Changing a Football Culture (Public Schools)?

[quadzilla200]

What does it take to change a football culture in a district?
I live in an area where there are three high schools (Chrisman, Truman and Fort Osage) that are literally neighbors with essentially the same demographics and enrollment. Fort does very well usually unless rebuilding, while Truman and Chrisman might get one good year every now and again if they have a 4 star athlete show up and are in the cellar the rest of the time. Just doing a drive by the summer camps I see Fort has twice the kids out on the field. This is something that goes back decades now, so I'm not picking on the current head coaches as I'm sure they try to answer this question all the time.
NKC, Raytown, Winnetonka all seem to have had sustained positive shifts. On the flipside Blue Springs South's culture seems to have gone the other way.

I noticed down south that the winning Webb City and Lamar have done seems to have carried over to lots of football programs in that part of the state.

Is it a good youth program through 7th grade?
Is it an existing buy in from incoming freshman that they want to be in a winning program of some kind? Some of the examples above had to overcome that lack of winning.
The coaches?
Certain tough mentality?
Junior high being next to the high school and not in another part of town?
I don't even want to say recruiting, but recruiting?

One thing that I think is true is the tough mentality of kids and I associate that with schools that have strong wrestling program traditions especially for the defensive side of the ball. Almost every school in the Northland of KC has won a state championship or multiple in wrestling over the last 20 years, and they are never a doormat in football. (Kearney, Platte County, Park Hill, Staley, Liberty, etc)

 

[503_Maple]

What does it take to change a football culture in a district?
I live in an area where there are three high schools (Chrisman, Truman and Fort Osage) that are literally neighbors with essentially the same demographics and enrollment. Fort does very well usually unless rebuilding, while Truman and Chrisman might get one good year every now and again if they have a 4 star athlete show up and are in the cellar the rest of the time. Just doing a drive by the summer camps I see Fort has twice the kids out on the field. This is something that goes back decades now, so I'm not picking on the current head coaches as I'm sure they try to answer this question all the time.
NKC, Raytown, Winnetonka all seem to have had sustained positive shifts. On the flipside Blue Springs South's culture seems to have gone the other way.

I noticed down south that the winning Webb City and Lamar have done seems to have carried over to lots of football programs in that part of the state.

Is it a good youth program through 7th grade?
Is it an existing buy in from incoming freshman that they want to be in a winning program of some kind? Some of the examples above had to overcome that lack of winning.
The coaches?
Certain tough mentality?
Junior high being next to the high school and not in another part of town?
I don't even want to say recruiting, but recruiting?

One thing that I think is true is the tough mentality of kids and I associate that with schools that have strong wrestling program traditions especially for the defensive side of the ball. Almost every school in the Northland of KC has won a state championship or multiple in wrestling over the last 20 years, and they are never a doormat in football. (Kearney, Platte County, Park Hill, Staley, Liberty, etc)

I feel like Lamar and Webb City are such successful stories it’s hard to use them as an example? But Webb City and Lamar both do things any program/school can try do. Youth programs are huge. Kids buying in from a young age is huge. Parents staying out of the way is huge. Parents not playing favorites is huge. Lamar for example teaches plays from high school from a young age all the ways up. They know the playbook to one degree to another from a young age.

Things you can’t teach though obviously is athleticism and heart and coaching. But any program can do the first part with the right attitude and dedication. It’s obviously not easy. Or everyone would be doing it. That’s my two cents.

 

[MarcAsai]

It starts and stops at having coaches that 1. kids want to be around 2. will place higher value on work ethic than talent.

 

[thetophat2021]

It starts and stops at having coaches that 1. kids want to be around 2. will place higher value on work ethic than talent.

Just like everything in life it always comes down to HARD WORK. It starts early up here in the KC northland, too.

 

[WFBuckely]

You need a Coach Nickerson...

 

[Pancho and Lefty]

Strangely nothing has been said from a booster club president about what the club does for a program.......

 

[TheRealJoey]

Mr. Bosko would say a coach like Nickerson is exactly what you don't need. Too much of a loose cannon.

 

[shoot90draw]

Strangely nothing has been said from a booster club president about what the club does for a program.......

Most of the Doc Guys are on summer break, er, I mean hiatus right now

 

[bullitpdq68]

Most of the Doc Guys are on summer break, er, I mean hiatus right now

Bosko was last seen driving to Nebraska to try and right that mess....

 

[Missouri Kid]

It starts and stops at having coaches that 1. kids want to be around 2. will place higher value on work ethic than talent.

I agree it starts with what you have stated but I don't think it stops there. I think you need a coach who is a great evaluator of personnel for his O and D schemes and makes those calls w/o regard to the players pedigree, former position(s) or family influence.

I personally saw such a scenario transpire. School with a mediocre record of football success brings in new coach who evaluates players and tells a two year starter at QB that he needs him to play TB. Kid resists move and on verge of quitting when coach sets him and his father down for a heart to heart. Coach tells them kid is an average to slightly above average QB but he has the potential to be an all conference TB, in his opinion. Coach moves returning starting FB to pulling guard and numerous other position changes. The community is grumbling about this idiot they hired busting up their returning backfield and making stupid changes.

The season starts and winning begins and the very successful season kick starts a very stellar (though sometimes up and down) small school football tradition and culture.

Oh, the TB (who could run away from you or run over you) and the pulling Guard were all conference.........and.........1st team ALL STATE.

 

[notmyplace]

Every situation is different.

But .... the vast majority of communities have way more kids whose parents are working class, or poor, then they have bankers and lawyers.

Figure out how to motivate and include the working class kids and stop thinking that just because a kid's dad can litigate a divorce settlement that qualifies him to be the starting QB and you'll have a leg up on half the competition.

 

[503_Maple]

Every situation is different.

But .... the vast majority of communities have way more kids whose parents are working class, or poor, then they have bankers and lawyers.

Figure out how to motivate and include the working class kids and stop thinking that just because a kid's dad can litigate a divorce settlement that qualifies him to be the starting QB and you'll have a leg up on half the competition.

I’ve also noticed it helps of other sports are kinda average in the school as well. If everyone is focused on football? Then it helps get more of those athletes playing other sports to focus on football.

 

[l_Pete_l]

After having four boys go through the Lamar rising and having coached in youth football here's some things I saw:

1. You need a coach that is allowed to coach at a championship level. This is hard after watching sub par level coaches produce nothing year after year and coach after coach. Parents get used to complaining (and usually rightly so) over coaches that allow kids to play based off their last name, favoritism and just bad coaching. When a good coach comes in they keep up their complaining and now have other parents complain because their kid isn't playing based off of his last name anymore. Bailey faced this the entire time at Lamar (even after 7 championships) which took many parents speaking out against the complaining.
2. You need an administration that won't cave to parents complaining about the championship level coach pushing their boys. Also, other programs within the school have the potential of becoming jealous over the success and develop attitudes that are given a voice that adds pressure to not back the champion level football team.
3. You need parents that have a vision to see their team/school go to championship level more than they want their own kid to play. To be a champion it takes massive discipline and very hard work. Parents that pamper their kid and they don't discipline them seem to have a problem watching their kid being disciplined and working at that championship level.
4. You need someone implanting the vision in the kids from the youth football level. Kids need to know the work and dedication expected of them so the coach doesn't have to fight so hard to get the kids motivated.
5. You need a community that backs the team financially, in attendance and with their voice to help squelch some of the stirring that WILL rise against the program.
6. I know most would put this as #1 but you need talent. The reason it's here is because a good coach that has a great program will develop talent and ability. At Lamar we've faced teams that had significantly higher talent but we out coached them and our boys were more disciplined to stay home and play their position with excellence.

This is obviously all my opinion. It is based off of coaching and watching. Please feel free to tweak this from how you've seen it.

 

[ugaboz]

After having four boys go through the Lamar rising and having coached in youth football here's some things I saw:

1. You need a coach that is allowed to coach at a championship level. This is hard after watching sub par level coaches produce nothing year after year and coach after coach. Parents get used to complaining (and usually rightly so) over coaches that allow kids to play based off their last name, favoritism and just bad coaching. When a good coach comes in they keep up their complaining and now have other parents complain because their kid isn't playing based off of his last name anymore. Bailey faced this the entire time at Lamar (even after 7 championships) which took many parents speaking out against the complaining.
2. You need an administration that won't cave to parents complaining about the championship level coach pushing their boys. Also, other programs within the school have the potential of becoming jealous over the success and develop attitudes that are given a voice that adds pressure to not back the champion level football team.
3. You need parents that have a vision to see their team/school go to championship level more than they want their own kid to play. To be a champion it takes massive discipline and very hard work. Parents that pamper their kid and they don't discipline them seem to have a problem watching their kid being disciplined and working at that championship level.
4. You need someone implanting the vision in the kids from the youth football level. Kids need to know the work and dedication expected of them so the coach doesn't have to fight so hard to get the kids motivated.
5. You need a community that backs the team financially, in attendance and with their voice to help squelch some of the stirring that WILL rise against the program.
6. I know most would put this as #1 but you need talent. The reason it's here is because a good coach that has a great program will develop talent and ability. At Lamar we've faced teams that had significantly higher talent but we out coached them and our boys were more disciplined to stay home and play their position with excellence.

This is obviously all my opinion. It is based off of coaching and watching. Please feel free to tweak this from how you've seen it.

great post

 

[BoosterBosko]

Strangely nothing has been said from a booster club president about what the club does for a program.......

Mr. Bosko would say a coach like Nickerson is exactly what you don't need. Too much of a loose cannon.

Bosko was last seen driving to Nebraska to try and right that mess....

Okay you bozos and clowns! Like I said back in May, I was taking my summer hiatus! So NICE TRY!

Also, I was wrong about Coach Nickerson. I believe Ive stated several times in here before. Running him out of Ampipe was a big mistake. Instead of listening to the angry mob of townsfolk, I should have calmed them down. Done the exact opposite of what I do at pep rallies.

Another thing. That person in the scooter GIF is NOT ME!!!! Joe has posted that SEVERAL times and it still does not change the fact that is it NOT me. Now dont cross me!!!

 

[TheRealJoey]

Bosko teaches an advanced class at Ampipe Community College... University Boostering. There he discuses topics like new sports cars, phantom jobs and briefcases filled with cash. How to produce fake payroll stubs and keep records "off the books." Travel in style in booster provided private planes. Its all there, and it is fantastic.

 

[BoosterBosko]

Bosko teaches an advanced class at Ampipe Community College... University Boostering. There he discuses topics like new sports cars, phantom jobs and briefcases filled with cash. How to produce fake payroll stubs and keep records "off the books." Travel in style in booster provided private planes. Its all there, and it is fantastic.

I'll have you know that I run a CLEAN club here in Ampipe! All accusations of fraud, waste, voter intimidation, tax evasion, and money laundering are exactly that! Unfounded accusations that have never been proven in a court of law!

 

[TheRealJoey]

I'll have you know that I run a CLEAN club here in Ampipe! All accusations of fraud, waste, voter intimidation, tax evasion, and money laundering are exactly that! Unfounded accusations that have never been proven in a court of law!

"I'm in the waste management business. Everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. It's a stereotype. And it's offensive. And you're the last person I would want to perpetuate it... There is no Mafia." Tony Soprano

 

[BoosterBosko]

"I'm in the waste management business. Everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. It's a stereotype. And it's offensive. And you're the last person I would want to perpetuate it... There is no Mafia." Tony Soprano

Wise words from a wise man!