Last Game of the Regular Season

YES!! We Run Through A Banner!!!

So tomorrow is the last game of the regular season.  If we win, we will finish the season 4-4.  If by some self implosion, we lose, we will be 3-5 & be the 3rd seed in the playoffs.  However, I didn't train or coach my kids to lose, so I don't see us leaving the field with anything but a WIN!  


This is a big game for us.  I realize that 2 games have passed since I last posted.  Unreal.  We had an awesome win against the 4th seed & a really good game against the #1 team in our league.  We didn't win that game but we did play really good.  They just played better because they scored. It's tough for me to sit here and admit that we lost and that the other team played better.  It really doesn't matter too much.  My team has been really good all season long.  We would actually be 5-3 right now if we had not gotten a bad whistle blown back in the first game of the season.  


Regardless of how the season ultimately turns out I know that I can go into the off season with my head held high.  I've already gotten a commitment from all 3 of my assistant coaches to come back for one more season and I will have the best QB & best Linebacker in the league.  I guess I should mention that my son was named Captain of the Defense by the coaches & that he was so proud to see a C on the front of his uniform that it made me realize what a great decision it was for me to coach him this season.


He has come a long way since last year.  He's faster, stronger, smarter and so much more alert out there.  I guess he just needed a better coach.  *I make myself smile...  


One of the biggest highlights of the season was that other than parents asking me if their child was going to play in a game, one after just a few plays into the 2nd quarter, which I let go because it was a big game, I haven't had any complaints and mostly really good compliments from the parents.  We have 12 players on this team.  That's more than any other team out there.  It's a challenge to rotate them all out all the time, but I know that tomorrow I will do it. 


I have 2 weeks to prepare for the playoff game that we HAVE to win in order to get to the Super Bowl. Again, I know that this is only Flag Football, but if I don't teach my son & my team that WINNING is important, they will suffer in the future thinking that mediocre is okay.  I don't mind if we lose, as long as we give 100%.  That's all I have asked of them & that's what I expect tomorrow.

Who's ready for some football!?  I AM!!!

Coach

We WON as a Team!!!

(Stepping back to pass & yeah, there's no pressure)

Great teams find a way to win even when it's not pretty.  Great teams come back & show that they may bend but will not break.  Well, my flag football team did just that today. I am very proud of how well we performed several different facets of the game.  Our offensive line blocked much better.  Our smallest player caught a crucial 1st down pass.  My son who always wants to run, even if he's not the fastest back on the field squeaked out 5 yards for another critical first down. However, I know we  weren't perfect.  Nope! We were far from it. But we got the win on the last play of the game... which was - A Hail Mary! 

For the first time this season I felt alone on the sideline.  My assistant coaches were not happy with my play selection & they let me know by keeping their distance.  I wasn't upset about it. I mean, in the end, we won and hindsight is always 20/20 so it all worked out for the best.  

The one thing that we all agree on is that the league knows we can pass the ball and they know we can do it well.  I posted the picture of what happens when 2 linemen have no one to block because the defense has all dropped back into coverage.  Fortunately, he didn't pass the ball he scrambled and got yards on the ground. 

So, now I get to draw up some new plays and some new plans for the next couple of weeks.  I met with two of my coaches yesterday at a birthday party, and yes, we talked football as most men tend to do.  We discussed ideas and how they understand that I have to take off the hat of "nice coach" and start focusing on "Winning coach".  

The playoffs are coming up soon and I want my team to be at their best.  We've added a second day of practice from now till the end of the season. We
are "going back to the old drawing board" and getting back to some basics. 

I have the support of my coaches 100%! They made that clear. They just want to see us get a much more comfortable lead before I start calling trick plays and pass plays that could result in dropped passes that stop the clock.  I get that.  I have received enough praise from most of the parents to know that no one feels like their child isn't receiving enough playing time. So... now it's time to buckle up that imaginary chin strap and plan, plan, plan! 


-Coach