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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 11:53:44 GMT -6
Post by airaustin on Jun 25, 2010 11:53:44 GMT -6
Anyone have any "magic" formula that has improved numbers in their program? I know this doesn't exist. Just looking for innovative methods of increasing numbers in football.
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 12:26:06 GMT -6
Post by leighty on Jun 25, 2010 12:26:06 GMT -6
Win
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 13:49:21 GMT -6
Post by mattharris75 on Jun 25, 2010 13:49:21 GMT -6
We jumped from 28 to 53 kids in one year just by getting a new head coach. I'm guessing that's not an option in your situation. But seriously, the fact that the kids both liked and respected him made a huge difference in numbers. Outside of that, I would tend to agree that winning is the 'magic bullet'. It's a bit of a vicious cycle, since you'd win more quickly if you had some of those kids walking the halls, but they won't come out unless they see success. I'd say just keep plugging away recruiting the halls and dance with what you brung. If you're tenacious, then eventually it will come together.
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 15:11:02 GMT -6
Post by warrior53 on Jun 25, 2010 15:11:02 GMT -6
Start building relationships in the lower levels. Be around your feeder school and get to know them and build into them.
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 15:32:51 GMT -6
Post by mariner42 on Jun 25, 2010 15:32:51 GMT -6
Hookers and pizza after workouts?
But honestly, recruit, recruit, recruit while trying to get other coaches in the building to support what you're doing and encourage their guys to join up. Show demonstrable improvement and put out a superior product than what has been out there, kids will see that and want to be a part of it.
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 15:47:06 GMT -6
Post by airraider on Jun 25, 2010 15:47:06 GMT -6
Hookers and pizza after workouts? But honestly, recruit, recruit, recruit while trying to get other coaches in the building to support what you're doing and encourage their guys to join up. Show demonstrable improvement and put out a superior product than what has been out there, kids will see that and want to be a part of it. That will help get a full staff.. thats for sure.
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 16:47:51 GMT -6
Post by blb on Jun 25, 2010 16:47:51 GMT -6
winning and and systematically winning. when i say systematically winning, nothing to do with x's and o's. Yeah? - and what do you do to get numbers up before you win when you take over a losing program? Xs and Os aren't the most important thing - but if kids don't believe in your technoligical abilities too, you're toast.
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 17:05:09 GMT -6
Post by buck42 on Jun 25, 2010 17:05:09 GMT -6
I just took over a program a couple weeks ago...it was not a losing program but because of the way the new lines were drawn and other coaches in the area "borrowing" our players we have limited athletes on the team.
I went to the office and got a print out of all the freshman that will be at the school next year and just began to call...when I get done I will then get the senior list and work my way down to junior and sophomore.
My logic with the freshman first was they (parents) dont always know how the high school programs work so I started with them. The seniors, juniors and sophomores, should know how things work so they should be at workouts already. I only got threw the "B's" on my freshman list and had 5 or 6 kids that have an interest in showing up. It is a painful process that MOST will not do, but IMO to be the best you have to do things that others are not willing to do.
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 18:03:04 GMT -6
Post by kylem56 on Jun 25, 2010 18:03:04 GMT -6
Start building relationships in the lower levels. Be around your feeder school and get to know them and build into them. I second this. Along these lines, something we do is get the birthdays of every 7 and 8th grade male in our junior high program. We send each of them a birthday card from the football program. We also go to each of their home games and make an effort to get to know the kids.
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 20:24:12 GMT -6
Post by gdn56 on Jun 25, 2010 20:24:12 GMT -6
I recruit the heck out of kids in the hallways. I try to swell their heads up a little bit...tell em how good we could be if they'd play, "you might be the difference maker", etc... Some of em really buy in to this...in fact I have several working out this summer who will start for us this fall that have never played before and I got out by telling them how good they could be. Now, in my situation, I can tell them they are a difference maker and will get to play and I'm really not beingt a BSer because honestly if you have a pulse you can help us!
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Numbers
Jun 25, 2010 21:38:52 GMT -6
Post by airaustin on Jun 25, 2010 21:38:52 GMT -6
Thanks for the replies. Really great ideas regarding freshman contact. Our problem is we're NOT allowed to contact freshmen before they're enrolled at our school. It's CRAP, but it's what you deal with when you coach in our district.
We are allowed to contact them after they enroll, so we've been doing that by mailing out flyers for our freshmen camp to them and calling them.
The tendency has been in our school to have big numbers within the freshmen and then it really gets hit sophomore year due to dropouts, expulsions, etc. We opened our school two years ago and had close to 80 out in the freshman class.
This year we started with around 60-70 freshmen and had fallen to around 45 from that first freshman class. That first class of freshmen will be juniors this fall. We had 9 kids at our final 7-on-7 tournament last night. That's it, 9!
Like I said, the majority of kids we lose are not to just simply quitting or to other sports. We lose most of them because they mess up discipline wise or academically with the school.
We're not the type of coaches just to start crying about what we don't have. I'm not going to lie though, it does get frustrating as hell sometimes! Regardless, that's why I'm looking for ideas. Any of you coach in 'inner city' schools or poor socioeconomic areas successfully?
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Numbers
Jun 27, 2010 19:16:24 GMT -6
Post by blb on Jun 27, 2010 19:16:24 GMT -6
Yeah? - and what do you do to get numbers up before you win when you take over a losing program? Xs and Os aren't the most important thing - but if kids don't believe in your technoligical abilities too, you're toast. To start,I will take less numbers to install the program and get it right. If it aint right from the beginning, it aint going to work. If the program wants to win, they will accept the changes. The kids who want to play football. And do the work necessary. THE BUY IN KIDS. Those are the only kids I want. if that is 11, then 11 it is. if the parents resist or dont want the changes, I shouldnt have taken the job, I shouldnt have been hired, and I wasnt nearly smart enough to know better. when the kids that buy into your program start to reap the rewards, which are not necessarily in the w column right away, then the numbers start to show up....and the correct way. Fair enough. Report back when you've actually done it, like some of us on this board.
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Numbers
Jun 28, 2010 7:59:05 GMT -6
Post by blb on Jun 28, 2010 7:59:05 GMT -6
My point is it's a fallacy that winning breeds increased participation, or even that "numbers" is a good thing.
Once took over a program that won one game previous two years. Went 7-2, 8-1 right off the bat. In nine years at that school our numbers were static or consistent. They did not increase because of (immediate) on-field success we had.
Obviously depth and effective practices are considerations. And hopefully any kid that participates is going to benefit whether they actually play a lot or not.
But just because you have 40 kids on your roster and I have 25 doesn't mean you win. It seems that there are a finite number of football players in most schools (I've always thought 20% of male population was about average; more than that would be good).
Am in first year at school that has won six games last three years. They had around 80 kids (9-12) out last year. We had 75 sign up in May. We'll see if we have any success and if that impacts the number of kids who play.
And I'll report back to you.
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Numbers
Jun 28, 2010 9:25:30 GMT -6
Post by blb on Jun 28, 2010 9:25:30 GMT -6
Last year we had the biggest turnout 9-12 in the history of the school I was at despite instituting "Pay to Play" - and coming off a 3-6 season.
Again, winning does not necessarily indicate more kids out.
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Numbers
Jun 28, 2010 10:57:30 GMT -6
Post by bigm0073 on Jun 28, 2010 10:57:30 GMT -6
I personally do not see a connection with "more kids" and winning...
I believe "quality" over "quantity"... Kind of like what some other posters have said... I look for the kids that are workers but MOST OF ALL - kids that LOVE football...
We have two web sites, a facebook page and booster club that sends out emails weekly to bi-weekly with events... I have calendars from January - September (workouts, camps, practice, 7 on 7..).
If a kid loves football and wants to play they will be apart of what we do. If they are not about it, I do not want them. This philosophy does not work for everyone. I have to be true to myself and I can not be fake.... Hell I just kicked two kids out of our weight room today and told them not to come back until we start practice in August (behavior/commitment issues..). I am not one to recruit the halls and bring in kids that are part time guys..
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Numbers
Jun 28, 2010 11:14:55 GMT -6
Post by ccscoach on Jun 28, 2010 11:14:55 GMT -6
Anyone have any "magic" formula that has improved numbers in their program? I know this doesn't exist. Just looking for innovative methods of increasing numbers in football. Make it fun. We do a ton of stuff with are kids. But clothes and food are the big ones. Actually got a lot of idea's from Phantom's old Head Coach Billy Dee of Pheobus High School. He has a video on building a championship program. www.championshipproductions.com/cgi-bin/champ/p/Football/Building-a-Championship-Program_FD-03260B.htmlI don't coach in the inner city, we are in a very poor rural farming community(tuff to get rides when kids live 20 miles outside of town but we try) so I don't really know what you are going through. Too be honest if I was in your shoe's. I would try to implement a study table and then some type of players counsel were they hold each other accountable. Probably easier said then done but there is nothing better then peer pressure, to get kids to do what you want. That being said I would contact Phantom and then the staff at Pheobus I think they went through a similar situation to what you are talking about. I am sure there are 100 coaches on here that have been through similar situations. The best advice I can give you is stay the course have a philosophy work your ass off hold kids accountable and in the end you'll be successful.
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