In pro football no player ever plays both ways. Even at college level, every player is assigned specialty positions they play.

High school and peewee football are not managed the same. Twenty-five plus players on the team, and it seems the coaches only have talent and ability to coach and play 11 to 15 of the players.

Ask and they say, “The boys on the sideline are just not talented or hard chargers.”

I find it hard to believe. I, too, have coached several sports and find that in a group that size, like our varsity team here in Oak Harbor, maybe 3 or 4 players are not hard chargers.

The season is well under way and I have been to all the games and must say, “Good job,” to the boys for their efforts, to the coaching staff not such a good job. Playing the same players both ways and going for it on fourth and long on their 40 is not good strategy.

An “average” coach can do as they have, playing about 15 of the 40-plus players that play all the time and sideline the rest.

A “great” coach looks at the abilities of every player, then builds an offense, defense and special teams.

If all the boys who are nothing but practice players decided enough was enough and walked off, just how effective would the practice be for the chosen few?

I hope this letter strikes a chord with all of the coaches and parents that read it and the “average” coaches stand up and make changes as to how they build their team.

Watch a pro game and see how many players play several positions and both ways. None! Why, you may ask? Conditioning! There is no one in football or any contact sport that can take a beating and perform at 100 percent for the entire game.

Decide if you are going to be an average coach or a great coach.

Matthew Van Pelt

Oak Harbor