Belligerent:
The point is: Sometimes, a coach must take a step back and examine his own responsibility. It's not ALWAYS the kids' lack of commitment or sense of entitlement that leads to losses. Sometimes, the coach has to ask himself: What could I have done better?
How about showing up at the Winston-Salem activity?
How about showing up at the New Orleans activity?
How about showing up ON TIME for the Tuscaloosa activity?
And what does it say to kids when the coach DOESN'T show?
To me, ODP is a two-way contract. When a coach doesn't show for major (expensive) events, those opportunities TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND EVALUATE KIDS are gone. Poof. Had Coach Sam been at Winston-Salem, he might have seen several of his players in a different light in advance of the New Orleans activity.
Offering 8-10 (non-mandatory, spottily attended) training sessions doesn't balance the book. Yes, it's better than what some coaches offer. But to me, it's the minimum of what ODP should REQUIRE its coaches to offer.
I will reiterate what I said earlier about Coach Sam. He's fundamentally a great guy. When he's "on song" he's an effective coach. In my estimation, he dropped the ball in 2010. The question isn't how many games were won or lost (combined 3-3-1 record in New Orleans and Tuscaloosa), but rather, how many opportunities were missed to be even better.
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The comment about kids making national camps is valid, as far as it goes. I assume we're talking about Matt Freeman and Cole Seiler. I've watched BOTH play for years. Anyone with any understanding of competitive athletics could see Matt's potential YEARS ago. Ditto Cole. ODP gave both an opportunity. That is good.
