What has happened to high school football?

[davidlimbaugh]

What would have happened to "Bear" Bryant if Texas A&M would have fired him after going 1-9? It takes time and some coaches are not getting their fair shot. Thankfully The "Bear" kept his job and went on to be one of the greatest Coaches ever winning 7 national championships.

 

If Bear had gone 1-9 a couple of more years he would have been fired - LOL! Nothing has changed. Ask Lincoln County folks where Coach Meadows came from. I know because he walked the halls of my high school before he went to Lincoln Co. And closest thing you could get to talking to the Bear. And why did he leave there and go to Lincoln Co???

[Thecatcall09]

Well all is expected when you take a high school coaching job and every coach wants to win and some do it better than others and some have better players than others so it seems as though they are the better coach...when that is not the case...with that being said high school coaches in Tennesee and definitly in Knox County do not get paid enough to do what we do and put up with what we put up with and we want to win and work as hard as anybody...so until coaches start making the money to demand these things people cant demand them but keep in mind noone and I mean nonone wants to win as bad as the coach!!!

[MHS82]

I just wish we could get rid of Coach Quarles at Maryville. He never creates any controversy....boring!!!!

 

Obviously, I'm just kidding. We are blessed to have a great coach and an even better person influencing our kids.

[TNsteeler]

What about attendance in the new TSSAA playoff system around the state????

 

Farragut at Ooltewah 1st round

 

better than regular season game....but not 'packed'....no where near touched either of the 2- Farragut at Ooltewah match ups last year

 

 

$8 a ticket is way way way way way too much....with our current economy's condition, targeted ticket buyers (Farragut and Ooltewah STUDENTS!!!!!! and their families), local high school football fans....

 

the day after I paid $16 (for myself and co-worker) to attend 1st round HIGHSCHOOL playoff game in Ooltewah, TN, I traveled up to Knoxville with my family (4 free tix from family member) to see an DIVISION 1 college football game.....

 

$5 a ticket is PLENTY....no more....

[onefortheteam]

My 2 cents.

 

I'm not a coach, but have coached and know several coaches well. I played at a good HS program and played some college ball as well. IMO, the problem is parents expectations and attitude. I purposely try to keep most contact with other players parents to: "hi"s, "byes", and "good game"s, because of the constant complaining, and gossip. Also I try to keep my negative thoughts to myself or my family. If things were sour for my kid, tried to counsel him at home, and convince him to prove himself..work harder, hustle more. Most parents have unreal expectations for little Johnny. Every player cannot play Qb, be a starter, or D1 stud. Some parents are too "me" oriented and could care less about what is best for the team, especially with their "oldest or only". Too emotional. Their main concern is their kid. Get several of these "I coached my kid every year so I could make them a star, now he is in HS and this so and so coach knows nothing.. types" and your program is on life support. Also, too many of these parents do not really understand the real game of football, but they think they do. Examples, unless you know the assignments/automatics, etc on any given play, how can you possibly know who did what wrong? OR if the coach was wrong? They also don't what a 3, 5, 7 technique is, A, B, C pressure or gaps, shades, rips, swims, mirror techique, trail techique, etc... I've heard parents and other fans heckling 8-0 coaches as they're winning they're 9th! 5x district champs, former State champ coaches, etc. I've even seen parents whose kids have graduated and they still come to games just to heckle the coach... crazy loser type stuff. These coaches are not paid (really) for their 100hr weeks. Yes, I said 100hr weeks. Think about that 100hrs in a week for like an extra 5k. These parents are heckling, second guessing, insulting, because they see 2 hrs a week. 2hrs! Nice logic. I will say that all coaches certainly do and will make mistakes on strategy, personnel, discipline, judging talent, putting players in the wrong position, are arrogant at times, defensive, whatever. But hey they are not perfect, I mean come on. There are things that evolve/change constantly in the 4 years, one year, 1 week, 1 day, 1 hour for that matter: the kids grow, regress, work hard, hardly work, get injured, are emotionally distracted(home,girlfriend,teen life, whatever... growing up, stuff), academically suspended/distracted, in trouble at school or other places. There are a ton variables. The main thing is the vast majority of the coaches coach because they want to: #1- make difference in young peoples lives, #2 - love the game, #3- want to win. In that order. They did not sign on, because they like to be dogged by some self-centered parent who wants someone to give their kid something. All parents should decide to support their kids program and encourage their kid too as well. They should tell junior to work hard, pay attention, hustle to front, drop him off and leave. Let the coaches coach. If you have questions for the coaches(and this shouldn't be everyday or the same everytime), ask politely after practice, about "what junior needs to do to get better to help the program". Then do it, and realize that teaching him to have good character is the best thing for junior's life, not whining or being selfish. After all, you should let him play football because you want him to be part of the team, not because you want him to be the team. Encourage him to learn to win people over with hard work and character, not politics and gossip.

[GREYRIDER]

Life isn't fair and neither is football. There are those that can and do and those that want to but don't. I see the hours some of these coaches put in and I see what some of them reap from it. We can all support our programs ( our kids) and we can do it at different levels of commitment. High school football has evolved over the last 15 - 20 years , it is now where college was in the 70's - 80's. All programs are not created equal.

[Thecatcall09]

I could not agree more and I wish that some parents could do coaching for one week and watch film and make a game plan and watch how their kid tries to tackle or block or how the playis suppose to look and see what coaches have to do the next week to improve on strengths and hide and/or improve weaknesses as well...coaching is a year round job and coaches put in hour after hour after hour and just coaching is not all coaches do...they have to make sure kids are eligible and come to practice and make sure they get home when they are standing i front of the field house with no ride or walk them out on senior night cause their family did not show...that is what makes the money worth while is that we as coaches are part of these young men and womens lives and we are an influence even when we think we arent...so message to parents it is not always what happens on Friday nights that we deal with.

[PATRIOTMAMA]

It takes as large a commitment from the parents as it does the students. We, as parents, need to be careful of what we say in front of our young men. If our players see us being critical, either publicly or in the car on the way home, they see that and respond to it. Believe it or not, or children still watch us and feed off of us even through their teen years. If you want to question a coach, do it out of earshot of his players. Yelling and deriding him in front of his players is only destroying the respect he has worked to earn from them. No program can succeed without a good support system, no matter the level of talent or coaching. When we begin in our homes to show our respect for and support of the program as a whole, including the coaches, then it will spill out onto the field, into the halls, and around the entire community. When we commit to our child to have him there on time for practice and pick him up on time afterwards, to work the concession stand, to sell program ads, to prepare weekend meals for coaches as they review tapes, etc., etc., etc. then the commitment level of our child to the team will increase. When we as parents stop placing blame and start taking responsibility our programs will flourish and our children will have learned a valuable lesson without us speaking a word. A losing program is not always the coaches' fault and replacing him is not always the answer. Look within the program as a whole before placing blame. Look within your own home and see if you have done enough to support him before calling for his head.

[Thecatcall09]

Great post but how dare some parents blame themselves for how their kid is practicing or not showing up...it will always be someone elses fault!

[PATRIOTMAMA]

Great post but how dare some parents blame themselves for how their kid is practicing or not showing up...it will always be someone elses fault!

During camp one year, my son was riding his bicycle to practice when he was hit by a truck that was pulling onto the road from a subdivision. The paramedics called me because he was arguing with them that he couldn't go to the ER because he would be late to practice! I'm not saying that everyone needs to have THAT attitude but he was taught that he had a commitment and he needed to be there. My point is that we need to be showing that same commitment and our children will see it and respond to it.

[logcabinman]

I too think that we should strive to be the best. I have coached for years, and one thing I have realized is that I am as good as my players. Sure I can push, work, and set a standard for these children, and have been successful throughout the years. Look at Phillip Fulmer at UT, had it all - winning seasons, championships, etc. then all of sudden a few bad years - bang, bang, your out. Pete Carroll in a similar situation, still a winning season, but not to USC standards. I think we need to focus on success really is for high school sports. For one my focus is always to instill good moral values, loyalty, and friendships that last a life time. When I first started coaching 14 years ago this was easy. It gets harder and harder each year. I find that parents expect a higher standard for me than they even do themselves. This is not all cases, but more prevelant than years ago.

 

So many parents complaning about the programs or coaching are the same parents, if you were to talk to their employer, would not give their best effort in their respected jobs.

 

We need to set high standards for our children, but what may be success for some (winning), is success for all.

[Thecatcall09]

Some parents just do not understand the importance of committment and never will...everyone has to be on the same page to win football games and if not you will not win. I have heard kids call their parents to come get them after workouts for football and the parent literally cuss and scream at the kid for them having to come pick him up...and we are trying to win games with these kids...good luck and I think this is a great thread and need more opinions.