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Jamie Newman and the role of personal position coaches: is it a positive or negative?

texdawgtexdawg Posts: 11,566 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

I do not know what role, if any, Jamie's personal QB coach had in the decision that was made yesterday. I've read the same info on Dawgnation that you have read.

But my son started working with a personal WR/TE coach earlier this year.....and I've learned a great deal about the process and the influence that these coaches have on some of the decisions that some of these kids are making.

I'm not going to use names but most on here know who the main WR, DB and QB trainers are in the Atlanta area (we are big fans of the WR trainer). South and central Florida, DFW, Houston and many other areas across the country are littered with highly respected personal position coaches. And many players that do not have a quality trainer near them will travel to find a good coach.

Much of the determining factor of whether the movement is positive or negative depends on the trainer and what role they choose to play in the athletes decision making. Does the trainer actually have the athletes best interest in mind? Some do.....some obviously don't.

High school and college coaches have very mixed opinions on their players using outside trainers......some embrace it, some live with it but don't like it and some coaches absolutely don't like it.

There are positives:

There is simply not enough time in a high school or college practice to work on detailed techniques needed to excel at a position. When you attend these prospect showcases ......it's usually clear which players are using outside trainers. The details stand out.

These personal trainers are very well connected and are able to get their clients early attention in the recruiting process. Usually much earlier than high school coaches are able to do. (Please note....ultimately the most important part of a player receiving a scholarship is game film and the opinion of his high school coach....not personal trainer)

And these trainers also play some role in how many of these players are rated. We have had numerous workouts with a 247, Rivals or ESPN recruiting evaluator/media person in attendance. The 247 guys usually represent a certain school like UT, TAMU, TCU, Baylor, etc.

But beyond the positives.....many of these trainers (but not all) are also involved in areas that may not benefit the player.

Sometimes they are heavily involved in all the transfers high school kids are making from one high school to another. High school coaches will reach out to them and say they need a WR or DB.....or they'll reach out and say my QB tore his ACL in 7vs7.....do you know of a QB that would be interested in transferring?

Trainers are also heavily involved in players entering the transfer portal. Until a player enters the portal......colleges are not allowed to reach out to the player or his parents. But colleges will reach out to the players personal trainer and let them know that.....if the player is interested in transferring.....we have a spot.

And personal trainers are very influential in where certain prospects decide to attend college. Again, not always a bad thing. But not always a good thing either.

Finally, I do not know if Newman's personal coach played a role. Some are suggesting he did. If it's true that he did influence the decision.....is that a good thing?

I'll just add that we are very pleased with the decision we made of having my son work with a TE/WR trainer. It's paid huge dividends in his development. And we throughly enjoyed the weekend we spent in Atlanta working with that WR/TE trainer. Both trainers seem to be very good men and have done great things for my son and many athletes......but I have probably heard or seen more negative things about other trainers than I've heard about positive.

My conclusion......I still don't know if it's a positive or negative.

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Comments

  • BumBum Posts: 2,297 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Seems like the personal coach is a workaround to also have an agent while in high school/college.

  • BumBum Posts: 2,297 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I'm assuming these personal coaches are getting paid for their coaching. Can't pay an agent. Coach then does some of both job descriptions.

  • YaleDawgYaleDawg Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
  • UGAJ0EUGAJ0E Posts: 240 ✭✭✭✭ Senior

    I’m assuming he is talking about being an advisor and influencer on the decisions these kids are making. Like what school you should go to or leave.

  • YaleDawgYaleDawg Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    So a mentor? Doesn't sound too scandalous. I see agents as people who seek out financial opportunities for their clients and negotiate contracts. Not an agent if you don't do that.

  • DawgBonesDawgBones Posts: 2,189 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited September 2020

    Don't really know much about it but from the outside looking in it appears to be more of a Consulting role vs Mentor.

  • YaleDawgYaleDawg Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    You're right. Consultant might be more accurate for some of these relationships

  • LowcountryDawg21LowcountryDawg21 Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited September 2020

    I think these are the paragraphs from the OP that are drawing the attention:

    Sometimes they are heavily involved in all the transfers high school kids are making from one high school to another. High school coaches will reach out to them and say they need a WR or DB.....or they'll reach out and say my QB tore his ACL in 7vs7.....do you know of a QB that would be interested in transferring?

    Trainers are also heavily involved in players entering the transfer portal. Until a player enters the portal......colleges are not allowed to reach out to the player or his parents. But colleges will reach out to the players personal trainer and let them know that.....if the player is interested in transferring.....we have a spot.

    Is it agency in the legal sense of the word? No. Could it be used by high school or college coaches to skirt tampering rules? Yep, I can see that.

  • texdawgtexdawg Posts: 11,566 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    The main role is to develop the player.....but they also help promote the player...

    Hopefully it stops there. For some trainers it does.

  • BumBum Posts: 2,297 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Yeah... naturally my next question was are the bagmen connected to these personal coaches...I don't see how they couldn't be.

  • texdawgtexdawg Posts: 11,566 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I certainly have not seen this. Not saying it does or doesn't happen. Just never heard about it.

  • UGAJ0EUGAJ0E Posts: 240 ✭✭✭✭ Senior

    Mentor is a great euphemism for what I was saying. It’s what I would call myself if I were in that roll I guess. But they seem to be more heavy-handed than what the word “mentor” would suggest, but I’m looking from the outside in.

  • texdawgtexdawg Posts: 11,566 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Could be a number of roles.

    For some kids....a trainer is definitely a mentor.

    For some kids a trainer may be a consultant....which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

    But should a trainer be an influencer? Should trainers get involved in players changing schools .....whether HS or college? Should a trainer be involved in a player opting out?

  • texdawgtexdawg Posts: 11,566 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Let me be clear......

    Not all personal trainers get overly involved.

    I should have been more clear about that.

    Many simply:

    1. Train the athlete and help them improve.

    2. Promote those athletes that have the ability to play college football.

    3. Provide honest assessments to the player on whether he is a legit college prospect, what level prospect, and what type schools he should be looking at......

    Beyond that it seems to go into grey areas.

    Did Newman's personal coach get too involved?

  • Stef_Lew_478Stef_Lew_478 Posts: 795 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    If it is happening, I’d imagine it works like the AAU scene with college basketball recruits

  • AnotherDawgAnotherDawg Posts: 6,761 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Tex, as a baseball coach I definitely fall in the "live with it but don't like it" category.

  • lopodawglopodawg Posts: 34 ✭✭✭ Junior

    Just told a guy the other day that highschool coaches especially baseball coaches are quickly becoming game managers. "Dont coach my kid I pay a guy for that"

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