Coaches, I need a little help...

Coach, at least you have 18 players working... You can win at the high school level with 18 committed players.

I pray to the Lord Jesus Christ that you DO NOT compromise your beliefs to get more kids working. Play the 18 you have... heck with everyone else! Your world revolves around those 18 players!

I anxiously look forward to discussing this further.

Coaches,

I greatly appreciate you all taking the time to respond to my post. I have been working tirelessly trying to make this thing work. I sat and talked with my wife the other night and told her that I was just gonna do what I had to do. I came to practice the next day with a renewed approach to my team. I know that it is gonna be hard, but I am gonna put my all into it. I was always told that you get out of it what you put in to it. Coach Mountjoy, I am going to watch that movie. I have heard great things about it, but never had the opportunity to sit down and watch it.

I called a meeting with all guys interested in playing and had about 35 to show up. Of those 35, 18 were the dedicated few. From the remaining, we had 8 to show up at practice on yesterday. I don't know how long they'll stay out, but we'll worry about that when the time comes.

Coach Cella, I think I recall a post where you spoke about small numbers in a program. If you still have any of that information I would love to have it. I am a young coach who is determined to have a long and prosperous career in football. Shakespeare once said, "The world's a stage and we are merely players." I believe this fully, I just have to play my part to the best of my ability and good things will surely happen. Thank you for your help and any additional information that you all have to provide will be greatly appreciated.

Coach Mitch

Stick to your principles!!!! The kids that played for the former coach will only be there a short time. Everyone new to the program won't know how "easy" it used to be. They'll only know 1 way and that's your way. It sounds like it's the successful way, too.

This quote is not quite as profound as Shakespeare, but I believe it applies directly to programs that have had little success and a change of leadership. "It will get worse before it gets better," Dalton (Patrick Swayze's character from the movie Roadhouse.)

The players that were around in the old regime will get angry, rebel, and quit when they're asked to dedicate more. They've accepted losing and are not willing to risk more emotional pain for possilbe victory. YOU WON'T EVER WIN WITH CHARACTER LIKE THAT! Stick true to what you know is right and build a program right with those 18+ kids.

Eliminate thinking is something I learned from New York Jets' DL Coach Denny Marcin. He said the less you have to teach once the pads are on, the better your team will be. Mike Pettine, who is the outside linebackers coach from the Ravens said that your entire playbook should be installed by the first day of camp. Training camp is designed to master the physical skills required to compete.

Mitch, you are definitely going in the right direction. It's all in the Lord's hands now.

Hey Coaches,

This is just an update to a post that I began some time ago. We are currently 4-4, 4-2 in the region. We had Homecoming last week. Probably had our worst practice of the season...We lost 20-13. We had to dropped touchdowns in the endzone. We also had a fumble at the one yard line, after a 60 yard completion...The receiver was trying to make an ill-advised stretch for the goal line when we could have just come back and had 1st and goal. The good thing about the lost was that it was not a division game.

Overall, I guess some would say this is a pretty good turnaround, being as we were 1-9 the previous season. I don't though. We have the number one team in our class(1-A) coming in this week. We had several players miss practice this morning, I feel that it was from fear. I am and probably always will be a perfectionist, I just believe that there exist a right way to do everything. The community support has only increased slightly, I still have this guy that comes to every home game telling us how they need to fire the entire coaching staff...I almost lost it last week, he really got under my skin...Number wise, we have 28 kids, about 16 legitimate athletes, the others are young and trying to learn. I have been approached by several kids saying that they want to come out next season, which is a lot better than having to track them down...So I guess it is safe to say that I have not bent nor strayed away from my coaching philosphies. I thank all of the coaches on this site for any input that they have offered and I just want you all to know that I will be picking your brains in the near future as we prepare to make our run at the playoffs. By the way, does anyone have any advice on defending the wishbone option from the 4-4 or the 5-3? These are the two defenses that we have been running that we have had the most success out of. The team we play this week is based out of this formation. The also run a 2X2 set, still trying to run the ball. They are not a very good passing team, they have a kid (best around here, legit D1 athlete)that they line up at QB, TB, FS, that is the real deal(runs the option well)...They also have another back that they use to run the dives. I need some help by tomorrow if possible. I appreciate any help that anyone can offer. Yo can reply here or email me at dmitch7@hotmail.com. Again thanks..

Coach Mitch

No Coach,

We have been a 5-3, 4-4 team all season...I've been reading about the ODP today at the forum, but I haven't played that wishbone team yet...I play them this week and I play a team that runs invert on next week, well they run some plays out of it...I need all that I can get....Is there one defense that will work for both? I think that I could defend either out of our base defense, but I think that we might be left weak in some areas...

Coach Mitch

The KEY to the Okie Dog Pinch is having the EMOL collision the near back to his side. Once that is disrupted, you put a lot of pressure on the QB. The near back goes away..collision QB......

Coaches,

I need to get a better understanding of the defense. Can someone get me a copy of the ODP? I need a handout or something that I can distribute to my staff and players. Thanks coaches for all the help. The coach of this team has already gone to the media talking about what they are going to do to us so we can't afford to lose this one...They are very cocky...

Coach Mitch