|
|
Post by larrymoe on May 1, 2020 17:48:46 GMT -6
Wow ... who knew the words "community service" would inspire such a hostile backlash? We don't have any predetermined "projects." But we -- kids and coaches -- are part of the community, and the town fathers know we're a resource when needed, on a strictly voluntary basis. When Hurricane Sandy came through our neighborhood, the town didn't have power, some of our kids didn't have homes to go back to, and the high school was off-limits. At the end of the first week, the powers that be decided we could try to play football the following Saturday. Our "practice" week went like this: On Monday we loaded the kids into trucks and drove through police lines to the beachfront, and shoveled people back into what was left of their homes, from early morning until it got too dark. On Tuesday, we did the same thing (figured the kids wouldn't want any part of the second day; all but two showed up). On Wednesday, it snowed (that's right; 10 days after the hurricane, we had a snowstorm). The fire department pulled their trucks into the street, and we walked through a few plays in the empty bay. Thursday and Friday, players, coaches, and a few parents shoveled snow off our grass field, spreading speedy dry we borrowed from local Little Leagues. And on Saturday we came from behind in the second half to knock off the undefeated No. 1 team in the area. One of the most rewarding weeks of my life ... and I'm not a kid. That is an entirely different situation than what the OP was talking about. |
|
|
|
Post by 44dlcoach on May 1, 2020 18:46:11 GMT -6
I'm at a private school that requires all students to get a certain number of community service hours each semester.
Given that it's a school mandate for all students most of the sports programs in the school set something up as a team that is also an opportunity for kids to get some of their hours in.
When I coached in a public school we did a few events over the years but it was usually done to repay a favor somebody had done for our program. For example, our practice field was basically unplayable, but there is a city owned turf field a few miles down the road. The city let our varsity team practice there. In exchange when the facility hosted things like softball tournaments or the city had an event and they needed temporary fences, barriers, or things like that to be hauled off a truck and set up we would do that kind of stuff.
|
|
|
|
Post by somecoach on May 1, 2020 18:50:25 GMT -6
Seriously, this is not really a real topic, is it? Y'all are fricking football coaches...not cub scout troop leaders! ehhhhh its one of those coming of age/team bonding things I wasn't apart of it but the kids seemed to enjoy it and so did the parents so its one of those things you can do in the offseason to bring everyone together and raise the value of the program's brand. |
|
|
|
Post by coachd5085 on May 1, 2020 19:52:38 GMT -6
Seriously, this is not really a real topic, is it? Y'all are fricking football coaches...not cub scout troop leaders! , @coachpithy (or grad17, or chcox, or 1862 or whichever evolution of yourself you are), and larrymoe I have to ask : Why the exasperation? You 3 have posted with a seeming indignation that trying to do good deeds is a foolish endeavor and that it is silly to do anything other than "coach football". I have to ask, where is the value in that? What value does improving someone's ability to get his/her second step on the ground faster than an opponent have in an environment that is supposedly tied into the school system? I am not suggesting that someone who chooses not to use his/her leadership position as a coach in some of the manners suggested is somehow wrong, but I just don't understand the indignation or exasperation directed at those who do. |
|
|
|
Post by 54695469 on May 1, 2020 22:11:16 GMT -6
When you coach are you not teaching some/all of the things (attitudes, attributes,etc) that you want kids to possess in life? Why complicate something with all of the excess activity on the periphery? What if every team, club, activity, class required kids to do all of the community service projects some of you guys do? When will they ever have any free time? I
Y'all wonder (in previous posts) why kids are quitting football. Well, maybe it's because of all of these community service projects that are required of them.
Remember this: More is not always better.
|
|
|
|
Post by coachd5085 on May 1, 2020 22:59:53 GMT -6
When you coach are you not teaching some/all of the things (attitudes, attributes,etc) that you want kids to possess in life? Why complicate something with all of the excess activity on the periphery? What if every team, club, activity, class required kids to do all of the community service projects some of you guys do? When will they ever have any free time? I Y'all wonder (in previous posts) why kids are quitting football. Well, maybe it's because of all of these community service projects that are required of them. Remember this: More is not always better. Are you? I don't know if one is or not? When one's first reaction to doing good deeds is "what the F are you serious? Doing good deeds?", you have to ask if that coach is indeed teaching those things. Or maybe he/she thinks he is but isn't. Or maybe they are. Who knows. Should be fairly easy to get some anecdotal data to see if indeed the participation rate is falling due to community service. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 2, 2020 1:53:59 GMT -6
Seriously, this is not really a real topic, is it? Y'all are fricking football coaches...not cub scout troop leaders! , @coachpithy (or grad17, or chcox, or 1862 or whichever evolution of yourself you are), and larrymoe I have to ask : Why the exasperation? You 3 have posted with a seeming indignation that trying to do good deeds is a foolish endeavor and that it is silly to do anything other than "coach football". I have to ask, where is the value in that? What value does improving someone's ability to get his/her second step on the ground faster than an opponent have in an environment that is supposedly tied into the school system? I am not suggesting that someone who chooses not to use his/her leadership position as a coach in some of the manners suggested is somehow wrong, but I just don't understand the indignation or exasperation directed at those who do. I dont live under the illusion that kids give a {censored} about my morality. They have their own moral code comes from somebody without the title coach or teacher or whatever. Whether I agree or not is irrelevant to them. Most of the kids in any school dont give a {censored} who the teacher, principal, administrator, coach is. And they aren’t wrong. We are all full of it. I have no problem with groups who want to do community outreach on its own surface. If kids want to do it more power to them. I am not asking nor will I participate in such. I did not, nor do kids sign for up football to do community outreach, do book club, leadership, fundraising, cleaning the stadium, bible study, 7v7, team camps, they really dont sign up to hear sermons. I know this is hard to believe but they sign up to play football. And I believe if football is done right a lot of things are taught inherently when kids participate. They have to show up, they must consider their teammates, who are relying on them, they must do their part, their job, they must stay eligible. They must swallow their pride and ego for team. They make sacrifices for the greater good, not just for their teammates, but in other parts of their lives... and that is without a coach saying one word. |
|
|
|
Post by fantom on May 2, 2020 8:31:42 GMT -6
When you coach are you not teaching some/all of the things (attitudes, attributes,etc) that you want kids to possess in life? Why complicate something with all of the excess activity on the periphery? What if every team, club, activity, class required kids to do all of the community service projects some of you guys do? When will they ever have any free time? I Y'all wonder (in previous posts) why kids are quitting football. Well, maybe it's because of all of these community service projects that are required of them. Remember this: More is not always better. Are you? I don't know if one is or not? When one's first reaction to doing good deeds is "what the F are you serious? Doing good deeds?", you have to ask if that coach is indeed teaching those things. Or maybe he/she thinks he is but isn't. Or maybe they are. Who knows. Should be fairly easy to get some anecdotal data to see if indeed the participation rate is falling due to community service. Community service alone? No, I doubt that kids are quitting due being asked to help people. I think that he's saying that when you add mandatory community service to other team requirements that may be convincing some kids that they're not willing to invest that much time and energy. Some coaches may feel that way too. |
|
|
|
Post by s73 on May 2, 2020 9:02:07 GMT -6
Seriously, this is not really a real topic, is it? Y'all are fricking football coaches...not cub scout troop leaders! , @coachpithy (or grad17, or chcox, or 1862 or whichever evolution of yourself you are), and larrymoe I have to ask : Why the exasperation? You 3 have posted with a seeming indignation that trying to do good deeds is a foolish endeavor and that it is silly to do anything other than "coach football". I have to ask, where is the value in that? What value does improving someone's ability to get his/her second step on the ground faster than an opponent have in an environment that is supposedly tied into the school system? I am not suggesting that someone who chooses not to use his/her leadership position as a coach in some of the manners suggested is somehow wrong, but I just don't understand the indignation or exasperation directed at those who do. I don't follow the exasperated reaction either. I think it must be some insecurity related to not doing as much as others. I guess that's normal, but putting those down for doing it doesn't change anything. For the record, we do not do one. But maybe we should? IDK, it's something to think about. I certainly don't see the harm and I think can easily be scheduled w/o a tremendous amount of time taken away from kids / coaches. Something as simple as players reading to elementary kids once a month during their season for a class period. That doesn't seem too crazy or time consuming to me. |
|
|
|
Post by coachd5085 on May 2, 2020 9:27:25 GMT -6
Are you? I don't know if one is or not? When one's first reaction to doing good deeds is "what the F are you serious? Doing good deeds?", you have to ask if that coach is indeed teaching those things. Or maybe he/she thinks he is but isn't. Or maybe they are. Who knows. Should be fairly easy to get some anecdotal data to see if indeed the participation rate is falling due to community service. Community service alone? No, I doubt that kids are quitting due being asked to help people. I think that he's saying that when you add mandatory community service to other team requirements that may be convincing some kids that they're not willing to invest that much time and energy. Some may coaches may feel that way too. Six AM workouts , 12-15 hour weeks in the summer, mounting evidence of brain trauma, changes in society that allow for isolated interaction ( larrymoe is right when he says kids are different. Everything is always "different"), an increase emphasis in "elite" youth sports (travel ball, multiple uniforms, getting "rings" every weekend) leading to burnout in all sports... I think those factors probably have more to do with it than visiting a nursing home, or cleaning up a park, or builldig a house, or reading to little kids. |
|
|
|
Post by fantom on May 2, 2020 9:37:03 GMT -6
Community service alone? No, I doubt that kids are quitting due being asked to help people. I think that he's saying that when you add mandatory community service to other team requirements that may be convincing some kids that they're not willing to invest that much time and energy. Some may coaches may feel that way too. Six AM workouts , 12-15 hour weeks in the summer, mounting evidence of brain trauma, changes in society that allow for isolated interaction ( larrymoe is right when he says kids are different. Everything is always "different"), an increase emphasis in "elite" youth sports (travel ball, multiple uniforms, getting "rings" every weekend) leading to burnout in all sports... I think those factors probably have more to do with it than visiting a nursing home, or cleaning up a park, or builldig a house, or reading to little kids. You're preaching to the choir to a guy who's retired partly, at least, because of those things. You forgot to throw in fund-raising. I'm not against service projects but it is something else piled on. |
|
|
|
Post by coachd5085 on May 2, 2020 10:11:31 GMT -6
Six AM workouts , 12-15 hour weeks in the summer, mounting evidence of brain trauma, changes in society that allow for isolated interaction ( larrymoe is right when he says kids are different. Everything is always "different"), an increase emphasis in "elite" youth sports (travel ball, multiple uniforms, getting "rings" every weekend) leading to burnout in all sports... I think those factors probably have more to do with it than visiting a nursing home, or cleaning up a park, or builldig a house, or reading to little kids. You're preaching to the choir to a guy who's retired partly, at least, because of those things. You forgot to throw in fund-raising. I'm not against service projects but it is something else piled on. I don't disagree that it is something else, but I really don't think it has any effect on participation. Plus what is being piled on is probably WORTHWHILE. I am in the camp of, we didn't do it.. but as I posted, why the heck is there so much vitriol from the "too cool for school" posters (You guys know who you are...lol Football coaches with a cyber personality of a 14 year old goth girl) |
|
|
|
Post by s73 on May 2, 2020 11:59:32 GMT -6
You're preaching to the choir to a guy who's retired partly, at least, because of those things. You forgot to throw in fund-raising. I'm not against service projects but it is something else piled on. I don't disagree that it is something else, but I really don't think it has any effect on participation. Plus what is being piled on is probably WORTHWHILE. I am in the camp of, we didn't do it.. but as I posted, why the heck is there so much vitriol from the "too cool for school" posters (You guys know who you are...lol Football coaches with a cyber personality of a 14 year old goth girl) 14 YO Goth girl...classic |
|
|
|
Post by 54695469 on May 2, 2020 15:30:38 GMT -6
Gentlemen, the poll at the beginning of this thread listed a spot to vote, NO. I assumed that this implied that one might be able to discuss a NO vote as well as one of the other votes.
I see that there are quite a few of you that say, "Well, we don't do a community service project, but I'd be open to doing one." Ok... Why have you not been doing one and/or why don't you get busy organizing your project for the fall? Your not the HC? Get a head coaching job and tell us how much fun you had doing all your pet projects in all your free time. Be sure to put pictures on Twitter!
|
|
|
|
Post by coachd5085 on May 2, 2020 16:03:59 GMT -6
Gentlemen, the poll at the beginning of this thread listed a spot to vote, NO. I assumed that this implied that one might be able to discuss a NO vote as well as one of the other votes. I see that there are quite a few of you that say, "Well, we don't do a community service project, but I'd be open to doing one." Ok... Why have you not been doing one and/or why don't you get busy organizing your project for the fall? Your not the HC? Get a head coaching job and tell us how much fun you had doing all your pet projects in all your free time. Be sure to put pictures on Twitter! Nobody is suggesting otherwise. What people are suggesting is that it they are surprised that the comments associated with the "no" votes are along the lines of "What the F' Are you serious? " and most likely are being made with the body language of the aforementioned 14 year old moody goth girl. Why not "No, we don't do it" |
|
|
|
Post by 54695469 on May 2, 2020 17:03:09 GMT -6
So far, I think that you are the only one that has brought up, "What the F."
Chill out a bit.
No, we don't do it.
|
|
|
|
Post by coachd5085 on May 2, 2020 17:12:31 GMT -6
Seriously, this is not really a real topic, is it? Y'all are fricking football coaches...not cub scout troop leaders! If this isn't a "what the F" reply.... |
|
|
|
Post by larrymoe on May 2, 2020 18:57:58 GMT -6
In a world of chest and Bible thumping, social media whoring, somebody else had an idea and they won games so I HAVE to do the same thing, my dick is bigger than yours, leader of men, I'll gladly be a 14 year old goth girl I guess.
|
|
|
|
Post by shocktroop34 on May 5, 2020 2:31:30 GMT -6
Really surprised by some of the comments. However, to each his own. I will say that I am a advocate for community service. I was doing this with teams long before social media was popular. My program was the proud recipient of the Michigan High School Football Steve Spicer Memorial Team Leadership Award in (2006).
It brought good will to the community. We did everything from helping at an assisted living home, playing checkers and eating ice cream with the elderly, to moving boxes for a teacher who was moving across town, to planting mulch and flowers for a local business.
When I moved east, we had the "Snowmageddon" in 2010. We were out shoveling people's driveway. Later that spring we served water for a Cancer 5k run/walk.
I use it to help identify and shape the character of my team. 99% of our events were voluntary. But they loved it. It created bonding moments. My wife and younger kids were all a part of it, too. It's what players that are older and married bring up when they call from time to time.
Many of them say how they are now doing things to give back to their communities (youth coaches, mentors, tutors) because of the things in which they were involved. Those are the rewards I get from coaching. We had fun outside the white lines. Good memories.
I would encourage any young coach who aspires to be a program leader to consider community service. You will have a lot of influence that can be used in a positive manner. You can never go wrong with helping others.
|
|
