Click images for desktop size: "Organic" by Pixelhust We played our make up game on Monday night. Started under a pus filled sun and ended with misty haloes around bright lights.
We won in overtime - 28-21. We were leading 21-7 at the half. We nearly gave it way.
In the first half we controlled things well, but the opposing coach made a nice half time adjustment and figured out how to jam up our radar blocking scheme. I was impressed that he recognized it and came up with his own scheme to counteract.
After our second 3 and out I changed the scheme and asked my guys to go back to straight zone blocking calls. I told the OC and told him that it would probably take 1 or 2 series for the changes to settle in and get us the flow back, and that we could exploit it later on when we had the front 7 committed to the wrong pattern.
He panicked and decided to get off the game plan.
I'm not one of those who believes that football is an aphorism for war, but in any contest the most inexplicable thing is to be winning and then to panic because there are small set backs. I know that they're are people out there who are only satisfied with winning in a devastating fashion, that even the smallest losses are a disgrace. It seems more prevalent to me now. I think its a heavy influence of video games.
Or maybe it was the resounding success of New Coke.
Anyway, they scored 14 points off of our turnovers. There was so much panic in the coaches during the overtime break that the kids just went out and played the way we taught them how to play. They scored on the first possession, easy and going away. hen when our opponent had the ball they were tight, over coached they fumbled on their second touch. We recovered. Game over.
We made the state top 25 yesterday. The guys we beat were still ranked 3 steps in front of us . . . go figure.
So far this season I've re-learned something, something that seems important to me.
As a coach my job is to teach. I teach kids the best way to play their sport. I teach them the skills they need to excel. Sometimes I meet an athlete who's talent far exceeds my coaching abilities. Then my job is to do my best not to mess them up and to give them the opportunity to use their talent.
My fancy schemes and strategies are pretty worthless things. What matters is what happens out on the field. Its there where the miracles happen. A coach on game day doesn't do much except the sheerest greatest pleasure of watching others take the little they've learned from you and turn it into something real. Once upon a time I was accused of teaching young people how to be fine young adults. I didn't. The game taught them what they needed to know about life, about being part of something, something important. All I ever did was teach them how to play a game.

I went to the doctors today. Nothing special happened. No miracle cures there either. I do need to get new glasses. That irks me. I was happy not having a housemate but now, its pretty clear I have to have one. New glasses will be about $600. They have to be even darker. With a housemate its do-able.
My puppy and I have totally enjoyed having a home that is just ours.
We'll adapt. What else can we do?
Have suddenly had this odd fear of coming home and finding the new housemate gone along with every little thing we own.
We can survive that too.

Technorati Tags: football, youthfootball