Hello all, first off what amazing knowledge and great people to help the coaching cause! I just noticed in my profile I'm a "lurker" don't want to be labeled that so first post not sure where this should go but figured I'll start by telling my story. First year coaching flag in the spring 5-6 year olds that was fun enjoyed it much and more importantly all the kids had fun worked hard and returned, in the Fall. Our program and league struggles to fill grade based unlimited tackle teams so overall we are trying to build the program, and tackle does not start until age 7 here. So hear I am happy enjoying coaching football. Along comes fall tackle and my son played 1 year prior and this is second year, I was asked to help be assistant coach and so I thought cool I'll learn and maybe down the road I'll be a head coach. And so it began, USA football classes etc. I new the head coach a little and here is where I think a "little" gets you in trouble. So just let me say I respect head coaches and always have, so let me give you the shorter story and let me know if I should continue on this journey.
Team 10u 1/3 returning from 9u team same coach, 1/3 new, 1/3 new playing up one level due not enough kids in 9u. Head coach 4 years flag 1 year tackle, 5 assistants old high school players with kids now.
Aug 1 no coaches meetings to go over the plan for the season
First week conditioning no pads all running, tires, ropes,ladders, etc.
Next week pads on and full contact no practice plans,bull in the ring, OK drill, and head coach says I'm taking QB and RB's SE "skill guys, you guys take the o and d lineman. I said what are we running and what the playbook, etc. all from just reading articles and USA football classes. HC said Spread, he asked me to help more on offense one of his good friends is DC. So as I start learning more, I ask should we teach them blocking and tackling fundamentals and walk through play,etc. Answer was they just need to hit someone, and yelling and ra ra this how we did it in high school etc speeches ensued for next 2 weeks.
Jamboree came and went got beat up and the yelling was louder "block someone", so here I am doing research and understanding that you must teach them to 1st block right person and have some method to the madness. I ask if we can start teaching at least some blocking scheme HC says yea go ahead but really they just need to find the first guy and hit them.
So I try teaching basic angle blocking left right and then some crack blocking from Slot on TE. I'm sure this is not ideal but again I'm the only one even saying we need to teach some blocking scheme. Then in practices which mostly consisted of 45 minutes or warmup and running laps to start them some type of drill like board drill one on one, and then right to 1 hour or o vs d full contact everyday. I maybe a blocking plan and asked the coaches to review and asked we teach this to get o line confident. We ll that did not last long as then the DC steps in on live action and tell them different rules and need to pick up LB, etc.
First 4 games lost scored only 13 points. Mind you no other coach has seen the playbook beside HC. I saw a pattern 22 jet sweep R or L, dive, and QB blast and 1 pass screen I think. Our kids were getting pounded.
I started questioning while being respectful of HC this formation for this team, and start to understand that they were not even taught basics to build on.
At this point I almost threw in the towel, but said to myself I'm not given up on those kids, so focused all my time on the o line fundementals the rest of the season.
Ended season 0-8 total points 24. Good thing learned what not to do and also had many kids at the end say to me you were the only one who encouraged me and believed in me, so I guess I made a little difference.
Anyway lots of words but wanted to get it out there. Is this common? I really want to continue to coach even after all that craziness. So all in all looking for a little sanity check that it really should not go down like this right? I have been lurking for a month mostly to try and help those kids as much as I could learn how, and if not for this site those kids would not have at least started blocking ok on the line, and hope to contribute more as I learn more. Thx for listening and helping at least teach those kids something this year, now the challenge to get them back next year. FYI the oline was able to hold blocks to get play going but when you only call jet sweep every play almost and have no backfield blockers to even help I'm not sure it was the o-line at fault. I know the other teams DC's did not work very hard playing us ;D
Is this common?
This is not only common, but standard operating procedure.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
Yeah unfortunately it is way more common then you would hope
Most coaches think just because they are men and may have played HS football it gives them some sort of right or right of passage to coach and cant believe why things are not going as they had hoped.
I was told something by someone who is very successful. We were talking about recruiting for college and he said something that I carried with me in ANYTHING I wanted to see happen
"Hope is NOT a strategy"
So in any goal I walk in with that mentality.
2 Things my offense will always have is a Wing and a Wedge
Yeah, it's common.
Welcome to youth coaching.
I don't get too bent out of shape hearing that stuff since I was one of those guys. Vividly remember my first year, another Dad AC asking me about blocking assignments, saying shouldn't we teach them who to block. My response was that it was too complicated to teach 7-8 year old kids the who, they just need to hit the defender in front of them. "Block somebody" was a frequent instruction from our sideline. Truth was, I didn't know who they should block, so I just covered it up with "they won't understand" - didn't want my own ignorance out there for everyone to see.
Live and learn.
Welcome...
I think I am a pretty decent coach, there are some really good coaches on here...and they helped me become a decent coach.
So engage and read and ask questions...and get better.
None of them suck, they just haven't found what the kid is good at yet.
Yep, you have come to the right place! I have learned so much in little under a year from the knowledge on this forum.
Along comes fall tackle and my son played 1 year prior and this is second year, I was asked to help be assistant coach
--Will your son continue playing? Are you coaching only because he is playing?Answer was they just need to hit someone, and yelling and ra ra this how we did it in high school etc speeches ensued for next 2 weeks.
--As typical as this is, it still infuriates me to no end. Grrrr...I'm the only one even saying we need to teach some blocking scheme.
--People laughed at Thomas Edison, too.Then in practices which mostly consisted of 45 minutes or warmup and running laps to start them some type of drill like board drill one on one, and then right to 1 hour or o vs d full contact everyday.
--The prototypical practice of a bad youth football team.
Our kids were getting pounded.
--It's a shame. I imagine your coaches were blaming the kids. ("You've got to WANT it!")
had many kids at the end say to me you were the only one who encouraged me and believed in me, so I guess I made a little difference.
--Maybe you've found a calling. Perhaps you're there for a REASON?
I really want to continue to coach even after all that craziness.
--So did I.
So all in all looking for a little sanity check that it really should not go down like this right?
--It really should not, and it doesn't have to.
now the challenge to get them back next year.
--Then CALL them. And good luck to you. Sounds like you already have far more insight to kids and their success than the others you were working with. A great thing about coaching is you can be as good (or bad) as you choose to be. There is no opponent stopping you from learning.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
I'd also suggest that you:
1. Buy Cisar's book (regardless of whatever scheme you'd like to coach).
2. Buy a vetted, youth-specific system-package regarding the schemes you are interested in.
3. Hook up with some coaches here, who you think could help you.
4. Be willing to learn as much as you can in the OFF-SEASON.
5. Know that that "coaching" and "telling" is not the same thing.
If you start with these, you will have a major advantage over almost every coach and team you play against.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
Most coaches think just because they are men and may have played HS football it gives them some sort of right or right of passage to coach
Robert is 100% correct. Coaching football is not a birthright. You must be a good teacher to be a good coach. That takes passion and insight. Most men are NOT cut out for this, regardless of how qualified they think they are. You have no idea where this ride will carry you. The journey is more than worthwhile.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
Welcome !
Suggestion. Many...myself included wont read posts that are walls of text. Use lots of paragraphs and you will get more responses for large detailed posts.
What is beautiful, lives forever.
I'd also suggest that you:
1. Buy Cisar's book (regardless of whatever scheme you'd like to coach). Yup
2. Buy a vetted, youth-specific system-package regarding the schemes you are interested in. Uh huh
3. Hook up with some coaches here, who you think could help you. [head nod]
4. Be willing to learn as much as you can in the OFF-SEASON. Oh yeah. you gotta do that.
5. Know that that "coaching" and "telling" is not the same thing.
This. A thousand times this. I'd be willing to bet that you've heard one of your fellow coaches utter something along the lines of "Why did he do that? We didn't coach him that!" In my opinion, this is the kind of thing that a "bad" coach will say. And the absolute, stone cold lock, 100% accurate reply to that little quip is "Yes, you did. You coached him to do that because he did it."
Now, you can't completely control the actions of another human being, we're just not wired that way. But you can set out expectations and standards for how players conduct themselves on the field. Both from an athletic and sportsmanship perspective. Talkin' ain't coachin', it ain't even teachin'. It's just you running your mouth.
Really wrap your head around the idea that you are giving your players skills for the entire time they're on the practice field, whether you intend to or not.
If you start with these, you will have a major advantage over almost every coach and team you play against.
--Dave
Mission Statement: To make a genuine effort at every opportunity to help those around me build and maintain a commitment to success.
Thank you all for the advice and reading that long post (i'll do better), and I'm sure the start of a journey that I feel a calling too. I have been a HC for youth baseball for years, so I'm thinking that is where the passion, desire, and calling to teach the kids is coming from, especially when you see those kids in town and they come running up to you to say hi and thank you. Definitely a season to take the negatives and turn in positive learning "lemons to lemonade". Hope to enjoy the ride, but work hard to plan for it.
Dave - Thank you the encouragement and advice, I plan to stock on some good reads for the long winter months. My son does plan to continuing to to play despite the constant blame game funny same quote you referred to "--It's a shame. I imagine your coaches were blaming the kids. ("You've got to WANT it!")" to the tee, and watched the kids walk away every "pep talk" with their heads looking at the ground! I am not not in it for my son, I realize that this about building the team, kids confidence, integrity, and bigger calling to make a difference, actually would prefer he be on another team, but not likely in our our league.
Have already started to reach out the kids and parents to try to rebuild that trust for next year!
Welcome !
Suggestion. Many...myself included wont read posts that are walls of text. Use lots of paragraphs and you will get more responses for large detailed posts.
I realize that was a story and not a post :), used my phone so came out like text. I will take your advice, will likely fumble around a bit to learn.
and watched the kids walk away every "pep talk" with their heads looking at the ground!
I believe this to be the biggest reason we are losing kids to other sports and activities. And frankly, I would walk away if I were a kid/parent too. Coaches want to blame the "concussion scare" on why kids walk away from the game, instead of looking in the mirror.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
I believe this to be the biggest reason we are losing kids to other sports and activities. And frankly, I would walk away if I were a kid/parent too. Coaches want to blame the "concussion scare" on why kids walk away from the game, instead of looking in the mirror.
--Dave
I think that bad coaching is a huge problem, but it is a problem in all sports. The concussion stuff is very real as we deal with it even with teams that have solid coaches. The reality is that you have to make sure that you are addressing both of these in order to get kids to come out and be committed. It is difficult, but it can be done.
In an earlier post, I suggested you invest in a youth-specific scheme. However, what I neglected to point out was that while investing in a proven scheme is necessary, it is NOT more important than knowing what FUNDAMENTALS to teach, how to teach the FUNDAMENTALS well and how to teach the FUNDAMENTALS efficiently. (You only have a few weeks in preseason to get everything up and running effectively.) And while every coach may agree that proper fundamentals are important, IT'S THE RARE COACH WHO RUNS HIS PRACTICES AS IF FUNDAMENTALS OUTRANK SCHEME IN TERMS OF IMPORTANCE. Most coaches and practically every "fan" grumble incessantly about play-calls, when it's the EXECUTION of the play-call that makes it successful, or not. But "fans" have little knowledge of what the fundamentals are, much less what goes into teaching them. Any scheme can be successful if players execute the fundamentals that go into that play. But everyone talks about the "play call" as if good fundamentals and execution are a given. Plays work because of execution first, not the call in and of itself. However, working on fundamentals is not sexy. And is usually deemed not important. That's why the youth header spends all of his time working with his "skill players" on plays, and the 1st-time volunteer dad-coach is spending his time "coaching" the offensive line. Don't make this mistake. If your players are fundamentally strong, it won't matter what scheme you run, you will be successful. If your players are not fundamentally strong, it won't matter what you run, you won't be successful.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope