Have you ever played for a coach who truly had no favorites?

[Snout team]

It is a topic of discussion on here frequently.  Nutt and Beliema are accused more than others of having their favorites and it hurting the team as a result. 

I love the idea of having a coach who treats everyone equally.  I am over 50 and have never played for that guy.  Some were definitely worse than others but truth is, everyone has favorites.  It is part of being human.

The question becomes "can a coach have personal favorites but not allow it to influence his decision making when choosing who will play during the game?"

[LZH]

If you can make plays, you're a "favorite." If you're average, good luck.

[HogShat]

Do you think it is really having "favorites", or treating the ones you think are best for the job different?

Edit,

I think LZH and I are barking up the same tree...

[LZH]

Do you think it is really having "favorites", or treating the ones you think are best for the job different?

Edit,

I think LZH and I are barking up the same tree...

Woof woof....!

[Cinco de Hogo]

I can truthfully say I was never a coaches favorite!

[Inhogswetrust]

I can truthfully say I was never a coaches favorite!

Never started huh........

[3Scoreand10]

If the coach I played for 58-61 played favorites, in was never evident to any of us.
We all though he hated all of us.  I do not believe there was a single player he did not yank and send to the locker room during a game in the 4 years I played for him.

[Mike Irwin]

I had a Jr. High coach who didn't give a crap who you were. If you were better at your position than every other kid at that position you played.

There was a kid we'd all grown up with who always got his way because his daddy was a big shot. He pitched a fit in the locker room before our first 7th grade game because a kid whose daddy was an unemployed mechanic was starting at running back instead of him. He stood up and told us all that the coach would soon be gone.

He was wrong. He was gone and he never put on a football uniform again.

That's the way football should be. No politics allowed.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

It is a topic of discussion on here frequently.  Nutt and Beliema are accused more than others of having their favorites and it hurting the team as a result. 

I love the idea of having a coach who treats everyone equally.  I am over 50 and have never played for that guy.  Some were definitely worse than others but truth is, everyone has favorites.  It is part of being human.

The question becomes "can a coach have personal favorites but not allow it to influence his decision making when choosing who will play during the game?"

I played for a guy in HS and one in college who both played their favorites. But their favorites were the guys who performed at a high level in practice and in the small things, who dedicated effort on and off the field (in-season and off-season weight work outs and extra running), exhibited positive leadership, stayed academically eligible and helped the team in games.

[Hawgphat]

No, every coach I played for had clearly-chosen favorites - who were NOT always the best players on the junior high and high school football and basketball teams I played on.  To the best of my recollection, those highly-favored players happened to be the sons of very influential local business owners and acknowledged leaders in the community. 

My high school track coach was the only coach of my remembrance who did not clearly pander to obviously-chosen favorites; - - - however, - apart from relay events, - - track is largely an individual sport.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Never started huh........

No the fat son of a school board member did.  Th other four were better than me...until we graduated then suddenly I was better than all but our center who was all-conference.

[southeasthog]

Conversation with my coach after our season my senior year.

Superintendent: "Coach, I want to see my boy starting next year."

Coach: "Well, I think if he works hard he might have a chance to play a little."

Superintendent: "You don't understand. I want to see my boy STARTING next season."

Coach: "I don't know if that is possible. He has to get a lot better."

Superintendent: "I see."

The Coach's contract wasn't renewed that Spring.

[hamsam]

I played for a guy in HS and one in college who both played their favorites. But their favorites were the guys who performed at a high level in practice and in the small things, who dedicated effort on and off the field (in-season and off-season weight work outs and extra running), exhibited positive leadership, stayed academically eligible and helped the team in games.

Same here. There's something about the ones that take care of business and do things right that make them the coaches "favorites"...

[Boss Hog in the Arkansas]

If you can make plays, you're a "favorite." If you're average, good luck.

Or if the coach deems you to have potential

[DeltaBoy]

Our Coach said I don't have favorites and he made some stars set out the first half several times over the years.  Plus he ran his own discipline system after practice which including Bear Crawls, Tractor Tire Flipping and 100 yard wind sprints.  Sprints had to be under 15 seconds or your did them again.  No was safe from his wrath if you screwed up.

[Busta_Nutt]

I can truthfully say I was never a coaches favorite!

I can believe that. What sport(s) did you play?

[jm]

Coaches in general do not play favorites. I have never seen anyone play a guy that he knows is going to screw up just because he likes to lose. Some players are just better at convincing the coach that they can get the job done. "If all else is equal we buy from who we know, like, and trust", but that is not really playing favorites; it is the inability of everyone else to take a step forward and prove they deserve the job more.

[Rudy Baylor]

yes, more than once

[tbhogfan]

I competed for the greatest coach ever in my sport.  He had personal favorites, which is human nature, but I never saw those athletes be treated any better or get any advantage. 

We were all equal recipients of his praise when we did well and his ire when we didn't.   We were all held to very high standards of performance.  I never competed for any coach at any level who did not have favorites.

[Cinco de Hogo]

I can believe that. What sport(s) did you play?

Basketball, school was too small for football and baseball only lasted one year.

[Tusks]

I've played for a few.  Playmakers spend more time with the coach cause they are working on things, but they weren't shown special treatment.  They ran just as much as the next guy.

[hogsanity]

Every coach has favorites, so I assume we are talking about player being shown preferential treatment or playing over players who are better.

The charge with BB was that there were players sitting that were better than those that were playing. I always wondered what that was based on since none of us see practice and most of the players sitting did not play enough in games to make that determination.

I played for 4 coaches between jrhs and hs and I know they had favorites, but I never thought they PLAYED favorites. My dad swore they did PLAY favorites because I did not get to play as much. I played behind a all state PG and a all conf 2 guard. I was not as good as either of them. But my coach trusted me enough that if they got in foul trouble or he needed to talk to one of them he did not hesitate to put me in. 

[The NewEra]

I remember a coach I played for in Jr. High who was notorious for playing favorites (Conway).  I played football and basketball for him.  I was much better at basketball, but couldn't crack that (these kids have lived here all their lives and I'm friends with their fathers) barrier.  We had a basketball game in the high school one evening and I was allowed to play for the first time.  I gave fits defensively to the opposing team and also put up about 18 points in my time on the floor.  After the game was over the coach called me over to the stands where he was sitting with the High School Coach, who was a great coach by the way.  The HS coach said "great game".  My coach then said "now that you are moving to another school you have a performance like that".  I looked him in the eye and said "you would have seen it sooner had you played me".  I hoped I embarrassed him in front of the HS coach.

[arkbuck]

I played for two hall of fame coaches in HS.  Went 34-4 in three years.  There were no favorites, it was ALL about winning.  Summer and off season workouts were mandatory as was before school study hall. We had Two a day practices and met in class room in-between to learn playbook. They worked our butts off, taught us how to do everything but lose.

[Vantage 8 dude]

I believe it's human nature that most coaches would have some favorites on a team. Heck, since all of us are predisposed to having certain personality traits that we find more interesting and agreeable, that'd be natural. Having said that, GOOD coaches are able to look past that tendency and overcome that potential pitfall to actually project and utilize the kids who will give them the best chance of success. Not saying it's easy, however, one has to sometimes go against their natural inclinations and even prejudices in order to achieve the best results.

[BallHog1]

I remember Jimmy Johnson saying some to the effect of:"All players get treated equally, some just get treated more equally than others."

[sickboy]

I remember Jimmy Johnson saying some to the effect of:"All players get treated equally, some just get treated more equally than others."

Life hits hard. Hits even harder when you're poor and dumb.

[redleg]

I played at Conway thirty years ago, and I can tell you without any doubt that the coach played favorites. If your daddy was rich and/or important, you played, even if there was a better and more talented player at that position. The coach was a good guy, but his teams suffered because of his favoritism. Were there guys from wealthy families that deserved to play? Of course. One of them was All-State. But not all of them, and certainly not ahead of a talented Lasker.

[ballz2thewall]

my coaches were social workers because i actually got to play.

[go hogues]

It is a topic of discussion on here frequently.  Nutt and Beliema are accused more than others of having their favorites and it hurting the team as a result. 

I think it was more HOW they treated the non-favorites.

Nutt pitted guys against each other as a result of petty jealousies.

CBB wanted to be the guy who created all the JJ Watt's, so he stubbornly played the 2* types.

[RME]

I think it was more HOW they treated the non-favorites.

Nutt pitted guys against each other as a result of petty jealousies.

CBB wanted to be the guy who created all the JJ Watt's, so he stubbornly played the 2* types.

What 2* types did he stubbornly play over players who might have performed better?

[clutch]

I'm a coach and I no doubt have my favorites. I don't think I treat them any differently. They go through all the same conditioning, face punishments for broken rules, suffer with the rest of the team when the team as a whole screws up. However, the funny thing is you never have to punish them for anything because they do right.

My favorites are always the kid that is not only good, but good for a reason. The kid who is good because he works harder than anyone else to be good. We usually don't have many like that, but it seems every year there is at least 1 player, both football and baseball, who WANTS to be good and works his tail off to make it happen. It's hard for those guys to not be your favorite. I probably give them a little more leeway in game time because I have more trust in them. 

It's not always the best player on the team, but that kid always seems to be one of the best. There's also the super talented kids who don't like to work and reach there full potential. Those kids are never my favorites.

It's just hard not to like the kids who work their tails off for you more than the ones that don't.

[justmakeit2thebcs]

Who is the better defender?  4.35 athletic freak with 4 or 5 mistakes a game or 4.5 guy that makes no mistakes?   If you choose #2, you will be accused of playing favorites.

In the end, you'd like to coach that 4.35 guy up and eliminate the mistakes, but sometimes that is not possible.

[hogsanity]

What 2* types did he stubbornly play over players who might have performed better?

An hour and no answers, pretty telling

[Deep Shoat]

I'm guessing most of the folks accusing a coach of playing favorites were never a starter.

There is no doubt in my mind my coaches played favorites.  It just so happened that the favorites were the ones who produced on the field...

[VictoryRedChevy]

Yep. My 1997 Fort Smith Boys Club E.R.C. team. Coach Buddy Walters.

We were undefeated champs.

[justmakeit2thebcs]

I've never known a coach that played favorites.  Most play guys that they can trust to execute.   If the difference in talent is great enough, you'll put up with more mistakes.   

[Busta_Nutt]

Basketball, school was too small for football and baseball only lasted one year.

Cool. Can you dunk?

[The NewEra]

I'm guessing most of the folks accusing a coach of playing favorites were never a starter.

There is no doubt in my mind my coaches played favorites.  It just so happened that the favorites were the ones who produced on the field...

In my case you would be wrong sir.  I started every game before and after my experience mentioned with the coach above.  When your fathers job has him moving a lot, you also change schools frequently.  To the coaches point above, I knew I had to outwork everyone in practice and take advantage of every opportunity I got to perform well.  New kids have to earn respect and it isn't given easily when everyone else grew up knowing each other through kindergarten.  It comes with the territory.  You learn to understand that early in life but your premise isn't accurate, at least in my case.

[AlmaHog2011]

Yep. My 1997 Fort Smith Boys Club E.R.C. team. Coach Buddy Walters.

We were undefeated champs.

Buddy is a good guy. Never knew he won anything though.

[Pig in the Pokey]

I can truthfully say I was never a coaches favorite!

YEP, #metoo

[Cinco de Hogo]

Cool. Can you dunk?

LOL! NO

[Cinco de Hogo]

What 2* types did he stubbornly play over players who might have performed better?

The one who have graduated that had their stars taken away from them upon re-evaluation.  You know the opposite of what happened when Petrino's players were re-evaluated.

[Laughing Hog]

Houston Nutt was one of my QB's in Y football one year-Houston Sr was an 'adviser' while he coached at the School for the deaf

Danny Nutt was my QB for 2 more years in Y football - Houston Sr was our coach (Our preseason scrimmage was always against the school for the deaf - That was always 'interesting')

George Loss Jr was my QB for part of my HS career - Daddy was the head coach. He later moved to Hall High.

So I would say there a good chance that I didn't get to experience 'unbiased' coaching. 

[hogsanity]

Some distinction has to made, imo, between things like youth league, hs, and college. There is a ton of "daddy" ball in youth leagues. In hs, especially small to mid sized schools, there is a lot of, or at least used to be alot of, pressure brought to play the kids of important people in town, school board members, etc. In college, I find it almost laughable to think that a coach who has a multi-million dollar contract and their future employment on the line would not play the best players they have.

[12247]

Every coach I ever played for had favorites.  It was usually the go to Guys.  Better basketball players had Keys to the Gym.  I was his stopper in Basketball, not Gym Key material but the competitions best player was gonna see a lot of me throughout the game.  He could have locked me in the Gym and I never would have shot 50 percent so I either stopped folks from scoring or was 3rd team.

In Football, coach depended on me for durability.  I was the only player who played both ways on every down for an entire season but you would never see my name in even the local paper.    But his favs was the Odessa High School transfer who could really play the sport and a QB who was not real good but football smart.

But Baseball, I was now a favorite.  Big Hitter, Big Pitcher, Played outfield or first when not pitching, Hit for big average and slugging percentage, stole bases at will and glued the team together.  We lost 3 games in 3 years.  All that said, big fish, really little pond.

Coaches always want to win, no matter the game.  I never felt threatened by coaches favs.

[hs6]

I played for a guy in HS and one in college who both played their favorites. But their favorites were the guys who performed at a high level in practice and in the small things, who dedicated effort on and off the field (in-season and off-season weight work outs and extra running), exhibited positive leadership, stayed academically eligible and helped the team in games.

Preach it.

[Busta_Nutt]

Every coach I ever played for had favorites.  It was usually the go to Guys.  Better basketball players had Keys to the Gym.  I was his stopper in Basketball, not Gym Key material but the competitions best player was gonna see a lot of me throughout the game.  He could have locked me in the Gym and I never would have shot 50 percent so I either stopped folks from scoring or was 3rd team.

In Football, coach depended on me for durability.  I was the only player who played both ways on every down for an entire season but you would never see my name in even the local paper.    But his favs was the Odessa High School transfer who could really play the sport and a QB who was not real good but football smart.

But Baseball, I was now a favorite.  Big Hitter, Big Pitcher, Played outfield or first when not pitching, Hit for big average and slugging percentage, stole bases at will and glued the team together.  We lost 3 games in 3 years.  All that said, big fish, really little pond.

Coaches always want to win, no matter the game.  I never felt threatened by coaches favs.

Now that's a prototypical player! Sounds a lot like Mike Trout. Where did you play college ball? Or did you get drafted out of high school?

[RME]

In this thread:

[daprospecta]

Yep, Tracy Rocker. No favorites.  You either do what you are taught or you don't play.