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Post by wildcat on May 15, 2006 16:32:46 GMT -6
Ok, fellas...here's the situation:
In Illinois, coaches get 25 "contact" days per sport to conduct organized practices with their kids. Traditionally, the basketball coach has used his contact days for a summer basketball league on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and we have used Mondays in June for a team lift. I also only make the basketball players lift two days a week during summer league season until they get done. The baseball coach has never used his 25 contact days in the past. However, we have had a couple of kids play American Legion baseball in the summer.
Well, last week, we had a meeting with the football team and I told the varsity kids that they would be expected to make every Monday team lift/practice during June and that summer league baseball would not be a legit excuse for missing Monday practices.
Well, this got back to our baseball coach and he was pretty pissed off at me. Chewed my a$$ out this afternoon and said that it wasn't fair that I was making accomodations for the basketball players but not for the baseball players. My argument was that I made accomodations for the basketball players because the league they played in was supervised and run by our basketball coaches. Because our baseball coach has nothing to do with Legion ball (he doesn't coach in the summer), I told him that I still expected the kids to be there Monday night.
He got pissed off and said that he was going to write a letter to the school board.
What would you guys do? Is this a battle worth fighting?
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Post by coachcb on May 15, 2006 16:45:51 GMT -6
I encourage my kids to go out for every sport they can, with the exception of baseball. I do so because of this very reason- it monopolizes the entire summer and the coaches are ridiculous about it. I have only met one coach who demands specialization in a sport and he's a baseball coach. I'd go a head and fight this one- you're only asking for one day from the baseball players. Even if he were using his contact days and or coaching Legion; you're only asking for one day from them.
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Post by blb on May 15, 2006 17:22:19 GMT -6
wildcat, I suggest you have a sit down with the AD and the other coaches to come up with something equitable if possible - a lot of ADs don't want to get involved in a debate over summer programs, though.
It's too bad when coaches on the same staff, particularly at smaller schools, are selfish and don't cooperate with one another. AD needs to step in then (after all directing the school's athletics is his job!) I tell the other coaches, I will support their programs exactly the same way they support mine. If they tell kids to not go out for football or miss stuff, they can expect the same from me.
Baseball is always going to be a summer problem at a lot of schools because they're playing games (way too many in a lot of places). Kids would rather do that than lift weights or do drills.
Best situation I have had was our basketball coach ended his stuff by July 1. I told our kids they could do anything they wanted until the week after July 4th, but then preparation for football started. (We did have weightroom open in June for those who wanted to use it, but we didn't take attendance).
Before practice started we went to a three-day camp and then had conditioning workouts for the last three weeks. We can't make summer participation mandatory in our state, but we gave each kid who made every workout a special T-shirt. We typically got 67-75% of the kids 9-12 who wound up coming out at workouts.
If you run the workouts in the morning, there will be less conflict with baseball.
Once had a kid turn down a chance to go to the American Legion national finals so he could start football. Got a D-I college baseball scholarship and played three years in the Yankee organization, anyway.
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Post by senatorblutarsky on May 15, 2006 22:15:08 GMT -6
I may not be a good person to chime in here... a few years ago our football players forfeited a legion baseball tournament game (they were 0-21 at the time) to go to football conditioning...
Now, we have a .500 baseball team, our basketball team went 23-4 last year (lost in semi-final), we won the track district (will likely finish in top 5 in state)... It helps a lot that I am 1) AD 2) have been the coach for 8 years of a FB team that has 18 consecutive playoff years.
Here is what we do during ALL off-season (winter, summer and spring) we lift on every scheduled lifting day. (3 or 4 days, depending on time of year... usually 3 days). I count game day as football conditioning. In the summer, we go at 6:30 AM... no baseball games nor basketball leagues then. I give our baseball players off during district tournament time. Basketball is in summer league, which is developmental...so they are to develop strength, speed, and agility as well... so I do not count that. In May all coaches (FB, basketball, baseball and even track) meet to discuss summer schedules. We make sure we get what we want out of the players, and make sure we do not burn out players (which in a tiny town, is tough to do, since there is no social activity other than drinking beer in a cornfield or trying to get someone pregnant). The guys sports have worked together well; our FB team is better if our guys are playing other sports because they become more athletic. Last year we won district in FB, BB and track... first time in about 50 years we've done all three in one year... and all our HC know, success breeds success. Unfortunately, the girls sports are still fighting with each other over time (and the girls rarely show up anyway). Maybe that is why no girls team here has even been a district runner-up since 1980. In football, I want more athletic people (which basketball gives), in basketball, they want stronger players (which football gives)... I'm not sure where baseball fits in, other than it has our guys compete... which I think helps both FB and basketball.
I am in a job title of influence, but it took me a while to sell our other sports coaches on lifting. Some may take more prodding... but if you look at all sports, lifting and off AND in season training have been invaluable in helping ALL athletes succeed at a higher rate.
Give 'em proof... the best players in basketball, baseball and almost any other sport have spent some time in the weight room. Use this as a selling point.
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Post by wildcat on May 16, 2006 13:32:01 GMT -6
Good thoughts from everyone...I appreciate the feedback!
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Post by mikewdw on May 16, 2006 20:46:07 GMT -6
how many days do you have the football players lift during the summer? here there are a lot of programs close by, even small schools, where players must attend 25-30 workouts per summer. that doesnt leave much time for anything else. i dont agree with that, i think they should get some time off but i still say 18 min (3 a week for 6 of the 9 weeks). that leaves 1 week for bk camp, 1 week for vac, 1 week for chuch camp. i couldnt imagine giving them off until the 4th of july. dont think you can compete here with that kind of time off. we get 7 days competition in each sport during the summer so i really worry about burnouts but have to get them in weight room to stay competitive. any thoughts from you guys on that?
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Post by senatorblutarsky on May 16, 2006 20:57:17 GMT -6
Our guys have to make 80% of the workouts to bypass the 12 min. run. I count basketball camp as conditioning days... we also offer 3 make-up days. Baseball and summer-league basketball games do not count- because they are in the evening- not morning, when we go. I have one player (soph.) who will be spending time with his dad in Nevada this summer. As long as he e-mails back his workout, I'll count what he fills in (good kid; trustworthy... this is on a case by case basis). We haven't had anyone who needed to do the 12 min. run in about 7 years.
I may have a different response when our playoff streak ends (probably 2007 season if not this year... unless A LOT happens between now and then).
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Post by knighter on May 17, 2006 5:27:44 GMT -6
Like Prez. Bluto I am in a small school. I encourage kids to be involved in EVERYTHING they want to be involved in. They only get one chance to be HS kids, and I want them to enjoy every minute of it. They have the rest of their lives to work, so it is best to get involved and experience all that they can. I am of the belief that if the best athletes go out for all sports our entire athletic program will be outstanding, and that only add to the "mystique" of how the football team is successful every year. Competition is a monster best kept when it is fed 365 dyas a year.
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