Pr1de shorts....earned, not purchased

Getting ready to distribute Pr1de shorts to the guys that have EARNED them this summer. This is a great tradition that I copied from Coach Randy Reese and the Paris Greyhounds. Thank you to Larry Harris who got me going on this when we were both at Paris. In some programs, guys bring in cash and buy their gear. In our program, those items are earned. 
PS- If Jeff Reese, Larry or Chris Haney want to come run with us Tuesday night, we will give you a chance to EARN Pr1de shorts one more time! :)

Friday Night Under the Lights Camp

One of the best things we have done in our program over the last 20 plus years is host our Friday Night Under the Lights Football Camp.

Our first three camps (two at Paris, one at Mason) were all day on a Friday.  It was hot. I realized that all I was getting accomplished was convincing the kids that football was hard and hot. In 1997, we moved our camp to under the lights on a Friday night. Our numbers immediately improved and the kids had alot more fun escaping the heat.

Over the years, there have been a couple times we went over 100. This year, we were in the low 90s. 

We divide the camp in two. Kids under 9 do an overall football skill camp. Kids 10 and up go with the HS coaches and players and practice their position.  We also introduce strength & speed training. In 2017 we even had yoga!  We have some fun stations at the end followed by Titan Football (ultimate frisbee style). Through the night, campers also will participate in a Punt, Pass & Kick contest and we award the prizes at the end of camp. 

Farmers National Bank sponsors the camp and that helps with t-shirt expenses. Our bowl sponsor, Little Caesar's, provided pizza as part of their bowl sponsorship.

Kids have a bunch of choices these days. Football is still a GREAT game, but we have to work harder to get the message out there. Friday Night under the lights football camp has been a very effective way to get kids excited about football!

Thank you Jeremy Schneider & Congratulations Brian Deem!

Buchanans Happily Lend Name to Coaching Award

Thank you to Jeremy Schneider for making this gesture and congratulations to Brian Deem!

Brian Deem directs Rebels to superb seasons for John Buchanan Memorial Coach of The Year award

Practice Schedule #1, August 4th, 1969

There has been discussion in Kentucky regarding when football should start. When my Dad coached, they would lift 3 days a week all summer and then start practicing the first Monday in August. 

My Dad saved his practice schedules from his first season as a head coach. Here is practice #1, Monday, August 4, 1969.  The practice began at 7:15 pm and they ran conditioning at 9 pm.

At the bottom, that means they ran 12 20-yard sprints, and 6 40-yard sprints. 

Workouts vs. Practice: Balancing Commitment & Fairness

My Dad's first Boyle team in1969. In the old days, football practice began on August 1st.

In the past couple days I have talked to two very successful coaches and at very strong programs who were having trouble getting their kids to attend practices/workouts. We have tried to build in some flexibility in July and this is how we do it.

From the end of the dead period until we start official "practice" , we have "workouts."  For our guys to earn their Pr1de shorts, they must have no unexcused absences from workouts in July. In early/mid July, we will still allow our guys to miss for church camps, family vacations, and other legitimate reasons, as long as they communicate with us ahead of schedule.

Also, for the first two weeks, we only go 3 days a week. Each workout is 3 hours and they are pretty intense....county fair agilities, lifting on the whistle, and then Coach Duffy's jingle jangles. We will also hit all 3 phases of the game and do as much as we can without any pads.  I also like the extra recovery time they get because of how our workouts are spaced out while are kids are getting acclimated to the heat, humidity, & work load. We have already had one young man have significant dehydration issues. He is fine and he is safe, but it is taking his body time to adapt. The extra rest and recovery time will benefit our guys.

On the 3rd week, we have a 3 hour workout on Monday, conditioning test on Tuesday, and finally official PRACTICE begins on that Wednesday. Now, to miss, it generally means a death in the family or a serious illness is all that will excuse a young man. Why do I say generally?  Because there can always be exceptions. I try not to put myself in a corner where I would be unfair or make a decision that I know is wrong.

Why are we flexible with workouts?  I have a hard time telling a kid he can't go to church camp in mid-July. Some of our parents work in factories. They have no control over when they have vacation. I have had kids that were earning college basketball scholarships in July. I am going to work with those guys because it is important to their future. A college degree is a game changer for a young man and his family.

This is the format with a few tweaks here & there that we have used for 26 years. Most of the time it has worked well. I think the kids & families appreciate our attempt to be flexible and fair.

Besides, my Dad always told me, "If you can't get them ready in three weeks, you aren't a very good football coach!"

If any coach has a better way to navigate July, please email me at david.buchanan@mercer.kyschools.us.

OTA- speeding up the process, breaking up the monotony

We had an OTA here today with Danville, Mason County, & Woodford County. We originally got the idea from some high schools in south Alabama who had copied the NFL style workout. 7 on 7 is part of the OTA, but we also incorporate inside drill, 11 on 11, punt coverage and returning punts.  This is a noncontact event. It involves all areas of the game and the kids enjoy an NFL style workout.

I also like the OTA because it really pushes our kids after only having two workouts. We run multiple sets. They don't like so many sets and us pushing them to play fast. But, I could show them with my watch that as the day progressed, we played faster and better. We still have a long way to go, but overall it was good progress.

Working our punt protection today, our guys got to see several different looks for punt rush. We corrected a bunch of mistakes.  We also had to field punts with guys running down and getting in our face.

I was especially pleased with our linebackers today. They worked hard to do the fundamental things we want done. They were very coachable and did well getting to the right spot.

The report I got from our linemen work was also positive.

To a HS football player in 2017, July 10 until the first game on August 19th is a long time! The OTA workout breaks up the monotony of workouts and practices. If anything, we may add another one next year.

If any other HS coaches have experience or ideas on OTAs, please send those to me at david.buchanan@mercer.kyschools.us.

OTA = Organized Team Activities

"Around the Pole!"

I still look at this pole and cringe. I hated running around it. 

When I was in High School, between every period in practice, Coach French sent us, "around the pole!" I hated it and thought it was a waste of time. When my Dad had been the head coach, he did the same thing.  Coach French had been an assistant for my Dad and the tradition lived on with him.

One time I told my Dad I hated, "around the pole" and I thought it was a waste of time. In one of those moments when you realize your Dad knows more than you thought, he explained the pole to me.

The purpose of running around the pole was to get some extra conditioning while the position coach set up the next drill.  It was a more efficient use of time than having the players stand there and watch the coach set up the next drill. It made alot of sense to me. And now some times if I need extra time to prep a drill... you guessed it.... I tell the kids to run around the pole (goalposts since now we are fortunate to have a practice field and no longer practice in the baseball outfield).

I took that picture of the pole tonight. It seems like that thing comes alive in July, reminding me of the past. To show the impression it made on me, I can remember the songs running through my head as I ran around the pole for the first practices in full gear my junior and senior seasons. I think it is absolutely insane that I remember those moments.  For the old guys out there, here are my "around the pole" songs for practice #1 in 1981She's a Woman in Love- Tom Petty & 1982  Urgent- Foreigner.  Since I was really slow, I could get through most of the song in one trip!

Preseason Staff Meetings

Some of our staff members after a couple of our guys received awards in the spring of 2016

Before we begin workouts on Monday, I will have met with every member of our staff through June and early July. In our meeting, we will look at job descriptions, game duties, & practice duties.  Bill Walsh's Finding the Winning Edge made it clear  to me that these documents & meetings were a level of organization and detail we needed for long range success. 

 In beginning year three as a staff, we still need to be deliberate in making sure we are all on the same page. And, I meet with each coach individually as opposed to as a group. It takes a little more time, but we can speak more freely. There may be things we need to say that would not be best to say in front of the entire group. It gives me a chance to communicate my expectations and for each coach to communicate his thoughts, input, and questions. 

I have tried to be intentional and take notes from each meeting and follow through on ideas that are shared from our assistants. Our staff members are good men & quality coaches. We are fortunate to have them on our staff. I try to pay attention to their insights to make me and our program better, and our kids more successful.

If you want to see our job descriptions, game duties, or practice duties, email me at david.buchanan@mercer.kyschools.us. If you have ideas for staff organization that are unique and/or effective, please share those with me.  This is a great time of year and we are excited to get started!

21 Minutes of Sports....getting our kids through the tough times

This past week I enjoyed watching parents play with their kids on the beach. Some of those kids could play all day. Others would have been content to sit down and be left alone.  Helping our kids be active is sometimes necessary.

When John Combs was little, he was not much into sports or being active, although he did love being around my football teams and the players/coaches. To get him to be more active, we came up with "21 minutes of sports."  Each day, he and I would play basketball for 7 minutes, baseball for 7 minutes, and football for 7 minutes. We had variety and it went by fast. It was also a deliberate way we would spend time together.

John Combs as the waterboy & later as linebacker

Later, he would play football in little league, middle school, and high school. Although I certainly encouraged him, he chose to run indoor track in HS to improve his speed for football. He would tell you now that he is very glad he chose to play football. Individually and as a team, he enjoyed alot of success on the field.   I am really glad we encouraged him to be active at a time he did not really want to go outside and do much.

Trosper, on the other hand, has lived outside playing sports. The number of sprints, passes, punts, kicks, catches, shots, etc. are through the roof. The only thing that ended some of his days outside was that the sun would finally go down.  There will be several Friday nights for him that he will be reliving scenarios that he imagined and already played in the front yard.  "21 minutes of sports" would have been his warm up.

Trosper's birthday present one year was a football field painted in the front yard

As we get ready for preseason football, get ready to hear.... "it is not fun anymore", "my heart isn't in it", etc. The toughest part of football season is right around the corner. There will be times that many kids will feel like quitting. Don't let them. No one wants to "make" their child do something. But, the reality is that many kids do WANT to be football players and they want to experience Friday nights. But, because of the grind & heat, there are those moments that are tough and not much fun.  When our kids get to those points, don't let them give into their feelings. HELP them get through the tough time so they can have that experience. They will be glad you helped them.  And, what a great life lesson and concept for them going forward as adults.

I am 52 years old and the son of a HS football coach. The first football season I remember well I was 4 years old. In 48 years, I have heard many guys say the regretted quitting football. I have never heard one guy say they played football and it was a mistake.

Help your son over the next few weeks when things get tough. Don't let him give into those moments he is tired, hot and overwhelmed. Those Friday nights will be here, and gone, before you know it.