Adelaide Footy League D7 - 2017

[morell]

Lots of blokes just want to win and couldn't care less about the particulars ....

Sadly.

[Footy Chick]

Those who train, get picked first - it's not rocket science

You dont' need any fancy operant conditioning for that.

It's mens footy - not under 8's where everyone gets a turn.

[Q.]

Those who train, get picked first - it's not rocket science

You dont' need any fancy operant conditioning for that.

It's mens footy - not under 8's where everyone gets a turn.

I'm 34, and currently barely train because either I've barely recovered by Thursday or I'm working until past 7pm. Should I not be picked for A-grade?

[whufc]

You're making the assumption that playing A Grade is a reward and playing B grade is a punishment.

This is not always the case and is perhaps a unique problem in the lower levels.

Clubs should be trying to make A Grade a reward/prestigious especially when it comes to your 'star' players.

It would be an awful culture at a club if any bloke aged between 18-early thirties saw playing A Grade as anything but a reward, obviously there would be some legitimate cases with blokes who have had long term injuries, playing with son etc but you would want at least 90% of your b graders striving to play A Grade

[morell]

Doesn't work sorry FC as it's usually the spuds that train because they know they have to in order to get a game and the blokes that know how to play know they can get away with not turning up so eek out the excuses.

If you follow that process you paint yourself into a corner as the team inevitably sucks, then you lose by big margins and blokes stop being interested and numbers drop away and all of a sudden it snowballs.

The only way training attendance can guide selection is if the senior grade is a more desirable place to play than the reserves. That is often the case but when its not, that sort of policy can lead to disaster.

Pragmatism is the lower levels coaches best friend.

[whufc]

Those who train, get picked first - it's not rocket science

You dont' need any fancy operant conditioning for that.

It's mens footy - not under 8's where everyone gets a turn.

I'm 34, and currently barely train because either I've barely recovered by Thursday or I'm working until past 7pm. Should I not be picked for A-grade?

I'm sure you wouldn't be just standing at the bar pissing on every training session though

Oops I might be wrong though lol

[Arch44]

Those who train, get picked first - it's not rocket science

You dont' need any fancy operant conditioning for that.

It's mens footy - not under 8's where everyone gets a turn.

Sorry FC its no way as easy as that.

[The Bedge]

Those who train, get picked first - it's not rocket science

You dont' need any fancy operant conditioning for that.

It's mens footy - not under 8's where everyone gets a turn.

lol

[morell]

You're making the assumption that playing A Grade is a reward and playing B grade is a punishment.

This is not always the case and is perhaps a unique problem in the lower levels.

Clubs should be trying to make A Grade a reward/prestigious especially when it comes to your 'star' players.

It would be an awful culture at a club if any bloke aged between 18-early thirties saw playing A Grade as anything but a reward, obviously there would be some legitimate cases with blokes who have had long term injuries, playing with son etc but you would want at least 90% of your b graders striving to play A Grade

I will confess...

I chose to play B grade in 2013 because to be honest I preferred it. It fitted better into my lifestyle. I could get out of there early and could still spend some of the Saturday either watching the As or doing my own thing. I played well and got picked to play As but my heart wasn't in it. I didn't know many of the new blokes, the As were struggling and it just wasn't as enjoyable. Unlike the Reserves that was filled with my mates, we were winning and were having fun. I purposefully didn't train after I played As to get dropped. I admit it. So sue me.

You have to understand that at D5-6-7 level a lot of the guys are playing social footy to have fun, not trying to progress their football careers...

"Must train to play" sort of policies do not work for everyone. I'm sorry. They just don't.

[Footy Chick]

Those who train, get picked first - it's not rocket science

You dont' need any fancy operant conditioning for that.

It's mens footy - not under 8's where everyone gets a turn.

Sorry FC its no way as easy as that.

You're right, I know it's not but I think here OB has done here is made an example of those who dared break the rules, with any luck it'll pull the others into line

[whufc]

For me a lot of amateur sporting clubs in all sports have training wrong!!!

Most clubs train for roughly 4 hours a week.

In those four hours I would rather see teams focus on structure, ability to play together, and how to deal with different situations.

Some of the pointless running/fitness sessions I see clubs go do does my head in, especially when half the players go punch 5 darts in the first hour after training, 2 beers and then smash there take away on the way home

You are better off working on other aspects of the game and if individuals are serious about their sporting fitness arranging one of the clubs personal trainers (which nearly all clubs would have these days) looking at outside fitness programs for players who are keen. A blokes fitness is hardly going to be changed by an 1.5 (taking away warm up, warm downs) when players are doing the wrong thing for the other 4 non football days in a week

Tuesday should be all about making sure players are ready to go for 100% effort at training Thursday night, as others have suggested a lot of blows take until Thursday to recover from Saturday.

[Half Back Flanker]

I can say as a coach of this division that communication is the key. Life is busier these days than those of years when i played. If blokes are working or like Morell and have your Missus Aunties Birthday, that they need to be open and transparent about why they cannot train. Seems to be working well for us this year as numbers are a lot stronger than previous years I've been told.

[morell]

For me a lot of amateur sporting clubs in all sports have training wrong!!!

Most clubs train for roughly 4 hours a week.

In those four hours I would rather see teams focus on structure, ability to play together, and how to deal with different situations.

Some of the pointless running/fitness sessions I see clubs go do does my head in, especially when half the players go punch 5 darts in the first hour after training, 2 beers and then smash there take away on the way home

You are better off working on other aspects of the game and if individuals are serious about their sporting fitness arranging one of the clubs personal trainers (which nearly all clubs would have these days) looking at outside fitness programs for players who are keen. A blokes fitness is hardly going to be changed by an 1.5 (taking away warm up, warm downs) when players are doing the wrong thing for the other 4 non football days in a week

Tuesday should be all about making sure players are ready to go for 100% effort at training Thursday night, as others have suggested a lot of blows take until Thursday to recover from Saturday.

Someone has been reading morell's myths!

Totally 100% agree. Great post.

[The Bedge]

Clubs should be trying to make A Grade a reward/prestigious especially when it comes to your 'star' players.

But wouldn't you be targeting and recruiting your 'star' players to bolster your A grade, so as a club you wouldn't be "selling" A Grade as a reward to them?

Got to remember as well, in the case of Cree for instance he's nearly 35, although i'm sure playing A grade is still his preference, I doubt he's likely to be more motivated to train by the carrot of playing A grade.

The club recruited him back, presumably to play A grade, surely they would've been aware of his training levels in the past, and his commitments to other sports.. Did they hope to change a 35yo mans habits? Can't teach an old dog new tricks..

[Footy Chick]

Those who train, get picked first - it's not rocket science

You dont' need any fancy operant conditioning for that.

It's mens footy - not under 8's where everyone gets a turn.

I'm 34, and currently barely train because either I've barely recovered by Thursday or I'm working until past 7pm. Should I not be picked for A-grade?

There are going to be all sorts of circumstances which are a grey area for this sort of thing, like working etc.

Haven't recovered by Thursday? Masters for you come August 9 my friend!

[Lightning McQueen]

I always trained twice a week because I wanted to be gooder.

[holdy2323]

Cree has work at 3.00.
Hamson has been sick for 2 weeks hasnt trained. He kicked 10 but 6 of those where from goal square and I didnt see him get more than 30m away from goal square.
Dont think para hills will be to concerned with the loss as they see who are front runners and who isnt.
They have sleep chau cree hanson prior and hasledine to come in.
You learn more from a loss than you do a win.

[morell]

I can say as a coach of this division that communication is the key. Life is busier these days than those of years when i played. If blokes are working or like Morell and have your Missus Aunties Birthday, that they need to be open and transparent about why they cannot train. Seems to be working well for us this year as numbers are a lot stronger than previous years I've been told.

Communication should be a non-negotiable I agree. It's never too hard to give the coach a call or text.

Numbers are better this year because the A Grade is winning (because we have a magical amazing super awesome brilliant coach) and the B grade is losing - so people want to train to get into the higher grade.

If the reverse is true (b Grade winning , A grade losing) like last year, that's much more difficult to do and numbers naturally drop.

[whufc]

You're making the assumption that playing A Grade is a reward and playing B grade is a punishment.

This is not always the case and is perhaps a unique problem in the lower levels.

Clubs should be trying to make A Grade a reward/prestigious especially when it comes to your 'star' players.

It would be an awful culture at a club if any bloke aged between 18-early thirties saw playing A Grade as anything but a reward, obviously there would be some legitimate cases with blokes who have had long term injuries, playing with son etc but you would want at least 90% of your b graders striving to play A Grade

I will confess...

I chose to play B grade in 2013 because to be honest I preferred it. It fitted better into my lifestyle. I could get out of there early and could still spend some of the Saturday either watching the As or doing my own thing. I played well and got picked to play As but my heart wasn't in it. I didn't know many of the new blokes, the As were struggling and it just wasn't as enjoyable. Unlike the Reserves that was filled with my mates, we were winning and were having fun. I purposefully didn't train after I played As to get dropped. I admit it. So sue me.

You have to understand that at D5-6-7 level a lot of the guys are playing social footy to have fun, not trying to progress their football careers...

Those sort of policies do not work for everyone. I'm sorry. They just don't.

Totally agree mate an I'm in that boat this season at Rugby Union, I'm just enjoying playing a sport I have fallen in love with, I just want to have a run and a catch and not play div 1 ex queensland, nsw, pacific island boys state rep and higher players

As you said at div 5-7 a lot are playing socially and that is what makes the distance between an ambitious club looking to progress through the grades and a club happy to be a 'social football club'

My rugby club is currently going through that kind of transition and why partner who is on the committee and a trainer is struggling to deal with it. The club went from being a social family with rugby on the side to recruiting a few 'gun' players through luck and have turned into a very strong div 2 club pushing for premier grade

A lot of the support staff (mainly the women team manager, trainers etc) are struggling to understand the change in culture that has happened and what the expectations for some of the better players are (wanting to be strapped and prepared earlier, music which motivates rather than a spice girls part mix lol etc etc)

Anyway I've gone on a bit of a rant but it is a subject I find very interesting

[whufc]

Clubs should be trying to make A Grade a reward/prestigious especially when it comes to your 'star' players.

But wouldn't you be targeting and recruiting your 'star' players to bolster your A grade, so as a club you wouldn't be "selling" A Grade as a reward to them?

Got to remember as well, in the case of Cree for instance he's nearly 35, although i'm sure playing A grade is still his preference, I doubt he's likely to be more motivated to train by the carrot of playing A grade.

The club recruited him back, presumably to play A grade, surely they would've been aware of his training levels in the past, and his commitments to other sports.. Did they hope to change a 35yo mans habits? Can't teach an old dog new tricks..

I guess that's the balance between creating a club culture or looking for instant sucess as well as managing individual players.

As others have said communication is the key, i don't think there is any logical reason a 35 year old star would need to train twice a week provided he puts in on a Thursday night session

If he can't train at all it then probably needs to be communicated to the playing group why you are making the deciscions you are and where each individual stands.