COACHES CHECKLIST FOR OFFENSIVE GAME PLANNING

COACHES CHECKLIST FOR OFFENSIVE GAME PLANNING
by Hank Schrader, Bellevue (WA) High School - The Coaches Checklist for Offensive Game Planning

• Offensive Strategy
• Running Attack
• Passing Attack
• Developing a game plan

OFFENSIVE STRATEGY
Balance- what kind of balance of run to pass plays ratio do you want
Diversity- multiple points of attack
Flexibility- an ability to adjust plays to attack defensive schemes and weaknesses
Deceptiveness- using run and pass plays that look alike to confuse defenses
- Switching assignments on same play

OFFENSIVE EMPHASIS:
Attack- Strike the first blow
Dictate- force the defense to match your formation and game tempo
Execution- you win by how well you performed the designed play
Be unpredictable- confused defenses play slow

STYLES OF PLAY:
Field Position Theory- play calls designed by field position
Ball Control Theory- 3 yards and a cloud of dust, keep away from opponent
Big Play Theory- chop away then go for the big play
Running Game Theory- run the ball more
Passing Game Theory- throw the ball more unless forced to

RUNNING ATTACK
ESTABLISHING THE RUN
YOUR RUN GAME NEEDS 3 KIND OF PLAYS:
Power Game- getting more players to the point of attack than the defense
Speed Game- Plays in which the ball carrier quickly attacks the L.O.S. before the defense can react
Finesse Game- plays based on misdirection to fool the defenders

12 QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN FORMING YOUR RUNNING ATTACK:
1. What plays should we run ?
2. Where should we run the play ?
3. We should we avoid running ?
4. How can we dictate defensive alignments by our formations, shifts, and motions ?
5. How many yards rushing are needed to win the game ?
6. How many times do we want to run ?
7. How many practice reps do we need to accomplish our goal?
8. How many different sets do we need to win this game?
9. How many tight end and split end formations do we need to use to win ?
10. How will field position change our running game (both hash marks and by vertical field positions)
11. Do we need an audible run plan for this game?
12. What is our plan for the following situations :
- Short yardage
- Goal line
- Danger zone
- Red zone
- 2 minute offense
- Slow down offense
- 2 point conversions
- Must have first downs
- Killing the clock

RUNNING STRATEGY BY DOWN AND DISTANCE:
FIRST AND 10:
- Use your best ball carrier
- Quick hitting dives and traps
- Try for positive runs of 3-5 yards or sweeps to the outside for a sure gain
- Defenses vary looks on first down- sweeps, zone, toss

SECOND AND LONG:
- Use high % runs to get into 3rd and medium/short situation
- Counters, reverses, bootlegs
- Run/Pass option plays are excellent
- Draws can be successful since defenders will make their drops sooner and deeper
- Play action passes

THIRD AND LONG (10 or MORE)
- Use your fastest ball carrier with big play potential
- Need to designate plays with big play potential
- Avoid screens and draws (Defenses expect this)
- Run pass option plays
- Must prepare players mentally for this situation

2nd 3RD AND 7-10
- Spread the field if possible and use traps or counters
- Use the back with the best chance of getting the first down
- Quick toss plays
- 3 step pass game

3RD AND 4-6
- DEFENSES often use their best formation/call in this situation so go with your best call
- Force the defense out of their comfort zone by forcing a switch in alignment, or tempo
- Your runner must get up field on one cut, no dancing
- Often the defense will blitz so consider a run-pass option play

3rd and SHORT (3 or less)
- Power type plays with lead blocker (iso, belly, power)
- Run away from opponents strength
- Use most consistent back and best blockers
- Change up cadences (go on first sound or 2 or 3)

- RUNNING STRATEGY BY DOWN AND DISTANCE:
RED ZONE (opp. 25 AND IN)
- Anticipate man coverage, use quick hitters and more consistent plays
- Give the ball to the 2nd back using lead blocker type plays
- Anticipate blitzes: use draws, traps, screens, and tricks possibly

RED ZONE (15 and IN)
- Consider roll out, sprint passing game, with possiblility of QB run
- Make the defense defend the entire field with counters, reverses, sweeps
- Attack weakest links of defenses
- Use the run to set up the pass (sweep then fake sweep bootleg pass)

DOWN AND GOAL RED ZONE
- Eliminate mistakes
- Best back should run behind best blockers
- Protect the football and eliminate extra ball handling
- Run your best plays
- Must score

DANGER ZONE - BACKED UP (your own 30 to your own goalline)
- Use quick hitters with most reliable back
- Avoid slow to develop plays
- If on the goaline, you must gain at least 5 yards for the punter to not be crowded

COMPOENENTS FOR BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL PASSING GAME:
• You must develop a wide (horizontal) and deep (vertical) game
• A TOTAL PASS PACKAGE includes: drop back passes (3, 5, 7, 9, step drops), quick passes, sprint out passes, play action passes, screens, and some sort of blitz control
• Time to throw is critical meaning you can’t throw it if you can’t block it

12 QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN FORMING PASS GAME PLAN:
1. What pass plays should we run
2. Where should we pass
3. Where should we avoid passing
4. How can we make the defense change alignment by motions, shifts, and formations
5. How many yards passing do we need to win the game
6. How many times do we want to pass
7. How many practice reps do we need to accomplish these goals
8. How many different sets to we need for this game
9. How many tight end or split end sets do we need
10. How will field position change our passing game
11. Do we need an audible pass plan for this game
12. What is our plan / call for certain situations

PASSING ATTACK BY DOWN AND DISTANCE:
1st and 10:
- Use play action passes that look like run plays
- Utilize high % quick throws (3 step game)
- Qb must not take a sack
- Defenses vary their looks the most in this situation so disguise high % plays

2nd and long:
- Use high % calls to get to 2nd and medium or less
- Have your qb use rhythm throws of 3 or 5 step drops with an option to 2nd level if short receivers are covered
- This is a blitz down, use a hot receiver
- Delay routes are effective, DBs use drops sooner and deeper

3rd and 12 or more:
- deep flag routes are usually high % throws, switch routes, dig routes, are also very good
- consider hook routes and running plays vs. soft zone
- Consider keeping one blocker in to give QB time and play call to develop

3rd and 7-10
- Possible blitz situation- Think Max Protection
- Use hooking routes vs. zone coverage and comeback routes on boundaries vs. man
- Short crosses and delays are also good in this situation
- QB has more time to wait for WRs to get open, WHY? A sack on 3rd down is not as bad as a sack on other downs

3rd and 4-6
- Defenses are going to use their best call, QB and WR pre snap reads are critical
- WR must be aware of first down marker and run route accordingly
- WR must get up field after catch
- Common blitzing down, have a hot receiver

3rd and 3 or less
- Expect tight coverage, so WR must push hard to get up field, Teach WRS to get up field and break contact at LOS
- Hot receiver must always be ready for the ball
- Out routes in the flats should be ran at least 1 yard pass first down marker

PASSING ATTACK BY ZONE (FIELD POSITION)
Red Zone (25 and in)
- Anticipate man coverage
- Use at least 1 play with possible TD ability
- Anticipate blitzes , think hot routes, and protection adjustments

Red Zone (15 and in)
- Use crossing routes and attack corners of endzone – teach QB to lead receivers when throwing into this area
- Have a blitz plan
- Recievers must know to find the back of the endzone if original route breaks down
- Use distinct receiver breaks and push hard – reduced room = tighter coverage

Red Zone (down and goal)
- Receivers must run all routes over the goaline
- Use crossing and play action routes
- QB must not take a sack, get rid of the ball
- Misses must be outside and deep, do not throw off the back foot or late
- Recievers must work to get to the back of the endzone if route breaks down
- Expect tight coverage, teach receivers how to break free

Danger Zone - Backed up (your 30 and in)
- Have a hot receiver ready in case of blitz
- Use isolation routes on the edges away from traffic
- Use max protection to give your QB time

DEVELOPING AN OFFENSIVE GAME PLAN
9 Steps for Developing your Game Plan:
1. Break down game film of your opposition
2. Self scouting is crucial
3. Gather printed scouting material
4. Create scouting reports
5. Diagram / staff chalk talk
6. Develop the game plan
7. Educate your players
8. Design the practice
9. Execute the game plan

• GAME FILM OF YOUR OPPOENENT:
What is their basic defensive scheme ?
Do they play passively or attack ?
What are their situational defenses ?
What are their tendencies by field position, formation, and down & distance ?

• SELF SCOUTING
Are you faking well ?
Do you run the same exact play in the same exact situation ?
Do you substitute one player than give him the ball ?
Is your team predictable ?

• GATHER PRINTED SCOUTING MATERIAL
With your film breakdown determine:
Their best players by position
Who is their best tackler, best pass rusher, best coverage player
Relative strength of DLs, LBs, DBs
Key backups and situational subs
Tip offs such as blitz alignments
Position techniques of opponents such as favorite moves

• CREATE SCOUTING REPORT
Profile the opposition by: height, weight, starters, numbers, class, best and worst players
Diagram defensive fronts and coverages with notes for players
List play % on fronts, coverages, blitzes, by down and distance, and field position
Tell your team what they must do to win

• DIAGRAM / STAFF CHALK TALK
Staff needs to focus on play selection and blocking schemes
Select your play list from master play list and adjust blocking scheme if necessary
Consider developing a list of best plays versus certain defenses/fronts

• DEVELOPING THE GAME PLAN
Two Types of Game Plans:
Situational - plays organized by down and distance
Script- pre determined plays from a script with a plan for situations that call to go off script

• EDUCATE YOUR PLAYERS
Its not what you know, its what they know
If you have a film session reviewing previous game, afterwards have a quick overview of upcoming game
Monday- give out scouting report, only include information that players will need to succeed
Practice new plays or seldom used plays , handouts with blocking adjustments helpful
Keep education process going Tuesday and Wednesday with final review on Thursday

• DESIGNING PRACTICES
Monday: individual and group skills, some team front and coverage recognition
Tuesday: features group and team units with the 1st team look at scout defense (scripted), adjust game plan if needed
Wednesday: Team live vs. scout in scripted special situations
Thursday: Run through script vs bags, make sure each play is executed perfectly, if I do not run a play 10 times in practice, I will not use it in a game
How you accomplish this task is not as important as establishing a practice routine that your players know and understand

• EXECUTING THE GAME PLAN
Get a moment alone to practice your play calling while watching film. Before a team meeting, check in with the booth coaches to review game plan and forms and to insure they know what to look for. Review the game plan with the team and any last minute reminders. Game time communication- develop sound techniques and procedures. Look for early adjustments and fix them quickly. At the end of each series coaches must provide feedback, make sure players know what is expected

Halftime adjustments: What were our most successful plays (CHART PLAYS !) Why ? What must we do to win this game?
Never forget the players. Its not the X and Os, it’s the Jimmies and Joes. If you got a stud, make sure you use him all you can despite criticism.

10 things about coaching ball

1. The job you have right now is the best one in the world. you will look back when you move on and say to yourself, I wish I would have enjoyed that experience more

2. Never stop learning and asking questions...remember those guys your asking were not born with that knowledge out of the womb

3. Enjoy the process. The product will come and it will be that much more rewarding. If you really work at it you'll succeed.

4. Be loyal to the guys you are working with and for. I read on one of the threads that the OL coach was underminding the OC. For what purpose? Did it help them win? In my opinion there is no place for this on a staff and must be dealt with by the HC immediately.

5. Believe in a philosophy and run with it. Know it so well you will have the answers to make adjustments.

6. While evaluating players dont pigeon hole a kid. How can he best help your team win. Thats whats important.

7. The only way a true team can survive is from the inside out. That goes for families, businesses etc. If you are strong inside your group who can tear it apart....no one

8. I would tell my coaches to coach the performance and never demean a player. I have found that players want to be coached and by coaching them hard they will respond if they know you are there to help them and care about them. This is especially true on the upper levels also. I would tell my coaches what if a player comes back on you? You are in a no Win situation. Take the player aside and keep both yours and his dignity intact.

9. There are no badges of honor for the guy that can stay there the latest. I would tell my staff when you get yourself done go home. The biggest pet peeve I have in coaching is when a coach tells everyone how late he stayed. Those guys are not on my staff. We have always gone into games prepared. Take a look at your watch right now and draw a three technique on your board. Go home and come back at three in the morning and he will still be a three. Go find out a way to block him. You can both be a great coach and a great family man. We had just recently moved and we were unpacking...there were some old pictures of my kids. It saddened me to not have remembered those times with them because I wont have the opportunity to get those times in their lives back. Your kids only turn a certain age once be there.

10. Have fun, its a game. When you look back on your career you will remember the players and coaches. The people you surrounded yourself with. I promise on your death bed you wont be thinking about cover three.

a good play to put in

"Putting Out the Fire (Zone)" - Gunter Brewer (Part II)

Another way OSU looks to attack the fire zone is with their quick passing game.
(for a detailed view of the staple of OSU’s passing attack, the four verticals package, check out Chris Brown’s blog)

SCAT out of 3 x 1
The scat concept out of 3 x 1 is a great way of exposing the horizontal stretch of a 3 underneath zone coverage. It is an evolution of Y Stick, and further evolved itself to the current spacing concept.

Just like the spacing concept detailed before, the inside receivers are looking to put the middle hole defender in conflict. They work to get in between the MLB and the PSL B at 6 yards and sit down.

The Z (playside outside receiver) runs the clearing fade (FOR / Force Outside Release) to draw greater a void underneath. The shoot by the F converts to a wheel if seeing press man coverage.

The added benefit of 3 x 1 is the bubble route run by the H. This not only provides a release outlet, but also stretches the SCIF player to defend the sideline to the hash.

Regardless of the coverage, this concept is adaptable and can stress the defense regardless of the assignment. The X & Y run a “sneak” (stick) route at a depth of 6 yards to 2-on-1 attack the MLB.

• Vs zone – split the difference between defenders
• Vs man – push in hard and bounce back out

If the linebacker crosses the receiver's face, he should look for the ball. If the receiver gets walled (from an inside stem), he will sit and bounce back out (working off of MLB)

This provides a failsafe plan of attack for the quarterback. All he has to determine is if it is MOFC or MOFO coverage and then immediately attack the appropriate defender.

• Vs 1 high – look weak (key the flat defender)
• Vs 2 high – look strong (key the flat defender)
• Vs man – Sneak/Wheel

It is important to see the seams / voids created with so much defensive movement of players replacing one another.

“You have to get them, before they get you”

Attacking the Linebackers

Against the zone blitz, the inside receiver should look for the dropper (weight not on the hands), and anticipate his drop. The rationale on spotting the dropper, is because in 3x1 the MLB is the target. He will have to expand to #3 away from the hole to match #3’s route dispersion.

When the playside linebacker is in man coverage, he will not be sitting or dropping to the seam, he will be expanding to chase the back on flare (leaving a large void in the area he is leaving). The WR to the chasing linebacker must look for the ball in his first 3 steps. To take advantage of this big-play potential, it is important to identify the coverage presnap via shifts, motions, and altering the tempo.

If the linebacker drops, the receiver will go underneath, work the hole inside, and off the drop of the MLB.

If the linebacker “sits”, the WR must decide the over/under position to best work (find the hole).

If the linebacker walls or prevents an inside release (typically if the defense is aggressively trying to stop follows, meshes, etc) the WR should use a bounce technique and work back outside.

The following is an example of the evolution of the (double stick) scat concept (and how it helped evolve spacing)

SCAT @ Yahoo! Video

Shown here by BYU and NC State, featuring a young Philip Rivers

Does this Y Stick concept from Norm Chow's 1995 playbook look familiar?

It should

Y Stick vs the Fire Zone
This is a great concept to work against the leverage of hole and seam players. This also works against both 1-high (MOFC) and 2-high (MOFO) coverages equally well. Where spacing featured 3 sticks, Scats featured 2 sticks, now Y Stick features just the TE sticking based on the MLB.

1 high defense

With the backside 2 receiver combo, the inside receiver route essentially becomes the shoot route being run on the TE side. Rather than elongate the throw by immediately pressing the sideline, the receiver vertically presses 6 yards and then keys the corner on whether he should sit (if corner sits / flat) or continue expanding to the flat (if corner retreats).

2 high defense

An illustration of the stick concept vs 2-high defense against Texas Tech (actually the very play that the opening picture was taken from)

This play / pictorial best illustrates identifying the 'hot' key of a man-linebacker. Watch the 8 technique SLB racing to chase the shooting F out of the backfield. The SLB isn't dropping, he is quickly widening flat. Recognizing this, the Y quickly turns his shoulder in anticipation of receiving this quick throw.

Once the QB identified man-coverage, he locks onto his Y and is going to deliver the ball away to the shoulder away from the MLB on his hitch step.

(Very little thining required here - just react to the immediate key)

The TE makes a great catch outside his body, which affords him more room and momentum to turn upfield away from the MLB. Now it is the Y versus the Safety.

The receiver runs over the safety, the chase ensues, and makes a bad-angled corner miss.....and its SHOWTIME in the endzone!

More on Y Stick

How to turn this situation around

1. Have an attendance policy and stick to it.
All absences must be notified to the coach before hand or they are considered unexcused. If you are sick from school, the absence is excused and no added conditioning. For all other excused absences:
1 absence= 100 updowns and no start
2nd abscence= 100 updowns and no first half
3rd absence= 100 updowns and no dress
This is on a weekly basis.
3 unexcused absences a year and you are removed from the team. Once you quit or are removed there is no coming back.
2. Build a weight program and require kids to attend.
3. Run a systematic offense. I would recommend running something that is not run in your league ala double wing or Navy Flexbone.
4. Build relationships with everyone.
5. Teach fundamentals over scheme.
6. Do it your way, you may get fired, but if you do the job wasn't worth it.
7. Teach character over winning.
8. Create high expectations for the classroom.
9. Don't accept background as an excuse.
10. Drug test, if it is legal and there are funds.

The Colts

Plays are simple & basic. Runs are Inside Zone, Counter, Stretch, Draw, etc. Passes roughly same as everybody elses'. They KEEP IT SIMPLE & OUT-EXECUTE PEOPLE.

Personnel = basically 1 TE - 3 WR - 1 RB, AND, 2 TE - 2 WR - 1 RB. They can go from one to the other by flexing Dallas Clark out as a WR, or bringing him in tight as a second TE (he is good enough to do both).

The PLAY CALLING at the LOS is the big thing. Essentially, they give Manning a 3 play package of choices (run left, run right, pass). He makes the decision based upon the number of safeties deep, or, the front alignment (techniques of DT is an important factor).

His big answer to blitz = WR screens.

This is some stuff on their philosophy I have pieced together:

TOM MOORE OFFENSIVE THINKING

1. “LESS IS BETTER”!

2. “IF THINGS ARE GOING BAD – REDUCE. GET BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO BEST”!

3. “DON’T ADD OR CHANGE THINGS (IF IT WAS THAT GOOD – WE WOULD HAVE PUT IT IN DURING AUGUST”)!



FROM AN ARTICLE: Offensive coordinator Tom Moore is a brilliant minimalist who keeps it simple. He stretches the canvas and lets his quarterback paint masterpieces. Sometimes it seems like the Colts only have four formations and seven plays, but defenses never know what's coming next.


TONY DUNGY PHILOSOPHY:

1. BE SIMPLE

2. TEACH FUNDAMENTALS

3. PLAY HARD


PEYTON MANNING: “KEEP IT SIMPLE”:

MANNING’S STRAIGHT FORWARD BUT EFFECTIVE PHILOSOPHY: “EVERY TIME YOU DROP BACK TO THROW, YOUR GOAL IS TO POSSESS THE BALL ON THE NEXT PLAY”!!!!!

Limited runs, but TONS of passes, & TONS of protections. MOVEMENTS (shifts/motions/finished fortmation packages) can be difficult to assimilate also. I spent 1 year working with a NFL Taxi Squad - what they have to learn is unreal!

One of the ways the good ones make a complex scheme somewhat simplified (at least we did) was by "conceptualizing" just about everything. For EXAMPLE:

1. We may have 25-30 formations, but all of them fell into two CONCEPTS:

a. Pro Family (Flanker & TE on SAME side);
b. Slot Family (Flanker & SE on same side).

Most all of these are accomplished ONLY by alignments of TWO people (Flanker & Slotback or H-Back).


2. We may have 80-100 passes, but all of them fall into 7-8 CONCEPTS. Each of the 8 concepts may have 10-12 passes. Each pass within that concept has the same READS (& generally the same PROTECTION).

3. We may have 23-24 protections, but each protection is a VARIATION (usually a "call") WITHIN a few basic protection categories. EXAMPLE: This is a CHART of the 7 basic protections we taught (& all 7 of these were "offshoots" of only 3 basic CONCEPTS). Each of these 7 had about 3-4 variations, that if multiplied by 7 - made it appear there were 21-28 protections:

7 BASIC PROTECTIONS CHART


“BASE”
TYPE = man
# = 7 (can be made 8 with H/Y both checking)
DB Action = split flow
Hot = none
B.O. = #4 str/wk
REDIRECT CENTER = 4 man side Call side
WEAKNESS = Ins. A gap dogs; mismatch RB on outs.
VARIATION = “OH” (RB takes H’s man; Y takes RB’s man; H takes Y’s route)


“HI/LO”
TYPE = man
# = 7
DB Action = wk flow
Hot = none
B.O. = #4 str/wk
REDIRECT CENTER = 4 man side Call side
WEAKNESS = same as BASE


“SCAT”
TYPE = man
# = 6
DB Action = split flow
Hot = #3/4 str
B.O. = #4 str/wk
REDIRECT CENTER = call side R/L 4 man side
WEAKNESS = strong side dogs


“SCRAM”
TYPE = man
# = 7
DB Action = wk flow
Hot = #3/4 wk
B.O. = #4 wk
REDIRECT CENTER = Center always weak
WEAKNESS = weak side dog


“OPTION TRIPLE”
TYPE = turn back
# = 6
DB Action = Str flow
Hot = #3/4 str
B.O. = #4 weak
REDIRECT CENTER = opposite into reduction
WEAKNESS = Str side dogs; wk 4 man rush


“OPTION SINGLE”
TYPE = turn back
# = 7
DB Action = str flow
Hot = none
B.O. = #4 weak
REDIRECT CENTER = none
WEAKNESS = wk 4 man rush; # of receivers out


“FLASH/LIGHTNING”
TYPE = man
# = 8
DB Action = split flow
Hot = none
B.O. = none
REDIRECT CENTER = weak
WEAKNESS = receivers check way out

Could go "on & on", but I simply do not have the time!

Cover 4 Rules

Match Players

Take anyone who comes through your zone.

If #2 goes in, push to MHC and yell "In"
If #2 goes out, settle and get eyes on #1
If #1 goes outside, settle and eyes on #2; alert for smash
If #1 goes inside, settle first then push to MHC. Be alert to #2

Corners

Read #1

If #1 goes vertical, he is your responsibility
If #1 goes inside, let him go and eyes on #2
If #1 settles in flat, settle with him. Make "Smash" call.

Safeties

Read #2

If #2 to your side goes vertical, he is your responsibility. Match player should pass him off after 10 yards.
If #2 to your side goes in, shade #1
If #2 to your side goes out, follow with over-the-top leverage. If there is no #3 when #2 goes out, Match player should take #2. However, #2 is still the Safeties' responsibility. If there is a #3, or he is slow to show, Match player takes #3 and Safety should get to #2 as fast as possible.

SP teams

PUNT RUSH PRINCIPLES (VIRGINIA TECH)

1. USE ATHLETES: WANT PEOPLE THAT CAN BLOCK KICKS, NOT WALL OFF.

2. STANCE – MAKE BLOCK & RETURN LOOK THE SAME.

3. LINE UP AS CLOSE TO NEUTRAL ZONE AS POSSIBLE.

4. KEEP HAND OUT IN FRONT OF HEAD.

5. KEY THE BALL – GREAT GET OFF ON SNAP.

6. STAY LOW IN YOUR CHARGE, MAKE YOURSELF SMALL.

7. BLOCK POINT LANDMARK CRITICAL, BETTER SHORT THAN LONG. NEVER BE PAST BLOCK POINT - - IF SO, PULL OFF.

8. ACCELERATE – SPRINT – HANDS UP AT LAST SECOND.

9. NEVER WORK ON A DIRECT ANGLE WITH KICKER – ALWAYS BE TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.

10. LOOK AT BALL – EYES OPEN.

11. ALWAYS STAY ON FEET.

12. ONLY ONE PERSON FREE AT BLOCKING POINT.

13. KNOCKED OFF COURSE MORE THAN ONE STEP – STOP – WORK TO OUTSIDE.

14. DON’T AVOID OR KNOCK PERSONAL PROTECTOR INTO BLOCK POINT.

15. RUN A DIRECT LINE TO BLOCK POINT – DO NOT GET KNOCKED OUT OF YOUR LANE AND BLOCK OTHER PEOPLE.

16. BLOCKED KICK:

IF BEHIND LOS (WORK ON GETTING BALL TO END ZONE)
IF ACROSS LOS (GET AWAY FROM IT)
IF IN DOUBT (RIGHT AT LOS) – GET BEHIND BALL & LET THEM MAKE MOVE.

17. WHEN KICK IS BLOCKED – NEAREST PERSON TO BALL PICK UP – OTHERS BLOCK – SCORE!

_________________________________________________________


VIRGINIA TECH PUNT BLOCK PRINCIPLES

TO PREVENT ROUGHING THE KICKER:
1. Landmark is 2 yds. in front of where punter usually kicks the ball (if he lines up at 13 & kicks at 10 – the landmark is 8 yds deep). Adjust to the kicker from there. If you get past the landmark, pull off.
2. Angle to kicker – never put your body on a collision course with the kicker – run thru block area full speed. Come ACROSS kicker’s foot.
3. Stay on your feet (so you can adjust).
4. If you’re blocked – stop and work outside (in case kicker runs, or ball is blocked). We WANT 7 blocked and the 8th man coming free (if two come free they may collide).

TECHNIQUE:
1. Sprinter’s stance.
2. Hand close to ball.
3. Head turned looking at ball.
4. Get off (move on ball).
5. First 5 yds. most critical (stay low, turn shoulders making yourself small, & expect to go free).
6. Never get hands up till last second (hands come from hips quick and fast to ball level). If you put your hands up too soon, it slows you down.
7. Where are your eyes? Don’t turn your head or close your eyes – look at his foot, keep your eyes open – put your hands on his foot at the last second.

DRILL: (ONLY ONE)
Snapper snaps a ball (about half deflated) to punter , & blocker takes his zone approach – go upfield (making body small) then redirect to landmark.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN PERSONNEL TO BLOCK PUNT:
1. Explosive get off.
2. Speed.
3. Long arms.

ZONE APPROACH TO BLOCKING A PUNT (STRETCHING ZONES)


------------------O
O--------------------O-O-C
-1--------------2-3--4--5


#5 = work your way behind Center – get as far upfield as you can & work to your landmark.
#4 = line up outside & jump back inside, OR line up inside and work straight up the field and redirect to your landmark.
#3 = work upfield until Tackle can no longer block you then bend inside to your landmark (run away from slot).
#2 = take a step and try to go 1 step outside where slot can get his hand on you and bend hard to your landmark.

Winning Attitude

It's that winning attitude that makes the difference.
Sometimes, players get stuck in the "we can't win games" mentality. It's hard to achieve success when you don't know what it feels like.
As coaches, this is the most difficult to achieve in a program.
I mean, your staff and your players can absolutely work their arses off, but come gametime, there is failure.
It's hard to fix something that doesn't involve scheme, personnel, work ethic, behavior, etc.
How do you build and foster a winning attitude?

I know I don't have the widest frame of reference here, but unfortunately the only times I've ever witnessed programs get turned around it involved a coaching change that brought a new attitude AND fixed a lot of the organization, structure, and management that was missing before.

There are a lot of things that successful programs take for granted that many "losers" don't have, and you can't always fix them all at once. Just off the top of my head, stuff like:

1. A decent fundraising structure (solicit donations, raffle things off, etc.)
2. Parental Support (ties in with fundraising)
3. Winning Tradition (proves to players it's been done before and can be done again)
4. Community Support (goes hand in hand with tradition/fundraising--if you build it, they will come).
5. Senior Leadership/Ownership of the team
6. Build around new, enthusiastic kids in MS and 9th grade--work closely w/feeders in youth and MS
7. Revamped offseason weight/speed/agility programs to make athletes better in offseason
8. Taking advantage of spring ball, 7 on 7, summer camps, 2 a days, etc. to hone skills and see who wants to get better.
9. Team building activities to get players bonded after class.
10. Adding an athletic period.
11. Getting players to believe they can win if they just do the right things.
12. Getting the coaching staff all on the same page--you might be amazed.
13. A coherent offensive/defensive schemes that fit the talent/coaches' strengths better
14. Finding creative ways to work around/build that which you don't have.
15. Get kids involved in other sports (basketball, track, wrestling, etc.) so they actually get in better shape in the offseason.
16. Points systems to reward hard work/good behavior.
17. Better organization of practice time--make it more efficient and fun.
18. Overall raising of standards: conduct, weightroom participation, expectations in weightroom and on field, etc.
19. Let it be known that the mistakes that have cost games in the past will not be tolerated or repeated.
20. Demonstrate through actions that no player, parent, or booster is bigger than the team. The coaches coach. Players play. Parents parent. Boosters support the team. That's it. Even if it means losing an All State stud or a fat donation check, everyone has to know his role and not overstep his bounds.
21. Give everybody involved a role to play where they feel valued, including the scrubs, underclassmen, newbs, etc. It's politics, but people care more and work harder for you when they feel their contributions are valued and important.
22. Soften the schedule as much as possible so the kids get to experience a taste of winning. Especially helpful to get some wins late in a season to build momentum into the offseason.
23. How much are you focusing on technique and mental preparation in Indies? A lot of good programs spend most of their practice time on indies and fundamentals, with classroom sessions devoted to the mental aspects. A lot of bad programs don't.

I don't mean to get on a high horse here, because Lord knows you and the kids've been banging your heads against a brick wall for years and you obviously are trying everything to right the ship. Even then there are a ton of things beyond your control. All you can worry about is the stuff you can fix.

I'm just trying to throw things out you might not have thought of to give you some ideas. If you're going to build something, you need an overall plan of how all the pieces fit together, maybe even how to build the pieces themselves. Maybe you could sit down as a staff and take a long look at yourselves and the program itself to see what you can work on together. Decide on the concrete stuff you can change and the attitude you want to project to the kids. Get together on it and execute it just like you want your team to execute. Enthusiasm and Optimism is contagious, but only if you prove you believe it yourself. Make the game fun and competitive and the kids will buy in!

Now, an old trick that my own HS coaches used to good effect (we were perennial doormats who were told we couldn't beat anyone, even by our previous HC!) was to paint and revamp the weightroom, field house, and locker room as much as you can. A few cans of paint are cheap, but with an increased focus on quality and becoming better, the spiffed up environment helps reinforce a powerful message that a new day is here and higher standards are a part of it.

The things the new HC did to build the program taught me a lot, both good and bad. Painting the locker room, starting a TD Club when we had no fundraising before, revamping our terribly ineffective workouts, recruiting the halls, and adding spring ball and a spring game really helped my school go from doormat to respectability. We always had talent in the school, but we never got much out of it because the previous HCs didn't have the organizational side down pat.

However, as much good as this guy did, he also made the mistake of selling out his program to selfish players and parents in the name of placating "better athletes." They became known for taking talented kids who'd been kicked off at other schools and this bit them a few times. Overall discipline and work ethic took a nosedive when the other kids saw what these "favorites" got away with, which kept those teams from becoming all they could've been.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now, but I hope these ramblings are some use to you. You've got a lot more experience than me, and you obviously know your situation a lot better than I do, but I'm just trying to help you brainstorm here. Good luck, coach.


Most of us work very hard for what we got but most of us don't work hard enough for what we want.

Improving mental focus

First things first - if you are in the habit of pulling a kid out if he commits a penalty, stop doing that. Penalties happen, they are part of the game. The kid obviously didn't mean to jump off sides, or facemask. Obviously there are times if a kid is hot tempered that you need to pull him out to calm him down, but to catagorically pull him out because he committed a penalty - No.

(that was common practice here when I first got here. One of our coaches pulled a kid because of PI...that PI saved a TD and the kid who committed it busted his @$$ to get there as he was not the one who blew coverage in the first place.)

2nd thing - you have to preach to them to "play the next play". Forget what happened the previous play, good or bad it has no influence on what you need to do as a player on the next play.

3rd thing - as a coach I think you need to create adversity in practice or weight room. Put them to the fire and see who cracks. Fortunately for me, that's just the kind of coach I am, its my natural personality (one of the few benefits). A kid has to have a certain level of mental toughness to even play for me and our defensive staff as we do not have any "hug em up" type of guys on our side of the ball.

4th thing - and I don't know if this is your case or not, but at this place, we have to work so hard at getting the kids to learn the game. It's like they've played forever but don't understand anything about it. Like a 1 tech doesn't understand why he can't just go run to the ball however he can get there instead of maintaining gap leverage...what happens, the guard allows him to go behind and it opens a cut back lane...they just don't get that part.

I think a lot of it comes from confidence - that's real confidence not the "rah-rah" BS before games and an understanding that mistakes happen and their ability to forget it, move on and play the next play.

Whatever your doing, be it warmups, conditioning, 7v7, whatever it is demand that they do the little things right. I'm talking about not going through the motions while warming up but actually trying to get better on every rep of the warmup (e.g., when doing high knees, actually get your knees up waist level or higher), proper stances before the ball is snapped in 7v7, proper footwork in run game drills, appropriate stance, not jumping offsides, and running all the way through the line if they are running sprints, literally demanding they do every dad-gum little thing right.

It's failure in the little things that will allow a team to beat themselves. If the other guys are just better than yours, it is what it is, but do not allow the other team to beat you because your guys don't do the little things right.

Demand excellence in the little things, every day. I like to tell them if we can't get everybody doing such a simple thing as getting in a proper stance right (as an example) how can we run a play consistently? If we can't do something as simple as high knees while warming up right what's going to happen when the ball is snapped? It always happens once a year that I have to say "Okay fellas, there is no sense in practicing the wrong stuff, since we are not mentally here we might as well spend our time getting into better condition" and then run the heck out of 'em. Give 'em a break once in awhile to tell them something like "I will not allow you as an individual and you as a team to come up short of your full potential for this season because you want to just go through the motions today. You have got the be mentally tough and focused and it starts right here and right now!", and off we go for another round.

If the offense turns it over in practice, the whole offense does pushups, not as punishment, but to reinforce the discipline that all 11 players must do their job. Hold each individual accountable to the unit's success. 1 fails, we all failed when it comes to execution. Now if one guy just keeps screwing it up I'd get somebody else in there, it doesn't make sense to discipline the whole group for one individual being a numbnut, but the key idea is to demand excellence in every little thing they do.

Execution errors will happen; guys will get beat by a physically superior opponent. But if they will do the little things right the other stuff will be minimized. If a guy gets beat 5 times in a row he's got to have a short memory and get his guy on the next play. That's mental toughness too, to hang in there even if you're getting pounded and keep fighting on every play. Focus is all about being present in the moment and is a skill that can be developed. The best way to develop that skill is to demand that they do the little things right that will enable them to do the big things it takes to be a winner on the field and in life.

Ball security

Accountability must be stressed. If they fumble alot they can't play. Everyone will put it on the turf once in a while, but make the defense earn it. If you fumble you better have been knocked out by the defender.

When I coached RB's we did ball security everyday, and I tried to rip the ball from them in every drill. Try to incorporate ball security into every drill you can.

Some specific ball security drills I did were:

Position:

Eagle Claw, Elbow tucked, High and tight, nose of the football pointing upward, not out(similar to the top position of a chinup)...I shouldn't be able to see the any part of the ball if I stand behind the back. Elbow out/untucked=more fumbles.

Drills:

Ball Security w/ transition

- YOU MUST TEACH THEM HOW TO SWITCH HANDS CORRECTLY AND DRILL IT! We do it running in place, sprinting, jogging, through ropes, bags etc...Always have an arm (shelf) between the ball and the turf. "Never show the ball to the turf"
ex: If the ball's in the right arm and we transition to the left arm it goes like this- Slide the ball across the chest with the right arm cradling w/eagle claw hand (palm up/thumb facing out/forearm under the ball) KEEP IT TIGHT. Cover the ball with the left arm/forearm, eagle claw hand. At this point the ball should be covered by both forearms and both hands clawing the points. Now you slide the ball against your left side (cover your ribs) as you rotate the palm toward your face. Ball should now be high and tight and in the lt arm. Elbow tucked.

Awkward Ball drill

- secure ball position- running in place- coach gives command to seat roll left/right/or perform an updown; ball should NEVER come away from body nor get shown to the turf. Makes the kids consicentious of ball security even when you are in an awkward position like getting up off the ground.

Hand down drill

- start at the 15 w/ secure ball position; run 5yds and "1 arm bear crawl" into the endzone as fast as possible. As their off hand goes down for balance, their feet continue to work and coach them up on securing the ball in this awkward position- nose of the ball should never point to the turf and keep elbow tucked.

Hope these help- it's hard to describe them verbally without showing you the techniques in person. Bottom line is drill good technique, never let one get by without good secure ball position, and make'm pay if they screw up. Good luck brother.

Stalk Blocking Drills

1. Competition Drill
Start with a WR line and a DB line (I just use my guys as DB) about 10 yds from the WR. Set two cones at the halfway point about 4 yds to the left and right of the WR. (This forms a diamond shape). On go, WR runs out of stance toward defender. I then point to one of the cones for the defender to run to. Defender's job is to hit the cone with his foot (don't let him dive for it, unrealistic). WR needs to get into position and block the defender. They get about 2 seconds of contact then we have a winner. Loser does push ups or something. Focus on the receiver moving into position then making contact with hands and using their hips for balance and force. Good drill to get those guys used to contact too.

2. Punch and drive drill (finish drill)
Have the defender shuffle and force the WR to stay in front of the defender and work punch and release technique. Then, have the DB widen and the WR needs to "finish" the block by driving the defender to one side. Really focus on teaching the WR if the DB starts to get around him, don't give up on the block but drive him out of the play (without holding)

COMMON COACHING ERRORS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

By: Bud Wilkinson (winner of 3 National Championships & 47 straight games at U of Oklahoma).

GENERAL COMMENTS: The best coach is the one who makes the fewest mistakes; the one who does the best teaching job; the one who is the best organizer. Writing the X’s & O’s is not the most important thing. There are 22 variables in a football game. Coach must be a salesman to the extent that when his team loses, they don’t blame him or the offensive and/or defensive system, but rather themselves.

ERRORS IN TEACHING METHODS:
FIRST = FAILURE TO USE TIME EFFICIENTLY. Failure to recognize the time factor available to get the job done. Planning makes for valuable use of time. Too long on any one thing produces boredom. When boredom comes in, learning goes out. Football players have a short attention span. Hold to time schedule.
SECOND = FAILURE TO EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE OF THE DRILL. Tell the boy WHY he is doing what he is trying to accomplish and he will do a better job. Explain WHY, then show HOW.
THIRD = IMPROPER TEACHING PROGRESSION. You can’t teach a boy how to block until he has learned stance. If he hasn’t learned stance, he doesn’t know how to step out of the stance into the block.
FOURTH = TOO MUCH VERBAL INSTRUCTION ON THE FIELD. How much can boy learn from your verbal instruction with his helmet on, he’s breathing hard, he aches, he’s stunned, etc. Do WHO and WHY in chalk talk. Teach assignments before hitting the field. Correct on the field. Teach – no! (HOW is taught on the field – not WHO & WHY).
FIFTH = TOO MUCH DEMONSTRATION BY COACH. How much you know is not important. How much player knows is.
SIXTH = BEING ON THE FIELD TOO LONG. Better to have a team eager to play rather than physically tired. How long to practice is a judgment factor. Cut down as season goes along – not going to change mechanical ability late in season. Only one rule never violated at Oklahoma. If one coach on staff feels practice too long, we must cut it down. More boys play poorly because they practiced too long than boys playing poorly because they didn’t practice long enough.

ERRORS IN TACTICS AND STRATEGY:
FIRST = TACTICS AND VICTORY. You get very few victories on tactics. Victories come if you can out block, out tackle, out fundamental your opponent. Red Sanders quote: “Intimidate them physically”! Outmaneuver – no. Defeat – yes.
SECOND = CLEAR CUT PHILOSOPHY A MUST. Decide on an offense and defense that will suit your personnel then stick to it. Depth of morale can be determined by a kid’s reaction to a loss. If morale deep, they’ll blame themselves. If morale shallow, they’ll blame you.
THIRD = TOO MANY PLAYS AND DEFENSES. Subtract the number of different plays used in the game from the total number of plays you practiced. If this number is too large you better get rid of some plays. It is difficult enough to know when to run off- tackle, but if you have four ways to run off-tackle, you will never get the right play. Beauty of Split-T was it’s very limited number of plays
ERRORS IN JUDGMENT:
FIRST = BE REALISTIC ABOUT PLAYER’S ABILITY. Don’t just put an X or an O on the board. Put up the boy’s name. Immediately his limitations affect the offense or defense you put up. Whale of a lot of difference between thingy Butkus and Humpty Dumpty.
SECOND = WHEN CHIPS ARE DOWN, BEST PLAYERS ARE IN THE GAME. It is a mistake to be able to play blue chippers only one way. Say best kid you have can only go on offense. Say opponent has ball for 45 minutes. These are 45 minutes he cannot help you.

ERRORS IN OFF FIELD RELATIONSHIP:
FIRST = RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER FACULTY MEMBERS. The environment that exists has a lot to do with winning or losing. If they are with you, your job is easier. If they are against you, you’re in trouble. Work on a program of how to win friends and influence faculty members.
SECOND = ORGANIZE A MOTHER’S CLUB. Get mother on your side by pointing out to her what he can get out of football besides winning games.
THIRD = PRESS, TV, AND RADIO. Straight up fact of life that the great majority of people get their impression of you from what they read in the paper, see on TV, or hear on radio. Their jobs depend on info. Get it to them to make their jobs easier. Get these people on your side. Let them know what you’re doing. They will interpret what you’re doing in the way you want it interpreted if they are with you.

ERRORS IN DEVELOPING MORALE (MORALE IS TO THE PHYSICAL AS 4 IS TO 1).
FIRST = FOOTBALL BEGINS WITH MORALE! Once you get morale, it is easy to maintain. How to get it is a problem.
SECOND = HOW TO LOSE MORALE. Do what you said you’re going to do. Don’t say we’re going to practice 1 ½ hours and go 2 ½ hours. Training rules – if you’re not going to enforce them, don’t have them.
THIRD = MORALE STEMS FROM DISCIPLINE (ALL Discipline begins by being on time).
FOURTH = TREAT PLAYERS AS A PERSON. If he feels you are interested in him only as a football player, he won’t go all out for you. If you are interested in his academics, his personal problems, etc. and he knows this, he’ll go all out for you. Convince him that football is good for his future.
FIFTH = One year, Notre Dame had 2 competing QB’s. Under great athlete, team failed; under mediocre QB, team succeeded. Why? Captain’s reply – “the great athlete is trying to show how good HE is. The TEAM is trying to make the average guy look good”.

COACH IN YOUR OWN WAY:
FIRST = DON’T COPY! Note clinicians and their personalities. ALL different ways of being successful. Plan carefully in the off season. Can’t take golf lessons between the 8th green and 9th tee.

CONCLUDING REMARKS: The man who is best organized and does the best teaching job, is the best coach.

OL Skills

Run Game Progression

1. Progression
a. Surface and Fit
b. Strike a Blow on hands and knees
c. Step and Hit
d. Hit and Drive
e. Run and Hit
2. Footwork
a. stance
i. feet parallel (slight stagger o.k. but not taught)
ii. feet shoulder width apart (maybe more)
iii. Achilles tendon stretch (heels on ground)
iv. slight duck position (toes slightly pointed out)
v. eyes up / flat back
vi. weight distribution is even (mental weight on inside of the feet)
vii. down hand should be under the chin, bear claw the ground.
viii. off hand should be relaxed, (not tense) but ready to strike a blow
b. 1st step
i. On Step
ii. Fire Step
iii. Reach Step
iv. Pull Step
c. 2nd step drill (2nd foot down on ground before contact is made)
i. On
ii. Fire
iii. Reach
d. get offs (5 yds)
i. On
ii. Fire
iii. Reach
iv. Pull
-full speed off ball
-duck sprint
-short strides


3. Individual Blocks
a. on
b. reach
c. fire
d. cover
e. gap
f. down


4. Pass Protection Progression
a. Footwork - mirror
b. Hands/Punch
c. Pass Set
i. Inside Foot Heavy
ii. Wide Base
iii. Soft Outside Shoulder

Coaching Styles vs Learning Styles

Still have been reading alot of this educational psychology stuff (yeah I know I need to find a life but hey at least Brophy likes them ). Anyway here is some blurps from another article I found interesting.
http://sportsperformancecoaching.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

If the end goal is to effectively coach ALL athletes you work with, then the first step is to identify what coaching style you are most comfortable with. Coaching athletes that have different preferences and characteristics doesn’t mean you have to change your style, only ADJUST. So recognizing your natural style is important. In the book Successful Coaching, Martens describes three distinct coaching styles; Command, Submissive, and Cooperative.

Command: authoritative, coach makes decisions while athletes listen and respond to commands.

Submissive: passive, minimal decision-making and instruction, only steps in when absolutely necessary.

Cooperative: coach shares decision-making with athletes, establishes structure then guides the process.

If you realy want a good laugh because most of it is true, here is 8 other coaching styles
http://www.humankinetics.com/SuccessfulCoaching/IG/270286.pdf

Then meshing your coaching style with types of player personalities:

Low Motivation- Low Skill: Use a Direct coaching style; avoid singling this athlete out by “directing” coaching points to them in a subtle and personal manner.

Low Motivation- High Skill: Use an Inspire coaching style; spend most of your energy motivating and challenging this athlete. They have natural ability already, but need someone to captivate their interest and inspire effort.

High Motivation- Low Skill: Use a Guide coaching style; this athlete has the inherent desire to improve, match their eagerness with coaching that is focused on teaching them the fundamental technical aspects of athletic movement.

High Motivation High Skill: Use a Delegate coaching style; make sure these athletes understand the goals and structure of training then include them in the training process, gather their feedback on programming, put them in situations where they can teach other athletes. As a coach, your goal should be to develop all athletes to this category

The Workers and the Lottery Winners

I stood looking the young men in the face, sweat pouring down in the August heat. The one's who did not make it staring back at us through the chain link fence and making nasty comments. I could see that because so many had left it was wearing on the faces of those who were there. I asked them "How many of you would like to work and make a lot of money someday?".

To which all of them raised their tired hands slowly in the burning heat. I said" Ok, that's good, but how many of you would like to win the lottery instead?". The hands of the young men flew to the air with a quickness almost startling. I smiled, as I felt the beads of sweat running down my back, me too suffering some in the relentless South Florida sun. I then proceeded to ask the young men before me "How many of you know somebody who works and has made a lot of money?"

Quite a few of them raised their hands with wrinkle foreheads as I could tell I was getting the better of their anticipation. I then asked, with a cocked smile "Now, how many of you know someone who's won the lottery?". Not a single soul raised their hand. "Nobody?" I quipped. "Nobody knows somebody who's won the lottery?". To which I added "That there men, is what I"m trying to tell you, nothing in this old world is handed to you. Nothing you want to achieve will EVER be handed to you."

"On a football field, what you want must be worked for, just as the money the people you know have worked for." They all had this look of resolve amongst them, as if "yeah, coach is right". I reiterated the point by stating "A worker's job is to get paid for working, and his pay is money, a football player's job is to win football games for practicing harder than his opponent, and our pay is wins gentlemen...our pay is wins."

A slight breeze out of the south began to blow as an old Ford rambled along the roadway beside us, the young men looking at their coach began to realize, nothing in this world is for free, and if they wanted something bad enough, they were going to have to earn it.

The silence among them was golden, the coach was proud, and looked long and hard into the eager faces before him. For it is so true, that people more and more want something handed to them, want something for nothing, or feel they are entitled to something. To which I ask..."How many of you know somebody who's won the lottery?"

Buying video equip

1. What are you going to do with the material once you have shot it? Do you want to review it and then archive it?

If you want to archive it then you have to figure out on what medium. For example, you can get a camera that uses tape, SD Memory, some use optical disc (like mini-dvd) and others have built-in hard drives. Tape is cheapest these days. But SD Memory is probably the future. A large internal hard drive means you won't have to swap media after every game but it does mean you will have to dump all that data to your computer at some point (necessitating the need for a large hard disk in the computer as well).

My personal thought is to avoid tape at this point. I think non-linear media is the way to go now so an SD card is must in my book.

2. How important is quality?

Most manufacturers are making High Definition cameras these days but you can still buy nice Standard definition cameras as well. For your budget I would opt for a nice High Definition camera. Not only will the image be much clearer but the aspect ratios on these cameras are usually wide (and anamorphic) so you get to see much more of the field. As mentioned in another post, even if you later convert these high definition images to standard definition so that you can put them on dvds, that image can still be superior.

3. Do some research first. It might hurt for a minute but if you are gonna spend some dough on a camera get a well qualified and reviewed piece of equipment. Here are the essential links:

a. www.camcorderinfo.com

This is THE definitive site for camcorder reviews. You won't need another.

b. www.projectorcentral.com/home.cfm

If you are considering a projector to review your games on this is the site to use.

c. Find recommended sites to buy your camera from. There are a lot of rip off online camera sites that advertise low prices but are trying to upsell you something else. Be wary!

www.amazon.com is a pretty safe bet and usually has competitive/best pricing.

d. A few more links

For cables - www.monoprice.com
For flash memory - www.newegg.com
For general computer/parts/memory - www.pricewatch.com

Finally, I am in the process of researching a camcorder myself. I want a camcorder with a hard disk and SD memory as well and top notch quality. Based on extensive reviews the Canon VIXIA HG20 looks like a good one for me. It can be bought at Costco for ~$599.

How dangerous is football

COPY OF EMAIL TO PARENTS REFENCED IN THE POST ABOVE


Hello parents and players,

Since we have had to change some of our off season scheduling by the new state rules and since I have had several parent questions on safety, I have done a little research into the reasoning behind some of the rules that have changed.

Some things that I have found out relating to football (and some other sports and activities)

1. How dangerous is football?

a. (from the Seattle Times) It's probably safer than kids getting in a car and driving on the highway," said Dr. Frederick Mueller, who heads the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research at the University of North Carolina.
Statistically, anyway, there's no comparison.




According to numbers compiled by Mueller's center, the death rate for football players at the high-school level last year was 0.13 per 100,000 (there were no deaths last year in college football).
The death rate for male drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 years old, meanwhile, is 48.2 per 100,000, according to numbers published in 2001 by the University of Maryland Medical Center.
"What I don't want people to do is all of a sudden stop playing football," said Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, the chief of neurosurgery at Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington. "It's dangerous, but so is riding a bike, driving a car and simply living."

Ellenbogen's 11-year-old son plays football and the doctor says he "worries much more about kids riding bikes without helmets" than his son's safety during a football game.
Mueller's numbers indicate, in fact, that per 100,000 participants, football has a lower death rate than hockey, gymnastics, lacrosse and baseball, and much lower than competitive skiing.

b. (from NFHS) Injuries for high school and college cheerleaders have more than doubled since the early 1990s, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, with the estimated number of emergency-room visits spiking from fewer than 12,000 in 1991 to about 28,000 in 2004. And no other sport comes within shouting distance of cheerleading in terms of major injuries, such as spinal and head trauma, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, which is based at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Of the 101 catastrophic injuries sustained by female high school and college athletes between 1982 and 2004, 55 percent resulted from cheerleading—more than every other sport combined. Dr. Frederick Mueller, director of the center, puts it plainly: "There's no doubt that [cheerleading] is the most dangerous women's sport."
SOME WOULD SAY CHEERLEADING IS THE most dangerous sport, period. Recent statistics from the National Collegiate Athletic Association suggest that it may be even riskier than football, the sport it was created to support. Last year, the NCAA's Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program found that 25 percent of its claims for college student-athletes since 1998 have resulted from cheerleading. "[That is] second only to football, and football was not that far ahead of it," says Juanita Sheely, NCAA travel and insurance manager. When you consider the ratio of college cheerleaders to football players—about 12 to 100, estimates Sheely—that 25 percent figure is shocking.

c. (from NFHS) Over the past three years of study according to the National Federation of High School reports on sports medicine the highest incidences of major injury per 100,000 participants have been in cheerleading for women and soccer for men.

d. (from NCCSI) HEAT RELATED CONCERNS
A major concern in football fatalities has been the number of indirect deaths due to heat stroke, both at the college and high school levels. This number is unacceptable since heat stroke deaths are preventable with the proper precautions. Every effort should be made to continuously educate coaches concerning the proper procedures and precautions when practicing or playing in the heat. In the Annual Survey of Football Injury Research – 1931-2006 there are recommendations for safety during football activity in hot weather. New regulations by the National Collegiate Athletic Association for volunteer summer conditioning programs and pre-season football practice went into effect during the 2003 season and it will be very interesting to see how they effect heat related injuries at the college level.
TABLE 4:
HIGH SCHOOL FALL SPORTS
INDIRECT INJURIES PER 100,000 PARTICIPANTS
1982-1983 - 2005-2006
MALE / FEMALE

SPORT FATALITIES NON-FATAL SERIOUS
CROSS COUNTRY 0.37/0.22 0.00 0.00
FOOTBALL 0.49/0.0 0.00 0.01
SOCCER 0.39/0.13 0.00 0.00
WATER POLO (1992-94) 1.63 0.00 0.00


2. MOST OBVIOUS CONCLUSIONS

a. HEAT AND CONDITIONING - It is of primary concern based on all these numbers to be sure that the players (in any sport) are in condition and have time to acclimate to the heat. This is real information that indicates that the off season and summer conditioning are essential for the players safety. Heat injuries account for a greater and greater percentage of total injuries in high school sport. Conditioning, and to some degree weight training, are the
primary methods to reduce the rate of occurrence.

b. Football is NOT the most dangerous sport. According to many studies, soccer and cheerleading (on a national basis) have moved past football in per capita serious injury at the high school level. (Just look at the heat related catastrophic injury table above) There are more injuries in football, and there are more people playing it at the high school and jr. high levels nationally, but on a per player percentage football is not the most dangerous high school sport.

c. Many more serious injuries occur when teens ride in cars than do when they play any sport. In real life, it is more dangerous for a teenager to be in a car, then it is for them to be on a football field, or a soccer field, or a basketball court, etc.

d. Continued education of coaches, parents and players is the key to playing as safely as possible.

e. IT IS MY OPINION that our coaches at our school do an awesome job across the board in these areas. We can all improve the conditioning of our athletes as a whole, and you parents can help too. But I don't believe for a moment that a big part of the reason we have avoided catastrophic issues in our sports programs is that God has blessed us all with coaches who are working hard to teach our students how to play the games the right way.

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

PLEASE - have your kids participate !!

God Bless

ReBuilding Programs

Coach, here is a copy of posts made by other users on this site and other sites on rebuilding a program, hope it helps! and sorry for the super long post!
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don't think there is a magic bullet here. But of the 3 programs I've been in, we've had to turn around. The #1 thing we had to install was discipline. Even today, 3 years later at this gig, discipline is still the #1 thing we have to work on.

I agree with making yourself available. Odds are the kids are in need of some consistency. So be there, always be there. You're the HC, so anytime anything football related is going on you should be there and find a couple of assistants who are the same way. I think it commitment bleeds through from the coaches to the kids.

Also, something I've found helpful especially with weights...if they are absent call them, speak to them and find out why. If you can't reach them by phone stop by their house. If they need a ride, go get them...if you can remove all their excuses, then it boils down to "want to" and that makes your decisions much easier later.
1. Assess the situation.
2 Determine what needs should be met and when.
3. Make a plan to accomplish your goals.
4. Start immediately to build relationships with the players, starting with the oldest first.
5. Sell your vision- get them looking forward instead of backward. Sell your expectations.
6. Instill pride through discipline and hard work.
7. Recruit the hallways.
8. Don't compromise your principles, even if it means going 0-10.
9. Change attitudes and make a difference in your players' lives.
10. Work hard and have faith in yourself - It may take years.
Turning a program around is all about psychology and changing the attitudes people have. The raw demographics of schools in a given geographic area are usually more or less the same. It's how you handle them that determines who comes out, who works hard, and who becomes good.

As dcohio said, what's frequently at the heart of this is a lack of discipline, and that's from both the coaching staff and the players. Usually, programs with no tradition are very poorly organized, as you're discovering, and their execution sucks on the field because their fundamentals suck because their discipline sucks. Losing breeds a losing attitude from the players. They see football as mostly just a club and a hobby. They're used to settling for less--they think that's all they can ever have "just because"--so they simply don't care as much as you need them to.

That's the mindset you've got to change. You've got to get them optimistic, confident, and enthusiastic. Make it clear now that a new era is dawning. That will help spark the work ethic. When they see themselves getting bigger, stronger, and faster they'll be sold. But discipline has to be instilled--ideally from self-policing senior leadership--before you'll ever have a team instead of a group of self-interested athletes.

There are some things you can do that are fairly easy and can be done right now: meet with your rising seniors to encourage senior leadership and responsibility. Make sure you have a booster club set up to raise money to improve the facilities. Then paint the locker room, weightroom, etc, and make a team building exercise of it. A few cans of paint are cheap, while a spiffed up locker room and weightroom will really help send the message that the program is now in a state of renewal.

You've also got to establish the right relationship with your players early on. Be optimistic and show that you care about them as people outside of football--go to basketball and baseball games, recruit the halls, etc., but also make sure that you conduct yourself as an authority figure. Obviously your own personality comes into play here, but that's the basics of it.

Do you get spring ball there in FL? If you do, make sure to have spring practice. If admin will allow it, cap it off with an intra-squad exhibition game during school hours so the kids get to play in front of their classmates. Have the students pay $3 or so to get ouf class and watch the game in the afternoon. In addition to being a good fundraiser, this really does help to get people excited about football and talking about it during the summer.

It also gives you a golden opportunity to evaluate talent. A tip I got from an article by Bo Schembechler is to meet with each of your kids privately after spring ball and tell each one of them where they stand now and what you expect from them over the summer. That's when you really sell the summer strength and speed stuff.
1. Cut the cancers - players and coaches.

2. Set the bar as high as you are willing to go.

3. Lift, lift, lift - it is the only thing that really matters in your first two years.

4. Recruit a staff that will be loyal - you may even ask the admin. to open every position and have them all re-apply. It won't do any damage because they are already unsure about you, your philosophy, and don't trust you - believe me, and these other head coaches will tell you the same thing.

5. Work real hard getting to know the current 7th and 8th grade kids because that is really your first team - hold a youth camp in the summer and an intro. to lifting camp in the winter.

6. Don't be afraid to walk away from it if the administration won't let you hire your staff, lift year-round, and place demands on kids and coaches.

7. Recruiting the halls? I personally don't think it works and, in fact, in fifteen years of coaching, I have never had a kid stay with it who didn't do it on their own. They know were you are if they want to be a part of it.

8. Have total control over the fund raising so that all money goes directly into your account - not a parent group that you have to ask for it.

9. Look for retired successful former head coaches to join your staff - go seek them out and they will love the opportunity.

10. Remember, you don't win with great athletes, only the right kind of kids and coaches, so don't be afraid to make hard decisions regarding the people and stick to it.

Also, in our second year, we instituted varsity team dinners on Thursday after 'walk thru' practice. We have a local restaurant donate a nice pasta dinner and a local bakery donates a large sheet cake for dessert. We have the use of the school cafeteria, my wife organizes the dinners and she 'recruits' selected mothers of players to volunteer and help every year. This has been a great bonding scenario and it makes our varsity players feel special.
We are old school and we get after it pretty good in practice -- sell your players on the fact that nobody is working harder than they are. Our motto is "we want to be the most physical team on our schedule." If we can get to that level, we believe we can compete with the more talented teams we play. We believe team chants, etc. do no good once somebody busts you in the mouth, so we believe the best bonding occurs on the practice field, in the weight room, etc. where mutual sweat and blood brings us together.
By the way, our program has gone from the laughingstock of our area to the most wins in a 4 year period in school history (built in 1923), back-to-back conference championships and playoff berths. It can be done -- be passionate and be willing to work your tail off. There is a quote I have on my mirror that I took from a coaching article where a coach (can't remember who) asks himself, "Did I do everything I could today to make my football program better?" I try to live by this.

By: Bill Collar, Head Football Coach, Seymour High School WI

Post Plays - Use large pieces of tagboard to post plays on the wall in the locker room. This way the players can look over assignments before they go out to practice.

Word of the Day - Have players pick a word of the day at the end of practice. This will be one of the areas of major emphasis for the next day's practice.

Senior Captain - Give all seniors the opportunity to lead flexibility exercises for the week. Those players will also be captains for the game that week.

Never Practice Pre-Game Drills - Don't waste time with a complicated pre-game warm-up. Stretch out and loosen up but don't wear the team down with a great deal of running and chanting. Never worry about winning the pre-game.

Charts and Goals - Much has been said at past clinics about team goals and motivational charts. These, along with inspirational sayings, can be very motivational. Many players also like helmet decals that go along with the team goals.

P.M.A. - Always promote a positive mental attitude. There is no place for negative thinking or lack of confidence in football. Encourage an "I Believe" attitude. Remember, the other team consists of eleven players. Attempt to separate any tradition or past experience from an opponent who normally is really tough. Do not accept "I'll try" as an answer -- "Do It!"

Make Good Use of Video - Use the video session as a positive learning experience. Don't allow it to deteriorate into a "bitch" session. Have players pick out "big hits" and outstanding blocks. This is the time to give the offensive line the credit it deserves.

Assistant Coaches - Make good use of the assistant coaches. Take advantage of their strengths and be able to delegate responsibility. Avoid unnecessary meetings and long video sessions. Keep in mind their family life and lack of substantial pay. Be sure to give them credit and a pat on the back occasionally.

Work Vs. Time - Be sure to realize the difference between work (activity directed to some purpose or end) and putting in time but not accomplishing anything constructive. Grading video can sometimes fall in this category.

Team Togetherness - Consider getting the team together on Thursday evenings at a player's parent's house for a meal and possible film session. The coach can kick this off by hosting the first outing. Evaluate getting together at a church prior to the season and explain to the players how you feel about them, the team, training rules and the coming season.

Optional Video Night - Pick a night during the week (we used Sunday) when the game film will be shown and snacks will be served at the head coach's house. Players are welcome to stop by for individual video review and learning session.

Unique Event - Each season plan at least one unique event to help fire up the school and community. This may range from having motivational buttons printed to having fireworks during the football game.

Shirts and Hats, etc - Many of us help promote school caps, bumper stickers, shirts, trunks and other methods to put football on display. At times it gets to be a big hassle but it sure is good to see more football shirts around school. Give players the opportunity to purchase their game jersey.

"Bitch" Session - Periodically at practice schedule a "bitch" session where anyone can speak up and bring an issue before the group. The team will decide whether it is a legitimate complaint.

Support School Activities - The football coach should back all school activities. Make it a point to attend plays, band concerts, sporting events and as many extracurricular activities as possible.

Team Improvement - The key to improving the quality of the team is to take the below average and average players and move them up to average and above average. The exceptional players will always be good and don't have the improvement potential of the poorer players.

Identify Quarterbacks Early - Meet with junior high physical education teachers to identify top quarterback prospects early. Work to get the most skilled student leaders at this key position.

Locker Room Quality - Provide music, school colors, slogans, name plates, goal charts and pictures to brighten up the locker room area.

Exchange Ideas With Other Coaches - Meet with area coaches in mini-clinics to exchange ideas. Have X and O sessions to determine strengths and weaknesses of offense and defense.

The Perfect Play - Emphasize to the team that four perfect plays will win the game. When you have a perfect play run it over and over again on film and stress that everyone accomplished his assignment.

Rule Session - Make transparencies from the illustrated rule book and go over these with the players. Be sure they understand all the rules that apply to their position.

Agility Stations - Scheduling four five-minute agility stations early in the practice is an excellent way to work on movement and conditioning. Include one with little movement to provide a breather.

Cadence Drill - Use the quarterback to start drills as much as possible. Work on getting off the ball together daily. This can be done by clapping in unison on the correct count.

"NEVER" practice on Sunday, have a mouthgard penalty, wait for anyone, having many players standing around, leave the field with hard feelings, chew the team out after a tough game, or criticize other coaches.

Give Credit to the Opponent - We can help one another after a tough game by giving credit to the opposing team and the coach. Too often a quick comment after the game comes out sounding wrong in the paper the next day.

Bench Conduct - Be sure to go over proper bench behavior before the first game. Explain what a player should do when you call his name and how he should go about entering the game.

Night Off - Later in the season consider giving the team a night off practice. Use the time to go over video or lift weights. This break in routine will often help pep up future practices. This can be a good move after a really tough loss.

Stay Loose On Game Day - If the coach is all up tight the players are more likely to be too tight. Attempt to keep every game of equal importance to avoid up and down play.

Recognize the Individual At Practice - When a player makes an outstanding block or tackle or some other great play in practice, give him immediate recognition through a big clap or some other method.

Signal Drill - Instead of running team sprints, run signal drill sprints. This makes conditioning a reinforcing experience. The team can work on proper alignments, spacing, stance, starts, cadence, sprints and ball handling.

Keep Drills Short - Most learning takes place early in the drill. Encourage players to do it right rather than just doing it. Select drills that have actual carryover value to the game situation.

Practice Schedule - Have an organized practice schedule, get it to the assistant coaches early in the day and follow it.