Wedgebuster

It seems like Mishawaka will always have a punchers chance at a conference title in the NLC, even in a "down" year for the cavemen where they might lose to Marian and Elkhart in Non-Conference games but then still be a factor in the NLC race. Not sure if they would view the NIC the same way.

Does this say more good at John Glenn moving forward or more bad about Plymouth?

What's hard to get away from is that players feel protected by their helmet. MOST of the time, they can let their head get involved in a hit or a tackle with no major ramifications. Rugby, due to the lack of helmets is not the same way. Get your head involved in the tackle and immediate pain and probably stitches is sure to follow.

How much of this is "on" individual schools to put some systematic support pieces in place that we know enhance athletics. Things like appropriately sized weight rooms, strength and conditioning coaches, well thought out teacher hires so that coaches are in each building to get kids out to play and coaching staffs have continuity, reduced schedules for Varsity Coaches, etc. Many of you keep talking about Elkhart rising up, and I hope that they do,........but its my guess that the systemic support that is in place at Carmel, Center Grove, or even Westfield, looks a lot different than what is in place at Elkhart. With all the hardships in public education today, how many schools even have an interest (and by interest I mean putting there time and money where their mouth is) in competing for state titles in football (which is the most resource driven sport of them all)?

http://scoreboard.homestead.com/boys/logsPlymouth.htm#loaded Looks like Plymouth Basketball is struggling as well. What has happened to the athletic culture of that school? In all but the most recent New Prairie's playoff meetings with them, they have represented themselves well. I understand that communities and cultures change, but this seems to have happened VERY rapidly.

I know this has been a long discussion topic before. But what is the best end zone camera system around? Which one is the best value?

What creates the big divide between the level of play in Northern vs Southern Indiana? What are the Northern coaches to do about it?

Would your interpretation be any different if that same basic footwork was used but the offensive player tried to stay on his feet and keep the contact at or above the waist? O-Lineman canceling backside gaps is a major part of many gap-scheme offenses and I'm sure many coaches will be searching for an effective way to continue to run their scheme while not getting flagged for violating the rule adjustments.

What will be interesting is how different officials make that call. I think you're going to see a lot of coaching staffs in the Wing-T or Option communities continue to teach that technique and not get it called all year until they run into a certain crew. Then its the classic conversation right? "But Mr. Official, WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT CALLED ALL YEAR!"

Sorry, wrong link Try this one

I'm still confused. A good O-Lineman is going to fun his feet thru the immediate cut any way. So he is going to have 2-3 steps in the ground before he gets into the legs of the D-Lineman anyways. The backside scoop block that I described is in my mind an "immediate action" and not nearly as dangerous as the fake pass set and then cut by an OT. How would you call the block demonstrated at the 12:00 minute mark of this clip?

My question is could that tackle cut on his 3rd step? Is that "immediate"? If it's a LT he would step with his right foot turning his belly button to the sideline, crossover with his left foot, and then make contact with his left shoulder to that DT's far thigh on his 3rd step. At least that's how a lot of Wing-T or Flexbone coaches would coach that kid prior to this rule change. Will they be able to continue to teach that backside cutoff block in this manner?

If I have this right, no more offensive tackles showing pass with a high hat and then cutting the rusher on 3 step drops, but an OT could still cut the inside leg of a backside 3 technique on a play away correct?

How many Northern Indiana Athletic Directors are tuned into that fact? How does a coach elicit that "shift of priorities"? It seems that a lot of athletic directors, administrators, and superintendents like to use the following phrase when asked about facilities, coaches pay, weight program and room,....."well what we have is comparable to those in our conference" You can make the argument, and I've heard Kevin Vanderbush (Ben Davis's Strength Coach) make it in articulate detail about how a Strength coach with a adequately sized room is financially responsible not just feasible. 1 person with a couple of athletic interns (older experienced students) can handle 70 students an hour. That's 3 teachers with a salary and benefits and health care costs that the school doesn't need hire to house those students for 5 to 6 periods a day. That's beyond the obvious benefits of students learning to be strong and healthy for the rest of their lives. So how does a coach get past " well what we have is very comparable to those in our conference" when for many coaches in Northern Indiana, that is probably a true statement?

HC/OC is PE Teacher, DC is Special Education, One Business Teacher , One English Teacher, One Alternative School Teacher, One Police Officer, 2 local business owners. The issue will be that our staff is aging and finding replacements for some of these guys as they retire is going to be really difficult. Our MS staff is all Non-Teachers, where maybe 20 years ago those were young teachers waiting in the wings to move up to the HS level, that is no longer the case.

I teach and coach of at a HS of 750. 4 JV/FR coaches (they handle both responsibilities) and 4 Varsity Coaches. Staff has 4 "offensive coaches" and 4 "defensive coaches" and the coaches travel between the levels at practice depending what side of the ball that level is currently on.

To add to my list from earlier today.... #4. Let respected head coaches and/or those in sports that NEED multiple quality coaches to function present quality candidates for hire. (Administration is fearful to do this because they don't want to be accused of playing favorites, kids and programs suffer when lesser hires are made as a result). #5. Superintendents need to craft a list of "district needs" to hand to their principals before hiring season begins. Coaching positions, club sponsors, band and choir directors, etc. With instructions that you need to hire people that check off as many of these needs boxes as possible with each hire because they are all value adds to the school district. #6. Make sure people follow through on what they say in their interview. I've taught with to many people that got hired with the idea they would coach and either never followed through or did so for a year or two and then stepped aside but kept the teaching spot. Not a lot of other professions would allow someone to misrepresent their intentions in an interview and not have any kind of penalty for that later on.

#1 Hire people that will coach. These teachers will have a better connection with the kids and get more accomplished in the classroom anyway. Good coaches are typically good teachers as coaching is teaching. #2. Give coaches a "manageable schedule". They bring value to the building and community after school, so have them teach less different classes to prep for. Don't ask them to teach AP or classes that have heavy planning and grading loads, etc. When other teachers complain, stand up for the fact that they coach and its valued. #3. Pay stipends that allow folks to coach without feeling like they inflicting financial hardship on their family. Lots of teachers have a "side hustle" and when those pay significantly better than coaching, it makes explaining the choice to coach to your family much more difficult. More thoughts to come later.

Like most problems, this one is multi-faceted. In no particular order, here are some reasons I think coaching shortages are brewing in most places across the country...... #1 Less young males who played HS football entering the teaching ranks #2 More requirements of classroom teachers that make it difficult to coach #3 Coaches frustrated with travel sports based problems, and schools devaluing education based athletics because in part of travel sports leading to sport specialization and lower participation in traditional school based athletics. #4 Coaches feeling like their program needs so much year round attention that they no longer feel that they can coach multiple sports

Don't see strength and conditioning guys coach? Or don't see under trained and overworked kids? Maybe Central Indiana people are as the kids would say "Just Built Different".

I teach a Strength and Conditioning class and coach at a Michigan HS.

What I run into is kids who are chronically over worked and under trained. They walk into a Monday morning weights session in the summer and are so sore, tight, and tired they can't move. BUT, that doesn't stop them from trying to go to 3 basketball open gyms, 3 weights sessions, a collegiate camp, and play 5-9 "travel" baseball or basketball games over the course of a week in the summer. Then parents of the 5'9" 150 lb young lad can't understand why he doesn't get more playing time for his high school teams, after all, his travel coach says he is the BEST and he plays all the time!

I hope at some point kids and parents start to realize that the pageantry, buzz, the big deal in town, etc. All that stuff is synonymous with high school sports. You'll never recreate that with travel athletics. (Insert whiny voice): "Well I play travel....." Great kid, how did it feel to score the game winner in front of a parents only crowd of people you don't really know?

Will the pendulum ever swing back the other way? What causes that shift?

Does this significantly change how a coach builds his staff? Is the age of teaching staff, # of coaches in the building, and willingness of the administration to hire coaches, now more important than ever for a coach to consider before taking a job?