Coaches, I need your help please!

Here are my beliefs:

Motivating athletes = 7
I feel this is one my strongest characteristics, but I still feel that I could be better at motivating certain types of athletes.

Strategy Use = 5
I have the least experience at this (at least in game situations), so at this point in time I feel only somewhat confident.

Coaching Technique = 7
I have 1 style of coaching, and that is full speed. Unfortunately however, not everyone reacts in a positive manner to this style. I would like to work on different techniques that enable to reach those that don't react well to the full speed style of coaching. I do however, feel I am a good teacher, because I often take extra time explaining the what, why and how and this has been a big plus for me in the weightroom.

Building Character = 8
I am most confident in this dimension. I take a tremendous amount of pride in being exactly who I say I am and not expecting anything more from athletes that I don't expect out of myself. I have always told my kids to eat healthy, therefore I make it priority to as clean as possible. I train 6 days out of the week in some shape or form, and I always try to make decisions based on "what is the right thing to do". I am FAR from perfect, and I never will be, so I make it known that mistakes are a part of everyday life...so don't sweat them, just learn from them. Of course, I feel I have a long way to go before I am the person I want to be, so I feel that I could do better at being a good role model for the kids.

I follow this general outline in trying to achieve some of the things you mentioned:

Common Coaching Errors and How to Avoid Them
By Bud Wilkinson

(From 1947 to 1963, Bud Wilkinson's Oklahoma teams had an .826 winning percentage and won 14 league titles and three national championships)

The best coach is the one who makes the fewest mistakes; the one who does the best teaching job; the one who is the best organizer. Writing the X's & O's is not the most important thing. There are 22 variables in a football game. Coach must be a salesman to the extent that when his team loses, they don't blame him or the offensive and/or defensive system, but rather themselves.

Errors in Teaching Methods

* Failure to use time efficiently - Failure to recognize the time factor available to get the job done. Planning makes for valuable use of time. Too long on any one thing produces boredom. When boredom comes in, learning goes out. Football players have a short attention span. Hold to time schedule.

* Failure to explain the purpose of the drill - Tell the player WHY he is doing what he is trying to accomplish and he will do a better job. Explain WHY, then show HOW.

* Improper teaching progression - You can't teach a player how to block until he has learned stance. If he hasn't learned stance, he doesn't know how to step out of the stance into the block.

* Too much verbal instruction on the field - How much can player learn from your verbal instruction with his helmet on, he's breathing hard, he aches, he's stunned, etc. Do WHO and WHY in chalk talk. Teach assignments before hitting the field. Correct on the field. Teach - no! (HOW is taught on the field - not WHO & WHY).

* Too much demonstration by coach - How much you know is not important. How much player knows is.

* Being on the field too long - Better to have a team eager to play rather than physically tired. How long to practice is a judgment factor. Cut down as season goes along - not going to change mechanical ability late in season. Only one rule never violated at Oklahoma. If one coach on staff feels practice too long, we must cut it down. More players play poorly because they practiced too long than players playing poorly because they didn't practice long enough.

Errors in Tactics and Strategy

* Tactics and Victory - You get very few victories on tactics. Victories come if you can out block, out tackle, out fundamental your opponent. Red Sanders quote: "Intimidate them physically"! Outmaneuver - no. Defeat - yes.

* Clear cut philosophy a must - Decide on an offense and defense that will suit your personnel then stick to it. Depth of morale can be determined by a kid's reaction to a loss. If morale deep, they'll blame themselves. If morale shallow, they'll blame you.

* Too many plays and defenses - Subtract the number of different plays used in the game from the total number of plays you practiced. If this number is too large you better get rid of some plays. It is difficult enough to know when to run off- tackle, but if you have four ways to run off-tackle, you will never get the right play. Beauty of Split-T was it's very limited number of plays

Errors in Judgement

* Be Realistic about a player's ability - Don't just put an X or an O on the board. Put up the player's name. Immediately his limitations affect the offense or defense you put up. Whale of a lot of difference between Dick Butkus and Humpty Dumpty.

* When chips are down, only best players are in the game - It is a mistake to be able to play blue chippers only one way. Say best kid you have can only go on offense. Say opponent has ball for 45 minutes. These are 45 minutes he cannot help you.

Errors in Off-field Relationships

Relationships with other faculty members - The environment that exists has a lot to do with winning or losing. If they are with you, your job is easier. If they are against you, you're in trouble. Work on a program of how to win friends and influence faculty members.

Organize a mothers' club - Get mother on your side by pointing out to her what he can get out of football besides winning games.

Press, TV and Radio - Straight up fact of life that the great majority of people get their impression of you from what they read in the paper, see on TV, or hear on radio. Their jobs depend on info. Get it to them to make their jobs easier. Get these people on your side. Let them know what you're doing. They will interpret what you're doing in the way you want it interpreted if they are with you.

Errors in Developing Morale ("the Mental is to the physical as 4 is to 1")

Football begins with morale! - Once you get morale, it is easy to maintain. How to get it is a problem.

How to keep morale - Just do what you said you're going to do. Don't say we're going to practice 1 ½ hours and go 2 ½ hours. Training rules - if you're not going to enforce them, don't have them.

Morale stems from discipline

Treat players as people - If he feels you are interested in him only as a football player, he won't go all out for you. If you are interested in his academics, his personal problems, etc. and he knows this, he'll go all out for you. Convince him that football is good for his future.

One year, Knute Rockne had 2 QB's. Under great athlete, team failed; under mediocre QB, team succeeded. Why? Captain's reply - "the great athlete is trying to show how good HE is. The TEAM is trying to make the average guy look good".

Coach in your own way!

Note clinicians and their personalities. ALL different ways of being successful. Plan carefully in the off season.

The man who is best organized and does the best teaching job, is the best coach.

Dimension 1:
Motivating Athletes: how confident are you in this dimension?

7... I need to get better at this

Dimension 2:
Strategy Use: how confident are you in implementing and carrying out specific strategies (such as game plans, etc.)?

8... We make a plan and we stick to it!

Dimension 3:
Coaching Techniques: how confident are you in actual "coaching" or teaching and how confident are you at implementing different techniques based on the learning audience, age group, etc?

9... my best dimension

Dimension 4:
Building Character in Athletes: How confident are you in serving as a role model for young athletes?

9... as other coaches say we do this every day

Jimbo,

In all 4 categories, I would give myself an 8 I guess. It is my belief that learning how to motivate each indiviual youngster and get them to play over their heads for you is the REAL KEY TO SUCCESS, IMO.

Most can teach the X's and O's, build a game plan, etc. but most CANNOT APPRECIATE HOW IMPORTANT THE UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH GUY IS AS DIFFERENT AS A SET OF FINGER PRINTS AND THAT THEY MUST BE MOTIVATED DIFFERENTLY.

Anyone with any God given sense knows that we can all improve no matter how long we have been doing it! Just my opinion as always.

Coach Easton

Dimension 1:
Motivating Athletes: how confident are you in this dimension?

8 - pretty good at getting my kids ready to play but can always be better at this

Dimension 2:
Strategy Use: how confident are you in implementing and carrying out specific strategies (such as game plans, etc.)?

7 - planning is a definite strength for me, but I'm still trying to improve my ability to implement strategy on gamedays

Dimension 3:
Coaching Techniques: how confident are you in actual "coaching" or teaching and how confident are you at implementing different techniques based on the learning audience, age group, etc?

7 - lots of on-field techniques still to learn along with an emphasis on improving the effectiveness of my teaching progression with the younger athletes I coach

Dimension 4:
Building Character in Athletes: How confident are you in serving as a role model for young athletes?

8 - must always "walk the walk" as well as I can "talk the talk"

Thanks for your help, CYFL Coach! I appreciate your input!

Jimbo

Hey RushLB,

Thanks, Coach for your help...it is greatly appreciated!

That sounds like a very interesting thesis that you wrote. I also agree that an added means beyond sports needs to be in used in building character. That is an interesting statement you make about how sports building character is a myth...I somewhat agree, because if you think about it from the other side, sports also displays the character the athletes already possess. Kind of a "chicken or the egg" thing, but interesting nonetheless!

Thanks, Coach!

Jimbo