July 29, 2024 • 16 mins
Situational Football Series. Different guests talking about situational football.
Today's Guest: Craig Bennett, Head Coach, Pickens (GA)
Topic: Punt Return Late in Game
Today's Guest: Craig Bennett, Head Coach, Pickens (GA)
Topic: Punt Return Late in Game
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
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(00:28):
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For more information and schedule an initial consultation, contact them today.
Sid Services email is info at sidh services dot com.
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is sid services dot com. Hey everybody, Welcome to the
(01:07):
Parker Resources Situational Football series. But this offseason we have
one hundred guests talking about a pecific situation ahead of
the twenty twenty four football season. Hope you pick up
some great tips that can help make your team better.
Enjoy today's guests, all right, Please be joined this time
by coach Craig Bennett. Coach at Pickings. Coach, thanks for
(01:28):
joining me.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I appreciate you having me on again. Coach.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Man, So talking to football today, situational football, we're talking
about punt return late in the game. Now you've had
some people talking about punting late in the game. So
now we're talking about punt return. So we just got
to stop. They're gonna punt it. They're not gonna go
for it. At least they lined up. And maybe we're ahead,
(01:53):
and maybe we're behind. You can take that wherever you want.
But what are we thinking?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Oh man, you know, I think everything goes back to
just how the flow of the game goes, you know,
like you I don't some of these things. I think
you can say, hey, this is exactly what we're going
to do, and sometimes that changes in the flip of
a coin, just based on you know, how your kids
are playing, how your offense is playing. Like if we're up,
(02:21):
you know, and I feel comfortable, I'm gonna let the
kid return it, you know, and just say hey, let's
do what we do and not change not change anything,
and not not putting anything on the kids and saying hey,
we're going to do it differently.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
This particular rep versus what we've done all year.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
So I think sometimes when you put those kids in
those situations, they're like, wait a minute, what do you
mean when we're not catching it, what do you mean
we're not returning it? Throws them off a little bit.
So I think the flow of the game is important
to make that decision. But so I go through a
couple of them, I think, if that's okay, uh, And
(03:02):
again I.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Think the flow of the game.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
But if we're up and I feel comfortable with what
our offense is doing, I feel like, especially we've established
our offense and the way we want to establish it
with a run game, I'm gonna tell the kid to
catch it, you know. And that's listen. That's bit me too.
In the past we fumbled those things, but you know,
we we just did what we do. And I think
(03:26):
that's so important with high school kids is just stay
whatever you're doing, don't change it because it's special. Teams
has bit me in the butt several times over the
course of the last few years, and most of it
was kickoffs. And I'm not trying to skirt around the
question here, but we were up on kel several years ago.
(03:49):
First time we were up home and and my brother
was actually with us. He said, don't don't kick it deep,
and I'm like, we're gonna do what we do. Kick
the deep, kid runs it back. So a few years
later we go to Lead County and it's a one
score game and they're like, kick it deep, kick it deep,
and I'm like, hey, I remember the kil game, Like,
(04:10):
I don't want to kick a deep.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Let's let's you know, pooch it. We pooshed it.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Kid caught it and split our cover, split the kick
off coverage and ran it back to like the twenties.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
So yeah, I think it's just a matter of doing
what you do.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
But if we're down, I think it's final the clock,
you know, for down, I'm tell them to fair catch
it so we can save time. You know, that's the
most important thing I think with anything in today's punt
and punt return game, as the kids catching the ball,
we lose so many yards and crucial time. In certain situations,
you've got to catch the ball.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, I think you know, two things came to mind
as you said that. First is if you're punting, if
you're ahead in the fourth quarter and they're punning to you,
you got the ball, you're gonna get the ball, and
you got the lead, and you want to do something,
I completely agree.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
You do what you do if.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
You want to.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
If you're worried about fumbling it or whatever reason that's
got you paranoid, don't even put anybody back, right, Really,
that'd be my suggestion, like, don't don't do this like
pseudo thing. It's kind of like what you normally do
with all these yeah butts, Yeah, it's the same butt.
Fair catch it anyway, make sure you watch it in
make sure you know if you're going to terrify the
(05:26):
guy to death. Just don't put them back. Just play
with play defense and let it roll and whatever. Because
you got the lead, it's tied. Maybe that's where you're
in the middle, right, like they're trying to you want
to catch it, and if you're winning, I agree, like either,
I guess, I mean, if you're losing. If you're losing,
(05:46):
you need to catch the punt now if you've got
some room and you won't let me return it. That's
between coach to coach preference, probably, but a lot of
time in the game is wasted on bleeding the.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Clock on punt.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
So in addition to the yard, did you could lose
the time where the ball just sits there, which can
only be four or five six seconds, but that could
you know, if you're behind, that could be a valuable four.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Or five or six seconds.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Absolutely, yeah, get the ball, fair catch it at least
and then hand the fisher. Let's go play some offense,
try to win the game. Absolutely, how you practice this?
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Coach we I And it's funny me and coach Loutterman,
we're just talking about this other day.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
I probably spend more time on special teams and I'm
not sending anybody, but it has becomes such an important
It's always been an important factor of the game. We
practice it every day, and we practice situations every day
and maybe kick off and maybe on side it maybe
on side alert it may be pooch kick whatever, you know,
(06:55):
the fair catch it could be, you know, like you said, hey,
we're gonna pull somebody off and we're not gonna catch this.
Punting from the you know, minus two right and taking
a safety. We practice that every week and we try
to teach kids how to do that the right way.
And again those are kids. You can practice it all
(07:15):
you want, and sometimes it don't don't ever work out
the way you want it to.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
But yeah, I don't.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
And that's the thing I think I was trying to
say when I said, do what you do.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
If we've never practiced it, I will not do it.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
I mean I just will not, because I think you,
like you said that those kids in a tizzy and said,
you know what what what do you mean in the
heat of the moment, because everything gets a little faster
and that heat and that heat of the moment deal
and so we try to make sure you can't cover
them all. You know, you may cover them some of
(07:52):
those situations once or twice. I've never had to as
a head coach. I've never had to take a safety
on a punt. But we still practice every day, you know,
and I made never get to do it. It's kind
of like the free kicks. I've never practiced.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I got to practice a free kick.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
I have never done that.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
That was my taking a safety for you, and we
practice it all the time. Never did it, but I
was never seen it. It was a live game.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
So I'll tell you that.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
The key is, if you're going to do something in
the game, you need to practice it.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
That's what coach said, rewind if you didn't hear that part.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So for example, and this this team we're talking about
today is one of those. There are teams out there
that will work punt return, and when they work punt return,
they just work their regular punt return, you know, like
it's just they're just their mash return, or.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
They're setting up a wall, or they're going for the
block or whatever. And then in the game they'll give all.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
These caveats, you know, if they were ahead, don't fumble it,
you know, or don't but you know, whatever, they got
all these don'ts. Whereas instead, my suggestion, of course easy
to say we're not coaching. But my suggestion is to
at some point, you know, say you're doing five reps
apart return that day, do four regulars and throw in
(09:12):
a different situation in that fifth one, right, and every
now and then let it be Hey, we're ahead and
we're not gonna put anybody back. You think, why do
we y'all practice that letting the ball roll, Let the
ball roll, like practice making sure it's not fake balls
off the foot, Peter, everybody runs off the field.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
You practice that once every four weeks. See, you'd be amazed.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Those kids will do it perfect in the game, right,
try to put that thing on on the floor, which
is something that should be really simple.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
We're just not gonna put any way back.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Let it roll, and everybody runs around like a chicken
with her head cut off, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
And yeah, and that's that. You know that eleventh kid
rushes upon and.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Runs into the runs back and touches the ball, set
up a wall.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I mean, like that does happen, you guys?
Speaker 1 (09:53):
And then and then really, of course, nobody's gonna say
to the newspaper, even to their buddy that we never
really practice, that that's my fault. But the truth is
sometimes that is the case, right, And so have you practiced?
And I know some of this stuff is so pie
in the sky and sounds really good, but it's hard
to actually put all this in, I know. But can
you find a way to do in my example, five
(10:16):
punts in a period or five kickoffs or five kick
returns or five returns. That's probably a normal amount that
I think people do in their period, maybe more than that,
but at least five. Can you just throw a different
scenario at him every time, like four regulars and one,
you know, and just get them out there and even
with a few reps, you'd be surprised how much of
(10:37):
an impact you could make. And I think this is
one of those teams right.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Right, absolutely, And I think that's going back to what
I was something I would kick offs. It was it
was me making the decision to do something different in
the course of a game that that hurt us, instead
of just letting our kids do what we've practiced.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Over and over and over again.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Yeah, you needed to better kick in the end zone.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
That's what you exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
It's always a plan.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
But you can kick in the end zone. That fixes
a lot of problems. So I turn a few of
these podcasts off if you got somebody same way with
the punt return.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
But hey, last question, I ask.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
You, what are we looking for in a punt return
Because they're like this situation punting late in the game, them.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Punt you're on.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Punt returns a lot about the returner, right, So what
are the traits you can take this anyway you want
to take it of a good punt returner.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
What are you looking for in a punt returner, not
just in.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
This situation, just in general that you're determining who's our
punt return you know.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
It's it's funny.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
We're talking to some kidder some of our kids the
other day and one of our kids like, coach, I
don't I don't like this. And I ask them because
if they tell them they don't like doing it, I
am They're they're out all rut. So it I've and
I've been fortunate enough to coach returners. That's part of
what I've I've done over the last fifteen sixteen years,
(11:57):
punt returners, kick returners. So just talking to them and
seeing them mentality and get to know those kids.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
But I like a fearless kid.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
That that's the first and foremost, Like he's not afraid,
he's not afraid to catch the ball. Yes, that will bite,
you know. And I'll tell them all the time, I'm
gonna trust you. You catch it on a bounce, you
get a one bounce ball, and you get it. Go
And I saw I throw a lot of trust to
those kids and say, hey man, once we practice this,
(12:26):
and once i'm you know you're the guy, like go
do it and I want you to.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
I want you to catch the ball and you.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Know what you're you're probably gonna drop one, and it's
gonna it's gonna be all right, we're gonna get over it,
and I'm gonna put you right back out there the
next time you go out there and we have to
do a punk return. So, uh, fearless to me would
be the first thing that because man, I remember in
high school I loved kickoff turn.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
I did not like punk return and.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Didn't know it.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
So maybe I'm maybe I'm solved, I don't know, but
I was. I was. I was one of those kids.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
There wasn't a lot of rules to defend you back
in those days, none at all, so.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
And there was a lot of punts. There's a lot
more punts back then than there are now.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Yeah, a little bit more run game stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
So now, coach, I think so too.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I think I think the reason I was in that
question and you answered it great, but was that I
made the mistakes sometimes of thinking the kid that looks
like the punt returner ought to be and sometimes it's
one of them jobs that it just isn't always the
guy that the numbers from your testing show. And the
(13:44):
same could be said for who's gonna block a kit,
who's your shortyardedge runner, or who's the guy you throw
the home run past to in the game. Sometimes it's
not really the guy that you think it might be,
is what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
You gotta think.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Outside the box to who's gonna run. If a guy's
running four setan but he's fearless, and this guy's from
the four four for you four or five of you burn,
but he's just it's not really gonna work out.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
You may be better off putting energy into the kid.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And I think, really you said it right, ask him,
because if if they don't love that team, that's when
if that team is adding stress to their life, then
that does not who you want it return, right. They
need to be begging to go out there, fighting to
go be the part return. There's a guy on your
team that is if you search out there for him, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I hear you.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Well, hey, excited to see what you guys can do.
Of course I've told everybody that, but I'm really excited
to see what you guys can do. So looking forward
to falling the Dragons this year. And you know, if
I can help you, let me.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Know, Well, we're super super excited.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
The kids are ready to get back out there, and
it's it's been a fun, fun few months. It's been
a whirlwind, but man, I love I love the kids.
They work hard and so they're just they're just chomping
out a bit and get get ready to go on
June third, and we are too.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
So yeah, that's awesome. Man.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Good luck to you, like I said, and you know
where to find me. I'll be right down the street
so I can help you. Let me know, yes, sir,
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Take care, sir.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
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Speaker 2 (00:06):
Ads and Coaches. Does the idea of a.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Sports information department at your school sound appealing? Sid Services
was founded with one goal in mind, help athletic directors
and coaches with their sports information duties and responsibilities. Developed
as a full service agency, they can help you with
all things sports information. SID Services will not graduate or
lead for another school. Instead, they will provide an ongoing
(00:28):
and knowledgeable resource for the entire athletic department. Their game
plan will be based off your needs, your wants, and
your wishes.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Your direction will lead their services.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
For more information and schedule an initial consultation, contact them today.
Sid Services email is info at sidh services dot com.
That's info at sid services dot com and their website
is sid services dot com. Hey everybody, Welcome to the
(01:07):
Parker Resources Situational Football series. But this offseason we have
one hundred guests talking about a pecific situation ahead of
the twenty twenty four football season. Hope you pick up
some great tips that can help make your team better.
Enjoy today's guests, all right, Please be joined this time
by coach Craig Bennett. Coach at Pickings. Coach, thanks for
(01:28):
joining me.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I appreciate you having me on again. Coach.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Man, So talking to football today, situational football, we're talking
about punt return late in the game. Now you've had
some people talking about punting late in the game. So
now we're talking about punt return. So we just got
to stop. They're gonna punt it. They're not gonna go
for it. At least they lined up. And maybe we're ahead,
(01:53):
and maybe we're behind. You can take that wherever you want.
But what are we thinking?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Oh man, you know, I think everything goes back to
just how the flow of the game goes, you know,
like you I don't some of these things. I think
you can say, hey, this is exactly what we're going
to do, and sometimes that changes in the flip of
a coin, just based on you know, how your kids
are playing, how your offense is playing. Like if we're up,
(02:21):
you know, and I feel comfortable, I'm gonna let the
kid return it, you know, and just say hey, let's
do what we do and not change not change anything,
and not not putting anything on the kids and saying hey,
we're going to do it differently.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
This particular rep versus what we've done all year.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
So I think sometimes when you put those kids in
those situations, they're like, wait a minute, what do you
mean when we're not catching it, what do you mean
we're not returning it? Throws them off a little bit.
So I think the flow of the game is important
to make that decision. But so I go through a
couple of them, I think, if that's okay, uh, And
(03:02):
again I.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Think the flow of the game.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
But if we're up and I feel comfortable with what
our offense is doing, I feel like, especially we've established
our offense and the way we want to establish it
with a run game, I'm gonna tell the kid to
catch it, you know. And that's listen. That's bit me too.
In the past we fumbled those things, but you know,
we we just did what we do. And I think
(03:26):
that's so important with high school kids is just stay
whatever you're doing, don't change it because it's special. Teams
has bit me in the butt several times over the
course of the last few years, and most of it
was kickoffs. And I'm not trying to skirt around the
question here, but we were up on kel several years ago.
(03:49):
First time we were up home and and my brother
was actually with us. He said, don't don't kick it deep,
and I'm like, we're gonna do what we do. Kick
the deep, kid runs it back. So a few years
later we go to Lead County and it's a one
score game and they're like, kick it deep, kick it deep,
and I'm like, hey, I remember the kil game, Like,
(04:10):
I don't want to kick a deep.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Let's let's you know, pooch it. We pooshed it.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Kid caught it and split our cover, split the kick
off coverage and ran it back to like the twenties.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
So yeah, I think it's just a matter of doing
what you do.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
But if we're down, I think it's final the clock,
you know, for down, I'm tell them to fair catch
it so we can save time. You know, that's the
most important thing I think with anything in today's punt
and punt return game, as the kids catching the ball,
we lose so many yards and crucial time. In certain situations,
you've got to catch the ball.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, I think you know, two things came to mind
as you said that. First is if you're punting, if
you're ahead in the fourth quarter and they're punning to you,
you got the ball, you're gonna get the ball, and
you got the lead, and you want to do something,
I completely agree.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
You do what you do if.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
You want to.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
If you're worried about fumbling it or whatever reason that's
got you paranoid, don't even put anybody back, right, Really,
that'd be my suggestion, like, don't don't do this like
pseudo thing. It's kind of like what you normally do
with all these yeah butts, Yeah, it's the same butt.
Fair catch it anyway, make sure you watch it in
make sure you know if you're going to terrify the
(05:26):
guy to death. Just don't put them back. Just play
with play defense and let it roll and whatever. Because
you got the lead, it's tied. Maybe that's where you're
in the middle, right, like they're trying to you want
to catch it, and if you're winning, I agree, like either,
I guess, I mean, if you're losing. If you're losing,
(05:46):
you need to catch the punt now if you've got
some room and you won't let me return it. That's
between coach to coach preference, probably, but a lot of
time in the game is wasted on bleeding the.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Clock on punt.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
So in addition to the yard, did you could lose
the time where the ball just sits there, which can
only be four or five six seconds, but that could
you know, if you're behind, that could be a valuable four.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Or five or six seconds.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Absolutely, yeah, get the ball, fair catch it at least
and then hand the fisher. Let's go play some offense,
try to win the game. Absolutely, how you practice this?
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Coach we I And it's funny me and coach Loutterman,
we're just talking about this other day.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
I probably spend more time on special teams and I'm
not sending anybody, but it has becomes such an important
It's always been an important factor of the game. We
practice it every day, and we practice situations every day
and maybe kick off and maybe on side it maybe
on side alert it may be pooch kick whatever, you know,
(06:55):
the fair catch it could be, you know, like you said, hey,
we're gonna pull somebody off and we're not gonna catch this.
Punting from the you know, minus two right and taking
a safety. We practice that every week and we try
to teach kids how to do that the right way.
And again those are kids. You can practice it all
(07:15):
you want, and sometimes it don't don't ever work out
the way you want it to.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
But yeah, I don't.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
And that's the thing I think I was trying to
say when I said, do what you do.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
If we've never practiced it, I will not do it.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
I mean I just will not, because I think you,
like you said that those kids in a tizzy and said,
you know what what what do you mean in the
heat of the moment, because everything gets a little faster
and that heat and that heat of the moment deal
and so we try to make sure you can't cover
them all. You know, you may cover them some of
(07:52):
those situations once or twice. I've never had to as
a head coach. I've never had to take a safety
on a punt. But we still practice every day, you know,
and I made never get to do it. It's kind
of like the free kicks. I've never practiced.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I got to practice a free kick.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
I have never done that.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
That was my taking a safety for you, and we
practice it all the time. Never did it, but I
was never seen it. It was a live game.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
So I'll tell you that.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
The key is, if you're going to do something in
the game, you need to practice it.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
That's what coach said, rewind if you didn't hear that part.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So for example, and this this team we're talking about
today is one of those. There are teams out there
that will work punt return, and when they work punt return,
they just work their regular punt return, you know, like
it's just they're just their mash return, or.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
They're setting up a wall, or they're going for the
block or whatever. And then in the game they'll give all.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
These caveats, you know, if they were ahead, don't fumble it,
you know, or don't but you know, whatever, they got
all these don'ts. Whereas instead, my suggestion, of course easy
to say we're not coaching. But my suggestion is to
at some point, you know, say you're doing five reps
apart return that day, do four regulars and throw in
(09:12):
a different situation in that fifth one, right, and every
now and then let it be Hey, we're ahead and
we're not gonna put anybody back. You think, why do
we y'all practice that letting the ball roll, Let the
ball roll, like practice making sure it's not fake balls
off the foot, Peter, everybody runs off the field.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
You practice that once every four weeks. See, you'd be amazed.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Those kids will do it perfect in the game, right,
try to put that thing on on the floor, which
is something that should be really simple.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
We're just not gonna put any way back.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Let it roll, and everybody runs around like a chicken
with her head cut off, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
And yeah, and that's that. You know that eleventh kid
rushes upon and.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Runs into the runs back and touches the ball, set
up a wall.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
I mean, like that does happen, you guys?
Speaker 1 (09:53):
And then and then really, of course, nobody's gonna say
to the newspaper, even to their buddy that we never
really practice, that that's my fault. But the truth is
sometimes that is the case, right, And so have you practiced?
And I know some of this stuff is so pie
in the sky and sounds really good, but it's hard
to actually put all this in, I know. But can
you find a way to do in my example, five
(10:16):
punts in a period or five kickoffs or five kick
returns or five returns. That's probably a normal amount that
I think people do in their period, maybe more than that,
but at least five. Can you just throw a different
scenario at him every time, like four regulars and one,
you know, and just get them out there and even
with a few reps, you'd be surprised how much of
(10:37):
an impact you could make. And I think this is
one of those teams right.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Right, absolutely, And I think that's going back to what
I was something I would kick offs. It was it
was me making the decision to do something different in
the course of a game that that hurt us, instead
of just letting our kids do what we've practiced.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Over and over and over again.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Yeah, you needed to better kick in the end zone.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
That's what you exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
It's always a plan.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
But you can kick in the end zone. That fixes
a lot of problems. So I turn a few of
these podcasts off if you got somebody same way with
the punt return.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
But hey, last question, I ask.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
You, what are we looking for in a punt return
Because they're like this situation punting late in the game, them.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Punt you're on.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Punt returns a lot about the returner, right, So what
are the traits you can take this anyway you want
to take it of a good punt returner.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
What are you looking for in a punt returner, not
just in.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
This situation, just in general that you're determining who's our
punt return you know.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
It's it's funny.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
We're talking to some kidder some of our kids the
other day and one of our kids like, coach, I
don't I don't like this. And I ask them because
if they tell them they don't like doing it, I
am They're they're out all rut. So it I've and
I've been fortunate enough to coach returners. That's part of
what I've I've done over the last fifteen sixteen years,
(11:57):
punt returners, kick returners. So just talking to them and
seeing them mentality and get to know those kids.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
But I like a fearless kid.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
That that's the first and foremost, Like he's not afraid,
he's not afraid to catch the ball. Yes, that will bite,
you know. And I'll tell them all the time, I'm
gonna trust you. You catch it on a bounce, you
get a one bounce ball, and you get it. Go
And I saw I throw a lot of trust to
those kids and say, hey man, once we practice this,
(12:26):
and once i'm you know you're the guy, like go
do it and I want you to.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
I want you to catch the ball and you.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Know what you're you're probably gonna drop one, and it's
gonna it's gonna be all right, we're gonna get over it,
and I'm gonna put you right back out there the
next time you go out there and we have to
do a punk return. So, uh, fearless to me would
be the first thing that because man, I remember in
high school I loved kickoff turn.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
I did not like punk return and.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Didn't know it.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
So maybe I'm maybe I'm solved, I don't know, but
I was. I was. I was one of those kids.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
There wasn't a lot of rules to defend you back
in those days, none at all, so.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
And there was a lot of punts. There's a lot
more punts back then than there are now.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Yeah, a little bit more run game stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
So now, coach, I think so too.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I think I think the reason I was in that
question and you answered it great, but was that I
made the mistakes sometimes of thinking the kid that looks
like the punt returner ought to be and sometimes it's
one of them jobs that it just isn't always the
guy that the numbers from your testing show. And the
(13:44):
same could be said for who's gonna block a kit,
who's your shortyardedge runner, or who's the guy you throw
the home run past to in the game. Sometimes it's
not really the guy that you think it might be,
is what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
You gotta think.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Outside the box to who's gonna run. If a guy's
running four setan but he's fearless, and this guy's from
the four four for you four or five of you burn,
but he's just it's not really gonna work out.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
You may be better off putting energy into the kid.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And I think, really you said it right, ask him,
because if if they don't love that team, that's when
if that team is adding stress to their life, then
that does not who you want it return, right. They
need to be begging to go out there, fighting to
go be the part return. There's a guy on your
team that is if you search out there for him, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I hear you.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Well, hey, excited to see what you guys can do.
Of course I've told everybody that, but I'm really excited
to see what you guys can do. So looking forward
to falling the Dragons this year. And you know, if
I can help you, let me.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Know, Well, we're super super excited.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
The kids are ready to get back out there, and
it's it's been a fun, fun few months. It's been
a whirlwind, but man, I love I love the kids.
They work hard and so they're just they're just chomping
out a bit and get get ready to go on
June third, and we are too.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
So yeah, that's awesome. Man.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Good luck to you, like I said, and you know
where to find me. I'll be right down the street
so I can help you. Let me know, yes, sir,
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Take care, sir.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
The Parker Resources podcast provides information for coaches, athletic directors
and leaders get better. If you'd like to support Parking
Resources and get bonus content documents, you can edit and
other resources and join our Patreon at patreon dot com
slash Parker Resources. The Parker Resource Podcast brought to you
by Coastal Sports Turf.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Coastal Sports Turf mission is to.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Provide beautiful, healthyness, safe natural turf grass playing surfaces for athletes.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
And coaches in Georgia.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Many school systems cannot afford a licensed professional turf grass manager.
They have over twenty five years of experience in turf
grass management and are licensing bonded in Georgia, providing weed
and insect control plus fird tip fertility programs designed to
fit your expectations. For a quality athletic turf surface, you
can have the field of your dreams Coastal Sports Turf.
(16:01):
Many coaches and staff have to maintain their fields and
they desire to have dependable equipment to use. Coastal Sports
Turf carries equipment designed for athletic field maintenance like real mowers, infield, rates,
blowers and other turf equipment. You can email Coastal Sports
Turf LLC at gmail dot com, that's Coastal Sports Turf
LLC at gmail dot com, or follow them on Twitter
(16:23):
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