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Post by gpoulin76 on Dec 19, 2008 22:01:06 GMT -6
More of a philosophical question: In this day and age, what is the value of playing/coaching high school football?
What are your thoughts?
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Post by coachorr on Dec 19, 2008 22:11:13 GMT -6
The lesson learned that success is simple but never easy. And it takes discipline, consistency and hard work to come out on top. Winning isn't everything, but trying to is.
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Post by coachinghopeful on Dec 19, 2008 22:38:36 GMT -6
It depends on the coach teaching the lessons.
A good one can turn the whole game into one big metaphor for life's struggles and what it takes to overcome adversity. He can teach boys that to be a man means to sacrifice for something bigger than his own instant gratification, something that has no guaranteed material return. In today's world, where the mere concept of manliness has become an absurd joke, high school football has more to offer boys than it ever has before.
Now, a bad coach teaches that winning and your value as a person depends on hitting the genetic lottery and transforming yourself into his personal robot. Funny that those sociopaths seldom win anything.
In many a small town, everyone gets a lift when their team is doing well or the local kid just got a big time scholarship. They walk a little taller, feel more together and hopeful about themselves and their own lives.
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Post by tog on Dec 19, 2008 22:41:11 GMT -6
simply this:
and it is something our current generations have SOOOOOOOOO much trouble with
bad stuff happens
what are you going to do about it?
modern society teaches them to quit, or to allow the government to fix it, or to just release the blame on something/someone else
in all reality
all kids know
coach
it was my fault
ok
what can you do?
1.
2.
3.
then do it
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Post by touchdowng on Dec 19, 2008 23:49:47 GMT -6
Never in our country's history has high school football had more value for young men (and some young girls for that matter) as it has now.
Boys and young men are not being raised in the same society as those who were raised 2 or 3 generations ago. There are a multitude of reasons why. Boys are not allowed to act like boys anymore. Let me give one anecdotal story:
My nephew's 3 year old son was asked to not return to his pre-school because he was too rambunctious. He should have been taken out and bought a banana split from the local Baskin & Robbins for being an active boy. Too rambunctious? Are you kidding me? He's a boy for goodness sake.
What the preschool teacher did not understand is that there is a HUGE difference between boys and girls besides just the obvious. Just one study alone has demonstrated that one of the most telling differences between a little boy and a little girl is how their vision is wired differently. Boys pick up on movement in ways that girls do not. They are attracted to it and this is what gets those colors on those brainscans going from blue (cold) to red (warm). For girl's vision, it's details that sets them apart. This is why most girls can sit still and talk about how pretty all of the pictures in the reading book are. Boys just aren't wired for that.
That would be a piece of cake in a pre-school. Sit and discuss the pretty pictures or have to lifeguard an active boy?
Boys are a year behind girls in their emotional development. They really should be put in kindergarten at age 6-7 not 5-6. Girls are fine starting at 5-6.
With the way schools want our kids to behave the boys have the deck stacked against them. When they can't sit still, they are labeled with one of those wonderful acrynoms (ADD, ADHD, etc.). Let's face it, Kindergarten is now the old 1st grade with homework and everything. 1st grade is 2nd grade and so on and so on. Now the deck is double stacked against the little boys.
Then we drug them so that they can behave. Boys are losing their drive for being dominant or even adventureous. Why? Because they have to behave and they are being reinforced in a multitude of ways to sit still.
If you want to check out the science behind my rant, check out the book "Boys Adrift" written by Leonard Sax. After you have read it go back to your question about the value of High School Football.
A Varsity Football Education is needed nowadays in the worst ways.
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Post by touchdownmaker on Dec 20, 2008 6:01:00 GMT -6
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
Tough times do not last, tough people do
hard work, self less sacrifice for the good of the team pays bigger dividends
keeping the eye on the prize and being relentless in pursuit of goals yields results
perfection isnt possible but performing at a higher level is attained through practice and patient teaching.
Being part of a team and never giving up are a real part of what is important in life.
I dont know but I think there were many kids in our school who learned a valuable lesson about participating this year. We had kids drop out when the going got tough. Those same kids missed out on a whole lot of fun when we righted the ship. Many kids who did not play are now saying they wish they had. Those lessons are important.
There are graduating kids in our program who balked at my program and the requirements at first and are now witnessing freshmen and sophomores who are stronger and faster than they are. They say "I wish i was part of this program for four years" because they know now that the hard work would have paid off and made them better. I think thats a life lesson in itself.
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Post by dc207 on Dec 20, 2008 7:03:47 GMT -6
simply this: and it is something our current generations have SOOOOOOOOO much trouble with bad stuff happens what are you going to do about it? The first year I began coaching (at the jv level) this was my main focus, because our school recently had devolved into "when bad stuff happens, we turn on each other and blame EVERYONE but ourselves". Our teams (football, basketball, baseball) all fell into this category, although basketball just won because of TALENT. Anyway, the first message I gave them was Bad stuff IS GOING TO HAPPEN in school today/tonight's game/today's paractice...what are you going to do about it? I don't know where I saw the 'message', but I thank God it came to me early in spring practices. That groups of kids still uses it in football and basketball season, I hear it all the time and think, "Damn, I did something right." Great answer tog. Hit the nail right on the head. |
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newhc
Sophomore Member
Posts: 209
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Post by newhc on Dec 20, 2008 7:16:29 GMT -6
Great post tog and touchdowng. I agree that football is a great outlet for our boys, but we lose alot between those young ages and by the time HS starts. We have to do more to keep the boys active in our society, and be able to teach them lessons. I have known this for for a while, but how can we help our boys out in the classroom. As an Algebra teacher, I try to make my lessons more active, and more hands on (using algebra tiles, carousels, and foldables) to give my kids something to do and (help the boys out). There has to be more though. I would like to boys and girls seperated into all boys/all girls classes. Then I believe that you can do more to assist with the way the boys learn. Just my .02.
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Post by nickknx865 on Dec 20, 2008 7:58:48 GMT -6
simply this: and it is something our current generations have SOOOOOOOOO much trouble with bad stuff happens what are you going to do about it? Ditto. Completley agree. Football has taught me more that any other activity I've engaged in. |
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Post by gpoulin76 on Dec 20, 2008 8:25:29 GMT -6
Good posts...so far
To me its:
Developing life-long bonds that you will only share with the people in the locker room.
You can't hit the "reset" button when things get difficult.
Being a part of something that is greater than you.
Learning how to be a winner.
COMPETING!
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Post by touchdownmaker on Dec 20, 2008 15:06:03 GMT -6
quitters never win, winners never quit.
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Post by justryn2 on Dec 20, 2008 15:08:07 GMT -6
I've been coaching at the Jr. High level for 5 years now and one of the things I see more and more every year is players coming to the program from single parent (mom) homes. What these boys need more than anything is a positive male role model. For these kids, "coach" is as close as they have to a dad. Frankly, this is the main reason I coach; to provide a positive male role model for boys who desperately need one. I try to show these players that a man can, actually has to, be tough but that tough doesn't mean that you don't care about other people.
Unfortunately, I also see some of the same "namby-pamby, politically correct, anti-male crap that seems to plague our society in general and our schools most particularly. Anytime one of these "lost boys" gets even slightly out of line, someone suggest kicking them off the team as punishment. Sure, that makes sense; take away the one legitimate outlet they have for their aggression and the one positive male role model in their lives to "teach them a lesson." Great idea!
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