LH Panther Mom
11-24-2005, 02:08 PM
Sticker shock: skulls and Reapers and cockroaches, oh my!
High school players love their decals earned for good plays, big wins
By Alan Trubow
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, November 18, 2005
Hutto Coach Lee Penland watched the film and saw the problem. His team's defense wasn't very physical. They didn't deliver memorable blows or come up with big hits.
Something had to change, he decided, to motivate the Hippos. So he did the obvious thing.
He ordered stickers.
Grim Reaper stickers. To hand out as awards.
Little did Penland know the difference it would make.
"We tried to make a big deal out of the stickers . . . And I'll tell you something, it really helped," said Penland, who implemented his sticker reward program at Hutto three years ago.
"We started calling big hits 'reapers' and the kids really took to it," he said. "We've got a whole lot of team decals we give out, but they all want that reaper sticker. And it shows on the field. After we started giving those out, our defense got more physical. We hit more often and we hit harder."
The Hippos aren't the only ones who motivate players with helmet decorations. Every week, high school teams across the country award players with decals for big plays, memorable performances or team victories. Now, with the playoffs in Texas kicking into high gear, players' helmets are overflowing with cockroaches, skulls and crossbones, stars, footballs, letters and Grim Reapers.
Don Metivier, chairman of Sportdecals Inc., said his Illinois-based company sells about 3.75 million stickers per year to schools across the country. And he said that more stickers are sent to Texas than to any other state.
"They account for about one-twelfth of our business, and we're the largest helmet decal company in the country," Metivier said. "It's a big deal."
At many places, it's a huge deal.
In Wimberley, Texans players and coaches have a ceremony every Friday morning, when players receive their individual stickers in front of the entire team.
"We've got a bunch of different ones, and we try to make a big deal about it. It's just more incentive for the kids," Texans Coach Weldon Nelms said. "They like putting them on the helmets. It's just a fun thing for them to do. And, trust me, they look forward to those Friday morning meetings all week.
"One week we had to switch our schedule, and the biggest question kids asked was, 'What about the sticker ceremony?' "
They do the same thing at Westlake, where every Monday morning is like Christmas, with an envelope full of stickers waiting at every player's locker. Thorndale Coach Todd Doughty said his players act like "piranhas in a feeding frenzy" when it comes to earning their dog bone stickers.
But maybe they should.
After all, stickers aren't just thrown onto helmets. They're earned. Awarded. Different stickers for different accomplishments.
Wimberley players sport small white stars for stellar offensive plays, red stars for defensive plays and Texas stickers for team victories.
"We do the red stars on defense because our defense is known as 'Code Red,' " said Wimberley defensive back Tommy Bennett. "Everybody looks forward to earning them. It shows your contribution to the team."
McNeil's stickers are a bit more morbid, as Mavericks players are awarded skulls and crossbones, cockroaches and stars.
"Every school has different programs," said McNeil Coach Robert Wilcox. "Here, the skull and crossbones are for outstanding accomplishments like interceptions, sacks, touchdown catches and long runs or passes. The cockroach is for big blocks and cuts. The stars are for academic rewards."
Academic rewards?
It's not as random as you think. Actually, the dog bone stickers on Bandera helmets have nothing to do with football. Coach Guy Grover awards them for classroom accomplishments, not athletic achievements.
"I saw how well they worked on the football field at other places I coached, but I wanted to get our kids more productive in the classroom.," Grover said. "Now, every six weeks when the grades come out, we give our players a dog bone sticker for getting an A or B.
"They've responded in the classroom the same way they did on the football field," Grover said. "All of a sudden, those kids who were getting around 75 percent in four classes, they've raised their percentage to an 80 percent."
Like Bandera, Wimberley also rewards academic success. The Texans give out large white stars for players who make the school's six-week honor roll.
Every team that gives out stickers swears they're effective.
But not all coaches like the reward system.
The overwhelming interest shown by many players has some coaches like Seguin's Jim Carson wanting to avoid stickers like a 15-yard penalty.
"We decided against it because I've been in places where the stickers took on a life of their own," Carson said. "The players were more interested in how many stickers they got than whether or not we won.
"I think Seguin was more guilty of praising individual stars in the past. We wanted to turn that around," Carson said. "We wanted to do away with as much individualism as we could. We teach unity and selflessness."
Connally Coach Matt Monzingo feels the same way. While the Cougars' helmets are bare, he still finds a way to reward his kids.
"We don't issue individual helmet stickers. We concentrate more on team goals than individual ones," Monzingo said. "But we do have a team board located in our hallway. And we put up team goals rather than individual ones. It has been my experience that stickers create jealousy between teammates if they're not handled properly."
Then again, that hasn't happened at Westlake.
Actually, the sticker program has helped quarterback Nick Foles become even more of a leader. Foles' helmet is naked. There's the big Westlake sticker on the side of the quarterback's headgear, and scratches, paint chips and dents. But no stickers.
None for his 99 completions, 2,069 passing yards or 19 passing touchdowns this season. None for Westlake's nine victories. Nothing.
Yes, Foles has earned plenty of helmet decorations this year, but he decided his helmet was going to remain plain. Instead, he handed his stickers out every week to the offensive linemen.
"I figure without any of them, I wouldn't earn any stickers at all," Foles said. "I'm the quarterback. I get enough recognition as it is. I think they're the ones who deserve more. They're the ones who allow me to make plays and earn those stickers."
It was a move that impressed his coach.
"It says a lot for Nick," said Westlake Coach Derek Long. "He does it as a way to motivate his teammates.
"I think he also does it as a way to show them how much he appreciates them."
Wimberley's Jacob Biddle also appreciates his teammates. The Texans' leading tackler doesn't give his teammates his stickers, but he doesn't put them on his helmet, either.
"I put them all in a scrapbook," said Biddle, an All-State linebacker. "I don't want those things on my helmet. The only decorations I want on my helmet are dents and scratches. Those are the only helmet marks I think look good."
Most coaches don't care what the players do with their stickers. The stickers aren't about looks. They're not about hype or drawing attention to their players.
"For us, it's just another way to motivate. It works. So we're going to keep it," Penland said. "We might tweak our program here and there, but we're going to stick to it."
atrubow@statesman.com; 445-3959
LINK (http://www.statesman.com/search/content/sports/stories/highschool/11/18stickers.html)
High school players love their decals earned for good plays, big wins
By Alan Trubow
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, November 18, 2005
Hutto Coach Lee Penland watched the film and saw the problem. His team's defense wasn't very physical. They didn't deliver memorable blows or come up with big hits.
Something had to change, he decided, to motivate the Hippos. So he did the obvious thing.
He ordered stickers.
Grim Reaper stickers. To hand out as awards.
Little did Penland know the difference it would make.
"We tried to make a big deal out of the stickers . . . And I'll tell you something, it really helped," said Penland, who implemented his sticker reward program at Hutto three years ago.
"We started calling big hits 'reapers' and the kids really took to it," he said. "We've got a whole lot of team decals we give out, but they all want that reaper sticker. And it shows on the field. After we started giving those out, our defense got more physical. We hit more often and we hit harder."
The Hippos aren't the only ones who motivate players with helmet decorations. Every week, high school teams across the country award players with decals for big plays, memorable performances or team victories. Now, with the playoffs in Texas kicking into high gear, players' helmets are overflowing with cockroaches, skulls and crossbones, stars, footballs, letters and Grim Reapers.
Don Metivier, chairman of Sportdecals Inc., said his Illinois-based company sells about 3.75 million stickers per year to schools across the country. And he said that more stickers are sent to Texas than to any other state.
"They account for about one-twelfth of our business, and we're the largest helmet decal company in the country," Metivier said. "It's a big deal."
At many places, it's a huge deal.
In Wimberley, Texans players and coaches have a ceremony every Friday morning, when players receive their individual stickers in front of the entire team.
"We've got a bunch of different ones, and we try to make a big deal about it. It's just more incentive for the kids," Texans Coach Weldon Nelms said. "They like putting them on the helmets. It's just a fun thing for them to do. And, trust me, they look forward to those Friday morning meetings all week.
"One week we had to switch our schedule, and the biggest question kids asked was, 'What about the sticker ceremony?' "
They do the same thing at Westlake, where every Monday morning is like Christmas, with an envelope full of stickers waiting at every player's locker. Thorndale Coach Todd Doughty said his players act like "piranhas in a feeding frenzy" when it comes to earning their dog bone stickers.
But maybe they should.
After all, stickers aren't just thrown onto helmets. They're earned. Awarded. Different stickers for different accomplishments.
Wimberley players sport small white stars for stellar offensive plays, red stars for defensive plays and Texas stickers for team victories.
"We do the red stars on defense because our defense is known as 'Code Red,' " said Wimberley defensive back Tommy Bennett. "Everybody looks forward to earning them. It shows your contribution to the team."
McNeil's stickers are a bit more morbid, as Mavericks players are awarded skulls and crossbones, cockroaches and stars.
"Every school has different programs," said McNeil Coach Robert Wilcox. "Here, the skull and crossbones are for outstanding accomplishments like interceptions, sacks, touchdown catches and long runs or passes. The cockroach is for big blocks and cuts. The stars are for academic rewards."
Academic rewards?
It's not as random as you think. Actually, the dog bone stickers on Bandera helmets have nothing to do with football. Coach Guy Grover awards them for classroom accomplishments, not athletic achievements.
"I saw how well they worked on the football field at other places I coached, but I wanted to get our kids more productive in the classroom.," Grover said. "Now, every six weeks when the grades come out, we give our players a dog bone sticker for getting an A or B.
"They've responded in the classroom the same way they did on the football field," Grover said. "All of a sudden, those kids who were getting around 75 percent in four classes, they've raised their percentage to an 80 percent."
Like Bandera, Wimberley also rewards academic success. The Texans give out large white stars for players who make the school's six-week honor roll.
Every team that gives out stickers swears they're effective.
But not all coaches like the reward system.
The overwhelming interest shown by many players has some coaches like Seguin's Jim Carson wanting to avoid stickers like a 15-yard penalty.
"We decided against it because I've been in places where the stickers took on a life of their own," Carson said. "The players were more interested in how many stickers they got than whether or not we won.
"I think Seguin was more guilty of praising individual stars in the past. We wanted to turn that around," Carson said. "We wanted to do away with as much individualism as we could. We teach unity and selflessness."
Connally Coach Matt Monzingo feels the same way. While the Cougars' helmets are bare, he still finds a way to reward his kids.
"We don't issue individual helmet stickers. We concentrate more on team goals than individual ones," Monzingo said. "But we do have a team board located in our hallway. And we put up team goals rather than individual ones. It has been my experience that stickers create jealousy between teammates if they're not handled properly."
Then again, that hasn't happened at Westlake.
Actually, the sticker program has helped quarterback Nick Foles become even more of a leader. Foles' helmet is naked. There's the big Westlake sticker on the side of the quarterback's headgear, and scratches, paint chips and dents. But no stickers.
None for his 99 completions, 2,069 passing yards or 19 passing touchdowns this season. None for Westlake's nine victories. Nothing.
Yes, Foles has earned plenty of helmet decorations this year, but he decided his helmet was going to remain plain. Instead, he handed his stickers out every week to the offensive linemen.
"I figure without any of them, I wouldn't earn any stickers at all," Foles said. "I'm the quarterback. I get enough recognition as it is. I think they're the ones who deserve more. They're the ones who allow me to make plays and earn those stickers."
It was a move that impressed his coach.
"It says a lot for Nick," said Westlake Coach Derek Long. "He does it as a way to motivate his teammates.
"I think he also does it as a way to show them how much he appreciates them."
Wimberley's Jacob Biddle also appreciates his teammates. The Texans' leading tackler doesn't give his teammates his stickers, but he doesn't put them on his helmet, either.
"I put them all in a scrapbook," said Biddle, an All-State linebacker. "I don't want those things on my helmet. The only decorations I want on my helmet are dents and scratches. Those are the only helmet marks I think look good."
Most coaches don't care what the players do with their stickers. The stickers aren't about looks. They're not about hype or drawing attention to their players.
"For us, it's just another way to motivate. It works. So we're going to keep it," Penland said. "We might tweak our program here and there, but we're going to stick to it."
atrubow@statesman.com; 445-3959
LINK (http://www.statesman.com/search/content/sports/stories/highschool/11/18stickers.html)