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Post by 10dencyofdeception on May 16, 2023 10:19:13 GMT -6
NEED HELP!!
All lineman are quitting, what can we do to retain the big guys?
We're not loaded with depth so the lineman we have left aren't giving us anything real on the LOS. (Spring Ball)
Skills seem to be loving it by the way.
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Post by Defcord on May 16, 2023 10:42:16 GMT -6
Tell them if you stay any game you rush for 300+ yards you will let one of them have the ball in the following game.
I was a lineman. I loved it. My son is named after my high school head coach. If he had told me I could get the ball even once, I would have had twins.
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Post by fantom on May 16, 2023 10:46:00 GMT -6
NEED HELP!! All lineman are quitting, what can we do to retain the big guys? We're not loaded with depth so the lineman we have left aren't giving us anything real on the LOS. (Spring Ball) Skills seem to be loving it by the way. Why are they quitting? |
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Post by 10dencyofdeception on May 16, 2023 11:08:41 GMT -6
I feel like they are quitting because they don't have fun blocking, squeezing, spilling, and tackling over and over.
Kids just seem different and not as willing to do the hard stuff. We don't wear those extra padded helmets and so after a few plays it doesn't appear legit upfront.
Do lineman make "unspoken" agreements to make it look like real football at practice if they're not wanting to be physical?
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Post by CS on May 16, 2023 11:19:25 GMT -6
I feel like they are quitting because they don't have fun blocking, squeezing, spilling, and tackling over and over. Kids just seem different and not as willing to do the hard stuff. We don't wear those extra padded helmets and so after a few plays it doesn't appear legit upfront. Do lineman make "unspoken" agreements to make it look like real football at practice if they're not wanting to be physical? How long have you been coaching? |
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Post by blb on May 16, 2023 11:50:31 GMT -6
I feel like they are quitting because they don't have fun blocking, squeezing, spilling, and tackling over and over. Kids just seem different and not as willing to do the hard stuff. We don't wear those extra padded helmets and so after a few plays it doesn't appear legit upfront. Do lineman make "unspoken" agreements to make it look like real football at practice if they're not wanting to be physical? Blocking and tackling are the "guts" of the game. But they are not "fun" if they are doing them "over and over" and not going to play a game for another three months. They will especially get tired of beating up on each other practice after practice. |
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Post by fantom on May 16, 2023 13:03:06 GMT -6
I feel like they are quitting because they don't have fun blocking, squeezing, spilling, and tackling over and over. Kids just seem different and not as willing to do the hard stuff. We don't wear those extra padded helmets and so after a few plays it doesn't appear legit upfront. Do lineman make "unspoken" agreements to make it look like real football at practice if they're not wanting to be physical? What level is this? |
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Post by 10dencyofdeception on May 16, 2023 13:13:59 GMT -6
I have been coaching for almost 20 years.
I'm talking about HS level, TX 5A.
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Post by blb on May 16, 2023 13:30:30 GMT -6
I have been coaching for almost 20 years. I'm talking about HS level, TX 5A. That's a lot of good, quality experience. However remember Football is not as important to everyone as it is to us coaches. And every year you get older, they're still teenagers. |
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Post by sweep26 on May 16, 2023 13:50:12 GMT -6
NEED HELP!! All lineman are quitting, what can we do to retain the big guys? We're not loaded with depth so the lineman we have left aren't giving us anything real on the LOS. (Spring Ball) Skills seem to be loving it by the way. Give those guys up front some authority...blocking calls, etc. Autonomy allows them to have an integral role in the team's success of failure. |
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Post by chi5hi on May 16, 2023 15:01:11 GMT -6
Spend some time every day having an inter squad scrimmage.
Best performers (linemen and skills...substitutes...) get a popsicle. You provide the popsicles. Give out a lot of them.
Nobody wants to just drill all day long...they want to play! They're KIDS.
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Post by fantom on May 16, 2023 15:34:09 GMT -6
I feel like they are quitting because they don't have fun blocking, squeezing, spilling, and tackling over and over. Kids just seem different and not as willing to do the hard stuff. We don't wear those extra padded helmets and so after a few plays it doesn't appear legit upfront. Do lineman make "unspoken" agreements to make it look like real football at practice if they're not wanting to be physical? What do they say when they quit? Are these veteran players quitting? |
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Post by 10dencyofdeception on May 16, 2023 17:53:22 GMT -6
"I got a job, family needs me to work."
"I just don't feel it in my heart anymore."
"Home issues coach, I'm sorry."
Things like this is what we're getting. It is mostly underclassmen, but some upper.
We've lost 17 since the season and are really thin for OL/DL now.
Like I said the skill guys are all smiles and seem upbeat, the bigs seem to be drowning in despair.
I'm supposed to tell him to keep being violent? Is it just where I'm at? Do I demand an increase in physicality and violence when I can see they don't want it anymore?
Love any/all ideas so far, please keep them coming!
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Post by chi5hi on May 16, 2023 19:04:29 GMT -6
"I got a job, family needs me to work." "I just don't feel it in my heart anymore." "Home issues coach, I'm sorry." Things like this is what we're getting. It is mostly underclassmen, but some upper. We've lost 17 since the season and are really thin for OL/DL now. Like I said the skill guys are all smiles and seem upbeat, the bigs seem to be drowning in despair. I'm supposed to tell him to keep being violent? Is it just where I'm at? Do I demand an increase in physicality and violence when I can see they don't want it anymore? Love any/all ideas so far, please keep them coming! Coach, they don't want to play. Unless it's YOUR fault that they're quitting...there's nothing you can do. That requires some self-inspection... Play the cards you were dealt. Teach the ones who are willing to play everything that you know and put those guys on the field. Remember...it's THEIR team...not YOURS! You're just there to teach them how to do it. |
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Post by freezeoption on May 16, 2023 19:45:23 GMT -6
I've been at some small schools where we only had 10 offensive linemen or less sometimes. I have not coached in a state that had spring ball but my guess beating the crap out of each other knowing you don't really start till August. I could not beat the crap out of my guys. I kept the chutes short and to the point. We hit the sled but only drove it four or five yards. Kept that short and sweet also. Worked alot on coming out of stance. Hand and eye placement. Pad level and feet. We would would do alot of this and get good on this for every play. We would work a little king of the hill maybe once a week.
There was always a big gap in talent level. I had to find where each kid was good and fit him in. Several times had no backups for a player because kids were banged up. I worked my kids but had to be smart. I often had the kids that couldn't do much so they were put at line.
Have some fun drills and competition. Bags and air work is not bad. Work in words that mean being tough, band of brothers. Rewards, simple things. I get microwave pancakes and give a kid 2 for each pancake in a game. They get out of a gasser if they busted tail in practice. Kids are not like they use to be.
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Post by freezeoption on May 16, 2023 19:46:09 GMT -6
Sorry put in paragraphs but did end that way.
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sbackes
Sophomore Member
Posts: 224
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Post by sbackes on May 16, 2023 20:03:32 GMT -6
In my experience kids quit for one of two reasons:
1. They’re not having fun.
2. They feel like they aren’t good or can’t be good in the future. OL is a lot of being very bad for a long time before you are decent, so this one is very dangerous.
Fixing #1: Make OL the fun place. I got a thank you card for attending a grad party. The kid was a safety- he said he would miss the water breaks when our OL ran over and told him all my terrible jokes. We do fun (and useful) stuff like time them through the chutes or race through the chutes 3 at a time- the winner gets to go get a drink. The slow kids keep going until they are a winner or the ultimate loser. We play as many different guys in games as possible- especially on D but also a little on OL. We always hold bags in Indy to decrease contact load without sacrificing speed or technique.
Fixing #2: Trick them into thinking they are good or getting better. Show as many good clips in film as possible. Teach them the “low hanging fruit” to be “less bad” i.e. maximizing splits for a kid who always gets beat so that he loses far from the ball and his guy never makes a tackle. Always point out when they have done things correctly and it helped them. Sometimes I’ll throw in a “Dang I can coach!” not to brag but to help them connect the dots between our coaching, their doing it correctly and us having success. Use mixed-ability squads with equal reps when not in season so they all believe they have a chance to be a dude.
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Post by realdawg on May 17, 2023 3:52:38 GMT -6
In general-linemen are not playing the game as much as they used to be in when I started coaching 22 years ago. Why? I believe it is because the game has became so much about speed and so year round. They are linemen for a reason-they are big. We are doing way more year round speed work and practice now than we did 22 years ago. Just the way the game is going at the high school level around here. Big boys dont want to do all that running and practicing-especially in the summer heat! So unless they think they are going to, or have a chance to start, these kids are not playing anymore.
Add to that around here anyway, linemen tend to be from working class families, they quit to get a job so they can pay for a car/truck, and insurance/gas.
I dont have an answer for these problems. Just stating that may be why you are losing linemen. I would agree that losing 17 linemen since last season is an alarming factor. Heck-we dont even have 17 linemen in our program.
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Post by blb on May 17, 2023 5:16:00 GMT -6
Kids play HS Football for basically two reasons: Fun, and camaraderie.
Coaches aren't the reason they go out, but they may be the reason they stay out.
Losing 17 is VERY alarming, indicative of a real problem.
May require some serious self-evaluation and soul-searching.
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Post by CS on May 17, 2023 6:12:55 GMT -6
I have been coaching for almost 20 years. I'm talking about HS level, TX 5A. I asked because your problem with physicality/play fighting is what we call big brothering each other. I figured you have seen that in 20 years but I suppose you have been at schools with nothing but bada$$es. If you have lost 17 lineman but no skill guys then I would suspect the line coaches have got to be somewhat the problem. Could just be a crop failure of sh!tty/lazy kids I would look at what you guys are doing first then expand. How long are you keeping them away from doing team stuff and in indo? Lineman hate indo more than any other group cause they get stuck there for inordinate amounts of time. |
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Post by bulldogsdc on May 17, 2023 6:30:17 GMT -6
Kids play HS Football for basically two reasons: Fun, and camaraderie. Coaches aren't the reason they go out, but they may be the reason they stay out. Losing 17 is VERY alarming, indicative of a real problem. May require some serious self-evaluation and soul-searching. 3 reasons.....and it's undefeated. Get involved in your feeder program. Let those 10 year old fat kids know you love them. |
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Post by CS on May 17, 2023 7:35:49 GMT -6
Kids play HS Football for basically two reasons: Fun, and camaraderie. Coaches aren't the reason they go out, but they may be the reason they stay out. Losing 17 is VERY alarming, indicative of a real problem. May require some serious self-evaluation and soul-searching. 3 reasons.....and it's undefeated. Get involved in your feeder program. Let those 10 year old fat kids know you love them. More kids miss/quit because of ladies than play in this generation |
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Post by tog on May 18, 2023 15:35:16 GMT -6
NEED HELP!! All lineman are quitting, what can we do to retain the big guys? We're not loaded with depth so the lineman we have left aren't giving us anything real on the LOS. (Spring Ball) Skills seem to be loving it by the way. relationships need an ol coach that understands it and can do it, a natural thing, can't be taught imo |
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Post by bigugly55 on May 19, 2023 8:52:37 GMT -6
What type of offense are you running? We suffered through trying to be trendy and doing zone RPO and air raid stuff that did not fit our personnel at all and the OC made it miserable for our undersized OL.
Last spring we switched to wing T which our new OC and me the OL coach had much more experience in. Once our guys realized they could use angles, trap guys and had free reign to go tee off on linebackers instead of worrying about going downfield on a stupid RPO they really bought in and are having a ton of fun.
Skill guy buy in was slow at first until they realized this helps us win and going from 1-9 to 8-3 creates buy in.
Dropping back several times and being scared to go downfield while run blocking is not fun for OL.
The relationship part is very important too.
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Post by rsmith627 on May 19, 2023 9:34:16 GMT -6
What type of offense are you running? We suffered through trying to be trendy and doing zone RPO and air raid stuff that did not fit our personnel at all and the OC made it miserable for our undersized OL. Last spring we switched to wing T which our new OC and me the OL coach had much more experience in. Once our guys realized they could use angles, trap guys and had free reign to go tee off on linebackers instead of worrying about going downfield on a stupid RPO they really bought in and are having a ton of fun. Skill guy buy in was slow at first until they realized this helps us win and going from 1-9 to 8-3 creates buy in. Dropping back several times and being scared to go downfield while run blocking is not fun for OL. The relationship part is very important too. Not related to the OP, but the lack of skill guy buy-in early on in these offenses always makes me chuckle. Who doesn't love catching a wide open 80 yard TD when you finally do dial them up? I always told them to be patient when I coached in flexbone, they'll get their shot and it's going to be a big one. |
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Post by coachdmyers on May 19, 2023 9:44:57 GMT -6
I have been coaching for almost 20 years. I'm talking about HS level, TX 5A. That's a lot of good, quality experience. However remember Football is not as important to everyone as it is to us coaches. And every year you get older, they're still teenagers. but why did "alright, alright, alright" pop into my head after I read this |
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Post by blb on May 19, 2023 10:12:26 GMT -6
Not related to the OP, but the lack of skill guy buy-in early on in these offenses always makes me chuckle. Who doesn't love catching a wide open 80 yard TD when you finally do dial them up? I always told them to be patient when I coached in flexbone, they'll get their shot and it's going to be a big one. Told our WRs "No Block, No Rock." Running an Option Offense improves your PAP game like no other. You just have to be willing to use it, especially on early downs. Even as a run-oriented offense (Veer) we set the school records for passing and-or receiving at four of the schools I was HC at the time. |
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Post by fantom on May 19, 2023 10:29:36 GMT -6
Not related to the OP, but the lack of skill guy buy-in early on in these offenses always makes me chuckle. Who doesn't love catching a wide open 80 yard TD when you finally do dial them up? I always told them to be patient when I coached in flexbone, they'll get their shot and it's going to be a big one. Told our WRs "No Block, No Rock." Running an Option Offense improves your PAP game like no other. You just have to be willing to use it, especially on early downs. Even as a run-oriented offense (Veer) we set the school records for passing and-or receiving at four of the schools I was HC at the time. If they're looking to impress recruiters one 60 yard catch > ten 6 yarders. Plus, chicks dig the long ball. |
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Post by 3rdandlong on May 19, 2023 11:27:35 GMT -6
Get some of those skill guys to play line.
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Post by blb on May 19, 2023 11:48:27 GMT -6
Get some of those skill guys to play line. Has that ever worked for you? If so, how? |
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