Hello everyone Coach_J here. I hope that everyone is doing well. I tried three times previously to respond to this but was having problems logging in. Hopefully my response will be successful this time.
Like the rest of us I have seen similar posts like this but never bothered to respond. This will be the first time for responding to such a post and what I am about to say is neither right or wrong but simply an observation.
1) First of all this is ONLY A HOBBY with little plastic men. In other words lets not get carried away and bogged down on rules/styles of play. In some respects maybe the hobby has become too big for one style of play. We must understand that EVERY style of play has a place in the hobby and there is NO right or wrong way to play. I could be wrong but most of us probably started by following the Miggle set of rules and tweaked them from our understanding of football. The tweaked rules/styles of play became part of the leagues and tournaments that we participated in. When we became part of a league or participated in a tournament then we simply followed the rules of the league or tournament that we participated in. In other words "When In Rome Do As The Romans Do". If the style of play is not for you then we have choices to either follow the rules or move on. Now here is what I find is vital and that is if you move on then do NOT put down the style of play especially publicly.
2) I could be wrong but I think there are four styles of play that are currently part of our hobby. As I said previously if a certain style of play does not suit you then move on and do NOT put down the style of play publicly. Nor should we publicly say that our style of play is the best way to play. Where am I coming from ? I am so glad you asked. Every style of play has its strengths and yes its weaknesses. College football is at least a multi million $$$$$$ industry and the NFL is a multi billion $$$$$$ industry. All of us look at college football and the NFL every weekend. Both have rules and use advanced technology. Guess what with all of the money and advanced technology the rules have flaws. College football has the BCS using computers to determine the top teams in order to choose the champion. Guess what almost every year the BCS ends up being the BC "Mess" especially when it comes to choosing the #2 team to play for the championship. In September the University of Oklahoma lost to the University of Oregon after the officials used advanced technology and still made the wrong call. As we know Oklahoma lost. Had the officials made the right call then maybe Oklahoma and not Florida plays in championship game. This year the big debate in the NFL is the questionable roughing the QB calls that have determined the outcome of ball games. Plus a week ago a defensive linemen was reluctant to make a tackle on a QB fearing he would receive a penalty. His team lost because of that play. Now if rules are flawed in a multi billion dollar industry with advanced technology then guess what the various rules in our hobby have flaws.
3) Keep an open mind. You can always learn something from another style of play. You never know the different style of play may can make you a better coach in the style of play that you normally participate in. It is easy to get stuck in a comfort zone. Again we all have choices and we must be respectful of the different styles of play. For example some of us, me included, know people who are involved in all four of the styles of play in our hobby. I could care less what style others play because I am glad just to see people playing.be wrong but some only have a rapport with those involved in there style of play. By the way if you are travelling to another part of the country and know a coach in that city that you want to scrimmage then you play by his rules. After the scrimmage politely ask to play by the rules that you are familiar with. If he says no then move on. Of course if it is a new coach then you share what knowledge you have.
4) Yes there are different styles of play but that is of little importance. We are ambassadors of the hobby from the veteran coaches to the coach who started last week. Our job is to PROMOTE THE HOBBY and nothing else. As for promoting the hobby here is a question for all of you. How many of us take the time to welcome new coaches to the hobby ? OUCH. All of us should take the time to welcome a new coach even if it is just to say hello and not promote a style of play. Even if the coach lives on the opposite end of the country welcome him to the hobby. If they have a question about painting or tweaking and you are not a painter or tweaker then put them in touch with the right people. That goes a lot further than telling them about styles of play. Guess what the styles of play will eventually come to them but remember LET THEM CHOOSE. We may not think so but from the way I see it the life blood and survival of the hobby is not the style of play but the newbies and those coaches who are in the next generation. Little do we know what kind of an impact it will have on a new coach when we welcome them to the hobby. At the same time we do not know what kind of talent the new coach might have and even a veteran coach can learn from a newbie. So do NOT bog the newbie down with styles of play. Now if he asks about rules then tell him what you are familiar with but don't tell him that this is the only way to play. Remember welcoming and helping a newbie to the hobby goes much further Promoting The Hobby than a style of play.
5) Finally don't forget about the 3 F's and that is FELLOWSHIP, FUN, and FRIENDSHIP. When it is all said done through FELLOWSHIP, having FUN, can lead to lasting FRIENDSHIPS and not styles of play. We are all familiar with the motto of the Oakland Raiders and that is "JUST WIN BABY". When it comes to electric football the heck with the style of play instead my motto is simply "JUST PLAY BABY".
Hopefully everyone understand my lenghty take on this subject matter. If I said anything that was confusing and you need a further explanation then by all means please feel free to contact me. Until then "JUST PLAY BABY".
Coach_J
|