Football Knowledge When You Started Your Career

[coachcorrea]

Keep doing what your doing but you need to start from inside out love and master the Oline and Dline once you get that you can do anything.

[John Knight]

If you don't know what is going on up front you don't know $hit!!

[shocktroop34]

I'll add to John's sentiments and say that it isn't about how much you know, it's about how well you can teach what you know.

To answer your questions...when I started I knew very little and it showed in the performance of my teams.

I progressed from sitting with other coaches in a hotel room at clinics until 2 or 3 in the morning with a grease board.

I progressed from spending time with my players in the weight room and on the field when I was permitted to.

I progressed from getting beat soundly from superior teams and coaches and vowing to work so hard that I would never let that happen again.

I progressed from listening to coaches I respected on this site.

I progressed from placing a great deal of my studies on team building, leadership, and character development.

I progressed from walking the hallways and developing a rapport with kids so strong they wanted to play football and not go home and play video games.

I progressed from staying humble and not worrying about how much I knew, but how effective I could be at the little that I did know.

You may know more than me, but when I explain things, my kids understand it clearly. From there, I have the drills that support the things I have been explaining. From there, I get more out of my kids than you do. In the end, you're smarter, but we're better.

A lot of smart coaches get beat.  If you have all the knowledge in the world, but you don't have the horses to run the race, what you know doesn't really matter.

In the end, the most important stuff that you know will have less to do with football skills, and more to do with people skills.

[spos21ram]

It makes sense that you know more than most of your friends about football. Just like a 20 year old aspiring auto mechanic, or doctor or lawyer would know more than any of us at that age. You played the game, you have been studying the game, so obviously you should know more than many other 21 year olds around you. I felt the same way when I was 21 especially since I played college ball, but you know what, I was all about X's and O's and found out that's about 20% of coaching. Some may even say less than 20%. Cosching is so much more than that and I eventually learned that.

Sorry, but this thread is rediculous. In 5 years you'll look back at this thread and say to yourself "wow I was a moron. Why did I post this."

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using proboards

[coachmonkey]

X and O's are a part of it, but you need to be able to each the small details of playing a position. Where do your hands go. Does it matter if my foot is here or another 6 inches this way. That stuff pays off huge. Above and beyond that is player psychology. How do you get the most out of your players? There is also training players to fulfill their potential. When I started coaching I had played a couple years of college football. I knew the position I played in college well and could get kids to play the position well but my knowledge of X's and O's was lacking. One thing I learned from my college coach, who is a very good coach, is the details matter. Whatever you drill in practice you will get 80% of that in a game. As a defensive guy, you can have the world's greatest scheme, but if you can't tackle, you won't stop anyone.

[coachphillip]

I didn't know how little I knew because I didn't know enough to know how little I knew.

Like the other guys have said, coaching is teaching and leading. I don't care how much technical knowledge a guy has so long as he's an effective communicator and leader. If you're feeling insecure about your knowledge base, it's cool. You're going to learn so much year to year that you won't even be the same guy in a few years. You're gonna look back on young, whippersnapper you and laugh at how much you thought you knew. Find a good staff. Keep your mouth closed and your eyes and ears open. Best way to learn anything is to get your hands dirty. Best of luck.

[funkfriss]

So many good points that have already been presented. I think Lou Holtz said something to the effect of, "You're never as good as you think you are, and you're never as bad as you think you are." If you keep with that mantra and never be content with your current knowledge and ability you'll go a long ways.

And you have no idea how little your X's and O's knowledge really matters. Find me a coach with a horsechit scheme who can coach the crap out of it and motivate kids and I'll show you a successful coach.

[agap]

I was a better coach and knew more than Nick Saban when I was 21.

[coachshepherd]

I thought I knew a lot when I was 21 coaching, I'm 30 now...and I'd laugh at myself back then, and I'm sure in another 10 years, I'll look back at what I thought I knew at 30, and laugh some more thinking I know a lot.

It's not how much you know, it's can you get the pertinent info to the kids that's going to enable them to get the job done within your scheme. Beyond that, it doesn't mean a hill of beans how much you know.

[Deleted]

Relatively speaking? I did not show spit! I thought I did. And I do not know spit now. Every day, seemingly, its something else.

[jgordon1]

.Kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care..Its an old saying but the reason its an old saying is because its true..

[oriolepower]

I didn't know anything when I started. The school needed someone with a pulse and I had that going for me. I also cared about the kids and let them know it every day. As stated above, you have to continually learn.

[coachgtiller]

I agree with everything everyone here has already said.

I was in your shoes once, started coaching at 21. I went into it knowing the basics of OLINE (that's what I played), and like others have said that's where it all starts, so I felt like that put me at a little bit of an advantage. But I quickly learned I didn't know chit.

X's and O's are great on the whiteboard. What matters is how you get 17 year old Jimmy to quit thinking about his hot little girlfriend and those yoga pants she wore to school for 2-3 hours a day and focus on executing the scheme and playing with an all out effort every play. Once you can do that, you'll be much more successful.

And I'm in no way condoning learning X's and O's.. That's why we all frequent this site. But there's much,much more to coaching than that. It's about the Jimmy's and Joe's and getting them to play hard, not the X's and O's.

The best thing you can do is find the better coaches on your staff, the HC, OC, and DC and become a sponge. Learn why they do things the way they do. Try to think like they do.

Best of luck with your career!

[joelee]

All I knew when I started was how I played OL in high school and that I loved the game. All along the way I bought books and videos to educate myself. I started out as a Freshman 2 way line coach and that first year I tried to learn the schemes in our program for those positions. Year 2 I became super focused on the details and technical aspects of coaching the line. Year 3 I became an offensive backfield JV coach and had to learn a new scheme. Year 4 again focused on the fundamental details of my new position. Started researching other peoples offenses and defenses. Year 5 Varsity DL coach already knew this stuff inside and out so I started researching LB's and DB's and how the whole scheme fit. Year 6 DC, had all the workload that that entails but I continued to study offenses to help the defense and to make myself more valuable in the future. Year 8 Varsity OC and had basically the entire skill with 2 para pros helping me. Later I became a head coach and then back to assistant again. Now I'm on year 24 and have coached every position on the field for at least 1 year.

[WingTheT]

At 20, I told myself I wouldn't coach football because of what one of my old HC did (personal things and the hypocritical statements). At 21, I was coaching football in order to be the exact opposite of this coach.

Obviously I didn't know much (if anything at all), but I knew that I had 2 ears and 1 mouth. I always listened to whoever I could in order and especially the HC I worked for. Always did what I was told to do and more. Learned so much from him just in a weekend compared to all the years of actually playing football.
The best people to listen to are usually the ones you work for. If they still have the HC next to their name and have been there for a while, usually they are doing something right...usually

[wolfden12]

I just wish I had done more early on. I didn't do enough personally to get better.

From where I played to where I entered coaching was a 180. From facilities to coaching to schemes etc. It was like learning a new language.

[jcamerot]

Don't get too full of yourself--its about relationships (with kids & coaches) and your desire to improve by being willing to truly listen to other coaches.  You can learn a lot from both good and bad coaches--continue to be willing to work hard & STAY HUMBLE !!

[BallCoach615]

Wow y'all took this in a completely different direction than I intended...of course I know there is more to it than that. My current job consists of very little schematics but more player relations. There is a reason I am loved by our kids. a coach isn't worth a nickel if he doesn't build relationships...

[Deleted]

May 1, 2015 11:41:32 GMT -6 BallCoach615 said:

Wow y'all took this in a completely different direction than I intended...of course I know there is more to it than that. My current job consists of very little schematics but more player relations. There is a reason I am loved by our kids. a coach isn't worth a nickel if he doesn't build relationships...

They go hand in hand. Building relationships is you, the adult putting your kids in a position to succeed, fulfill his potential. You being buddy buddy, Monday through Thursday, but not giving your kids the chance to win on Friday, schematics, then Monday through Thursday is worthless. Do not fool yourself, kids, especially teenagers know. If you are really interested in your kids, schematic are important.

[eaglemountie]

Knew nothing then... Know a little more now... Listen to guys that have been there...

[CoachMikeJudy]

Apr 30, 2015 23:49:10 GMT -6 BallCoach615 said:

Hey coaches, just wondering what y'all knew when you first started coaching. I am currently 21 years old. I feel like I know more than anyone else I have met that's around my age. My head coach told me he couldn't believe how much I knew for my age. I'm not trying to come off as arrogant, I'm just trying to get a feel for where I stand as far as my football knowledge. I feel like I have a good grasp of the spread offense, specifically the spread option and airraid systems.I understand a lot of the defensive side of the ball as far as coverages and what the defense is trying to do. I would easily say my weakness is in the offensive and defensive lines. While I played football my entire youth (through high school), I played WR and LB. Most of my knowledge has come from watching clinic videos, reading articles on smartfootball and sites such as this. How would y'all describe your football knowledge when you were my age? How did you grow in your knowledge as your career progressed?

I thought I knew a lot too...

come to find out not as much as I thought. You'll find out that wisdom (knowledge gained through experience) far outweighs the other stuff

With that said you may be lightyears ahead of other young guys (and some old guys)...just keep growing and see how you fare!

[33coach]

Apr 30, 2015 23:49:10 GMT -6 BallCoach615 said:

Hey coaches, just wondering what y'all knew when you first started coaching. I am currently 21 years old. I feel like I know more than anyone else I have met that's around my age. My head coach told me he couldn't believe how much I knew for my age. I'm not trying to come off as arrogant, I'm just trying to get a feel for where I stand as far as my football knowledge. I feel like I have a good grasp of the spread offense, specifically the spread option and airraid systems.I understand a lot of the defensive side of the ball as far as coverages and what the defense is trying to do. I would easily say my weakness is in the offensive and defensive lines. While I played football my entire youth (through high school), I played WR and LB. Most of my knowledge has come from watching clinic videos, reading articles on smartfootball and sites such as this. How would y'all describe your football knowledge when you were my age? How did you grow in your knowledge as your career progressed?

I knew nothing...I thought I knew a lot...but I knew nothing.


Something a coach friend (much older) told me when I was starting may help you.

Knowledge is great, but if you can't use any of it on Friday nights it does you no good.

My suggestion, listen more.

[coachcorrea]

I started Coaching @ age 22 while I was still playing College baseball. I was a HC by 25 the staff I was on as so bad I new I could do better and I did and people took notice and I went from asst to OC to HC in 3 seasons now it took a lot of failing at first but if you stay humble and just soak everything up put your time in doing your homework and have an open mind about player relationship's, staff relationship's ,community, the politic's that come with your staff superiors and administration you will be fine. Use ever chance you get to learn and get better get in were you fit in and it will happen for you Good Luck Coach.

[coachtua]

May 1, 2015 8:19:22 GMT -6 agap said:

I was a better coach and knew more than Nick Saban when I was 21.

Who the hell is Nick Saban...

[coachtua]

Knowledge is important. But wisdom is the ability to apply the knowledge. Don't know who said it but I always liked it. If you know a lot but can't teach it what good does it do...

[John Knight]

It is what you don't know you don't know that kills you! 

[agame]

6 years ago ...Always learning.....

6 years later....Still learning......

[IronmanFootball]

The only thing I knew year one (I just turned 20) was that I didn't know jack CRAP... and that meant I knew more than most of the guys I have ever worked with.

[groundchuck]

I didn't know anything compared to what I know now. Which is still nothing.

[spreadpowero]

When I was 21, I thought I knew a lot. I was so wrong. I learn something new every year.