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Tyke Eskimos (2007 season updated results)


Die Hard

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As promised to those ExtremeSkins members who have donated to the team towards the purchase of team equipment... I'm providing an update.

For the 2nd consecutive season... the Tyke Eskimos won their season opener. This time 36-0 over the Bombers. The 36 points scored marked a team record. To keep things in perspective, the Bombers did have a new coaching staff (in my experience, it takes at least 1 year to get acclimated to the league) and only have 6 players with previous football experience (as opposed to our 14).

At the same time, I don't want to take anything away from our kids. We were an offensive juggernaut last season (overloaded with talent) and yet we still didn't score more than 33 points in any game last season. Additionally, we just put in a completely new offense/defense 2.5 weeks ago (after tinkering with other systems for 2.5 months). And to top it off.... we got signed 7 new kids in the 3 practices before the season opener (on a roster of 32) with no previous football experience.

This is the first season I'm acting as the "true" offensive coordinator... having actually installed the entire offense and calling all the plays during the game -- in the past I've had the luxury of having some overqualified assistants oversee everything and call the plays during the game. I just didn't feel entirely prepared until this season because I just got so wrapped up into the emotions of the game that I couldn't concentrate enough to call a game.

The only thing we lost was the coin toss. We onside kick every kickoff... and we recovered the opening kickoff and subsequent kickoff and were up 15-0 before the other team went on offense. Once we went up 21-0 on our 3rd possession we kicked the ball deep (something we haven't eve practiced yet).

We were up 27-0 going into the half.... and then put it in cruise control in the 2nd half -- not calling the "money plays" and giving other runningbacks an opportunity to carry the ball. We had 43 plays on offense (we averaged 25 last season) and ran for 362 yards and 5 tds.

The defense was equally stellar. The Bombers only had 4 possessions all game.... and couldn't have run more than 1-2 plays above the minimum 4-and-outs. They only earned 1 first down the entire game.... and that was a 10-yard run that was the bulk of their offense. The defense also recovered 1 fumble and forced 5 more than were recovered by their offense -- something to work on in practice :)

Overall, it was a great game for us. We overcame a lot of adversity (new systems, new players.... and we've had suffered miserable attendance this year for practices). I'm actually quite surprised the team did so well.... since I didn't know what to expect. The offense actually executed the plays better in the game than they had at any point in our practices leading up... as if the "light went on". There's still a LOT of room for improvement.... and that's what is so exciting about this team and makes you look forward to going to practice.

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If you have installed a spread offense' date=' it is entirely possible that you could beat Michigan this year.[/quote']

The only play that is called at this level with a spread offense is a QB sneak. Receivers and runningbacks at this level don't have the ability to sustain blocks long enough to call plays to the outside. :) Not to mention, we don't enjoy the same luxury at the QB position we did last year.

At this level... even if you're lucky enough to have a decent quarterback... the chances that you have 4-5 guys that can catch consistently are slim to none (last season we only had 2). And to compound the problem.... you have to be 1000x more fortunate to have an 0-line that can pass block long enough :)

I know you were joking though :)

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Thanks for the update T.

I bet the other coach was thrilled with the onsides kicks, huh?

You evil bastage. :laugh:

Go Eskimos!!!

Coaches are going to hate us for those onside kicks. But I got all my coaching tips from the same book I got my offense from (it includes defense as well.... the same defense that shut that team out).

The thinking is.... most teams put their best offensive players deep. They put their weaker players in the front row... and decent players in the second row (but only 3-4 which means they're spread out and outnumbered).

We overload to one side with 7 of our best, most aggressive and fastest players and go get'em. When the returning players see that.... even if they have *hands* they want nothing to do with it -- the best they can do is fall on it. Sure, it makes for a shorter field for their offense.

But we're clicking on 50% in practice..... and worst case we hit on 15% which means an extra 1-2 possessions each game. That increases your chances for victory :)

And it doesn't hurt that I'm an offensive coach so it means my guys are out there playing more football :)

In retrospect... I was dying for halftime.... yellowing out so many playcalls across the field :) Throat hurt bad :laugh:

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good job coach.......

Thanks Dean. The enjoyment truly comes from watching the kids perfectly execute plays as you taught them (rather than some coaches who put a superfast kid at runningback and runs sweeps all day = ghettoball).

Then when they succeed... you can see a glow in their eyes... and you can see that they begin to understand and you begin to earn their trust. That's the real challenge. And when they do.... they take their game to another level.

Every season you're going to get a few kids that get there.... but obviously the more kids that "get it" increases the likelihood that you're going to accomplish more as a team :)

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Awesome T, kinda sounds like you beat up on the Browns though. You sure you didn't play Cleveland last week?:laugh:

Pretty sure :) I'm keeping things in perspective. Keep in mind.... up until 2 weeks ago I had 26 kids on my roster (you need a minimum of 24 and a full roster is 34-36). I had 1 reserve on both sides of the ball.... I had one backup offensive lineman. If a runningback got hurt (4 in my offense) my entire offense was screwed -- players can't play both ways.

Of the 26 players on my roster.... I was averaging 15-19 at practice for 3 months - practice attendance was horrible this year. If kids can't play both ways.... how the hell do you put together and offense or defense? :) It wasn't until Tuesday (3rd to last practice where I got 5 kids to register out of sheer desparation) that I got kids. If I didn't get those kids/bodies.... I would have had to forfeit the season (we would play the games but lose by default 28-0) by playing kids on both sides of the ball just to finish a ball game.

Fortunately, now I'm at 32. :) And depth isn't a problem any more.

But trying taking in 25% of your roster 3 practices before the regular season game with rookies who haven't played before.... let alone teach them schemes :) So we've had our own challenges :)

And again, there were 2 "ugly sister" teams in the division last year as well.... and we beat them 24-0 and 30-0. So even as stacked as we were last year.... we couldn't put up 36-0 points on anybody.

So I don't want to diminish their accomplishments that much :) At the same time.... I already let them know the Bombers aren't world-beaters either... so they don't get ****y and lose their edge.

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I have 10 years of experience in a youth basketball league (grades 4-6).

It sounds like you are doing a great job, but remember that your goal should not be to just win games, but to also have fun and develop the kids.

I would go a little easy on the onsides kicks because: a) eventually that becomes poor sportsmanship and B) your kids aren't really going to learn a lot that way.

The basketball league I worked in banned the full-court press except for the last two minutes of each half because there were always three or four kids who would simply dominate in the press. And you ended up with these 14 to 20 point runs where the same talented kid just kept going "Steal-Layup-Steal-Layup-Steal-Layup." It was boring for his teammates and embarrassing for the other team. And no one learned how to run, like, a pick and roll.

So...against weak teams...I would maybe use that kind of tactic once to get a lead but spend the rest of the time working on stuff that your players aren't good at yet.

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It sounds like you are doing a great job' date=' but remember that your goal should not be to just win games, but to also have fun and develop the kids.

I would go a little easy on the onsides kicks because: a) eventually that becomes poor sportsmanship and B) your kids aren't really going to learn a lot that way.

So...against weak teams...I would maybe use that kind of tactic once to get a lead but spend the rest of the time working on stuff that your players aren't good at yet.[/quote']

We only kicked onsides the first 3 attempts :) After that.... we kicked deep and we haven't even practiced deep kickoffs yet. So I did ease off :) Keep in mind, if they recover they also gain excellent field position. :)

And in the 2nd half.... I didn't run any sweeps and I used my primary tailback (who scored 4 TDs) as a decoy -- his early running sets up the entire offense. Seriously, I could have run up the score. I actually had my offense kneel to end the game (we were on their 18-yard line when the game ended).

Our practices consist of 10 minutes on calisthenics, 20 minutes on tackling fundamentals, 20 minutes on indys.... 40 minutes on teams (units).... and 30 minutes playing games :) We don't even scrimmage. That's as fun as it gets.... you should see how much fun these kids are having -- even the parents are coming up and telling me so.

These kids aren't big (unlike my team last year)... I only have 2 kids over 100 pounds. We're average size..... but our team speed is very good and we've spent the last 3 months on fundamentals (particularly tackling/blocking) because we didn't have enough kids to run/practice units and have scrimmages until the last few practices.

Trust me.... the kids are having boatloads of fun and their development (at least the ones that come to practice regularly) has been immeasurable.

I wish I could show you game tapes. Last year, we were top heavy with some great talent that carried the load. This year, we're solid straight across the board. This year.... we don't really have any weaknesses. We're not relying on any 1-2 players like other teams.... we've seriously got 32 kids contributing.

My only problem with this team has been attendance for practice. Until recently.

Do I have some magic formula? Nope.

http://www.winningyouthfootball.com

Quite possibly the greatest single best youth football resource I've come across. And I have spent thousands of dollars the past few years looking for material as helpful as this. He's got an entire football program outlined from A-Z -- spoken in English.

The bottom line with the football program isn't about winning. It's about doing things the right way.... all the time... being as efficient and simple as possible... and having fun. Inevitably, the winning takes care of itself.

Coaches always say "make it fun".... but they never tell you how. In that book, it specifically outlines games to play that utilize skills applicable to football -- not to mention it's good conditioning and the kids don't even realize it.

My kids don't even run laps any more.... we don't do stretches. The kids just learn the fundamentals, learn the schemes and then play competitive games -- and quite honestly, they're pretty easy games (ones that I had never even heard of) and the kids seem to love them.

If you've been around football..... and know what it's like (it's pretty standard template)... if you watch one of my practices you'd think "WTF?" But the results speak for themselves :)

I've raved about the book in the past... because it's one of the few things I've come across in my life that's actually phenomenal value.

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Week 2.... we got spanked 33-0 :)

I wasn't able to attend the game this weekend because of school examinations but arrived at the field minutes after the conclusion.

From what and by the stat sheet..... the score wasn't indicative of the the player's abilities. Our kids drove the opening kickoff to their 5-yard line.... and lost a fumble. And it snowballed from there.

Our offense continually drove to their 10-yard line and fumbled the ball away. We lost 2/4 starting running backs (and our key RB) to injuries in the first 2 quarters for the rest of the game -- word is there was some rough play going on. And the offense still kept rolling but made miscues short of the endzone.

In the end... the offense had 46 offensive plays (we dominated the game and TOP) and earned 280+ yards on the ground -- unbelievable to earn that kind of yardage and be shut out.

OTOH, the defense needs a lot of work.... because they weren't stopping anything either :)

Just posting updates..... the bad with the good :) We play a very weak team this Sunday... and we should get back to our winning ways.... and it gives us 2 weeks to get the defense in order for the hard part of our schedule.

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Well hopefully the kids won't be discouraged from the loss, how serious were the injuries sustained by the rb's? And there's always next week. How the matchup looking for the next game T?

I don't believe the kids were discouraged. From the kids that I spoke with after the game.... when I looked into their eyes and asked them if that's a team we can beat if we don't make the same mistakes.....none of them hesitated when they replied "yes".

Matchup looking good next week. I won't let the kids know.... but the team that we beat 36-0... beat our next opponent 56-24. I've NEVER seen anybody put up 56 points before.

I'm kinda nervous going into a game like this.... but excited. There's a few kids I've GOT to get into the endzone (kids that have played for me for years) so this is a great opportunity to reward them.

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hopefully you passed your exams :anon::laugh:

Fortunately, I did. So that made up for the sting of the loss :)

Not worried about the loss.... I'm kinda glad actually. I told them that was a team that lost the week before because they had 5 starting defensive players lost to a soccer tournament and that they were a well-coached team with a lot of pride that won't want to go 0-2.

I was right. And now, the kids will appreciate when coach speaks, he knows what he's talking about. Not to mention, they were physically bullied. Hopefully now they'll see that they have to have a little fire in their bellies because no one is just going to give them respect.

I said we'd be a 2nd half team.... and I'm sticking to it :)

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The Tyke Eskimos (2-1) earned another victory this Sunday... notching a 36-18 victory over the Tyke Lions (0-3). A little closer game than I would have liked.... simply because they recovered an onside kick against us (taking away a possession) and our defense starting off EXTREMELY slow again.

The Lions scored on their first offensive play after receiving the kickoff to go up 6-0. The Eskimos offense responded and added the extra point (9-6). The Lions offense marched again... earn a long TD on a sweep that was called back by a penalty. Within the Eskimos red zone.... the Eskimos defense earned a stop (turnover on downs) on their 5-yard line. The offense marched the entire length of the field without much resistance... extending the lead 15-6. Not to be outdone, the Lions scored on another sweep to close the gap 15-12 and that was as close as they got the rest of the way. The Eskimos offense controlled the 2nd half to extend the lead 36-12 before the Lions would score a late TD.

The defense started off extremely slow... gave up some yards but began to tighten up as the game went on. Still, it was a VERY disheartening effort from this unit in the 1st quarter.

The offense continues to roll though. The offense ran up 293 yards (23 plays) on the ground and scored 5 TDs (4 from different players - new team record). All my backs scored... and we were driving again when I decided to give the WR a chance at the end zone but we threw and interception near the end of the game on their 30-yard line.

The Eskimos currently sit in 3rd place.... and their next 2 opponents include the 4th place TiCats and the 1st place Stampeders. The team is competitive enough to beat both teams.... but you never know what team is going to show up.

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The Tyke Eskimos (3-1) put forth one of their most complete games of the season... as the team recorded a 41-18 victory over the defending champion Tyke TiCats (1-3). The 41 points scored marked a new team offensive record - the defense surrendered 2 touchdowns (2x 3pt converts). The win kept the Eskimos (3-1) in 3rd place with a key matchup this Saturday against the 1st place Stampeders (4-0).

The TiCats won the opening toss and scraped and clawed for every inch - thanks to the great fight and resolve from a rejuvenated defense - before finally capitalizing to go ahead 9-0. After the Eskimos scored to cut the lead to 9-7.... the defense tightened as they would for the rest of the game and held. The offense would go on to score 2 more touchdowns to take a 20-9 lead into the half - and would receive possession of the ball from a kickoff to start the half. The offense took full advantage to go ahead 27-9 before the TiCats would respond with another long, tough-fought, time-consuming drive to cut the lead to 27-18. The Eskimos offense would score 2 more touchdowns to close out the scoring.

Once again, the Eskimos had all 4 runningbacks reach the endzone. The offense scored 6 TDs and earned 379 yards on 25 carries.

All 3 units (defense, offense, special teams) played exceptional and contributed to the victory. On top of the great play on the field, more importantly, the players began to show the signs of building a "team" -- which will only help this team going forward.

Coach is VERY proud this morning... probably the most I've been since I took over the program.

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  • 3 weeks later...

2 consecutive posts for the previous 2 games.

The Tyke Eskimos fell to the 1st place Stampeders 30-0. Although the final score wouldn't show it... the defense played phenomenally (considering they were on the field for 90% of the game). They made the Stamps offense fight for every yard.... and if it weren't for a few bad breaks (a 50-yard TD run on 4th and 15 on a sweep that our LB's *just* missed.... and a PI interference call on 4th and 10 on our own 10-yard line by our 8-year old CB on a ball that completely overthrown which gave them 1st and goal on the 1-yard line)... the score would have been much closer. Not to mention, our offense lost a possession when our special teams surrendered an onside kick recovery.

On offense, we struggled as the team ran for just over 100 yards and really didn't threaten crossing midfield. Why?

This game was disheartening on a personal level for many reasons.

It turns out.... the Head Coach put 3 of his starting RB's on defense to stop our offense. Of his roster of 34 kids.... he had 14 kids on offense and 20 on defense. Keep in mind..... we have MINIMUM PLAYING TIME (25% of snaps) rules -- so he would have had to substitute 8 players every 2 plays. Of course, he didn't do it. Instead, he sat 7 of his smallest, most inexperienced kids for the entire game. Of course, during the game he told officials "they told me they didn't want to play in the game... what am I supposed to do?" (7 kids, yeah right) -- now, it's coming out, the parents are pissed off and going to the league about it.

I don't mind losing.... my teams have lost many times by much worse scores. I'm just disappointed that we have coaches in Tyke (the very introductory level) HOUSELEAGUE who have no morals and values other than "winning".

Yes, we got beat. I can tell you if I didn't have to play any of my minimum-play kids we'd be a better football team too. But I take pride in the fact that... not only do my 8 and 9 year olds play.... they contribute immensely (because we've developed them into good little football players) -- sure, occasionally they'll get beat by a more physically developed and experienced 10-11 year old but you have to expect that... because it goes both ways.

Anyways, there's SOME karma in the world... seeing that they ended up losing their game a few days later to the 4th place team when their starting QB and starting RB went out with injuries (after leading 22-0 at halftime).

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The Tyke Eskimos (4-2) got back on track by defeating the last place Tyke Lions 39-6 on Saturday. The Eskimos dominated this game from top to bottom.... as both units are playing very strong and have really turned up their game.

On offense, we only had 14 total plays.... and 6 went for touchdowns. We ran for over 360+ yards -- 3 kids each scored 2 touchdowns.

The Lions, although struggling as a team... own the best runningback in the league. Big kid, fast.... tough to bring down with less then 2-3 kids and has an excellent spin move to shake would-be tacklers. They just hand the ball off to this kid... and he does the rest on his own. He's scoring 1-2 touchdowns a game.... all on his own.

Our defense completely bottled him up all game. Yes, he scored his team's only touchdown.... on a trick play (guard around play). That's on the coaches... since I knew their coach had that in their arsenal but I neglected to inform our kids. Not to mention I completely detest the principle of teaching kids trick plays at this level.

Other than that single play... I'd imagine he didn't gain more than 30 yards on the afternoon -- no other team can say that :)

We could have ran the score up - which I was inclined to do JUST because I was bitter about the called trick play - but after taking possession with 2 minutes left we decided to kill the clock by kneeling.

Anyways... big game again this weekend. We play the second-place RoughRiders (5-1). We originally lost to them in the second game of the season 30-0... despite rushing for 282 total yards -- that's what 4 TO's inside the opponent's 20-yard line will do.... not to mention losing 2 of your 4 starting RB's to injury within the 2nd quarter :) We're a much better team now... with plenty of "reserve" runningbacks who can fill in and be productive.

Hopefully, we're up for the challenge. At this point, we've already locked up a playoff spot. And as long as we win 1 of our 2 last regular season games -- which we should -- then we'll clinch 3rd place. It's unlikely we'll overtake 2nd place.... simply because we already lost to the Roughriders and Stamps (even taking into consideration point differential).

Either way... this team is the most fundamentally sound and prepared group of kids I've had since coaching. We're ready for the playoffs... and whatever happens, happens.

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Are any games on Youtube?

I wish :)

Unlike last year.... when I had a LOT of parental involvement and volunteers... I just didn't get the same group of parents this year. So I couldn't even tape my own games this season -- which is a complete downer considering how well we've done and I'd LOVE to watch my misdirection offense on tape :)

However, I'm going to tape this week's game... in case we face the team in the playoffs (which is probable). If someone is willing to show/tell me how to put it on Youtube... I'm willing to work with them.

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