Monday February 13, 2012

Dodgeball

Dodgeball
I don't remember Digger Phelps doing it in the seventies with his team but I heard Clemson Sports Information Director Tim Bourrett tell the story in the pre-game show before Saturday's 20-point win at Wake Forest.

Phelps took a day off from practice and had his team play dodgeball instead.

Clemson head coach Brad Brownell is an Indiana guy so that is maybe where he got the idea last week when he surprised his team when they played dodgeball instead of practicing.

Brownell divided the team up into three teams that included the coaches and they had a true dodgeball competition.

Whatever he did, it worked. I am not used to hearing a Clemson team win by 20 on the road in the Atlantic Coast Conference but the strategy must have worked.

I had Brownell on my radio show this morning and asked him about the decision. He said the season is long and his players had been caught up in the grind of the season, so he thought a break from practice would do his team some good.

I asked Brownell if he told his team the same thing Patches O'Houlihan told his team in the movie "Dodgeball-A True Underdog Story." O'Houlihan said, "If you're going to become true dodgeballers, then you've got to learn the five d's of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge!"

Brownell had seen the movie but did not coach his team in before then dodgeball game. He also did not use the O'Houlihan classic, "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." He assured me no wrenches were thrown.

The point is that Brownell had his finger on the pulse of his team. Maybe they were tired. Maybe they needed the diversion a good game of dodgeball can provide. Maybe it was dodgeball that lead to Tanner Smith's 8-9 shooting performance Saturday. Maybe it was dodgeball that got Devin Coleman out of his slump with a 4-5 shooting performance.

A good friend of mine, Wes Long, is the head men's basketball coach at Queens University in Charlotte. His team was on a long winning streak last season but he sensed his team was tired, so instead of practicing one day he took his team to play laser tag.

Maybe this is the new way to coach. I am not sure Adolph Rupp ever had his Kentucky teams play whiffle ball.

My favorite coach ever was John Wooden but I can't see his UCLA teams getting after each other in a game of "Kill the Man with the Ball." In those days we called it "Smear the Queer" but the more politically correct game was termed "Kill the Man with the Ball."

O'Houlihan knew dodgeball was not politically correct either when he advised, "But remember, dodgeball is a sport of violence, exclusion and degradation. So, when you're picking players in Gym class, remember to pick the bigger, stronger kids for your team. That way you can all gang up on the weaker ones."

Kickball. That is the politically correct game of today's elementary schools. Murray State was undefeated and ranked seventh in the country until they lost last week. Maybe their coach should have had his team participate in a little game of kickball to take the edge off.

Ultimate frisbee anyone?

On a much more serious note, Brownell made a good point when he said his team has been playing a bunch of Tuesday, Saturday game weeks. He said this meant his players have not had a day when they didn't have either basketball or school in several weeks.

He also pointed out that basketball is a two-semester game that starts in October and does end until March or even April for a few lucky teams. This can be an exhausting season, especially when the close losses add up.

Another of the great ones in coaching talked about re-charging your batteries. Dean Smith took every summer to play a bunch of golf. Later in his career he said he would not make up his mind to come back until August or September. He would take the summer to re-charge his batteries and come back with the energy he needed for the long haul.

We see this in football more now as well. Many college coaches take a day away from August practice to let their teams get a little fresher and get away from the grind of practice.

So I applaud Brownell for knowing what is best for his team. Who knows, maybe we will see his team on ESPN 8-The Ocho facing Globo-gym in the American Dodgeball Association of America's Championship. Look out Average Joes!

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:

If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.

If you would like to add someone to the list please email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com

*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list.

Those who need our prayers include:Finn Brookover, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson.