dcoach84
Sophomore Member
If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today. -Lou Holtz
Posts: 129
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Post by dcoach84 on Sept 13, 2008 17:10:54 GMT -6
Searched for this topic but could not find anything. Anyway, we are having problems with kids missing practice during the week. We started out doing a somewhat tough conditioning program after practice for any kid that missed a previous practice. (Not sure if this is working.) We also sit the kid for one half if they miss one practice, and the whole game if they miss two or more.
I am looking for some ideas as to what you do with a kid who misses a practice during the week (extra conditioning, etc.). Thanks.
(Note: We are a small school with only about 28-30 kids freshman through senior so we need the numbers but we do not lower our standards to keep our numbers up.)
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Post by phantom on Sept 13, 2008 18:53:11 GMT -6
Why are they missing practice?
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dcoach84
Sophomore Member
If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today. -Lou Holtz
Posts: 129
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Post by dcoach84 on Sept 13, 2008 18:59:23 GMT -6
All kinds of reasons....most of which are considered unexcused absences. Examples: sick, tired, didn't have a ride, had to babysit a sibling, job, and (the best one yet) it was too cold outside.
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Post by coachd5085 on Sept 13, 2008 19:35:28 GMT -6
All kinds of reasons....most of which are considered unexcused absences. Examples: sick, tired, didn't have a ride, had to babysit a sibling, job, and (the best one yet) it was too cold outside. Coach, don't take this the wrong way, but absences such as those scream that right now, the program is not being taken seriously.
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dcoach84
Sophomore Member
If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today. -Lou Holtz
Posts: 129
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Post by dcoach84 on Sept 13, 2008 20:09:48 GMT -6
Understand that this is not the majority of the kids. We do have a core that show up daily. Some kids "just want to wear a jersey" and we want to address that. By sitting them isn't necessarily the solution because these kids may not get in anyway.
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Post by CoachMikeJudy on Sept 13, 2008 20:18:17 GMT -6
That's a tough one. For us the easy answer would be take playing time...but for you guys that may not be an option.
Maybe suspend them from participating in games/practice/everything until you sit down with the player and parents and tell them what you need. If they can't work with you get rid of them.
I know you only have 30 kids or so, but damn- how much can they help you when they miss 1-2 practices a week?
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Post by coachcb on Sept 13, 2008 21:35:05 GMT -6
1. Determining whether a practice is excused or unexcused should be up to the coach.
2. One unexcused absence: sit for half of a game.
3. Second unexcused absence: sit for an entire game.
4. Third unexcused practice: turn in your gear.
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Post by kboyd on Sept 13, 2008 22:54:34 GMT -6
We're much like coachcb, first absence is a half, second is the game. We excuse a legitimate sick day and also family emergencies and a school-related miss. We had to start doing this because we were in the same situation a few years ago. Our numbers were low and kids were missing. We signed up 74 kids this year and they all take getting to practice seriously.
This year we also asked our 2 vice principals to do a daily class attendance check for us. If a kid skips a class, it's the same as skipping practice. It's working out well and the kids get on each other to make everyone accountable.
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Post by coachorr on Sept 14, 2008 0:00:11 GMT -6
"the program is not being taken seriously."
In a smaller area with fewer kids, it can be a challenge to get kids to want to practice, because there is no chance of losing a position and/or the bottom feeders hang around to just be a part of it.
Kboyd, great post, thanks.
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Post by coachd5085 on Sept 14, 2008 7:56:01 GMT -6
"the program is not being taken seriously." In a smaller area with fewer kids, it can be a challenge to get kids to want to practice, because there is no chance of losing a position and/or the bottom feeders hang around to just be a part of it. This would be the textbook definition of not taking the program seriously.
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Post by coachorr on Sept 14, 2008 9:42:48 GMT -6
I would agree.
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Post by coachplaa on Sept 14, 2008 10:11:13 GMT -6
I've been in a small program before, and there is ONLY one answer. You miss practice, you don't play that week. It is the only thing that works. You may have to bite the bullet, but the peer pressure will become immense to not miss practice.
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Post by tothehouse on Sept 14, 2008 10:14:12 GMT -6
Miss one practice - don't play that week. Period. Obviously there are sometimes real legitimate stuff to miss for, but not those excuses. Small program, big program, doesn't matter.
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Post by coachorr on Sept 14, 2008 12:10:01 GMT -6
What if it is due to a doctor's note?
Funeral?
Family Emergency?
I think I have made the mistake here by using the word "excused practices". If it is an "excused" practice you miss a quarter and need to do extra conditioning. If it is an unexcused practice then you don't play.
Do you think I should include those "excused" type scenarios as missing the whole game as well? Thanks.
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Post by coachd5085 on Sept 14, 2008 12:16:07 GMT -6
No, an excused practice should not keep you out of an entire game. However, your goal should be to build a program such that the kids simply DON'T MISS. It is not a burden, but rather an opportunity to get better and win a game. Idealistic, yes...but that should be the goal. I was fortunate enough that we did not have "players" miss practice at the last school I was at...so anyone who did was simply asked not to come back.
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Post by phantom on Sept 14, 2008 12:27:27 GMT -6
I don't believe in punishing kids for something that's beyond their control. A legitimate excused absence is just that, excused. There would be no punishment.
Guys who keep having unexcused absences? Just take their equipment.
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Post by coachd5085 on Sept 14, 2008 12:34:25 GMT -6
I don't believe in punishing kids for something that's beyond their control. A legitimate excused absence is just that, excused. There would be no punishment. Guys who keep having unexcused absences? Just take their equipment. I agree with the no punishment..however they did miss 2-3 hours of activity and conditioning along with all the drills done to improve. I DO believe in them doing some extra to compensate for their unfortunate absence.
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Post by coachorr on Sept 14, 2008 12:50:53 GMT -6
"them doing some extra to compensate for their unfortunate absence."
That is my idea exactly. When a kid misses a practice and it is excused I tell them they the team some conditioning to make up for the work their team did and to make sure they are in shape.
If a kid cut practice, I would ask for their equipment, but I can't. So, I usually make them do 200 yards of bear crawl hit its and one mile. That usually does it.
Thank you, for the input.
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Post by airman on Sept 14, 2008 13:50:58 GMT -6
unexcused 1st time one game 2nd time turn in equipment
excused school related no punishment with note prior to practice from teacher or email from teacher. I do follow ups so they would get caught if they faked. faking an excused absence gets a one game suspension.
excused with note from parent or phone call from parent prior to practice not much I can do but they may lose their position. nothing worse then dentist appointments.
I am really strict on being at practice. if you do not want to be there then fine go hang out with the pot heads at the skateboard park.
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Post by dacoachmo on Sept 14, 2008 14:33:16 GMT -6
excused absence= make up conditioning and still play, limited...
unexcused absence=make up conditioning (which will always be harder then for a excused absence) and sit. give them something to do to keep them busy. away game, they stay at home!! document and contact parents/guardians.
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Post by coachorr on Sept 14, 2008 14:40:54 GMT -6
DA. The stay at home policy is what would have helped me. Because, I did not have an out as the kid was mouthing off about it. I had to give him a ride home.
In the future if a kid leaves his equipment at home and/or misses practice without prior notice to me accompanied by a written note, they will not play or travel.
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Post by phantom on Sept 14, 2008 14:41:57 GMT -6
excused absence= make up conditioning and still play, limited... unexcused absence=make up conditioning (which will always be harder then for a excused absence) and sit. give them something to do to keep them busy. away game, they stay at home!! document and contact parents/guardians. Why limited playing time for an excused absence. I understand the conditioning (we don't do it but I can see the point) but why limit playing time?
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Post by touchdowng on Sept 14, 2008 15:55:13 GMT -6
That's a tough one because you're trying to instill something in some of the kids that needs to be instilled. Cutting them loose may be the worst thing and it may be the best thing.
Here is our policy.
During the season we expect 100% on time attendance at all practices, meetings and games.
We educate our players AND PARENTS that if a player misses anything due to an appointment, the appt. must be communicated to the HC before the absence. Or, it will be unexcused.
Unexcused - reduced playing time.
2 unexcused - player removed from the program pending a parent/player/HC meeting (I've never had to do one of these yet in four years of this policy).
We only excuse absences for illness (not at school with a note from the parent), scheduled appointments (and we ask our parents to take care of the dental checks up prior to labor day), family emergencies.
We are a little more flexible with our freshmen and become more strict with the sophomores and on up.
We also give our awards (T shirt) at the end of the season for those who are 100% in attendance during the season (NO MISSES, unexcused or excused). In four years our 100% awards have been:
36 out of 86 players in '05 42 out of 91 players in '06 44 out of 101 players in '07 Currently we have 124 players and we still have 108 players with 100% attendance going into our 5th week of our season.
We post an attendance board so the kids can see.
There maybe better systems but for us it works and our kids understand it. We have 31 seniors and only 1 has a miss due to a minor medical procedure. He won't get a shirt but that's life.
Those shirts mean something to the guys who get them
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Post by macwomac on Sept 14, 2008 16:29:21 GMT -6
We're small too (35 players 9-12) and have had problems with attendance until the HC implemented the current attendance policy. Tardy=flip tractor tires 50 yards (3 tardies=1 unexcused) Missed practice(excused or unexcused)=conditioning make-up drill same for all no matter what or who Unexcused 1st=1/2 game 2nd=full game 3rd=off team Excused needs to be varified prior to practice unless it's an emergency (then we'd know anyway since we're such a small community).
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Post by coachcb on Sept 14, 2008 21:17:20 GMT -6
Heck, we have a player who missed 3 practices during 2-a-days for "excused" illness reasons. The kind of "illnesses" that we punish him hard for, but didn't want to really tolerate either (i.e. exercise induced asthma). He is one of the best guys we've got, but we didn't play him for the first half of our first game.
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Post by coachorr on Sept 15, 2008 0:38:22 GMT -6
"We post an attendance board so the kids can see."
This is a great idea!
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Post by dacoachmo on Sept 15, 2008 6:05:30 GMT -6
missed practice is still missed practice. Got to give the player that replaced him the chance in the game. I should say limited playing could include one quarter, one series or even the first few plays....
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Post by fatkicker on Sept 15, 2008 8:54:33 GMT -6
the problem i have is when "mom needs me at home" becomes a constant thing.....
if a kid misses practice to help his mom.......that's fine.......
but when it becomes a once a week issue......then his time is needed with his family more than it is football..........he obviously can't do both.......and family is more important.....
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Post by coachcb on Sept 15, 2008 9:17:03 GMT -6
the problem i have is when "mom needs me at home" becomes a constant thing..... if a kid misses practice to help his mom.......that's fine....... but when it becomes a once a week issue......then his time is needed with his family more than it is football..........he obviously can't do both.......and family is more important..... Even when I was coaching youth football, this excuse didn't fly with me. Family is important; at least when it comes to death or illness in that family. If a player can't do their daily chores and make an hour and a half long practice, then they need to reconsider playing the game. Playing sports requires a daily time commitment; something that needs to be made clear. Everyone else on the team makes the commitment; it's not fair to them to give playing time to kids that don't show up for practice. Our starting tailback and Sam linebacker wouldn't practice two weeks ago because he had a "stomach ache". He'd been in school all day, but became "ill" when practice came around. I told him that he needed to practice if he wanted to play; he still wouldn't practice. He was well enough to screw around on the sideline and play catch during practice, so he didn't start for us at either position and I didn't play him at Sam at all during the first game.
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Post by touchdownmaker on Sept 15, 2008 9:18:06 GMT -6
All kinds of reasons....most of which are considered unexcused absences. Examples: sick, tired, didn't have a ride, had to babysit a sibling, job, and (the best one yet) it was too cold outside. Coach, don't take this the wrong way, but absences such as those scream that right now, the program is not being taken seriously. wow, yur brilliant.
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