It was the beginning of summer in 1958 and school had just let out a few days earlier. I had been introduced to baseball by the neighborhood kids the previous fall when my family had moved into our new home in a budding subdivision in Washington, Illinois. These guys had become my buddies and we had been playing ball in the vacant lot all spring when the weather got warm. I was two months shy of turning seven years old and just finished first grade. Life was good. It would be a whole summer of playing baseball. Remember, this was a time when baseball was king and all boys wanted to play it.
But today my buddies were really excited because it was sign up day for Little League. Back in those days there was no T-ball or anything like that. So you had to be at least eight years old to sign up. Most of my buddies were eight or nine years old, so the gang was headed to Oliver Thomas Park to sign up. I was assured by my friends that I to would be allowed to sign up. "Heck, you're better than most eight-year-olds," they told me. "Just come with us, will get you on a team."
Well, I started getting optimistic as we approached the park. There were kids all over and a few men signing them up. My buddies went up to the guy doing the registration and got taken care of. I kind of stood in the background until a couple of guys grabbed me and took me up to the coach. "He wants to sign up too," they told him. He looked at me with a little smile and asked loudly, "Are you eight?" He had to know I wasn't eight. I was the smallest kid in my class so I probably didn't look a day over five. I looked down a little, shook my head, and quietly said, "No." Backed against the wall I just couldn't lie. "You gotta be eight," he announced with that little smile. And that was it. I turned and dejectedly walked away. Darn, I was disappointed. I really wanted to be on a team and get that T-shirt and hat. My buddies came after me yelling, "Why didn't you just say you were eight?" It was like a scene right out of the movie “The Sandlot”, and I was Smalls.
The next summer, I did get to play Little League even though I was a bit young. I was plenty good enough to play. Someone must've pulled some strings. I finally got my T-shirt and cap! www.chiefpigskin.com
Friday, March 16, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Footballs Impact
You think football coaches have a lot of influence? Heck yeah, we all know the positive impact a good coach can have on a large group of young men. A lasting impact over a lifetime. But I was reminded of the influence football and football coaches have had in other areas as well.
I was reading an article in the Champaign News-Gazette in which new Illinois football coach Tim Beckman was quoted about his practices. Beckman said, "Our typical spring practice is going to be fast. Constant coaching. We'll coach from stretch to that last whistle. We're going to coach effort. We're going to coach football. We're going to coach enjoying this game we are blessed to play. We're very organized. It's all on paper and ready to roll. Our coaching staff knows it. I'll be as gung ho as ever. We're going to compete in every drill we do. Our practices are fun. They’re fast, but they're fun. You're going to work your tail off. When we get off that field after two hours, they're going to understand they worked for two hours. There's no downtime. We don't have that."
Now I know that's pretty typical for most football practices. But it does point out the fact that football coaches are among the most organized and time efficient people out there. They have to be. How else do you get 100 guys ready to work in such cohesive units? And that knowledge of time management has spilled into other fields as well. I know when I was a head wrestling coach I borrowed some ideas that I learned on the football field. I tried to have a well-organized, fast-moving practice to really challenge kids.
But it appears baseball has learned from football also. I was listening to the radio the other night and Mike Shannon, the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals was talking about how spring training these days is much different than before. "I think baseball has learned a lot from football coaches," said Shannon, "the way they become much more organized with no wasted time." I thought that was a pretty good compliment to football coaches and I know other areas of sport and even business have learned from the football world. I think we can all be proud of the positive impact that football has had in many areas of our society. And the thing is, we just keep learning on how to get better. That's what makes sites like Chiefpigskin.com so great. There are hundreds of free videos to help coaches keep learning and keep getting better.
I was reading an article in the Champaign News-Gazette in which new Illinois football coach Tim Beckman was quoted about his practices. Beckman said, "Our typical spring practice is going to be fast. Constant coaching. We'll coach from stretch to that last whistle. We're going to coach effort. We're going to coach football. We're going to coach enjoying this game we are blessed to play. We're very organized. It's all on paper and ready to roll. Our coaching staff knows it. I'll be as gung ho as ever. We're going to compete in every drill we do. Our practices are fun. They’re fast, but they're fun. You're going to work your tail off. When we get off that field after two hours, they're going to understand they worked for two hours. There's no downtime. We don't have that."
Now I know that's pretty typical for most football practices. But it does point out the fact that football coaches are among the most organized and time efficient people out there. They have to be. How else do you get 100 guys ready to work in such cohesive units? And that knowledge of time management has spilled into other fields as well. I know when I was a head wrestling coach I borrowed some ideas that I learned on the football field. I tried to have a well-organized, fast-moving practice to really challenge kids.
But it appears baseball has learned from football also. I was listening to the radio the other night and Mike Shannon, the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals was talking about how spring training these days is much different than before. "I think baseball has learned a lot from football coaches," said Shannon, "the way they become much more organized with no wasted time." I thought that was a pretty good compliment to football coaches and I know other areas of sport and even business have learned from the football world. I think we can all be proud of the positive impact that football has had in many areas of our society. And the thing is, we just keep learning on how to get better. That's what makes sites like Chiefpigskin.com so great. There are hundreds of free videos to help coaches keep learning and keep getting better.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Almost a Knicks Fan?
I’ve never been a big NBA fan. I like basketball, played it a lot when I was a kid, and enjoy high school and college basketball a lot. But the pro game…just doesn’t really grab me and I’m not sure why. Too many tattoos? Maybe. Too many giant egos? Perhaps. That “I wanna win championships so surround me with great players” attitude? Definitely. Whatever it is, I don’t watch it much. Oh, I check the standings and watch highlights on ESPN, then see who is advancing in the playoffs. The closest I came to being a fan was when Jordan played. He was…well, he was Michael Jordan. Enough said. And I thought Magic and Bird were something special too. That’s why I’m so surprised that all of a sudden I’m paying attention to the NBA and GASP! almost rooting for the New York Knickerbockers? Yep, I’m very close.
A breath of fresh air has stormed into the NBA and his name, of course, is Jeremy Lin. We’ve all heard of him by now, even my wife. Why do we cheer for him? His is the ultimate underdog story. An undrafted four year player from Harvard. No one from Harvard makes it to the NBA. And yeah, he’s Asian-American. The first ever. His mom and dad are like 5’4” tall and weigh 110 lbs. So are his brothers. Jeremy is 6’3” and weighs 200 lbs. Where in the heck did that come from? He’s humble, has no tattoos (yet), and is great fun to watch. He came out of nowhere to become the starting point guard of the New York Knicks. The first week everyone was a little skeptical, asking if this kid was for real. Now, 2-3 weeks into it, he looks like the real deal. It’s clear he won’t keep averaging 24 points a game, he doesn’t have to or need to. But I’ve watched this kid and he’s good. I’m predicting he’s going to settle in about 15 points a game and 9 or 10 assists a game. And most importantly, the Knicks are going to contend. They were dead in the water two weeks ago.
So yes, I now find myself peeking at the NBA scores at night to see how the Knicks did. And I also find myself hoping I see that they won. I cannot believe one kid can have that much impact, but he has, not just with me, but with all sports fans. I think a lesson can be learned here. Maybe fans are hungry for humility, hunger, and kid like fun. Maybe.
www.chiefpigskin.com
A breath of fresh air has stormed into the NBA and his name, of course, is Jeremy Lin. We’ve all heard of him by now, even my wife. Why do we cheer for him? His is the ultimate underdog story. An undrafted four year player from Harvard. No one from Harvard makes it to the NBA. And yeah, he’s Asian-American. The first ever. His mom and dad are like 5’4” tall and weigh 110 lbs. So are his brothers. Jeremy is 6’3” and weighs 200 lbs. Where in the heck did that come from? He’s humble, has no tattoos (yet), and is great fun to watch. He came out of nowhere to become the starting point guard of the New York Knicks. The first week everyone was a little skeptical, asking if this kid was for real. Now, 2-3 weeks into it, he looks like the real deal. It’s clear he won’t keep averaging 24 points a game, he doesn’t have to or need to. But I’ve watched this kid and he’s good. I’m predicting he’s going to settle in about 15 points a game and 9 or 10 assists a game. And most importantly, the Knicks are going to contend. They were dead in the water two weeks ago.
So yes, I now find myself peeking at the NBA scores at night to see how the Knicks did. And I also find myself hoping I see that they won. I cannot believe one kid can have that much impact, but he has, not just with me, but with all sports fans. I think a lesson can be learned here. Maybe fans are hungry for humility, hunger, and kid like fun. Maybe.
www.chiefpigskin.com
Friday, February 17, 2012
Swamp Fox
I couldn’t wait for Friday nights. Oh yeah, once I hit eleven or twelve years old I knew Uncle Bill and I were going to the best local high school game of the weekend. That was always a lot of fun. But when I was younger, about eight or nine, I couldn’t wait for the Walt Disney show which came on at 6:30 p.m. CST. Walt would always come on in the first five minutes and talk about the nights show. He’d give a little preview. Some of my favorites were Zorro, Andy Burnett, Moochie and the Little League, Davy Crockett, Texas John Slaughter, Elfego Baca, and maybe my very favorite – SWAMP FOX.
I loved Swamp Fox. A young Leslie Nielsen played the famous Francis Marion of the Revolutionary War. His nickname was the Swamp Fox because of the cunning way he outfoxed the British time after time. His band of American Patriots would ride out of the swamps of South Carolina, foil the British, then disappear back into the swamps. These guys rode around on their horses with their three corner hats and best of all - they had a fox tail attached to their hat. How cool is that when you’re eight years old? So guess what I did (and my buddies also)? I had my mom go out and buy me a black felt cowboy hat. It was flexible enough to bend the brim. I shaped it into a three corner hat like the Swamp Fox wore and pinned it to hold it that way. I couldn’t find a fox tail anywhere which bummed me out a little so I bought a raccoon tail and attached it to my new three corner hat. Hopefully no one would be the wiser. We rode around the neighborhoods with our hats and raccoon tails waving in the wind, pretending we were the Swamp Fox gang and singing their song:
Swamp Fox, Swamp Fox, tail in his hat,
Nobody knows where the Swamp Fox at.
Swamp Fox, Swamp Fox, ridin’ through the glen,
He runs away to fight again!
Looking back, I realize now that the show was probably not very historically accurate, had silly story lines, and not so good acting. But it was intended for little boys because Walt was always a little boy at heart. Who cared if wasn’t exactly Emmy Award material? A few years later The Walt Disney show changed to Sunday evenings with the name Wonderful World of Color. I never liked that change; what kid wanted to look forward to Sunday evening? Heck, that meant school was the very next morning!www.chiefpigskin.com
I loved Swamp Fox. A young Leslie Nielsen played the famous Francis Marion of the Revolutionary War. His nickname was the Swamp Fox because of the cunning way he outfoxed the British time after time. His band of American Patriots would ride out of the swamps of South Carolina, foil the British, then disappear back into the swamps. These guys rode around on their horses with their three corner hats and best of all - they had a fox tail attached to their hat. How cool is that when you’re eight years old? So guess what I did (and my buddies also)? I had my mom go out and buy me a black felt cowboy hat. It was flexible enough to bend the brim. I shaped it into a three corner hat like the Swamp Fox wore and pinned it to hold it that way. I couldn’t find a fox tail anywhere which bummed me out a little so I bought a raccoon tail and attached it to my new three corner hat. Hopefully no one would be the wiser. We rode around the neighborhoods with our hats and raccoon tails waving in the wind, pretending we were the Swamp Fox gang and singing their song:
Swamp Fox, Swamp Fox, tail in his hat,
Nobody knows where the Swamp Fox at.
Swamp Fox, Swamp Fox, ridin’ through the glen,
He runs away to fight again!
Looking back, I realize now that the show was probably not very historically accurate, had silly story lines, and not so good acting. But it was intended for little boys because Walt was always a little boy at heart. Who cared if wasn’t exactly Emmy Award material? A few years later The Walt Disney show changed to Sunday evenings with the name Wonderful World of Color. I never liked that change; what kid wanted to look forward to Sunday evening? Heck, that meant school was the very next morning!www.chiefpigskin.com
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Punt Return Philosophy
"Every time a kick hits the ground, it lessens your chance of winning."
-Murray Warmath, former Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach
A few weeks ago I wrote of hidden yardage on special teams. I've read a few things and heard a few things lately on punt return that I would like to share with you. As stated earlier, the University of Illinois has hired a new coaching staff and one of their priorities is to improve special teams. The coach that has been charged with this task is backfield coach Tim Salem, son of former Minnesota head coach Joe Salem. Coach Salem is determined that punts will not hit the ground. "If we need two people back on punts, that's what we’ll do. But we're not going to spend a lot of time on punt returns. Illinois only had 20 punt returns all season. That's less than two per game. We’ll have one primary return, and practice the devil out of it. Catch the ball correctly and make 10 yards. That's a first down. That's the goal."
I like that philosophy. And I'm always amazed that I just keep learning. I’ve spent just about my whole life in football and that's the first time I've heard of that philosophy, not the part about catching the ball, of course, but the part about trying to get at least 10 yards on every return because that's a first down. I think that's a good way to look at it. Now here’s the thing. At the pro and collegiate level you pretty much know what you’re going to get as far as a punt. A high, spiraling, good hang time, 40 yard punt. You can practice that over and over and the returners HAVE to catch the ball.
OK, now the typical high school scenario, especially small schools. You’ve watched the punter on film and are pretty familiar with how he punts. Then you also watch him in warm-ups before the game. Looks like between 30-35 yards every time. OK, we’re ready. The first time your opponent has to punt, your returner is 35 yards deep. The punt is away and it’s a low knuckleball drifting left. It goes about 28 yards and your returner has to make a quick decision. Does he try to catch it at his knees or let it go? He knows you’ve harped on him to CATCH THE BALL! He trys to catch it but muffs it and…well, you get the picture. It’s not so easy to catch some of those high school punts on Friday night. Never the less, it’s going to be a part of the game and you’ve got to be ready. What are some of your philosophies? I know this, it can sure be an adventure. Give me some of your thoughts if you get the chance and keep checking www.chiefpigskin.com for more ideas on all phases of football.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Air Hose
Most football coaches I know, and for that matter most men I know, love their wives and families. That's never a problem. The problem sometimes becomes "How do we love our wives?" What does that look like? The Bible says that men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. And just what does that mean? Author Steve Farrar put it like this, "He is willing to get hurt for his wife. He is even willing to die for his wife, if necessary. But in most cases his love will mean sacrificing anything in order to care for his wife." I like that. Have I always done it? I have failed miserably many times in my 41 years of marriage, but I go back and try again. There are many little things we can do to love our lives and here's just one example. This is one I worked on myself.
I know that we are to build our wives up, to build their self-esteem, not tear it down or "deflate" so to speak their confidence. So, think of the term "air hose". Any time you make a cutting remark, put down, or use a sarcastic tone, particularly in front of others, you're cutting off her air hose of self-esteem and confidence. So don't do that. Compliment her; praise her, especially in public or with others. Now I wish I could take credit for this, but I heard the concept of “air hose” from one of our elders in church one Sunday as he was delivering the message. He shared that this was a concept that he had been working on with a friend. When they were together with their wives, if either would say anything remotely or blatantly unflattering of their wives the other would simply say, "Air hose". It was a way for them to be accountable to each other for loving their wives properly. It was a reminder from one friend to another.
Of course, there are many other ways we can love our wives, but this is certainly one we can all work on. I've got a long way to go but I keep trying to improve. So guys don't step on her air hose.
www.chiefpigskin.com
I know that we are to build our wives up, to build their self-esteem, not tear it down or "deflate" so to speak their confidence. So, think of the term "air hose". Any time you make a cutting remark, put down, or use a sarcastic tone, particularly in front of others, you're cutting off her air hose of self-esteem and confidence. So don't do that. Compliment her; praise her, especially in public or with others. Now I wish I could take credit for this, but I heard the concept of “air hose” from one of our elders in church one Sunday as he was delivering the message. He shared that this was a concept that he had been working on with a friend. When they were together with their wives, if either would say anything remotely or blatantly unflattering of their wives the other would simply say, "Air hose". It was a way for them to be accountable to each other for loving their wives properly. It was a reminder from one friend to another.
Of course, there are many other ways we can love our wives, but this is certainly one we can all work on. I've got a long way to go but I keep trying to improve. So guys don't step on her air hose.
www.chiefpigskin.com
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Hidden Yardage
I was reading the newspaper the other day on the new football coaching staff of the Fighting Illini. One of the areas of concern to address is special teams. Now, this isn’t a story about Illinois Football but just an example to show how important special teams are. We all know it. Sometimes we just need to be reminded.
Several important thoughts were pointed out as I was reading. The Illini ranked near the bottom in most special teams categories. Their kickoff return teams average was so dismal that they didn’t even average enough to get back to the twenty yard line. They were actually better off when they COULDN’T return. The kickoff coverage was bad, allowing opponents to begin with good field position. The punt team cost them one and probably two games. All in all it was miserable. And I know they worked hard on special teams, but for whatever reason they were consistently bad. And they were bad not just this year, but the last several. It was estimated that Illinois’ special teams cost them about one hundred yards per game compared to the average. That’s a lot of hidden yardage that doesn’t show up in the box score.
So, what does that mean for us high school coaches? Well, again it’s a reminder of the importance of special teams. As I look back perhaps we as a staff could have done more to be better. Not that our teams were bad, but where could we have done a better job? Some suggestions might be:
1.Explore innovative ways to improve your special teams by learning from others. Chiefpigskin has videos available for a unique punting system at this very time. Take a look, you’ll enjoy learning about it.
2.Identify strong punters and kickers at an early age, maybe 11 or 12 years old through youth camps. Develop them so they’re ready to be strong varsity kickers/punters.
3.Spend appropriate practice time everyday on special teams.
These are some of my thoughts. How about yours? I’d love to hear of your suggestions and ideas.
Several important thoughts were pointed out as I was reading. The Illini ranked near the bottom in most special teams categories. Their kickoff return teams average was so dismal that they didn’t even average enough to get back to the twenty yard line. They were actually better off when they COULDN’T return. The kickoff coverage was bad, allowing opponents to begin with good field position. The punt team cost them one and probably two games. All in all it was miserable. And I know they worked hard on special teams, but for whatever reason they were consistently bad. And they were bad not just this year, but the last several. It was estimated that Illinois’ special teams cost them about one hundred yards per game compared to the average. That’s a lot of hidden yardage that doesn’t show up in the box score.
So, what does that mean for us high school coaches? Well, again it’s a reminder of the importance of special teams. As I look back perhaps we as a staff could have done more to be better. Not that our teams were bad, but where could we have done a better job? Some suggestions might be:
1.Explore innovative ways to improve your special teams by learning from others. Chiefpigskin has videos available for a unique punting system at this very time. Take a look, you’ll enjoy learning about it.
2.Identify strong punters and kickers at an early age, maybe 11 or 12 years old through youth camps. Develop them so they’re ready to be strong varsity kickers/punters.
3.Spend appropriate practice time everyday on special teams.
These are some of my thoughts. How about yours? I’d love to hear of your suggestions and ideas.
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