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Post by Coach Goodnight on Nov 9, 2007 13:36:46 GMT -6
How many of you guys, after a game or practice, sit down and more or less write a journal entry?
Also who does it after season? What benefits has it reaped for you and your program?
If you do does it help, what are the benefits of it?
Do you also tape practice and does that help too?
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Post by brophy on Nov 9, 2007 13:53:50 GMT -6
I bet you could learn a lot about yourself from that.
We tape (most) every practice (Group & Team) segments. And, yes, it has tremendous benefit in keeping an accurate pulse of where your team is at. Because you take the tape home with you that night and while you are 'unplugging' you can collect and focus the general thoughts you had from practice.
I journal through the season and it is interesting to get a glimpse of what it is like during the season and how you 'see' things at the time (interactions with players & coaches & situations).
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Post by coachjoe3 on Nov 9, 2007 14:02:07 GMT -6
I haven't done it, but it's crossed my mind - too late in the season to get any real benefit from it. If I do it, I would want to have the whole season down so I could look back on it after the season's done or maybe even years later - what worked, what didn't what we could've done better, etc. I can see how a coach would like to get his thoughts down on paper and be able to refer back to see the progress the team made. I'd like to try it from the start next season. Any coach, position or HC, can do this and I think it could be a great tool. This could be in the form of notes at the bottom of your practice plan or a more formal form, paragraphs and "Dear Diary" and all that . Whatever works and whatever can get you looking at the full scope of your team in another light. It's all about improving and seeing trends in your team throughout the season. Memory can play tricks even a few weeks later . . . I've only been involved with one team that's taped practices, at the semi-pro level a few years ago, and it seemed to help re: what positions needed the most work (in our case it was OL) and why. Then we sat down and made a plan to improve the basic skills they needed based on what we saw on the field and the tape. We looked at it as more of a review of what we saw than finding anything new. It wasn't hard to find that most of the guys needed a refresher on the basics, most of our OL were out of football for a few years and just wanted to get back in the game. So the tape was more of "Okay, this guy needs a shorter step and this guy needs to get lower . . ." We tailored some individual drills for those who needed it and we got them there for the most part, so it helped.
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Post by Coach Goodnight on Nov 9, 2007 14:16:36 GMT -6
Brophy, how much do you find yourself writing? Is it merely a paragraph or does it really depend on what happened in the practice and game?
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Post by coachsky on Nov 9, 2007 14:18:10 GMT -6
I worked with a guy once who did this after every practice and every game.
He was a little odd.
He also spent a lot of time in airport restrooms and came to film session one Sunday wearing Red Pumps. It was a lil uncomfortable, but we got through it.
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Post by brophy on Nov 9, 2007 14:20:50 GMT -6
i dunno.
I know many professionals insist on journalling, especially when in contact with a lot of individuals (tracing events and CYA), but my journals are mostly personal....so the subject matter is usually about what happens in practice, how interaction went with fellow coaches/parents/players and idea-formation. I am not real good about doing it every day because I usually don't have that much time.
It is beneficial, at least in the respect of the CYA documentation of "the day Johnny's mom beat up Bobby's cousin's girlfriend in the parking lot" because when the administration gets involved, you'd better be able to retrace your steps and remember all interactions and what was said when people start asking questions.
I don't think I can 'coach' without filming practices (at least the TEAM sessions)
Why? because not only for what I get out of it, but also to clearly SHOW the athletes what specifically I want them to do/What they are doing (many times they don't realize it).
example; [gvid]7862071857378392208[/givd]
PS - so long as the pumps didn't clash with his parasol, what's the big deal?
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Post by Coach Goodnight on Nov 9, 2007 14:23:51 GMT -6
Has it helped you personally, such as the way you have interacted with players/parents/other coaches?
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Post by brophy on Nov 9, 2007 14:31:11 GMT -6
I think so, but to each his own.....I also think getting obliterated at a Sports Bar is therapeutic so use at your own risk. Also, George Allen advocated it long ago..
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Post by darebelcoach on Nov 9, 2007 14:46:17 GMT -6
I seem to agree with brophy on getting bombed at a sports bar after a tough game (or a good game)...that always helps me retrace and rethink went went wrong or right....but as a young head coach, I journal occassionally about things that I think went well and not so well...helps me remember things that I should and shouldn't do for the future
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2007 14:54:05 GMT -6
I do it. Actually do it on Sunday after meetings, Thursday night after pregame, and then Saturday after a game.
Easy now with a computer.
It gets you to know yourself as a coach, playcaller. Makes you look at how and why you do things. I don't journal things like "Frankie couldn't reroute again today and our inside run period was bad."
More of it is in respect to preparation and playcalling. I'm big on game prep and to me this is a part of it. In fact, tonight we play in the state semifinals and I went to my past journal entries for the team we play and reread my thoughts on the past 6 years worth--gave me some insight on what I have done and will do.
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Post by coachsky on Nov 9, 2007 14:55:46 GMT -6
I am a huge proponent of Hop Therapy.
The new place we started hanging out this year has it's benefits and drawbacks;
Benefits - No Parents
Drawbacks - County Officials Assoc gathers there, 20 to 30 of em.
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Post by Coach Goodnight on Nov 9, 2007 15:09:15 GMT -6
Ok, how many of you guys write on the bottoms of your practice sheets and use this as a "journal entry"
What kinds of notes do you write, ect.??
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Post by brophy on Nov 9, 2007 15:27:10 GMT -6
not to hijack anything, but along the same lines, the next season, I plan on (audio) recording game calls in the box (an idea from Mav or Aztec, I think). For the purpose of analyzing how information is being communicated and the style used (is there a BETTER way to do it?). Nothing earth-shattering there, but it would help to breakdown MY 'game' in the box and review the thought-process and also illustrate WHAT pieces of information are vital to (calling) a play.
And if my practice sheet wasn't sweat-soaked,wadded up, and torn, I probably would write notes on it (though I do jot down notes throughout practice at times). I have (in a folder) a lot of old practice plans (that we used) that chronologically go through a season of what we did (dates) with any notes I took during the sessions. I hardly ever reference them, though.
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Post by amikell on Nov 10, 2007 1:25:57 GMT -6
Drawbacks - County Officials Assoc gathers there, 20 to 30 of em. this can be an advantage. buy them a round or two (yeah I know it costs, but ...) or just get to know and hang out the guys. refs aren't evil (neither are parents for that matter). You could learn how the game is called. What the look for, what the keys are for each official, etc.
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Post by Coach Goodnight on Nov 11, 2007 17:06:14 GMT -6
Might even be more beneficial if you do it a few hours before they call your game too!!!!
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Post by brophy on Nov 14, 2007 10:40:43 GMT -6
one thing ( I don't know if anyone else does this) but EVERY YEAR I essentially 'journal' with Excel.
I start off with the Team Roster (worksheet) with all the info (address,numbers, grade, details,etc).
Then build off that with more worksheets as it goes through the off-season and through the season. It would include schedules/implementation calendars / depth charts / game plans / handout info / call sheets / etc..........pretty much a hub of all the data and ideas for a season in one Workbook.
I dunno......it is an easy way for me to compartmentalize teams/seasons and it has been helpful to me.
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Post by coachmacplains on Nov 14, 2007 10:51:16 GMT -6
I don't know if I could remember everything after practice or games and when I break down film, so I have a voice recorder on me. I record with respect to anything that comes up that needs to be addressed pertaining to the team - Xs & Os, personnel, etc. - and later will put them down on paper. This helps me cover a lot of things that used to get missed. It was the best $20 investment I ever made.
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Post by Coach Goodnight on Nov 14, 2007 11:38:57 GMT -6
I like that Idea of the recorder. Do you also do that during the games as well?
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Post by coachmacplains on Nov 14, 2007 12:49:09 GMT -6
I have it with me, but don't use it as much as in practice. I'm working on that.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2007 12:53:16 GMT -6
Yeah, my practice scripts are thick with little notes, stars, etc. On one side I have my D script, on the other side I have my skelly and inside run script along with the practice schedule. then I laminated that and use a mini-Sharpie for notes. Pretty good.
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Post by Coach Goodnight on Nov 14, 2007 12:54:55 GMT -6
Irish you a coordinator or are you a HC?
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Post by senatorblutarsky on Nov 14, 2007 17:01:28 GMT -6
How many of you guys, after a game or practice, sit down and more or less write a journal entry?
I don't... unless you count a single word written repeatedly on our play sheet. Seriously, I do jot down notes from time to time... nothing approaching a journal entry though.
Do you also tape practice and does that help too?
Yes, and Yes. We tape practices up until the first game and then we do not except for occasionally. We show practice cut ups to the players in meetings before the next practice. Once the season starts, we (I) simply don't have time. I wish I did... I do think we benefit from it.
I also tape spring weight room sessions in my weights classes (squats and cleans)... that helps a lot too.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2007 17:05:21 GMT -6
I'm Defensive Coordinator.
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Post by Coach Goodnight on Nov 19, 2007 19:40:22 GMT -6
lol, kinda like putting a L and R on the back of a players hand!!
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