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Post by wildcat on Jun 23, 2008 18:37:13 GMT -6
I posted this in the morning and I am just getting back. Thank you for all of your insights. The impetus for this question was one kid in particular. This kid is about 6'1'' and 305 lbs. He will be playing the line. He wants number 7. And he was up in my face about it...not in a bad way but more annoying. This caused a couple of other kids to chime in with their requests. At this point I blew the whistle and told them all that I will be picking the numbers.I also told them the number I pick for you will have some meaning to it. I am going to use it as a teaching tool and have them look up players who wore that number.I want them to know some football history as well as X's and O's. I also went on to explain that certain positions have to wear certain numbers and there will not be a tackle who wear number 7 playing for me.....EVER!!! Do you guys 2-platoon? I'm assuming this kid is an offensive lineman, as well. He will HAVE to wear 50-79. Beyond that, I just don't understand why you are making such a huge issue about this. This reeks to me of "control freaking" of the highest magnitude. Why not have the kids list 3 numbers they would like to wear? Then, you can tell the kids that you will do the best you can to get them the number they want. If more than 1 kid wants the same number, you can use weight room attendance (or whatever) to decide priority. And, if this kid is only going to play defense, why NOT let him wear #7? What if no one else wants that number? Can he have it then?
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Post by Coach Klemme on Jun 23, 2008 21:08:19 GMT -6
Growing up, we always wanted to wear the number of our favorite high school player. It was a thing with our school that certain numbers carried history with them. I was #75 which was the most prominent lineman number. Other numbers like 24, 34, 12, 19, and 66 which held meanings were given out by the coaches to the players who proved they could live up to the history of the number. It was cool at the time. But my friend who was a great linebacker wore the number 67 and was one of the first ones to wear it, got to make his number great. Kids want his number now. I can see it both ways.
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Post by brophy on Jun 23, 2008 21:15:04 GMT -6
I'm pretty certain there is an entire chapter in here about selecting the 'right' player number and what each number represents If you read it, trust me, this isn't a book you need to go out and get. This ain't no "Finding the Winning Edge"
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Post by bulldogoption on Jun 23, 2008 21:19:30 GMT -6
We are going to order new uniforms for a team that I just took over recently. I will get to pick the numbers that will be printed. I am seriously thinking about not having single digit numbers. These kids are trying to request numbers and we don't even have new jerseys yet. They keep talking about they want to look "sweet". I keep telling them to make whatever number you get look "sweet" by how you play. I could give a rat's a$$ about "looking sweet". This is not what football is about in my opinion. I told a coaching buddy of mine about it and says his favorite player was Warren Moon and what if he wanted number 1. I told him that it would be too darn bad and that I guess he would have had to get a Warren Moon poster for his wall. And thus the question: Am I too old school? Coach: It sounds to me, and I could be completely wrong, that you're upset because the focus of your kids is not where it should be. The kids wanting to get a certain number because it looks sweet is simply an indicator. There may be other things going wrong as well.....i.e. the kids care more about how they look rather than how they practice. From my experience, taking away the numbers may help a little, but it is not going to be the final answer to changing the kids focus you are likely looking for. A few have suggested letting kids pick by weight room attendance, that may help put the focus where it should be. If your #1 works hard in the weight room his focus is pretty good. As long as kids have their focus in the right place I don't think numbers matter.
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Post by Yash on Jun 23, 2008 21:20:45 GMT -6
De La Salle doesn't allow players to wear single digit numbers. Not saying I follow that, just throwing it out there. Its all just a mind set. by NCAA rules you aren't allowed to wear number 00, or any number prefaced in 0 for that matter. I don't really care about numbers. If a kid wants to wear number 5 because reggie bush wore it, so be it. One thing I'd like to do though is have my qb wear an unusual number that doesn't make him stand out as the QB. I'd like my QB to wear 34 or 83 or something so that when we put the RB in the gun at QB and the QB out at WR it doesn't stand out.
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Post by superpower on Jun 24, 2008 16:19:13 GMT -6
you are right on coach, the single digit number thing is "look at me" - you know it and I know it, the kids know it. How is the number 9, just for example, a "look at me" thing?
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Post by fbdoc on Jun 24, 2008 16:36:33 GMT -6
This is how "Old School" I am - back in Jr. High, I wanted to wear #9 because that was the number worn by Sonny Jurgenson. If you have to ask, then you're not old school!
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Post by safetycoach34 on Jun 24, 2008 17:50:53 GMT -6
i say let the kids wear whatever number they want. quoting my favorite defensive back ever Mr. Deion Sanders "look good, feel good, feel good, play good". on a more serious note i know a lot of kids who picked numbers for good reasons. I had a friend who picked his number because it was the day a family member had died and i picked my #34 to represent Walter Payton after i had heard quotes from never die easy as a kid. Took the quotes to hard and decided i was gunna play the game with that attitude so sometimes #'s do have a meaning to the kids
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Post by playfast on Jun 24, 2008 18:41:13 GMT -6
We assign numbers. My first year took a little heat but after 7 years the kids understand.
As for single digits don't really care. I usually put a 2nd teamer with #1. It's fine.
The message we send about team, team, team is what is important and the actions we take in dealing with the players is what is most important.
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Post by touchdownmaker on Jun 25, 2008 6:20:55 GMT -6
clearly every situation is different.
some communities do not have as much of an issue with "look at me" as others do. I like assigning numbers personally and I like using selection of numbers as a reward for hard work in the off season.
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Post by eaglemountie on Jun 25, 2008 8:54:09 GMT -6
The only number I can't stand to see a kid wear is 1... other than that its all good.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2008 19:31:20 GMT -6
It's better to look marvelous than feel marvelos.......Let em have the sweet looking jerseys, as long as they dont look too "sweet"
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Post by talexander on Jun 25, 2008 22:17:07 GMT -6
I think it is a matter of your preference. I also don't like #1, but other single digits are OK. I took over a program right at the beginning of last year. One word of advice. . . careful of concentrating on the uniforms as the "big change". This year, as I began implementing new stuff, I too announced that we were going to get new unis. We needed them but probably could go another year. However, we went Nike, nice looking uniforms and they are on the way.
However, I have noticed that our kids aren't putting in the work necessary to get better. Thus, at the beginning of the summer, I told them if we do not get 80% attendance, they will go on the shelf for the next team who showed commitment. It has helped, but we likely will be using last years unis, even if they have holes and other wear.
My point is that when taking over a program, there are usually very serious issues to deal with in addition to uniforms. I think it is great to establish new tradition, but careful in worrying too much about that kind of thing
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