Football Related Coaching Experience

Hey 86WardsWay.

Thank you for the mutual respect my friend (smile). East Side! Yeah! Yeah!


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

Hey steelersrock151.

So, you are kind of the sole survivor of the Field Event record holders at your HS? Well wait now, let me think. How about the Long Jump, Javelin and Pole Vault record holders? Am I missing any other events? Good Stuff! I could talk Track and Field all day. Yeah, it must be pretty cool to visit your HS and see your name up there on the "Board". Is there a "Board" with the records listed in your school's gymnasium or somewhere else in the school?


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

yep, there’s a board. Different brother has the school rebounding record, so he’s on a different board. And in NY there’s no javelin. Apparently, it’s too dangerous for high school students. The same students that used to catch shot puts and discuses for fun and profit. FYI, catching discuses is easier, cause you can line up up like a long bomb, but if you catch the boys discus a little off, you will seriously face plant.

long jumped, but the sectional champ as a freshman was on our team, so I wasnt getting that one. And tried pole vaulting once. You have to have a screw loose to pole vault.

 

I started officially coaching as an assistant elementary school track coach 24 years ago. Spent 4 years working on conditioning and an "athletic preparation" program for elementary school kids and their parents. It was an inclusive program that not only educated the children about good eating, sleeping, and study habits, but encouraged/taught parents how to support their young athletes mentally and physically. The county BOE actually adopted the program and still uses it to this day.

Six years of coaching a competitive robotics team at the middle school level was next. First Lego League satisfied my competitive nature while allowing my inner-nerd to take center stage. Quite a bit of hardware still adorns the middle school's trophy case from our time there. Never won nationals, and that's a shame. But we were always a force to be reckoned with at regionals.

8 years as assistant football coach at the high school level was next. (2 separate seasons as interim HC was enough for me. I didn't want the position of HC for a number of reasons.) I was the strength and conditioning coach and coordinated the out-of-season/offseason programs. Worked with the wrestling team in the winter and the crew team in the spring. We had multi-sport athletes that we monitored, but those who only played football were encouraged to work out with the other teams to cross train.

(I had walked on to the Georgia Tech football team as a receiver my freshman year. A year of primarily special teams ended with me catching 15 passes for 242 yards. I would have continued playing football, but there was this "other sport" just starting its first official season at GT. I immediately fell in love with crew.)

This parlayed into taking over as head coach for the boys crew team. My daughter rowed crew for 4 years in high school and the boys team was desperate for a dedicated coach. I couldn't say no. I went through the process to become a nationally certified crew coach and followed my daughter to college where she rowed on scholarship and I assistant coached for 2 years. Health problems got in the way and I stepped down after 2 years. Haven't coached in an official capacity since.

 

Hey steelersrock151.

Glad to hear there is a "Board". Yes, all 50 states do not have the same Track & Field events. Being from the New England region, I would talk to coaches from the other states to find that to be true. As far as running, it is also varied regarding different individual running events for Indoor Track as well as relay medley races for both Indoor and Outdoor Track. Yes, pole vaulters are a rare breed for sure. That is one "Ballsy" event. It takes a lot of natural strength and a certain mind-set to be successful at it. Well, not to root against anyone but maybe your record can hang on for another forty years (smile). Take care.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

Glory days:

tried playing FB in college. I always played because it was fun. College football wasn’t fun. I wasnt going to make the pros, so it was no big loss to anyone.

I like that you’ve gone rogue with your coaching (the nerd stuff). I coached a couple of academic teams, and took one to nationals (one win from the semifinals). Kind of show the kids you don’t need to be a dumb jock, and that there are other avenues.

 

Kids are afraid of me. I could never coach anything except intramural teams I'm on.

 

Nothing official as my non bio kid had his dad intervening on that front and I didn't want to muddy dad vs dad waters. my girls opted out of sport but were monsters with my wife and I's athletic background and tutelage. I have however had my football coaching buddies As well as old coaches bend my ear for some chip in input here and there... Wasted talent I know Hahahahahahahaha good on yinz steel winds!

Some can play a bit, not everyone can coach em up!

 

Hey steelersrock151.

Me too on your quote: "College football wasn’t fun". For me it was Cross-Country and Track. It kind of was run like a business at the Collegiate level which seemed to have taken some of the fun out of it for me. That was my reason anyway for my feelings of "wasn't fun". Do not get me wrong, there were some good times in College but in comparison to when I competed in High School I definitely had more fun during my participation at the HS level.

As far as taken my athletic performances to new heights, the College training and successes were definitely greater. I was a fairly successful athlete at the HS level but man during my Collegiate career I hit new heights that were even to my surprise. I also think that my participation at the Collegiate level inspired me even more to coach once I graduated. So, although not as fun on the College level my time participating in sports in College did lead to new friendships, connections (networking) and inspired me to work with youth even more beyond the classroom as I graduated with a Degree in Teaching.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

One year playing at akron. Well before they became D1. 12 years assistant and assistant head coach at hs level. 4 years assistant and 12 years head coach at DIII college level. Also 2 years head bowling coach at same school. Heck of a difference in attitude of players from hs level to college. There is also a difference in D3 programs from top to bottom. I won't say where I coached for obvious reasons but we were a small program.

 

No football at all. I was fortunate to have the fine genetics from my parents to be a small slow nerd.

I grew up long ago on the north side when it was pretty poor. There was a club for the kids there. I think I taught over 2 hundred kids to swim who probably never would have learned otherwise.

 

I have around 15 years of Coaching experience . Small 1 A Football Team from the mountains of N.C. .. I still evaluate some tape for some guys from time to time , but have switched my passion to Cooking the last few years. Coaching is a tiresome job and the main reward is winning . Sadly even at the HS level in a small town if you don't win most outsiders will assume you can't coach...I was never the HC , but I worked with some great ones that got ran out because of politics.. This is actually why I gave it up, as they did my former Coach and my dear friend and colleague wrong...

I still miss it , but I don't miss the hours, or the politics .. The Coaching game is a true roller coaster that dishes out pure joy and pure agony sometimes all in the same game ..lol..I still have the bug though so I might get back in it some day ? Who knows ? I Love the game..That's really the only thing I know for sure .

 

Hey Hanratty#5.

Good Stuff. Focusing in on the Boxing, this is one of the most grueling Individual Sports there is. Not just for the fact that two opponents are in the ring trying to knock each other out but also the training and individual commitment that it takes to be successful in this sport. Boxing, and Wrestling for that matter, are very, very high conditioning/demanding sports. If you have never been in the ring, or on the mat, for just one three-minute round you cannot begin to imagine the physical demands of these two sports.

As I mentioned about Cross-Country and Distance Running for Track & Field, there are similar parameters for Boxing that are not awarded as with team sports. Once again, there are no timeouts, no substitutes, no "hiding" of physical conditioning and other factors that Team Sports have allowances for that Individual Sports like Boxing do not have. This is not by any means to take away anything from any Team Sport, it is just the nature of an Individual Sport like Boxing or Wrestling.

Given my Long Distance Running background, both as a competitor and a coach, I helped with the Cardiovascular Training of my best friend for the New England Golden Gloves Tournament back in the 80's. Given my involvement with this event, I developed an even deeper respect for the sport as I was part of "The Journey" with him. It was tough and there was no place to hide in The Ring if you were not 100% Physically and Mentally prepared. Oh, by the way, he won the Title for his weight division. Yeah! Yeah!


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

You're absolutely correct about conditioning. I have seen many times in amateur boxing that the winner was often not the most gifted boxer but was the one that was in the best condition.

 

Hey Hanratty#5.

As a Physical Education Teacher, and Coach, there are thee Primary Elements to a Complete Physical Fitness program. They include but are not limited to:

• Cardiovascular
• Flexibility
• Strength

These apply across the board pretty much for most sports whether they are Individual or Team.

Your Quote: "I have seen many times in amateur boxing that the winner was often not the most gifted boxer but was the one that was in the best condition".

Yes, to this. I coached Cross-Country which as you probably know is a Fall season sport. What I did, in conjunction with the school's Basketball Coach was recruit as many of his players as possible tp participate in Cross-Country.

It was win-win situation:

(1) I had more participants on my team
(2) The Basketball Coach would have a well-conditioned squad when B-Ball season rolled around. As you probably know that when Cross-Country ended, Basketball season started up about a week later as it is a Winter sport.

Typically, the Basketball coach would have to spend the first month of the season or so, trying to get his players in some kind of shape. By running Cross-Country this aspect of his program was basically taken care of. It really worked out well for both teams. There were some very talented B-Ball players as well; who excelled in Cross-Country.

Now, I must admit a number of B-Ball players were resistant to the idea at first but eventually they all bought in. It was a thing of beauty as more and more B-Ball players participated with the subsequent years to follow.

Like with your quote, the Basketball team was not necessarily the most "gifted" team on the court but conditioning wise, yes. It was a thing of beauty to watch their opponents' "sucking wind" especially in the later segments of the game as our team was barely breaking a sweat. The conditioning of our players paid big dividends as I can honestly attribute some of their wins to being the better "conditioned" team out there on the court.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid