Film Friday: S3 E7 – The Difference Between Winning and Losing

To view this video you need an All-Access Pass. It’s Worth It. Register here.

2 Comments

Ray Ostrowski on July 2, 2018 at 4:06 pm

High school football is a funny thing.

In my own experience I feel like talent certainly has a ton to do with success. I believe the other key factor is experience – and by experience I mean experienced players who have been around talent at some point and have tasted some success.

I have been fortunate to have been around some talented teams that have won. Sometimes the next season you don’t necessarily have that same talent returning, but you have a solid size class that has bought in (probably because you won the previous year) and they go into it at least believing they can compete. Call it dumb luck but in my experience somehow those teams end up winning just enough to be playoff teams. Whether its understanding the expectation, buying into the off-season workouts, or just showing up all the time’ those teams win enough for the community and coaches to view it as a success.

On the flip side, if that following year you also lack talent, things almost always get worse. For whatever reason most of those current seniors were sophomores the last time you had solid talent and they just don’t know how to live up to the expectations that were once set. It is frustrating as a coach because you see it coming. You try to go back and pull out some of the tricks that had worked two years prior to rekindle that spark – but the response to the stimulus isn’t the same.

In my opinion its all about competition and perceived competition. Those less successful teams tend to have guys who jumped ahead early and kind of coasted. Their backups are either young or very inexperienced, and they know that they seem to have a secured spot. To me, when you have a less talented HS team you have to find a way to create competition in everything you do. Even if the competition is a bit of smoke and mirrors, kids need to feel like they are being pushed. The amazing part is that more often than not a younger kid or two will win out because the older kid(s) mentally check out. As bad as it sounds, more often than not you’ve found your next leader(s) for the next 2 seasons. Does that help you immediately? Typically not. But its reestablishing that expectation that seemed to have been forgotten.

Coach Sousa on July 5, 2018 at 4:12 pm

Hey Coach,

I watched your film and one thing I saw that might be help you is with your LB’s. In this game they read their keys very well which is a credit to your staff. One thing I did notice was that when the opp teams ball carrier was running flat or cutting up, the backers had trouble slowing down and adjusting to the tackling angle.

One drill I use with my DB’s is when the RB is running flat they need to run flat parallel with him. This helps them from losing their tackling angle and getting outflanked. When the ball carrier comes down hill, they shuffle at a 45 degree angle aiming at his back hip without crossing their feet. Shuffling helps them to stay under control and be able to change direction.

I am a young coach and I am trying to break out of my shell of assuming that I dont know enough to comment on anything I see but I thought I would just say what I saw. Good Luck