GMT -6
The NCAA has willingly helped turned big time Football in to a cash cow of a business. These types of decisions come with territory. I will never fault a 20-22 yr old kid for making a decision like this. Just another reason why it's hard to compare big time college football to high school football.
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Post by NC1974 on Dec 8, 2016 8:34:57 GMT -6
I try to follow the same advice I give my students: If you are using social media, groups like this, even school email (FOIA), you should assume anything you write can end up public. Even if you have your settings set to private, screen shots etc, are a threat. I think what happened to DCOhio stinks, but the lesson I'm seeing is you need to treat the internet as a public forum. I'm definitely not judging, or saying that I always follow my advice. This thing has caused me to reevaluate what I post here and other places. Like others, I gave a Facebook account, set to private, but I'm even re-thinking that. Not that there is anything scandalous, but probably some stuff that some would feel is inappropriate. This is the world we live in. If we wouldn't say it out loud in front of administrators, parents, etc, we probably shouldn't say it online...because of how easily it can become public. Now I have to go dig trough my old posts
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Dcohio?
Dec 6, 2016 11:49:30 GMT -6
Post by NC1974 on Dec 6, 2016 11:49:30 GMT -6
I have zero knowledge of this situation so this is just my opinion. But the simplest explanations as to how this info got out are:
1) Someone who frequents this board (another coach or enthusiast) shared this info with them. Could have been innocently done, or there could have been an agenda
2) I don't know if DCOhio used the same handle for other things like twitter,but if so, is it possible that someone who knew his twitter did a google search for his handle and hit on Huey? I don;t know enough about technology to know if that would happen
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Post by NC1974 on Oct 30, 2016 10:38:22 GMT -6
I think a lot of this comes back to the values and themes that you try to instill in the off season. I think your question fits well with these other questions:
-how do we keep our kids playing hard when we're up big? -how do we keep our kids playing hard when we're down big? -how do we keep our kids playing hard when were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs but still have two games left?
So it come down to "why are we doing this"? If the answer is just "to win" there are going to be scenarios where that incentive isn't enough. If the answer is "to get to the playoffs", there will be scenarios where that isn't enough.
So the answer, as mentioned by 44DL, has to be about us and how we do things, the process. Not about our opponent, not about the playoffs, etc.
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Post by NC1974 on Oct 29, 2016 14:00:36 GMT -6
So what is the rule interpretation on swiping at the ball before it's snapped. Did the refs feel that the snap had started before the DL swiped it on the one they ruled a turnover?
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Post by NC1974 on Oct 25, 2016 21:06:52 GMT -6
We film every practice and make notes on corrections via Hudl that night no later than 9 pm and expect our kids to watch before the next practice. As the oline/dline coach I spend the first 5-10 minutes of indy making the corrections before we roll into our daily drills. Thanks for the responses guys. Georgefred86, when you say you spend the first 5-10 minutes of indy making corrections, do you do this on the field and just refer to the film?
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Post by NC1974 on Oct 25, 2016 6:16:42 GMT -6
Looking for some ideas on the most efficient way to watch practice film. The best way I've seen is to watch yesterday's practice film during athletic period. The downside to this is not all coaches can necessarily be there due to teaching responsibilities and not all schools have an athletic period.
So how do people without athletic periods watch yesterday's film? Does anyone shave a little time off of field time for this? I'd love to hear how others schedule this.
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Post by NC1974 on Sept 26, 2016 12:22:32 GMT -6
season goes on?
I recently heard a very successful coach say that they only spend about 1 hour and 15 minutes on the field as they get deeper into the season. They dedicate more time to film and weights. Does anyone else do this? Thoughts on pros and cons?
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Post by NC1974 on Sept 14, 2016 17:28:28 GMT -6
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Post by NC1974 on Sept 8, 2016 8:01:34 GMT -6
I definitely understand that things slip. I also see a big difference between cursing in general and cursing directly at a kid. My take is we are supposed to be modelling appropriate behavior. So why curse at all (and again I get that we all slip up)?
Now, I do believe that there are some coaches who believe they have to use this language to motivate their players. I think that's a cop out.
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Post by NC1974 on Sept 2, 2016 12:03:17 GMT -6
I believe the whole "running up the score" thing leaves a lot of room for debate. Can definitely be argued both ways. The picture thing, I guess I would have to have been there.
I will say this about the picture thing. It sounds like you feel good because you were able to stick it to the coach. And he might have deserved it. The problem is, you've made it all about you and him. There are likely players, parents, spectators, who don't know the history, who now think less of you because of your actions. Now I'm not judging, because I've been guilty of things like this. But the thing is, I never really feel good about myself when I do something like this. The petty satisfaction is fleeting.
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Post by NC1974 on Aug 8, 2016 16:00:48 GMT -6
I'm conflicted on this one. I can see the possible pitfalls of letting them go home, but I also think this can in some cases be another example of football coaches being control freaks. In some cases, I think kids, and maybe even assistant coaches can start to resent all of the extra time that can be piled on.
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Post by NC1974 on Jul 31, 2016 11:42:37 GMT -6
I liked the show because it has a raw feel to it. It's not a Hollywood documentary, it's a true, behind-the-scenes look at the program and the players. Initially, I did wonder if the HC was taking on the role of Bud Kilmer because he is dealing with a difficult group of players.. BUT, a few episodes in, he shows absolutely NO empathy for the DL who claimed to have a concussion and didn't show up to practice or class. THAT bothers me in a big way because he was an absolute tool about the situation. I don't care if the kid is a flake or a diva, I'm going to try and have chat with the young man, not sit around and run my mouth about him. I also have a difficult time listening to their QB coach's commentary on concussions.. We walk a fine line this day and age when it comes to that issue and I don't care to hear a college level coach state that he's cognitive and emotional issues that resulted from concussions but wouldn't give it up because of his love for the game. To me, that sends the wrong message to both sides of the fences. Those folks that feel that football is too dangerous just got confirmation that a coach at a high level is basically an idiot. Those on the other side are going to be fueled by his comments and potentially put themselves or their kids in a bad medical situation. I agree about the concussion thing. The HC was basically telling that recruiter that he didn't think the kid had a a concussion. And then we hear via the academic adviser reading a text from him that the coach had called him out about faking it. Not knowing everything that went on, I don't want to be too judgemental. Interesting note about the QB coach, he played at WV and is the son of Rick Trickett, who I personally think is one of the best OL coaches around.
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Post by NC1974 on Jul 30, 2016 14:06:31 GMT -6
I really liked it. Felt like it showed a lot of the good and bad. Without spoiling anything, these are some philosophical questions that I think we deal with at the HS level as well
- Where do coaches draw the line between helping and enabling? Many of these guys got handheld through their academics. Is that helping them in the long run?
-Should there be a more accessible route to the NFL for guys who are unable or unwilling to meet the academic requirements of big time college football?
- The academic advisor clearly seemed to have her heart in the right place, but I found myself wondering if other JUCOs might use some of the kids without caring much if they get eligible for the next level
- I'd love to hear some thoughts on the professionalism and ethics of the coaches and opposing coaches. I feel like we saw some commendable action along with some unprofessional stuff.
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Post by NC1974 on Jul 7, 2016 13:14:50 GMT -6
Just read the GQ article that I guess was the inspiration for the documentary. Really interesting www.gq.com/story/last-chance-universityA few things jumped out at me: - One coach in the article points out there are only two places where you can coach D1 players: D1, and this JUCO league - I don't know if I agree with some of the hand holding that goes on "walking them to class, making sure they stay in class" but I guess it would be rewarding if some of those guys are able to turn their lives around. - this entire situation seems ripe for corruption - I wish the article went into more detail into the finances, do they give financial aid? etc? -I want to find out more about what happened to Chad Kelly at Clemson. The article makes it sound like he got shipped out after getting in the HC's face at a spring game. Would an HC really cut a kid for just that? If so, I admire Sweeney for running a tight ship, but on the other hand, that doesn't seem like a fireable offense.
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Post by NC1974 on Jun 8, 2016 11:29:45 GMT -6
This is a tough one. It takes a lot of maturity to talk about stuff like this and many high school guys I think naturally are uncomfortable with it. Personally, I think it comes down to the coaches first, and then players having clear expectations for ACTIONS i.e. show up on time/early, finish every drill by running through the cone, pursuing to a whistle.
I think it gets a little harder when you start looking at a kid's personality traits or nonverbals as indicators of how committed they are to a team. There are so many different personality types:
-The kid who acts cool or aloof off of the field, but busts his a$$ on the field -Or the kid that says all the right things and is really rah rah, but doesn't always give full efffort.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's good to demand certain basics: i.e. eye contact, answering yes,no as opposed to huh, yeah. But it's hard to make a naturally quiet kid into a rah rah kid.
I don't know. I commend your son for caring and taking a risk. I'd say there is no question his heart is in the right place. But without all the other info, I'm not shocked by some of the kids' reactions:
-it could be the kids who reacted poorly are dogs and will be a problem all season -it could be that they were uncomfortable and weren't sure how to react -it could be that they don't feel that your son has earned that right yet
Just a quick story from years ago. Late in game, there is a bit of a dust-up among the defensive squad. Apparently the Mike was trying to rile up the guys, light a spark. The NT took exception to it and told him to F-off. Well the LB's side of the story after the game was the NT quit on the team. The thing is, there was no evidence of that on film. The only evidence was the NT telling the Mike to F off. In terms of the NT's play, he played his butt off to the whistle. Not that I condone the NT telling anyone to F-off, but his actions showed he played hard until the end. I guess my point is, actions need to speak louder than rhetoric.
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Post by NC1974 on Apr 7, 2016 7:04:08 GMT -6
How do you define "not putting any time or effort in"? I ask, because if the guy is fulfilling the HC's expectations, then there is not a problem. Just as an example, let's say the HC requires that all ACs be in the weight room at least twice a week during the offseason. Now let's say 5 of the 7 coaches choose to be in the weightroom everyday because they are that dedicated, and want to do whatever they can to help the program. Now the other two coaches, only do the two days they are required to do. I have seen situations like this create bad blood among staffs because some feel that others aren't pulling their weight, but in reality, they are all meeting the HCs expectations. and then there is this kind of thing: I was on a staff, years ago where we were all required to scout Saturday games together. So my first time going, we meet up at a bar....I've got notepad, pencil, etc. Nobody else has anything. We proceed to sit around and drink for two hours and don't make it the game until halftime, at which point we all sit around and basically talk. I was ticked...I thought I was reporting for work, not happy hour (not that I mind having a few). I guess my point is HC's should have clear expectations, and when they require you to be there for something, it better be work. I'm not saying that either of these relate exactly to your problem, but without clear expectations, it can be frustrating for everyone to find that sweet spot where everybody is pulling their weight. The opinion I'll use is meetings. We don't really have any off-season plans as a staff, we encourage lifting, agility, speed training and being out for other sports. But there's really no accountability on the kids to participate. For instance, I'm coaching middle school track at the same school, we have 70 kids out between boys and girls 7th and 8th grade. Great numbers if you ask me. For a smaller school. Varsity boys have only 18 kids out and only 8 of them are football players. That's very very frustrating, especially after talking to other coaches I know and their attendance of football kids out for track is nearly 60-70%. Clearly that needs to improve for our program to grow. The coaches all agree that is just one of many important factors. However, when it comes time to scheduling coaches meetings there's always an excuse or a reason why it wont work. Not just with meetings but fundraising events etc. And who knows maybe there really is something going on. But personally speaking, no matter what's going on...I make time for it. I guess maybe my expectations are too high for what it takes but honestly last year we wont 2 games in my first season with the school. They hadn't won 2 games in 1 season for 10 years. There's a reason for that and it can't be just blamed on having average to below average athletes. All the coaches are great guys, but having spent 2 years at a 4A school previously I know what it takes to succeed and meeting 3-4 times as coaches in the off-season with ALL the coaches present will not cut it. We are making strides just not very quickly, and I admittedly struggle with patience. Just trying to find a happy medium I suppose, I want it so bad for the kids and it's frustrating to feel like we expect things out of them that we can't accomplish as a staff. I apologize for turning venting. I just don't really have any other options of people to vent to because of the relationships of those involved. Doing so on a public forum may not be the smartest idea either, just know that you guys may have some experience with stuff like this where as a 31 year old I don't. Coach, While I feel your frustration, it sounds to me like you have a problem with the way the program is being run. Sounds like you'd like the HC to have higher expectations. All you can do is share these thoughts with the HC, if you're comfortable doing that. Beyond that, it's his program. But I would say, don't let your expectations sour you on other coaches...they are not expected to live up to YOUR expectations, but rather the HC's.
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Post by NC1974 on Apr 6, 2016 18:31:02 GMT -6
Interested in some your opinions on what you guys do if one of the coaches on staff simply doesn't put any time or effort in? It's always an excuse that something is going on with his family. I'm always a family first guy so I keep my mouth shut but it's a little ridiculous that 5 coaches do the work of 7 during the off season. How do you go about addressing this frustration? Both him and I are assistants, his best friend is the AD.... other coaches on staff agree but it hasn't been talked about as a whole. Personally my feelings are that if you don't have the time to dedicate to help turn a program around then why waste your time? Especially frustrating when we could use someone more motivated and football smart in his position....maybe I just need to relax but it's very very frustrating when he contributes nothing. How do you define "not putting any time or effort in"? I ask, because if the guy is fulfilling the HC's expectations, then there is not a problem. Just as an example, let's say the HC requires that all ACs be in the weight room at least twice a week during the offseason. Now let's say 5 of the 7 coaches choose to be in the weightroom everyday because they are that dedicated, and want to do whatever they can to help the program. Now the other two coaches, only do the two days they are required to do. I have seen situations like this create bad blood among staffs because some feel that others aren't pulling their weight, but in reality, they are all meeting the HCs expectations. and then there is this kind of thing: I was on a staff, years ago where we were all required to scout Saturday games together. So my first time going, we meet up at a bar....I've got notepad, pencil, etc. Nobody else has anything. We proceed to sit around and drink for two hours and don't make it the game until halftime, at which point we all sit around and basically talk. I was ticked...I thought I was reporting for work, not happy hour (not that I mind having a few). I guess my point is HC's should have clear expectations, and when they require you to be there for something, it better be work. I'm not saying that either of these relate exactly to your problem, but without clear expectations, it can be frustrating for everyone to find that sweet spot where everybody is pulling their weight.
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