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Winter Conditioning Leaders

Remember when those results made the paper. Damn another reason I know I’m “seasoned”.
I used to love reading that testing results in the OWH.
Of course the thing that put an end to publishing those results was when a few vocal fans started dogging and calling out those players by name that had poorer test results. With social media and message boards the harassment of players would be SO MUCH WORSE these days.
 
Back then they actually meant something, in today’s world I’m not so sure

Too much "looks like Tarzan plays like Jane" going on today to put much stock in physical testing results. If they figure out how to post results for improvement in stats like learning to wrap up when tackling, improved restraint in committing stupid penalties, reduction in mental mistakes, reduced propencity for turnovers, and abilities to make better halftime adjustments, I'd love to see those test results.
 
Too much "looks like Tarzan plays like Jane" going on today to put much stock in physical testing results. If they figure out how to post results for improvement in stats like learning to wrap up when tackling, improved restraint in committing stupid penalties, reduction in mental mistakes, reduced propencity for turnovers, and abilities to make better halftime adjustments, I'd love to see those test results.

Those are all coaching issues, are the players to coach themselves now?
 
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I’m encouraged that Jay Foreman thinks our players are right where they should be in the weight room. I’m also intrigued that he diagnosed our W/L issue with mental stuff between the ears. How do you help a team mentally sharpen to get past several years of consistent mental errors?
 
Those are all coaching issues, are the players to coach themselves now?

That is an interesting statement and there is a lot of truth to it. But, as I think back to when I was playing college basketball, I don't think any of the players thought this way, at that time. It was never my opinion that it was up to the coaches to make me better. If a player wasn't improving, I never thought it was the coaches fault. If someone wasn't getting the job done, it never occurred to me that maybe he wasn't developed right. For example, I did't work as hard in the weight room as I should have and as some of my peers did, but I never thought to blame someone other than myself. I know some of this was just youthful ignorance, but it is interesting to think about. We see a lot of posts about players not thinking they are developed right, etc, but I wonder how many actually think this way?
 
That is an interesting statement and there is a lot of truth to it. But, as I think back to when I was playing college basketball, I don't think any of the players thought this way, at that time. It was never my opinion that it was up to the coaches to make me better. If a player wasn't improving, I never thought it was the coaches fault. If someone wasn't getting the job done, it never occurred to me that maybe he wasn't developed right. For example, I did't work as hard in the weight room as I should have and as some of my peers did, but I never thought to blame someone other than myself. I know some of this was just youthful ignorance, but it is interesting to think about. We see a lot of posts about players not thinking they are developed right, etc, but I wonder how many actually think this way?
I tend to agree based on my experiences as well. As a player, my main concerns were winning, improving my play, how much I played, and what position I played. Whether coaches were "developing me" never crossed my mind. I also can't ever remember thinking after a loss that it was the coach's fault - we either just didn't play good or the other team had better players.

Of course, with age you grow to see how coaching impacts various aspects of performance. If players today have those "they aren't developing me" thoughts, they are either wired way different than I was or parents or other outside parties are planting those thoughts.
 
I’m encouraged that Jay Foreman thinks our players are right where they should be in the weight room. I’m also intrigued that he diagnosed our W/L issue with mental stuff between the ears. How do you help a team mentally sharpen to get past several years of consistent mental errors?

That's the most baffling thing about this program currently.

We are on (at least) our third consecutive head coach where the team underperforms almost every game due to a total breakdown of discipline.

And not just in one area. Experienced returners fair catching punts on the three yard line. Lack of discipline type penalties. Allowing a punter to run for a 15 yard first down on 4th and long. Sliding on third down short of the first down marker by a yard. Throwing red zone picks into double coverage.
 
That's the most baffling thing about this program currently.

We are on (at least) our third consecutive head coach where the team underperforms almost every game due to a total breakdown of discipline.

And not just in one area. Experienced returners fair catching punts on the three yard line. Lack of discipline type penalties. Allowing a punter to run for a 15 yard first down on 4th and long. Sliding on third down short of the first down marker by a yard. Throwing red zone picks into double coverage.

You are what you tolerate.
 
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Too much "looks like Tarzan plays like Jane" going on today to put much stock in physical testing results. If they figure out how to post results for improvement in stats like learning to wrap up when tackling, improved restraint in committing stupid penalties, reduction in mental mistakes, reduced propensity for turnovers, and abilities to make better halftime adjustments, I'd love to see those test results.
They have that metric. It is known as the W/L column.
 
I tend to agree based on my experiences as well. As a player, my main concerns were winning, improving my play, how much I played, and what position I played. Whether coaches were "developing me" never crossed my mind. I also can't ever remember thinking after a loss that it was the coach's fault - we either just didn't play good or the other team had better players.

Of course, with age you grow to see how coaching impacts various aspects of performance. If players today have those "they aren't developing me" thoughts, they are either wired way different than I was or parents or other outside parties are planting those thoughts.

That's the most baffling thing about this program currently.

We are on (at least) our third consecutive head coach where the team underperforms almost every game due to a total breakdown of discipline.

And not just in one area. Experienced returners fair catching punts on the three yard line. Lack of discipline type penalties. Allowing a punter to run for a 15 yard first down on 4th and long. Sliding on third down short of the first down marker by a yard. Throwing red zone picks into double coverage.

Yes, players are responsible for physical development, but the coaches must not be noticing or paying attention to all these mental errors and attitude during practices. You can bet a sharp coach like Saban or Snyder or Osborne pays attention to the little details during practices and makes corrections.
 
I’m encouraged that Jay Foreman thinks our players are right where they should be in the weight room. I’m also intrigued that he diagnosed our W/L issue with mental stuff between the ears. How do you help a team mentally sharpen to get past several years of consistent mental errors?
Jay is getting at the root of the problem. Winners win, losers lose. The talent has to have confidence in its play. When programs sink under the waves in terms of wins/losses, it can be hard to right that ship. I think we began to see the turnaround on D this year. Just better overall play and more importantly, emerging confidence in play. It is nice to see that group come back largely intact with a crack at another season. On offense, the pieces on the Oline are coming together. I really think the key to the whole thing is getting reliable play from a couple of running backs. The B1G is a tough league in terms of running defense. Being able to rely on getting the needed yards to be on schedule for down and distance is critical. I'll feel a whole lot better when it's third and three and everyone in the stadium, including the opposing D, doesn't know it's going to be Adrian carrying the ball.
 
I’m encouraged that Jay Foreman thinks our players are right where they should be in the weight room. I’m also intrigued that he diagnosed our W/L issue with mental stuff between the ears. How do you help a team mentally sharpen to get past several years of consistent mental errors?
Attention to detail, and winning habits that you create daily. All about effort. Literally why Foreman and Peter are there. Daily championship habits. Accountability. I know it sounds like a broken record when Frost says it, but that’s really what it is. Attitude, effort, and championship mentality with anything and everything in life
 
Yes, players are responsible for physical development, but the coaches must not be noticing or paying attention to all these mental errors and attitude during practices. You can bet a sharp coach like Saban or Snyder or Osborne pays attention to the little details during practices and makes corrections.
Hold players accountable too. They have to have a desire to want to fix those mistakes too.
 
I’m encouraged that Jay Foreman thinks our players are right where they should be in the weight room. I’m also intrigued that he diagnosed our W/L issue with mental stuff between the ears. How do you help a team mentally sharpen to get past several years of consistent mental errors?
You remove the 'leadership' with the mental issues so that it doesn't spread to the rest of your team like a cancer.. And failure to do such, IS a coaching issue.
 
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Jay is getting at the root of the problem. Winners win, losers lose. The talent has to have confidence in its play. When programs sink under the waves in terms of wins/losses, it can be hard to right that ship. I think we began to see the turnaround on D this year. Just better overall play and more importantly, emerging confidence in play. It is nice to see that group come back largely intact with a crack at another season. On offense, the pieces on the Oline are coming together. I really think the key to the whole thing is getting reliable play from a couple of running backs. The B1G is a tough league in terms of running defense. Being able to rely on getting the needed yards to be on schedule for down and distance is critical. I'll feel a whole lot better when it's third and three and everyone in the stadium, including the opposing D, doesn't know it's going to be Adrian carrying the ball.
BIG so tough that when the best team in the BIG (OSt) couldn't stop Bama's run game....
 
You remove the 'leadership' with the mental issues so that it doesn't spread to the rest of your team like a cancer.. And failure to do such, IS a coaching issue.

Formen was on a radio show a couple of weeks ago and alluded to this starting to happen. He said the coaching staff let him know that the team wasn’t fully bought in their first year. Each year as guys have left they get more and more buy in from the team. Foreman said the coaching staff feels they are finally getting to the point where they have that collective buy in at the level they need it to be at and that they have enough leaders on the team holding guys accountable.

I forget who said this.... but some player said they felt this was the most together and unified he had felt the team be for winter conditioning. (We do hear that every year though so I’ll believe it when I see it).
 
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