Post by signalzero on Jul 2, 2008 8:33:26 GMT -6
while reading some of the threads on this board I noticed a few arguments on coaching styles and Daddy Ball. Below is a copy of an email I sent out to all coaches in our Youth Football League a few weeks back. Once you read the email, you'll understand why I gained respect from many while earning nothing but hatred from others. I put **** in place of the league's name to protect the innocent. 
. On a side note, we all had a limited number of player freezes in order to keep kids together as they move up each year.
Read on and tell me what you think when you get the chance...
Coaches,
For those of you that don’t know me, this is my 3rd year as a head coach and 5th year coaching. I originally got into coaching to make sure that kids got everything they could out of a coach and learned the proper techniques to allow them to fully develop as a football player. I’ve seen a lot of questionable activities and decisions made over those years and lucky for us most of them were in the ****. We all know the stories of corruption and how a bad board can ruin the whole league such as it has done in the **** at times, so there is no need to go into that. When I came back to the ****** it was because of the huge steps forward that were taken in the 1st year with even bigger steps planned for the 2nd. I applaud the hard work and timeless effort that the board members have put in to accomplish this much in such a short time.
Which brings me to the purpose of this email…
Word of mouth is the #1 way for us to grow as a league. It only takes one stupid move to spread a rumor like wild fire. Whether the rumor is true or false. Kids will want to play for us and parents will want to sign their kids up based on some of the word of mouth. More importantly, quality coaches will go out of their way to join the ****** as well. The bottom line is that we all do this or should be doing this for the kids. Not to re-live your old glory days, or for glory days you may never have had. We set the example for the kids as coaches and we should always remember that. It’s not always about winning. Don’t get me wrong, I want to win as much as any of us, but I for one will have no problem sitting my star player for missing a practice, or attitude problems etc. I don’t care if it costs me the game. Doing this sets an important example, one of many we should be setting as a head coach. Unfortunately, some of us care more about winning than anything else and you have all heard the stories. If you’re still with me so far, here’s why I’m writing this…
I’m not pointing out names or Divisions, you guys know who you are.
Here are some examples of what we as a YFL should not be looking for in a head coach:
Having your kid or telling a kid you know is good to throw the combine in order to get that kid in the draft or to get yourself a better draft pick with your kid falsely graded at a number below his abilities is inexcusable. Now I don’t know of anyone that did this, but I can guarantee you it was done. Again, this isn’t a witch hunt, it’s a gut check. You are the ones that have to live with yourselves not us. Hopefully you’re coaching for the right reasons, not to become a head coach to play daddy ball. While we’re on Daddy Ball, maybe I’m wrong but my kid would have to play better, not less than or equal to another in order to start over that kid. I want my kids to earn it, not have it handed to him but maybe that’s just me.
Now here’s the big finish…
It’s been brought to my attention by other coaches that some head coaches are finding loopholes and manipulating the system. For instance, protecting players that have played for you before while your assistant coaches kid remains unprotected, counting on a verbal agreement from the other remaining coaches not to draft him is simply wrong. I believe these thoughts were echoed in an earlier email by one of the board members. Not only are you manipulating the system in order to stack your team, but you deprive other teams from getting those players to help create parity. These tactics are ridiculous and I for one, (now this is where some of you will begin to hate me if you don’t already do so) will not abide by them.
I have a strong set of ethics, and PAY ATTENTION HERE… If I see this happening on draft day I will draft an unprotected assistants coach’s kid and with possibly my 1st pick. You can’t have the best of both worlds all the time. I know this is going to piss off a few of you and put a crimp in your master plan, but I can’t sit there and watch you take advantage of the rest of the coaches that follow the rules in the spirit it was intended. The #1 Priority should be to freeze your coaches kids, if you run out freezes, then your #1 pick should be that same kid. It will probably hurt my team by reaching for one of those kids over my highest rated player on the board, but I believe in my ability and my assistant coaches abilities to make these kids competitive. If you follow this line of thinking, why not just show up to the combine and grab the 4 best kids dads to the side and make them your new assistants? Hopefully you see how wrong that is.
Assuming you’ve managed to read this far, my whole purpose here is to make the ****** stronger, not to make waves and tick people off. That’s why no names were mentioned. If this email can get some of you, or even one of you to re-think your motives and do the right thing on draft day instead of screwing over your brother coaches, then I succeeded.
Again, this is in no way intended to accuse any one Coach. You guys know who you are, the rest of us can feel great knowing that this sort of underhandedness has not manifested itself into our coaching process. For the rest of us, keep up the great work! For the select few, please reconsider why you’re here and how you can make the ****** the #1 Youth Football League in South Florida.
I’d also like to add that this is in no way personal and you shouldn’t take it as such. So if you ignore me at the draft or later on at the fields I pronounce you Guilty! Just kidding. Let’s have a great season!
Thank you for your time!
. On a side note, we all had a limited number of player freezes in order to keep kids together as they move up each year. Read on and tell me what you think when you get the chance...
Coaches,
For those of you that don’t know me, this is my 3rd year as a head coach and 5th year coaching. I originally got into coaching to make sure that kids got everything they could out of a coach and learned the proper techniques to allow them to fully develop as a football player. I’ve seen a lot of questionable activities and decisions made over those years and lucky for us most of them were in the ****. We all know the stories of corruption and how a bad board can ruin the whole league such as it has done in the **** at times, so there is no need to go into that. When I came back to the ****** it was because of the huge steps forward that were taken in the 1st year with even bigger steps planned for the 2nd. I applaud the hard work and timeless effort that the board members have put in to accomplish this much in such a short time.
Which brings me to the purpose of this email…
Word of mouth is the #1 way for us to grow as a league. It only takes one stupid move to spread a rumor like wild fire. Whether the rumor is true or false. Kids will want to play for us and parents will want to sign their kids up based on some of the word of mouth. More importantly, quality coaches will go out of their way to join the ****** as well. The bottom line is that we all do this or should be doing this for the kids. Not to re-live your old glory days, or for glory days you may never have had. We set the example for the kids as coaches and we should always remember that. It’s not always about winning. Don’t get me wrong, I want to win as much as any of us, but I for one will have no problem sitting my star player for missing a practice, or attitude problems etc. I don’t care if it costs me the game. Doing this sets an important example, one of many we should be setting as a head coach. Unfortunately, some of us care more about winning than anything else and you have all heard the stories. If you’re still with me so far, here’s why I’m writing this…
I’m not pointing out names or Divisions, you guys know who you are.
Here are some examples of what we as a YFL should not be looking for in a head coach:
Having your kid or telling a kid you know is good to throw the combine in order to get that kid in the draft or to get yourself a better draft pick with your kid falsely graded at a number below his abilities is inexcusable. Now I don’t know of anyone that did this, but I can guarantee you it was done. Again, this isn’t a witch hunt, it’s a gut check. You are the ones that have to live with yourselves not us. Hopefully you’re coaching for the right reasons, not to become a head coach to play daddy ball. While we’re on Daddy Ball, maybe I’m wrong but my kid would have to play better, not less than or equal to another in order to start over that kid. I want my kids to earn it, not have it handed to him but maybe that’s just me.
Now here’s the big finish…
It’s been brought to my attention by other coaches that some head coaches are finding loopholes and manipulating the system. For instance, protecting players that have played for you before while your assistant coaches kid remains unprotected, counting on a verbal agreement from the other remaining coaches not to draft him is simply wrong. I believe these thoughts were echoed in an earlier email by one of the board members. Not only are you manipulating the system in order to stack your team, but you deprive other teams from getting those players to help create parity. These tactics are ridiculous and I for one, (now this is where some of you will begin to hate me if you don’t already do so) will not abide by them.
I have a strong set of ethics, and PAY ATTENTION HERE… If I see this happening on draft day I will draft an unprotected assistants coach’s kid and with possibly my 1st pick. You can’t have the best of both worlds all the time. I know this is going to piss off a few of you and put a crimp in your master plan, but I can’t sit there and watch you take advantage of the rest of the coaches that follow the rules in the spirit it was intended. The #1 Priority should be to freeze your coaches kids, if you run out freezes, then your #1 pick should be that same kid. It will probably hurt my team by reaching for one of those kids over my highest rated player on the board, but I believe in my ability and my assistant coaches abilities to make these kids competitive. If you follow this line of thinking, why not just show up to the combine and grab the 4 best kids dads to the side and make them your new assistants? Hopefully you see how wrong that is.
Assuming you’ve managed to read this far, my whole purpose here is to make the ****** stronger, not to make waves and tick people off. That’s why no names were mentioned. If this email can get some of you, or even one of you to re-think your motives and do the right thing on draft day instead of screwing over your brother coaches, then I succeeded.
Again, this is in no way intended to accuse any one Coach. You guys know who you are, the rest of us can feel great knowing that this sort of underhandedness has not manifested itself into our coaching process. For the rest of us, keep up the great work! For the select few, please reconsider why you’re here and how you can make the ****** the #1 Youth Football League in South Florida.
I’d also like to add that this is in no way personal and you shouldn’t take it as such. So if you ignore me at the draft or later on at the fields I pronounce you Guilty! Just kidding. Let’s have a great season!
Thank you for your time!
