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Post by fantom on Mar 12, 2019 21:30:15 GMT -6
thoughts become words words become actions actions become character and character is everything you win with character ... you lose with characters. character (of a player, of a team) is culture we all would agree that, in the end, high character teams/programs tend to win at a more consistent basis than low character teams. not an absolute, but when given the choice of having a team with high character over a low character team we all probably take the high character team. go further, given the choice of having an average talent high character team vs a high talent, low character team I will take the first. because, over time, the high character tends to create an environment of high achievers. whereas, the low character runs the risk of stumbling at the firs sign of adversity. so, yes, culture/character does matter. but, so does your talent level. so does your schematic use of said talent. so does your game planning to utilize the scheme/talent vs your opponent. higher character teammates tend to allow for the game planning and schematic approach to take hold moreso than a lower character teammate. flash in the pan team, maybe they win with low character individuals making up the greater portion of their contributors. but, highly unlikely that program wins consistently. Define character.
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Post by Coach Huey on Mar 12, 2019 21:35:44 GMT -6
thoughts become words words become actions actions become character and character is everything you win with character ... you lose with characters. character (of a player, of a team) is culture we all would agree that, in the end, high character teams/programs tend to win at a more consistent basis than low character teams. not an absolute, but when given the choice of having a team with high character over a low character team we all probably take the high character team. go further, given the choice of having an average talent high character team vs a high talent, low character team I will take the first. because, over time, the high character tends to create an environment of high achievers. whereas, the low character runs the risk of stumbling at the firs sign of adversity. so, yes, culture/character does matter. but, so does your talent level. so does your schematic use of said talent. so does your game planning to utilize the scheme/talent vs your opponent. higher character teammates tend to allow for the game planning and schematic approach to take hold moreso than a lower character teammate. flash in the pan team, maybe they win with low character individuals making up the greater portion of their contributors. but, highly unlikely that program wins consistently. Define character. Seriously? trustworthy, caring, respectful, responsible... Want me to define each of those, as well?
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Post by fantom on Mar 12, 2019 21:42:07 GMT -6
Seriously? trustworthy, caring, respectful, responsible... Want me to define each of those, as well? No.
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Post by coachcrabb2 on Mar 13, 2019 7:11:21 GMT -6
RANT ALERT—- This whole “Culture” thing is processing in my brain the way that trendy words such as “Bae” , “Fleek”, “Crunk” etc.... I wish this whole Culture thing would go the way of those words and the dinosaur...
I believe that term is extremely overrated and somewhat of a catch all buzzword to make it seem like we are “doing the right thing”.... this whole “culture” craze is nothing new . To me it’s just rebranding and renaming important program quantifiers such as , character, respect, effort, brotherhood, perseverance etc.... all under the guise of sounding modern and new, like a real program changer... This doesn’t make you a good Coach to throw that word around , newsflash if you don’t believe or didn’t believe that a program needed all those characteristics prior to the culture craze then you’re doing it wrong and should probably find a new profession.
I guess culture is a hot buzzword to say all of the above but it’s been here since leather helmets so let’s not act like this is new and revolutionary .... there a ton of Coaches cashing in on this trend and there’s nothing wrong with that but it all becomes a bit stale IMO.
I feel like Peter Griffin “You know what grinds my gears?”
I get it and I’m completely on board with culture but as with many words the more it’s thrown around it’s effectiveness and power is greatly diminished
RANT COMPLETE
Have a great day
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2019 7:33:02 GMT -6
However, I get so sick and tired of people using the word "culture" or "process", please just stop. Saw a guy tweet the other day, "I'm not afraid of your X's & O's, I fear your culture." To me, all of that sounds just awful. Maybe I am in the minority, but I have won alot more games game planning and making adjustments, than using the word culture at halftime. Have never won a state championship, but have coached in two of them, and here is what I noticed about those two teams... 1. Guys who just loved playing the game. Of those two years, we had a total of 3 guys who went on to play mid-major FBS football, not power 5. 2. It was the best staff I have ever been on, because we studied the game, watched film, and prepared! We didn't waste time discussing what type of leadership ideas we were going to do in January. I am not saying we never used the word "culture", but I am saying that we worried more the game as opposed to all the leadership techniques 3. We didn't waste time on culture ideas, river floats, lock ins, dads & donuts, helmets & heels, and all the other stuff that people do now a days, but rather that time was devoted to the weight room, film room, and practice field to prepare to WIN! When the work was done, we went home. <snip> My question - Does culture really matter at kickoff? Again, refer to earlier in my post, culture is important and must be part of your program. *I do NOT disagree with that*. But what about those moments, when it's 4th & 1, and you get stuffed and lose the game? Are you going to blame your culture or blame the play call? So for all you culture dudes out there, couple of questions... 1. Can you really make a 16 year old kid regardless of financial status, race, color, or creed a leader? 2. If you go 0-10/1-9/2-8, how do you get your kids to believe that you are the best program in the country? (To me, sounds like you need to spend more time on X's & O's as opposed to the whole culture thing, but that's just me.) 3. Does your "culture" really make a difference at kickoff? With all due respect, coach, I think you have a different definition of "culture" than most people who obsess over culture. I'd use all 3 of your reasons why you were playing for state as EXCELLENT examples of what people mean when they say "culture." Lock-ins, Ray Lewis speaches, and PJ Fleck-style PR stunts can be fun, but they're mostly going to change squat by themselves. However, the other stuff you discussed is exactly what we mean by "culture." You take a guy with great Xs and Os accumen and plop him down in some podunk HS where the kids won't work out, administration and parents don't support coaches, and players are pointing fingers at everyone else and I can assure that coach won't be successful. You take a guy who's got parts 1-3 working and is mediocre at "scheme," and you've got somebody who's probably going to be at least fairly successful. The questions you've got here are why people preach that it's a "process." You can't force leadership on a kid, but you can coach them up on how to play ball so they're more confident, coach them up on how to relate to teammates, and even coach up their body language and tone so they're not dragging the other kids down. Then your leaders will naturally emerge, eventually. If you go 0-10, you're not going to get your kids to believe you're the best program in the country, but you can get them to believe in themselves that they can get better if you challenge them. You don't need to be the best program in the country, but you need to get them to believe they have a chance to win or at least accomplish something meaningful. Going from 0-10 to 4-6 is a huge increase and is usually doable in most places if you get kids lifting and get your chit together as a coach. Then going from 4-6 to 6-4 the next year is even bigger in the mind of those kids. That's how you build culture slowly. It should make a difference at kickoff: not the rah-rah speeches and stunts, but the work you've put in to prepare--that's the culture. Most games are won and lost well before kickoff. That's what coaches are for. "Players win games. Coaches win players."--John Wooden To me, that quote is the perfect, succinct definition of what "culture" means. We're just using a new, buzzword-y label to communicate all the stuff that entails. Players who love football will work harder, play better, and win games on Friday nights. Caoches can't make kids love football, but we can make football more "loveable" for players by doing the right things ("good culture") and a bad coach can sure as hell make kids hate it ("bad culture").
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Post by fantom on Mar 13, 2019 7:39:51 GMT -6
Seriously? trustworthy, caring, respectful, responsible... Want me to define each of those, as well? Reason for my short answer earlier was that I was going to bed. The reason why I asked is that some people define character by externals: haircuts, clothing, music, GPA, etc..
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Post by coachcb on Mar 13, 2019 8:34:19 GMT -6
Seriously? trustworthy, caring, respectful, responsible... Want me to define each of those, as well? Reason for my short answer earlier was that I was going to bed. The reason why I asked is that some people define character by externals: haircuts, clothing, music, GPA, etc.. I would certainly say that haircuts, clothing, and music are extreme examples of how some folks define culture. However, IMO, the overall GPA of a program is decent indicator of a positive or a negative culture. If the kids aren't putting forth much effort in the classroom, then chances are they aren't doing so out on the field. We understand that the overall program isn't going to average a 3.0 GPA but when the majority of your team is barely squeaking by, you've probably got a problem. That can be addressed with team study halls and intervention within the program but, at the end of the day, the kids need to be getting their chit together in the classroom.
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Post by fantom on Mar 13, 2019 8:58:36 GMT -6
Reason for my short answer earlier was that I was going to bed. The reason why I asked is that some people define character by externals: haircuts, clothing, music, GPA, etc.. I would certainly say that haircuts, clothing, and music are extreme examples of how some folks define culture. However, IMO, the overall GPA of a program is decent indicator of a positive or a negative culture. If the kids aren't putting forth much effort in the classroom, then chances are they aren't doing so out on the field. We understand that the overall program isn't going to average a 3.0 GPA but when the majority of your team is barely squeaking by, you've probably got a problem. That can be addressed with team study halls and intervention within the program but, at the end of the day, the kids need to be getting their chit together in the classroom. But a good GPA doesn't mean that a kid is a good person.
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Post by mnike23 on Mar 13, 2019 9:09:20 GMT -6
Yes, you read that correctly. Scheme Defeats Culture. I am sure I will get criticized about this, and please understand I am not here to start World War III, merely a healthy discussion about all the 21st century buzz words that are being thrown around. Was reading another read about "Trust The Process", which got me to thinking...Why, why, why are we acting like culture matters on game night? Before you culture freaks go off, let me set something straight... 1. Yes I believe "culture" is important. For parents, admin, program, etc. Yes, you have to have some type of "rah-rah" within your program, some type of motto, something that your kids must believe sets them apart. However, I get so sick and tired of people using the word "culture" or "process", please just stop. Saw a guy tweet the other day, "I'm not afraid of your X's & O's, I fear your culture." To me, all of that sounds just awful. Maybe I am in the minority, but I have won alot more games game planning and making adjustments, than using the word culture at halftime. Have never won a state championship, but have coached in two of them, and here is what I noticed about those two teams... 1. Guys who just loved playing the game. Of those two years, we had a total of 3 guys who went on to play mid-major FBS football, not power 5. 2. It was the best staff I have ever been on, because we studied the game, watched film, and prepared! We didn't waste time discussing what type of leadership ideas we were going to do in January. I am not saying we never used the word "culture", but I am saying that we worried more the game as opposed to all the leadership techniques 3. We didn't waste time on culture ideas, river floats, lock ins, dads & donuts, helmets & heels, and all the other stuff that people do now a days, but rather that time was devoted to the weight room, film room, and practice field to prepare to WIN! When the work was done, we went home. Here is another thing, when I go to clinics, I want to hear ball! I don't want some guy telling me about how their culture is so much better than mine, and then pull up a clip of 4 star D1 guy busting 3 tackles on inside zone. Also, there is actually a guy who wrote a book about "Culture Defeats Strategy", and people actually buy this! Why? And this 3D coaching that is out there. Come on guys, football & athletics have been going before we were born and will continue long after we die. Our parents and grandparents played this game, without all the books, manuals, motivational talk, etc. and they did just fine, thus brings my question...Why in 2019 are people so sold on this "culture-chemistry-discipline" mantra? What has happen to us; and there are actually people making money off selling books that discuss culture? Blows my mind. Also, think about this, you are paid to win games, and if you don't believe that, you are fooling yourself. Your admin doesn't fire you because your culture is the best in the country. I have never seen a coach fired because of culture or lack there of, and we all know it's true. Again, I am not trying to start a nuclear meltdown, I am trying to give my .02, but also gather your insight on the matter. My question - Does culture really matter at kickoff? Again, refer to earlier in my post, culture is important and must be part of your program. *I do NOT disagree with that*. But what about those moments, when it's 4th & 1, and you get stuffed and lose the game? Are you going to blame your culture or blame the play call? So for all you culture dudes out there, couple of questions... 1. Can you really make a 16 year old kid regardless of financial status, race, color, or creed a leader? 2. If you go 0-10/1-9/2-8, how do you get your kids to believe that you are the best program in the country? (To me, sounds like you need to spend more time on X's & O's as opposed to the whole culture thing, but that's just me.) 3. Does your "culture" really make a difference at kickoff? we talked a bit on the "other post" but, what your saying is culture! guys who just love to play ball guys who kill it in the weight room having a great staff that works tirelessly on the weekends to form a great plan. no of those things happen at the losingist team in the county you work in. scheme is a part for sure. scheme will take a team that is equal or marginally behind its opponent in terms of jimmies and joes and will win. but, in your 4th and 1 scenerio, the team that fumbles the snap to lose, thats not scheme!!!! the guy that drives the field to win the ball game scheme and joes are more important, but,,,,,,some of that winning mentality or weight room warrior or the great staff that game planned perfectly, all culture.winning and losing teams have it..... answer your 3 questions now 1-you cant make a leader. either he has it or he doesnt. being around a mindset of winning, competition, desire, motivation, will help him become a different person yes, but will not make him a leader. 2-my teams I talked to you about before, i never expressed we were the best, it was always underdog role. you wont convince a doormat that they can beat the state champs. but, you can show them how to work hard, harder than ever. you can do every little thing right, perfect in every facet of the game(to best of their ability), and on a rainy night in october you may stand a chance to hang with the big dogs and never give up. that my friend is changing THE CULTURE of the program. is scheme important, sure thing. but a great scheme is part of the culture! 3-does it? not as much as the 11 D1 kids on the other side of the field does......but if all things equal, it sure does. coach at a 10yr old school, we have never beaten the rival in 10 yrs. 2 of the last 3 years we have had 4th quarter leads, dominate on both sides of the ball. how did we lose? it sure wasnt scheme or joes....
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Post by bird0660 on Mar 13, 2019 9:19:53 GMT -6
Yes, you read that correctly. Scheme Defeats Culture. I am sure I will get criticized about this, and please understand I am not here to start World War III, merely a healthy discussion about all the 21st century buzz words that are being thrown around. Was reading another read about "Trust The Process", which got me to thinking...Why, why, why are we acting like culture matters on game night? Before you culture freaks go off, let me set something straight... 1. Yes I believe "culture" is important. For parents, admin, program, etc. Yes, you have to have some type of "rah-rah" within your program, some type of motto, something that your kids must believe sets them apart. However, I get so sick and tired of people using the word "culture" or "process", please just stop. Saw a guy tweet the other day, "I'm not afraid of your X's & O's, I fear your culture." To me, all of that sounds just awful. Maybe I am in the minority, but I have won alot more games game planning and making adjustments, than using the word culture at halftime. Have never won a state championship, but have coached in two of them, and here is what I noticed about those two teams... 1. Guys who just loved playing the game. Of those two years, we had a total of 3 guys who went on to play mid-major FBS football, not power 5. 2. It was the best staff I have ever been on, because we studied the game, watched film, and prepared! We didn't waste time discussing what type of leadership ideas we were going to do in January. I am not saying we never used the word "culture", but I am saying that we worried more the game as opposed to all the leadership techniques 3. We didn't waste time on culture ideas, river floats, lock ins, dads & donuts, helmets & heels, and all the other stuff that people do now a days, but rather that time was devoted to the weight room, film room, and practice field to prepare to WIN! When the work was done, we went home. Here is another thing, when I go to clinics, I want to hear ball! I don't want some guy telling me about how their culture is so much better than mine, and then pull up a clip of 4 star D1 guy busting 3 tackles on inside zone. Also, there is actually a guy who wrote a book about "Culture Defeats Strategy", and people actually buy this! Why? And this 3D coaching that is out there. Come on guys, football & athletics have been going before we were born and will continue long after we die. Our parents and grandparents played this game, without all the books, manuals, motivational talk, etc. and they did just fine, thus brings my question...Why in 2019 are people so sold on this "culture-chemistry-discipline" mantra? What has happen to us; and there are actually people making money off selling books that discuss culture? Blows my mind. Also, think about this, you are paid to win games, and if you don't believe that, you are fooling yourself. Your admin doesn't fire you because your culture is the best in the country. I have never seen a coach fired because of culture or lack there of, and we all know it's true. Again, I am not trying to start a nuclear meltdown, I am trying to give my .02, but also gather your insight on the matter. My question - Does culture really matter at kickoff? Again, refer to earlier in my post, culture is important and must be part of your program. *I do NOT disagree with that*. But what about those moments, when it's 4th & 1, and you get stuffed and lose the game? Are you going to blame your culture or blame the play call? So for all you culture dudes out there, couple of questions... 1. Can you really make a 16 year old kid regardless of financial status, race, color, or creed a leader? 2. If you go 0-10/1-9/2-8, how do you get your kids to believe that you are the best program in the country? (To me, sounds like you need to spend more time on X's & O's as opposed to the whole culture thing, but that's just me.) 3. Does your "culture" really make a difference at kickoff? Spoken like a coach at a school with an established culture. Do you kids consistently go to weightroom? Do the majority do well in school? Do they rarely miss practice? Is the staff bought in? Do you have an admin that believes in you? My assumption is that your answer to all of these is yes...which is why you have the ABILITY to use scheme as a tool to win games.
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Post by shocktroop34 on Mar 13, 2019 9:35:12 GMT -6
Culture sustains the lulls and pitfalls of the off season, where scheme is no longer present.
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Post by olballcoach on Mar 13, 2019 9:59:18 GMT -6
Thank you for all the responses. There have been some great ones! Again, just looking for insight on the topic at hand, not trying to start a war.
Here is part 2 of the discussion - For me, Here is what started this discussion, we took a program that had NEVER been to the state championship, and the staff before us had built somewhat of a previous established "culture",but within 2 years of new staff (us) being there, we were playing for a state title, thus I bring this point. When we came in, HC made one thing clear, "We are to win football games, not establish culture." Thus, we got on the white board, broke down the film, and made X's & O's our priority. We didn't do anything different than anyone else in America is doing as it relates to "culture"/"discipline". 2 years ago we played in the state championship in the highest classification in our state, year after that we made the quarterfinals (Elite 8), after that year AND due to the success we have had, every coach left for other opportunities, assistants became coordinators, coordinators became head coaches, and head coach left for a better program. **This is not a pat on the back/look at me discussion** I left after that season, Now, this said program went 3-7 this year, AGAIN AFTER two years ago going to the state finals with an entirely different staff this year. I have kids still text me saying how much they miss us, etc. I do not have a dog in the fight as I am not with this program any longer and this is NOT some vendetta I am on, merely hate it for the kids who grew up with lots of success WITHOUT the whole buzz word of motto, culture, etc. and they are getting beat over the head with it daily.
To answer some of your questions/comments... Yes, we used the word "culture", "discipline", etc. but we never did anything to the likes of team building activities that you see all over social media now a days. And the comment about our guys just loved playing ball, it had NOTHING to do with us as coaches, it had everything to do with the kids wanted to be at the field-house. Sure, we made it a welcoming environment as coaches, but never did we keep them there just to keep them there, such as rope courses, leadership council, etc. It was weight room, film room, practice, game night, go home. To me, that is not "culture", that is doing what you're suppose to do to WIN games. For some of you, you might call that "culture", to us, it wasn't. That was the job.
Another thought for you - We have heard, "It's not the X's & O's, it's the Jimmies and Joes.".....I DO NOT DISAGREE! Sometimes your opponent DNA is just better and no matter what, the likelihood of you winning is slim, .......however, what I DO BELIEVE, is when you have the opponent who is equal to you or might be a little better, I believe coaching/X's & O's play a HUGE factor in those types of games, more so than your "culture."
In all sincerity thank you for your responses, as I am merely trying to gauge your responses. Love the discussion guys!
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SconnieOC
Junior Member
Just here to learn the facemelter
Posts: 408
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Post by SconnieOC on Mar 13, 2019 10:19:45 GMT -6
Thank you for all the responses. There have been some great ones! Again, just looking for insight on the topic at hand, not trying to start a war. Here is part 2 of the discussion - For me, Here is what started this discussion, we took a program that had NEVER been to the state championship, and the staff before us had built somewhat of a previous established "culture",but within 2 years of new staff (us) being there, we were playing for a state title, thus I bring this point. When we came in, HC made one thing clear, "We are to win football games, not establish culture." Thus, we got on the white board, broke down the film, and made X's & O's our priority. We didn't do anything different than anyone else in America is doing as it relates to "culture"/"discipline". 2 years ago we played in the state championship in the highest classification in our state, year after that we made the quarterfinals (Elite 8), after that year AND due to the success we have had, every coach left for other opportunities, assistants became coordinators, coordinators became head coaches, and head coach left for a better program. **This is not a pat on the back/look at me discussion** I left after that season, Now, this said program went 3-7 this year, AGAIN AFTER two years ago going to the state finals with an entirely different staff this year. I have kids still text me saying how much they miss us, etc. I do not have a dog in the fight as I am not with this program any longer and this is NOT some vendetta I am on, merely hate it for the kids who grew up with lots of success WITHOUT the whole buzz word of motto, culture, etc. and they are getting beat over the head with it daily. To answer some of your questions/comments... Yes, we used the word "culture", "discipline", etc. but we never did anything to the likes of team building activities that you see all over social media now a days. And the comment about our guys just loved playing ball, it had NOTHING to do with us as coaches, it had everything to do with the kids wanted to be at the field-house. Sure, we made it a welcoming environment as coaches, but never did we keep them there just to keep them there, such as rope courses, leadership council, etc. It was weight room, film room, practice, game night, go home. To me, that is not "culture", that is doing what you're suppose to do to WIN games. For some of you, you might call that "culture", to us, it wasn't. That was the job. Another thought for you - We have heard, "It's not the X's & O's, it's the Jimmies and Joes.".....I DO NOT DISAGREE! Sometimes your opponent DNA is just better and no matter what, the likelihood of you winning is slim, .......however, what I DO BELIEVE, is when you have the opponent who is equal to you or might be a little better, I believe coaching/X's & O's play a HUGE factor in those types of games, more so than your "culture." In all sincerity thank you for your responses, as I am merely trying to gauge your responses. Love the discussion guys! I think this is exactly what a lot of these guys are trying to say.. you might not have talked about culture every day like some people, but I bet outside of X and O's and the whiteboard, you had levels of expectations put forth. Kids had to meet those expectations to be on the field/team, and they bettered themselves, which in turn makes your X and O's better. Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney could be the coordinators on staff, but if there was no CULTURE of weight room expectations, practice expectations, or whatever, no scheme in the world is going to get them to a state title game. Whether you talk about it every day or don't, the parts of your program that sometime seem obvious to people who are successful, is exactly what culture is. Some people just brag about it more than others. So I guess... Congratulations on your culture!
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Post by coachcb on Mar 13, 2019 10:38:29 GMT -6
I would certainly say that haircuts, clothing, and music are extreme examples of how some folks define culture. However, IMO, the overall GPA of a program is decent indicator of a positive or a negative culture. If the kids aren't putting forth much effort in the classroom, then chances are they aren't doing so out on the field. We understand that the overall program isn't going to average a 3.0 GPA but when the majority of your team is barely squeaking by, you've probably got a problem. That can be addressed with team study halls and intervention within the program but, at the end of the day, the kids need to be getting their chit together in the classroom. But a good GPA doesn't mean that a kid is a good person. I agree. I s'pose I'm talking about the population (the football team) versus the sample (a single player). I would imagine a program is going to have some struggles if they have multiple kids ineligible each year and grades on the team are low.
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Post by fantom on Mar 13, 2019 10:42:55 GMT -6
Thank you for all the responses. There have been some great ones! Again, just looking for insight on the topic at hand, not trying to start a war. Here is part 2 of the discussion - For me, Here is what started this discussion, we took a program that had NEVER been to the state championship, and the staff before us had built somewhat of a previous established "culture",but within 2 years of new staff (us) being there, we were playing for a state title, thus I bring this point. When we came in, HC made one thing clear, "We are to win football games, not establish culture." Thus, we got on the white board, broke down the film, and made X's & O's our priority. We didn't do anything different than anyone else in America is doing as it relates to "culture"/"discipline". 2 years ago we played in the state championship in the highest classification in our state, year after that we made the quarterfinals (Elite 8), after that year AND due to the success we have had, every coach left for other opportunities, assistants became coordinators, coordinators became head coaches, and head coach left for a better program. **This is not a pat on the back/look at me discussion** I left after that season, Now, this said program went 3-7 this year, AGAIN AFTER two years ago going to the state finals with an entirely different staff this year. I have kids still text me saying how much they miss us, etc. I do not have a dog in the fight as I am not with this program any longer and this is NOT some vendetta I am on, merely hate it for the kids who grew up with lots of success WITHOUT the whole buzz word of motto, culture, etc. and they are getting beat over the head with it daily. To answer some of your questions/comments... Yes, we used the word "culture", "discipline", etc. but we never did anything to the likes of team building activities that you see all over social media now a days. And the comment about our guys just loved playing ball, it had NOTHING to do with us as coaches, it had everything to do with the kids wanted to be at the field-house. Sure, we made it a welcoming environment as coaches, but never did we keep them there just to keep them there, such as rope courses, leadership council, etc. It was weight room, film room, practice, game night, go home. To me, that is not "culture", that is doing what you're suppose to do to WIN games. For some of you, you might call that "culture", to us, it wasn't. That was the job. Another thought for you - We have heard, "It's not the X's & O's, it's the Jimmies and Joes.".....I DO NOT DISAGREE! Sometimes your opponent DNA is just better and no matter what, the likelihood of you winning is slim, .......however, what I DO BELIEVE, is when you have the opponent who is equal to you or might be a little better, I believe coaching/X's & O's play a HUGE factor in those types of games, more so than your "culture." In all sincerity thank you for your responses, as I am merely trying to gauge your responses. Love the discussion guys! I think this is exactly what a lot of these guys are trying to say.. you might not have talked about culture every day like some people, but I bet outside of X and O's and the whiteboard, you had levels of expectations put forth. Kids had to meet those expectations to be on the field/team, and they bettered themselves, which in turn makes your X and O's better. Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney could be the coordinators on staff, but if there was no CULTURE of weight room expectations, practice expectations, or whatever, no scheme in the world is going to get them to a state title game. Whether you talk about it every day or don't, the parts of your program that sometime seem obvious to people who are successful, is exactly what culture is. Some people just brag about it more than others. So I guess... Congratulations on your culture! Sometimes you go to a place where the kids already have a good culture. Sometimes you have to work harder at it. You don't have to spout the word "Culture" every and and have trust exercises and such but you do need to build a culture. I also think that the OP is still overrating X's and O's. Particularly in the playoffs, I don't think you're going to out-X&O a lot of people. The other coaches know what they're doing and they have film and whiteboards, too.
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Post by CS on Mar 13, 2019 11:09:30 GMT -6
Reason for my short answer earlier was that I was going to bed. The reason why I asked is that some people define character by externals: haircuts, clothing, music, GPA, etc.. I would certainly say that haircuts, clothing, and music are extreme examples of how some folks define culture. However, IMO, the overall GPA of a program is decent indicator of a positive or a negative culture. If the kids aren't putting forth much effort in the classroom, then chances are they aren't doing so out on the field. We understand that the overall program isn't going to average a 3.0 GPA but when the majority of your team is barely squeaking by, you've probably got a problem. That can be addressed with team study halls and intervention within the program but, at the end of the day, the kids need to be getting their chit together in the classroom. I disagree. It wasn’t a football school and we were terrible but I worked at a school that frequently goes to state title games in basketball with kids on student improvement plans and barely squeaking by in class. Sometimes sports are the only reason they show up
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Post by coachcb on Mar 13, 2019 11:53:33 GMT -6
I would certainly say that haircuts, clothing, and music are extreme examples of how some folks define culture. However, IMO, the overall GPA of a program is decent indicator of a positive or a negative culture. If the kids aren't putting forth much effort in the classroom, then chances are they aren't doing so out on the field. We understand that the overall program isn't going to average a 3.0 GPA but when the majority of your team is barely squeaking by, you've probably got a problem. That can be addressed with team study halls and intervention within the program but, at the end of the day, the kids need to be getting their chit together in the classroom. I disagree. It wasn’t a football school and we were terrible but I worked at a school that frequently goes to state title games in basketball with kids on student improvement plans and barely squeaking by in class. Sometimes sports are the only reason they show up I'm opening a can of worms here but I imagine these were kids on IEPs that struggled with school due to their learning disabilities and/or other issues. Over the last two years, we've had a problem with kids and their grades and only a handful were on IEPs; they just weren't putting the time into school. And, our academic eligibility requirements are pathetic. I wouldn't say our culture is "poor" as we do get a decent buy-in once the season starts but the off-season is a different story. The kids' GPAs are awful.
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Post by CS on Mar 13, 2019 11:56:17 GMT -6
I disagree. It wasn’t a football school and we were terrible but I worked at a school that frequently goes to state title games in basketball with kids on student improvement plans and barely squeaking by in class. Sometimes sports are the only reason they show up I'm opening a can of worms here but I imagine these were kids on IEPs that struggled with school due to their learning disabilities and/or other issues. Over the last two years, we've had a problem with kids and their grades and only a handful were on IEPs; they just weren't putting the time into school. And, our academic eligibility requirements are pathetic. I wouldn't say our culture is "poor" as we do get a decent buy-in once the season starts but the off-season is a different story. The kids' GPAs are awful. I can’t speak about that now but it wasn’t that way when I was there. We couldn’t get them to work hard in football and the teachers couldn’t get them to work hard in class but if the basketball coach told them to do something it got done
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Post by CS on Mar 13, 2019 12:18:37 GMT -6
I can’t speak about that now but it wasn’t that way when I was there. We couldn’t get them to work hard in football and the teachers couldn’t get them to work hard in class but if the basketball coach told them to do something it got done hire the bb coach!? He was on staff but he didn’t care if we won. He didn’t push the weight room at all and he was the AD so there wasn’t much we could do about it Edit: and the point to all of this was that academics don’t matter when it comes to athletics. To be clear I’m not saying academics aren’t important at all but you can be very successful in sports with kids who aren’t disciplined in the classroom And before anyone makes the “exception to the rule argument” I could easily name several schools around my neck of the woods that have similar academic issues but are elite at one sport at least
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Post by fantom on Mar 13, 2019 12:19:06 GMT -6
I'm opening a can of worms here but I imagine these were kids on IEPs that struggled with school due to their learning disabilities and/or other issues. Over the last two years, we've had a problem with kids and their grades and only a handful were on IEPs; they just weren't putting the time into school. And, our academic eligibility requirements are pathetic. I wouldn't say our culture is "poor" as we do get a decent buy-in once the season starts but the off-season is a different story. The kids' GPAs are awful. I can’t speak about that now but it wasn’t that way when I was there. We couldn’t get them to work hard in football and the teachers couldn’t get them to work hard in class but if the basketball coach told them to do something it got done We've had some teams that met all of the criteria that Huey mentioned IN FOOTBALL but not necessarily in school. They weren't discipline problems and they were sure to stay eligible but they just weren't all great grade-wise. Some guys just don't like school.
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Post by coachcb on Mar 13, 2019 12:28:51 GMT -6
I'm opening a can of worms here but I imagine these were kids on IEPs that struggled with school due to their learning disabilities and/or other issues. Over the last two years, we've had a problem with kids and their grades and only a handful were on IEPs; they just weren't putting the time into school. And, our academic eligibility requirements are pathetic. I wouldn't say our culture is "poor" as we do get a decent buy-in once the season starts but the off-season is a different story. The kids' GPAs are awful. I can’t speak about that now but it wasn’t that way when I was there. We couldn’t get them to work hard in football and the teachers couldn’t get them to work hard in class but if the basketball coach told them to do something it got done Lol... I s'pose our wrestling coach is the same way. Kids that we couldn't get to do chit in football run through walls for him.
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Post by hunhdisciple on Mar 13, 2019 20:08:20 GMT -6
I'm not afraid of someone's culture on game night. Because I don't think it has an "in the moment" impact.
I'm not afraid of someone's scheme, because I trust myself and those around me to be smarter.
I'm afraid of the freak athletes that trump scheme. I'm afraid of the guy who is getting ready to commit to an SEC school to play DL, and gets to play against a converted TE to guard, who is starting his first game after being moved on Monday because the healthy bodies are running low. That will always scare me.
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Post by wingtol on Mar 13, 2019 20:24:41 GMT -6
: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization
According to that definition the OP and all the coaches on staff had a culture, all cultures are different and everyone expresses their culture differently. To say you didn't worry about culture and culture can't help win games then maybe the buzz word use of culture has made you forget what culture really means.
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eagleoc
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Post by eagleoc on Mar 14, 2019 7:10:56 GMT -6
Yes, you read that correctly. Scheme Defeats Culture. I am sure I will get criticized about this, and please understand I am not here to start World War III, merely a healthy discussion about all the 21st century buzz words that are being thrown around. Was reading another read about "Trust The Process", which got me to thinking...Why, why, why are we acting like culture matters on game night? Before you culture freaks go off, let me set something straight... 1. Yes I believe "culture" is important. For parents, admin, program, etc. Yes, you have to have some type of "rah-rah" within your program, some type of motto, something that your kids must believe sets them apart. However, I get so sick and tired of people using the word "culture" or "process", please just stop. Saw a guy tweet the other day, "I'm not afraid of your X's & O's, I fear your culture." To me, all of that sounds just awful. Maybe I am in the minority, but I have won alot more games game planning and making adjustments, than using the word culture at halftime. Have never won a state championship, but have coached in two of them, and here is what I noticed about those two teams... 1. Guys who just loved playing the game. Of those two years, we had a total of 3 guys who went on to play mid-major FBS football, not power 5. 2. It was the best staff I have ever been on, because we studied the game, watched film, and prepared! We didn't waste time discussing what type of leadership ideas we were going to do in January. I am not saying we never used the word "culture", but I am saying that we worried more the game as opposed to all the leadership techniques 3. We didn't waste time on culture ideas, river floats, lock ins, dads & donuts, helmets & heels, and all the other stuff that people do now a days, but rather that time was devoted to the weight room, film room, and practice field to prepare to WIN! When the work was done, we went home. Here is another thing, when I go to clinics, I want to hear ball! I don't want some guy telling me about how their culture is so much better than mine, and then pull up a clip of 4 star D1 guy busting 3 tackles on inside zone. Also, there is actually a guy who wrote a book about "Culture Defeats Strategy", and people actually buy this! Why? And this 3D coaching that is out there. Come on guys, football & athletics have been going before we were born and will continue long after we die. Our parents and grandparents played this game, without all the books, manuals, motivational talk, etc. and they did just fine, thus brings my question...Why in 2019 are people so sold on this "culture-chemistry-discipline" mantra? What has happen to us; and there are actually people making money off selling books that discuss culture? Blows my mind. Also, think about this, you are paid to win games, and if you don't believe that, you are fooling yourself. Your admin doesn't fire you because your culture is the best in the country. I have never seen a coach fired because of culture or lack there of, and we all know it's true. Again, I am not trying to start a nuclear meltdown, I am trying to give my .02, but also gather your insight on the matter. My question - Does culture really matter at kickoff? Again, refer to earlier in my post, culture is important and must be part of your program. *I do NOT disagree with that*. But what about those moments, when it's 4th & 1, and you get stuffed and lose the game? Are you going to blame your culture or blame the play call? So for all you culture dudes out there, couple of questions... 1. Can you really make a 16 year old kid regardless of financial status, race, color, or creed a leader? 2. If you go 0-10/1-9/2-8, how do you get your kids to believe that you are the best program in the country? (To me, sounds like you need to spend more time on X's & O's as opposed to the whole culture thing, but that's just me.) 3. Does your "culture" really make a difference at kickoff?
I was the one that posted that the other day on twitter and I believe it is true.
Respectfully, I don't think the things that you are describing are culture. Having a mom's clinic, or dad's and donuts is not culture. That is stuff you do to include people in your program and build support.
Culture is defined by Websters as "the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization." These are the things your program does. How hard do they work? How much film is studied? How do they respond to adverse situations? That is culture, not a slogan on a t-shirt. Though slogans should reinforce your culture.
Most coaches, have a good idea of what is going on and can figure out a good game plan for each opponent. It doesn't matter if the kids don't execute. The ability to have the team buy in to what you are selling for your gameplan is culture. That is trust, because you may have had a great gameplan last week and it didn't work. Trust is culture. We know in this game we have to play as a team, not individuals, except we can all probably point to teams we have played aginst (or coached) that were bigger, stronger, faster) but lacked discipline, motivation, etc. and were not good teams and either didn't win or didn't win games they should.
I think it does matter on gamenight, because one of the things we know is that things are not going to go according to plan. Your team has 2 choices, whine or get over it. I believe it is teenagers natrual inclination to do the former. Young men have to be taught how to deal with adversity, because they will face it all of their lives....teaching it is part of our jobs.
To answer your questions. 1. Can you really make a 16 year old kid regardless of financial status, race, color, or creed a leader?
I don't know if you can make every kid a leader, but I dang sure believe you can improve their leadership ability. I started a leadership program based off of the book THE TEAM CAPTAIN'S LEADERSHIP MANUAL by Jeff Jansen. We met during lunch once a week and went through the various topics in the book. If a player wanted to be considered for being a captain then they had to attend.
The next year we went 10-3, which was our school's best season ever....by far. Now did I have some studs? Definitely, but I believe that there are 2 games we won that I believe we would have lost in the past because of the leadership our players showed and their willingness to buy in to what I was selling and keep believing. In the past we would have fallen apart.
(A little background on one of those games. The week before we had just hosted our first home playoff game in the 38 year history of our school and won only the second playoff game in that time. When i blinked we were down 18-0 in the first quarter.
Two things I will never forget. 1. After they went up 18-0, my Senior OL/DL coming off of the field and looking at his teammates and saying "Let's go they ain't sh*t." His teammates took notice and their heads lifted. This was a kid that was prone to meltdowns.
2. We score to make it 18-7. They fumble, we score again. Its 18-14. We go into the locker room at halftime and our kids are pumped up and their kids are screaming at eachother and the coaches. I told our kids to listen really closesly. They did and i told them that is why we would win. We were handling adversity, they were falling apart. That is culture.)
2. If you go 0-10/1-9/2-8, how do you get your kids to believe that you are the best program in the country? (To me, sounds like you need to spend more time on X's & O's as opposed to the whole culture thing, but that's just me.) Respectfully disagree.
I think if you are 0-10 you can't get them to realistically think they are the best team in America. You have to focus on taking small steps.
Lou Holtz said there are 4 stages of a program Learning how to compete Learning how to win Learning how to handle winning Learning how to become a championship-level program
When I took over as head coach at my school in 2012 we had 1 winning season in 35 years and had a whopping 76-276 program record.
That first year we learned how to compete, almost beating (but not so its still a L) some very good teams. The next year we went 7-4, which was best in school history at the time. That year we learned how to win. We spent the next few years learning how to win.
We finally got to the point where we had to learn how to handle winning (I think/hope) when I stepped down this year.
Hopefully we can get the the next stage soon.
Now I had some DANG good players, but I don't think my success was because I was so much smarter calling plays than anyone else. I think its because we got our kids to play hard and believe, which is culture.
3. Does your "culture" really make a difference at kickoff? I believe it does. What happens when you are on the road and getting homered by the refs? How do your kids respond? How is your kids mental toughness? How hard have they watched film to prepare for this game? How many weights did they lift and sprints did they run at full go to get ready for the game? That is culture.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2019 8:06:40 GMT -6
As we've alluded to already, I think a lot of this discussion really just boils down to semantics.
OP has coached at places with good "culture," but he doesn't like the idea of using the word "culture" to describe that, nor did they preach it. They still had it and sustained it, though. To him, "culture" seems to be a showy, feel-good thing with stunts and team-building activities and other nonsense that get attention for the coaches, but are of questionable benefit. I get that.
What I propose is to look at the two extremes here and ask yourself: which coach is likely to win with equal raw natural talent?
Coach A is a "culture" coach who doens't know jack about Xs and Os. His coaches are solid role models who have strong relationships with the players. The players love football and lift almost religiously. His staff, while clueless about the latest spread RPO quadruple options people are running, are good at coaching fundamentals of blocking, tackling, ball security, etc. He does the goofy teambuilding activities and speaks in Tony Robbins' motivational quotes like some goofy internet meme generator. However, their schemes are extremely simplistic and pretty easy to scheme against: they sit in one formation and run the same 3 plays over and over all night long.
Coach B is an "Xs and Os" coach. He can give you a clinic on everything under the sun. He installs an extremely complex offense with every adjustment under the sun and 1,001 defensive fronts and coverages a year. Opponents absolutely hate scouting and trying to gameplan against what he's doing. However, he doesn't have much team discipline. Techniques are sloppy, especially on the OL and in the secondary. Players lift when they feel like it so his players are weak, slow, and soft. Coaches berate players for mistakes and his numbers are low, with players and parents blaming each other and the coaches for every mistake or loss, so nobody wants to step up and take responsibility.
Now, imagine those coaches take their teams (with equal genetics) into a game against each other on Friday night. You have to place a large bet on one team. Which would it be?
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Post by coachcb on Mar 14, 2019 8:17:14 GMT -6
I do believe that administration, community and parent buy-in are a part of "culture". Life is a whole helluva lot easier when you're not fighting adults at every turn. Or, having an administration, community or parents that don't really care. We ran into the latter in HC gig I described; there was literally a dozen times where a kid didn't show up for practice, I called mom/dad and they had no idea where the kid was.
And, there wasn't a sense of urgency on their part either; one parent said: "I know he's been sore from practice, he's probably just taking a night off. I'll talk to him when I see him." Another kid just disappeared for THREE days and mom's response: "His buddies are in town from college, I haven't seen much of him either so he's probably hanging out with them."
When I resigned, my AD and I sat down and had a discussion about the future of the program. He asked me if I felt that the community deserved it's own football program or if we needed to co-op with someone. I was blunt with him:
"The kids always have the right to play football but, no, I don't think this community deserves it's own football program. And, they won't until they start holding the kids to the same standards that the athletic programs do. How are we supposed to demand and enforce attendance and discipline when the kids aren't getting that from home?"
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Post by olballcoach on Mar 14, 2019 8:18:08 GMT -6
In response to eagleoc, Here is what I agree with you about... Trust. But, with some reservations. Yes, we all want our roster to believe in us as coaches, but they can believe in us without the rah-rah, culture, win one for the gipper speech. However, I am not doing anything different than you are in your program, and in all reality, we are probably doing ALOT less when it comes to all the rah-rah/culture stuff. Example - Yesterday, we installed tags off RPO on offense and another strong & weak blitz on defense, while some of our opponents (who we haven't lost to in 5 years) tweeted out that they were doing some leadership manual, trust falls, and whatever other stuff. We...were doing FOOTBALL! Yes, these opponents will beat us one day, but for now, in March, we are trying to beat them on the field. Have never seen a conference championship/playoff win/gold ball handed out for winning the culture fight. Just finished up year 12 in this business, and I have been 13-1 and I have been 2-8 in my career, and here is the difference I notice... The 13-1 year, yes we had 3 MID-MAJOR FBS kids (and I know that makes a difference), but we did very little when it came to the whole culture thing. We did the same drills, same lifts, same film study everyone does, but devoted our time as coaches to the office and to the players getting better in the weight room and on the field! All the leadership manual/ropes course stuff, we saw as a time that could be spent on something else, ya know like...FOOTBALL! The 2-8 year, and yes, we still had 1 MID-MAJOR FBS kid, we spent more freaking time on culture and leadership manuals than we did studying the game, thus I got my butt out of there. Now... Again, respectfully disagree. My kids can watch the same amount of film, do less sprints, do less squats, less time at the field-house, and not have to hear the word "culture", and still believe they can win. You're down 18-0, and YOUR KID excites the team...Again, has nothing to do with your coaches. I still believe that is kid led. You're telling me that going 0-10/2-8, you don't need to spend more time on X's & O's? Come on now. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to run into Friday night with only IZ, OZ, Counter and one front, one coverage, and one blitz and hope for the best. I am going to give my kids a chance with scheme, if we get beat, ok. But, I am not going to walk off the field saying, "I wish I had more tools in my toolbox." Again, thank you all for the responses. This has been a healthy discussion. I look forward to reading more.
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Post by olballcoach on Mar 14, 2019 8:34:07 GMT -6
As we've alluded to already, I think a lot of this discussion really just boils down to semantics. OP has coached at places with good "culture," but he doesn't like the idea of using the word "culture" to describe that, nor did they preach it. They still had it and sustained it, though. To him, "culture" seems to be a showy, feel-good thing with stunts and team-building activities and other nonsense that get attention for the coaches, but are of questionable benefit. I get that. What I propose is to look at the two extremes here and ask yourself: which coach is likely to win with equal raw natural talent? Coach A is a "culture" coach who doens't know jack about Xs and Os. His coaches are solid role models who have strong relationships with the players. The players love football and lift almost religiously. His staff, while clueless about the latest spread RPO quadruple options people are running, are good at coaching fundamentals of blocking, tackling, ball security, etc. He does the goofy teambuilding activities and speaks in Tony Robbins motivational quotes like some goofy internet meme generator. However, their schemes are extremely simplistic and pretty easy to scheme against: they sit in one formation and run the same 3 plays over and over all night long. Coach B is an "Xs and Os" coach. He can give you a clinic on everything under the sun. He installs an extremely complex offense with every adjustment under the sun and 1,001 defensive fronts and coverages a year. Opponents absolutely hate scouting and trying to gameplan against what he's doing. However, he doesn't have much team discipline. Techniques are sloppy, especially on the OL and in the secondary. Players lift when they feel like it so his players are weak, slow, and soft. Coaches berate players for mistakes and his numbers are low, with players and parents blaming each other and the coaches for every mistake or loss, so nobody wants to step up and take responsibility. Now, imagine those coaches take their teams (with equal genetics) into a game against each other on Friday night. You have to place a large bet on one team. Which would it be? A. I have seen and been part of it on both sides. Outstanding post @coacharnold, but going to have to go with B, but again, did you have to throw in the players are weak, slow, and soft. Give me the EXACT SAME talent as team A & team B, I'll take team/coach B
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Post by olballcoach on Mar 14, 2019 9:33:38 GMT -6
In response to eagleoc , Here is what I agree with you about... Trust. But, with some reservations. Yes, we all want our roster to believe in us as coaches, but they can believe in us without the rah-rah, culture, win one for the gipper speech. However, I am not doing anything different than you are in your program, and in all reality, we are probably doing ALOT less when it comes to all the rah-rah/culture stuff. Example - Yesterday, we installed tags off RPO on offense and another strong & weak blitz on defense, while some of our opponents (who we haven't lost to in 5 years) tweeted out that they were doing some leadership manual, trust falls, and whatever other stuff. We...were doing FOOTBALL! Yes, these opponents will beat us one day, but for now, in March, we are trying to beat them on the field. Have never seen a conference championship/playoff win/gold ball handed out for winning the culture fight. Just finished up year 12 in this business, and I have been 13-1 and I have been 2-8 in my career, and here is the difference I notice... The 13-1 year, yes we had 3 MID-MAJOR FBS kids (and I know that makes a difference), but we did very little when it came to the whole culture thing. We did the same drills, same lifts, same film study everyone does, but devoted our time as coaches to the office and to the players getting better in the weight room and on the field! All the leadership manual/ropes course stuff, we saw as a time that could be spent on something else, ya know like...FOOTBALL! The 2-8 year, and yes, we still had 1 MID-MAJOR FBS kid, we spent more freaking time on culture and leadership manuals than we did studying the game, thus I got my butt out of there. Now... Again, respectfully disagree. My kids can watch the same amount of film, do less sprints, do less squats, less time at the field-house, and not have to hear the word "culture", and still believe they can win. You're down 18-0, and YOUR KID excites the team...Again, has nothing to do with your coaches. I still believe that is kid led. You're telling me that going 0-10/2-8, you don't need to spend more time on X's & O's? Come on now. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to run into Friday night with only IZ, OZ, Counter and one front, one coverage, and one blitz and hope for the best. I am going to give my kids a chance with scheme, if we get beat, ok. But, I am not going to walk off the field saying, "I wish I had more tools in my toolbox." Again, thank you all for the responses. This has been a healthy discussion. I look forward to reading more. i can tell you when the opponent has an entire that will land in the sec, your schemes mean squat. Same goes for your culture...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2019 10:20:43 GMT -6
A. I have seen and been part of it on both sides. Outstanding post @coacharnold , but going to have to go with B, but again, did you have to throw in the players are weak, slow, and soft. Give me the EXACT SAME talent as team A & team B, I'll take team/coach B But that was kind of my point... You take the same players with the same genetics and have a coach who values "culture" and actually trains them and they'll be good to go. Put them in the hands of an "Xs and Os" guru who doesn't value what "cultural" stuff like the weightroom or discipline and, well... I think we all know how that plays out. That's where "culture" matters. As I've said before, I don't think "culture" really has anything to do with team-building activities like rope courses, movie nights, or PJ Fleck stunts. To me, "culture" is about taking care of all the fundamental stuff a coach should be doing and making sure there's a good environment for the kids to develop and grow as young men and football players. I've worked on staffs who thought the answer for every problem that ailed them was scheme. They got pretty complicated with it and at times it confused the players. However, the "culture" was bad because the players hated each other and the coaches, while the coaches just sat around griping at how the players just weren't tough and didn't want to play football, but the same athletes were quitting in droves to join another sport where they'd compete for state. A bad "culture," to me, is one where: A.) Coaches think the answers are all on the whiteboard and neglect all the offseason work, fundamentals, and relationships. B.) Coaches don't have the respect of the players. C.) Players don't respect each other. D.) Players don't care about football, so therefore they don't lift, show up for practice, and quit at the drop of a hat. All of that stuff is foundational and needs to be built before you can even hope to have your Xs and Os make a difference. Your Jimmies and Joes get better in the weightroom during the offseason, so if you have a bad culture, they won't be in there... therefore they get weak, slow, and soft. I think that bad "culture" as far as handling THAT stuff absolutely makes a difference in how well your players play. Now, if you're moronic with Xs and Os (worked for a guy like that, too) you're going to be in trouble, too, but if you have the other stuff handled with kids who are strong and fast (from the weightroom culture you've built) and care about football and each other (from the attitude you've trained into the team--part of culture) you at least won't be beating yourselves too much. And, just to make sure it's clear: I don't think that annual rope courses, "Spartan workouts," "team movie nights," or even "leadership classes" really make much difference in terms of culture or success on the field. I do think that psychological conditioning and how you motivate kids to take care of business and give you their all does matter, though. Lots of coaches know Xs and Os. It's easy to draw circles and lines on a whiteboard and feel like you're Nick Saban. It's important to have a solid plan and know what the heck you're doing with it and how to fix it. But everybody has a plan until he gets punched in the mouth, too.
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