| The Hay is in the Barn- In Youth Football Terms | | | | they aren't coaching as well as they could or worse |
| Here in the Midwest there is a term we use quite | | | | yet, they aren't having any fun. I even know of a youth |
| often to describe when we have finished up a task | | | | football coach that frequents a forum where he |
| and there isn't a whole lot more to do or worry about. | | | | admitted he goes to a park alone in his car and CRIES |
| The phrase is "The Hay is in the Barn". It means just | | | | before his games to let off steam, I kid you not. Guys |
| that, the hay has been cut, been baled and has been | | | | if you are so wrapped up in this that you are going to |
| put up in a nice dry barn for later use. There isn't much | | | | this kind of extreme or are having these types of |
| that can be done to improve the hay at this point, | | | | emotions, maybe it's time to do something else or |
| what's done is done, the only thing left to do is bring it | | | | even get some mental health help. If you aren't having |
| out of the barn when it's needed for feed. | | | | fun, the kids can sense it and won't be having fun |
| Youth football is a lot like that. Come game day, what's | | | | either. |
| done is done. Your preparation to this point in time | | | | Remember come game time, the hay is already in the |
| determines how well your team is going to do. Very | | | | barn, all you are doing is bringing it out for use. What's |
| few games come down to adjustments and great | | | | done is done, now it's time to go out and show what |
| playcalling, they are won in the weeks prior to each | | | | you can do and have some fun. |
| game, not through some lame Gipper speech or brilliant | | | | Is it normal to have a few butterflies? Of course, you |
| blitz call. In the now 89 games I've coached using this | | | | want the kids to do well and have a good time. You |
| system just a handful of games have come down to | | | | may want to prove your decisions were the right ones |
| specific adjustments and playcalling, probably less than | | | | as to the priorities you set and the decisions you made |
| 10%, Where we won these games was in the weeks | | | | etc. But the end result centers around the long term |
| prior, in practice, through teaching good techniques, | | | | development of the kids, Your worrying isn't going to |
| great schemes and prioritizing our valuable practice | | | | make the situation any better. I've rarely gone into a |
| time to yield the most efficient results. | | | | Youth Football game where I didn't have some degree |
| So now we get to the real reason I wrote this article, | | | | of apprehension, but I always had confidence we had |
| first game coaching jitters. While it is natural to have a | | | | made the best decisions and utilized our time in the |
| bit of apprehension about your games, heck I've | | | | most efficient way possible. |
| passed my exit many a time on my way home | | | | For me, come game day, I know the hay is in the barn |
| because I was deep in thought about strategizing the | | | | and it is time to enjoy the game with the kids with a |
| upcoming game. But many coaches get too worked | | | | big old smile on my face. |
| up, lose sleep or even get overly emotional to the point | | | | |