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Post by chorizo on Sept 25, 2008 10:41:00 GMT -6
I am coaching the defense on a very good Freshman team. Lots of good athletes. 4-0 start against good competition. Word around the team and I verified with the kids 4-5 starters and 4-5 of the up and comers wont play next year. "Not much fun, seldom an atta boy...Too much time..Seems like we don't do much right, school football homework sleep". You get the picture. We practice full pads 2 1/2 hrs 5 times a week .
The HC, also coaches wrestling, thinks the team has a bad attitude " Off task, No synergy, We need to collaborate on this" Its starting to get to me too. I'm 20 years older and have had three teenage boys of my own and have coached lots of different sports. I'm saying this cause I know when your too demanding young teenagers shutdown.
Two things
#1 don't worry about attrition, "We only want 100% commitment,
even if we only send 20 kids to JV, kids aren't what they used to be" hard-line approach.
or
#2 Try to interject more fun and realize they are 14 years old. Develop as many as possible, pass along as many as possible to the next level.
Please guys any input would be appreciated. Good luck this year.
Chorizo
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Post by saintrad on Sept 25, 2008 12:02:05 GMT -6
Like option #2 personally, even though they both have merit. THe HC and I talk about this issue constanlty and we truly believe that the freshman level is the most important for developing the program, schems, and player development. In my opinion I would focus on getting as many men of character moving up as possible, make this year fun, and keep on keeping on.
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Post by gacoach on Sept 25, 2008 12:24:42 GMT -6
I am the freshman coach and the head varisty coach and I agree. Freshman need to have fun, play and hopefully come back next year. I am much more lenient on their missing practice. I gave them my cell number and email address when the season started and 99% of the time I get contacted by either them or their parents on why they won't be a practice. The understand the importance of practice and I have stressed the importance of being there to the point where their teammates let them hear about it when they miss.
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Post by coachcb on Sept 25, 2008 13:21:37 GMT -6
This is actually kind of creepy; I was in your EXACT shoes last year around this time (I think I have a thread around somewhere about this).
Up until this year, I had coached freshman football for most of my career. I had been through several good situations and several TERRIBLE situations with coaching freshman football. This what I have found:
-If you are going to lose kids, you will lose them between their freshman and sophomore years. They realize what high school football is all about (2-a-days), and decide whether or not they want to be a part of it.
-Whether you are using the youth league ideals (play everyone) or the varsity ideals (get the win, play your best), you will still lose some kids. However, you will tend to lose MORE kids by using a varsity focus and playing to win.
-You will lose more ATHLETES by using a varsity focus because football goes from being pretty laid back (middle school) to being extremely intense and focused in a short amount of time. You will also lose the kids that don't play; who wants to practice and not play?
-Find a happy medium between being competitive and having fun (getting kids in). The kids need to understand that football is hard work, but as a coach, we have to make it easier for them to work hard.
Honestly, who is going to care what the freshman record was is half of the kids don't go out for football. Keep doing the right things, teaching the kids the game, but have some fun out there.
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Post by chorizo on Sept 27, 2008 10:37:22 GMT -6
Sound like the old balancing act again. Little here, little there. And your right we lose 5-7 players year after year no matter what.
I did bring a garbage can full of water balloons Thursday. Pretty hilarious when the HC gets hit in the you know whats and looks like he wet himself at the the team dinner. It was his idea with the water balloons not the you know whats.
Showed the kids film on how we beat up on our opponent this week in 2006. I told the defense do it like this "monkey see monkey do" Gave a box of Captain Crunch to the best hit and turnovers.
One kid on the fence about playing next year had an interception and returned it 10 yards reversing the field three times. Smiles all around and everyone played 1/2 or more.
4-0. Next Monday film, shorts, walk through and conditioning. Hit it hard Tuesday.
Thanks for your input guys.
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trojan
Junior Member
[F4:wingtcoach.com] [F4:wingtcoachdon]
Posts: 494
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Post by trojan on Sept 27, 2008 11:06:05 GMT -6
Two things #1 don't worry about attrition, "We only want 100% commitment, even if we only send 20 kids to JV, kids aren't what they used to be" hard-line approach. or #2 Try to interject more fun and realize they are 14 years old. Develop as many as possible, pass along as many as possible to the next level. Chorizo My question is about "developing" players. On winning programs, what proportion of the players is made up of those kids who stayed on and developed because they had fun? |
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Post by phantom on Sept 27, 2008 14:26:01 GMT -6
Two things #1 don't worry about attrition, "We only want 100% commitment, even if we only send 20 kids to JV, kids aren't what they used to be" hard-line approach. or #2 Try to interject more fun and realize they are 14 years old. Develop as many as possible, pass along as many as possible to the next level. Chorizo My question is about "developing" players. On winning programs, what proportion of the players is made up of those kids who stayed on and developed because they had fun? We've been pretty successful. I don't think that many of our guys came back because JV football was "fun". |
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Post by outlawjoseywales on Sept 27, 2008 18:02:02 GMT -6
I don't understand the statement,
"we practice 2 1/2 hours full pads 5 days a week?"
Does this mean that you are hitting 5 days a week, or you are just in gear for 5 days? There is a huge difference.
Then what day do you play?
With me, I have followed an in-season routine that has defensive emphasis on Tuesday and offensive emphasis on Wednesday.
In season, we hit heavy on Tuesday, "bloody Tuesday" is what I call it. On Wednesday we hit, but less.
I guess I've lost too many kids to practice injuries over the years.
I want hitting to be controlled, fast, and for a purpose and kept to drills as much as possible.
This is for Varsity football.
Just wondering.
OJW
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Post by chorizo on Sept 28, 2008 22:04:45 GMT -6
We hit Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday . Nothing brutal. We play 8 of our 10 games on Saturday, two on Friday. We used to have maybe 3 Thursday games and then Friday off. Now I miss that myself. In the past the kids farted around when we went shorts. But that was a month ago. Any good ideas to make it more fun ?
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