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Post by The Lunch Pail on Oct 27, 2018 8:24:25 GMT -6
In Missouri, everyone gets to make the playoffs. The 8-team seeded district tournaments we use to kick off the postseason are just bloodbaths. There were 2-3 forfeits, and at least 5 games that surpassed the 80-0 mark. We were a #2 seed playing a #7 seed, and had one of the “closer” games as we beat them 56-7 (scored one on our JV at the end). We played a pretty horrible game, too.
This is why the playoffs should be earned IMO.
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Oct 9, 2018 6:44:50 GMT -6
Build confident players. Lots of people mistake playing slow with playing soft. Simplify, make it a point to play faster, and your team will look a lot “tougher”
Also, weight room.
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Oct 3, 2018 5:11:34 GMT -6
For my OL, I grade each of the starters in 3 categories: Assignment, Technique, Finish. Assignment = Did you do your job? Technique = Self-explanatory. Usually look at footwork here Finish = Where are you at the whistle? Your hands need to be on a defender or you’re ACTIVELY pursuing a defender Each play will get a 0 (bad) or 1 (good). At the end, I’ll get a percentage for every category. Then avg. the percentages to get a total grade. Stole this scale from a COOL clinic and I love it: I also track knockdowns. I define a “knockdown” as any action that forced a defender to pick himself back up. Even if it looked like BS, I’ll reward it. I preach that if we make a defender pick himself up or play a full 7 seconds (average play time length), we’ll make them wave the white flag sooner or later. The player with the most knockdowns gets the “axe”. I just take a picture of them holding one of my axes, make them a little short highlight reel and give them a shoutout on social media. They LOVE it. Guys are constantly competing every week to win the axe and I love it. I think evaluations are key because they let kids know specifics of what they’re doing right/wrong. Especially for positions like OL, where detailed feedback is rare. Do I dread doing it every Saturday morning? Yes. But it’s so worth it. Players love looking at their grade sheets. We give them a running total also, and give them an average of their overall grade %’s, creating an “overall” rating like they see on Madden. Seeing “John Smith, RG, 89 OVR” is cool to this generation that was raised on Madden/2k/NCAA games. Here’s an example grade sheet: This is pretty good stuff. Are you consistently getting knockdowns in the teens? Our offensive line is really good but we just don't get knockdowns like I have at other places. At my last school (flexbone) we averaged about 20 per game, especially since I counted cut blocks. Once had a guy with 55 knockdowns in a game! Now my current stop is a spread team and the HC doesn’t believe in cutting, so that’s taken a toll on our knockdowns. Most we’ve had in a game this year is 14, average is around 4 per guy.
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Oct 1, 2018 8:09:25 GMT -6
For my OL, I grade each of the starters in 3 categories: Assignment, Technique, Finish. Assignment = Did you do your job? Technique = Self-explanatory. Usually look at footwork here Finish = Where are you at the whistle? Your hands need to be on a defender or you’re ACTIVELY pursuing a defender Each play will get a 0 (bad) or 1 (good). At the end, I’ll get a percentage for every category. Then avg. the percentages to get a total grade. Stole this scale from a COOL clinic and I love it: I also track knockdowns. I define a “knockdown” as any action that forced a defender to pick himself back up. Even if it looked like BS, I’ll reward it. I preach that if we make a defender pick himself up or play a full 7 seconds (average play time length), we’ll make them wave the white flag sooner or later. The player with the most knockdowns gets the “axe”. I just take a picture of them holding one of my axes, make them a little short highlight reel and give them a shoutout on social media. They LOVE it. Guys are constantly competing every week to win the axe and I love it. I think evaluations are key because they let kids know specifics of what they’re doing right/wrong. Especially for positions like OL, where detailed feedback is rare. Do I dread doing it every Saturday morning? Yes. But it’s so worth it. Players love looking at their grade sheets. We give them a running total also, and give them an average of their overall grade %’s, creating an “overall” rating like they see on Madden. Seeing “John Smith, RG, 89 OVR” is cool to this generation that was raised on Madden/2k/NCAA games. Here’s an example grade sheet:
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Sept 16, 2018 18:16:33 GMT -6
Our youth programs here teach our kids NOTHING. They don’t even have to memorize a play as the coaches are always on the field, and just show them a play diagram in the huddle and tell them to run it. Just like scout team.
It’s beyond frustrating
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Sept 14, 2018 6:36:06 GMT -6
I really shake my head at the coaches that still run drills like bull in the ring or Oklahoma’s (at least in this fashion) in today’s climate of concussion scares and such.
Usually, these are the coaches who also blame “soft millenials” for everything and think the biggest problem on their team is “toughness” and not anything else. I’ve coached with these guys and against these guys. They belong about 15 rows back in the stands, not on the sidelines. They’re fans, not coaches.
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Sept 13, 2018 6:25:27 GMT -6
Honestly this is kinda gross. If I’m walking off the field, I don’t want to inhale syrup that came from some sweaty ass bottle on a hot September day
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Sept 10, 2018 7:51:54 GMT -6
Hey Coaches, How does your program execute in-game substitutions? Does your program: Have the position coach sub in/out his position? Have the offensive/defensive/special teams coordinator oversee substitutions? Have one person on offense/defense handle substitutions for each respective unit? Yell out a name to sub in while out the sub outs name? Rely on random chaos and let football Darwinism settle it out? Any other procedure you use? Also, do you practice subbing in/out during the week in game like conditions? Thank you for any and all responses. We utilize a series chart with 4 series on it and 1-2 “control” or JV groups. We will basically rotate the series chronologically unless it’s a sudden change situation inside the 50. Then, Series 1 always comes in
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Sept 5, 2018 8:11:53 GMT -6
Deerick Smith is a fun follow
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Aug 14, 2018 11:34:35 GMT -6
Oh man I have so many reasons. I’ll just expand on a few:
- The kids. I used to coach for my own ego, but in my 2nd year of coaching, a tragic event changed my outlook. One of my players in my position group lost both of his parents to carbon monoxide poisoning (car left running in the garage) less than a month before his Senior year. He was at a team lockout that night and was the one who found his parents the next morning. Watching how he almost immediately talked to the HC about it before anyone else showed me how much a football coach can mean to a kid
- I love football. I always have. That first practice of the year still puts the same smile on my face as it did when I was 11.
- My senior year was the worst year of my life on and off the field. My family was going through a bunch of financial hardships at the time and I we were always fighting about something. After a huge fight with my parents, I was basically grounded for 6 months. No license, no leaving the house for anything but school/athletics, etc. and that did a lot of damage to my confidence. Combine that with a coaching change to a guy who I never trusted enough to open up to, and I regressed considerably from my junior to senior year. It was my last year of playing as well, since not many colleges line up to offer 5’10 225 lb offensive linemen. Now, I not only feel like there’s unfinished business, but I make it a priority for players to trust me. I don’t want people to go through something similar to what I went through my senior year.
- The X’s and O’s. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t something that I loved about football. The rules and moving parts of this game are so beautiful and the way things change and evolve over time is so interesting to me. I have always been fascinated with schemes, both as a coach and player
- The transformation. Watching that 5’6 145 lbs freshman who only plays OL because he’s too slow to play any skill position develop into an all-conference asskicker as a senior is so gratifying. Every class I’ve coached always has a kid like that
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Aug 13, 2018 17:52:19 GMT -6
I'm in the same boat this year coach! I'm at my alma mater, coaching with a couple guys I played with there and a coach that actually coached us all. It's a great situation to say the least. We will be starting a sophomore QB, RB, 3 WR's and TE, yeah were young, but these kids have been playing together and winning together in multiple sports since 3rd grade. Our QB and RB are both coaches kids so as you can imagine they are working there tails off so there is no sign of favoritism. They have easily earned their spots in the eyes of everyone. The best part for me though.....it's the fact that after every practice I have at least ten or so kids come up to me, shake my hand, and say, "Thank you coach". Talk about a breath of fresh air, much different than the group of kids thats come through here the last few years I get the same exact thing with the handshakes!! It’s so encouraging to see that there’s still lots kids being raised to say “yes sir”, “no ma’am”, etc. and treat others with respect
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Aug 13, 2018 8:19:23 GMT -6
I figured this would be a nice refresher from the amount of doom and gloom threads everywhere on here..
I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to coach the group of kids I am now. I LOVE this community and program I’m in. It probably helps that this is my alma mater and I have 3 first/second cousins on the team that are all major contributors, but this group of kids we have is just special.
We only have FIVE seniors this year in a school of five HUNDRED, but this might be my favorite senior class I’ve ever coached. They’re all an embodiment of the community. Hard working, do-it-yourselfers, and are very mature kids. Our starting QB/FS is literally a coach on the field. He’s probably the best athlete we’ve had in the history of the school and he couldn’t be a better face of the program. He’s one of those 4.0 kids who just works his tail off every day to be the best player and student he can be, and does it with a positive attitude. He’s also all-state in 3 sports and is a shining example of the successful multi-sport athlete.
As a team, I don’t know how great we look this year record wise. We are really young and inexperienced up front and really thin defensively. Our first game is next Friday, against a team that ripped our hearts out in the playoffs last year. We had a 10 pt lead with 5 minutes left, and after a turnover and coverage miscommunication, we lost the game by one point. It’s not going to be hard to get our kids motivated for them.
I dont know how good our win/loss record will be, but this looks to be the most fun year of coaching I’ve ever had. I’ve never looked more forward to a week one game than I did now.
To all those who kick off this Friday or next, good luck!
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Aug 10, 2018 8:51:30 GMT -6
Football is so much more fun when it’s a simple game.
The brotherhood, school pride, rivalries, pregame butterflies, hanging out after a game, wearing your jersey to school, etc. is a big part of what made the game fun to play.
The overkill of “the process”, scholarships, hudl, etc. has taken some of the purity out of the game. Do those things have their place? Of course. But it should be below what was mentioned above.
I’m lucky to work for a coach that still emphasizes this. These past 3 seasons, we’ve really made an effort to back off. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that 3/4 of our school’s winning seasons in its history have been those 3 seasons. All of June and half of July is off for our kids, aside from weight room. We emphasize to our kids that even though the weight room is strongly encouraged, we will not berate you or take away playing time for not showing up.
When we stop trying to “keep up with the Joneses” and work our guys like mules, we’ll see this trend of decreasing numbers slow down. But we as coaches need to see the wrong in what we ask of our players first. And like wingtol said, the thread above shows how far we are from realizing that.
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Aug 1, 2018 18:30:52 GMT -6
Great football mind. Horrible person that acts holier than thou. Pretty below the line action if you ask me
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Jul 31, 2018 12:16:26 GMT -6
All of the talk about Last Chance U got me wondering how many JUCO's there are in the East that play football. The only one that I can think of are Lackawanna (PA) and Louisburg (NC). There’s some in NYC I believe
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Jul 26, 2018 6:20:21 GMT -6
Or, put another way, "university staff member strikes student." It’s definitely assault. And that kid can’t do anything about it because if you press the issue you are losing major connections and maybe sabotaging your career. You don’t want to be the grad assistant that did or said something stupid and then gets whapped and then makes a big deal of it. Then again after getting smacked you probably aren’t getting fired so it may give you leverage in some weird way. What if the kid claims he has a concussion after that. Then the university has two major news stories. Beyond the faculty strikes student issue the story is magnified with the CTE component. Truly hypothetical but not out of the realm of possibility. Even so, if I were the kid I would not want to get Tubbs fired I would have wanted to kick his ass. The Run the Power podcast said it best. Some of these major college coaches are just plain entitled and think they can act however they want. Of course they have the biggest salary and most pressure, but that doesn’t make it right to treat someone like $hit when they’re doing their best to help you.
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Jul 25, 2018 10:47:49 GMT -6
I can’t wait till grad17 decides he never wants to log onto here again. Dude ruins every thread he participates in
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Jul 24, 2018 11:38:48 GMT -6
I couldn’t help but laugh at #2..
Best of luck though, coach! Sounds like you’ve at least maintained some of your skill guys?
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Jul 6, 2018 20:17:07 GMT -6
*posts thread complaining that all threads turn into pissing matches*
*thread proceeds to turn into pissing match*
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Jul 6, 2018 9:57:26 GMT -6
Every thread seems like it’s turning into “you can’t do this vs. this!” or “that doesn’t work!” types of pissing matches and I’m sick of it.
To be frank, I don’t really care what defense Nick Saban runs on 3rd & Medium on the right hash against a 2x2 set. This site is meant for HIGH SCHOOL OR YOUTH COACHES to get better. Not to bicker about some miniscule difference in a collegiate coverage that 99% of high school teams will never run.
It’s gotten to the point where I’m finding myself scrolling through threads from 2015 when I wanna learn something. I’m really missing some of the great posters this forum used to have, like Lochness or OJW.
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Jun 2, 2018 18:02:22 GMT -6
Everything about this team seems to be what’s wrong with HS athletics today
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Post by The Lunch Pail on May 26, 2018 7:58:13 GMT -6
Use to listen to Coach and Coordinator, but he should cut back and do quality over quantity. Agreed. I’d rather have Keith come out with one podcast every 1-2 weeks that is detailed and original than what he has now. I also wish he did less interviews sometimes, because I know he’s a smart guy and I’d love to hear some of his own thoughts that AREN’T just about culture, player safety, etc (which are all obviously important)
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Post by The Lunch Pail on May 25, 2018 9:23:37 GMT -6
I used to listen to the Coach and Coordinator pod, but it gets pretty stale. When it was the old format (1 hour or whatever) it used to get into some details about football and you could pick up some decent stuff. The shorter format is basically "how did you get involved in coaching" ... talk about "culture" ... generic overview of some system.... a little more culture ... talk one more time about culture ... shows over. Maybe a segment of USA football talking points. Makes every episode more or less identical. Exactly! It’s always the same questions and answers, but with a different voice giving the answer. Doesn’t really feel “real” to me. It feels like the coaches he interviews are just sorta giving the generic company line
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Post by The Lunch Pail on May 25, 2018 7:09:53 GMT -6
I have about a 45 minute drive to work everyday and really like to be useful with my time in the car. What are some of you guys favorite coaching podcasts? - Football Coaching Podcast (Joe Daniel) - Coach & Coordinator (but don’t listen to too many in a row) - Run The Power - Talking Football with Ron McKie - Pro Style Spread Offense - Chris Fore will have a podcast soon I can’t wait to hear
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Post by The Lunch Pail on May 24, 2018 8:48:16 GMT -6
I’m in the same boat. Coaching is something I’m extremely passionate about, but at the same time I’m still in school and have changed my major due to no longer wanting to teach. I wanted to teach initially, but I come from a family of teachers (one of which has been around long enough to teach my parents) and they sat down to give me an honest conversation about teaching.
I knew it wasn’t for everyone, but I never realized how horrible the education system is nowadays. The low pay, the lack of discipline, the unrealistic amount of curriculum you need to teach, the depressing atmosphere, and the lack of respect for teachers are factors that scared me away. They told me that teachers come in with energy and enthusiasm, and are basically miserable and burnt out 3 years in. They come and go.
I really don’t know of many teachers I talk to that say they just love their job and like waking up and going to work everyday. That just made me realize that while I’m in love with coaching, I would only be teaching because it would make it easy to coach. I don’t like halfassing things. I don’t want to be the teacher that hands their kids a worksheet or puts in a movie every other class so they can watch film. If I’m going to do something, God help me I’m going to try to be the best their ever was at that.
And spending 9 hours a day doing something I despise? Screw that. God gave me one life and I’m not going to mope around and waste it. It’s a shame teaching is such an undesirable profession. But I’m not going to sit around and wait for it not to be while my life passes by.
Sorry for the long post, by the way. I’m just letting my thoughts hang loose.
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Post by The Lunch Pail on May 15, 2018 6:26:11 GMT -6
My HS head coach was from the Markham coaching tree. One of the greatest minds in the history of this game. RIP
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Post by The Lunch Pail on May 10, 2018 8:35:33 GMT -6
How many of you guys use props in your football program as a reward or motive for your players? I’ve been using an axe for the past few seasons, given to the OL with the most cuts/knockdowns (KD’s). Their name gets printed on it and the guy with the most at the end of the season gets to keep it.
I’m considering stealing the “lunch pail” idea from VT and giving it to the guy who practiced the hardest, played through pain, etc.
Anyone else do things like this? I would love some ideas or just general thoughts on the subject
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Post by The Lunch Pail on May 3, 2018 6:36:38 GMT -6
Looking over my bookmarked threads and thought this thread was well worthy of a bump.
My current staff has almost completely done away with summer football and I love it. We practice I think 6 times or so and we have a 1-day team camp mixed in with some 7v7’s. But that’s it. And damn, those practices/scrimmages are some of the best football we play. Are they perfect? Of course not. But our kids are always fresh, fired up, and bring a ton of energy.
We’re in a rural farming community, filled with a lot of do-it-yourselfers. A lot of our kids buy their own vehicles, make their own money, and will mostly go to the weight room without having to tell them. Our kids really enjoy being able to have a job, enjoy the summer, and sorta recharge. Of course we still lift, but that’s about the only football-related thing we do day-to-day in the summer.
This is a drastic change from my last stop. There, we were getting after it literally the day after school got out. Some days we would be at the school from 3:30 to 9 at night. Two meetings a day, weights at 5:30, etc. Our kids and coaches were burnt out by the time the first game even started. But that wasn’t necessarily “wrong”, it just fit better with the type of community we had (more affluent, reliant, grinder types).
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Apr 30, 2018 21:24:47 GMT -6
My last stop, kids named it “Scouty McScoutFace”. I didn’t mind because at least they were having fun with it
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Post by The Lunch Pail on Mar 18, 2018 0:53:34 GMT -6
Coach Vogt just got a Head Coach job so that may have something to do with it. Ah alright. I didn’t know
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