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Post by bulldog on Jan 30, 2007 2:01:55 GMT -6
I was wondering - if you coach at a school where the kids are not very tough . . . . maybe a wealthy community, maybe the work ethic is not great, maybe the parents are over-protective . . . what have you done to instill toughness in the kids?
I am looking past the 'toughness' drills like Oklahoma, or Bull-in-the-Ring. I am wondering how to change the CULTURE? How to make the kids believe they are tough - and how to the pass it down thru generations? What do you do with freshman to make them tough as juniors and seniors. How do you deal with the parents if your actions are extra-ordinary?
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Post by jaspercoach on Jan 30, 2007 7:30:38 GMT -6
I think the Culture you are speaking about is becoming more and more widespread. Check out this website, www.nationofwimps.com/nationofwimps.phpI came across an article by the auther of the website, she is an editor for Psychology Today and has a book comming out in August. She talks at great lengths about the culture you are talking about. There are several articles on the website now but I can't wait for the book. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2007 7:55:01 GMT -6
Be careful which "toughness" drills you do. I know there have been some lawsuits over kids getting hurt at Bull in the Ring and the coaches always lose because the lawyer asks what the football related skill being taught is and if it's the best way to teach that skill. Eventually the coach admits it's a toughness drill and loses.
Sometimes I think the best way for it to come out is for that one tough starter to really be seen as a model for what you want your team to be. We're one of those wealthy schools and have questioned our toughness a few years back. Then this tough kid emerges, we constantly praised his toughness, created an award for the toughest player, and built an aura around the toughness. Along with that we did the Oklahoma drills, put a little punch in our goalline session, and got them to get that. It's paid off--just be careful with the toughness drills.
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Post by superpower on Jan 30, 2007 8:24:47 GMT -6
I think the attitude we want on the field can be created in the weight room.
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Post by wingtol on Jan 30, 2007 8:45:05 GMT -6
I think Irish hit it on the head you have to build a culture of toughness by making examples of players who are tough. I also believe that you need to practice tough. Not necessairly do drills that make you tough but go full out in practice, hit a lot with your ol, do a ton of tackling, go full out in team periods, don't allow kids not to be tough. You play like you practice. You wanna be tough practice tough.
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Post by dubber on Jan 30, 2007 9:20:50 GMT -6
I believe squat builds toughness. My senior year we did some form of it everyday. Keep challenging the kids. Put them in adverse situations, and teach them how to respond (in conditioning and in practice). For example, after a tough conditioning at the 'end' of practice.....jump right into a 7-on-7 two minute drill---don't be afraid, especially the first time they do it, to let them fail. A lot of toughness has to do with the distaste for failure. When they do fail, ask them: "Is that it, is it roll over time? Or, it is fight back, because I'm madder then hell time?" Question them, not in a demeaning way, but challenge them.
Just random thoughts.
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Post by coachmathis on Jan 30, 2007 9:38:37 GMT -6
I tried to build toughness through physical practices. Tackling drills where if a guy "whimps" out he has to go again. Goalline drill is good for this cuz it is competitive and the kids have to be tough. Always mention toughness all of the time. I think that almost everytime I talked to my team as a whole I talked about the fact that we needed to be a physical team. It might have worked had we not had to cancel the season, lol, but it looked like it was workin in our scrimmage. Not to move to a different sport but I had this trouble with my basketball, shooting to many jumpshots and not taking it to the rack. I made basketball practice more physical, more rebounding drills contact lay-ups etc and I believe that they are now going to the whole more. The physical part is important but try approaching it from a mental aspect.
Good luck
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Post by CoachJohnsonMN on Jan 30, 2007 20:44:03 GMT -6
We praise our tough kids with a weekly "Hammer Award." Very simple: we buy a hammer at Wal-mart for $2 & have the local award company create a nameplate with the game & date on it. The award costs us $2.75 for each game. Sometimes we do not give out an award. We used the slogan "Be the Hammer--Not the Nail" a few years ago and tied this award to it. The winner has his picture in the paper with our article.
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Post by coachroberts99 on Jan 31, 2007 5:18:52 GMT -6
coachjohnsonmn, we do the same thing for Defensive MVP, the hammer award given to the player infront of all the team.... they started off thinking it was a bit goofy, but now they all want to win the hammer!
I love goaline drills for toughness as we have had some players who are really sure tacklers, but more in a "rugby" style so the RB always falls forwards... drills where you ask for more than just a tackle always work well for building a defences confidence!
I think the other thing is to constantly whittle out any "weak talk" any muttering or moaning about drills being too tough.... i always tell them moaning is the language of a loser. I had a joke with them that any time they wanted to moan about fitness/drills being too tough they had to shout "thanks coach for making me a better player!".
After being balled out for moaning or pulling up from drills they soon adopt the right mind set of always getting involved and giving it 100%. Then up to us to "coach em up" to make sure we equip them with the skills!
I'm just very "lucky" that we don't have much problems with toughness of D; thank God!
Matt
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Post by jhanawa on Jan 31, 2007 11:14:24 GMT -6
I like the hammer award, I'll have to go buy a case of hammers now....thanks  |
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Post by okpowerspread on Jan 31, 2007 11:22:56 GMT -6
We compete like crazy!! We do a four day workout and end it each week with a big Friday competition. We try to keep it like the season where we build towards Friday each week. We box, we do American Gladiator style jousting, we invent games, just anything to compete and teach the kids not to quit aqnd not to give up. We also finish each workout with "4th Quarter Unity" where we do some kind of grueling activity where everyone works together. It has really improved our kids mindset.
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brmurf
Freshmen Member
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Post by brmurf on Jan 31, 2007 12:31:10 GMT -6
We compete like crazy!! We do a four day workout and end it each week with a big Friday competition. We try to keep it like the season where we build towards Friday each week. We box, we do American Gladiator style jousting, we invent games, just anything to compete and teach the kids not to quit aqnd not to give up. We also finish each workout with "4th Quarter Unity" where we do some kind of grueling activity where everyone works together. It has really improved our kids mindset. Coach any chance you can give me some of those ideas???/ brmurf@yahoo.com thanks |
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Post by CVBears on Jan 31, 2007 13:21:05 GMT -6
I've heard of a coach try to "toughen up" his olinemen by doing a "jump in." New kids to the oline get hit in a one on one drill by all of the other lineman. he said it is from gang initiations. I would never do it but, it is just an idea that I've heard others do.
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Post by ccscoach on Jan 31, 2007 13:41:41 GMT -6
I agree with the guy that says squats build toughness.......We generally finish every work out in the weight room with wall sits usually for about 20 minutes another thing we have do is donkey lunges(get a partner on you back about your size and do walking lunges across the gym floor). I also think that enthusiams will help to breed toughness.
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