Starting today, the press clippings no longer matter

[CWCWCW]

I've wondered what it must be like to attend your first football practice. Are most kids cocky? Are they humble? Are they scared enough to have their stomach in their throat? Maybe it's a combination depending on the kid.
I'm sure kids will eat plenty of humble pie when they have been the superstar in their school, recruited by a number of schools, and then a walk on gives them a forearm shiver to the throat that knocks them into practice tomorrow.
This aint a game for the timid, which is probably why I was such a mediocre player!
I would love to read firsthand accounts of todays practice for any tidbits like I've written.

 

[Formo]

I've wondered what it must be like to attend your first football practice. Are most kids cocky? Are they humble? Are they scared enough to have their stomach in their throat? Maybe it's a combination depending on the kid.
I'm sure kids will eat plenty of humble pie when they have been the superstar in their school, recruited by a number of schools, and then a walk on gives them a forearm shiver to the throat that knocks them into practice tomorrow.
This aint a game for the timid, which is probably why I was such a mediocre player!
I would love to read firsthand accounts of todays practice for any tidbits like I've written.

TRUTH.

My life's biggest regret (maybe my only regret) was playing in HS scared instead of confident. I was stronger than I thought I was. And when I look back at pictures, I was bigger than I thought I was too. I never tried up until my senior year in fear of getting a starting position and making a fool of myself in a game.

If I could take my brain now, and plop it into my head 16 years ago.. I would have been a starter very early on.

 

[Rosemountian]

Clear minds make fast feet. This staff is going to let them play football. They will put them into positions that emphasize strengths and hide weaknesses. Hopefully that is the case anyways. That's what roof was so good at that year. That's why masons offenses were good. Do what you do well and don't get caught trying to do too many things you don't have the people to do.

 

[Donovan]

TRUTH.

My life's biggest regret (maybe my only regret) was playing in HS scared instead of confident. I was stronger than I thought I was. And when I look back at pictures, I was bigger than I thought I was too. I never tried up until my senior year in fear of getting a starting position and making a fool of myself in a game.

If I could take my brain now, and plop it into my head 16 years ago.. I would have been a starter very early on.

Glad I'm not the only one. You're description rings a bell with me, as well. But rather than playing scared, I just didn't have a true passion to play the game, nor did I really enjoy knocking helmets. I played football because my friends did and liked the fellowship. But looking back now, I wish I tried harder. I may have been pretty decent.

 

[corcoran1]

Glad I'm not the only one. You're description rings a bell with me, as well. But rather than playing scared, I just didn't have a true passion to play the game, nor did I really enjoy knocking helmets. I played football because my friends did and liked the fellowship. But looking back now, I wish I tried harder. I may have been pretty decent.

No disrespect to your coaches intended, but i have a strong belief that many coaches really do not work kid's heads as much as they should. Most kids are capable of playing better, some need more confidence, some need better technique help, and some really do not do a good job of figuring out what a kid can do right and put him in that position.
Kids that play for coaches who know how to get the best of them are really lucky, there are not that many of them.

 

[RodentRampage]

Getting the most out of players is important. Bad attitudes and laziness can be contagious. I remember players in high school who had ability, but didn't push themselves any harder than they had to - if they were still starting, that's good enough for them. Then other players who really needed to push themselves to be any good at all imitate them.

 

[Nokomis]

I've wondered what it must be like to attend your first football practice. Are most kids cocky? Are they humble? Are they scared enough to have their stomach in their throat? Maybe it's a combination depending on the kid.
I'm sure kids will eat plenty of humble pie when they have been the superstar in their school, recruited by a number of schools, and then a walk on gives them a forearm shiver to the throat that knocks them into practice tomorrow.
This aint a game for the timid, which is probably why I was such a mediocre player!
I would love to read firsthand accounts of todays practice for any tidbits like I've written.

I can't speak for the football team but can tell you about my first day of marching band practice at The U. The kids from Bloomington were cocky. The kids from Eden Prairie were surprisingly humble. Me, being from central MN, I was a little scared and nervous but mostly just in awe of the enormity of the whole thing.
As the superstar trombonist at my HS, I ate plenty of humble pie when an upperclassman hit a high A with no problem at all.
This ain't a band for the timid, which is probably why I never played above 3rd part.
That's my firsthand account of my first marching band practice as a Gopher. I'm sure football practice is pretty much the same.

 

[Formo]

No disrespect to your coaches intended, but i have a strong belief that many coaches really do not work kid's heads as much as they should. Most kids are capable of playing better, some need more confidence, some need better technique help, and some really do not do a good job of figuring out what a kid can do right and put him in that position.
Kids that play for coaches who know how to get the best of them are really lucky, there are not that many of them.

It's true. I barely looked at my playbook because I didn't have the heart/head to want it. If I had my position coach riding me more, or just taking the extra 15 minutes a night working with me, I would have had more confidence. Which would have lead to more drive and my heart would have been into more.