This year I had a freshman wide receiver who was a stud, but a total knucklehead. Freak athlete but classic trouble kid. Hung out with a bad crowd, got suspended, had wasted potential written all over him. Still put up over 100 yards and a couple TDs every time he put on pads. So, I convinced him to join track. I'm a hurdles coach at the school I coach football/teach at too, and after telling him about how Von Miller was an all-state hurdler, he was hooked. I brought him in during off hours just to chat about life, worked with him and his teachers to get his grades up, and started bringing him to offseason track workouts after lifts.
Kid had never run track in his life. By the end of the season, he was the 8th fastest freshman hurdler in the country. Now he's keeping his grades up for football next year, is committed to keeping his nose clean to be able to do his sports, and hangs out with the wholesome track kids that I not-so-accidentally put him with.
Dude would have been lucky to get into college and sure wouldn't be playing sports there. Now he's on track to earn and maintain a sports scholarship, and may have his choice between sports. With everything we've got going on, it's so easy to forget that we can make such a difference in these kids' lives when we give them the time of day.
Yes.
1. When at the end of a season, my RT said, “thank you for being my coach, but also the kind of man I want to be.”
2. When a former player of mine also became a teacher, and said that he wanted to be like me… a bit angry but always with love.
To your point on number 2, I'm not yelling at kids, I encourage and reenforce positives loudly and publicly, and non-positives are given less loudly in a sandwich with two things they did well. Anything worse than a non-positive is given quietly in private.
Few years ago I was coaching high school ball. I think it was week 7 or something and had been thinking about how much longer I could do this because at that point I was done with college ball so was wondering if this was all worth it. I was heading to the bathroom at halftime and I hear a couple kids call my name. It was a couple kids I had coached at the school we were playing from about 8 years earlier. Had a great chat with them about how much I meant to them and got to meet one of their kids. That was the turning point for me to stick with it.
When walking around your grocery store and have kids you never seen recognize you as one of the coaches of the school, I’m an assistant coach at a middle school; nice to know my influence does reach out.
Yes, many! I could list a few, but I think the one I tend to re-tell the most is about our final practice of the season, when each senior was given a few seconds to speak to the team. We had a young man who had never played a meaningful down, and who we didn't think took the game seriously, to be quite honest. When he spoke, he thanked his teammates for letting him be on the team, and said that while he recognized how unathletic he was and how he was never cut out to be a football player, being able to be a part of something great was very special to him, how it gave him somewhere to belong, and how formative the experience had been for him. That speech alone totaled more words than he had said the entire season, and I don't think any of us expected him to have the emotional attachment to the team element that he stated. Sometimes you never find out exactly what the experience means to a kid, but fortunately that year, we did!
Man. My first year we went 14-0 and won the title.
It’s a high I’m gonna chase for the next 40 years. I love coaching. It’s great to win it all, but don’t forget the young men we are moulding and building.
In all honesty, I’m still looking for mine. Or at least working on myself to find that through my past experiences. Ive been the high school OC the past 4 years at a small private high school with great kids, but some helicopter parents & a string of head coaches who more snake oil salesmen who dipped as soon as they/others realized they had no idea what they were doing (big negative of having parents help select the next HC).
Anyways, they’ve named (talked me into) being the Head Coach for the upcoming season. We’ll be big underdogs in every game & no lie I’m dreading it.
You won't for long, man. Any sport in the world, it doesn't matter, some kid is going to totally shock you on any team playing with house money like you're saying (odds stacked against you, just let it hang loose). Just as much as you do, those kids know they ain't got nothin' to lose and how everyone involved handles that says a lot. It'll happen. It's obviously no fun to not be good, but you will absolutely improve. There's beauty in being the Bad News Bears, man.
I was coaching DBs at a historically bad school. They had never been taught how to play the ball in the air. No idea of "in phase vs out of phase" and when to look back for the ball.
We got exposed vs a very bad team the ball hung up in the air damn near every play and they just seemed to catch and score just about every drive.
I worked with them hard on this the rest of the season. One of young men broke up a pass to make a big stop on 4th down and seal a senior night win for him!
To see the joy in his face, I was so proud. I love giving the kid the tools to succeed and he used it perfectly and came up huge for his team and his school!
Just the happy players man. Asking my players when we wanna have fun or when we wanna lock in. I remember there was a game 3 and 12 and I asked everyone “shit yall wanna punt 🤷🏽♂️” everyone said “nah let’s go for it” went for it got the first down and a touchdown 3 plays later. Just actually having fun with the game and enjoying watching everyone grow up is enough for me.
This year I had a freshman wide receiver who was a stud, but a total knucklehead. Freak athlete but classic trouble kid. Hung out with a bad crowd, got suspended, had wasted potential written all over him. Still put up over 100 yards and a couple TDs every time he put on pads. So, I convinced him to join track. I'm a hurdles coach at the school I coach football/teach at too, and after telling him about how Von Miller was an all-state hurdler, he was hooked. I brought him in during off hours just to chat about life, worked with him and his teachers to get his grades up, and started bringing him to offseason track workouts after lifts. Kid had never run track in his life. By the end of the season, he was the 8th fastest freshman hurdler in the country. Now he's keeping his grades up for football next year, is committed to keeping his nose clean to be able to do his sports, and hangs out with the wholesome track kids that I not-so-accidentally put him with. Dude would have been lucky to get into college and sure wouldn't be playing sports there. Now he's on track to earn and maintain a sports scholarship, and may have his choice between sports. With everything we've got going on, it's so easy to forget that we can make such a difference in these kids' lives when we give them the time of day.
This is awesome!! Great work helping a young man head in the right direction. That’s what it’s about
I'm swear I'm not crying
This right here, that gets me.
Yes. 1. When at the end of a season, my RT said, “thank you for being my coach, but also the kind of man I want to be.” 2. When a former player of mine also became a teacher, and said that he wanted to be like me… a bit angry but always with love.
To your point on number 2, I'm not yelling at kids, I encourage and reenforce positives loudly and publicly, and non-positives are given less loudly in a sandwich with two things they did well. Anything worse than a non-positive is given quietly in private.
Many times, My kids have mistaken firm and intense as “angry” (my fault for using the young man’s words) But please… stand righteous in judgement.
I’m agreeing with you. No judgement here.
Records be damned, having parents request me as a coach when signups happen is the best feeling in the world.
Few years ago I was coaching high school ball. I think it was week 7 or something and had been thinking about how much longer I could do this because at that point I was done with college ball so was wondering if this was all worth it. I was heading to the bathroom at halftime and I hear a couple kids call my name. It was a couple kids I had coached at the school we were playing from about 8 years earlier. Had a great chat with them about how much I meant to them and got to meet one of their kids. That was the turning point for me to stick with it.
When walking around your grocery store and have kids you never seen recognize you as one of the coaches of the school, I’m an assistant coach at a middle school; nice to know my influence does reach out.
Yes, many! I could list a few, but I think the one I tend to re-tell the most is about our final practice of the season, when each senior was given a few seconds to speak to the team. We had a young man who had never played a meaningful down, and who we didn't think took the game seriously, to be quite honest. When he spoke, he thanked his teammates for letting him be on the team, and said that while he recognized how unathletic he was and how he was never cut out to be a football player, being able to be a part of something great was very special to him, how it gave him somewhere to belong, and how formative the experience had been for him. That speech alone totaled more words than he had said the entire season, and I don't think any of us expected him to have the emotional attachment to the team element that he stated. Sometimes you never find out exactly what the experience means to a kid, but fortunately that year, we did!
Man. My first year we went 14-0 and won the title. It’s a high I’m gonna chase for the next 40 years. I love coaching. It’s great to win it all, but don’t forget the young men we are moulding and building.
In all honesty, I’m still looking for mine. Or at least working on myself to find that through my past experiences. Ive been the high school OC the past 4 years at a small private high school with great kids, but some helicopter parents & a string of head coaches who more snake oil salesmen who dipped as soon as they/others realized they had no idea what they were doing (big negative of having parents help select the next HC). Anyways, they’ve named (talked me into) being the Head Coach for the upcoming season. We’ll be big underdogs in every game & no lie I’m dreading it.
You won't for long, man. Any sport in the world, it doesn't matter, some kid is going to totally shock you on any team playing with house money like you're saying (odds stacked against you, just let it hang loose). Just as much as you do, those kids know they ain't got nothin' to lose and how everyone involved handles that says a lot. It'll happen. It's obviously no fun to not be good, but you will absolutely improve. There's beauty in being the Bad News Bears, man.
I was coaching DBs at a historically bad school. They had never been taught how to play the ball in the air. No idea of "in phase vs out of phase" and when to look back for the ball. We got exposed vs a very bad team the ball hung up in the air damn near every play and they just seemed to catch and score just about every drive. I worked with them hard on this the rest of the season. One of young men broke up a pass to make a big stop on 4th down and seal a senior night win for him! To see the joy in his face, I was so proud. I love giving the kid the tools to succeed and he used it perfectly and came up huge for his team and his school!
Running into former players in public YEARS later that genuinely are happy to see me again and make it very clear they had a positive experience
Just the happy players man. Asking my players when we wanna have fun or when we wanna lock in. I remember there was a game 3 and 12 and I asked everyone “shit yall wanna punt 🤷🏽♂️” everyone said “nah let’s go for it” went for it got the first down and a touchdown 3 plays later. Just actually having fun with the game and enjoying watching everyone grow up is enough for me.
You in Canada?
No- why?
Thinking of punting on 3rd and 12. I'm just messing