Dead Period ?

[cbg]

Redtwin,

 

You are correct in that the rule was put in place to level the playing field. I feel that instead of calling it the "dead period" rule we should refer to it as the "communist rule" because it rewards people that are too lazy to work!!!! Just my opinion but that is how I feel. This country was built by people that were determined to out work their competition not by people wanting to take a vacation. If a coach wants to take a vacation that is fine but let the principal & coach decide when the vacation will be taken, not a group of adminstraitors.

 

Ela,

 

If you are going to talk about Texas you need to tell the whole story and not just the part that benefits you. The more you talk the more I think that you are like old uncle Bill Clinton. In Texas most if not all schools that play 11 man football have full time strength & conditioning coaches that are allowed to be with the players during the off season. Yes the football coaches may not have any organized contact (only casual: church, grocery store, etc...) during the Summer but the strength coaches still work the players out. Who are you trying to fool into beleiving that all of the talent that Texas turns out is done without any organized Summer workouts. In the future lets tell the whole story and not just the part that you want people to hear.

Edited July 16, 2003 by cbg

[HD]

Dead Period is harder on Football than any other sport!!!!!! All the other sports have AAU or Summer League to compete during this time. They have Alternative coaches, being watched by Actual coaches. I think its a good idea but needs to be polished to be fair across the board. It also needs to be moved earlier in the summer. How long have we had "Dread" Period? I have never heard of anyone being caught! Has anyone?

[splainshornet]

I have never heard of anyone being caught! Has anyone?

I've never heard of a High School being caught, but there is a little league program in West Knox County guilty of practicing before being allowed to do so. The thing about little league is if you practice before the designated date you are NOT insured.

[CATS1]

Let's be real here. If a coach breaks the rules, does anybody on here think that he will "self report"? Plus others at the school are not going to "self report" if they know the rules have been broken even if the AD and Principal themselves know. Who would turn in one of their teams if that team brings in a lot of money each year for that school's sports programs? Everyone will look the other way unless it is someone from another school who just hates the other school or their coach.

[eaglefan15]

No coach or athletic director or principle will knowingly tell on themselves. Rules are broken all the time and that is terrible because 90% of the time it's an adult setting the example that it's ok.

[CATS1]

I agree eaglefan15. Some of the adults are leading the kids in the wrong direction, which does not help them any once they get out of school. They see their coach taking shortcuts and breaking the rules, then some of them think that this is what life is all about, so they try it and many end up on the wrong side of the tracks. It sometimes leads many kids not to have any respect. Not all coaches are "rule breakers", but the sad thing is that some are and it can be seen thru the kids they coach.

[ELA]

75% of the fines were placed on schools because of a "self report" placed by a school. It happens all the time because principals and system Directors don't care about paying higher fines and having their schools placed on probation! Most all school administrators want their coaches to follow the rules and will fire those who do not! This is how the TSSAA organization is setup. I know it sounds naive to many, but it is the backbone of the organization. IN THEORY, the punishment is less if you self report.

 

CPG... I don't know why you are so offended by the idea of the dead period. It was not created to limit competition or create a "level playing field." In reality, it was established to prevent coaches from not allowing kids to have a summer vacation! Coaches in Texas are not allowed to even keep up with when their kids who are in the weight room and there can't be any schedule kept nor can students be required to attend in order to play in the fall. Their handbook is so much more restrictive than ours and I get tired of hearing people whine and complain about the dead period rules. It is something we can live with and most "real athletes" find a way to stay in shape while they are away from school. These are the facts.

 

I think we can live with a one or two week dead period. I wish it was the first two weeks of the June but this period was chosen to give balance to the needs of football and basketball coaches alike. I dare say that 90% of all coaches understand and cooperate with the rule, only about 10% complain and try to find ways around it.

 

Break the rules if you want to but you're doing coaching and education a huge disservice because you are teaching kids that it's okay to break the rules when you want to get an edge or you don't agree with the laws!

 

If everyone follows the rules, there is no real loss to any team that is not equal across the board to all teams!

Edited July 16, 2003 by ELA

[cbg]

Ela,

 

Let me start by saying that I would never intentionaly break any rule but I would fight like _ _ _ _ to change a "stupid communist rule". The problem that I have with the dead period is not with the rule but with the message that it sends to the student athletes. We ask them to work hard all of the time with conditioning and then we (teachers & coaches) go along with a rule that says we take 2 weeks off in the middle of Summer so that we can all take a vacation. Not only is the dead period at the wrong period of the summer but it rewards being lazy. If you want to take 2 weeks off that is ok but allow me to take off or workout when, where, and how ever much that I wish. Conditioning is done to prevent injuries and we take off 2 weeks before football practice is scheduled to begin. This rule must have been voted on by a group of bowling coaches drinking beer at the local pub.

[ELA]

Most of us know why the rule was put into place (AAU); nevertheless, it does serve a function. Call it a "Communist rule" if you like but I think that may be unfair to former "Communist" countries who always used to beat our behinds in most Olympic sports because they paid their athletes and worked out year round. Here is my point... If every coach follows the rule, the burden is no greater on any one team than it is on another team. It does hurt football more than any other sport because of when it falls and as a football coach, I wish it were the first two weeks of June instead of when it is... having said that, we have lived with it these past six years, I think we can live with it for the foreseeable future. Lobby all you want to change it, but don't encourage anyone to break the rule. I have no doubt that some coaches had their weight room open during the dead period. In fact, I know of at least one coach who did, but I'm not going to turn him in because he is a rookie and I'm sure someone from his school has already rebuked him for it. The word gets around when coaches start playing by their own rules and it does have a negative effect on their future. Coaching is like a "closed fraternity" and we like to keep matters "in house" as much as possible. I wish more coaches would simply follow the rules! For the past few years, I have always used the time to get away from football for one of the two weeks because the only other thing I can legally do during that period is clean the locker rooms and cut the grass on the field! Since we have the darn thing in place, we might as well use it to spend some time with our families because that is about all we can do. I also encourage other coaches and players to use the time with their families or to go see grandma before the season starts, because once the second week in July rolls around, it's time to focus on just one thing... FOOTBALL!

[bjohn74]

When is the dead period? Is it the first two weeks of July from Sunday to sunday,or calender July 1st thru July 15th. I'm new to the "dead" period. My biggest concern would be someone trying to rehab an injury and not have access to the whirlpool or trainers.

[Bama4life]

eaglesfan15, I have a question for you? 1) How can the TSSAA restrict access to public facilities by paid members? It seems to me that if Coach Hawkins is a paid member at Extreme Fitness, He is entitled to lift whenever he so chooses. The players that utilized the facilities at Extreme Fitness also paid membership fees, so how can the TSSAA regulate when those kids went to complete their workouts. As long as Coach Hawkins did not directly establish a workout routine, there should be no problems with him utilizing his paid membership.

[macdaddy]

who are you eaglefan? i do believe that montgomery central and northwest had coaches there as well as players from what i have heard! maybe someone can clarify this for me... i run a fireworks tent and need to hire workers that i can trust. so i ask some football players to work for me and i pay them money for this! fireworks are sold during the dead period? is this a violation to the dead period rule since i have contact with the players? i did not do this, but i know of some coaches that have done it! ELA clue me in here if you would!

Edited July 18, 2003 by macdaddy