Building a Program

[colin2229]

Couple things I’ve heard over the years that are unique to programs and I think help build them:

-father son retreats
-thanksgiving alumni 7 on 7... the HS team having a state title practice before
-loft a thons
-kids camps where the varsity is the coaches along w the HA coaches
-going to food bank as a team
-whole footbal team taking 1st period weights so their 7am lift can carry right into their 1st period class. Gets the whole team together...even those in season for other sports. Also allows for in season film sessions during this time.
-I’ve heard some varsity coaches make a point to help coach jr high teams so they build familiarity w the up and coming families

anything your programs do like this?

 

[mchsalumni]

I realize this is a private board and they don’t like public schools and LWE but their is no denying Coach Z’s accomplishments.

Yeah, LWE gets no respect on this board.

 

[corey90]

Yeah, LWE gets no respect on this board.

Never said that just pointing out the obvious.

 

[Relist8]

Solid Programs? Look who has won the last three 6a Championships. I think PR and C-G are the definition of a "Program" with their youth teams running their schemes to the best of their abilities.

 

[colin2229]

Was hoping this thread had some good potential for fans to talk abt things their programs do well to create a great programs.

Can we please not turn this into anything else.

I will reiterate - what do your programs do that you think is special/unique to build a good program?

 

[Iluvftbl1]

McDonagh built a winner at Curie.

He did a nice job, but Curie was a consistent playoff team before he took over.

 

[Oop-dee-oop_4]

Many, many factors that determine the success of the team. The coach is very important, but put a great coach in a bad situation and he will fail.

I wish it were possible to rank the playoff field by parent's income. I bet there would be a lot of correlation between parent's income and team success/state championships. I know it wouldn't be perfect, but think about it. Go through the power houses in each class. Most are likely to be towards the top in the wealth-rankings of their respective class. Well, at least the teams that I can think of off the top of my head...

 

[SOUTHSIDECFD]

Many, many factors that determine the success of the team. The coach is very important, but put a great coach in a bad situation and he will fail.

I wish it were possible to rank the playoff field by parent's income. I bet there would be a lot of correlation between parent's income and team success/state championships. I know it wouldn't be perfect, but think about it. Go through the power houses in each class. Most are likely to be towards the top in the wealth-rankings of their respective class. Well, at least the teams that I can think of off the top of my head...

Hope, Phillips, Simeon, ESL...

 

[Oop-dee-oop_4]

Hope, Phillips, Simeon, ESL...

Really? How many state championships between the 4? Good call on ESL, though. They would be an outlier to my theory.

 

[eagles2k3]

Hope, Phillips, Simeon, ESL...

I also believe there is a high correlation between # of D1 players on each of those teams and their success. For the most part though, the most successful football schools(and other sports) have the high income part of that equation.

 

[USD24]

I also believe there is a high correlation between # of D1 players on each of those teams and their success. For the most part though, the most successful football schools(and other sports) have the high income part of that equation.

Basketball does not meet the high income part of the equation.

 

[ignazio]

He did a nice job, but Curie was a consistent playoff team before he took over.

Curie has 5 10+ win seasons in their recorded history and he led 3 of them.

 

[mc140]

I want the ratio of personal trainers to wins.

 

[mc140]

Couple things I’ve heard over the years that are unique to programs and I think help build them:


-whole football team taking 1st period weights so their 7am lift can carry right into their 1st period class. Gets the whole team together...even those in season for other sports. Also allows for in season film sessions during this time.


anything your programs do like this?

This would be great but not realistic at most schools.

 

[superac777]

The things I remember about Lincoln Way East was that when Reavis played at Rich Central & the fans would pass up Rich Central they ended up at East which were a part of Lincoln Way & for frosh Sophs only.Also when going to Lincoln Way sometimes they’d up going to East

 

[eagles2k3]

Basketball does not meet the high income part of the equation.

Agree.

Now look at: Golf, Swimming, Tennis, Baseball, Cross Country, Soccer(a few outliers there), volleyball, Gymnastics, badminton, water polo, Softball, and of course, the richest sport of them all:Lacrosse. All based on socio-economic status. The more money in the community, the better the teams.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

Couple things I’ve heard over the years that are unique to programs and I think help build them:

-father son retreats
-thanksgiving alumni 7 on 7... the HS team having a state title practice before
-loft a thons
-kids camps where the varsity is the coaches along w the HA coaches
-going to food bank as a team
-whole footbal team taking 1st period weights so their 7am lift can carry right into their 1st period class. Gets the whole team together...even those in season for other sports. Also allows for in season film sessions during this time.
-I’ve heard some varsity coaches make a point to help coach jr high teams so they build familiarity w the up and coming families

anything your programs do like this?

Small town unit district programs are known to do most of these.

Manteno, for example, has several programs where the HS coach is also the MS coach - historically on the girls side, softball and volleyball in particular, baseball on the boys.

Kids camp has been done as a fundraiser forever...

Former wrestling head coach, football assistant, alum, who passed tragically in 2011, every fall had a program where his team went to former wrestler's parents houses and raked leaves and did other odd jobs as public service- was known to take referrals from the community for others in need...

Here's a connection you will only get in a small town...Kankakee Daily Journal did an article about how close and family like the Manteno softball team was. If the author had only done his homework...lol. Obviously the core of the team had been classmates and teammates on multiple teams and sports since kindergarten. But what did he miss??? Like 9 of them have a parent who teaches at Manteno. Even deeper, 4 of their grandfathers met while serving in Vietnam, came back, got married and all ended up in Manteno...one was from Manteno, two married Manteno girls, and the 4th was Ken Wenzel, the hoops HC and AD in the 80's, who formed the Athletic Boosters in the early '80s. Now, the AD is Doug Wenzel, Ken's son, and a huge percentage of active boosters members are second generation - all of the officers parents were active boosters in the '80s & '90s... A sizeable percentage of Manteno teachers are alums or married to alums...It's not hard to get current parents to volunteer to help, say, repaint dugouts when their parents built them for them...

 

[mullin17]

Ton of respect for Coach Zvonar, but he took his program to the next level when he inherited half of an already strong Lincoln-Way program.

He is absolutely one of, if not the best when it comes to building a consistent winner. Perhaps no one has been more consistent these past 20 years.

But for guys that have built or rebuilt programs I have to go with Brent Pearlman for what he did at Prospect, John Holecek at Loyola, Pat Dunne at Marist, Bill Kreft at IC, and my dark horse selection for a guy that gets the most out of historically winless or near winless programs in years prior to him arriving...Tim Zasada at T.F. North and Reavis.

Pearlman, definitely.
Dunne, definitely.
Holecek, would not put in rebuild category. LA was a playoff team the three years with Coach Favaro before him (Only HS Coach to get fired making the playoffs every year).
Kreft, definitely.
Zasada, 50/50. Does get kids excited to play. Great game scheduler to rack up W's and questionable character

 

[anon_4vszfu35bv677]

I’m sure zvonar is a great coach but why didn’t he win a state title when the other Lincoln way schools opened? He lost great players to the newer LW schools.

Low and behold when North closed and those kids went to LWE he wins a state title. As good as a coach is you have to have the players to get it done.

Here is LWN's record (First year was no seniors as well)
Season Won Lost
2008-09 0 9
2009-10 6 4
2010-11 8 3
2011-12 5 4
2012-13 6 4
2013-14 10 2
2014-15 8 2
2015-16 11 1

So if they were so great, where was their title?

 

[eagles2k3]

Here is LWN's record (First year was no seniors as well)
Season Won Lost
2008-09 0 9
2009-10 6 4
2010-11 8 3
2011-12 5 4
2012-13 6 4
2013-14 10 2
2014-15 8 2
2015-16 11 1

So if they were so great, where was their title?

2 quarterfinals in 3 years isn't a good program? I'm sure that there are quite a few schools that would take all of the juniors from a team that made the quarters the previous year. Not everyone wins state titles. Those are some pretty good teams that they had.

 

[RockSoup]

2 quarterfinals in 3 years isn't a good program? I'm sure that there are quite a few schools that would take all of the juniors from a team that made the quarters the previous year. Not everyone wins state titles. Those are some pretty good teams that they had.

Yeah, I saw that and thought, well, he just proved eagles point.

 

[RD_Watcher]

I think a lot of people confuse a “winning” program with a “successful” program. IMO, success doesn’t always have to equate to winning conference championships, making sustained playoff runs, or winning state titles. Success can be measured by program numbers, team GPA, kids having the opportunity to continue playing at a level beyond HS, school student body support, school administration support, community support, and feeder program(s) health.

 

[USD24]

I think a lot of people confuse a “winning” program with a “successful” program. IMO, success doesn’t always have to equate to winning conference championships, making sustained playoff runs, or winning state titles. Success can be measured by program numbers, team GPA, kids having the opportunity to continue playing at a level beyond HS, school student body support, school administration support, community support, and feeder program(s) health.

Can you give me an example of a program that has things you outlined as a measure of success that is not winning conference championships or making sustained playoff runs? If you have those "success" elements, you will have a winning program. They go hand and hand.

 

[WIU78]

Exactly. A three loss season is a failure unless you are Loyola. With LWN the road in 6A and regular season schedule was set to make a successful season. That and two great RB’s who carried the team.

 

[atrain97]

I think a big part of a successful program is sustainability, ithru coaching changes. If you truly develop a program, and the next coach continues the success than they have created a system and a program that is bigger than an individual coach or class of players. Many times that system starts down at the youth programs.

Geneseo would be my #1 example, even if they have fallen on hard times the last 2 years. Starting with Bob Reade, how many coaches have they had and continued the success? And as soon as a kid strapped on a helmet in G Town, they ran the Wing T and the 5-2 defense.

CG and PR run the same way their programs the same way.

 

[USD24]

I think a big part of a successful program is sustainability, ithru coaching changes. If you truly develop a program, and the next coach continues the success than they have created a system and a program that is bigger than an individual coach or class of players. Many times that system starts down at the youth programs.

Geneseo would be my #1 example, even if they have fallen on hard times the last 2 years. Starting with Bob Reade, how many coaches have they had and continued the success? And as soon as a kid strapped on a helmet in G Town, they ran the Wing T and the 5-2 defense.

CG and PR run the same way their programs the same way.

I would agree with everything you have stated. I believe Joliet Catholic has followed the model you refer to. 5 different coaches over the last 60 years all running the same basic offense. All five coaches had close ties to the program when hired and have won state championships following the template laid out by Gordie decades ago. Strong community, alumni and parent support.

 

[corey90]

Here is LWN's record (First year was no seniors as well)
Season Won Lost
2008-09 0 9
2009-10 6 4
2010-11 8 3
2011-12 5 4
2012-13 6 4
2013-14 10 2
2014-15 8 2
2015-16 11 1

So if they were so great, where was their title?

LWeastDad,
Can you give us East’s record every year that Coach Z started the program. We know they made the playoffs every year since it has opened. It would be interesting to see how many years they won conference and also gone undefeated in the regular season. That’s something North also never did in 6A.

 

[MC63]

Most schools will not be running the same offense and defense that kids in 4th grade will run when they are in high school. Very few coaches last over 10 years and even less do not change what they run at some point.

Also, why is Geneva so bad now?

A lot more involved than that. The prep staff at these schools closely communicates with the kids coaches. Those kids also get years of teamwork experience.