Dad Hoefs accepted and embraced coaching the lower level teams for sure. The real challenge is at the frosh level where he was beloved by the kids. He expected a lot from the ones who played youth, since they arrived with basic skills. Yet, he knew the key to Varsity wins was taking the two-sporter studs who'd never played FB and turn them into playmakers. At banquets, just prior to V awards being handed out to the obvious, he always returned to the podium to recognize his previous frosh players, those who arrived with zero youth football history, "5th quarter" players, and became Varsity starters. To the assembled and particularly the frosh families he'd say, "Prior to the Varsity awards I'd like so and so to stand up. These are the ones you want to emulate. Find them on campus and ask them how they became Varsiy starters." Of course a little dab of psychology to get the more athletic kids to re-up for JV the next year.
