You wouldn't think that a freshman in high school standing 5 feet tall and weighing about 95 pounds would be a recruiting target, but I actually was. No, I was not being recruited by Michigan to play tailback, although I sure would've liked that. After all, football was my favorite sport. And I wasn't being recruited by UCLA to play basketball, although I sure would've liked that also. So who in the world would recruit a freshman who weighed 95 pounds for anything? I was being recruited for the high school wrestling team. You see, 95 pounders were pretty valuable guys to have on the team. Some schools didn't have a 95 pounder on the wrestling team and they would have to forfeit that weight class. Meaning, you got an automatic win in that weight class if you had a guy on your team that weighed 95. One of the most basic ways to have a competitive wrestling team is to make sure that you fill all the weight classes. Well, they had their eye on me for that 95 pound spot.
Now of course, there aren't too many guys walking the halls of high school that weigh95 pounds. So early in the fall when I was on the football team I became the target of the wrestling coach. Mr. Gross was his name and he was the line coach for the varsity football team. He was an older coach, had a big barrel chest, and always looked mad. Every time he saw me out on the practice field, or coming in or out from practice, he would always stop me and say, "NL,” in that nasal voice of his, "are you gonna come out for wrestling?" At first I ignored him because I have to admit I was a little scared of Mr. Gross. Secondly, I had never wrestled in my life. Oh ,I had wrestled in the backyard with my buddies and with my brothers, but not this kind of wrestling with rules. In fact, I didn't even know there was such a thing as a high school wrestling team. I played basketball in grade school and although I wasn't great, I started on the grade school basketball team and had a fair amount of success. We didn’t have a wrestling team. So when Mr. Gross started asking me if I was going to wrestle, my response of course, was no. Now I didn't tell HIM that, because as I said, I was a little bit afraid of Mr. Gross. So my strategy was just to pretend like I didn't hear him or duck him whenever I could. Eventually, I had to answer because he continued to ask me if I was going to wrestle. My response was a very definite, "ummm maybe." Why couldn't this guy just take a hint? There was no way I was getting talked into this.
Toward the end of the football season, one night after practice, one of the captains of the wrestling team who was not playing a fall sport, grabbed me and brought me into the wrestling room. In the room was a handful of guys practicing takedowns. At least that's what they said they were doing. I believed them because I didn't know what a takedown was. Well, Mr. Wrestling Captain paired me up with another little freshman and said, "You guys are going to go takedowns for a little bit. Mr. Gross said you were interested in wrestling." "What do I do?" I asked. “Well”, the captain replied, “You just try to get a hold of him and take him down to the mat.” He looked at my opponent and winked. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, so I just figured I'd try to tackle him just like I did on the football field. The captain blew his whistle, and I charged in low and hard, grabbed both legs and took the guy to the mat. The captain was in disbelief! He had been working with this other little guy for the last two weeks and I walked in to the room and took him down in about 5 seconds. After chastising my opponent, he told us to try again. Again I tackled my opponent to the mat in about five or 10 seconds. Now the captain was really chastising my opponent. His protégé had just gone down twice in 30 seconds. He told me that was enough, and sent me to the locker room.
Mr. Gross must've gotten wind of what happened, because the next day he told me that I was definitely going to wrestle. I finally said, "Mr. Gross I've never wrestled in my life, I don't think I can do it." Well, he had a good answer for me. The old coach said, "Are you tough?" "Yeah, I'm tough." I said. "Are you a good athlete?" “Yeah, I'm a good athlete.” “ Then you can wrestle!” growled the old coach, and that was that. He sure knew how to appeal to my cockiness.
When the football season got over, I figured I'd give wrestling a try. So on the first day of practice I reported to the team. I walked in to see about 30 other guys in the practice room. Most of them were football players so I felt right at home. I didn't know the rules, I didn't know any moves, and I had no clue what was going on. The one thing that I can remember about my first wrestling practice, is that about 20 minutes into it I threw up. I thought I was in good shape. After all, I had been playing sports my entire life. But I wasn't ready for this. It took only a few minutes and I was so tired I could barely get off the mat. After barely making it to the bathroom I threw up in the toilet, wiped my mouth with my t-shirt and headed back into the room. What had I gotten myself into?
Thanks again to http://www.chiefpigskin.com for letting me share.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
My Heisman Vote
I don't have a Heisman vote and it’s probably a good thing that I don't. My vote would be much different than everyone else's. I was watching the Orange bowl the other night between Virginia Tech and Stanford and one player stood out to me all night long. He played for Stanford and I was very impressed. No, that player was not Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. As good as he is, and I was impressed with him, the player that stood out to me was not Luck. The player I was impressed with was playing inside linebacker for Stanford and he was making plays all over the place. He was standing running backs up in the hole, sacking the quarterback, and knocking down passes. Oh, wait a minute, it wasn't the inside linebacker I was watching, it was the fullback. On power running plays he was colliding with linebackers and standing them up. He also ran the football on the goal line and scored a touchdown. Was this two different guys? Nope, it was the same guy. His name was Owen Marecic and he went both ways for Stanford. This guy not only played both ways, but he did it very well. It was one of the most impressive performances I've seen from a college football player in a long time. I mean, guys just don't play both ways anymore. It was like watching Bronco Nagurski from the 30s.
Of course, I realize that most Division I college football programs don't need guys to play both ways. They’ve got plenty of scholarship players that can do the job and there's really no reason one guy needs to play both ways. We all know the benefits of having one way players. It keeps your players fresh, is great for team morale, and allows guys to focus on just one position. But still, you have to be impressed with what Marecic did. I know I was, and he gets my vote for the Heisman trophy. He is a FOOTBALL PLAYER.
My question is, why doesn't this guy get more publicity? A few guys got all the publicity this year and he was not one of them. I think that's a shame because our focus is on the wrong places.
We focus on the guys with the big stats, and if players don’t have the stats they don't get much attention. I’d like to see it changed a little bit, but that's just my opinion. It seems as though if you're not on everyone's preseason Heisman list, you don't get much of a look all season. No one would ever go for this idea, but I think there should be no Heisman talk until at least halfway through the season. Let's find out who's really having a good year instead of just hyping a guy at the beginning. Having said all that, do I think Cam Newton deserved to win the Heisman Trophy award? Yes, I do. You can't argue with the season that he had, and he is a deserving winner but I sure did like the way this Marecic played.
Thoughts on the Rose Bowl
Let me begin by saying that TCU is a very good team. Let me also say that Wisconsin is a very good team. I really enjoyed this year's Rose Bowl, I thought it was a great matchup between two great teams. One of the things I like about college ball and high school ball, is that you get to look at different types of offenses go at it. On one side we had the spread offense of TCU, and on the other side the power offense for Wisconsin. Each team pretty much said, “ this is who we are and this is what we do, and you're going to have to stop us.” Last year I wrote an article about having an identity and I think these two programs fit the bill perfectly. TCU says, "We're going to spread you out and use our speed and quickness and passing attack to beat you." Wisconsin says, “We're going to line up in our power formation with tight ends and we're going to run the football with play action passes and that's how we're going to beat you.” Have an identity and stick to it.
A lot of people questioned whether or not TCU could handle Wisconsin’s size, but let's face it, all football teams are big. It's not like TCU was a bunch of small guys out there. They were big, Wisconsin was just bigger and probably bigger than most teams. But people forgot that TCU plays very good defense, and good defense is good defense whether you're playing big teams or not. The player from TCU that stood out to me was a guy named Tank Carder. He was all over the place, making tackles, sacking quarterbacks, and knocking down passes. He was the epitome of what TCU football is.
The biggest surprise of the night for me, was when Wisconsin scored a late touchdown to cut the lead to 21-19 late in the game. When they lined up to go for two, they lined up in the shotgun and I about fell off my couch. I couldn't believe that Wisconsin was lining up in the shotgun in such a crucial situation. This is not what Wisconsin does, this is not their identity. I fully expected them to line up in their power formation and either run the football, or throw a play action pass. They had just run the football right down TCU's throat on the last drive. If they had come out in their power formation, I have to believe that TCU would've been very, very worried about having to stop the run. Also, in the back of their mind, they had to know the play action pass was probably coming. But of course, in that situation you must stop the run first. That's why I believe that a play action pass on the goal line would've been the best choice. But instead, Wisconsin lined up in the shotgun and the pass was batted down. In Wisconsin's defense, they did have a man open in the end zone. And I am not about to question the Wisconsin coaches, I have a lot of respect for what they do and it's their team. They know what they're doing, and they've been with the guys in practice and games all year. But it certainly did surprise me.
Between the bowl games, and checking out what's new on www.chiefpigskin.com, I'll get plenty of football. Now it's on to that time of year when we begin preparing for next season, working the weight room, going to clinics, and encouraging our athletes to be the best they can be.
Of course, I realize that most Division I college football programs don't need guys to play both ways. They’ve got plenty of scholarship players that can do the job and there's really no reason one guy needs to play both ways. We all know the benefits of having one way players. It keeps your players fresh, is great for team morale, and allows guys to focus on just one position. But still, you have to be impressed with what Marecic did. I know I was, and he gets my vote for the Heisman trophy. He is a FOOTBALL PLAYER.
My question is, why doesn't this guy get more publicity? A few guys got all the publicity this year and he was not one of them. I think that's a shame because our focus is on the wrong places.
We focus on the guys with the big stats, and if players don’t have the stats they don't get much attention. I’d like to see it changed a little bit, but that's just my opinion. It seems as though if you're not on everyone's preseason Heisman list, you don't get much of a look all season. No one would ever go for this idea, but I think there should be no Heisman talk until at least halfway through the season. Let's find out who's really having a good year instead of just hyping a guy at the beginning. Having said all that, do I think Cam Newton deserved to win the Heisman Trophy award? Yes, I do. You can't argue with the season that he had, and he is a deserving winner but I sure did like the way this Marecic played.
Thoughts on the Rose Bowl
Let me begin by saying that TCU is a very good team. Let me also say that Wisconsin is a very good team. I really enjoyed this year's Rose Bowl, I thought it was a great matchup between two great teams. One of the things I like about college ball and high school ball, is that you get to look at different types of offenses go at it. On one side we had the spread offense of TCU, and on the other side the power offense for Wisconsin. Each team pretty much said, “ this is who we are and this is what we do, and you're going to have to stop us.” Last year I wrote an article about having an identity and I think these two programs fit the bill perfectly. TCU says, "We're going to spread you out and use our speed and quickness and passing attack to beat you." Wisconsin says, “We're going to line up in our power formation with tight ends and we're going to run the football with play action passes and that's how we're going to beat you.” Have an identity and stick to it.
A lot of people questioned whether or not TCU could handle Wisconsin’s size, but let's face it, all football teams are big. It's not like TCU was a bunch of small guys out there. They were big, Wisconsin was just bigger and probably bigger than most teams. But people forgot that TCU plays very good defense, and good defense is good defense whether you're playing big teams or not. The player from TCU that stood out to me was a guy named Tank Carder. He was all over the place, making tackles, sacking quarterbacks, and knocking down passes. He was the epitome of what TCU football is.
The biggest surprise of the night for me, was when Wisconsin scored a late touchdown to cut the lead to 21-19 late in the game. When they lined up to go for two, they lined up in the shotgun and I about fell off my couch. I couldn't believe that Wisconsin was lining up in the shotgun in such a crucial situation. This is not what Wisconsin does, this is not their identity. I fully expected them to line up in their power formation and either run the football, or throw a play action pass. They had just run the football right down TCU's throat on the last drive. If they had come out in their power formation, I have to believe that TCU would've been very, very worried about having to stop the run. Also, in the back of their mind, they had to know the play action pass was probably coming. But of course, in that situation you must stop the run first. That's why I believe that a play action pass on the goal line would've been the best choice. But instead, Wisconsin lined up in the shotgun and the pass was batted down. In Wisconsin's defense, they did have a man open in the end zone. And I am not about to question the Wisconsin coaches, I have a lot of respect for what they do and it's their team. They know what they're doing, and they've been with the guys in practice and games all year. But it certainly did surprise me.
Between the bowl games, and checking out what's new on www.chiefpigskin.com, I'll get plenty of football. Now it's on to that time of year when we begin preparing for next season, working the weight room, going to clinics, and encouraging our athletes to be the best they can be.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Simple Joys
The high school playoffs are over and the state champions have been crowned. Congratulations to all of you who won a state championship but also congratulations to all of you who guided and mentored young men this past season. High school coaches are taking a little time off (maybe) and the college bowl season is getting under way which makes this Bowl Season, right? Well, yeah, I guess it is but actually it’s a much more important season. It’s Christmas Season. For the next couple of weeks or so we will all be busy with family activities and the business of Christmas. To Chiefpigskin.com and all of you coaches out there I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
This season is to be a season of Joy. Webster’s dictionary defines joy as happiness or delight. I get much joy from my wife and children, but I am getting new joy in my grand children. They are truly a delight. And if I turn on the television and see a football game (or almost any sport for that matter) I get some joy from that. But I was reminded of some simple joys by Mike Heiniger, Pastor of Crossroads Church in Monticello, Illinois and with his permission I’d like to share them with you. I believe some of these apply to coaches and teachers particularly well. Mike called them simple joys and the bible has much to say on the subject.
1. Timely words. Proverbs 15:23 says, “A man takes joy in giving an answer, and a timely word – how good that is!” (HCSB) Not only is it good for us to give encouraging words but it is good to hear timely words. Think of the simple joy you give to your family, players and others with an encouraging word.
2. Timely looks. Proverbs 15:30 tells us, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” (NLT) Think of it, just a cheerful look can bring joy. The impact of good news and a cheerful look can’t be taken lightly. Too often I have had a somber face, too stern. I need to heed the advice of Proverbs and give a warm smile and nod of encouragement as I greet those around me.
3. Generous gifts. Acts 14:16, 17 remind us that “In earlier days God permitted all nations to go their own ways, but He never left himself without a witness. There were always His reminders, such as sending rain and good crops and giving you food and joyful hearts.” (NLT) We too can make joyful hearts with our generous giving. How often have you given away a good gift and had your heart warmed? The receiver and giver are both blessed with joy.
4. Joy of Jesus. No matter what, you can’t take Him away. He’s always with us. Jesus said, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love just as I obey my Father and remain in His love. I have told you this so you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:9-11. (NLT) And Hebrews 10:34 says “When all you owned was taken away from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew you had better things waiting for you in eternity.” (NLT) And finally, how about 1 Peter 1:8, 9 which tells us “You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy. Your reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.” (NLT) Now that’s something to be joyful about.
Remember the simple joys you can bring to your athletes and students. As coaches we cannot overestimate the influence we can have over those around us. Use timely words, a cheerful look, and be generous, whatever that looks like to you. May the Lord bless you and your family this holiday season and grant you the simple joys!
This season is to be a season of Joy. Webster’s dictionary defines joy as happiness or delight. I get much joy from my wife and children, but I am getting new joy in my grand children. They are truly a delight. And if I turn on the television and see a football game (or almost any sport for that matter) I get some joy from that. But I was reminded of some simple joys by Mike Heiniger, Pastor of Crossroads Church in Monticello, Illinois and with his permission I’d like to share them with you. I believe some of these apply to coaches and teachers particularly well. Mike called them simple joys and the bible has much to say on the subject.
1. Timely words. Proverbs 15:23 says, “A man takes joy in giving an answer, and a timely word – how good that is!” (HCSB) Not only is it good for us to give encouraging words but it is good to hear timely words. Think of the simple joy you give to your family, players and others with an encouraging word.
2. Timely looks. Proverbs 15:30 tells us, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” (NLT) Think of it, just a cheerful look can bring joy. The impact of good news and a cheerful look can’t be taken lightly. Too often I have had a somber face, too stern. I need to heed the advice of Proverbs and give a warm smile and nod of encouragement as I greet those around me.
3. Generous gifts. Acts 14:16, 17 remind us that “In earlier days God permitted all nations to go their own ways, but He never left himself without a witness. There were always His reminders, such as sending rain and good crops and giving you food and joyful hearts.” (NLT) We too can make joyful hearts with our generous giving. How often have you given away a good gift and had your heart warmed? The receiver and giver are both blessed with joy.
4. Joy of Jesus. No matter what, you can’t take Him away. He’s always with us. Jesus said, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love just as I obey my Father and remain in His love. I have told you this so you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:9-11. (NLT) And Hebrews 10:34 says “When all you owned was taken away from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew you had better things waiting for you in eternity.” (NLT) And finally, how about 1 Peter 1:8, 9 which tells us “You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy. Your reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.” (NLT) Now that’s something to be joyful about.
Remember the simple joys you can bring to your athletes and students. As coaches we cannot overestimate the influence we can have over those around us. Use timely words, a cheerful look, and be generous, whatever that looks like to you. May the Lord bless you and your family this holiday season and grant you the simple joys!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
One on One
When I was a little boy around 6 or 7 years old I loved playing one on one. But wait, isn’t that a basketball game? Nope. Not the way we played it. Our one on one was football and I’m sure others of you played it in some form too. I can’t believe my buddies and I were the only ones in America that played this game. How about two on two, three on three, four on four, four on five? Or how about one against all which we called “kill the man with the ball”. You name it, it’s just good old fashioned backyard, sandlot football.
Actually, I would play one on one all the way up to when I was in high school if I could find someone to play against. As a young boy I was enthralled with running with the ball trying to avoid tacklers, tackling the guy with the ball, piling on, the smell of the grass and dirt when you hit the ground, the smell of the leather football and best of all – getting dirty. I could go home with dirt all over me and grass stains on my jeans and when Mom demanded to know what happened, I just said, “I was playing football.” Although I’m sure she still wasn’t happy, she didn’t say anymore.
I don’t know how you guys played one on one, but here’s how we did it. The yard was the football field. A small tree on each side, or a thrown down rag or shirt served as the goal line. We didn’t need a kick off; we would just start on the “twenty”. The guy with the ball would snap it to himself and run right, left, or straight ahead. The defensive guy would line up anywhere he wanted but generally right over the guy with the ball. Kind of like a nose guard over the center, except in this case the center was the ball carrier. When I was the offensive guy I snapped it to myself and usually tried to just veer left or right. I liked running hard at a 45 degree angle and trying to pick up four or five yards as I was being dragged down. With four of these gains in a row, a twenty yard drive could be achieved and a touchdown! Of course, if you were playing a tough kid, he would limit you to about a one or two yard gain. In this case I would have to be more creative. I might pull out my end run, where my first two or three steps were flat, and then I’d try to beat him around the end with quickness. I was a little guy so sometimes I could make this work. If I could hit it real quickly, sometimes my end run would break to a big play and a TD. My next play was when I would snap the ball, take a hard step left, plant, and run back hard to my right. It was my “fake left, go right play”. Of course, we call that a counter play as big boys. This could also turn in to a big play. Defensively I liked lining up like a nose guard although we didn’t call it that. Heck, I didn’t even know what a nose guard was. As my opponent started his play I just hit him around the waist or thighs, wrapped up with my arms, and dragged him down. I got pretty good at tackling and used this technique all the way through high school. Come to think of it, I can remember the high school coaches “teaching” us to tackle. I guess I wasn’t very coachable because I tackled my way. No one needed to teach me how to tackle, I could tackle anyone! Arrogant little rascal, wasn’t I?
When it came to two on two, which also was a great game, the center would hike it to the quarterback. The center would block or go out for a pass. Defensively we would line up with a nose guard and a linebacker right behind him. Another option was a two man line on defense, but someone had to cover the center if he went out for a pass. How many hours could I play these games? How many hours are in a day? Three on three, four on four, it didn’t matter, we would make it work.
As I look back now I realize that this is how football should be played when you’re a kid. Adults just get in the way. We didn’t want to do drills when we were ten years old and stand in line waiting to block a dummy. We didn’t need some old guy thinking he was Vince Lombardi trying to get us in shape by running sprints. We ran all day long, why did we have to get in shape? We just PLAYED THE GAME! For hours.
Here I am now fifty years later and guess what? I’m still figuring out ways to stay involved in football. I enjoy sites like www.chiefpigskin.com so that I can stay close to the game. I’m not sure how many little boys still play backyard football. I hope they do and I hope they invent their own versions of football. That’s what makes it fun.
Actually, I would play one on one all the way up to when I was in high school if I could find someone to play against. As a young boy I was enthralled with running with the ball trying to avoid tacklers, tackling the guy with the ball, piling on, the smell of the grass and dirt when you hit the ground, the smell of the leather football and best of all – getting dirty. I could go home with dirt all over me and grass stains on my jeans and when Mom demanded to know what happened, I just said, “I was playing football.” Although I’m sure she still wasn’t happy, she didn’t say anymore.
I don’t know how you guys played one on one, but here’s how we did it. The yard was the football field. A small tree on each side, or a thrown down rag or shirt served as the goal line. We didn’t need a kick off; we would just start on the “twenty”. The guy with the ball would snap it to himself and run right, left, or straight ahead. The defensive guy would line up anywhere he wanted but generally right over the guy with the ball. Kind of like a nose guard over the center, except in this case the center was the ball carrier. When I was the offensive guy I snapped it to myself and usually tried to just veer left or right. I liked running hard at a 45 degree angle and trying to pick up four or five yards as I was being dragged down. With four of these gains in a row, a twenty yard drive could be achieved and a touchdown! Of course, if you were playing a tough kid, he would limit you to about a one or two yard gain. In this case I would have to be more creative. I might pull out my end run, where my first two or three steps were flat, and then I’d try to beat him around the end with quickness. I was a little guy so sometimes I could make this work. If I could hit it real quickly, sometimes my end run would break to a big play and a TD. My next play was when I would snap the ball, take a hard step left, plant, and run back hard to my right. It was my “fake left, go right play”. Of course, we call that a counter play as big boys. This could also turn in to a big play. Defensively I liked lining up like a nose guard although we didn’t call it that. Heck, I didn’t even know what a nose guard was. As my opponent started his play I just hit him around the waist or thighs, wrapped up with my arms, and dragged him down. I got pretty good at tackling and used this technique all the way through high school. Come to think of it, I can remember the high school coaches “teaching” us to tackle. I guess I wasn’t very coachable because I tackled my way. No one needed to teach me how to tackle, I could tackle anyone! Arrogant little rascal, wasn’t I?
When it came to two on two, which also was a great game, the center would hike it to the quarterback. The center would block or go out for a pass. Defensively we would line up with a nose guard and a linebacker right behind him. Another option was a two man line on defense, but someone had to cover the center if he went out for a pass. How many hours could I play these games? How many hours are in a day? Three on three, four on four, it didn’t matter, we would make it work.
As I look back now I realize that this is how football should be played when you’re a kid. Adults just get in the way. We didn’t want to do drills when we were ten years old and stand in line waiting to block a dummy. We didn’t need some old guy thinking he was Vince Lombardi trying to get us in shape by running sprints. We ran all day long, why did we have to get in shape? We just PLAYED THE GAME! For hours.
Here I am now fifty years later and guess what? I’m still figuring out ways to stay involved in football. I enjoy sites like www.chiefpigskin.com so that I can stay close to the game. I’m not sure how many little boys still play backyard football. I hope they do and I hope they invent their own versions of football. That’s what makes it fun.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
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 compelling 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.
Thanks again to www.chiefpigskin.com for allowing me to share. I hope you are all utilizing this great resource!
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 compelling 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.
Thanks again to www.chiefpigskin.com for allowing me to share. I hope you are all utilizing this great resource!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Tenth Game -- Fourth Quarter
It was the tenth and final game of the season, the fourth quarter, two minutes to go in the game. We were up 20-0 and had the game in hand. As I stood on the sidelines watching my teammates put the game away, I thought I heard my name called. Grant! Grant! The coach WAS yelling my name. I hustled up to my coach and looked up at him, afraid to even think it. Coach McDermott looked at me and nodded toward the field, “Get in there at left corner.” I sprinted out and yelled at the starting corner, “Summerville! I’m in for you.” He gave me a slight smile and jogged off the field. I lined up in my position as the Bergan Trojans broke the huddle. I felt like Rudy. I was in the game!
Now why would I be so excited getting in some mop up duty for two minutes? Well, it was the first time all season that I had been put into a game. Yep, tenth game, fourth quarter, two minutes to go. I had not played one down of a game all season. I was in my first year of organized football, my freshman year at Woodruff High School. You’re probably thinking that I must have been really bad. Maybe I was but I didn’t think so. Actually, I was a pretty decent little athlete. LITTLE being the key word. I was about 5’ tall and weighed 95 pounds. I guess the coaches figured I was too small to put in a game. I never asked them. I knew I could play if given the chance.
One thing I could do was tackle. I would stick my nose in there and get in on any play that I could. I had a little quickness but wasn’t as fast as most of the bigger, stronger players. I was able to outrun all the linemen but not most of the other backs. My fun came being on the scout team in practice. I always lined up in the secondary against the number one offense. Every Tuesday and Wednesday I got to play defense. Heck, to me, football was football and I looked forward to playing on the scout team. I never got one rep on the starting offense or defense so this was my time to PLAY. As I said, I could tackle. My technique was to stay low (which was easy for me) and hit ‘em at the knees. If the initial hit at the knees didn’t bring them down, I hung on around the ankles with all the tenacity I had until they finally tripped up or the reinforcements came to finish them off. Every night I would bring down our biggest and best. The coaches would all chuckle and smile and point at me. One would usually say, “Nice tackle, Grant.” I was always hoping my work would get me a shot. I went to practice every day, never missed a one and was never late.
When the first game came I was so eager to play. As the game went on I stood near the coaches waiting to hear my name called. We won that first game 20-0 but I didn’t get in. The second game I again waited excitedly to hear my name called as the game wore on. I don’t recall the score but I didn’t get in. This continued through games three, four, and five. By game six I no longer waited to hear my name called. I just became a spectator and tried to enjoy being a part of the atmosphere. I was still having fun in practice, I told myself. Tuesday night I would get to play against the starters. By that tenth game I had no thought of getting in at all. I was in my routine of being a spectator and watching us get that 20-0 lead. With two minutes to go I was probably thinking of what I would do the rest of the day. There was always a good college game on TV.
I was startled out of my daydreaming by the sound of my name. After reporting in to Coach McDermott, I was headed toward the field. I hurried in and joined the huddle. The call was made, we broke the huddle and I readied for my first play. Bergan broke the huddle and I looked at their alignment. No wide receiver on my side so I tightened up. As the quarterback started his cadence I was thinking, “I don’t care where this play goes but I’m getting in on the tackle.” The ball was snapped and it was just like practice. Here they came, right at me. It was a sweep right and the ball carrier was running right at me. I stepped up to meet the play as I saw things develop, set up in my low stance as he got closer and at just the right time – BOOM! I lowered my shoulders into his knees and down he went in a heap. My teammates were all slapping me on the back yelling my name, the coaches were laughing on the sideline and I was feeling like an all American. The next play here they came again. Same scenario, same play, and I was confident it would be the same result. As I hit his knees, I could tell I didn’t get a good hit. It was a glancing blow. I missed. I never missed! I couldn’t believe it. I scrambled up quickly and pursued the ball carrier down the field. My heart sank as he crossed the goal line. Time had pretty much run out. I think they kicked off to us and that was the game. I had mixed emotions. I had made a solo tackle but given up a score on my side. I waited a long time, but I got in.
Years later, when I became a high school football coach, do you think I figured out ways to get kids playing time? At the varsity level it wasn’t always possible but at the lower levels I made sure that no one was going to wait until the last game and the fourth quarter. Thanks once again to www.chiefpigskin.com for letting me tell my stories. Good luck to those of you still playing in the playoffs.
Now why would I be so excited getting in some mop up duty for two minutes? Well, it was the first time all season that I had been put into a game. Yep, tenth game, fourth quarter, two minutes to go. I had not played one down of a game all season. I was in my first year of organized football, my freshman year at Woodruff High School. You’re probably thinking that I must have been really bad. Maybe I was but I didn’t think so. Actually, I was a pretty decent little athlete. LITTLE being the key word. I was about 5’ tall and weighed 95 pounds. I guess the coaches figured I was too small to put in a game. I never asked them. I knew I could play if given the chance.
One thing I could do was tackle. I would stick my nose in there and get in on any play that I could. I had a little quickness but wasn’t as fast as most of the bigger, stronger players. I was able to outrun all the linemen but not most of the other backs. My fun came being on the scout team in practice. I always lined up in the secondary against the number one offense. Every Tuesday and Wednesday I got to play defense. Heck, to me, football was football and I looked forward to playing on the scout team. I never got one rep on the starting offense or defense so this was my time to PLAY. As I said, I could tackle. My technique was to stay low (which was easy for me) and hit ‘em at the knees. If the initial hit at the knees didn’t bring them down, I hung on around the ankles with all the tenacity I had until they finally tripped up or the reinforcements came to finish them off. Every night I would bring down our biggest and best. The coaches would all chuckle and smile and point at me. One would usually say, “Nice tackle, Grant.” I was always hoping my work would get me a shot. I went to practice every day, never missed a one and was never late.
When the first game came I was so eager to play. As the game went on I stood near the coaches waiting to hear my name called. We won that first game 20-0 but I didn’t get in. The second game I again waited excitedly to hear my name called as the game wore on. I don’t recall the score but I didn’t get in. This continued through games three, four, and five. By game six I no longer waited to hear my name called. I just became a spectator and tried to enjoy being a part of the atmosphere. I was still having fun in practice, I told myself. Tuesday night I would get to play against the starters. By that tenth game I had no thought of getting in at all. I was in my routine of being a spectator and watching us get that 20-0 lead. With two minutes to go I was probably thinking of what I would do the rest of the day. There was always a good college game on TV.
I was startled out of my daydreaming by the sound of my name. After reporting in to Coach McDermott, I was headed toward the field. I hurried in and joined the huddle. The call was made, we broke the huddle and I readied for my first play. Bergan broke the huddle and I looked at their alignment. No wide receiver on my side so I tightened up. As the quarterback started his cadence I was thinking, “I don’t care where this play goes but I’m getting in on the tackle.” The ball was snapped and it was just like practice. Here they came, right at me. It was a sweep right and the ball carrier was running right at me. I stepped up to meet the play as I saw things develop, set up in my low stance as he got closer and at just the right time – BOOM! I lowered my shoulders into his knees and down he went in a heap. My teammates were all slapping me on the back yelling my name, the coaches were laughing on the sideline and I was feeling like an all American. The next play here they came again. Same scenario, same play, and I was confident it would be the same result. As I hit his knees, I could tell I didn’t get a good hit. It was a glancing blow. I missed. I never missed! I couldn’t believe it. I scrambled up quickly and pursued the ball carrier down the field. My heart sank as he crossed the goal line. Time had pretty much run out. I think they kicked off to us and that was the game. I had mixed emotions. I had made a solo tackle but given up a score on my side. I waited a long time, but I got in.
Years later, when I became a high school football coach, do you think I figured out ways to get kids playing time? At the varsity level it wasn’t always possible but at the lower levels I made sure that no one was going to wait until the last game and the fourth quarter. Thanks once again to www.chiefpigskin.com for letting me tell my stories. Good luck to those of you still playing in the playoffs.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Autumn Fall Mornings
I absolutely love the fall, particularly October here in the Midwest. The colors of the changing leaves, the cooler air, and maybe best of all, the high school playoffs are just around the corner. Of course, www.chiefpigskin.com is all about high school football, and it’s an exciting time of year, but there was a long period in my life I enjoyed another sport in the fall besides football. Cross country. Yes, cross country. Now what’s an old football coach doing writing about cross country?
Well, it’s like this. I had three daughters, Angela, Olivia, and Natalie, who ran cross country in junior high and high school. They were spread out enough in age that they all went through high school separately. That’s at least twelve years of watching cross country meets. I couldn’t go to the meets during the week, they were right after school and I was coaching at football practice. But I could make their Saturday morning meets and that’s what I did. My daughters were really sprinters and excelled at track, earning some place medals at the state meet, but used cross country as a way to stay in shape in the off-season. It was good for their physical conditioning as well as mental. I’ve always taken pride in how tough football players are but I’ll tell you something, cross country runners have to be mentally tough. That three mile race is a grind and they run hard. My daughters were solid team members and always ran in the top five of the team. The Saturday meets were usually large invitationals and a lot of fun to watch. The atmosphere was completely different than Friday night. Friday night football was always intense, hard hitting, emotional, and draining. It was under the lights, cool, and the game lasted two hours. A cross country race lasts about twenty minutes and the atmosphere is pretty relaxed most of the time (unless you’re a runner). It gets a little intense at the finish, especially for a parent.
On a typical Saturday my wife and I would get up around 7:00 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. cross country meet. Most of the meets would be around thirty to forty five minutes away. It was usually a bright, sunny, crisp fall morning and we would be out the door by 7:30. On the way to the meet, we would stop and get some coffee to go. Ahh, tasted so good! Arriving at the meet site around 8:30 or so I would find my daughter and talk to her briefly about how she was feeling and say good luck. Not sure why I wished her luck, I don’t believe in luck, but it’s something we say at times. As I walked around with my cup of coffee, there would always be some parents there watching their kids run who had been at the game the night before and we’d talk a little football. Of course, if we won the previous night, I enjoyed the conversations a lot more. By race time I would have a good spot picked out near the starting line to watch my daughter(s) take off. When you’ve got a hundred runners or so lining up at the start, it’s quite a sight. The beginning was fun to watch as the whole mob of runners would try to get as good of a start as possible. The frontrunners would try to get out quickly and get a lead. The rest of the pack would settle in just behind and try to stay close. We’d watch them disappear around the first bend and take a sip of that last drop of coffee. After watching the start it was jog or walk quickly to another spot on the course that we could cheer for the girls as they ran by. Courses usually wind around streets and parks so you have to select spots you can get to before the runners get there. As we waited, we just enjoyed the morning and my wife and I would talk about how we thought our daughter was running or just strain our eyes looking for the pack to appear. Soon the runners would come by our carefully marked spot and we’d yell encouragement as our team members ran by. After watching most of the runners go by us, it was a jog to the finish line to cheer them home. I didn’t usually get right at the finish, I would pick a spot about two hundred yards from the finish so I could give them some encouragement for that final push. It was cool to watch the runners finish and sprint with what they had left for the final push to the chutes.
After about twenty minutes, the race was over. There would always be kids milling around near the finish getting water, finding their warm-ups, talking to the coach or patting their teammates on the back. We’d find our daughter and let her know we watched the finish, tell her she ran well and give her a high five or a hug.
Now it was time to head home. By this time the sun was warming things up a little more and it was turning into another beautiful autumn day. I always found this a good way to unwind from the night before. Home by eleven, time for chores around the house and watch some game film. Time to start getting ready for next Friday nights opponent. No wonder I love the fall.
Well, it’s like this. I had three daughters, Angela, Olivia, and Natalie, who ran cross country in junior high and high school. They were spread out enough in age that they all went through high school separately. That’s at least twelve years of watching cross country meets. I couldn’t go to the meets during the week, they were right after school and I was coaching at football practice. But I could make their Saturday morning meets and that’s what I did. My daughters were really sprinters and excelled at track, earning some place medals at the state meet, but used cross country as a way to stay in shape in the off-season. It was good for their physical conditioning as well as mental. I’ve always taken pride in how tough football players are but I’ll tell you something, cross country runners have to be mentally tough. That three mile race is a grind and they run hard. My daughters were solid team members and always ran in the top five of the team. The Saturday meets were usually large invitationals and a lot of fun to watch. The atmosphere was completely different than Friday night. Friday night football was always intense, hard hitting, emotional, and draining. It was under the lights, cool, and the game lasted two hours. A cross country race lasts about twenty minutes and the atmosphere is pretty relaxed most of the time (unless you’re a runner). It gets a little intense at the finish, especially for a parent.
On a typical Saturday my wife and I would get up around 7:00 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. cross country meet. Most of the meets would be around thirty to forty five minutes away. It was usually a bright, sunny, crisp fall morning and we would be out the door by 7:30. On the way to the meet, we would stop and get some coffee to go. Ahh, tasted so good! Arriving at the meet site around 8:30 or so I would find my daughter and talk to her briefly about how she was feeling and say good luck. Not sure why I wished her luck, I don’t believe in luck, but it’s something we say at times. As I walked around with my cup of coffee, there would always be some parents there watching their kids run who had been at the game the night before and we’d talk a little football. Of course, if we won the previous night, I enjoyed the conversations a lot more. By race time I would have a good spot picked out near the starting line to watch my daughter(s) take off. When you’ve got a hundred runners or so lining up at the start, it’s quite a sight. The beginning was fun to watch as the whole mob of runners would try to get as good of a start as possible. The frontrunners would try to get out quickly and get a lead. The rest of the pack would settle in just behind and try to stay close. We’d watch them disappear around the first bend and take a sip of that last drop of coffee. After watching the start it was jog or walk quickly to another spot on the course that we could cheer for the girls as they ran by. Courses usually wind around streets and parks so you have to select spots you can get to before the runners get there. As we waited, we just enjoyed the morning and my wife and I would talk about how we thought our daughter was running or just strain our eyes looking for the pack to appear. Soon the runners would come by our carefully marked spot and we’d yell encouragement as our team members ran by. After watching most of the runners go by us, it was a jog to the finish line to cheer them home. I didn’t usually get right at the finish, I would pick a spot about two hundred yards from the finish so I could give them some encouragement for that final push. It was cool to watch the runners finish and sprint with what they had left for the final push to the chutes.
After about twenty minutes, the race was over. There would always be kids milling around near the finish getting water, finding their warm-ups, talking to the coach or patting their teammates on the back. We’d find our daughter and let her know we watched the finish, tell her she ran well and give her a high five or a hug.
Now it was time to head home. By this time the sun was warming things up a little more and it was turning into another beautiful autumn day. I always found this a good way to unwind from the night before. Home by eleven, time for chores around the house and watch some game film. Time to start getting ready for next Friday nights opponent. No wonder I love the fall.
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