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Post by lakercl9 on Feb 15, 2016 18:11:34 GMT -6
Hi Coaches,
I'm a recent hire coach, and was looking to start some new traditions. Does anyone have anything special that they do that they woudlnt mind sharing?
Locker room stuff, game day, practice, in the building, fans participation, pregame....
Looking for something new and exciting that might help with the transition.
I plan on adding names to the back of the senior jerseys.
I've been to places where thy have couches set up at the back of the endzone for student section, thought that was pretty cool, maybe give that a shot.
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Post by leighty on Feb 15, 2016 18:19:20 GMT -6
I think putting the name on the back of some jerseys but not others kind of flies in the face of the team concept.
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Post by 44dlcoach on Feb 15, 2016 18:26:58 GMT -6
We put the names on the back of everyone that had over a 3.0 GPA. Probably about 70% of the team had it on at the end of the year and we got a ton of good pub out of it.
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Post by lakercl9 on Feb 15, 2016 18:31:34 GMT -6
Thats a good idea but i can already see "you're humiliating my son because you're broadcasting to everyone that he's not a good student"
Its done around here by a few teams. Unfortunately alot of these kids need something extra, and walking around with your name ont he back of the jersey is right up their alley...
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Post by 44dlcoach on Feb 15, 2016 18:37:41 GMT -6
We didn't get any complaints but last year was the first year we did it, I'm sure some will come. So far the administration is supportive of it though and their stance is that we are rewarding those with the name not punishing those without.
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Post by freezeoption on Feb 15, 2016 21:04:28 GMT -6
in the game day roster I had different symbol by each kids name for the different honor rolls
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Post by lions23 on Feb 15, 2016 22:52:13 GMT -6
Everything on our helmet gets earned. We have a point system that determines when you get your stripe when you get your decal when you can pick your number and pads etc.
Every all conference or better player gets his picture and name on the wall leading to the door to practice field.
Every college player gets his name and picture in college uni on the wall under the all conference photos.
We have Thursday night dinners that parents cook for us in the library during game weeks
We started painting our helmets different color every year-it has to be done anyway We get new socks every year. Those are the only piece of uni that we replace every year and its relatively cheap. Since we don't wear practice pants we were able to buy new game pants instead. That gives a couple different combos of unis ala Oregon.
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moon
Junior Member
Posts: 324
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Post by moon on Feb 16, 2016 1:39:26 GMT -6
1. Pregame warmup and stretch in the gym, lights off, and music blaring.
2. Honoring former players. Each kid Finds The name of two former players that wore their jersey # and they write those names on a white mustang decal (because we are the Mustangs) and stick the decal on a board that can travel with us. As they walk out on to the field before a game they pound the decal.
3. Thursday after practice varsity team meeting. HC/OC, DC, and SpC make powerpoints on goals for the upcoming game.
4.. Thursday night varsity team dinner after team meeting at a players house.
5. Several of us position coaches host Wednesday night dinner for our varsity position players.
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Post by coachirish on Feb 16, 2016 6:42:53 GMT -6
Hi Coaches, I'm a recent hire coach, and was looking to start some new traditions. Does anyone have anything special that they do that they woudlnt mind sharing? Locker room stuff, game day, practice, in the building, fans participation, pregame.... Looking for something new and exciting that might help with the transition. I plan on adding names to the back of the senior jerseys. I've been to places where thy have couches set up at the back of the endzone for student section, thought that was pretty cool, maybe give that a shot. When I became the heaed coach 5 years ago we started a "sod cemetery". Anytime we win a significant game, beat a rival, or beat a school for the first time, we put on a white cross with the date of the game and score on it. The kids love and it and its pretty cool to look at. We also painted all of the years of playoff teams in our locker room and what round the team made it to. Then during the off season during workouts im constantly saying "get your year up on that wall". We also started a defensive points club. Everything defensive statistic is worth a certain amount of points. When the player gets 1,000 points they earn a t shirt at the end of the year football banquet. Says "G" Club and the year plus has a skull and crossbone on it. The shirts are black with white writing. The player with the most points get green writing. Our mascot is fighting irish but ive used skull and crossbone for alot of things, kinda mike leach style. We started handing out helmet sticker awards only after wins. 5 tackles is a sticker, sack is a sticker, back goes over 100 then oline gets a sticker, etc etc. The sticker is a skull and crossbones lol. Also started an iron man challenge to kickoff spring football in may. 6 events, 3 based on strength, 3 based on speed. Kid with the best average wins a plaque. If you make all-state we put your picture and jersey in the trophy case. We started our own free 7on7 and lineman challenge. It has become pretty big around here bc we dont charge anything and its not a tournament, just several teams doing basically a round robin. Started a leadership committee. Team votes on 6 leaders at the beginning of the offseason. Those 6 draft platoons from the roster. Each platoon competes against each other all month for points. When someone in your platoon doesnt show up the platoon loses points. The end of the month the winning platoon gets a prize, the last place platoon has a month of some sort of cleanup duty. I give helmet stickers to kids who have 100% attendance for the month. Basically, I think it is an absolute must to start traditions especially if you are taking over a program that hasnt won. I am on year six as the head coach and am constantly looking for new traditions. |
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Post by IronmanFootball on Feb 16, 2016 7:01:43 GMT -6
We assign seniors to freshman and have them help with things like filling up the water, equipment, etc. Seniors are "teaching" the ropes to the new guys.
"First speech / Final speech" all seniors get time to talk the night before our kickoff classic and the night before our senior night game.
We walk out from the field house to the field holding hands. Captains in the front and we go 2 guys across (Noah's Arc style). I lead the way.
We give out a Spirit of the Duck award to the guy that has worked his butt off the most over the years. So far it's been a new guy every year and the other 25 or so kids all want their picture with him and his award. It's gone to a guy that signed up in 7th grade and was a captain as an 8th grader, a guy that started 4 years both ways and has a 30 ACT/4.5 GPA and a guy this year that was a 4 year starter and suffered many injuries but always fought his way back, made great grades while working and playing football. If my prediction serves right (usually does) we have 2 guys I can see sharing it this year. Hard to pick with the upcoming roster.
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Post by coachirish on Feb 16, 2016 8:32:53 GMT -6
We also have the Thursday night dinner at a local church. We have former players come in and speak after the dinner. Could be a guy that graduated in 1970 or 2012, doesn't matter.
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Post by silvastar25 on Feb 17, 2016 22:17:15 GMT -6
Set a number of lifts that the student/athletes must make over the summer. Those who meet the number of lifts get a nameplate on the back of their jersey. Those who don't have an opportunity to "earn" it before the first game.
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Post by brophy on Feb 18, 2016 6:45:43 GMT -6
Like moon mentioned, traditions should be tied to the school or community not just the guys playing that season.
Thursday dinners with family, showing film to parents on Sundays, singing the school song after games, doing team charity work, having the team officiate your feeder program youth games, etc....
The program has to represent somethjng other than game day. Start with families then branch out to the community/city. Your tradition will be what recruits for you
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Post by bluboy on Feb 18, 2016 13:36:56 GMT -6
We try to get as involved as we can with our local youth football program. We put on a number of clinics for the youth coaches. A week before we clinic, we ask them to send us a list of what they want to cover. Doing this has been a big help to everyone (they get what they want and we feel that we gave them something worthwhile for them). Another thing we do with the youth program is have our seniors run one of the youth practices. The seniors coach-up the young kids. We tell our guys what areas to cover and how long to spend on each segment, but they run the show. Last, but not least, we have a night where we recognize the entire youth program (coaches, players, cheerleaders, stc). Before a game, each team is introduced and walks across the field where these youth players shake hands with every high school coach and player. This has become a very big deal. Both the big kids and little kids look forward to it, as well as the youth coaches who like seeing the guys they coached a couple of years earlier.
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Post by runitupthemiddle on Feb 18, 2016 20:23:34 GMT -6
Hi Coaches, I'm a recent hire coach, and was looking to start some new traditions. Does anyone have anything special that they do that they woudlnt mind sharing? Locker room stuff, game day, practice, in the building, fans participation, pregame.... Looking for something new and exciting that might help with the transition. I plan on adding names to the back of the senior jerseys. I've been to places where thy have couches set up at the back of the endzone for student section, thought that was pretty cool, maybe give that a shot. Only thing that should be on the back IMO is the words :team, family, or finish Maybe the schools mascot name |
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Post by runitupthemiddle on Feb 18, 2016 20:25:27 GMT -6
Everything on our helmet gets earned. We have a point system that determines when you get your stripe when you get your decal when you can pick your number and pads etc. Every all conference or better player gets his picture and name on the wall leading to the door to practice field. Every college player gets his name and picture in college uni on the wall under the all conference photos. We have Thursday night dinners that parents cook for us in the library during game weeks We started painting our helmets different color every year-it has to be done anyway We get new socks every year. Those are the only piece of uni that we replace every year and its relatively cheap. Since we don't wear practice pants we were able to buy new game pants instead. That gives a couple different combos of unis ala Oregon. Coach how big is your conference wall? Do you change those pics out year to year and just keep up the all state and college pics? |
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Post by runitupthemiddle on Feb 18, 2016 20:33:38 GMT -6
Hi Coaches, I'm a recent hire coach, and was looking to start some new traditions. Does anyone have anything special that they do that they woudlnt mind sharing? Locker room stuff, game day, practice, in the building, fans participation, pregame.... Looking for something new and exciting that might help with the transition. I plan on adding names to the back of the senior jerseys. I've been to places where thy have couches set up at the back of the endzone for student section, thought that was pretty cool, maybe give that a shot. When I became the heaed coach 5 years ago we started a "sod cemetery". Anytime we win a significant game, beat a rival, or beat a school for the first time, we put on a white cross with the date of the game and score on it. The kids love and it and its pretty cool to look at. We also painted all of the years of playoff teams in our locker room and what round the team made it to. Then during the off season during workouts im constantly saying "get your year up on that wall". We also started a defensive points club. Everything defensive statistic is worth a certain amount of points. When the player gets 1,000 points they earn a t shirt at the end of the year football banquet. Says "G" Club and the year plus has a skull and crossbone on it. The shirts are black with white writing. The player with the most points get green writing. Our mascot is fighting irish but ive used skull and crossbone for alot of things, kinda mike leach style. We started handing out helmet sticker awards only after wins. 5 tackles is a sticker, sack is a sticker, back goes over 100 then oline gets a sticker, etc etc. The sticker is a skull and crossbones lol. Also started an iron man challenge to kickoff spring football in may. 6 events, 3 based on strength, 3 based on speed. Kid with the best average wins a plaque. If you make all-state we put your picture and jersey in the trophy case. We started our own free 7on7 and lineman challenge. It has become pretty big around here bc we dont charge anything and its not a tournament, just several teams doing basically a round robin. Started a leadership committee. Team votes on 6 leaders at the beginning of the offseason. Those 6 draft platoons from the roster. Each platoon competes against each other all month for points. When someone in your platoon doesnt show up the platoon loses points. The end of the month the winning platoon gets a prize, the last place platoon has a month of some sort of cleanup duty. I give helmet stickers to kids who have 100% attendance for the month. Basically, I think it is an absolute must to start traditions especially if you are taking over a program that hasnt won. I am on year six as the head coach and am constantly looking for new traditions. Coach that sounds like a lot of what we do around here combined with stuff we did at our old place. We did the points for stickers and yards And we do weekly awards Oline - hard hat Special teams- shrunken voodoo head Big stick- baseball bat Offensive player- little trophy cup Defensive player- fire mans hat ( cause you had but out the fire the offense was showing) Pirate award- gold brick this goes to somebody that did something special in practice or for someone or we saw helping load more than their fair share of the trailer and they get to eat first at team meals Scout player: small trophy and gets to where a black shirt on Thursday and walk out as a captain and eat first at team meals |
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Post by runitupthemiddle on Feb 18, 2016 20:47:36 GMT -6
This is kinda an awkward tradition
But there is a team in Arkansas that has the "wall"
It is the name of every player that has ever QUIT
And the team punches the wall of names on their way to practice and games, reminding them not to be quitters
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Post by coachdawhip on Feb 18, 2016 21:04:34 GMT -6
We sing the alma mater after every game...
We have a sledgehammer. Our overall motto is #BringTheHammer. We have yearly themes but that's our motto.
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Post by coachirish on Feb 18, 2016 21:43:10 GMT -6
This is kinda an awkward tradition But there is a team in Arkansas that has the "wall" It is the name of every player that has ever QUIT And the team punches the wall of names on their way to practice and games, reminding them not to be quitters In our locker room we have a wall of bricks with each players number and name. Whether somebody quits a senior removes the quitters brick and smashes it with a sledge hammer. |
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Post by vicvinegar on Feb 18, 2016 23:49:19 GMT -6
We didn't get any complaints but last year was the first year we did it, I'm sure some will come. So far the administration is supportive of it though and their stance is that we are rewarding those with the name not punishing those without. You bring up an important part. It's important that administration has your back on something like this. |
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Post by fantom on Feb 19, 2016 0:11:58 GMT -6
This is kinda an awkward tradition But there is a team in Arkansas that has the "wall" It is the name of every player that has ever QUIT And the team punches the wall of names on their way to practice and games, reminding them not to be quitters In our locker room we have a wall of bricks with each players number and name. Whether somebody quits a senior removes the quitters brick and smashes it with a sledge hammer. I don't get this thing about quitters. If they want to play, they play. If not we worry about the guys that we have. |
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Post by groundchuck on Feb 19, 2016 4:41:46 GMT -6
Here are some traditions we started and some we have added in over the years:
1. No individual pregame introductions.
2. Everyone gets stuff out for practice and puts gear away. Not just the freshmen.
3. Team meal on Thursday.
4. Helmet stickers for grades, wt room participation, playing other sports, and reaching certain milestones, not just on the field accomplishments. Also, when we win, everyone in the program gets a sticker.
5. We started two travelling trophies with neighboring schools.
6. Our varsity players help out with the youth program after practice.
7. Our youth kids get to play at half time and once a year get in free and they get introduced before the game and run through a "fan" tunnel of high school players and coaches.
8. We have a "football for moms" clinic.
9. Post season banquet.
10. ETC
I think anything you can do to generate buzz helps. But the best tradition of all is winning. Something we are still building on.
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Post by chipprjonz10 on Feb 19, 2016 7:31:15 GMT -6
This year we ordered new practice jerseys that say our school name in the front with a number and on the back they all say FAMILY with a number...
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Post by gibbs72 on Feb 19, 2016 8:22:28 GMT -6
We did something with practice jerseys when I was HC that I modeled after Nebraska. We ordered black practice jerseys and gave out 11 of them: 1 to each defensive STARTER. So, there were exactly 11 at practice at any given time. If someone missed practice, had a bad practice, or even got injured, the jersey passed to his replacement as the new starter. It was hard for some kids, but I had a very hard working group of defensive guys because they wanted that jersey! It was something tangible for them to see besides a simple depth chart.
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Post by IronmanFootball on Feb 19, 2016 8:39:39 GMT -6
8. We have a "football for moms" clinic. I need a "football for the daddy coaches corner" clinic. |
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Post by gibbs72 on Feb 19, 2016 8:58:57 GMT -6
My old school did a "Mom's Academy" before the season. They really liked it.
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Post by 44dlcoach on Feb 19, 2016 9:40:22 GMT -6
We didn't get any complaints but last year was the first year we did it, I'm sure some will come. So far the administration is supportive of it though and their stance is that we are rewarding those with the name not punishing those without. You bring up an important part. It's important that administration has your back on something like this. Yes, our HC got the ok from administration before doing it. We also made a rule that to be a starter you have to have over a 2.5 GPA, otherwise you sit out the first two series. On a team of 50+ kids all of our starters met that requirement. We did get some complaints about that one, especially from JV parents but again the administration had signed off on it ahead of time. It's also not that hard a policy to defend IMO, not like 2 series is some huge amount of time missed. |
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Post by ccoomes16 on Feb 19, 2016 9:57:43 GMT -6
We did something with practice jerseys when I was HC that I modeled after Nebraska. We ordered black practice jerseys and gave out 11 of them: 1 to each defensive STARTER. So, there were exactly 11 at practice at any given time. If someone missed practice, had a bad practice, or even got injured, the jersey passed to his replacement as the new starter. It was hard for some kids, but I had a very hard working group of defensive guys because they wanted that jersey! It was something tangible for them to see besides a simple depth chart. My coach in high school did something like this. He told the story about a Cheyenne Indian warrior group called Dog Soldiers at the beginning of the season. Story goes that these Dog Soldiers would be the baddest dudes in the tribe and would NOT accept defeat. From a website on Dog Soldiers: "Attached to each dog rope was a picket-pin [used to tether horses]. The pin was driven into the ground as a mark of resolve in combat. When a Dog Soldier was staked to the ground...he was required to remain there even if death was the consequence."One guy "was found dead in the place he had pinioned himself, having not retreated an inch."Anyway, he told the story in such a motivating fashion that he really pumped us up. HC told us he wanted his starting defense to be like Dog Soldiers - staked in the ground, unmoved by the opponent's offense. He gave his starting D black practice jersey's with "DOG SOLDIER" on them. |
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Post by coachirish on Feb 19, 2016 18:57:42 GMT -6
In our locker room we have a wall of bricks with each players number and name. Whether somebody quits a senior removes the quitters brick and smashes it with a sledge hammer. I don't get this thing about quitters. If they want to play, they play. If not we worry about the guys that we have. I dont give a crap about quitters either. I was just describing something our seniors started doing. Its not like we put on robes and gather around the 50 at midnight to do it. I dont even see it happen. its just something one of them started doing and it didnt bother me enough to stop them. |
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