Year Around Aspects of Sports

So your kid wants to play High Schools Sports? Which Sport? Which School? Who's the Coach, what does he run? Does his offense/defense match your kid's abilities and skills?

Many questions are asked these days about high school sports. A few years ago the AZ Republic did a story about the budgets of some High Schools athletic departments. It was amazing the dollars that they had. I'm not talking a few thousand. It was all crazy money in the nearly 6 figures for small schools and over $100K for the larger ones. The money was used for capital projects, Coach's bonuses, equipment, uniforms, etc. There was large amounts of money. So I state this just to say that there is no denying that High School Sports are a big business and without them most schools don't survive. And that many kids will have a strong desire to play it. Also every started on your high school teams has dreams of playing at the next level.

So back to your kid.

Let's pretend your boy wants to play baseball in High School. He's played little league and was pretty good. Once the season was over the mitt and the bat went in the closet and weren't thought of again until 9-10 months later. If you are planning on going to a big school, you can forget playing baseball there. Kids that make the teams on competitive big time high schools (remember there can only 20-25 boys per team) never put their gloves away. It's with them where ever they are. They play fall ball, They hit indoors in the summer and they play winter ball all before their "season". The only breaks they may get is during the fall if they play football and then they are still hitting and fielding once a week.

When I was a kid we played football, baseball, and basketball in season. We didn't think about the other ones until it was that season. Now that is not the case in big schools. There may be some exceptional athletes that play multiple sports in the big schools but most are specialized. In the smaller schools (like in my area) there are many multi sports kids. In fact you'll see some kids play three sports in small schools. It's purely because they don't have the numbers. I have a friend at work who has two boys. One is 20 years old and is on a baseball scholarship at a major university, his other one is a freshmen at a large high school. Both have been year around baseball players since they were 10 years old. His younger boy in 2009 played 200 plus baseball games (he turned 12 that year). A typical week in this kid's life is school, baseball (3 nights a week) then 2-5 baseball games on Saturday and Sunday. That's it. He's got to go really cool places like Cooperstown NY for a baseball tournament (baseball hall of fame) and many other places to play ball. His older boy was very similar but in High School wanted to play football. He did and was really good. He was a starter on Varsity as a Junior and Senior. When it came to college though he really had no choice but to play baseball.

Let's see what's the point? hmmm well I guess it's that you better be prepared if you want to play High School baseball or basketball at a large school. Football is still a little more clear because they need many kids and it's too physical to play year around. There are some High schools that frown on multi sport players. A different friend of mine was told his son couldn't start on the baseball team if he played football. That's just silly, but that's what he was told.

Basketball is more ridiculous. There is nothing to compare it to. There are websites that rank 8th graders for recruiting to colleges. If you want to be on that list you better be good, but you also better be on a "club" or "travel" team that is well connected (i.e. funded). They are the ones that get you ranked. The kids that play these "travel" ball teams play in 25 tournaments a year. That's nothing to do with their school team. Most recruiting isn't done at High School basketball games anymore it's all done at these weekend tournaments. The schools that win state at the big school level not only allow these kids to play travel ball many of them embrace it, coach it, fund it and require it. By the time your kids is a freshmen you'll know whether they are gonna play college basketball at a high level or not. There are some rare exceptions where the kid grows or is just really good and no one knows but mostly those kids get overlooked and have no chance really. And it's not because they aren't good enough. It's because they aren't in the system. We've had fun laughing at the high school recuriting that goes on as well. Arizona is a haven for recruiting because of the open enrollment law. A tall athlete in the 8th grade is a target for any high school coach that knows about him. I coached a player like that last year. He's a good player but wasn't even a starter on our team, but he "looked the part" played at a club team and was the popular kid at our tournaments because the host high school's assistant coaches were all over him.

Conclusion: Decide what your kid wants and then be willing to be all in. But if you aren't then don't complain to a coach* that cuts your kid. I hate travel ball, club teams and weekend play. Hate it. I like kids that play three or four sports and are all about their "seasons" but those kids aren't going to make teams at high schools that have 2000+ kids at them or if they do they are lucky (or gifted). It can happen. There is a kid at our high school who is a good football player, basetball player and baseball player. He's a good athlete. However he isn't going to be good enough to play at a large college in any of them. If he wanted to quit two of the three and just focus on one, he may have been able to play. However he loves his High School time and he is my favorite kid at the school because he is all about the school, and not so much about himself (he's also in the band). It's interesting how people look back at things once they've left. I think this kid won't look at wins and losses, but more about the relationships, experiances and time that he spent with his teams. I always say "If your kid is meant to play in the pros some day, he will, no matter how much he plays now."

Hope I've helped. I know it's a tight wire because we all want our kids to do well but at what expense? I've struggled with it forever.

*Next blog subject is Parents vs. Coach

High Schoool Football Coach = CEO of Football

So generally speaking I don't have good ideas. But I think I do here. So if you are stunned, so am I. 99% of you (which means all) won't care about this idea so there. It is just something that I wanted to blog so when the whole world comes to grip with what a great idea this is i can say "I thought of that, years ago" and have a blog post to prove it.

Subject: Successful High School Football program in today's environment

Introduction: Today with HS football being the #1 perception of high school it is important to be successful in football more than anything at the school; including academics, music etc. (wait I know some of you just said "no way!"). It is important to run it like a business and not in the traditional "extra-circular" activity. The head coach should be a CEO of football and everyone involved in the football program should work for him (or her, but I'm assuming "him" for simplistic sake). He should have say in all things related to his program, including scheduling, hiring, and even teachers at the school. Points that I will bring into play will show how this is necessary.

Section 1: Mind shift CEO not a Coach

At most high schools you have more kids involved in football than any other singular activity by 200%. At a normal medium HS you have say 1200 students. 250 of them will be involved in football as players, managers, cheerleaders, student trainers etc. that's a large percentage of your student body. It's also the only sport that has such a community binding influence. You will have 1000+ people attend each Friday night, you have people in the community that come to the football games that have nothing to do with the school, you have kids that aren't even interested in sports that show up and pay to come to the football games. This is truly a large event and should be. They come to watch the boys play football, cheerleaders cheer and the band play. But make no mistake, if there wasn't a football team there are no cheerleaders and the band becomes the Orchestra, something no one knows about outside of the parents of the kids involved.

The point is the person over the HS football team, traditionally the head coach, is the singularly most important person at the school. I know that some folks think I'm nuts for saying this but I’ll get to that. Assume for now I'm right. The head coach needs help to be successful. He needs good coaches for on the field, he needs a good training staff to keep people healthy. He needs a good weight room coach to keep his players strong and he needs good admin type folks to help him with scheduling, travel, equipment, safety, etc. Typically with 3 or 4 teams a football program needs 15 or more on-field coaches. This means that they need these folks to be at every practice and each game that they are assigned. There are training staff usually one full-time trainer and 5 to 10 student trainers. The support staff includes an athletic secretary and an administrator. Also there are equipment managers, and student managers. all included this is a lot of folks that the Head Coach must keep tabs on, direct and assure everything is being done correctly. This is equivalent to a medium size business. Not only that but on game night, pep assemblies and special occasions the Head Coach must be aware of and involved (don't even get me started on the boosters either - much work there too). This is why the Head Coach must a) be a CEO and b) given power like one. A CEO in the business world means "Cheif Executive Officer" and he only answers to the Board of Directors. I am indeed stating this should be the case in HS Football. The CEO should answer to someone like a board of folks like the Principle, superintendent and others. Not to one athletic director that has 20 other sports to worry about.

CEO role should include:
1) Hiring his assistants first and foremost. He must act as a CEO and should be comfortable with the assistants on the field. This also includes trainer, strength and conditioning coach, equipment person and football secretary. This includes getting some of his assistant’s jobs at the school. School should accommodate all of them even if it means not giving existing teachers contracts for the new staff. Remember the assumption is if football is good everything else gets better.
2) All activities on game night. Game nights support EVERY other club and athletic teams in the school. This is the only time the community and students all come together. Every other team does their fundraisers during football season. They sell things, work on things and advertise things at the home football games. Football supports everything, and thus should have the choices of what goes on during their game time.
3) Fields and use of fields. The CEO of football should have full rights to his fields during the season. If he wants youth football teams to practice there he should get them to. It should be his an only his decision. If he wants the freshmen team to practice on a specific field at a certain time then it should be so. These fields are his and should be his during the season.
4) Assemblies and community involvement should be his responsibility. Make no mistake about it this, is important. Kids that are at the district’s elementary or middle schools have no obligation to a specific HS they can go wherever they want. It's important for the football team, cheerleaders and band to be involved. All of this should be up to the CEO of football. He shouldn't have to hassle another district administrator for him to bring a few players to an elementary school or have his own principle not allow it. This can be negotiated so it's often but still in line with academic goals. This is how a community gets behind a football team and a HS.

Section 2: Why so important?
This section will tell you why we should do this. There is no other reason than this: a good football team makes everything better.
A. Money: Football drives money. Not just players but many kids won't come to a school that has a crappy football team that loses, doesn't include everyone, has many issues with players, parents or is generally an embarrassment. They will leave a school to go to one that has a better perception. In today’s world especially with the younger kids perception is reality. And these perceptions change every minute. So the more students that show up to the school the more $$$ the state gives the school, The more students (and thus state money) the more programs can be included, the more involvement from these kids there is and the larger staff you'll need. Every club uses the gathering of a football game as a fundraiser. This is where the basketball team sells things, this is where the softball team works at the snackbar to get money for their season and it's where the volleyball team and wrestling teams advertise events or fundraisers they are having. Every team has money needs if you have a huge crowd at a winning football team's home games it pads the pockets of everyone. It's also the only time a school makes money because of the number of paid attendees.
B. School Spirit. This may be an ancient idea to some. But there is a lot of value of a person having pride in what they are involved in. I'm not talking about yelling at a game or yelling at a pep assembly but there is something to be said about being proud of where you went to school. This is important for self-worth and commitment abilities later in life. Many kids these days have never stuck with anything before. This is the motivation they may need. A successful (winning) football team is where this will start. Also a proud student will be much more successful in the classroom rather than one that "hates" his school. Bad runs quickly downhill.
C. Community involvement is important. YOU must have involvement with the community to have kids start to get excited to come to the HS. They coming makes everything better, the football team gets better, the band gets better and the academics go up just because of sheer numbers. It also gives you a good perception with the folks that don't even have kids in the schools. They buy more fundraising things, get their cars washed by the kids and buy a t-shirt with your school logo. Service hours, parades, visits to elementary schools, and a general presence are all part of it.

Section 3: Execution
Of course the first step is a huge culture change. Today the head coach of football is the same status and power as the head coach of the badminton team in prestige and power at the school (or so the structure is setup to be- no offense to the badminton team I happen to like badminton but it’s not the spectator sport of football). The culture has to change to the large university idea: Football drives everything so hitch your wagon to them and enjoy.

The second step is finding the CEO. Yes they should probably have to have done something in football before. They should have a concept of the football game as either a coach or a player. However I don’t think that experience of being a successful head coach is needed. If they have the personality and the leadership of being a CEO and the “buck stops here” kind of presence they will be successful. Remember their role is to set it up for success. Be a salesman and rally support to himself and his coaches and players. Great coaches (on the field) should be his coordinators. This assures success on the field. Where does a good on the field coach want to be? He wants to be on the field, with the players or in the film room game planning. Does he really want to be at the elementary speaking to the kids? Does he really want to discuss fundraisers with the booster club? Does he really want to discuss game night activities with the principle or other teams’ coaches? Nope this is the CEO’s job.

The final step is to treat it like a company would. Do reviews of folks, evaluate where the program is. Cut brutally when needed and reward huge when needed. CEO’s get fired sometimes. This is a large investment for a potentially large return but sometimes the plug needs pulled when it’s not working out.

Final Summary:
High School football is big business these days. The football team is the face of the school. There is no other singular aspect of the school that can have such a positive (or negative) effect on the school. It drives money, student enrollment, school spirit and every other aspect of the school including academics. Running it like a big business is very important. Hiring a CEO instead of a Head Coach (you can still call him the head coach) and allowing him to run it exclusively is the one way to be successful. It is a culture change from the “everyone is equal” society that we have, however everyone benefits when the football team is run well and is successful. There are plenty of schools already doing this in part. They have a strong willed head coach that takes on more roles then perhaps others traditionally would have. But if you don’t have this culture now, this is the way to go.