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Post by redbudfan on Oct 28, 2007 12:21:56 GMT -6
We are in the playoffs for the first time in 20 yrs so the kids haven't been used to this before. I hear some rumblings of practice is stale, no fun, nothing new, or something of the sort. They aren't complaining by any means but I can see where they are coming from doing drill for 13 weeks now can get a little boring or monotonous.
So if any of you guys that are perennial playoff contenders have any ideas of how to change the attitude of practice can you give me some advice? I would just like a few ideas to keep the kids focused and hungry. Because if the kids aren't focused then they aren't learning or preparing.
Thanks.
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Post by coachd5085 on Oct 28, 2007 19:11:15 GMT -6
ummm..i hear where you are coming from coach, but if the kids aren't SO STOKED for making the playoffs for the first time in 20 years........well..
ok, I really dont have anything to say
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Post by phantom on Oct 28, 2007 19:56:41 GMT -6
I'm with D. If they're not fired up for the playoffs, why are they playing football? We change nothing. We tell the kids that if somebody watches us practice in August and in the playoffs the only thing that will change is the color of the leaves. The vets know that and understand it. It's up to the coaches to be enthusiastic and get them going.
That said, we've had teams that were tired and wanted the season to end. We lost a playoff game that we should not have lost and later found that some kids had made a date with some girls for after school on Monday. As you might expect, their performance in the playoff game took suckhood to new heights. Similarly, our first state championship year, we opened the playoffs against a league opponent who beat us 10-7 during the year and absolutely crushed them because they wanted out.
I'd advise you to talk to them about what it means to be in the playoffs. It's the last time that people will see them and they'll be remembered by how they perform. They'll remember it forever and will always know whether they gave it all that they had. Call your leaders in and talk to them individually. Be fired up at practice and make sure your coaches are.
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Post by krauses on Oct 28, 2007 21:31:07 GMT -6
Show up to practice naked.
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Post by redbudfan on Oct 29, 2007 4:19:49 GMT -6
I was afraid I was going to get the responses of if they aren't fired up for the playoffs for the first time in 20 years... believe me they are but I want to make practice feel new to them we have spent so much time together it gets a little old. So I was just wondering if any of you practiced a different way in the playoffs or it was the same routine day after day. Just looking to add a little change to keep things fresh.
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Post by coachjd on Oct 29, 2007 5:19:49 GMT -6
here is something we do every few weeks. Instead of just telling the kids they are going to run 4 gassers after practice we pick a class to play defense vs the coaches in 7 on 7. We run 4 plays from the 10 and for each TD we score they run a gasser. If the defense gets a stop no gasser and if they get a pick its minus one gasser. Our kids loved this and would scream, cheer, etc... and usually had to run 2 or 3 gassers and would run them with a smile on their face. seemed to make the week go by faster with the kids and helped put some fun into practice.
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Post by dacoachmo on Oct 29, 2007 5:51:26 GMT -6
"American Eagle"
Line up the team on the goalline and pick a player. On the whistle, the team sprints to the other GL and the player must tackle someone. kinda like tag, but the players remain "IT". as a player is tackled they can go after another player...It is a sight to see when the "IT" players out number the runners OR when a group of "ITS" go after a fast/elusive player.
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Post by lochness on Oct 29, 2007 6:14:40 GMT -6
Take the chains down to practice and, for 10 minutes, run a little 11-on-11 drill with the coordinators calling plays just like in a game (making substitutions from the sideline, etc., etc.,) and assistants officiating.
We did that maybe once or twice a season, and our guys loved it. Just control it with a quick whistle.
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Post by wingt74 on Oct 29, 2007 6:20:53 GMT -6
"American Eagle" Line up the team on the goalline and pick a player. On the whistle, the team sprints to the other GL and the player must tackle someone. kinda like tag, but the players remain "IT". as a player is tackled they can go after another player...It is a sight to see when the "IT" players out number the runners OR when a group of "ITS" go after a fast/elusive player. Be careful with this one. You can see some pretty crazy, unprotected hits. I also use the rule of "no gang tackling" 1 on 1 tackling only. |
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Post by coachd5085 on Oct 29, 2007 12:08:53 GMT -6
I was afraid I was going to get the responses of if they aren't fired up for the playoffs for the first time in 20 years... believe me they are but I want to make practice feel new to them we have spent so much time together it gets a little old. So I was just wondering if any of you practiced a different way in the playoffs or it was the same routine day after day. Just looking to add a little change to keep things fresh. Then I would tell you... Don't re-invent the wheel. We've never changed practice routine from regular season to playoffs. Whatever we did to change up practice during the regular season is what we continued. But once again, we never did too much to "change up" practice. You beat me to it coach. Explain to them that THESE DRILLS...the same monotonous boring drills are what GOT us to the playoffs. ROUTINE is good. Muscle memory is GOOD. Reacting and not having to process the info is GOOD. PLUS, (always have to be pessimistic) if you changed something, and things didn't go well, you would be kicking yourself from here to there all offseason. |
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Post by ajreaper on Oct 29, 2007 13:12:24 GMT -6
I got to agree with CoachD- 1st playoff appearence in 20 years and they need something to be excited about? Like I told mine Friday in a win and lock up going to the play offs situation against the team that incidently was nipping at our heals- "If you need words from me to fire you up tonight it's best we just lose tonight and allow a team to advance that's excited and chomping at the bit to make a run in the play offs".
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Post by tothehouse on Oct 29, 2007 13:23:09 GMT -6
One thing we have done is gone back to basics. We basically practiced everything like it was a new season. Emphasized tackling, pursuit, pursuit angles, pass drops, etc. The drill periods emphasized specific things by position that was worked on extensively during the early weeks of the season, but might have gotten drawn out as the season went on.
"Starting over" actually was a refresher. The players felt by focusing on our early season fundamentals they were refining their skills. It also took some of the pressure off because we concentrated on getting ourselves better and not so much of what the team in front of us was doing.
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Post by sehested on Oct 29, 2007 14:58:59 GMT -6
Maybe implementing one or two trick-plays would help the kids have fun at practice. Not saying that you have to use them in the game, but they might be good to have...
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Post by CVBears on Oct 29, 2007 20:11:00 GMT -6
today we did conditioning a little differently. the skill guys did blocks/shed blocks and the line did man to man coverage vs. fades. We did it for the normal time it would take us to condition and the kids loved it. The key for us was to have small enough groups/enough coaches around to keep the tempo up. they ran their butts off and had a blast doing it.
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Post by phantom on Oct 29, 2007 20:18:20 GMT -6
Then I would tell you... Don't re-invent the wheel. We've never changed practice routine from regular season to playoffs. Whatever we did to change up practice during the regular season is what we continued. But once again, we never did too much to "change up" practice. You beat me to it coach. Explain to them that THESE DRILLS...the same monotonous boring drills are what GOT us to the playoffs. ROUTINE is good. Muscle memory is GOOD. Reacting and not having to process the info is GOOD. PLUS, (always have to be pessimistic) if you changed something, and things didn't go well, you would be kicking yourself from here to there all offseason. Exactly. |
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Post by justwingit on Oct 30, 2007 7:53:04 GMT -6
WE always run 40's after practice on Wednesdays. We start with ten but then as the season goes on we do state ranking sprints -- the kids love it. We got down to 2nd in state one year so they only had to do two! After celebrating they only HAD to do two the seniors led them in ten more. Really fired up the team...
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Post by biggerblue on Oct 30, 2007 18:15:25 GMT -6
HODGE PODGE
WE HAVE ABOUT 50 OF THOSE TACKLING DUMMIES THAT WHEN U HIT THEM THEY COME BACK UP AND WHAT WE WOULD DO IS TAKE ALL 50 PUT THEM ON 1 SINGLE HALF OF THE FIELD THEN HALF THE ENTIRE TEAM ON THE OTHER HALF OF THE FIELD ,(THIS IS IN FULL PADS BECAUSE SUMTIMES BIG HITS CAN HAPPEN) THEN THE COACHES WOULD CHOOSE 1 PLAYER OUT OF RANDOM AND HE WOULD BE CALLED THE HODGE. HE WOULD GET IN THAT FOREST OF TACKLING DUMMIES AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE PLAYERS RUN THROUGH THE FOREST WE CALL IT. AND THE HODGE GUY WOULD TRY AND HIT A DUMMY AND TRY AND MAKE IT HIT ANOTHER PLAYER THEN IF IT HIT A PLAYER HE BECOMES ANOTHER PODGE AND THEY KEEP GOING UNTIL ABOUT EVERYONE IS CAUGHT. ITS REALLY ALOT OF FUN BECAUSE YOU SEE EVERYONE TRY AND SPIN AND JUKE AND MAKE THE PODGES MISS AND SOMETIMES THEY DO THAT AND THEYLL ACCIDENTLY HIT ANOTHER DUMMY OR RUN INTO ANOTHER PLAYER CAUSING THEM TO BOTH HIT A DUMMY AND THEY BOTH BECOME PODGES, AND ITS EVEN FUNNIER WHEN YOU WATCH THE O/LINE AND D/LINE PERSONAL TRY AND BE SUPER AGILE AND THEY CANT MAKE THE PODGE MISS ALL THE TIME.. ALSO A RULE IS IF YOU ACCIDENTLY TOUCH A DUMMY THEN U AUTO MATICALLY BECOME A PODGE
THIS GAME HELPS WITH QUICKNESS ELUSIVNESS AND SOME CONDITIONG. WE HAVE THE COACHES SURROUNDING THE 1 HALF OF THE FIELD TO TRY AND SPOT ANY CHEATING PLAYERS
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALWAYS FUN TO DO
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Post by wingt74 on Oct 31, 2007 13:14:18 GMT -6
HODGE PODGE WE HAVE ABOUT 50 OF THOSE TACKLING DUMMIES THAT WHEN U HIT THEM THEY COME BACK UP AND WHAT WE WOULD DO IS TAKE ALL 50 PUT THEM ON 1 SINGLE HALF OF THE FIELD THEN HALF THE ENTIRE TEAM ON THE OTHER HALF OF THE FIELD ,(THIS IS IN FULL PADS BECAUSE SUMTIMES BIG HITS CAN HAPPEN) THEN THE COACHES WOULD CHOOSE 1 PLAYER OUT OF RANDOM AND HE WOULD BE CALLED THE HODGE. HE WOULD GET IN THAT FOREST OF TACKLING DUMMIES AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE PLAYERS RUN THROUGH THE FOREST WE CALL IT. AND THE HODGE GUY WOULD TRY AND HIT A DUMMY AND TRY AND MAKE IT HIT ANOTHER PLAYER THEN IF IT HIT A PLAYER HE BECOMES ANOTHER PODGE AND THEY KEEP GOING UNTIL ABOUT EVERYONE IS CAUGHT. ITS REALLY ALOT OF FUN BECAUSE YOU SEE EVERYONE TRY AND SPIN AND JUKE AND MAKE THE PODGES MISS AND SOMETIMES THEY DO THAT AND THEYLL ACCIDENTLY HIT ANOTHER DUMMY OR RUN INTO ANOTHER PLAYER CAUSING THEM TO BOTH HIT A DUMMY AND THEY BOTH BECOME PODGES, AND ITS EVEN FUNNIER WHEN YOU WATCH THE O/LINE AND D/LINE PERSONAL TRY AND BE SUPER AGILE AND THEY CANT MAKE THE PODGE MISS ALL THE TIME.. ALSO A RULE IS IF YOU ACCIDENTLY TOUCH A DUMMY THEN U AUTO MATICALLY BECOME A PODGE THIS GAME HELPS WITH QUICKNESS ELUSIVNESS AND SOME CONDITIONG. WE HAVE THE COACHES SURROUNDING THE 1 HALF OF THE FIELD TO TRY AND SPOT ANY CHEATING PLAYERS BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALWAYS FUN TO DO All caps hurts the eyes Coach  |
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Post by midlineqb on Oct 31, 2007 15:36:15 GMT -6
would love to have 10% of those pop-up dummies. We don't have any. Must be nice.
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Post by coachorr on Nov 4, 2007 1:14:45 GMT -6
Put the oline and Dline in on offense in seven on seven to compete against the skilled players. Designate the Scout O coach to come with some plays to run against the defense.
I Like the A' Drill.
For playoffs if you are going to be in a crazy environment. Get the Oline on the sled and have the team stand around them and yell and scream as the QB calls out different snap counts and the line works on firing off the ball. The Oline works on snap counts and the team sees just how good the oline is. Big time confidence booster for the team.
For WR/DB kids see who can defend from the ten yard line and throw the fade. Loser has to do something like pushups if they get beat. If it is a bad ball, it is a do-over.
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