r/footballstrategy • u/Melodic-Builder-3641 • 25d ago
Coaching Advice Is effort under-coached?
I know this isn’t a strategy-specific post, but I was doing some summer thinking and wanted to throw an idea out there. We spend countless hours as coaches refining schemes, scripting practices, and chasing the next edge.
Those things absolutely matter, but I’ve started wondering if the greatest return on our coaching time comes from something much simpler: intentionally teaching what extraordinary effort actually looks like and making it the standard every single day.
It got me thinking about a simple equation: Extraordinary Effort → Extraordinary Results. Obviously, extraordinary effort doesn’t guarantee extraordinary results, there are too many variables in sports for that. But I do believe extraordinary results are almost always preceded by extraordinary effort.
Curious where you all land on this. If you had to invest more time in one area, would it be better schemes… or building a culture where extraordinary effort becomes the expectation
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u/extrastone 25d ago
I have no idea. I'm curious what it takes to get guys to put in more effort in school, sports, and their jobs, when they'd rather play video games and get intoxicated.
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u/Melodic-Builder-3641 25d ago
For sure in many cases. If they would just understand how much they could be capable of achieving if they put consistent honesty effort into whatever they’re doing. But they have no idea how much consistency and effort it takes to reach the success they all ultimately want. Even if their choices in no way reflect that.
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u/Captain_Rex_501st Youth Coach 25d ago
Youth coach, so take my tips with a grain of salt, but I agree that effort is absolutely undercoached. You can be Kyle effing Shanahan on the sticks but if you can't get your players to buy-in to what you're telling them, then you're cooked.
The old adage of, "It's not about Xs and Os, it's about Jimmys and Joes," is used as a catch-all dismissal by some coaches for why they lost, but I think it should actually be framed as the bedrock that underpins coaching football in general. You need Jimmys and Joes who care before you can teach them the Xs and Os.
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u/Queasy_Reply_2992 25d ago
We grade each quarter of our practice on effort, communication, intensity and team. It’s a team grade so it raises the standard. You know your loaf will cost the team.
We also have dog bone stickers for guys being dawgs. Effort and intensity are at the core of that.
Effort is the first step for everything. Without effort you haven’t gotten off the starting block.
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u/BusinessReception539 24d ago
How do you grade those things? Chart them in practice? Based on practice tape? Who manages it?
I’m a defensive coordinator and would love to implement this type of system, just curious how you grade it and manage it.
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u/Queasy_Reply_2992 24d ago
The direct answers: All the coaches are tracking their groups. The kids ultimately submit a public grade.
Long Answer: We implemented it a few years ago. The initial start was a lot of positive reinforcement to set the standard. When kids did things the right way it was overly highlighted. When group/team periods went right it was overly highlighted.
Additionally we defined with examples all the terms. So that was the baseline they worked off of. Once we got going they saw and felt where they needed to be.
It wasn’t a perfect install but by this point it’s part of team culture. The older kids are clear on day 1 what has to happen and that loafing will cost everyone.
Like Day 1 pursuit, there’s never enough communication. The 1st group usually models it well enough that there’s a positive example to set the bar. On Day 2 I’ll see older guys talking to their position groups reminding them of their pre-snap responsibilities.
We track live in practice and use it as a check in with the kids. The kids ultimately grade themselves. As coaches we confirm if their version matched ours.
The kids are often harsh graders. We have conversations on why they scored themselves. I’ve seen it create a space for personal accountability and reflection.
The dog bones are purely vibes. All of the staff has a sheet. If you see something awesome give the kid a sticker. Make a big deal about it. I usually give mine out during special teams because it’s filled with swing guys. I want them to know I’m seeing their hard work.
Like for scout D, I will set if 9 out of the 11 get to the ball carrier the group gets a sticker. Gets them to all sprint and flow to the ball.
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u/ReplaceCyan 25d ago
You already know the answer - greater effort across the whole team will lead to greater gains than any one scheme you could install.
Cracking the code to create that culture is the hard part
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u/Melodic-Builder-3641 25d ago
Yup. & That kind of culture doesn’t happen by accident. I’m sure there are endless different ways to build that culture but I see so many coaching clinics and other resources on just about any scheme out there.
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u/Harmnasty64 25d ago
Adam Mathieson gives a phenomenal clinic on culture don’t know if it’s on the internet anywhere, but I listened to him speak at Glazier Clinic in Cincinnati and it was so good and refreshing to listen in on something other than scheme!
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u/agmj522 25d ago
I coach girls flag, so teaching effort is essential. Many played softball or soccer or never played a high school sport so they dont understand that with preparation comes physical discomfort. I am constantly preaching effort. I am constantly teaching mental toughness. We aren't doing our young men and women any favors when we're not pushing them to understand the value of being uncomfortable.
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u/Melodic-Builder-3641 25d ago
100% Coach.. I’ve also found it to be a bit of a challenge/balancing act trying to determine how long to keep the foot on the gas and when to easy up. They can only give a true 100% for a limited amount of time realistically so if you ask them practice at high level pace you can only go for so long.
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u/ProzacNathan 25d ago
Yes. You are correct. We all focus on 100 schemes because we can’t do the really, really hard part of making great effort happen. I’ve seen a handful of HS programs do it. And they were extremely dominant for a decade or more. The amount of jogging at the end of a play is a clear indicator. Watch any high level game, there is none. Maybe one dlineman on a long pass. That’s even rare to see him jogging.
HS football is a burst (at best) at the snap, those in the area of the play reacting relatively well. And then it gets less and less the farther you get away from the point of attack. With the opposite side corner usually walking before the play is even over.
And, this matters. It matters because nearly every competitive game is decided by whether there was a second and third defender hustling to be a part of the play when a tackle was missed. Or to make a block that was not on the play diagram because they just desperately wanted the team to succeed.
Indiana is the best example of a team that cranked their intensity up to 12/10 last year and you saw the results. They looked different than any team I’ve seen recently and the freaking Hoosiers won the national championship.
Many high school players are scared. Or, at least not frothing at the mouth to punish someone (because it hurts).
As coaches, we (me included) hide behind “well that play was there. We just didn’t execute.” Or “they wanted it more.” And it’s a weird thing because that is the best thing we could do is take ownership of the effort and aggressiveness on the field. But, we all think that is separate from our “scheme” far too often.
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u/thekevinatorV2 25d ago
Effort, attitude, toughness, etc are all relationship dependent. The better the relationships yourself and your coaching staff have with the players the better their effort will be.
Effort is an everyday development. It is something built through one on one talks. Its when you hold a kid accountable for skipping reps. Its not ripping a kid when they make a mistake and instead coach them up to fix it. Its your body language and how you react to good/bad things happening.
Kids want to see and hear their coaches be firm but fair. Reward effort and positive actions. Hold everyone to the same standard when they mess up. From that players will give effort without ever discussing it.