How you can win big and still lose.

[Huskerthom]

I think I felt yesterday how TO must have felt after the 95 season. TO won big on the field that year. However LP and the other off field issues tarnished his reputation (especially outside the state of NE).

You have all seen posts about my grandsons team. They ended up winning the championship this weekend. Winning the final game 39-0. Making our final point differential 245-6 for the season.

So I should be happy right. Unfortunately the team we played in the finals are known for starting trying to start a fight after any game they lose. One of our coaches took the bait this weekend and a melee broke out. Now our kids do not get to play in the bowl game. This is pretty depressing for me and the kids.

I posted this for two reasons.

1. To update you all on the status of what happened with the team as some of you have asked after my earlier posts.
2. To say that winning should not be the only focus of a team. IF it is you may lose it all anyway.

 

[CrabHusker]

One year coaching youth league football was all I needed. The amount of completely inappropriate behavior was unreal. Opposing coaches, parents, officials and sometimes even the kids. That was back in the early '90's so I can't imagine what it would be like now.

Sucks for your grandsons team.

 

[somecrazyguy]

Congratulations on the championship, sorry about the aftermath.

 

[Huskerthom]

One year coaching youth league football was all I needed. The amount of completely inappropriate behavior was unreal. Opposing coaches, parents, officials and sometimes even the kids. That was back in the early '90's so I can't imagine what it would be like now.

Sucks for your grandsons team.

The thing is most of the teams we play are very cordial despite the fact that we pretty much blew everyone out. Our players are well behaved and respectful to all adults. It was just this one team that tried to start fights with every team they lost to, or came close to losing to. I have stayed mid field and talked for ten minutes to many of the coaches from other teams. I have had coaches ask me what our "secret sauce" is because they just can not get their kids to listen.

That is what makes this all the more frustrating. I know that this is not who we are or what we are teaching our kids.

 

[Discoverer27]

One year coaching youth league football was all I needed. The amount of completely inappropriate behavior was unreal. Opposing coaches, parents, officials and sometimes even the kids. That was back in the early '90's so I can't imagine what it would be like now.

Sucks for your grandsons team.

I have a 12 year old playing competitive football and baseball. The football parents are 10x crazier than the baseball parents.

 

[CrabHusker]

I have a 12 year old playing competitive football and baseball. The football parents are 10x crazier than the baseball parents.

They all thought their kid was the next John Elway or Brett Favre in my day. I had to explain that their 12 year old, 240lb lineman who could barely move well enough to play D tackle was a 'patchman' and by league rules couldn't touch the ball on a designed play. 'But he's got a great arm'. OK.

 

[CrabHusker]

The thing is most of the teams we play are very cordial despite the fact that we pretty much blew everyone out. Our players are well behaved and respectful to all adults. It was just this one team that tried to start fights with every team they lost to, or came close to losing to. I have stayed mid field and talked for ten minutes to many of the coaches from other teams. I have had coaches ask me what our "secret sauce" is because they just can not get their kids to listen.

That is what makes this all the more frustrating. I know that this is not who we are or what we are teaching our kids.

Having fun and being successful made my kids listen. I didn't coach them like high school kids and tried to make the practices interesting and fun and they responded well. As I'm sure you noticed with your grandson's opposition, they lose interest quickly when they're losing and once they're guaranteed a losing season or not making the playoffs the give a crap goes away.

 

[Red Don]

First Thom, Congratulations on winning the championship. I'm glad to know your season results. The score results emphasize the quality of coaching (last minute decisions notwithstanding ).

Second, so sorry to learn that you won't be playing in the bowl game. It's always sad to see dirty-trick tactics work (I guess it's why they use 'em). I know the entire team is extremely disappointed.
Third, Best Wishes to Donovan and the team for next year! :Usaflag:

 

[Oracle of Lincoln]

I think I felt yesterday how TO must have felt after the 95 season. TO won big on the field that year. However LP and the other off field issues tarnished his reputation (especially outside the state of NE).

You have all seen posts about my grandsons team. They ended up winning the championship this weekend. Winning the final game 39-0. Making our final point differential 245-6 for the season.

So I should be happy right. Unfortunately the team we played in the finals are known for starting trying to start a fight after any game they lose. One of our coaches took the bait this weekend and a melee broke out. Now our kids do not get to play in the bowl game. This is pretty depressing for me and the kids.

I posted this for two reasons.

1. To update you all on the status of what happened with the team as some of you have asked after my earlier posts.
2. To say that winning should not be the only focus of a team. IF it is you may lose it all anyway.

What ages are the players?

 

[huskrthill]

How on earth did one of your coaches "take the bait" if he knew it was bait? I've coached in some pretty heated (and racially charged) games, and our staff knew in advance of what was likely to happen.

The instigators from the other team AND the coach from your team that took the bait should be suspended from coaching for an extended period of time (if not permanently). There is no place for that in youth sports.

 

[Huskerthom]

What ages are the players?

5 and 6

 

[Huskerthom]

How on earth did one of your coaches "take the bait" if he knew it was bait? I've coached in some pretty heated (and racially charged) games, and our staff knew in advance of what was likely to happen.

The instigators from the other team AND the coach from your team that took the bait should be suspended from coaching for an extended period of time (if not permanently). There is no place for that in youth sports.

That is what is being discussed. The sad thing is our coach is great with the kids. They love him even when he is coming down on them he does it in a way where the kids do not feel bullied or threatened. They all truly go out of their way to please him. Not fearing him but because they want his approval. He has offered to step aside for the kids sake. The parents are begging him not to. He is truly beloved. Even by most of the other coaches in the league. Except for this one team the other teams all have a friendly relationship with our coaches.

 

[Huskerthom]

Having fun and being successful made my kids listen. I didn't coach them like high school kids and tried to make the practices interesting and fun and they responded well. As I'm sure you noticed with your grandson's opposition, they lose interest quickly when they're losing and once they're guaranteed a losing season or not making the playoffs the give a crap goes away.

You hit the nail on the head. We spend way more time teaching proper blocking and tackling than we do teaching plays or trick plays. We teach them "this is your job. Don't worry if you are not in on the tackle. Just make sure you cover your area." As an example not a lot of passing at this age. So our corners only job is to make sure they do not get outside of them. As long as they turn them in towards the LB they have done their job. All these other teams try shifts and blitzes etc. We do none of that. Using this only one team scored on us and that was a late game fluke. Most teams ended the games with negative yardage.

 

[SWVAHusker]

You hit the nail on the head. We spend way more time teaching proper blocking and tackling than we do teaching plays or trick plays. We teach them "this is your job. Don't worry if you are not in on the tackle. Just make sure you cover your area." As an example not a lot of passing at this age. So our corners only job is to make sure they do not get outside of them. As long as they turn them in towards the LB they have done their job. All these other teams try shifts and blitzes etc. We do none of that. Using this only one team scored on us and that was a late game fluke. Most teams ended the games with negative yardage.

First, I'm really sorry that your grandson's team doesn't get to play in the bowl game. While the coach made a mistake, the other team was the the instigator and the only real reason they're not paying the price for it is that they also lost the game so there isn't a bowl game to keep them out of. There's just something fundamentally not right about that.

Second, the simplicity of your grandson's team's defense and the fact that it works made me think of a parallel to Husker football. One of the articles linked on the front page of Huskermax recently discussed a comment Major Applewhite made after UT beat Nebraska several years ago. Back then people thought he was making fun of the Blackshirts for being simplistic when in reality he wasn't making fun of them at all. He was trying to say that Nebraska's defense didn't have to use fancy schematic things to win. The Blackshirts would just line up and beat you. I obviously haven't seen any of the games your grandson played, but I wouldn't be surprised if sometimes the opposition had communication breakdowns on defense because they were trying to use schemes the kids had to think about rather than just execute, just like we have seen the Huskers have communication problems on defense when using complex schemes.

Lastly, I'm really happy that you're teaching the fundamentals of football rather than just trying to win games. That'll help these kids later on if they decide they want to keep playing the game.