Folsom Football

I've run into a lot of former players this season, and the question that I regularly get is how it is going at ___ High School this year. Just in case any are checking this site - I am NOT coaching this year. I helped out at one school this summer, but never joined that staff. Instead, I chose to take a year off.

It's been both hard and very enjoyable. I miss a lot of things about coaching. I don't miss a lot of things about coaching. But come Friday nights, I always feel like I should be someplace other than watching Numbers.

Sitting in the stands is rough. Especially listening to the parents. Some of the comments are as brutal as they are lacking insight. I guess its a right of fans to second-guess coaches, scheme, strategy, players, officials and play calls. I find myself doing it. Sometimes. But I mostly have empathy for the coaches.

Insanity (ĭn-sân'ĭ-tç)
n pl. in·san·i·ties

1. Performing the same act repeatedly in a stable environment and expecting a different result.

I have worked with many excellent coaches - most recently Troy Taylor at Folsom . . . but, years ago, I had the extreme pleasure of playing for - and coaching with - an exceptional coach. His name is Tom Martinez and I came to have a profound respect for the man.
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Tom was the Offensive Coordinator when I played at CSM and he was the Head Coach while I was coaching linebackers and strong safeties for the Bulldogs. Tom directed some of the most prolific offenses in the country. The Bulldogs were extremely explosive and scored points in bunches. We regularly played teams with more talent - and we regularly beat those teams. Much of the success was due to Tom.

Even when he was the HC, Tom sat in the pressbox to call the offense. I was lucky enough to be the defensive coach in the box alongside Tom for a year. This was a great opportunity for me as Tom loved to share his thinking - letting me know what he was trying to accomplish with his play calling and how he was attacking the defense. (I'll share some of what I learned from Tom at a later date).

I love to watch offenses or defenses where the coordinator is doing more than 'calling plays' - where they are systematically attacking. On the same note, I get frustrated watching a team run the same futile play repeatedly. Recognizing how you are being attacked and countering is the hallmark of a good coordinator. And that ability only comes with experience and the desire to learn from your mistakes.

"Hurry up and Fail". Recognizing that failing is part of the learning process enables you to embrace your failures - so that you may use your 'experience' to grow. We all fail. The smarter folks learn from their failures and do not repeat the same behavior. They try something new. May it will work, maybe not. But they will learn something else. The not-as-smart folks will try the same thing again - convinced the first failure was wrong somehow. And when they get the same result . . . . repeat. Thats insane.