7 things I wish I could change for coaches If I had 7 wishes to help my coaching friends, I would wish to change these things.... 1. College Recruiting. The "transfer portal", "covid year", and "NIL" have completely changed recruiting. None of this has helped the HS coach. The coach is getting the same pressure from parents with unrealistic expectations of scholarships that are fewer and further between. 2. Coach Entitlement. Coaches on their phone at practice, thinking they should be calling plays after they worked 1 year, etc. Few want to learn technique and take pride in being a good position coach. Few want to work the hours it takes to plan and organize. The best staffs are still not worried about titles and still working hard. There is a balance, but many coaches do not want to put the time in now. It takes what it takes to be successful. There are no shortcuts. 3. Parent Entitlement. Some parents have always been a struggle, but the parent behavior seems worse and worse each year. Many admin are scared to deal with it early and it grows and grows. Parents forget the coach is a person and attack the coach publicly, in-person, behind-their-back, on social media, and anywhere else. Coaches aren't perfect, but it is way too easy and too normal for parents to attack coaches for playing time issues. 4. Impatience. This applies to coaches, players, and parents. Most coaches do not want to wait for a promotion. Most players don't want to play on the JV and develop. Most parents don't want to wait to be the booster club president. Social media has been around a while, but the last several years it seems to have dominated people's minds. Everything is about attention and instant gratification. There is no instant gratification in a successful athletic program. 5. Lack of respect. This has been on the way down for years, but it's gotten worse the past few years. Players and parents struggle more now to respect the coach and give them the benefit of the doubt when issues arise. Assistant coaches should always keep the boss in the loop and they should ask the head coach, "Do you need anything else" before leaving. They should be on time, show up, sit in the front, be a part of the school, care about the place, etc. These were all common years ago, but now can set you apart. People reveal their level of respect when they don't get their way. 6. Hurt feelings. There is no tolerance for disagreement. Everything seems personal. There must be healthy debates, disagreements, and conflicts to achieve success. It is harder in the current climate than it has ever been. It's very difficult to be a coach and keep score when everything is sensitive and personal. 7. Coach-on-Coach Social Media Fights Coaches have always been at odds with administrators, parents, and more but it seemed like other coaches always had your back except when you were directly competing in a game. That day may be long gone, but I can wish for it to come back. Coaching is still a great profession. Working with kids is still worth it. This is why I spend most of my free time trying to develop coaches. Let's work to reverse as many of these trends as possible!

Never take things for granted - Thankful for @AlabamaHSFB this evening.

Oneonta Middle School has had a cancellation and looking for someone to come play Monday September 21 please contact me at (205) 514-9660 if available thanks. @TalkoftheTownFB @OneontaFBall @AlabamaHSFB @PowerHSports

Had the opportunity yesterday to help facilitate a connection between two people that preserved @AlabamaHSFB. I wrote about it this afternoon: wvua23.com/sports/gray-analy…

Happy to help! Your website is a tool for many to cover and stay informed on high school football. We could not afford to lose that resource as a state. Thankfully, the issue was resolved!