Public School State Championships
Mar 1, 2020 12:58:40 GMT -6
drogba, uhscubs1, and 8 more like this
Post by Tank on Mar 1, 2020 12:58:40 GMT -6
As the season comes to another close, and this forum's 'public and private' debate dies again, I as the 8-armed goalkeeper of this chat would like to throw in my 6 piece chicken combo.
This debate seems to come down to where the quality of players end up and thereby winning a state championship. What I don't understand is where is the accountability from players and coaches at these public schools that are complaining? What is preventing you (player and coach) from competing/training to get better? When your season ended, whether you didn't make the playoffs or you were knocked out, did you shrug your shoulders at your senior class and say 'ah shucks guys,' or are you formulating your offseason plans and training regiments in order for your boys to succeed next year? Or is the season preparations only important from November-January?
What happens if you get rained out - are you doing a board session, run around the track session, or going inside the commons with tennis shoes and getting a circuit training session in? Or are you secretly happy it rained so you can cancel a session? Did you wing your practice sessions or actually have a plan? What is stopping your returning players right now from working harder, touching a ball, playing pick up games, doing a few pushups here and there... are these things against the rules to do? During Mardi Gras Break, are your players doing everything they can to succeed next year or did they chase plastic doubloons/beads while practicing their FortNite Dance skills?
I'm going to steal the tone of my favorite speech ever from another coach - kudos for anybody who can identify the original messenger:
"Getting enthusiastic players is harder than it has ever been. These players watch TV of the sport played professionally... MLS, Premier League, College, NFL - doesn't matter the sport... and they see all these players acting really cool. So, when they get to me, that's how they think they are going to play and act. When in reality, they haven't even developed a left foot yet in 16 years... they can't juggle the ball for more than 5 seconds at a time... a goalkeeper isn't taking their goal kick ... their receiving touch goes 10 yards away from them, but they are going to play like Messi this year? How many players have come to you in a preseason meeting saying they are going to work hard to be ready for tryouts, 8 weeks goes by, and then during the first 2 minutes of a fitness test quit? You see it all the time, so getting players that truly love the game and are upbeat in life is hard."
Coaches/Players, any of that sound/look familiar?
I had a great opportunity last year in Mandeville Youth Club to work with a majority of the St. Paul's players as an assistant/keeper coach - went to practice, several of their games and even got the chance to coach them in a Tournament. Those guys aren't magically better than everyone because of the school they attend - each one of those young men get work on a daily basis, and when they aren't with their team practice, I have seen several groups of them at the field by themselves working. No Coach, no private vs public school debate, just hard work.
There is absolutely nothing preventing public school players from doing the same thing during the offseason. We have to deal with the 'soccer is too expensive' argument all the time - a ball, public park, trees/cones as goals is how much? Jog around your neighborhood with your ball is how much? Typing youtube.com with new moves to work on costs how much? If a state championship is what truly motivates you, then get your butts to the fields now, not 1 day before the season starts. The folks across the pond say that players need 7,000-10,000 touches a day to continue to get better - I would venture some players don't even get 2,000 a week.
Get in your backyard now and juggle the ball, find a new move to work on and master 3-4 before the next season, you and your buds get to the field 20-30 mins a day. Don't have time during the day because of school? Turn on your porch light at 5am, get your work in before school. No excuses players. Here is great channel for the individual player - all you need is 1 ball:
Coaches, how many of you made the preseason speech about how this is the year St. Paul (or your Private School bully) is going down and we are the ones that are going to beat them to your players? Did you put in actual work to back that up, or is it a faux-pas blanket statement to get those players jacked up? I see these motivational tactics fall flat on their face year in and year out and then lose to the private school 6-0. Motivational tactics do not work if your players aren't self motivated and you are stale/stuck in your ways as a coach. Here's a good test to see if your player is self motivated or not. I've done it several times, works like a charm and gets the message across to them -
100.00 Dollar Bill Technique -
Are coaches still part of a brotherhood/sisterhood to share the wealth of knowledge we have accumulated over a long career? Or are we too egocentric and too proud to admit that maybe, just maybe, the coach that beat you outworked you, out-coached you, and by extension their players outworked your players for that game? I've been coaching since I was 15 years old as a volunteer and now paid coach, and I promise you I would kick my own arse if I were still the same coach as a teenager. Ask questions, soccer courses are fun environment to be in with other coaches, but if you don't have the money, research online/youtube to increase your base. Whether you are a teacher representative with zero experience, a lonely 'wreck' coach, or a seasoned coach with an A license, learn the WHO DAT game and get your returning players active in your vision.
I'll start the sharing - Here are 5 great videos of activities I use for my players - from U10-U19 (make age appropriate of course)
1) New Castle Warmup -
2) Man City 3 Combo Shooting -
3) Barco 2 and 1 Touch Game -
4) Man City Long Range Shooting -
5) Blue Devil Warm up -
I've been part of the public high school side of Louisiana Soccer off and on the last decade - when we lost to a private or public school, it was because I didn't work hard enough. I didn't prepare my players correctly. My game plan didn't work out. I didn't prepare my players enough to execute my vision. It was my fault, not the refs or because the player on the otherside choose the private school (stop with this asinine argument). My team didn't win because of me, period - That's the responsibility I have taken as a head coach.
Sorry, but not sorry, I don't want to hear any excuses. Not from my own players, the coaches I work with, or anyone else not willing to look in the mirror and want to get better. Stop with the Rocky and Miracle on Ice motivational speeches, stop with this David vs Goliath mentality, stop blaming refs for your inadequacies as a coach or player. Grab a ball and get to work.
Any players reading this that does not have a ball to work with, feel free to PM me - I have several collecting dust in my storage. Any coach that wants more information or knowledge, PM me and lets go grab an adult beverage and talk it out. Let's get several coaches and adult beverages - that's the exciting part to me about this profession.
Lastly, if winning a state championship is truly your end goal (whether you are a player, coach, parent, or fan of a team), I would encourage you to look at definition of 'champion' then. 'A Person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in competition, especially in sports." Removing/splitting the current brackets for the reasons being presented is not surpassing all rivals in competition, it's avoiding them. What should motivate you as a coach is teaching your players the best of your ability; if you can look at your players at the end of your season and truly know you did everything in your power to win, my hat is off to you. If you are content with blaming refs and the current system we have as the reason you lost, I don't know what to say to you.
If you have an hour to play video games, goof off, poker night with the boy, whatever this generation does for free time, then you have time to train. No excuses from this public school coach.
Sincerely yours,
Coach Tank, Assistant Boys Coach at Mandeville Highschool
This debate seems to come down to where the quality of players end up and thereby winning a state championship. What I don't understand is where is the accountability from players and coaches at these public schools that are complaining? What is preventing you (player and coach) from competing/training to get better? When your season ended, whether you didn't make the playoffs or you were knocked out, did you shrug your shoulders at your senior class and say 'ah shucks guys,' or are you formulating your offseason plans and training regiments in order for your boys to succeed next year? Or is the season preparations only important from November-January?
What happens if you get rained out - are you doing a board session, run around the track session, or going inside the commons with tennis shoes and getting a circuit training session in? Or are you secretly happy it rained so you can cancel a session? Did you wing your practice sessions or actually have a plan? What is stopping your returning players right now from working harder, touching a ball, playing pick up games, doing a few pushups here and there... are these things against the rules to do? During Mardi Gras Break, are your players doing everything they can to succeed next year or did they chase plastic doubloons/beads while practicing their FortNite Dance skills?
I'm going to steal the tone of my favorite speech ever from another coach - kudos for anybody who can identify the original messenger:
"Getting enthusiastic players is harder than it has ever been. These players watch TV of the sport played professionally... MLS, Premier League, College, NFL - doesn't matter the sport... and they see all these players acting really cool. So, when they get to me, that's how they think they are going to play and act. When in reality, they haven't even developed a left foot yet in 16 years... they can't juggle the ball for more than 5 seconds at a time... a goalkeeper isn't taking their goal kick ... their receiving touch goes 10 yards away from them, but they are going to play like Messi this year? How many players have come to you in a preseason meeting saying they are going to work hard to be ready for tryouts, 8 weeks goes by, and then during the first 2 minutes of a fitness test quit? You see it all the time, so getting players that truly love the game and are upbeat in life is hard."
Coaches/Players, any of that sound/look familiar?
I had a great opportunity last year in Mandeville Youth Club to work with a majority of the St. Paul's players as an assistant/keeper coach - went to practice, several of their games and even got the chance to coach them in a Tournament. Those guys aren't magically better than everyone because of the school they attend - each one of those young men get work on a daily basis, and when they aren't with their team practice, I have seen several groups of them at the field by themselves working. No Coach, no private vs public school debate, just hard work.
There is absolutely nothing preventing public school players from doing the same thing during the offseason. We have to deal with the 'soccer is too expensive' argument all the time - a ball, public park, trees/cones as goals is how much? Jog around your neighborhood with your ball is how much? Typing youtube.com with new moves to work on costs how much? If a state championship is what truly motivates you, then get your butts to the fields now, not 1 day before the season starts. The folks across the pond say that players need 7,000-10,000 touches a day to continue to get better - I would venture some players don't even get 2,000 a week.
Get in your backyard now and juggle the ball, find a new move to work on and master 3-4 before the next season, you and your buds get to the field 20-30 mins a day. Don't have time during the day because of school? Turn on your porch light at 5am, get your work in before school. No excuses players. Here is great channel for the individual player - all you need is 1 ball:
Coaches, how many of you made the preseason speech about how this is the year St. Paul (or your Private School bully) is going down and we are the ones that are going to beat them to your players? Did you put in actual work to back that up, or is it a faux-pas blanket statement to get those players jacked up? I see these motivational tactics fall flat on their face year in and year out and then lose to the private school 6-0. Motivational tactics do not work if your players aren't self motivated and you are stale/stuck in your ways as a coach. Here's a good test to see if your player is self motivated or not. I've done it several times, works like a charm and gets the message across to them -
100.00 Dollar Bill Technique -
Are coaches still part of a brotherhood/sisterhood to share the wealth of knowledge we have accumulated over a long career? Or are we too egocentric and too proud to admit that maybe, just maybe, the coach that beat you outworked you, out-coached you, and by extension their players outworked your players for that game? I've been coaching since I was 15 years old as a volunteer and now paid coach, and I promise you I would kick my own arse if I were still the same coach as a teenager. Ask questions, soccer courses are fun environment to be in with other coaches, but if you don't have the money, research online/youtube to increase your base. Whether you are a teacher representative with zero experience, a lonely 'wreck' coach, or a seasoned coach with an A license, learn the WHO DAT game and get your returning players active in your vision.
I'll start the sharing - Here are 5 great videos of activities I use for my players - from U10-U19 (make age appropriate of course)
1) New Castle Warmup -
2) Man City 3 Combo Shooting -
3) Barco 2 and 1 Touch Game -
4) Man City Long Range Shooting -
5) Blue Devil Warm up -
I've been part of the public high school side of Louisiana Soccer off and on the last decade - when we lost to a private or public school, it was because I didn't work hard enough. I didn't prepare my players correctly. My game plan didn't work out. I didn't prepare my players enough to execute my vision. It was my fault, not the refs or because the player on the otherside choose the private school (stop with this asinine argument). My team didn't win because of me, period - That's the responsibility I have taken as a head coach.
Sorry, but not sorry, I don't want to hear any excuses. Not from my own players, the coaches I work with, or anyone else not willing to look in the mirror and want to get better. Stop with the Rocky and Miracle on Ice motivational speeches, stop with this David vs Goliath mentality, stop blaming refs for your inadequacies as a coach or player. Grab a ball and get to work.
Any players reading this that does not have a ball to work with, feel free to PM me - I have several collecting dust in my storage. Any coach that wants more information or knowledge, PM me and lets go grab an adult beverage and talk it out. Let's get several coaches and adult beverages - that's the exciting part to me about this profession.
Lastly, if winning a state championship is truly your end goal (whether you are a player, coach, parent, or fan of a team), I would encourage you to look at definition of 'champion' then. 'A Person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in competition, especially in sports." Removing/splitting the current brackets for the reasons being presented is not surpassing all rivals in competition, it's avoiding them. What should motivate you as a coach is teaching your players the best of your ability; if you can look at your players at the end of your season and truly know you did everything in your power to win, my hat is off to you. If you are content with blaming refs and the current system we have as the reason you lost, I don't know what to say to you.
If you have an hour to play video games, goof off, poker night with the boy, whatever this generation does for free time, then you have time to train. No excuses from this public school coach.
Sincerely yours,
Coach Tank, Assistant Boys Coach at Mandeville Highschool