Pregame 2 0 19 NAT IONAL CON F E R ENCE
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EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHTS Riddell
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Riddell has consistently attempted to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to player safety. By 2020, the company plans to have position-specific helmets, and by 2022, instrumented fully personalized head gear.
network with over 1,000 coaches and adminIsTRATORS | Feb. 22-24 | Orlando, Florida | nationalconference.usafootball.com
Learn and Advance the Game at USA Football’s National Conference Coaches nationwide gather annually at USA Football’s National Conference, and this year is no different.
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Fanbooks
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Fanbooks works with leading binderies in the United States and Europe to create a consistent, high-quality soft and hard cover books that fans will treasure for years.
Peopletrail
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Peopletrail’s background screening solution combines easy-to-use technology and human insights to help you put safety first.
Catapult
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Catapult offers a GPS chip placed at the middle of a players’ spine, coaches and trainers that can download info and click and see if a player is hurting, working hard or if he’s ready to return.
On USA Football’s Live Field at National
Conference, you can dive deep into fundamentals and techniques to power your schemes. Culture and leadership will be highlighted at this year’s National Conference with experts like Brian Kight, the CEO of Focus 3, and retired Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine.
Technique Over Scheme: Skill-Focused Systems
Tackle Tube
The Tackle Tube is designed to give coaches a tool that will facilitate correct tackling position and hones judgment and timing. The mobile ring is made of high density energy absorbent foam.
National Conference Goes Beyond a Clinic and Surface Level Xs and Os
If you’re a fan of USA Football’s technique-based University of Minnesota coach PJ Fleck
The following speakers will be among dozens who share insight and advice: ff Mike Tomlin, Head Coach, Pittsburgh Steelers ff P.J. Fleck, Head Coach, University of Minnesota ff Jeremy Pruitt, Head Coach, University of Tennessee ff Herb Hand, Co-Offensive Coordinator, University of Texas ff Noel Mazzone, Offensive Coordinator, University of Arizona ff Bobby April, Retired NFL Special Teams Coordinator
The list above doesn’t even begin to scratch the
surface. With the winningest active high school football coach in J.T. Curtis (John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, La.) and other successful, cutting-edge coaches like Steve Specht of Cincinnati St. Xavier High School, attendees will gain knowledge to give their program a winning edge.
systems, there are plenty of opportunities to engage with those systems and coaches who believe in them. With on-the-field drills and classroom sessions, USA Football’s National Conference is the best way to sample something from every USA Football system.
Off-the-field Focused Sessions
Football isn’t just about what happens in your locker room, on the field or even in the weight room. There are sessions focused on risk management and brand integrity to help coaches become better in a variety of other areas as well. Additionally, there are sessions on return-to-play protocols, at-risk youth, social media, character and building a strong relationship between youth and high school programs.
what’s inside? Q&A with University of Arizona offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. Page 2 Introducing the Football Development Model. Page 5 The National High School Football Alliance. Page 7 The schedule of speakers and presentations. Pages 8+9 The Leonards are Illinois coaching royalty. Page 10
2019 national conference have one common denominator. They all have different throwing motions, different heights and weights. The one common denominator is their passion for the game. It’s hard enough to play when there’s not a passion about the game and the position. There are all different coaches and personalities, just like there are different players and personalities. There’s no cookie-cutter way to bring out passion. Most of the guys I’ve been around, you see it in them right away.”
Q&A O
with Arizona offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone
By Dan guttenplan
ne of the nation’s most innovative, experienced and accomplished offensive coordinators in
college football, Noel Mazzone, joined the Arizona coaching staff in 2018. He arrived in Tucson following two years as offensive coordinator for Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M. Prior to Texas A&M, Mazzone directed UCLA’s offense for four seasons, and his impressive coaching resume includes time as an assistant coach in the NFL and as an offensive coordinator in the ACC (NC State), the Big Ten (Minnesota), SEC (Ole Miss and Auburn) and Pac-12 (UCLA, Arizona State, Oregon State). In addition to excelling in his role assuming play-calling duties as a coordinator, Mazzone has a proven track record of developing quarterbacks for the next level. In 2018, three of Mazzone’s pupils started games in the NFL, including Philip Rivers, Brock Osweiler and Josh Rosen, a first round pick of the Cardinals in 2018.
RPO plays are all the rage in high school football right now. What can you share with coaches who might not have as much experience running that style of offense?
Do you think it’s more difficult to run an RPO offense in high school compared to college because quarterbacks have less experience reading defenses?
“The genius of the offense is in its simplicity.”
“Is it more difficult for high school quarterbacks? No. Do I think it’s better for them? Yes. It’s all based on repetition, and I think it creates confusion – but not for yourself. It’s like the old Bruce Lee saying. I fear not the man that practices 10,000 kicks, but the one who practices one kick 10,000 times.”
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You mentioned earlier that you have oneword keys for RPO and tempo play-calls. Is that your preferred style or do you have other methods of signaling plays when you slow down the offense? “We don’t like to tag it – ‘This is super-fast tempo, this is tempo, this is slow-down scheme’ in our offense. You get that effect. But you don’t get that by how you communicate. You might slow down based on the amount of time it takes if you’re asking the quarterback to make checks. Other times, it’s one-word tempo, and it gets snapped quick. If it’s, ‘Check with me,’ then it takes longer. The quarterback has to make decisions.”
Saturday, Feb. 23 - 10:15 to 11 a.m.
Int Th an piv
Check out Arizona offensive coordinator Noel
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You’ve been able to develop a lot of NFL quarterbacks, including Philip Rivers and Josh Rosen. What’s your secret in developing quarterbacks for the next level?
Mazzone speaking about, “One-word play calls
“Those are the quarterbacks that I’ve had. I’ve been lucky enough to be around some really good ones. They all
Miss and Auburn) and Pac-12 (Arizona, UCLA,
for RPOs and tempo.” Mazzone has been an offensive coordinator in the ACC (NC State),
Th Att
the Big Ten (Minnesota), SEC (Texas A&M, Ole Arizona State, Oregon State).
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2019 national conference 3 Sessions for Administrators and Commissioners In addition to coaches, USA Football will welcome school administrators and league commissioners to the 2019 National Conference. Here are three sessions that are geared toward those attendees. Youth Football Summit
When: Saturday, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. (Orlando World Center Marriott)
This summit is open to all attendees, and the goal is gather as many youth football league administrators and commissioners as possible. USA Football Senior Director of Membership Gary Del Vecchio will proctor the summit. He plans to touch on several topics: ■■ Youth football participation ■■ Medical research ■■ The Football Development Model ■■ The potential for a Youth Football Alliance
The Youth Football Alliance would be modeled after the National High School Football Coaches Alliance, powered by USA Football, which was formed in March of 2018. It is an unprecedented collaboration of high school coaches stretching 37 states. “We understand that most youth football leagues are run independently, and we’d also like to form an alliance to get a larger voice and have everyone on the same page,” Del Vecchio said. “This could help amplify our message.” The Youth Football Summit will take the form of a town hall style discussion with engaging interactive conversation touching on as many topics as possible.
Hot Topics: Current Issues and Best Practices
When: Friday, 2 to 2:45 p.m. (Orange County Convention Center)
This session will include a three-person panel discussion with Cherry Creeks School District (Colo.) Director of Athletics Larry Bull, Dallas Center-Grimes (Iowa) football coach Scott Heitland, and pediatric and adult sports medicine doctor Michael Koester (M.D.). The topics for this panel will include: ■■ Developing and implementing emergency action plans ■■ Navigating the increasing demands and requirements for certification, licensing and legal requirements
■■ Vertical alignment strategies and the important role of youth football ■■ Recruiting and retaining coaches ■■ Measuring the intangibles of successful coaches and programs “It’s wide open,” Bull said. “Audience participation is encouraged. My district has had very successful programs. We were in the state championship the last two years. Hopefully, we can help offer some insight.”
Developing Your Staff
When: Sunday, 9 to 9:45 a.m. (Orange County Convention Center)
Highland Springs High (Va.) coach Loren Johnson, who is quickly becoming one of the most decorated coaches in Virginia state history, will lead this discussion. This season, Johnson, a former Virginia Tech football player, helped Highland Springs become just the third program in VHSL history to win four consecutive state titles. Johnson said the key to his program’s success is the continuity on the coaching staff. He currently has 17 assistant coaches on his staff. Of those 17, 16 have been with the program for at least six years. “Everything is family-oriented,” Johnson said. “Relationships are big in our program. We spend a lot of time fostering relationships.”
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Johnson moved to Richmond 10 years ago to take over as the Highland Springs coach and immediately made it a priority to add alumni to his coaching staff. “We wanted to make sure we fostered that chemistry,” Robinson said. “Before I arrived in 2008, they always had great teams, but there wasn’t always great chemistry.” Robinson gives each of his assistant coaches a motivational book for Christmas. He relies on the coaches to read the books and impart the wisdom to players. “They can take tidbits and build their own philosophies and ideas,” Robinson said. “I’m trying to groom them all to be head coaches if that’s what they want. None have left, so that’s a great thing.”
Feb. 22-24 | Orlando, Florida | nationalconference.usafootball.com
2019 show preview
The Football Development Model a road map for learning the game By Dan guttenplan
F
ootball doesn’t have an obvious natural entry point
for young players – like, say, tee-ball for Little League Baseball players – but USA Football is working on that. USA Football Director of Coaching Mike Krueger recently introduced the Football Development Model (FDM) with a goal to provide a variety of entry points and options, and empower parents and young athletes to choose the best version of the sport for them. “We want football to be an experience that players can take with them and learn from for their entire lives,” Krueger said. “We want that to be one of the experiences of life they can draw from throughout adulthood.” “We’ve never really had an organized, welldefined pathway to progress within the sport,” Krueger said. “We know the value of coaching and bring up players through the system, but in terms of a progressive development plan, we want to step into that leadership role. USA Football has incorporated scientifically based guidelines, which assist in building recommended stages of development for athletes as they grow through the sport. This helps coaches and parents gauge the progress of a young player’s skill level and game readiness. By taking athletes from their touchpoint into the sport and continuing through opportunities in high school and beyond, the FDM guides every individual as they learn, develop and progress through the sport.
“This model is skill-focused,” Krueger said. “We focus on fundamental skill development in the early stages. We identify each player’s stage of development biologically and chronologically.” One component of the FDM is encouraging multi-sport participation among players. USA Football’s philosophy is that we develop better football players by developing better athletes. There is also less emphasis on teaching scheme at the developmental stages. “That’s not to say scheme isn’t important,” Krueger said. “We want the players to learn offensive and defensive concepts. It needs to be done in a balanced ratio. We have to make sure we’re not focused more on scheme than skill. There’s more focus on how they move, flexibility, strength, speed and technique. In the big scheme of things, we want them to be successful at all levels. That’s what’s appropriate for that stage of development.”
For more information on the USA Football Development Model, visit www.usafootball.com/fdm
Saturday, Feb. 23 - 1:20 to 2:05 p.m. Chris Snyder and Mike Krueger will introduce the Football Development Model to coaches at the USA Football National Conference on Saturday, Feb. 23. The theme of the presentation will be: “Reimaging the Game: the Football Development Model”.
The Six Pillars to the Football Development Model The foundation of the Football Development Model is based on six pillars. When working together, these pillars create the blueprint for the football community to create better athletes. ff Multiple Pathways & Entry Points ff Coach Education & Training ff Whole Person & Multi-sport Development ff Physical Literacy & Skill Development ff Fun & Fulfilling ff Participation & Retention
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2019 national conference
Product Spotlight Get It Right
Douglas Pads
Get It Right provides 3D
The most frustrating
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animations in a Madden Football® format coaches can use to explain rules to their players. Designed by football officials, coaches can also understand how officials mentally process an act to determine if an infraction has occurred. Administrators can use the program to train officials and educate parents. Programs are available that include NFHS, NCAA, TASO/UIL, and IFAF rules. Go to GetItRightTraining.com.
challenges football players of any age may have is snapping their chinstrap properly to their helmet. Players, parents and coaches often spend valuable time at practices and games getting “buckled up” properly. The new Douglas EZ Pro Snap can help eliminate this frustration. No longer does any athlete, parent or coach need to struggle “buckling up”. The EZ Pro Snap, engages with ease, stays locked in place, and releases with ease.
Exhibitor Spotlight
Shadowman
Gilman Gear
contact drills in practice, but it allows you to teach a Rugby Style tackle technique. The Shadowman design intentionally rewards lower form, shoulder tackling. The Shadowman Pro and Shadowman Junior offer players moving targets with strike zones between the shoulders and knee flex.
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Gilman Gear is the nation’s leading manufacturer of football field equipment. One of Gilman’s most popular products for coaches is the Roll Tackle Ring. This training tool takes the head out of tackling. With the reduction of live tackling drills, this tool allows coaches to teach the fundamentals of tackling in a safe and efficient manner. Gilman makes everything for your practice field including blocking and tackling sleds, dummies and shields and everything for your game field including goal posts, goal post pads, chain sets, down markers and pylons. Gilman Gear has an 87-year history of making quality and innovative products. For more information, visit Gilmangear.com or call 800-243-0398.
SuperFan
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SuperFan is the ultimate engagement platform to have on your team. A suite of software and programs makes it easy to energize and connect with your community of fans. Help fans do what they do best by keeping users in the loop on events and incentivizing increased participation. The SuperFan platform makes fan involvement easy. When involvement goes up, revenue goes up. And with the ability to sell directly through the app, it’s easy for you, too. Use your customized SuperFan platform to raise funds for events, gear, and more.
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2019 usa football national conference
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Not only does Shadowman reduce the repetitive player vs player
Prevent Biometrics ff Booth No. 422
Prevent Biometrics’ real-time head impact monitoring technology takes today’s observational and inaccurate method of identifying athletes for concussion assessment, and turns it into an objective, accurate, data-driven process. The mouthguard system measures linear and rotational acceleration, location, direction and count of each head impact. It pairs that information with a team app to allow sideline monitoring of player impacts in real time.
Port-A-Field
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Since 2003, Port-a-Field has been the worldwide leader in portable reusable athletic field lining systems. Players need definitive lines that cones and imaginary lines simply do not provide. We offer single lines to define a space as well as complete fullsized, pre-printed fields for more than 40 sports. Users include coaches, colleges, school districts, cities, leagues, tournaments, and events including the NFL’s Flag Football Championships at Pro Bowl. Visit port-a-field.com.
Feb. 22-24 | Orlando, Florida | nationalconference.usafootball.com
2019 show preview
The National High School Football Coaches Alliance Will Convene at the National Conference By Dan Guttenplan
T
he 2019 USA Football National Conference will play
host to the year’s first meeting for the National High School Football Coaches Alliance, powered by USA Football. The National High School Football Coaches Alliance, formed in March of 2018, delivers unprecedented collaboration among high school coaches stretching 39 states. Led by state high school coach association directors, the Alliance will provide access to unique and progressive professional development and continuing education platforms, digital and physical coaching tools and communication vehicles extending beyond state and regional borders. The Alliance will officially meet on Friday, Feb. 22 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., but conversations are expected to continue over the course of the weekend. “Throughout the weekend, we’ll break them up into groups of five or six for deeper conversations,” said USA Football Engagement Manager Ed Passino. “This is how USA Football can help various state association leaders by getting feedback on the issues they’re having.” State association leaders initially discussed forming the Alliance at the 2018 USA Football National Conference in Orlando. The group
met with USA Football to discuss forming the Alliance, benefitting their members and footballplaying student-athletes nationwide. The Alliance’s physical and digital platforms are powered by USA Football. Supporters of the Alliance include the National Organization of Coaches Association Directors, which generates revenue and assists athletic and other student activities of high schools in its members’ states. “Ultimately, we’ll have an open forum for state athletic association leaders,” Passino said. “What are the rules in your states that you’d like to see changed? They’ll have a sounding board to see what other states are doing. It could be limits on full-contact practices, mercy rules or other safety issues.” The formation of the Alliance has been widely viewed as a positive throughout the sport. “This is a significant ‘first’ for high school football,” said Rob Younger, Oregon Athletic Coaches Association executive director and inaugural president of the Alliance. Younger worked as an Oregon high school educator and football coach for more than 40 years. “The Alliance brings coaches together in ways we’ve not seen before and strengthens our community through USA Football’s exceptional and vast coaching resources.”
Friday, Feb. 22 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The National High School Football Coaches Alliance, powered by USA Football, will meet at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
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2019 national conference USA Football National Conference Schedule (SCHEDULE AND SPEAKERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Learn more at nationalconference.usafootball.com/schedule
FRIDAY, February 22 High School Themes
Current Issues and Best Practices”
Expectations: From 12 Players to 14-0”
9 to 10 a.m. Mark Divine “SEALFIT Kokoro Yoga”
2 to 2:45 p.m. Herb Brogan “The Player-Coach Relationship”
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. USA Football Master Trainers “Heads Up Football High School Blocking, Tackling and Equipment Fitting”
2 to 2:45 p.m. Classroom Chalk Talk with Steve Trivisonno “Spread Offense Passing Game”
3 to 3:45 p.m. Phil Longo “Air Raid Installation and QB Technique Installation”
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Richie Gray and Andy Ryland “Advanced Tackling Clinic” 2 to 2:45 p.m. Larry Bull, Scott Heitland, Dr. Koester “Hot Topics:
2 to 2:45 p.m. Bobby Acosta “Wide Receiver Play” 3 to 3:45 p.m. Ron Stolski, “Coaching: A Journey, Not a Destination” 3 to 3:45 p.m. Troy McAllister “Setting High
3 to 3:45 p.m. Classroom Chalk Talk with Strait Herron “Utilizing a 3-4 Defense with 4-2-5 Concepts” 3 to 3:45 p.m. Derek Leonard “Gap Scheme RPO’s Through the QB Position” 4 to 6 p.m. Keynote: General Odierno, Scott Hallenbeck, Mark Divine
6:05 to 6:35 p.m. Richie Gray and Andy Ryland, “Intro to the Advanced Tackling System” Youth Themes 9 to 10 a.m. Mark Divine, “SEALFIT Kokoro Yoga” 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Richie Gray and Andy Ryland, “Advanced Tackling Clinic” 2 to 2:45 p.m. Southeast/ Southwest Regional Breakout Session
2 to 2:45 p.m. Northeast/Midwest Regional Breakout Session 2:45 p.m. Central/West Regional Breakout Session 2 to 2:45 p.m. Larry Bull, Scott Heitland, Dr. Koester, “Hot Topics: Current Issues and Best Practices” 3 to 3:45 p.m. Gary Del Vecchio, “Youth Football Participation” 3 to 3:45 p.m. Ron Stolski, “Coaching: A Journey, Not a Destination”
4 to 6 p.m. Keynote: General Odierno, Scott Hallenbeck, Mark Divine 6:05 to 6:35 p.m. Richie Gray and Andy Ryland, “Intro to the Advanced Tackling System” 6:40 to 7:05 p.m. Chad Bartoszek and Nick Marmo, “USA Football Contact System” Flag Themes 3 to 3:45 p.m. Elliott Giles, “Starting Your Flag League”
Get It Right provides 3D animations in a Madden Football® format coaches can use to explain rules to their players. Designed by football officials, coaches can also understand how officials mentally process an act to determine if an infraction has occurred. Administrators can use the program to train officials and educate parents. Programs are available that include NFHS, NCAA, TASO/UIL, and IFAF rules. Find us online at
GetItRightTraining.com 08
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2019 show preview
Feb. 22-24 | Orlando, Florida | nationalconference.usafootball.com
saturDAY, February 23 High School Themes 9 to 9:45 a.m. Rich Alercio, “Add SPO’s to Your Offense” 9 to 9:45 a.m. Mike Judy, “Implementing a Two-Platoon System; Advice on Organization, Practice and Player Development” 9 to 9:45 a.m. Matt Shimshock, “The Next Generation of Data Driven Coaching” 9 to 9:45 a.m. Paul Nichols, “Multiple 3rd Down Blitz Packages” 9 to 9:45 a.m. Dr. Koester, “Return to Play After Concussion: Protocols, Pearls and Pitfalls”
“Reimaging the Game: The Football Development Model”
School Football Strength and Conditioning Program”
1:20 to 2:05 p.m. Richie Gray and Andy Ryland, “Grading and Evaluating Your Team’s Tackle”
3:45 to 4:30 p.m. LaTonya Pinkard, “At Risk Youth”
1:20 to 2:05 p.m. Robert Pomazak, “Building Fun, Investment and Character into a Year-Round Program” 1:20 to 2:05 p.m. Alex Golesh, “RPO Off of Inside Zone” 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Nate Moore, “Building a Career as a Football Coach” 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Classroom Chalk Talk with Steve Specht, “Defending the RPO” 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Richie Gray, “5 Fights Progression”
10:15 to 11 a.m. Noel Mazzone, “Game PlanningIncluding One-Word Tempo and RPO Plays”
2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Brian Kight, “Culture and Execution”
10:15 to 11 a.m. Kurt Hester, “Conditioning the Modern Football Athlete”
3:45 to 4:30 p.m. Bobby April, “Return and Coverage Concepts on Special Teams (Session 1)”
10:15 to 11 a.m. Mike Fox, “Blitzing to Stop the Run” 10:15 to 11 a.m. Classroom Chalk Talk with Dave Walker, “Spread Offense Run Game” 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. Keynote: Jeremy Pruitt 12 to 1 p.m. Keynote: Mike Tomlin 1:20 to 2:05 p.m. Chris Snyder and Mike Krueger,
3:45 to 4:30 p.m. Classroom Chalk Talk with Herb Hand, “Pass Protection Fundamentals – Taking Your Drill Work to the Game” 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. Jeff Steinberg, “Friday Night Lights Preparation and Planning” 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. Darnell Clark, “Fundamental Considerations for Developing a Successful High
5 to 5:45 p.m. Kevin Carberry, “Inside Run Fundamentals” 5 to 5:45 p.m. Bobby April, “Return and Coverage Concepts on Special Teams” (Session 2) 5 to 5:45 p.m. Rob Currin, Terry Summerfield, Vinny DiGaetano and Donny Lindberger, “Implementing the Advanced Tackling System” 5 to 5:45 p.m. Matt Heckel, “Social Media: The Good, the Bad and Everything in Between” 5 to 5:45 p.m. JT Curtis, “Building a Successful Program and Sustaining it Through the Decades” 5 to 5:20 p.m. Tackle Tube 5:20 to 5:40 p.m. Shadowman Youth Themes 9 to 9:45 a.m. Dr. Koester, “Return to Play After Concussion: Protocols, Pearls and Pitfalls” 10:15 to 11 a.m. Matt Sicchio and Kelly Pribbenow, “Risk Management” 10:15 to 11 a.m. Rob Leach and Dave Inserra, “Bond Between Youth
Leagues and High School Programs”
Football Implementation”
11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. Keynote: Jeremy Pruitt
2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Brian Kight, “Culture and Execution”
12 to 1 p.m. Keynote: Mike Tomlin
3:45 to 4:30 p.m. LaTonya Pinkard, “At Risk Youth”
1:20 to 2:05 p.m. Chris Snyder and Mike Krueger, “Reimaging the Game: The Football Development Model”
5 to 5:45 p.m. Kevin Lynott, Ron White and Geoff Meyer, “Legislative Panel”
2:30 to 3:15 p.m. USA Football Regional Managers, “Heads Up
5 to 5:45 p.m. Matt Heckel, “Social Media: The Good, the Bad and Everything in Between”
Flag Themes 9 to 9:45 a.m. Grant Gameron, “How to Implement a Flag Division Into Your Tackle League” 10:15 to 11 a.m. Rudy Fernandez, “Flag Football Defenses” 1:20 to 2:05 p.m. Matt Reimel, “Flag Football Offenses” 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Mike Krueger and Andy Ryland, “Implementing FDM into Your Flag League”
SundaY, February 24 High School Themes 9 to 9:45 a.m. Loren Johnson, “Developing Your Staff” 9 to 9:45 a.m. Van Malone, “Teaching Aggressive Man Coverage” 9 to 9:45 a.m. Dr. Pieroth, Dr. Koester, Dr. Jaworski, “State of Science Discussion – Youth Sports” 10 to 11 a.m. Keynote: PJ Fleck 11 to 11:30 a.m. High School Alliance Session 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Brian Kight, “Coaching and Connection” 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sherman Armstrong, “Double-Goal Coaching”
11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Classroom Chalk Talk with Jay Graham 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. Ken Leonard, “Character Building” 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. Ken Smith, “Hazing, Bullying and High School Football” 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. Rick Jones, “Empty Formation RPO’s” Youth Themes 9 to 9:45 a.m. Chuck Kyle, “Youth Practice Planning” 9 to 9:45 a.m. Danny Shields, “Finding Officials” 9 to 9:45 a.m. Dr. Pieroth, Dr. Koester, Dr. Jaworski, “State of Science Discussion – Youth Sports” 10 to 11 a.m. Keynote: PJ Fleck 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Brian Kight,
“Coaching and Connection” 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Ruth Nicholson, “Assess and Improve Your Club Operations” 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sherman Armstrong, “Double-Goal Coaching” 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. Walt Lodes and Matt McKinnon, “AntiDiscrimination” 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. Ken Smith, “Hazing, Bullying and High School Football” Flag Themes 9 to 9:45 a.m. Chris Curd, “Brand Integrity and Marketing” 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Austin Bradshaw, “Retention: How to Keep Kids Coming Back”
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2019 national conference The Leonard Legacy Father-son coaching duo is prolific in Illinois By Dan Guttenplan
It’s tough to talk about high school football in Illinois without the legendary Leonard name coming up.
Rochester High coach Derek Leonard (left) and father, Sacred HeartGriffin coach Ken Leonard
The Leonard Sessions Derek Leonard, Rochester High Friday, 3 to 3:45 p.m. “Gap Scheme RPO’s Through the QB Position” Ken Leonard, Sacred Heart-Griffin Sunday, 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. “Character Building”
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acred Heart-Griffin High coach Ken Leonard
became the all-time leader in coaching victories in the state last year. It was only fitting that the 42-year coach recorded the historic win that clinched his spot against Rochester High – a team coached by his son, Ken. Ken also has earned a place on the Mount Rushmore of Illinois high school football coaches during his career at Rochester, where he’s coached teams to seven state championships in the last nine years. The Leonards also happen to be the last two nominees of the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year for the state of Illinois. Derek was the 2017 nominee, and Ken earned the 2018 honor and the trip to the Pro Bowl last month. The father and son face off as coaches of their respective teams each year in what is dubbed locally as the “Leonard Bowl.” During the 2018 game, the Chicago Bears were in town hosting an NFL Crucial Catch event to raise cancer awareness in memory of Liz Leonard, the wife of Ken and mother of Derek, who passed from breast cancer in December. The Leonard father-son tandem will be in town for the USA Football National Conference, and each coach has a session for high school coaches. Ken Leonard will lead “Character Building” on
2019 usa football national conference
Sunday from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. “We call it ‘The Other Side of the Game’, and I think it’s the most important side,” Ken Leonard said. “We say it’s faith, family and football. We’ll get into our core beliefs.” Ken Leonard and the Sacred Heart-Griffin High staff spend 30 minutes each week leading a character development session for players. The goal each season is to teach the seniors to lead the sessions by the end of the season. “We have a mentoring program, and we ask all of our coaches to stay on top of the players and develop them from boys to men,” Ken Leonard said. “We want them to be good fathers and people.” The Sacred Heart-Griffin staff also asks players to write love letters to their mothers and fathers during their high school careers. Each player will read the letters to their parents in front of their classmates. “I love X’s and O’s and the spread offense, but this is what’s important,” Ken Leonard said. Derek Leonard will lead a session, “Gap Scheme RPO’s Through the Quarterback Position”, on Friday from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Leonard’s teams have won seven of the last nine state championships running that scheme. “We’ve been running it for 12 or 13 years,” Leonard said. “We’ve always been ahead of it, ahead of defenses schematically. Now, we’re so far into it, we have a better feel than we’ve had the last few years.” Derek Leonard is the first to admit his team has experienced some growing pains by constantly trying to stay ahead of the curve in implementing the Gap Scheme RPO offense. He’s hoping his presentation will help other coaches avoid those struggles. “We can share what kind of experiences we’ve gone through as it relates to the quarterback position,” Ken Leonard said. “There’s been some good and some bad. We’ll get that across to help other guys that maybe are in the earlier stages of installing this stuff.”
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2019 national conference
Andy Ryland
USA Football’s Senior Manager of Education and Training Andy Ryland serves as the on-screen talent for the Advanced Tackling System. Ryland is a former Penn State linebacker, college rugby All-American, member of the U.S. Men’s National Rugby Team and NCAA Division I college football coach.
USA Football’s Advanced Tackling System helping coaches make the game safer By dan guttenplan
Richie Gray
Richie Gray, developer of the 5 Fight Tackle System, is a former professional rugby player who has coached on the highest levels in both that sport and American football. His techniques serve as the foundation for USA Football’s Advanced Tackling System.
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F
ormer professional rugby player and international
multi-sport tackling expert Richie Gray has built a progression for tackling to improve every coaches ability to evaluate and coach the skill. He’ll have plenty to share with coaches at the USA Football National Conference as he introduces the Advanced Tackling System. Within this system, coaches learn easily identifiable and efficient metrics to classify successes and failures within each tackle. Using these indicators, coaches can turn to drills and troubleshooting progressions within the system to provide rich feedback and address specific concerns for each player. “I’ve made tackling technique my main objective within coaching,” Gray said. “I want to coach the area of contact in a far safer and more detailed, accurate way. In doing that, it will have a huge effect on the health and welfare of players.” The foundation for this system was developed by Gray, the founder of GSI and the 5 Fight Tackle System who has coached on the highest levels in both rugby and American football. Gray worked in 2016 alongside the Miami Dolphins coaching staff to improve that team’s tackling skills and continues to work with individual NFL coaches and players each offseason.
Feb. 22-24 | Orlando, Florida | nationalconference.usafootball.com
“I’ve always said that the only way to make a difference in coaching tackling techniques is to measure it,” Gray said. “If you don’t measure it, there’s nothing to go forward on. We put it into a language and methodology that is plain and simple to coach at every level.” The system breaks down every tackle into five core concepts, each of which can be defined and charted by coaches in both practices and games.
1 2 3 4 5
Track
The ability to get from anywhere on the field to the ball-carrier with speed, taking into account scheme, leverage and blockers in order to make the tackle.
Prepare
2019 show preview Second Leg Drill
T
he second leg drill within USA
Football’s Advanced Tackling System teaches players how to transition from single-leg control to full control in order to bring the ball-carrier to the ground. This system, available on FootballDevelopment.com, gives coaches key performance indicators that they can identify, train and correct to develop better fundamental tacklers on the football field.
The ability to transition from tracking to getting into the correct body position with proper foot placement for imminent contact and type of tackle being made.
Connect
Winning at the point of contact through technique, accuracy and the proper mentality.
Accelerate
The ability to generate force through the feet into the ground to provide sustained pressure and generate controlled power.
Finish
Taking the tackle to the ground with full control of the ball-carrier – all the way to the deck.
“You’ve got a player who misses tackles, you can track it back to one or two of our KPIs (key performance indicators),” Gray said. “The whole system can be very complex for the highest level, but it can easily be simplified down to whatever level you’re at.” USA Football’s Senior Manager of Education and Training and shoulder tackling expert Andy Ryland serves as the on-screen instructor of the system. “The shoulder tackle is still a part of our system. It’s a great start,” Ryland said. “Now, what we’re doing, is we’re taking a chronological look at the tackle. We look at the pieces that lead up to the finish of the tackle. Within each of those pieces, I have a number of KPIs I can start to look at.
Richie Gray will have four sessions for coaches at the USA Football National Conference. Friday, Feb. 22 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), “Advanced Tackling Clinic” Friday, Feb. 22 (6:05 to 6:35 p.m.), “Intro to the Advanced Tackling System” Saturday, Feb. 23 (1:20 to 2:05 p.m.) “Grading and Evaluating Your Team’s Tackle” Saturday, Feb. 23 (2:30 to 3:15 p.m.), “5 Fights Progression” *Gray will be joined by Andy Ryland.
Learn more about USA Football’s Advanced Tackling System by visiting www.footballdevelopment.com. Coaches can register for free and access any three of the videos to see for themselves what the pros are teaching.
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Saturday, Feb. 23 - 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. Check out Texas co-offensive coordinator Herb Hand speaking about, “Taking drills to the game.” Hand has been an offensive assistant at Texas, Auburn, Penn State, Vanderbilt, Tulsa and West Virginia.
Q&A
with Texas co-offensive coordinator Herb Hand
By Dan guttenplan
Herb Hand, a veteran offensive line coach who has helped coordinate numerous dynamic offenses, spent his first season as co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Texas in 2018. I know your background is as an offensive line coach. What are you planning to speak about at the USA Football National Conference? “The topic I’m going to cover is titled, ‘Taking your drills to the game.’”
Are the drills for offensive linemen or other positions on offense? “We’ll focus on drills particularly geared toward drop-back pass protection. I want our drills to show up when we watch game film. We will have some cut-up and film breakdowns. We have coaching points for the drills, what we’re trying to accomplish with each drill, and how those drills are then transferred into game action. The players need to know what you’re looking for and your philosophy behind each drill.”
What is the key to leading a drill that carries over into a game? “My thing with drills is that if you can’t explain to a player why or how it
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fits into game scenarios, you shouldn’t be doing the drill. That’s going to be the focus of the talk.”
I saw a video of Nick Saban meeting with his assistant coaches after a practice, and he explained that all drills should be introduced in meetings, then practiced at walk-through speed, and then practiced close to game speed. Do you share that philosophy? “It’s a similar approach. Before we ever incorporate a drill into the practice plan, we present it in detail to players in a unit meeting session. We say, ‘This is what we’re trying to accomplish.’ Our philosophy is we explain how to run the drill and then why. Then, once we’re on the field, and we have a limited time to work, we can maximize the time for reps. If I have a 10-minute practice period, and I have to take three minutes to explain the drill, that’s wasted time. All of the explanation has to happen before we ever hit the field. If we have an opportunity to walk through it, we
can give them an example of what it should look like.”
So, another key to a successful drill is maximizing reps for each player? “Repetition is the mother of all learning. When you’re on the field, it’s reps, and then follow it up. Watch it on film. Then, correct from the film. As a coach, you say, ‘Here’s what we still need to work on.’ That’s the whole key to it. If you’re teaching technique or fundamentals, show them how it’s applicable in the games.”
College coaches often say the biggest learning curve for offensive linemen is in pass protection. Why is that? “First of all, there are many great high school coaches that do an excellent job teaching pass protection. I’ve stolen drills and coaching points from high school coaches I’ve watched. All coaches borrow and plagiarize. We pick up what we can, whether it’s high school, college or the NFL. I’m always looking for coaching points. “With pass protection, there’s a lot that has to do with each individual. You can’t coach it in cookie-cutter fashion. You have to take into consideration a particular player’s strengths and deficiencies. Then, he has to overcome those deficiencies. It takes time; it’s a development position. Guys that play at the highest level are continuing to develop their craft.”
2019 usa football national conference
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