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Post by Wingtman on Sept 1, 2015 8:23:09 GMT -6
Our first game was Friday night. We were down 8-0 at half, driving early second, had first and goal from the 9, ended being 4th and goal from the 27 (of course we didnt score). Lost 40-0. Background:
Private boarding (Military) school. 26 bodies out for football, because of the multiplier we play Class 3 football. We dressed 16 for the game Friday night. 10 kids played iron man ball. We've been a loser since the early 80s. Last year we won our first two games in 3 years. The kids who returned plus the new ones, worked hard, had some ability and were coachable. We were feeling really good going into this game, in fact, we felt we had a slight edge. We ran out of gas, as you can tell.
Yesterday during film/walk thru, some of the old habits were starting to show. Im afraid a season that we as coaches felt should should be our next step (strong junior class, a few sophs who were ready for primetime, and a two seniors who were leaders), may crumble. This week's game is going to be a bear. Its a tough matchup with a class 4 school that will dress 65 kids. They are bigger, faster, stronger and have had all summer to do stuff (we don't have a summer program). That being said, the next 3 are very winnable, and the next 5/7 are winnable. We felt WORSE CASE, we would be 5-4 this season, with a best case of 7-2, 6-3. Now staring down the gun of 0-2 (again) this season could hit a tail spin, which we may not come out of, just because of the "once a loser, always a loser" culture we have been fighting to change.
In situations like this, what have you guys done, to help combat this?
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Post by newt21 on Sept 1, 2015 8:47:39 GMT -6
One of the things that I think will help is to find little wins for the kids. Set some reachable goals that they potentially couldn't hit in the past and sell them on reaching those goals. Did you play the second team last year? If so, what was the final score? Sell them on scoring more than they did last year and holding the other team to less than last year. Even if they don't "win" the game, they can still see those smaller wins to help them to keep working hard because they see the improvement.
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Post by silkyice on Sept 1, 2015 9:05:04 GMT -6
Our first game was Friday night. We were down 8-0 at half, driving early second, had first and goal from the 9, ended being 4th and goal from the 27 (of course we didnt score). Lost 40-0. Background: Private boarding (Military) school. 26 bodies out for football, because of the multiplier we play Class 3 football. We dressed 16 for the game Friday night. 10 kids played iron man ball. We've been a loser since the early 80s. Last year we won our first two games in 3 years. The kids who returned plus the new ones, worked hard, had some ability and were coachable. We were feeling really good going into this game, in fact, we felt we had a slight edge. We ran out of gas, as you can tell. Yesterday during film/walk thru, some of the old habits were starting to show. Im afraid a season that we as coaches felt should should be our next step (strong junior class, a few sophs who were ready for primetime, and a two seniors who were leaders), may crumble. This week's game is going to be a bear. Its a tough matchup with a class 4 school that will dress 65 kids. They are bigger, faster, stronger and have had all summer to do stuff (we don't have a summer program). That being said, the next 3 are very winnable, and the next 5/7 are winnable. We felt WORSE CASE, we would be 5-4 this season, with a best case of 7-2, 6-3. Now staring down the gun of 0-2 (again) this season could hit a tail spin, which we may not come out of, just because of the "once a loser, always a loser" culture we have been fighting to change. In situations like this, what have you guys done, to help combat this? Tell them all that. Kids respond to honesty. Nothing wrong with losing to superior opponent. There is something wrong with not playing to win. But then define what playing to win is. Playing to win is competing! Tell your kids not play to the scoreboard. Play each play as new play. Do your job. You mess up, do right the next time. Stick together. Compete. I am really not talking about moral victories either. Just practice hard, play hard, compete. When the game is over, learn from it and move on. Go to the next week's opponent. It is ok to let them know that everything has to go exactly right to be able to hang with this opponent. It doesn't mean that you don't believe in them. In fact, by being honest it shows that you respect them and DO believe in them. If they stay the course and keep working, by the end of season or even next season, you will expect to beat those kinds of teams. |
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Post by olinedude on Sept 1, 2015 11:43:32 GMT -6
Whatever you do, guide their thinking. In the back of their minds, and maybe even in the back of yours, is "here we go again with the same ole same ole." I've been in your position before with a losing program and got thumped game 1, we didn't guide their thinking and ended up 0-10. It aint fun.
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Post by windigo on Sept 1, 2015 12:13:58 GMT -6
Somehow I got a gut feeling that you got a little ahead of yourself. Its been my experience that when coaches think they are moving onto the next phase they tend to get a little more Xs and Os and back off a bit on the fundamentals.
I may be wrong and I hope I am, then again if this is the problem its easy to fix.
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Post by dubber on Sept 1, 2015 12:14:36 GMT -6
Sometimes the stress of failure can cause you to fail.
Take it one game at time.....the trick to being like any other team (rather than the doormat) is to start thinking like any other team.
Nothing was special about that loss. It was a loss. Pick up, move on.
If you start focusing on season win totals, that fear of failure will cripple you, and the old habits will be right there with you.
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Post by shocktroop34 on Sept 1, 2015 12:27:18 GMT -6
I don't know what I spend more time doing...reading dubbers comments, or looking at that wild avatar.
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Post by shocktroop34 on Sept 1, 2015 12:33:53 GMT -6
Other guys hit it square. I'd tell them, you're not allowed to think like losers. We worked too hard to go backward so easily. Reel your leaders in. Keep selling a positive vision, and it will eventually spread.
As hard as it sounds, and I've been there (first three years, 2-7, 4-5, 4-5), is to stay energetic and positive.
Every week has to feel like 'this is the week!'
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Post by coachwoodall on Sept 1, 2015 19:38:46 GMT -6
You've got a tough row to hoe. I'm in the ear of my DBs all spring and summer in the weight room. I can drill their arses to death. You've got to take what comes in the fall and just coach 'em up.
The only advice I can give is to preach to the kids is to chop wood. Each day you've got a chance to either great better or get worse; you'll never stay the same as you are.
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Post by calkayne on Sept 3, 2015 15:52:32 GMT -6
The fact that you are able to affect the players at an individual level is awesome! Kudos to you.
It appears though that the culture of the team has a great deal of work ahead of itself. Your staring up at a mountain of losses and a loosing tradition, thats not going to change within a pre-season, its going to change over a season. Your indicator is not the amount of wins you chalk up, nor the amount of losses. Your legacy at this program is how the players handle the momentum of a situation.
Just like your description of having 1st and G at the 9 to ending up 4th and G from the 27, what was happening in that moment? How did the players act, how did the coaches act when the O was being pushed back? How did the team carry itself after that moment?
I heard a great quote the other day, "more games are lost than they are won". Seems like you wont win the war, but you can fight for the high ground and win as many battles as you can.
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