|
|
Post by spreadbone on Apr 29, 2008 10:15:46 GMT -6
Coaches,
I tried to do a search on this, but my browser kept freezing up for some reason, so I'm creating a new post. I need to desperately develop teamwork on a team I just took over in January. There are some really good athletes on this team, but they know very little of the teamwork concept. I was wondering if there was any reasources out there on this that some of you might use. I don't really care about what type of drill or excercise they are, right now we need all the help we can get. I was trying to incorporate these into conditioning, but however and whatever is out there we will use it.
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Post by spreadbone on Sept 21, 2008 10:03:22 GMT -6
Well since January here is where we are at:
1. Spring ball went ok installed the new d and o and things went well even though we did not win the spring game.
2. Had an awesome turnout in the weight room, the best it has ever been since I've been around here. Went to some 7 on 7 tourneys and did ok for young kids.
3. Put on our own football camp where we took the kids to a retreat and stayed for 3 days (varsity only). We practiced 3 times a day had speakers come in and talk to the young men as well as several local clubs donating meals etc. for the camp. The kids and parents loved it.
4. Pre season practice went well, started out with 85 and now have 70 on both varsity and JV, some of the best #'s around here in a while.
5. Now we have started the season 0-3! 2 games against opponents, who on paper, are better than us, but beatable. This last week we faced a team we outmatched easily 2 to 1 and lost 28-0!
Had a meeting yesterday with the players and the biggest complaint was there were a few guys who didn't take things seriously enough and have been laughing and joking after the losses. We even had to break up an altercation between 2 seniors in our locker room Fri. night after the game (DT vs. RB) over the very same issue. My question is, where the heck have we gone wrong as a staff? I try to put the blame on myself, yet I cannot figure out where I've gone wrong. I've done the teambuilding excercises where you use the tounge depressors to show them about the team concept, I've used the 7 pound weight one that I also found on this website. Heck, during camp we let all of them get up in front of the team and talk about what they loved so much about the game. The funny thing is, when doing this there were 3 seniors and 2 juniors in particular whose reason for playing seemed along the selfish lines, but I didn't pay it any attention. I wish I would have because now those guys are the ones everyone else is complaining about.
And, as usual I'm getting blamed for them not being a team, so I'm trying to figure out where I have gone wrong. The only thing I can think of is that I haven't amputated the cancers from the team, but they are not bad kids! They have good grades, don't get in trouble, they are just selfish is all. Is that reason enough to remove them from a team, especially the one's in their senior year?
My dline coach told me that in college they had what was called "challenge boards" where if 2 guys had a disagreement or a fight in practice they could go do king of the boards to solve it. We've been using Urban Meyer's circle of life where we put them in there and let them fight it out in a circle of players. We've not done much of that this season (1 time a month ago) however. I'm not a fan of these for injuries, but right now I'm thinking seriously about doing them again because we have some guys who need to be "adjusted" so to speak. What do you think?
Also, how much control do you give your seniors over what happens in the locker room? I mean, it is their team, but where do you draw the line? I don't want them running anybody off, but if there is somebody in there who needs to be whipped into team shape, then by all means have at it. Is this the wrong approach? It was how we were dealt with in college, so why should this be any different?
I'm just looking for some advice for a new HC dealing with this issue. If you need more info. on what we are doing, I will gladly give it to you. Please help if you can.
|
|
|
|
Post by ajreaper on Sept 21, 2008 10:25:53 GMT -6
I think it's a little late to change attitudes for this season however you can send a message to everyone by limiting or eliminating playing time for those who display selfish attitudes. A team can never accomplish what it's capable of as long as you have players who place thier own personal agendas above that of the group or who do not place any value on the success of the group.
|
|
|
|
Post by jgordon1 on Sept 21, 2008 17:27:06 GMT -6
Spreadbone: it sounds to me like you have great comradery(sp?) on your team, I can still remember when I was in hs, I loved the kids I played with, still friends w/ many today. we are having our 30 th year reunion this year but guess what, we stunk, started out 3-1 and ended up 3-7. we used to play "we are the champions" on a record player (do kids even know what that is today) the head coach came in and literally smashed the record.
IMO, teambuilding stuff is superficial feel good stuff. what is needed is leadership building. I don't know what you can do about this now but I would get some program like "coaching to change lives" or something like that and implement it in the off season. another point I would like to make is, I never got the cliche it's not my team but it is the seniors team. the head coach is the ceo, captain, driver etc. IMO it is his team to lead w/ the help of his assistants and MAYBE the seniors if they are worthy. I also think we do a poor job in training our captains. I was a two-time captain of my college football team and guess what, I did jack, oh I led by example, but when I look back I really didn't or know HOW to lead anyone.
|
|
|
|
Post by spreadbone on Sept 21, 2008 18:31:34 GMT -6
The CEO part confuses me. We ARE leading this team, but to me a staff can only do so much, we aren't the ones playing the game. The staff and I have met several times and basically put, we have the horse at the watering hole, but he just won't drink!
I've also been one that leaders are born, not taught. IMO how do you teach something that is situation specific, and may not work from one situation to the next. Being a leader is based on your character, which by the h.s. stage is molded by the parents. All we can do as coaches is give the mold some direction. I may be off base here, but I think there are too many people out there who think coaches are gods and should be able to correct any problem. I'm sorry but you can't and never will be able to make chicken salad out of chicken sh!t.
|
|
|
|
Post by jgordon1 on Sept 21, 2008 19:51:56 GMT -6
I do believe that character is molded by parents but I also think that a persons character and leadership ability can change. I know mine has over the course of time and according to my wife I still have a long way to go. Isn't it a basic premise of what we do as teachers and coaches to change people (hopefully for the better). I am a firm believer in that you can only go as far as your seniors and much of what we do is mental in nature. if this is true we need to train them and give them basic ways to handle situations. I mean training in: What does it mean to be a leader? what do leaders do? How do I handle conflict between others? How do I get others to follow? of course evrything is situation specific. we train them and hopefully do the best job they can. Coach, I can tell by your post that you truly care for kids and your team. All this being said, last year we had poor leadership and this year we have good leadership. you know, we really haven't done anything different as a staff. we just seem to have better team chemistry? If I truly knew the answer, you'd probably be watching me on TV instead of me sitting in front of my computer at 9:45 on a sun eve
|
|
|
|
Post by spreadbone on Sept 22, 2008 6:52:06 GMT -6
LOL! Thanks coach, I do love these kids and it tears me apart to see them do this to themselves. We have narrowed it down to 4 individuals in particular based on player interviews over the weekend. The same 4 names kept coming up, and in last Fridays game all 4 did bad things that led to our demise:
1. DB got beat like a drum in coverage not using proper footwork and being undisciplined in coverage. He also got a personal foul for a late hit and could have gotten several others.
2. WR went 1/4 on balls thrown to him and pouted, blamed young QB. Watched film all 4 passes hit him in stride and in the hands.
3. OLB lined up offsides on punt block committed a personal foul and used foul language on the sideline as well as muffing a kickoff return.
4. RB fumbled twice and blamed the off. line for it! Yanked him at halftime.
All seniors, all aholes IMO. We have this week off and we are going to some "call-out" drills and let them settle the issues in Urban Meyer's Circle of Life. It is the only thing I know to do, because our good kids are at the breaking point. I think these 4 need to be put in their place, but in a controlled environment. We will see today in the Circle of Life what happens.
|
|
|
|
Post by jgordon1 on Sept 22, 2008 8:25:32 GMT -6
let us know what happens.... good luck. can you explain the circle of life drill a little more like what words do you use. what is the attidude of the kids? Do the kids actually fight?
|
|
|
|
Post by spreadbone on Sept 22, 2008 8:37:26 GMT -6
Yes they fight, but in pads, more like wrestling. No punches thrown but they try to get the other one out of the circle, but the team keeps pushing them back in. We let it go for 30 seconds and then blow the whistle. We do it when 2 kids try and fight during practice or have an altercation in school/locker room etc.
|
|
