...yet seems so Politically Incorrect in this day and age.

 

I just came in from mowing the yard, eating a sandwich the size of my head and I flipped it over to ESPN where Bama and UGA are playing softball.

 

I then heard the commentators talking about Bama's #1 pitcher, and how her coach has attributed a lot of her success to the simple fact that----she got away from the game for a while. She didn't play any summer ball last year, etc; as they quoted him as saying, "Get away. Go be a kid. Do somethings for yourself. It will do you some much needed good, both mentally and physically."

 

Sure enough, that's what she did.

 

I can share the same sentiments. My redshirt sophomore spring, I decided to give up football...so, I thought. I had just hit a wall. I loved it, yet was tired of it. Long story short, I went from April-End of July and had made my mind up.."I was done, and was just going to attend school..be a normal student." I started turkey hunting that spring early morns before class, instead of working out at 5am and turkey hunting on Saturday morns instead of our Spring games. Once that was over, I played golf dang near 5 days a week. Moved home that summer, instead of staying on campus and working out once/twice a day all summer long. What did I do? Worked at my hometowns country club (what I did during the summers in high school) from 8am-2pm....then, about 12 of us would play golf every night until the sun went down (Bagger Vance style), and we drank enough beer every night to drown a fish (I'm in no way advocating that, but that was our story). Wake up...repeat...from the 2nd week of May until then end of July.

 

....come late July, something hit me. My body clock started ticking, almost as saying "Ok, it's football time." So, that's what I did. I ended up transferring to a smaller college in state, and without question, my LOVE for this game was probably at an all-time high. For the first time in a LONG time, I was chomping at the bit to get back to it. For the first time in probably FOREVER, I was actually looking forward to football camp. From the time I had been 14 years old (the fall of my 8th grade year) until I was 21 and 3 months (the April I decided to give football up), it was play, play, play...workout, workout, workout....felt like a J.O.B, J.O.B.

 

So, here comes the 1st week of August at my newly chosen University (which, was a division lower than my previous school)...keep in mind I HAD NOT WORKED OUT ONE SINGLE TIME since mid April. I didn't run the first sprint....I didn't lift the first weight. Our conditioning test was something common to a lot of college programs then (across the board at all levels)...16 110's for time. I passed every single one of them.

 

That fall, wiithout question, was THE MOST enjoyable year of football that I had ever had. High School included. Fact is, we put in JUST AS MANY HOURS during the season than my prior university, and maybe more due to the fact that there weren't any time limitations put on us. We won and my overall mentality was just BETTER. So, much that....9 months later, after Spring Practice that following fall...I was voted as one of our 6 Co-Captains for the following year (more proud of that than any individual accolade I've ever been fortunate enough to win) by MY teammates. There were guys who had been there 2, 3 years...here I had been for 9 months, and was voted into that club. I mention that not to brag, but b/c there is ZERO doubt in my mind that it was due to this new found love that I had for the game.

 

...adding to that, there is zero doubt in my mind that this new found love I had for the game, sprinboard me into coaching...which, is what I'm still fortunate enough to do years later.

 

I could go on and on about the rest of that year, and my senior year in college, but I won't. I don't want to type it, and most importantly, you don't want to hear it.

 

...but, I mention this b/c in a day and age where it's "Go, go, go..work, work, work....If I'm not doing something to get better, somebody else is", it's refreshing to hear a coach (Bama's softball coach) who gets 'it'.

 

Now, I'm not advocating kids to take off from April-August and not train a single day...far from it, however, what I am advocating is that more coaches cut the crap of what sounds good and not be afraid to be YOUR OWN PERSON, and tell your players (many of whom who are likely multiple sport athletes, who NEED TO BE) to say, 'Hey...this summer...go be kids.' Little Johnny comes up to you in June, finds out he can go to Florida with a best friend or relative? GO! Miss a couple days in JUNE for goodness sakes. Truth be told, what the crap is that really going to hurt? Nothing. The only thing it's going to hurt is YOUR pride telling your coaching buddies at other schools that YOU WERE OK with it (fact is, they are probably wishing they could publicly admit that, even though they are thinking the same thing deep down).

 

 

Well, enough of my rant and preaching. I just heard these comments from a HC of a major D1 softball program about what is probably his best player, and it just got me thinking.

.....^^^ I know this might be softball related, since that's where the idea generated from, but it's probably one for across the boards. Since I spend most of my time in here, I just wanted to post.

 

Everybody have a great weekend. Speaking of golf. I'm about to hop in the cart...drive 200 yards to the #10 teebox & try my best to continue to be a little better than Charles Barkley. :laugh:

Thanks for sharing Harry. Great information for players and parents to consider.

Thanks for sharing Harry. Great information for players and parents to consider.

 

My pleasure. It won't sit well with some, and that's fine, but I just wanted to share.

 

For the record, I know some will probably read about the conditioning tests and what not, the lower level program...etc, and think "Well, there it is. That says it all. They probably weren't very good."

 

False. My junior year we were a Top 20 Program, and just missed the playoffs by one slot. Our final ranking was 17th in the nation, they only (and, still do) take the Top 16.

 

My senior year, we were Top 25.

 

BOTH years, we beat a team of the previous schools conference ("higher" level program). Matter of fact, we had played them the two previous years before I had gotten there and had gone 1-1 vs. them. We finished 3-1 vs. them. Needless to say, they were done playing us and haven't played my alma mater since. lol

My 2 cents...which may actually be worth less. We've gotten to a point, I think, with athletics where we think we must outwork EVERYONE for 360 days of the year (5 days off for random circumstances). When infact we are burning out our kids and creating selfish monsters. You look at athletics in the 80's-90's...etc and the talent level hasn't changed. I agree there is more parity, or is it because social media and scouting services are recognizing more kids??? I would wager it's more the exposer now than it is the development (or overdevelopment). I was at the baseball feilds the other day helping coach my son's team and I heard an 8 year old tell his dad he wasn't having fun anymore. He's 8...why aren't sports fun for kids anymore??? I will tell you why. Parents now see sports as the payday for college rather than the fun, social developing, life lesson learning faction it was meant to be in society. Rather than encouraging our kids to have fun and promote effort, we are hung up on HOW JUNIOR DID. DID THAT SCOUT SEE HIM? So when my 6 year old wanted to get in the batting cage today after a elementary 5K fundraiser where he finished 4th in age group, baseball game immediately following, and then a soccer game directly after that...I said NO...Let's go to Ghatti's and celebrate a day of hardwork and good effort (all this before 1pm). Remember...evey kid just wants an ice creme-or pizza-for playing hard and sacrificing cartoons. Can we just go back to having some fun with the little kids...the high school coaches can take the fun out it for us Meanwhile, let's recognize the kids who are not playing video games...regardless of the scholarship offers to 6 year olds.

I love that post. I hate that sports are basically year round now. Kids need to be kids and their bodies need a chance to recover from the rigors of competitive sports. Then you throw the whole burnout factor at it and makes me agree even more.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

DH, that is such an awesome post.

 

Speaking of the 80s and 90s, you and I both know a coach who won a few of his multiple state titles at that time. He had some talent no doubt, but he also won them at places that hadn't won a title before and hasn't since he left, either.

 

...from the Friday before Memorial Day (when school was out), to the last Monday in July (first day of "practice"), they did NOTHING.

 

...and, some of those teams and he, would donkey stomp people even today.

I almost spit out coke when you said "donkey stomp"! LOL.

I almost spit out coke when you said "donkey stomp"! LOL.

I only laughed out loud and got a funny look from my wife.

I almost spit out coke when you said "donkey stomp"! LOL.

 

Haha. Our home rubs off on us. Let's admit it.

 

...and, not just donkey stomp...but, if given a team of equal talent and he had a week to prepare, it would have been a weekly schedule of.

 

1) Play 27 holes of golf from 8-2pm

2) Arrive at fieldhouse by 3.

3) Go out to practice with THE ONLY thing resembling a practice schedule is an index card with some VERY tentative times on them, and his 'script' being a handful of plays on the backside...in no particular order.

 

..may the donkey stopping begin. Lol

...last, but not least...Might I add that the index card would be placed in his back pocket, along with his top dentures and his chewing tobacco..likely never being pulled out, other than his dentures and chewing tobacco.

It's a shame that more coaches don't realize that, especially basketball coaches, it seems never ending with AAU and travel. I know many kids who get hurt or burnout from the everyday grind