Mid-Season Reality Check. Hold’em Or Fold’em?
Few people outside of the coaching world understand the emotional highs and lows that come with coaching. Football coaches don’t have the market cornered on this emotional roller coaster. Any coach from any sport who has coached long enough has experienced it. Today however; we look at our game and your football mid-season questions.
If you are sitting there right now with an undefeated, 7-1 or 6-2 record, this doesn’t really apply to you…this year. Make no mistake though, your years are coming, so you might want to read this.
Today I am talking to football coaches who are sitting at 1-6 or 2-5 and especially the ones who have not won a game yet this football season. I did that twice with back to back seasons. Try going over 600 days without winning a football game if you want to test your perseverance.
When your football mid-season record is bad and you have four or five more games to play, there are different ways to handle it. As the title of this blog states, are you going to hold’em or fold’em?
Here are a few things to consider if you are in this situation. Some of these are structural considerations while others are, to be blunt, character based. All are relevant if you are not winning many football games.
Changing Your Scheme
This is always top of mind for any football coach when things are not going well. That is completely justified as long as you are objective. Some of you have had injuries to key positions, like quarterback. That will affect your ability to run your scheme in a hurry. Maybe a change is needed.
Be careful though not to throw the baby out with the bath water. Take a hard objective look at where the breakdowns are. Evaluate your expectations. Sometimes you have to find a way to stay in a football game (keep it close) before you can win one. Also, less installation is more (better) 90% of the time. Remember that.
Adjusting Your Method
Many of you would be surprised at how little your players are hearing you and learning from you in your meetings and on the field. Remember that these are teenagers who’s minds have not even fully developed yet. Consider changing up your teaching methods. You and your players are visual learners.
It might be the technology you are using in your meetings. Take a hard look at your practice schedules. Are you out on the practice field so long that it’s counter productive? Do you jump right into group and team periods when what your young team really needs is more individual technique and fundamentals work?
The Players
It is always tempting to point at the players when the season is not going well. Regardless of how true it might be that your players are young or not as talented, it’s a bad way to do business. Coaching football in the NFL taught me that your job is to teach and coach the players you have. Period.
It also can be tempting to wash your hands of your seniors on the team and play all of your younger players. However before you do this, flash back to when you were a senior. Remember that some of these older players have paid their dues and deserve to finish their high school careers with dignity.
Your Commitment
This one is the most important thing to evaluate. Before you look at anything or anyone else about how to fix your football season, look in your mirror. When you agreed to coach this season, you made a commitment to your head coach and to your football players. Get off of your phone and the internet and coach your players.
There will be plenty of time to find the next job or opportunity. You have the entire off-season to study other schemes and teams. Stay committed to your program, the other coaches and most of all, your players. Trust me on this. If you “fold’em with your commitment, you have no chance teaching your position.
