NCAA Division I Playoffs
Everyone wants it. The football fandom, media, most coaches and probably all the players want a playoff in Division I football. Of course, as we all know, the stumbling block is the long standing tradition of the college bowls. They are huge money makers and the NCAA and school administrators are reluctant to give up the goose that lays the golden egg. Personally, I don’t need a playoff to make my college football season complete, but I would favor one if they did it the right way. What is the right way? Well, since I’m writing this article, my way is the right way for now. You, of course, are welcome to write up your own design for a playoff in D-I football. In fact, I encourage you to do so and post it on our forum. I would love to see your thoughts.
Format
My son-in-law is adamant that any playoff must include all conference champions and I agree wholeheartedly. If we don’t include every conference champ then WE are deciding who is good enough to play for the championship which is contrary to the concept of settling it on the field. A team earns a conference championship on the field; let all champs have a shot to play for the national title on the field. We can’t have our subjective opinions influence who gets to play. We think we know who the tougher conferences are but who really knows for sure? This would assure that all conferences are treated fairly. I propose a sixteen team playoff. There are eleven Division I conferences and each conference champion would earn an automatic berth. That would leave five at large berths, plenty to get the teams in that didn’t win their conference but are national championship caliber. Independents would fit into this category also. How would these five at large berths be decided? In my format they would go to the next five highest rated teams according to their CBSSports.com ranking. We have to use something to determine the at large berths and I believe it’s the best indicator. This would round out a very strong sixteen team field and provide a format to allow the national championship to be determined on the field. One side note; I would like to see the regular season be rolled back to an eleven game schedule. The teams in the playoffs will be playing their twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth games of the season depending on how deep they advance in the tournament. I am not a big fan of too many football games in a season. These guys are students first and the demands of a long, physical football season are not to be overlooked. I really think that once a team gets into that range of twelve games or more they are just too beat up from the season. I wouldn’t want to see teams playing sixteen or more games at the collegiate level.
Seeding
Seeding the playoffs could be done a number of ways but I’m going with the CBSSports.com 120 poll rankings. It takes into account records, rankings, and strength of schedule. Once we have seeded the teams one through sixteen, we match them up the traditional way. The #1 seed vs. the #16 seed, # 2 vs. #15, # 3 vs. #14, # 4 vs. #13 and so on. The title game would be played at a neutral site but all other games would be played on one of the team’s home field. The highest seeded team would be the host team except when the lower seed has hosted fewer games. For example, if teams A and B advance to the second round and both had a home game, the higher seed would host. If, however, team A hosted in the first round and team B was on the road, then B would host, even if seeded lower. This would assure more teams of having the opportunity to host.
2009 Playoffs
Based on the format I have laid out, this would be our playoff picture in 2009. The conference champions and automatic qualifiers are: Cincinnati, Ohio State, Alabama, East Carolina, Texas, Texas Christian, Boise State, Oregon, Central Michigan, Troy, and Georgia Tech. The at large berths would go to Florida, Penn State, Iowa, Brigham Young, and Virginia Tech. Only Troy is not in the top 25. But, they are conference champions and it is not for me to say who is and who is not good enough to play in the playoffs. We would determine it on the field.
Now we’re going to have some fun with this format. The chiefpigskin computer will analyze team data and play the games for us and give us the results. Every week a round will be played and all results will be on the chiefpigskin website. Just go to the forum for results. It will all be there and we will find out who the chiefpigskin 2009 national champion will be. See you on the forum!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
A Vanishing Breed
The Multisport Athlete
The high school football playoffs are wrapping up in most states and will be wrapping up in the next week or so across the country. Congratulations to all who participated this year in high school football whether you went 10-0 or 0-10. Just by participating and finishing shows dedication and commitment to a common goal. I truly congratulate and admire all who played.
Now that the season is over, I’m sure that all young men will be hitting the weight room hard. I realize how important year round weight training has become. I had been a big proponent of year round weight training before it became mainstream. However, it is my hope that as many as can, will participate in a winter sport and then a spring sport. I believe it is possible to lift and play a sport at the same time. It always bothered me when one of my athletes would say he is going to concentrate on lifting and skip a winter sport. We had a system in place where a young man could do both and I hope many of you do as well.
I realize that the two or three sport athlete is a vanishing breed, particularly in the larger schools where kids “specialize” more. There are many good arguments to that philosophy. But there are some good arguments to the multi sport philosophy as well. For starters, it allows an athlete to excel in another area other than, say, football. He may find he is even better in another sport. Why deny someone that opportunity? Secondly, he is competing. I liked my athletes to compete, to reach down when the game, match, or race was on the line and find out what they’re made of. This only comes in competition, not in the weight room. I remember when I was coaching the offensive and defensive lines in football and I was also the head wrestling coach. We were going through a stretch of four consecutive 9-0 regular seasons and I could look out at the defense and regularly see seven to nine of the starters on the field on a Friday night were my wrestlers. They were tough kids, tough athletes, not just football players. I thought that was pretty cool. Thirdly, athletic skills can be honed while playing another sport. Playing basketball can enhance ball handling and catching skills as well as plenty of running and conditioning. Wrestling can help with balance, pushing, pulling, one on one toughness, and great overall conditioning. Track is great for working on an athlete’s speed, very important to football. Let’s not forget too, that practicing for another sport involves a daily commitment, whereas lifting is generally three times a week. Fourthly, it prevents becoming stale by playing two or more sports. The newness of another sport can be refreshing and give a hunger to another sport as one is away from it. Finally, playing multi sports is fun for most young people. Let kids be kids when they want. It needs to be fun, or we may lose some of our athletes from experiencing the many benefits of playing sports.
The main goal through all of this though, is to keep the players working hard to improve their skills and strength in the off season. I think we would all agree we have to make sure our players are getting better!
The high school football playoffs are wrapping up in most states and will be wrapping up in the next week or so across the country. Congratulations to all who participated this year in high school football whether you went 10-0 or 0-10. Just by participating and finishing shows dedication and commitment to a common goal. I truly congratulate and admire all who played.
Now that the season is over, I’m sure that all young men will be hitting the weight room hard. I realize how important year round weight training has become. I had been a big proponent of year round weight training before it became mainstream. However, it is my hope that as many as can, will participate in a winter sport and then a spring sport. I believe it is possible to lift and play a sport at the same time. It always bothered me when one of my athletes would say he is going to concentrate on lifting and skip a winter sport. We had a system in place where a young man could do both and I hope many of you do as well.
I realize that the two or three sport athlete is a vanishing breed, particularly in the larger schools where kids “specialize” more. There are many good arguments to that philosophy. But there are some good arguments to the multi sport philosophy as well. For starters, it allows an athlete to excel in another area other than, say, football. He may find he is even better in another sport. Why deny someone that opportunity? Secondly, he is competing. I liked my athletes to compete, to reach down when the game, match, or race was on the line and find out what they’re made of. This only comes in competition, not in the weight room. I remember when I was coaching the offensive and defensive lines in football and I was also the head wrestling coach. We were going through a stretch of four consecutive 9-0 regular seasons and I could look out at the defense and regularly see seven to nine of the starters on the field on a Friday night were my wrestlers. They were tough kids, tough athletes, not just football players. I thought that was pretty cool. Thirdly, athletic skills can be honed while playing another sport. Playing basketball can enhance ball handling and catching skills as well as plenty of running and conditioning. Wrestling can help with balance, pushing, pulling, one on one toughness, and great overall conditioning. Track is great for working on an athlete’s speed, very important to football. Let’s not forget too, that practicing for another sport involves a daily commitment, whereas lifting is generally three times a week. Fourthly, it prevents becoming stale by playing two or more sports. The newness of another sport can be refreshing and give a hunger to another sport as one is away from it. Finally, playing multi sports is fun for most young people. Let kids be kids when they want. It needs to be fun, or we may lose some of our athletes from experiencing the many benefits of playing sports.
The main goal through all of this though, is to keep the players working hard to improve their skills and strength in the off season. I think we would all agree we have to make sure our players are getting better!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
It's a Fun Time of Year
Playoffs are Here
My two favorite times of the high school season are opening night and the playoffs. Opening night was great, but it's gone before you know it. Then it's the weekly grind. Fun, but can't match the opener. Then, for those fortunate enough to make it, the playoffs begin. Featuring the best teams of the regular season, they provide great excitement and entertainment. I love the playoffs.
By now all states should be full swing into their playoffs to determine state champions. Here in Illinois it has evolved into some pretty cool stuff. We now have 8 classes, probably too many, but it allowed most 5-4 teams in, so it has worked out. You really don't know who you are going to play until the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announces the pairings. One can get the pairings online or watch the IHSA TV show which is much more fun. They make it look like the CBS NCAA Basketball Tournament Show. You know, the commentators sitting at their desks and then the big board gives the matchups and seeds as they appear right before your eyes. It's really cool as you watch your school go on the big bracket board with your opponent listed for you. Coaches and kids find out who they play, what they are seeded, and whether they'll be at home or on the road. The anticipation is so exciting and gives the whole atmosphere a big time feel. Then, the announcers talk about your bracket and you get to see how tough your quarter bracket or half bracket is. It's a 32 team bracket so you tend to look at your quadrant many times. How do we seed here in Illinois? Actually, it's the fairest system that I can think of. It's not based on rankings at all but on won-loss record and what we call playoff points. All 9-0 teams get seeded highest, then 8-1, then 7-2 and so on. Teams with the same record then get seeded by their number of playoff points. You get a point for every opponents win on your schedule. So, if many of your opponents had great seasons, theoretically you played a tough schedule. If your opponents won a total of 40 games, you would get a higher seed than a team whose opponents won only 38 games. Although it doesn't necessarily reflect true power, it works.
We are now in the quarterfinals as I write this, so there are 8 teams left in each class. A lot of undefeated teams will be going at it this weekend and the atmosphere gets more intense each week. As a fan, I will have a lot of fun watching the results of all classes. Good luck to all those involved (although I don't believe in luck), may your teams play hard and come out of the games healthy.
My two favorite times of the high school season are opening night and the playoffs. Opening night was great, but it's gone before you know it. Then it's the weekly grind. Fun, but can't match the opener. Then, for those fortunate enough to make it, the playoffs begin. Featuring the best teams of the regular season, they provide great excitement and entertainment. I love the playoffs.
By now all states should be full swing into their playoffs to determine state champions. Here in Illinois it has evolved into some pretty cool stuff. We now have 8 classes, probably too many, but it allowed most 5-4 teams in, so it has worked out. You really don't know who you are going to play until the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announces the pairings. One can get the pairings online or watch the IHSA TV show which is much more fun. They make it look like the CBS NCAA Basketball Tournament Show. You know, the commentators sitting at their desks and then the big board gives the matchups and seeds as they appear right before your eyes. It's really cool as you watch your school go on the big bracket board with your opponent listed for you. Coaches and kids find out who they play, what they are seeded, and whether they'll be at home or on the road. The anticipation is so exciting and gives the whole atmosphere a big time feel. Then, the announcers talk about your bracket and you get to see how tough your quarter bracket or half bracket is. It's a 32 team bracket so you tend to look at your quadrant many times. How do we seed here in Illinois? Actually, it's the fairest system that I can think of. It's not based on rankings at all but on won-loss record and what we call playoff points. All 9-0 teams get seeded highest, then 8-1, then 7-2 and so on. Teams with the same record then get seeded by their number of playoff points. You get a point for every opponents win on your schedule. So, if many of your opponents had great seasons, theoretically you played a tough schedule. If your opponents won a total of 40 games, you would get a higher seed than a team whose opponents won only 38 games. Although it doesn't necessarily reflect true power, it works.
We are now in the quarterfinals as I write this, so there are 8 teams left in each class. A lot of undefeated teams will be going at it this weekend and the atmosphere gets more intense each week. As a fan, I will have a lot of fun watching the results of all classes. Good luck to all those involved (although I don't believe in luck), may your teams play hard and come out of the games healthy.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
I like Pro football but...
The Prep and College Game Is For Me
I like pro football, I really do, but…but what? It’s football and I love football, so why don’t I have the same passion for the NFL that many others do or that I had many years ago? I’ve wondered about that from time to time and when I give what I think are my reasons you will probably say, “Your just old and old fashioned”. And that will be ok because I am both. As the title says, the prep and college game is for me.
I suppose one of the reasons is that I don’t have a favorite pro team. When I was a youngster I loved Johnny Unitas and the Colts. When Unitas retired, along with his great teammates Raymond Berry and Lenny Moore, I lost interest in the Colts. I tried to be a fan of a particular team but couldn’t develop an allegiance to one. I ended up kind of pulling for the Chicago Bears simply because I live relatively near to Chicago.
Another reason is that I enjoy watching different offenses and defenses go at it. I love watching a wishbone formation , wing-T, I, spread, double wing etc. I enjoy watching a running team against a passing team. It’s interesting watching different defenses like the 5-2, 4-4, 4-3, 3-5-3, etc. You get that in high school ball and college ball to some extent. Division I is starting to look the same but there is enough diversity that I find it interesting. Several years ago I was at a D-III game (which is very good football by the way) involving Wheaton College, Illinois against Augustana College, Illinois. Wheaton ran shot gun with double twins and threw the heck out of the ball. Augustana was running the wing-T and ran the ball very well. It was a great, well played game with two completely different styles. I thoroughly enjoyed that game.
Finally, and this is where I guess I’m old fashioned. I love watching FOOTBALL. Dancing? I hate it. It has come to be the NFL trade mark. I am a purist. Just give me pure football. I find the most irritating comment by the media to be, “They don’t want these guys to have fun.” Are you kidding me? Playing football IS fun. I played in some form until I was 25 years old. Never did a dance and had great fun playing the game of football. I also find the pro game rather bland. Everything looks the same to me. I see the same defenses and the same offenses no matter which game I watch. Everyone does the same thing.
So, there you have it. After careful self analysis, I believe I have summed up why I am passionate about high school and college football but merely like pro football. My wife likes Dancing With the Stars. I told her watch the NFL, she’ll love it.
I like pro football, I really do, but…but what? It’s football and I love football, so why don’t I have the same passion for the NFL that many others do or that I had many years ago? I’ve wondered about that from time to time and when I give what I think are my reasons you will probably say, “Your just old and old fashioned”. And that will be ok because I am both. As the title says, the prep and college game is for me.
I suppose one of the reasons is that I don’t have a favorite pro team. When I was a youngster I loved Johnny Unitas and the Colts. When Unitas retired, along with his great teammates Raymond Berry and Lenny Moore, I lost interest in the Colts. I tried to be a fan of a particular team but couldn’t develop an allegiance to one. I ended up kind of pulling for the Chicago Bears simply because I live relatively near to Chicago.
Another reason is that I enjoy watching different offenses and defenses go at it. I love watching a wishbone formation , wing-T, I, spread, double wing etc. I enjoy watching a running team against a passing team. It’s interesting watching different defenses like the 5-2, 4-4, 4-3, 3-5-3, etc. You get that in high school ball and college ball to some extent. Division I is starting to look the same but there is enough diversity that I find it interesting. Several years ago I was at a D-III game (which is very good football by the way) involving Wheaton College, Illinois against Augustana College, Illinois. Wheaton ran shot gun with double twins and threw the heck out of the ball. Augustana was running the wing-T and ran the ball very well. It was a great, well played game with two completely different styles. I thoroughly enjoyed that game.
Finally, and this is where I guess I’m old fashioned. I love watching FOOTBALL. Dancing? I hate it. It has come to be the NFL trade mark. I am a purist. Just give me pure football. I find the most irritating comment by the media to be, “They don’t want these guys to have fun.” Are you kidding me? Playing football IS fun. I played in some form until I was 25 years old. Never did a dance and had great fun playing the game of football. I also find the pro game rather bland. Everything looks the same to me. I see the same defenses and the same offenses no matter which game I watch. Everyone does the same thing.
So, there you have it. After careful self analysis, I believe I have summed up why I am passionate about high school and college football but merely like pro football. My wife likes Dancing With the Stars. I told her watch the NFL, she’ll love it.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Family and Football
Family and Football
“Men”, he used to say, “Your priorities should be God, family and football, in that order”. So said Coach Traficano to us many years ago. He always called us “Men”. He was the first to address us that way and it sounded strange as I considered myself a boy. At any rate, that was the first time I ever heard that expression and I didn’t really think much about it at the time, after all, I was only 15 and didn’t give much thought to anything. But over the years it became more meaningful, especially when I began my own coaching career. Now that the season is underway, and we’re heavily involved in all aspects of coaching our teams, it becomes very easy to neglect our wives and families and pour ourselves into our job. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have a competitive program and must put in long hours to accomplish this. We owe it to our players to give them our very best effort. On the other hand, our families also deserve our very best of being a good father and husband. So, back to Coach Traficano’s exhortation of God, family and football. What exactly does that look like?
In my opinion that will look different for each of us. These are very personal matters and each of us is in a different situation. It is up to each coach to decide what that should look like for him. For example, in Tony Dungy’s book, Quiet Strength, he speaks much about the importance of his family and of the efforts he made to give them time. For an NFL coach he may have different schedules or guidelines than a high school or college coach. He made sure that he and his staff were home by 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. most evenings. That was in comparison to many NFL coaches that kept their staff working until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. watching film of everything from drills in practice to opponent’s games. The head coaches I worked for in high school tried to get us home by 7:00 p.m. most days. I was very thankful that I worked for coaches who gave their families a high priority. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we put in many hours of scouting and film work and we had many successful seasons, but we made an effort to draw the line when we could. Another example is a choice that I made when I was very young man of about 24 or 25. I had gotten fairly interested in golfing with my father or friends and started going out on Sunday mornings. After all, I worked hard and deserved a little R&R I told myself. But I soon decided that I had a higher priority and decided that Sunday mornings I would take my family to church. I had to put God first, take care of my family, and then tend to my job. I stuck with this my entire life and feel like I made the right decision. For others of you, it may be something completely different. Of course, if you ask my wife she would tell you I could have done much better of making time for my family but I think I did the best I could.
I now realize the importance of what a wise coach told me years ago. I would encourage you to do the same. My four children are all grown now and out of the house with their own families. In fact, my son is a head football coach himself here in Illinois. All of them start the week by taking their families to church to start the week. I guess I started a pretty good habit. Thoughts?
“Men”, he used to say, “Your priorities should be God, family and football, in that order”. So said Coach Traficano to us many years ago. He always called us “Men”. He was the first to address us that way and it sounded strange as I considered myself a boy. At any rate, that was the first time I ever heard that expression and I didn’t really think much about it at the time, after all, I was only 15 and didn’t give much thought to anything. But over the years it became more meaningful, especially when I began my own coaching career. Now that the season is underway, and we’re heavily involved in all aspects of coaching our teams, it becomes very easy to neglect our wives and families and pour ourselves into our job. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have a competitive program and must put in long hours to accomplish this. We owe it to our players to give them our very best effort. On the other hand, our families also deserve our very best of being a good father and husband. So, back to Coach Traficano’s exhortation of God, family and football. What exactly does that look like?
In my opinion that will look different for each of us. These are very personal matters and each of us is in a different situation. It is up to each coach to decide what that should look like for him. For example, in Tony Dungy’s book, Quiet Strength, he speaks much about the importance of his family and of the efforts he made to give them time. For an NFL coach he may have different schedules or guidelines than a high school or college coach. He made sure that he and his staff were home by 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. most evenings. That was in comparison to many NFL coaches that kept their staff working until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. watching film of everything from drills in practice to opponent’s games. The head coaches I worked for in high school tried to get us home by 7:00 p.m. most days. I was very thankful that I worked for coaches who gave their families a high priority. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we put in many hours of scouting and film work and we had many successful seasons, but we made an effort to draw the line when we could. Another example is a choice that I made when I was very young man of about 24 or 25. I had gotten fairly interested in golfing with my father or friends and started going out on Sunday mornings. After all, I worked hard and deserved a little R&R I told myself. But I soon decided that I had a higher priority and decided that Sunday mornings I would take my family to church. I had to put God first, take care of my family, and then tend to my job. I stuck with this my entire life and feel like I made the right decision. For others of you, it may be something completely different. Of course, if you ask my wife she would tell you I could have done much better of making time for my family but I think I did the best I could.
I now realize the importance of what a wise coach told me years ago. I would encourage you to do the same. My four children are all grown now and out of the house with their own families. In fact, my son is a head football coach himself here in Illinois. All of them start the week by taking their families to church to start the week. I guess I started a pretty good habit. Thoughts?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Showtime
Friday Night Lights
Load up the equipment, put on full battle gear, buckle up your chinstraps, it's Showtime! We're finally at game week here in Illinois. I'm not sure what part of the season the rest of you are in, but I have a hunch that most of you are just about where we are. This is a most exciting time. Optimism abounds as everyone gets a fresh start and hopes of that special season run high. I always found it diffiuclt to concentrate on anything other than football during this week. Do we have the kids ready? Have we covered all the essentials? Are we as well prepared as we can be? How good can our team be? We will find out Friday night. (I know, many of you will find out Saturday) But, oh, those Friday nights!
The atmoisphere will be electric. Old men will lean over the fence on the sidelines looking wistfully at the young men on the field, all the while wishing they could play just one more time. Proud fathers will be gazing at their sons as they file out of the locker room to warm up. Little boys will stand near the end zone to get a close look at their heroes. Their eyes will be big as silver dollars as they wonder if they'll ever be that big and longing for the day they get to play high school ball. Moms are decked out in school colors with their cowbells, shakers, and other assorted noisemakers. Many of them aren't quite sure of all the rules and wonder why their men are so in love with this game, but they're supportive none the less. The lights are on and the band is playing nearby as they prepare to go on the field to play the national anthem when the players go to the locker room for a final time before the game. The smell of hotdogs and popcorn linger in the cooler air of the evening as the sun goes down. The cheerleaders are laying their pom poms in front of the bleachers and practicing their cheers one last time. The bleachers are filling and the anticipation builds as the time for the opening kickoff nears. As a coach, this was always a nervous time as I went over my defensive game plan and imagined all the different scenarios that might occur during the game. The last 30 minutes go so slow, we just want to play.
Finally, it's time for the players to come out of the locker room for the opening kickoff. The home team bursts through the banner made especially for that purpose. The players crack pads and give handshakes as the coaches bark out final instructions and exhort their players to be ready and alert at all times. As the players take the field the crowd begins to cheer and the noisemakers are loudly brought out in full force. The teams line up for the kickoff and the noise of the crowd comes to a crescendo as the ball is kicked high and deep...yep; Friday night football is here with all the great atmosphere that goes with it. Where else would anyone want to be?
Monday, August 10, 2009
It'll Make You Sick
It’ll Make You Sick
“Don’t drink too much of that water!” yelled my little league coach. “It’ll make you sick!” How many of you out there are old enough to remember those words? That was the belief in the days I grew up in. I can remember many a hot and humid day that as one of my teammates or I approached the water fountain, we heard that admonishment. Now, our coaches weren’t being mean or sadistic, they honestly believed that when we were hot, too much water would make us sick. We were only allowed a few swallows of water at a time. As I got into high school a few years later, the attitude hadn’t changed. Too much water on a hot stomach would make you sick.
I remember when I was a sophomore in high school and we were going through double sessions in August. The temperatures were 90 plus, humid, and of course, we were in full gear. We were parched. I would be so thirsty my tongue was stuck to all sides of my mouth. Instead of talking, I could only croak. Halfway through a two or three hour practice, we would receive our only break. Out marched a couple of coaches with two metal pails full of ice. We got into two long lines and were allowed one handful of ice. Sophomores were at the end of the line, so by the time we got our handful, the seniors and juniors had already dipped in with their dirty, dusty hands. When my turn came, all that was left in the bottom of the pail was kind of a muddy, slushy ice. But you know what? I didn’t care one bit. I savored every drop. It was the best tasting drink of water I ever had. Only trouble was, I was still thirsty as ever when I finished. Obviously, it wasn’t nearly enough. Looking back, I really don’t know how someone didn’t get some kind of heat stroke. I was a little guy, so the heat didn’t get to me like it probably got to the big guys. We had a few guys that were big, very overweight. I think we were very lucky to avoid a dangerous situation. Back then though, we didn’t even think about it. In fact, I don’t remember any other schools in the area having any problems. But they probably got 3 or 4 swallows of water compared to our handful of ice. Then, after practice it was time to gulp down salt tablets. That probably wasn’t the greatest idea either. I heard the older guys say we had to replace the salt we lost through all the sweating we did, so I followed along. Yes, this was true, the salt (or sodium) had to be replaced, but I have since learned of a better way.
These days we always made sure we gave the kids plenty of water, and on especially hot days the kids would be given a few extra minutes to hang out at the water hole to cool down a little as they got a good drink. We would give three water breaks and allow kids to get a quick drink in between reps. My old coaches would have been surprised that in 28 years of my coaching, I don’t recall one kid ever getting sick from that doggone water! Let’s not even get into the subject of possible lawsuits, but we can all imagine what would happen if we if we even came close to the old days. Rather than salt tablets, I would suggest replacing the lost sodium and potassium by eating salty tortilla chips, salted pretzels or the like. Bananas are a good source of potassium also. Sometimes not enough water is taken with tablets and the chips or pretzels make you thirsty so you’ll drink more. You may have your own methods, but I’m sure we all agree that staying hydrated is essential.
All this talk about double sessions reminds me, it’s about that time, isn’t it? I know you’re all excited and ready to go! I’m excited for you and can’t wait for the season to begin. There’s a lot of teaching and coaching to be done, so go to it. As for me, I’m getting me a big glass of ice water right now and I’m drinking all I want!
“Don’t drink too much of that water!” yelled my little league coach. “It’ll make you sick!” How many of you out there are old enough to remember those words? That was the belief in the days I grew up in. I can remember many a hot and humid day that as one of my teammates or I approached the water fountain, we heard that admonishment. Now, our coaches weren’t being mean or sadistic, they honestly believed that when we were hot, too much water would make us sick. We were only allowed a few swallows of water at a time. As I got into high school a few years later, the attitude hadn’t changed. Too much water on a hot stomach would make you sick.
I remember when I was a sophomore in high school and we were going through double sessions in August. The temperatures were 90 plus, humid, and of course, we were in full gear. We were parched. I would be so thirsty my tongue was stuck to all sides of my mouth. Instead of talking, I could only croak. Halfway through a two or three hour practice, we would receive our only break. Out marched a couple of coaches with two metal pails full of ice. We got into two long lines and were allowed one handful of ice. Sophomores were at the end of the line, so by the time we got our handful, the seniors and juniors had already dipped in with their dirty, dusty hands. When my turn came, all that was left in the bottom of the pail was kind of a muddy, slushy ice. But you know what? I didn’t care one bit. I savored every drop. It was the best tasting drink of water I ever had. Only trouble was, I was still thirsty as ever when I finished. Obviously, it wasn’t nearly enough. Looking back, I really don’t know how someone didn’t get some kind of heat stroke. I was a little guy, so the heat didn’t get to me like it probably got to the big guys. We had a few guys that were big, very overweight. I think we were very lucky to avoid a dangerous situation. Back then though, we didn’t even think about it. In fact, I don’t remember any other schools in the area having any problems. But they probably got 3 or 4 swallows of water compared to our handful of ice. Then, after practice it was time to gulp down salt tablets. That probably wasn’t the greatest idea either. I heard the older guys say we had to replace the salt we lost through all the sweating we did, so I followed along. Yes, this was true, the salt (or sodium) had to be replaced, but I have since learned of a better way.
These days we always made sure we gave the kids plenty of water, and on especially hot days the kids would be given a few extra minutes to hang out at the water hole to cool down a little as they got a good drink. We would give three water breaks and allow kids to get a quick drink in between reps. My old coaches would have been surprised that in 28 years of my coaching, I don’t recall one kid ever getting sick from that doggone water! Let’s not even get into the subject of possible lawsuits, but we can all imagine what would happen if we if we even came close to the old days. Rather than salt tablets, I would suggest replacing the lost sodium and potassium by eating salty tortilla chips, salted pretzels or the like. Bananas are a good source of potassium also. Sometimes not enough water is taken with tablets and the chips or pretzels make you thirsty so you’ll drink more. You may have your own methods, but I’m sure we all agree that staying hydrated is essential.
All this talk about double sessions reminds me, it’s about that time, isn’t it? I know you’re all excited and ready to go! I’m excited for you and can’t wait for the season to begin. There’s a lot of teaching and coaching to be done, so go to it. As for me, I’m getting me a big glass of ice water right now and I’m drinking all I want!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
7 on 7, Of Course
7 on 7, Of Course
As stated on my previous blog, summer time means many things to high school football players these days, including 7 on 7 passing games. For teams that throw the heck out of the ball, it’s perfect. But what about teams that run the ball? And I mean RUN the ball. They pass rarely, not always because they can’t, they don’t need to. Some coaches feel 7 on 7 is a waste of time. Not only that, but if you lose some of those games, the kids might lose confidence, and who needs that? It’s tough enough to keep confidence levels high without going out and losing meaningless 7 on 7 games. Those are good points, but let’s take a look at the positives and how we can neutralize those negatives.
First of all, 7 on 7 is just plain fun for the kids and for most coaches. Summer time can be a lot of work for the kids but there are no games. Let’s face it, the kids are out to play football on Friday nights and passing games are about as close as we can get without actually playing. 7 on 7 can give them something to look forward to.
Second, it gives you a chance to play defense. We all have to play defense and there’s a good chance many of your opponents during the regular season will be throwing the ball. It’s a great opportunity to work on coverages and adjustments to different formations, motions and shifts. Tons of coaching can be done during these games.
Third, it gives coaches a chance to see what players can do in game type situations.
Some players will really shine and may surprise you. We found a few receivers and defensive backs that we hadn’t counted on until we saw them take over in passing games. I remember one kid in particular who played for us in the mid 90’s that really used the summer passing games as a springboard for the season. As a junior, he was in our wide receiver rotation and was our backup safety, becoming our starter in game 7 when our senior safety broke his ankle. We were looking forward to having him back and knew he would be a solid starter for us on both sides of the ball. As we began playing a few 7 on 7 games it quickly became apparent that he had the ability to take a game over. Not only was he making great catches, but he was a playmaker after the catch, zig zagging through opponents making one big play after another. Defensively, he was leading our secondary in coverage and interceptions. Our eyes were opened to the extraordinary abilities this player possessed and how much he had matured in the last year. I am convinced it also helped his confidence level and helped him realize what he was capable of. When the regular season started our head coach emphasized some plays in our package to take advantage of his skills. He ended up leading us in scoring, touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards and interceptions. He was a unanimous all conference pick and was named to the all area team. Now, I know he would have had a great season anyway, but 7 on 7 sure didn’t hurt.
Finally, playing 7 on 7 helps keep the legs in shape with all the running that is required. It’s not uncommon to play two to four games in a day and that’s a lot of running. Great for the legs!
As far as winning and losing and possibly losing confidence, don’t focus on winning and losing, but on how well you play, and working on the fundamentals. Don’t even keep score sometimes, just play a series of 10 plays back and forth and don’t worry about keeping score. Be creative and have fun.
Receivers get to catch, quarterbacks throw, everyone runs, and we all have fun. So I say, “7 on 7, of course!”
As stated on my previous blog, summer time means many things to high school football players these days, including 7 on 7 passing games. For teams that throw the heck out of the ball, it’s perfect. But what about teams that run the ball? And I mean RUN the ball. They pass rarely, not always because they can’t, they don’t need to. Some coaches feel 7 on 7 is a waste of time. Not only that, but if you lose some of those games, the kids might lose confidence, and who needs that? It’s tough enough to keep confidence levels high without going out and losing meaningless 7 on 7 games. Those are good points, but let’s take a look at the positives and how we can neutralize those negatives.
First of all, 7 on 7 is just plain fun for the kids and for most coaches. Summer time can be a lot of work for the kids but there are no games. Let’s face it, the kids are out to play football on Friday nights and passing games are about as close as we can get without actually playing. 7 on 7 can give them something to look forward to.
Second, it gives you a chance to play defense. We all have to play defense and there’s a good chance many of your opponents during the regular season will be throwing the ball. It’s a great opportunity to work on coverages and adjustments to different formations, motions and shifts. Tons of coaching can be done during these games.
Third, it gives coaches a chance to see what players can do in game type situations.
Some players will really shine and may surprise you. We found a few receivers and defensive backs that we hadn’t counted on until we saw them take over in passing games. I remember one kid in particular who played for us in the mid 90’s that really used the summer passing games as a springboard for the season. As a junior, he was in our wide receiver rotation and was our backup safety, becoming our starter in game 7 when our senior safety broke his ankle. We were looking forward to having him back and knew he would be a solid starter for us on both sides of the ball. As we began playing a few 7 on 7 games it quickly became apparent that he had the ability to take a game over. Not only was he making great catches, but he was a playmaker after the catch, zig zagging through opponents making one big play after another. Defensively, he was leading our secondary in coverage and interceptions. Our eyes were opened to the extraordinary abilities this player possessed and how much he had matured in the last year. I am convinced it also helped his confidence level and helped him realize what he was capable of. When the regular season started our head coach emphasized some plays in our package to take advantage of his skills. He ended up leading us in scoring, touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards and interceptions. He was a unanimous all conference pick and was named to the all area team. Now, I know he would have had a great season anyway, but 7 on 7 sure didn’t hurt.
Finally, playing 7 on 7 helps keep the legs in shape with all the running that is required. It’s not uncommon to play two to four games in a day and that’s a lot of running. Great for the legs!
As far as winning and losing and possibly losing confidence, don’t focus on winning and losing, but on how well you play, and working on the fundamentals. Don’t even keep score sometimes, just play a series of 10 plays back and forth and don’t worry about keeping score. Be creative and have fun.
Receivers get to catch, quarterbacks throw, everyone runs, and we all have fun. So I say, “7 on 7, of course!”
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Summertime Means Football
The barbells are banging and the weights are being thrown around the weightroom. The air is full of footballs as 7 on 7 games are being played at local high schools. Football coaches are running drills for speed, agility, and technique. It's a high energy atmosphere as football camps are rolling throughout Illinois and across the country. We're just beginning summer but already football is in full swing. High school association rules allow for much more contact with the athletes than several years ago and the importance of weight training can't be disputed. There is no question that players are bigger, faster, stronger, in better shape, better coached and more prepared than at any time I can remember.
I'm dating myself, but I can recall when I started high school football in 1965, there was basically nothing going on in the summer at our school in Illinois. We weren't very good, and maybe that's part of the reason why. But I suspect that we were not the only ones that had no summer football program. Oh, starting my sophomore year in '66 a new coach was hired and he had seniors lead workouts 2 weeks before the first official practice. It was low key and not well attended or taken seriously by the players. The coach was no where to be seen, I assume because it was against the rules, so there was no coaching. Basically, the season started on the first day of practice around the third week in August. It truly was "hell week" because we were so out of shape. The coaches had 3 weeks to get us physically and mentally ready for the first game in the middle of September. Offenses and defenses weren't as sophisticated and most teams ran the football at least ninety per cent of the time. Passes were thrown now and then to make our opponents think we actually had a passing game. What a difference from today! Programs now resemble effecient college programs.
Whether you agree with the more intense approach or not, that's the way it is now. To be competitive in todays world of high school football, coaches must do what they can to keep getting better. Let's not forget one key ingredient; through it all - HAVE FUN!
I'm dating myself, but I can recall when I started high school football in 1965, there was basically nothing going on in the summer at our school in Illinois. We weren't very good, and maybe that's part of the reason why. But I suspect that we were not the only ones that had no summer football program. Oh, starting my sophomore year in '66 a new coach was hired and he had seniors lead workouts 2 weeks before the first official practice. It was low key and not well attended or taken seriously by the players. The coach was no where to be seen, I assume because it was against the rules, so there was no coaching. Basically, the season started on the first day of practice around the third week in August. It truly was "hell week" because we were so out of shape. The coaches had 3 weeks to get us physically and mentally ready for the first game in the middle of September. Offenses and defenses weren't as sophisticated and most teams ran the football at least ninety per cent of the time. Passes were thrown now and then to make our opponents think we actually had a passing game. What a difference from today! Programs now resemble effecient college programs.
Whether you agree with the more intense approach or not, that's the way it is now. To be competitive in todays world of high school football, coaches must do what they can to keep getting better. Let's not forget one key ingredient; through it all - HAVE FUN!
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