If I'd only listened to my coaches and never trained the way I believed in, there is NO CHANCE I make it to the NFL. Hands down, the most important decision a family makes is who's coaching their kids. The wrong staff can crush a kid's spirit and his love of the game. See it happen all the time even with my own kids. It's one thing in college or the NFL, where guys are getting paid. The coaches understandably have more control. But high school is different. A coach's main job is to be a servant and a mentor, not a dictator. Work around the kid, serve the family, let him play other sports, let them decide what's best. You can still build a strong culture of work and accountability without holding a kid and his family hostage. The best staffs understand that.