Coach Flip Naumburg's Journal

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

PICK A NUMBER – ANY NUMBER

Many years ago when I was coaching at the JV college Club level I learned/decided that if just one single kid shows up for a practice, and though it may be pouring rain outside and outside is all you got, coaching work can still get done. I have lived by that ever since.

This is exam week here at CSU. I want them to do well in school. We are not ‘Team Phi Beta Kappa’. Most of them can read and write, however.

Soon they (players) will scatter for a full month. I hate that they will be gone so long, of course, but it’s okay in many ways because it used to be three months between practices around this time of year. I really didn’t like that. I think I can make it thirty days, but I will be annoying them periodically with emails and stuff like that.

IF 6 TURNED OUT TO BE 9…again

Last night’s practice had about 15 there to start off with. For us an attendance number of fifteen is pathetic under most any circumstances. However, when I coached at Pepperdine we never had as many as 15 players for any GAME that I ever coached, so I guess it is a ‘count your blessings’ sort of thing.

I don’t know if I can team coach as well with fewer numbers, but the truth is that I can always get some building done, even on a team level and no matter how many or few are on practice site. I think I have improved that area of ‘my game’ a great deal over the years. That is definitely coaching ‘on the fly’ coaching, and in fact last night was the first time this year that I have worked ‘paper free’ (no timed practice schedule in my hand).

By the end last night, however, there must have been 25 or so total in the house, including coaches and extras, and an excellent time was had by all, even by me. The turnout was pretty good considering the academic ‘stress’ on them right now. The Edge gave us some extra time to play with at the end and that is always a plus.

LIVING ON THE EDGE

I’m trying to come up with a ‘game’ to play in there (Edge = basically a1/2 field with walls) that works for that ‘team building’ process. It needs to be like 5 on 5 or 6 on 6 kind of thing with 2 goalies and 2 goals. It is a work in progress because I’m not that happy with the little game that we played in there last night. That slow motion track meet with sticks made basketball look like a low scoring game. The goalies were shooting on each other and running all over the place, and while fun for them, as they know, it’s "NOT (exactly) WHAT I WANT!"

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

I’m starting to feel better and better about the team puzzle and what it might picture when the pieces are properly fit together. Roles are beginning to emerge in their own minds. This is a good thing. I have been having individual conversations with many of them lately. It just feels like it is beginning to come together.

Next Entry | Previous Entry


Flip Started Blogging Before it was Cool, Read Over 400 of His Entries Since January 2001
Jump to a Period:
2006: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov
2005: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2004: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2003: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2002: Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2001: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Sept Oct Nov Dec