I smell bad wrote:Many don't want to hear this, or read it, but I say it and I will write it anyway cause I strongly believe in it. Some have touched on this with their posts. But to be more specific, simply scheduling better teams is not the cure all to being successful in the playoffs. Some teams can schedule up and beat some of the better teams without making any other changes. But most don't simply schedule better teams, beat those teams, and then start winning playoff games. Most have to do some retrospection, and make the decision to improve their program. You have to do the things the better programs do to have a chance to be successful against them. Unfortunately, many coaches are not willing to do that. They either think they are already doing things the best way, or they don't want to put the time in that it takes to make a change. In the latter case, many times neither do the players. Then they blame any number of people or things for the reasons why they can't win playoff games. But they never take a look in the mirror. So to the teams that continually make the playoffs and lose by larger margins, I say you need to take a look at what you are doing and not just at your schedule. You can either continue to claim you have horrible luck in the playoff draw, blame other people and other things for your losses, or you can do some self analysis and try to improve.
IRONFALCON wrote:I might be off here but I have another thought. A lot of guys that play at bigger schools also only play one sport. Take track for example, to northern kids it's a big deal and they spend all year working for one sport. The competition is such at bigger schools that a lot of guys can only play one sport unless very gifted, of course there are exceptions to this. But in our area most guys play at least 2 and often times three sometimes four sports every year. It is nearly impossible for kids to play that many sports and put the work into the weight room like they need to do to compete at the end of the season. We have teams that go great for 6-7 weeks but then hit a wall because their off-season preparation is not as good as it needed to be. When a group of 40 guys dedicate themselves to one sport and prepare all year round for 4 years for it of course they are going to be head and shoulders above other teams.
LoganLocos wrote:I smell bad wrote:Many don't want to hear this, or read it, but I say it and I will write it anyway cause I strongly believe in it. Some have touched on this with their posts. But to be more specific, simply scheduling better teams is not the cure all to being successful in the playoffs. Some teams can schedule up and beat some of the better teams without making any other changes. But most don't simply schedule better teams, beat those teams, and then start winning playoff games. Most have to do some retrospection, and make the decision to improve their program. You have to do the things the better programs do to have a chance to be successful against them. Unfortunately, many coaches are not willing to do that. They either think they are already doing things the best way, or they don't want to put the time in that it takes to make a change. In the latter case, many times neither do the players. Then they blame any number of people or things for the reasons why they can't win playoff games. But they never take a look in the mirror. So to the teams that continually make the playoffs and lose by larger margins, I say you need to take a look at what you are doing and not just at your schedule. You can either continue to claim you have horrible luck in the playoff draw, blame other people and other things for your losses, or you can do some self analysis and try to improve.
Amen.
I've seen it happen in Logan over the last ten years.
The 2000 team that went to a regional final and this years team could have won playoff games based on talent.
But last years Logan team, the 2007 team that nearly beat Tr-Valley, and the '06 team that made the playoffs were made better by schedule upgrades made in 2002 and 2003 (and beyond).
It has changed the entire level of our program. Our kids are learning to play at a higher level as freshmen and sophomores and it's continuing on to the Varsity team.
Logan used to have GREAT kids who would not be challenged but maybe once or twice a year. In turn, they "under-achieved." Now we have GREAT kids who play GREAT and FORCED to play great or get beat. Our kids and coaches are better for playing a better schedule.
4 HORSEMEN wrote:I think if you spend some time around different programs with different levels of playoff success, you will see a very different approach to the playoffs.
Some teams are just "tickled-pink" to be there! Other, more successful programs consider round one of the playoffs the beginning of the next journey, not the end-all-be-all of their season.
Last week I was at a playoff game between two teams.
Team "A" has a long history of playoff appearances and they completely EXPECTED to be there. Their team and fans treated it like any other game on their schedule because in their mind, they EXPECTED to be playing week 11.
Team "B" has not had much playoff success. They had t-shirts made up that said "2009 State Playoffs". It was obvious that both the fans and the team were just happy to be there. Their attitude and demeanor completely revealed that week 11 was the "crowning achievement" of their season.
Long story short, team A destroyed team B.
Team "A" just won last night too. This also was exactly what the fans expected (even though this years team is far from the best they have ever known). They truly believe their SEASON begins in the Regional Championship.
Scheduling up, being progressive in the development of your athletes and program, and changing your team expectations and attitudes can go a long way to helping your program be competitive in the playoffs.
Don't get me wrong, take the time to enjoy ever win and every trip to the playoffs, but expect and prepare for excellence......... Sometimes VERY GOOD things happen
datchillicav wrote:SCHEDULE. That is why Ironton has been successful in the playoffs. It is why Logan has not been usually, but why I feel that they are beginning to be. They used to play in the SEOAL(doesn;t get you ready for D1 and 2 playoffs) AND schedule relatively weak non conference games often. Now, they are still in the SEOAL but they probably played the toughest non-conference schedule in SEO this year. It began to pay off last year and I think will pay off this year.
Most that have spoken so far have been mostly correct.
Wrestler87 wrote:datchillicav wrote:SCHEDULE. That is why Ironton has been successful in the playoffs. It is why Logan has not been usually, but why I feel that they are beginning to be. They used to play in the SEOAL(doesn;t get you ready for D1 and 2 playoffs) AND schedule relatively weak non conference games often. Now, they are still in the SEOAL but they probably played the toughest non-conference schedule in SEO this year. It began to pay off last year and I think will pay off this year.
Most that have spoken so far have been mostly correct.
Who Logan plays didn't make the set of Seniors have the talent they possess. It did help them better prepare for the post season. Keep the odds of a State Championship in mind. 700 + Teams vie for 6 titles. LESS than a 1% chance, so as an Average for all schools combined- one in every 100+ years.
I just think the schools should schedule as strong as they can schedule for (depending on league strength) 2-3 football games. If they lose those, maybe they aren't really looking at a State Title anyways, and need to focus on League. If they DO win those tough games, League can be used to fine tune. Keeping participation up is most Key in our area IMO. Those who are doing the best seem to have the highest participation rates per total student body.
Also, scheduling begins young. Don't just throw a D-5 team who has been playing locally into the fire at the Varsity level against a D-1 talent team and expect them to suddenly have the tricks of the more tested teams mastered.
That's just my 2 cents.
4 HORSEMEN wrote:I think if you spend some time around different programs with different levels of playoff success, you will see a very different approach to the playoffs.
Some teams are just "tickled-pink" to be there! Other, more successful programs consider round one of the playoffs the beginning of the next journey, not the end-all-be-all of their season.
Last week I was at a playoff game between two teams.
Team "A" has a long history of playoff appearances and they completely EXPECTED to be there. Their team and fans treated it like any other game on their schedule because in their mind, they EXPECTED to be playing week 11.
Team "B" has not had much playoff success. They had t-shirts made up that said "2009 State Playoffs". It was obvious that both the fans and the team were just happy to be there. Their attitude and demeanor completely revealed that week 11 was the "crowning achievement" of their season.
Long story short, team A destroyed team B.
Team "A" just won last night too. This also was exactly what the fans expected (even though this years team is far from the best they have ever known). They truly believe their SEASON begins in the Regional Championship.
Scheduling up, being progressive in the development of your athletes and program, and changing your team expectations and attitudes can go a long way to helping your program be competitive in the playoffs.
Don't get me wrong, take the time to enjoy ever win and every trip to the playoffs, but expect and prepare for excellence......... Sometimes VERY GOOD things happen
