As most of you know who read my blog, I am the defensive coordinator for ACA's football team. There are several things that coaches learn quickly (I learned many my first year at MA). A few of these things are:1) Players win and lose games
2) You can improve a team, but you cannot make them want to win
3) Sometimes you can play the best possible, and the other team is just better
4) Sometimes you can play bad, and the other team is just worse
And I have now figured out...
YOU CAN'T COACH EFFORT
I have tried this all year. I have taken many different approaches as to how to motivate them, but some boys will play very hard and some will just play hard (if they don't at least play hard, they don't play for me).This shows with my defense. I have about 7 guys that have bought into what we are trying to do and play with reckless abandon, and about 4 are still not too sure, or just do not understand what real effort is. That is why we can look great for several plays in a row, and then look like we don't have a clue what we are doing. The goal for next year...
Find 11 like Brent Teel.
8 comments:
We had to deal with the same thing this year in coaching...hmmm...
Maybe next year will be better for both of us...or better yet, maybe we'll take the track team to State this year!
I hope so. Your girls team is looking like it will be good.
Good luck. Don't read sarcasm into that. I really wish you well and realize that some percentage of whatever success a team achieves is due to "luck" of having enough players with both talent and desire. Sometimes (but rarely) I think coaching would be fun. How hard can it be? Take kids that want to learn and communicate a vision of what could be, then walk them in that direction. Unfortunately, life and humans are more complicated than that. I loved the movie "Facing the Giants". But I also realize that having and teaching faith doesn't always equate to winning games. In fact, much of the "hard work equals positive results" or "no pain, no gain" philosophy that must be taught in sports is contradicted by the difficult-to-explain gospel of grace. How do you teach a kid in the same day that God can not love him/her any more or any less regardless of choices or effort then try to encourage them to give outstanding effort to achieve outstanding results. All the while you are being judged by others according to the effort made by kids. I appreciate that both of you coach/teach kids and bring an understanding of God's love to the effort. I would get frustrated quickly. Hang in there!
I think that you have done great job with the defensive team this year. I can tell a big difference in the way the play from last year. I work with teens everyday, and it is hard to get them to be motivated about their Savior, but that does not keep me from telling them about him. I love what I do, and that what keeps me doing what I am doing. I like the way you have coached the team. Keep up the good work.
Thanks guys. The attitudes have changed here. We'll see how they respond from the tough one last night.
Roxy, making someone truly understand Grace, IMO, would make them do everything in their life with 'reckless abandon' as Ken states. seems to me that those who truly understand what they have been given, work harder at everything just because. Ken, hang in there, they are all learning from you every day. Jamey, girl, wish you were here! Our VB coach sat and ate a salad while we lost ANOTHER game, sigh . . . . hugs, MamaKat
I think it's funny that Kenny keeps accidentally posting as me...I guess it's when he's on the home computer and I'm signed in already..
Wish I could be there to help vball too. Since my season is over, I'm hanging out with varsity, and they won their Area yesterday!! Now on to sub-state!
fun fun!
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