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

First Win of the Season

 

T. running towards the end zone! Like people are chasing him!

Time to report in...

So, I just realized that it's been 3 full days since my team's big game and I still hadn't reported on it. What is going on here!? Oh yeah... I was exhausted from being out on the field all day Saturday and then Sunday and Monday were back to back NFL days and work, etc... 

So, here is the report: We WON! Well, we did more than win, but I am not one to brag.  My kids went out there and played as well as could be.  We committed 0 penalties and scored on our first 4 possessions.  We threw the ball and we scored through the air.  The really neat part of it all was that I called the plays in the huddle and didn't have to make any adjustments. The kids knew their assignments.  My QB's were able to correct any little things that they felt they needed to.  I was a very happy camper.

We were down one receiver but we still pulled off the passing attack that seems to be rubbing off since i saw another team in our division practicing some passes while they warmed up.  Hmm?? It has been said that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".  So, yeah, I am aware that it's out there and now need to work on my team being ready to protect the pass.  I will say this; we had a "Pick 6" this weekend too so, I was even more thrilled than before about my defensive team's development.

The really nice thing about this week's game was watching my team break the huddle as a team.  They were LOUD & ENTHUSIASTIC! They were pumped. Obviously it's easier to be excited when you're winning then when you're down by 2 scores with less than a minute to play, but that's just the way it is.  I am also very happy to report that the parents were very supportive and were cheering for the team and not being negative which can happen sometimes.  I have the most kids on one team and 90% of them have never played together on a team so this has been a really good experience for me.  I don't have parents getting upset because their child doesn't play every down.  I get to rotate them as best as I can and it seems to be working.

The only negative aspect of this week's game was that my wife couldn't be there to watch her son play.  She had to work an event and that sometimes is the case.  I know it was hard for her to make that desicion and to also to look at the pictures from the game and know that she couldn't be out there cheering for her son, but she WILL be there next game ready to rock & roll.

Overall this first victory was very sweet to me as a coach because I could tell that the kids really felt like winners after time expired.  We have a week off until the next game  but there is no rest for champions.  We are having 2 practices this week and next week in preparation for our rematch against the "Lightning" or as we call them the Gold Team *Jersey color.  You know what they say; "Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice"... This time, we will be ready to shock them. 

-Coach

Things are Starting to Click

If only the rest of the world could be this easy!!

OK - First of all. I will say this once again.  I LOVE COACHING! There... I got that out of my system.  Now, having said that let me say that when you start to see the pieces of a puzzle come together and form a beautiful picture; the feeling is great.  We had practice yesterday and welcomed our newest member to our team. I don't use names because I like to respect the kids and parents privacy, but this kid was there for his first time and did GREAT!  We were down a lineman and we were able to teach him some basics and plug him into both the Offensive and Defensive lines without too much hassle.  That's a great thing.  Kids are truly amazing.  They can pick up so much information so quickly.

I had a great moment yesterday when one of the Assistant Coaches came up to me after a couple of my "Boise State/NCAA Video Game" Plays and said, "Hey Coach, that's a great play. I like that!"  That's a great feeling for me because I have been a parent on the sideline and helped with other coaches and there is nothing worse than seeing a coach run the same plays over and over and over and .... well, you get the point.

I am  hoping that Mother Nature allows us the same kind of weather this weekend that she gave us yesterday because my kids are ready to play some football! 

I am confident but not cocky. I am eager but not desperate.  I am ready to go out there and play some Aftershock football!  I like our team name.  Because that's exactly what we plan on doing to our opponents.  Leaving them in a state of shock!  Saturday's game time is 3:15 pm.  I can't think of any other way to spend my Saturday then with my son and my team...

I'll ask this again; Are you ready for some football!?  I know I am!

-Coach Carlos

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." - Vince Lombardi

First Game - Postponed due to inclement weather

Well, where should I begin this blog entry today?  Let me think... I was supposed to tell you about how great a game my team played on Saturday and how proud I am that they did so with just 1 FULL week of practice and 2 other practices without everyone present.  However, Mother nature sometimes has her own agenda & that is where I will begin todays post. 

Saturday morning came and I was up and ready by 6:30 am.  My offensive playbook was laminated and I had my wits about me.  I was ready to go out there and spend the day out in the heat with my children.  My first son's game was at 10 am and that meant, HEAT!  HUMIDITY... and MORE HEAT!  It was in fact relentless heat that surrounded  the field was really not as bad as it has been in the past, but still when you are out there with your nerves a wreck in aniticipation of your kids first game of the season, it was bad enough.
Being able to sit back and just cheer for your child is awesome.  Even if the coach in me was giving helpful hints & scouting tips to his coach about the other team and certain players, coaching styles etc, I was mostly there just to enjoy my sons playing.  He didn't disappoint.  He scored 3 times and played a great game.  I was so proud of him.  It was fantastic.  All I needed to complete my day was to get a "W" from my team and enjoy the rest of my Saturday.  However, like I said earlier; Mother Nature is going to do what she wants to do no matter what!

So the rain came & poured over the field.  By the time my teams game was set to start we were told that there was a 75% chance that it would be postponed due to weather.  Now here's the great part.  My whole team was there, under a tent ready to go even in the rain. The kids were ready with their uniforms on & eye black smeared to their faces.  We tossed the ball around in the rain & they weren't complaining.  Sometimes, you just have to remember that it's all a game.  They called the game & I had to tell the team that our first game would be played at a later date. 

Even though they were disappointed, they understood that it was for their safety and that this unfortunate event would give us more time to prepare.  I walked back to my car across the swamp like mess that was our field and realized that even the gray clouds couldn't make me feel any less proud of my team.  THEY were ready! THEY were pumped up! THEY WANTED to play and that makes a world of difference. 

So... I await this upcoming weekend and hope that this Tropical Storm or Hurricane that's out in the Atlantic goes away so my kids can get out there and play some football.

The good news is that our first "W" is still out there waiting for us! I say that because it is ours! We know what time it is... GAME TIME!!!

-Coach Carlos

(My "Lil Bear" running for 1 of his 3 scores) - I'm still a parent so I AM VERY Proud!

See the winning

 

See the winning

By Joel Boggess

With just a few ticks left on the game clock, the home team trails by just one point. This, being the biggest game of the year, carries with it a lot more weight than games played earlier in the season.

The players, having fought hard through the regular season, have waited the better part of their professional careers for this moment.

As the last few seconds of game time evaporate into thin air, a victor will soon be crowned, hailed, and celebrated.

Of the two best teams in the league, which one will pull out the victory?
Is it the team that plods out onto the field, runs the designated plays, and tries their best? Or is it the team that visualizes and senses the sights and sounds of the win first, before they hit the field?

Let’s take a brief look at history.

Hockey great Wayne Gretsky chose to skate to where the puck was going to be, instead of spending a lifetime chasing after it; Muhammad Ali made no apologies in letting people know that he was indeed “the greatest” in the professional boxing world; Michael Jordan saw his name reappearing on the high school roster after he had been cut; and Rudy Ruettiger knew he was born to play Notre Dame football.

What did these people know that still escapes so many others?

Whether you’re raising your children, bringing up the next generation of students, or coaching high-achievers in sports or in business, there is one simple truth: you have to see the winning in your mind’s eye, before you can do the winning in the public eye. You will see people do amazing things, once you help them learn how to tap into and feelthe electricity and heat of a victorious possibility.

Borrowing from the ideas of John Maxwell, here’s why:

When people sense victory
They sacrifice to succeed.
They look for ways to win.
They become energized.
They follow the game plan.
They help other team members.

When people sense defeat
They give as little as possible.
They look for excuses.
They become tired.
They forsake the game plan.
They hurt others.

Where are you today?  Are you sensing your victory and looking for ways to make it reality?  It is not enough to just “see” it – you have to create a game plan and then work that plan with commitment and tenacity.  You can do it!

With the heart of a teacher and the patience of a friend, Joel blends his educational experience (a master’s in counseling and an MBA) together with a passion for helping others to realize their God-given potential.  Help yourself to some of Joel’s favorite coaching tools.  Find out more about his latest book, One Woman’s Journey to the Work She Loves.