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Post by youngcoach54 on Dec 15, 2006 11:02:20 GMT -6
I'd like to start some dialogue on how some of you coaches have had success in buliding numbers in the past.
I have spent a considerable amount of time at our Middle School, which feeds into our High School. As a result there are a number of 8th graders eager to get started with us. We also just started a 5th and 6th grade program a 1 1/2 years ago.
Any advice on recruiting the kids who are "iffy" on football? There are some worthwhile athletes in our school who could contribute in the short term, but are not very motivated.
Is it worth the time to really work these young men into playing? Or, do you feel my time would be better spent focusing on developing the relationships and attitudes of our younger players.
One of my challenges is that I do not have ANY coaches in the school.
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Post by coachjd on Dec 15, 2006 11:14:26 GMT -6
Tough deal being the only coach in school. Keep talking to the kids at all levels. Kids want feel wanted and want to belong. If you win it will help more than you can imagine. Develop a weight lifting club and find a way for kids to achieve club status or a t-shirt. See if any of the other varsity coaches who are in the building will help promote multi-sport athletes and football.
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Post by djwesp on Dec 15, 2006 13:09:37 GMT -6
Our High School squad went from 26 (about 23 that could play) to 67 this last year (3 years after the move).
The first day the head coach was there the school had a pep rally. It wasn't a boom rah,rah, pep rally but the coach asking for help. He told them that any person that joined the team would help contribute in some way. He spent that entire week going from classroom to classrom at the beginning and ends of periods and just talking to the kids about what he was trying to do and how this was a sport everyone could participate in. The next biggest thing he did was go to other athletic teams practices, the bands, and other extracurricular activities. We discovered that those kids that are involved, will usually want to get involved in football too.
In your case, I would get as much of the kids playing time as possible. This is preparation for the big times (the high school level for them), and the goal is development not necessarily winning for us. By playing as many people as we can, having a lot of interscrimmages, and keeping those kids in the program we have made a turn around here.
Once the High School was winning we promoted similar things at the smaller levels (letters to parents a month or two before football starts up works GREAT). But the biggest thing we noticed is that when the high school won, the LITTLE KIDS came to us. A winning program tends to build itself as long as you aren't sacrificing your dignity, respect, and players to do so.
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Post by dubber on Dec 19, 2006 0:56:02 GMT -6
Genuinely care about the players. Get the varsity players involved with the youth league in some manner (they are heroes to these little guys). Don't sacrifice your character to get talent out. Be fair and consistent; don't bail out your starting OT--hold him accountable. If he doesn't respect that, let him go----you'll be doing him a bigger favor in life. People live up to the expectations you have for them. Hold them accountable and a majority of them will be. Make the "iffy" guys feel apart of something.
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