FNF Coaches | Summer 2021 | Strength & Conditioning Edition

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The Magazine for High School Football Coaches

SUMMER 2021

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seasoN Hoover (Ala.) Coach Shares S&C Secrets

How to Teach the Squat ‘Feed the Cats’ Explained + install the Pistol Spread Triple Option + Why Quarters Coverage Works + Gain Leverage with the Drive Block + Zone Blitzes for Under Front Defense

FBS Strength Coach:

Speed Comes First Kurt Hines Talks Twitter | Customize Strength Programs Build Confidence in the Weight Room | A LOOK AT RPR/APRE TRAINING

t s a c d o P

l o o h c s h g i h r fo l coaches l a b t o fo

Listen on: Find Our Podcast Lineup at FNFcoaches.com

Lift Like

CONTENT

SUMMER 2021 STRENGHT & CONDITION

Hoover High 22

02

14

HOW TO TEACH THE SQUAT

04 Q&A with FBS Athletic Performance Coach 07 HS Football’s Most Influential Man 08 The One Flag Tournament & Championship 10 Communicate Better in Practice 15 Individualize Workouts for Players 17 Use an APRE Program for Gains 18 Record PRs for All to See

PLAYBOOK FEED THE CATS WITH TONY HOLLER

16

19 8 Products to Add to Your Weight Room 21 Weight Room Apps 30 Gain or Lose Weight for Football 31 Build Confidence in Weight Room 32 End Zone Camera/ Drone Combos

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26 Install the Pistol Spread Triple Option 27 Why Quarters Coverage Works 28 Gain Leverage with the Drive Block 29 Zone Blitzes for Under Front Defense

20

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COLLEGE Q & A ff Is there a shift to more training outside of the weight room?

with Q&A Cal Head Athletic

Performance Coach Brian Johnson

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Brian Johnson agreed to become the Cal head football athletic performance coach in January. Johnson has spent the previous 11 seasons on strength and conditioning staffs at FBS schools and in the NFL. Most recently, he served as director of strength and conditioning at Arizona (2018-20), where he heavily implemented sports science while also working as a liaison between the football program and the Center for Innovation in Brain Science. Johnson, a former NFL player, recently joined the FNF Coaches Podcast to share his strength training philosophy. Here is an excerpt of the interview. ff How has your strength and conditioning philosophy evolved since your playing days -- both at LSU and in the NFL? “It’s definitely evolved. There is less of an emphasis on longer distance running like 110s, full gassers and half gassers.

People are finding ways to build aerobic fitness that doesn’t have to be running.

There are so many other ways to do it without putting them on their feet.

“We spend more time looking at the

04

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central nervous system so we can get the most out of high load days and reduce injuries. We look at soft tissue injuries and manipulate high load days to reduce those injuries.

“The big change is that there is more information out there. It’s not a matter of saying the old coaches were doing it wrong. They were doing the best they could with the information they had.

Now? There’s new information.”

“Yes, there’s more anaerobic training on the field with sprinting, accelerating and decelerating. That trains forces that we can’t get to in the weight room.

So, there’s more emphasis on sprint work. Some coaches work on sprinting techniques. A lot of coaches want the efforts and the exposure of tissue to high velocity. So, now the weight room complements the running. It used to be the other way around, but we can only get so specific in the weight room.”

ff Do you customize programs for position groups?

“We customize it first for size groups.

It’s more by skill than anything else -- based on the demands of their roles.

I’m not teaching them how to play the position; I’m regressing it down to the most fundamental, basic movements.

The key is being explosive out of a stance, and making sure they’re mobile and flexible enough to get in and out of a stance comfortably -- but still as fast as possible. You have a lot of stuff going on at one time on the field, so we give them what they need once they strap up the pads and helmets.”

ff How do you break down the calendar year by strength and conditioning phases?

“After a Bowl game, we give them a couple of weeks of recovery. Then it’s a general prep phase. Everything is simple; we’re evaluating movement.

We’ll give guys time to recover from overuse injuries. We regress it down to its simplest form.

“What do we want to get to? For me, I want them to catch a power clean and catch a snatch. So, it’s tissue prep. It’s prepping thoracic mobility. It’s getting low in those catches. It’s front squats and deadlifts. We make sure they have core stability. We build the posterior chain and get the hamstrings as strong as possible so that once they’re sprinting fast and lifting heavy in spring ball, they won’t have soft tissue injuries.

“After the spring, we really get big and strong because we’re working on output on the field. We get more fit and build the aerobic foundation. It’s about repeatability

COLLEGE Q & A for these guys. Then, we go on a break and come back with another phase of output.

We microdose aerobic work to build a foundation. At the end of the summer, we work on capacity and might even go through another power phase -- depending on where we are as a team.”

ff And what’s your philosophy in-season?

“It’s all about getting ready for football.

During training camp, I limit the soreness as much as I can. They’re getting hit hard, and that’s a completely different stimulus.

Training camp is about maintaining.

We might go concentric only and limit eccentric muscle contractions. That could be a trap bar deadlift; we’ll still go heavy but we’ll just have them drop it at the top. Eccentric lowering is the most taxing part on the muscle. They already get the eccentric piece on the field when they’re decelerating.

“That being said, in-season, we’re working for gains. We have to be strategic about what lifts. We probably won’t max out on power cleans or back squats.

Maybe we’ll do deadlifts. It’s all about prepping the tissue for what you want out of it. At the end of the season, we don’t want to be watching guys get knocked off the ball in the fourth quarter. We like to get gains in-season.”

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TESTING DAYS JOHNSON AND HIS STAFF DON’T

have set testing days on the calendar.

Instead, he tries to keep the players peaking at all times.

“I’m not huge on saying, ‘Circle this date for a one-rep max.’,” Johnson said. “I take the approach that if you stay ready, you never have to get ready.”

Johnson tests players using force plates, jump mats and GPS wearables to determine their readiness for exerting themselves in the weight room or on the field.

“If they’re feeling good and want to hit a PR after practice, they know they can come in and do that,” Johnson said. “We know we’re preparing them to play every Saturday. We don’t want

them to be good for one day. For us to be successful, we need to be good 12 days. We need to peak all of those days.”

The two speed tests that Johnson prefers are 15- to 20-yard acceleration sprints and 30- to 40-yard measures of max velocity.

“In high school, those skill kids should probably be running track,” Johnson said. “At the high school level, they should be exposed to all kinds of stimulus. Soft tissue injuries happen when the body shuts down because it hasn’t been exposed to that level of exertion. Limit the time you spend pushing the athletes, and don’t just take pride in kids crawling off the field on the field day of practice.”

05

NEWS & NOTES

Remote Texas AD/Coach Wins FNF Coaches Drone Contest

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Ricky Sargent was due for some good news in 2021.

The Hearne High (Texas) athletic director and football coach did his job remotely from March until May due to flood damage at the school. Feeling discouraged by the state of affairs in a school in which 98% of the population is economically disadvantaged, Sargent decided to reach out to FNF Coaches for support.

He entered the 2021 FNF Coaches Drone Contest by stating his case on our website. He was selected from a pool of 35 entrants, and received a free drone in mid-May. “I’ve never won anything, except for being a part of a state championship,” Sargent said. “But nothing like this. I’m going to get with the Superintendent and Principal and see how we can use it to our benefit.”

Hearne High closed indefinitely after a burst water pipe flooded most of the building with 4 inches of water. The burst happened in the gymnasium foyer and severely affected every room in the school except for the cafeteria and the library. No students returned to the school until a few testing days in early May. The hope is to have the school up and running by August.

“It’s very difficult not being able to see the kids here at the school,” Sargent said. “I like to stay on top of the kids to make sure we can help them get

■■Hearne High (Texas) coach Ricky Sargent won the FNF Coaches Drone Contest.

all of the resources they need so that they’re successful in the classroom.

The kids know that I stress academics first.”

Sargent’s focus on his players’ academics has resulted in improved performance in the classroom. Before the start of the pandemic, all of his players earned ‘A’ or ‘B’ averages for the first time in program history.

“We prefer to see our kids face to face,” Sargent said. “Our kids struggle at home when the parents go to work and they’re there by themselves.

Our kids fight and crawl to get it done. We try not to make excuses.”

FNF Coaches Podcast Guests

COACHES APPRECIATION MONTH HIGHLIGHTS Roger Harriott

Tim Buchanan

HEAD COACH: St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.

HEAD COACH: Aledo, Texas

Roger Harriott has set the standard for winning in Florida. Since his arrival at his alma mater, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) in 2015, Harriott has led STA to four 7A state championships.

It’s important for us to establish a sense of servant leadership,” Harriott said. “It will make the world a better place. Ultimately, that’s what we’re hoping for — to help create productive members of society in a very practical sense.

Our offseason is where we develop our character, identity and personality of the team.”

06

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Aledo High School’s Tim Buchanan has built a dynasty since his hire at Aledo High School in 1993. Aledo won its Texas-record 10th state championship in January.

“When I took this job, my goal was to build a program that helped kids grow into hard-working young men,” Buchanan said. “Our kids bought in. The first year, we didn’t have one kid buy into our offseason program.

By the time we got to 1998, we had 99% of our kids showing up four days a week. When they are willing to pay that price, that leads to championships. Nothing is given to you. Kids have to work hard.”

Kurt Hines:

High School Football’s Most Influential Man

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

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I

f you’re on Twitter, Kurt Hines’ face probably

looks familiar to you.

The Coronado High (Calif.) head coach blitzes his audience of more than 50,000 followers with a steady stream of first-person videos, inspiring messages and commentary on high school football.

The Twitter profile is only a part of Hines’ growing multimedia empire. He also has a blossoming Instagram page (5,000-plus followers), a website, a YouTube channel, CoachTube videos, podcast appearances, and he is available for public speaking engagements.

“I fought it for the longest time,” Hines said of social media. “I teach in an elementary school, so it’s not something I really use for that. Back when we lived in New Hampshire, my wife would have to watch the Friday Night Lights newscast while I was at the stadium. I’d start texting her, ‘Who won this game, and who won that game?’ She kept saying I should get on Twitter for no other reason than to get the scores.”

Hines joined Twitter in 2014 and soon after posted a video that resonated with his audience of coaches.

“My philosophy on Twitter is it’s a free platform,” Hines said. “If you have a message that you want to share, why wouldn’t you?

It’s like a free billboard on the highway.”

The message Hines often chooses to share is one of inspiring athletes and other coaches.

“I use my social media platform the same way I coach -- to empower people,” Hines said.

THE REAL DEAL In the age of social media, it’s only natural for an audience to question the authenticity of an “influencer”. Hines is cognizant of the fact that if you’re making money off of your platform, you need to make sure you’re aligning with people and products you believe in.

“One of the best compliments I ever received came from one of my players who was being interviewed by a news reporter,” Hines said. “She asked him about my platform, and he said, ‘What the world sees, we get to see every day in practice.’ It was validation from a player that I had coached for three years.”

TWITTER BEEFS The cost of posting thoughts and opinions to social media is that there will always be somebody who disagrees. Hines is not immune to this.

“Sometimes I post something that people hate,” Hines said. “It happened a couple of months ago. People came after me and attacked me with horrible things.”

The perceived offense? Hines criticized the fact that Dr. Seuss was being cancelled for a history of racist art in his books while current musical artists who share offensive lyrics are not challenged. Two of Hines’ followers took issue with this stance.

“You’re never going to have everyone agree with everything you say,” Hines said. “I never even specified a genre of music, and I had two people tell me I revealed myself as a racist. My 26-yearold daughter, Abby, is married to a black man -- one of the best people I know.

He lived with us during the pandemic.

There’s country music that talks about more offensive topics than the Dr. Seuss books. That was my point, and I stand by it.”

KURT HINES, CORONADO HIGH (CALIF.) HEAD COACH Twitter: @CoachKurtHines Followers: 50K Instagram: @coachkurthines YouTube: Coach Kurt Hines Web: coachkurthines.com

07

USA FOOTBALL

Compete with the Best at The One Flag Tournament & Championship

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

D

o you have any current or former athletes that play flag football?

USA Football’s The One Flag Tournament and Championship will include 5v5 flag games for ages starting as young as 9U and going up to adult divisions. Coed teams can enter at the 9U and 11U levels, while the older age groups have teams of both sexes as well as a coed option at the adult level.

The One will be a key step in the evaluation process for USA Football as the sport’s national governing body assembles an adult pool of players to be considered for next summer’s World Games through its U.S. Men’s and Women’s Flag National Teams.

“The One Tournament is one of the integral pieces of the adult pipeline to the U.S. National Team,” said USA Football Managing Director of High Performance and National Teams Eric Mayes. “This year, we’re beginning to scout and select the team for the World Games.”

USA Football coaches will begin to scout the talent in the

USA FOOTBALL’S “THE ONE” FLAG CHAMPIONSHIP

American Flag Football League and the Flag Football World Championship Tour as part of the 2022 selection process.

Adults can participate in U.S. National Team Open Trials, which will also be a part of The One. The One and Flag Trials kick off July 23 at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Ind. “We invite and encourage adult athletes to participate in the Trials with Combine measurable activities,” Mayes said. “Then we’ll have them compete at The One, and we’ll continue to evaluate athletes in team play.” Adults who want to be evaluated for the U.S. National Team can learn more and sign up at usafootball.com/nationalteams.

For high school-aged players, there is an instructional piece at the U.S. National Team Flag Academy. The top players in the 15U and 17U division will have the chance to represent the United States at the 2022 International Bowl. To get an invite to the Flag Academy, athletes can be nominated by visiting usafootball.com/get-nominated.

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The USA Football National Team Program has high performance pathways in non-contact and contact.

USA Football is in the process of building the best coaching staff at every level of the U.S. National Team program by sorting through a pool of 1,600 candidates.

For information on participating in the U.S. National Team Program, visit: usafootball.com/nationalteams

USA FOOTBALL FLAG ACADEMY The USA Football Flag Academy offers an instructional format before the start of The One. Top performers could be selected to play for either the U.S. 15U or 17U Flag National Teams at the 2022 International Bowl. Coaches can nominate athletes for the Academy as well as themselves to work as a coach at the event by visiting: usafootball.com/get-nominated

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BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

S ■■Shiloh Christian (Ark.) coach Jeff Conaway communicated with his players at practice through the Cobalt PLUS Player Receiver.

10

hiloh Christian’s (Ark.) HFC Jeff Conaway is the first to admit that

his team probably wouldn’t have won a 2020 state championship without the CoachComm Cobalt PLUS headset system.

Using the Cobalt system for the first time in 2020, Conaway and his staff took advantage of the Player Receiver. During each practice, eight of his players wore receivers on their arms, giving the coaches a direct line of communication.

“We put them on the quarterback, running back and wide receiver,” Conaway said. “On defense, we put them on two defensive linemen, a linebacker and a defensive back. We are an uptempo practice team. We don’t want to slow down. We want to communicate as fast as possible.

“Now, I can give my quarterback cues that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to give him as efficiently,” Conaway said. “If our running back needs to know an alignment, his coach can give cues. It enhances our ability to communicate with players.

It gave us a huge advantage down the stretch. If I wasn’t able to communicate with my sophomore quarterback the way I

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was in practice, I don’t think he would have performed as well as he did in the semifinals or state championship game.”

The CoachComm Cobalt PLUS system offers the popular SmartBoom PRO headsets with a flip-up boom to mute the mic technology. Without the need for a basestation, Cobalt PLUS provides a compact, weather-resistant communications belt pack with an easy-to-use interface. In addition, the system provides a collegiate-type workflow for coaches who want to offer primary and secondary channels so the entire staff can work on game day. This is done by offering six (6) channels of communication, allowing each coach to customize and access up to three (3) of these channels from the coach’s belt pack.

“Up until last year, we only wore headsets on game day,” Conaway said.

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They were both light and functional. We changed the way we communicate as coaches and with players.”

Conaway also found that he didn’t encounter as many surprises -- like injuries or personnel issues -- at the end of each practice.

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Conaway is one of many coaches who saw players improve and develop faster because of the extra attention they received from coaches after making the switch to the Cobalt PLUS. CoachComm Vice President of Sales Mike Whitley feels that the Cobalt PLUS will be of even greater value in the post-pandemic atmosphere.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING SECRETS SECTION

S

ummer gains show up on Game Day.

We know it. We’ve seen it.

As coaches, we know when we have a team that will consistently have an advantage in the fourth quarter due to its conditioning. We know when our teams will dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. We know when our team speed will overwhelm opponents from the moment we get off the bus.

That doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t happen solely because of talent. Winning on Friday night starts in the offseason -- in the weight room, during speed and agility workouts, in the classroom, and on the track and field.

Making summer gains takes buy-in from your

staff and players. Not only do you need high participation, you also need enthusiasm and passion.

If your strength and conditioning program feels monotonous and boring for players, attendance will be low and gains will be slow. On the contrary, if you can inspire your players to believe that their performance on Friday nights is DIRECTLY related to the work they do this summer, you may find yourself on the sidelines this fall feeling confidence in your team’s collective strength, speed and conditioning.

We all want a team that overwhelms opponents. The hard part is inspiring the players to pay the price.

13

STRENGTH TRAINING

How to Teach the Squat The squat is one of the core lifts in just about every high school football program. However, many high school athletes put themselves at risk by doing the exercise with poor form.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

D

enton High (Texas) strength

coach Brandon Taylor, CSCS, believes it’s never too early to teach the proper squatting technique. In fact, he begins working on squat movement patterns with prospective football players when they are still in junior high.

“It’s a process I go through in junior high so that by the time they’re going into freshman summer, they can load a back squat,” Taylor said.

Here is Taylor’s progression for teaching the squat.

1

■■Back squats are the final step in Denton High (Texas) strength coach Brandon Taylor’s progression.

Wall Squats.

“Put them on a wall so they can learn how to position their body. You can have them put their hands behind their backs and do slow, eccentric movements. Have them hold it so they feel the position. Have them wiggle from side to side to feel the muscles activate.”

2

Air Squats.

3

Breathing Technique.

4

Dumbbell Goblet Squats.

“They can do both eccentric and isometric at a younger age. Move slow. Make sure the foot placement is 10 to 30 percent out and corkscrew the feet. Drive the hips back and keep the knees up.”

“You want them to take a deep breath on the way down and push out in full on the way up.

We’ll go down and sit so they’re bracing their core as they squat.”

“This is when you teach them to squeeze their shoulder blades together, engage the bak and make their chest big. I’m an advocate of keeping a neutral spine. Tell them to look at the ground 6 to 8 feet in from of them because we all have a natural lean in our torso.”

14

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5 Technique Tips for Squats

5

Front Squats.

“We move into front squat for an extended period. They won’t do back squats for a while.

We’ll front squat and develop the quads that way.

I’ll show the bar placement on the collarbone.

They’re learning to control the weight and put more load on it.”

6

Barbell Split Squats.

7

Back Squats with Boxes.

“This just gives an athlete a chance to put a bar on the back and feel what it’s like. We’re still focusing on hip hinge and driving the feet through the floor.”

“Use a low box or low crate to teach the proper depth and maintain the technique. I’ll do 5-second eccentric squats. It’s a process we’ll go through until the summer of their freshmen year.”

8

Back Squats.

“This is where it all comes together. We talk about split the feet and corkscrewing through the ground. Push the whole foot; don’t just push the heels. Hing at the hips, keep the chest wide with a neutral spine. Squeeze the shoulder blades. It’s a culmination of all of the work that led to this point.”

1

Point your feet as straightforward as possible. A 10-30 degree toe-out angle is acceptable.

Maintain three points of contact with your feet in relation to the floor establishing the ‘tripod’ foot.

Hip Hinge to engage the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) by pushing your hips backwards slightly and bringing your chest forward. Your bodyweight should be balanced over the middle of your feet.

Create external rotational torque at the hips by squeezing your glutes and shoving the knees out to the side while maintaining the ‘tripod’ foot.

Solidify our postural integrity by holding our arms out in front (parallel to the floor) while looking straight ahead.

2

3

4 5

STRENGTH TRAINING

Individualize Workouts to Fit Your Student-Athletes

BY ZACH CUNNINGHAM, STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COORDINATOR, WINNETONKA HIGH SCHOOL

TIER 1 TIER 1 IS WHERE EVERY STUDENT-ATHLETE BEGINS

every cycle. This phase is spent focusing on hip and shoulder mobility, the primary locations for “weak spots” or injuries in young athletes. We will always spend the first week doing a GPP (General Physical Prep) to reinforce proper movements and also help heal any lingering injuries from a sports season. The workouts are on a Push-Pull split with higher reps.

TIER 2 STUDENT-ATHLETES WILL BE MOVED INTO TIER 2 IF

they can demonstrate proper technique, flexibility and movement patterns in Tier 1. It is common for kids to have to repeat Tier 1, especially younger or newer lifters. Tier 2 is focused on absolute strength where we are just trying to get our kids as strong as possible. The split is moved to Upper Body-Lower Body with medium to lower reps.

■■Winnetonka High (Mo.) coach Zach Cunningham customizes workouts for each athlete.

T

he entire goal of strength and conditioning is to prepare student-athletes to

perform to the best of their abilities. I have never had a group of student-athletes who all have the same abilities to begin with, nor do they have the same goals.

Yet, as strength coaches, too many times we use a “one size fits all” training model for every student-athlete. We need to train our kids individually based on where they are at in their development. Why are linemen doing the same workouts as receivers?

Here at Winnetonka High School, I have begun to implement a “Tiered System” that categorizes student-athletes into sub-groups that fit their biggest level of need. Each cycle begins with every student-athlete in the beginning phase, or Tier 1. After a few weeks, kids will either repeat this phase, move up into Tier 2, or begin in a specialized group. After a few more weeks, kids will either repeat the phase or move into the next Tier.

Every workout begins with all groups doing the same main lift to start (i.e. Squat, Bench, Clean). After that, the specialization of the tiered groups begins.

We use Rack Performance for our workouts. That makes everything easy. We have multiple TVs in the weight room with each one showing a different workout. All TVs are synced up, so everybody is lifting and rotating in unison. Once your student-athletes understand that you are trying to take care of them and strengthen any weaknesses that they have, they will FULLY buy-in to this process.

TIER 3 TIER 3 IS FOCUSED ON PERFORMANCE TRAINING

and is a very limited group meant for only our most advanced lifters and highest performers. Currently, less than 10% of our population qualifies for this training.

Tier 3 follows a French Contrast training method, which I believe is the epitome of performance training. Here, we will do a muscle group circuit and movement circuit each workout. We do NOT want anybody in Tier 3 longer than one four-week cycle.

MUSCLE FACTORY THERE ARE ALSO A FEW OTHER “SPECIAL GROUPS”

that certain student-athletes will fall into. One of our special groups is our “Muscle Factory”, or sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (size) group. These kids are naturally thinner and have a difficult time putting on weight and muscle. This group will do an entire cycle of higher reps for every exercise.

SWEAT MACHINE OUR “SWEAT MACHINE” GROUP IS FOR ATHLETES

who are too big for their abilities, and therefore follow a cardio-muscular workout. Not every large athlete automatically gets placed here to lose weight, only the ones who cannot move effectively and explosively at their current weights. We are still focused on getting stronger just like everybody else, however we will supplement movements instead of the auxiliary lifts to burn more calories (i.e. complementing bench press with battle ropes).

15

SPEED TRAINING

TAKE A ‘FEED THE CATS’ APPROACH TO ALL TRAINING

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

10 COMMANDMENTS OF “FEED THE CATS”

I

n order to adhere completely to the “Feed the Cats” program, Coach Holler states that you must follow its 10 essential commandments, which include:

1

Do high-quality work with maximum focus over the least amount of time possible.

2 ■■Nationally acclaimed track coach Tony Holler’s motto is: “Light a fire, don’t fill a pail.”

M

3 ore and more football coaches are taking

their cues from a high school track coach in Plainfield, Ill. Tony Holler invented a revolutionary new method of training sprinters at Plainfield North High (Ill.) called “Feed the Cats.” It’s a minimalist approach to training which discourages putting sprinters through long workouts that make them feel crushed by the end.

“Football coaches want to take football players past failure because they think it helps their teams in the fourth quarter,” Holler said. “If you value high performance, the fourth quarter might not even matter because the game is already over. The reason teams lose in the fourth quarter is fumbled snaps, turnovers, dropped balls. That stems from overworking kids during practice and them being tired.”

The “Feed the Cats” training method teaches sprinters to run fast using micro-segments of work. Holler also coached high school football for more than 25 years, although never as a head coach.

“Most football coaches have to join conventional thought to move up the ladder, and I’ve never done that very well,” Holler said.

16

Prioritize rest, recovery, and growth; never underestimate the power of being happy and healthy.

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

WHAT IS MICRO-DOSE TRAINING? Coach Holler explains how training in micro-dose amounts is the best way for athletes to get faster.

All speed coaches must make max-speed a priority, and the goal of micro-dose training is specifically to train with a minimum effective dose.

Sprinting fast is the foundation behind the athlete. The faster the top-end speed, the faster the sub-max speed. Remember: to run fast, the athlete must train fast!

POINTS OF EMPHASIS Coach Holler states that if you want to increase speed, you must emphasize sprint mechanics, max-speed sprinting, and jumping. Holler offers more than 30 drills that he uses to focus on stiffness, posture, and balance. The end result is better stabilization of the body, which causes stiffness and therefore faster speed.

Holler emphasizes that drills have to have a positive effect on speed without burning out the athlete. You’ll see how to workout without sprinting maximally every day, giving your athletes the option to prioritize rest, which will keep them fresh throughout the season.

Never forget - people naturally are good at what they like and are OBSESSED with what they love.

4

Promote your program with unrestrained enthusiasm.

5

“Record, Rank, and Publish” to feed the competitive nature of your fast-twitch athletes.

6 7 8

Never force-feed.

Never grind.

Never crush the physical or emotional soul of your athletes.

9

Never inflict physical punishment - punish only by taking away the opportunity to do the work.

10

Never forget, “Light a fire, don’t fill a pail.”

STRENGTH TRAINING

Use an APRE Program for Maximum Gains

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

Todd Rodgers has established one of the top programs in the country at Argyle High (Texas). The veteran coach has won 210 games in 18 seasons, including two state championships (2013, 2020).

Rodgers credits his team’s strength and conditioning program, led by Sports Performance Director Matt Jordan, as a major reason why his team has been able to be consistently dominant over the last decade. Rodgers uses the Autoregulatory Progressive Resistance Exercise (APRE) program for his players.

The 6-week program starts with a test phase in which Rodgers measures the number of repetitions performed to determine the weight that the athlete should use during his next lift.

“It’s all based off of percentages,” Jordan said. “We might say we’re doing a back squat at 75% with 12 reps or more. We stay away from 1-rep max because it takes an entire week to do testing. We continue on with our program that whole week while pushing numbers.”

Example APRE Routine

Jordan said programming the strength and conditioning schedule at Argyle is a collaborative process; every coach is involved.

“As a staff, we have meetings about the logistics of exercises,” Jordan said.

“It makes it easier if everybody takes ownership and shares their ideas.”

The Argyle players also wear GPS tracking devices -- Freelap USA timing devices -- during speed training. All results are recorded and posted.

“Whichever program produces big, fast athletes who know how to play football, that will be the program that wins,” Rodgers said. “We emphasize rangy kids. We put a lot of emphasis on speed development and Olympics movements to make them strong from the tip of their toes to the top of their heads. I believe an athlete that can be athletic while on one leg and balanced, that will be the best athlete.”

Adjustment Table for APRE

Set

3rm routine

6rm routine

10rm routine

0

Warm up

Warm up

Warm up

3rm Routine repetitions set 4

6rm Routine repetitions set 4

10Rm Routine repetitions set 4

1-2

Decrease 5-10lbs

0-2

Decrease 5-10lbs

4-6

Decrease 5-10lbs

1

6 reps at 50% 3RM

10 reps at 50% 6RM

12 Reps at 50% 10RM

3-4

Same

3-4

Decrease 0-5lbs

7-8

Decrease 0-5lbs

2

3 reps at 75% 3RM

6 reps at 75% 6RM

10 reps at 75% 10RM

5-6

Increase 5-10lbs

5-7

Same

9-11

Same

3

Reps to failure at 3RM

Reps to failure at 6RM

Reps to failure at 10RM

7+

Increase 10-15lbs

8-12

Increase 5-10lbs

12-16

Increase 5-10lbs

4

Adjusted reps to failure

Adjusted reps to failure

Adjusted reps to failure

13+

Increase 10-15lbs

17+

Increase 10-15lbs

17

STRENGTH TRAINING

Record Weight Room PRs on Your Players’ T-Shirts

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

Most coaches motivate their players to set weight room PRs by posting scoreboards with max lifts. One coach in Texas has found an innovative way to get players to lift more: Make them wear the scoreboard.

M

ark Torres knew he wanted to make the

weight room a highly competitive environment when he took over as head coach at Pebble Hills High (El Paso, Texas) in 2016.

Not only did he want to see more participation in the offseason program, he also wanted to see more passion. If a player slacked off, he wanted him to wear it -- literally.

“We put the bad stuff on the back of a Spartan Made t-shirt because that’s the stuff you shouldn’t want anyone to see,” Torres said. “We want the front of the shirt to be as messy as possible because that’s the good stuff. What’s on the back should embarrass you.”

WHAT’S ON THE FRONT? Bench, Squat, Power Clean, Dead Lift, Warrior

Phase 1: “We bench, squat, power clean and deadlift every week,” Torres said.

“During what we call ‘Phase 1’, we do a basic progressive overload by upping the weight and lowering the reps each week. We test on all four of those lifts at the end of Phase 1. That’s when we write in the PRs on the shirt -- a 1-rep max on whatever the lift is.”

Phase 2-4: “Not every kid will be peaking on the same day during our max testing period. We learned that the hard way. So, we let the kids try to PR whenever they expect to hit it. We could be doing power cleans in the 70 to 75% range. If a kid decides he feels good and can outdo his max, he can do it right there on the spot. Then, we cross out the number on power clean and add in a new one. The idea is you’ll get a PR

18

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when your body is physically ready to do that. We’ve had a positive response from kids by having that motivation on their chest.”

WHAT DOES ‘WARRIOR’ TRACK? “Under Warrior, we put a check mark for an awesome day,” Torres said.

WHAT’S ON THE BACK? Loaf, Absent, Non-Participant

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? “Everything on the back is negative,” Torres said. “If a kid skips a workout, we

tally an absence. If the trainer doesn’t say a kid can’t lift but he shows up unprepared, it’s a non-participant. If he’s not spotting as well as he could or not encouraging a teammate, it’s a loaf.”

DOES IT WORK? “We encourage the kids to make the front of their shirts as ugly as possible,” Torres said. “That’s the badge of honor.

The stuff on the back says you’re not working hard, you’re absent, or you’re choosing a way out. Our numbers go up big-time when the kids know they have a chance to improve every day. They don’t target days to work hard. They compete with themselves every day.”

STRENGTH TRAINING

8 Products to Add to Your Weight Room

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

In 2017, Kimberly (Wis.) High School opened a 6,500-square-foot weight room to serve the football team, among other sports.

Kimberly went with an in-state equipment supplier, Dynamic Fitness and Strength, that was willing to work with the school’s strength coach in designing custom racks — 14 in the larger room alone.

Kimberly strength and conditioning coach Dean Matsche shared eight pieces of equipment for coaches looking to add to their strength program.

3

4

1. VERTICAL JUMP MATS “OUR BIG THING IS TO

have a measurable for vertical jump,” Matsche said.

kettlebell or ball to change the stimulus.”

5. SAFETY SQUAT RACKS “WE GOT OUR RACKS

5

2. SPRINT VELOCITY ASSESSMENT TOOL (SPRINT LIGHT) “WE USE A SPEED SYSTEM

for 10-meter flies and 40-yard dashes,” Matsche said. “Our system has a timing system.”

3. ROGUE TALLER SLEDS 6

7

“SLEDS GIVE THE

athletes something they can push, pull and sprint behind,” Matsche said. “You can do a lot of things with them and work on different planes of motion.”

8

4. BANDS “WE HAVE TO HAVE BANDS

so we can do glute activation,” Matsche said.

“Bands allow them to work on bench and squat technique.

You can take a band and put it on anything like a dumbbell,

POSTERIOR CHAIN EXERCISES POSTERIOR CHAIN EXERCISES ARE A BIG PART

of the strength program at Kimberly. Posterior chain exercises involve contracting and lengthening the muscles in a chain-like manner. This is important for athletic movements that require strength, flexibility and fluidity to properly jump, rotate, lift or land.

Training the chain can also help to reduce possible injury caused by weak or improperly functioning muscle groups. In addition, a strong posterior chain

custom made with safety squat bars,” Matsche said.

“We have four bars at each rack — so you could have 56 kids performing a movement all at one time.”

6. SWISS BARS “THIS BAR ALLOWS

athletes to change the grip for various lifts,” Matsche said. “We like to do close-grip pressing with them.”

7. HEX BARS “WE USE THE HEX BAR FOR

deadlifts,” Matsche said. “It’s the best bar for that lift due to the grip and hand placement.”

8. PULL-UP ATTACHMENTS “YOU COULD USE A

connector board or really anything that allows the athletes to do chin-ups and pull-ups,” Matsche said.

contributes to a strong core musculature, which reduces back pain and low-back injury, while also facilitating coordination and strength through the limbs.

Some posterior chain exercises include loaded squats, diagonal lunges, deadlifts, hamstring curls and inverse curls.

“It’s a way to bring together the glutes and hamstrings,” Matsche said. “We do a lot of reverse extension and inverse exercises. We want to hit the lower back, glutes and hamstrings.”

19

INJURY PREVENTION

Avoid Injuries by Programming ® RPR Wake-Up Drills™

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

W

orld-class sprint coach Chris Korfist had seen one too many

athletes get injured in 2009 when he vowed to find a way to help athletes prepare better themselves for threshold efforts.

“When really good kids get hurt, you’re always going to look for ways to eliminate injuries,” Korfist said.

Korfist began working with fitness experts all over the world to discover a better warmup method for athletes. He landed on the Reflexive Performance Reset® (RPR) method after partnering with world-renowned strength coach Cal Dietz and world champion powerlifter JL Holdworth.

“We pulled from a lot of different programs and condensed it into something simple that everyone can use on themselves to reduce injury and improve performance,” Korfist said. “It’s a way to empower people to take control of their own well-being.”

Korfist offers a RPR® course that shows athletes how to stimulate neurological reactions through self-touch.

“There are certain spots in the body that are there for a reason, but they get neglected,” Korfist said. “We get the muscles to work by developing the process of gait. In order to walk, we have to get hip flexion and extension. It’s going back to the beginning and learning to crawl.”

RPR® is a simple combination of breathing and acupressure that treats imbalances in the muscular and nervous systems. When muscles work together in sequence while fully activated, the body moves correctly. Athletic movements are sequenced chain reactions. Weak links in the chain and improper sequencing lead to injuries. When the same compensation patterns are reinforced, injuries linger and recur.

Here are a few examples of RPR® Wake-Up Drills™.

■■Reflexive Performance Reset® (RPR) method founder Chris Korfist

BREATHING

Begin by taking your thumbs and rubbing from the top of your sternum at your collarbone to the base of your sternum between your chest, moving at a moderate pace while paying attention to your breath.

As you breathe, take deep inhales through your nose and allow the exhales to flow out of your mouth. Once you’ve reached the base of your sternum, continue rubbing outward along your rib cage at the base of your chest on both sides.

Performing this exercise provides you with an opportunity to gain insight into your body’s current state of physical sensitivity. Take time to notice what feels good, what hurts, and how your body is potentially compensating as a result.

PSOAS Place each thumb or set of fingers one inch from your belly button on both sides of your body. From there, follow the same breathing pattern you used in the first exercise as you rub those deep-seated core muscles connecting the lumbar vertebrae to the femur. Focus on that feeling as it pertains to the immediate area, and throughout your body.

This drill aims to determine what aspects of your core are feeling healthy, and if any aspects of your core are imbalanced.

GLUTES Rub the back of the base of your skull where the tissue and the skull meet,

■■RPR® Wake-Up Drills™ are proven to help athletes avoid injuries.

20

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breathing all the while. From there, find the point right under the earlobe and on the jawline, performing the same action. Press the jawline forward but only for a few seconds before rubbing down the jaw from under your ear.

You may be wondering how the back of your head connects to your glutes. After all, the two locations are rather far apart on your body. In reality, however, your entire back is a complex set of connective muscles, tissues, ligaments, and bones that all work in conjunction with one another.

By starting at the base of your skull, you can determine which areas of your posterior body feel asymmetrical, all the way down to your glutes.

WEIGHT ROOM TECH

3 ways

TO EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY IN THE WEIGHT ROOM

BY WILLIAM FLY, USAW, RPR-1, 2020 NORTH CAROLINA STRENGTH COACH OF THE YEAR, NORTHWEST CABARRUS HIGH (N.C.)

A

s our athletes continue to evolve and change, we as strength coaches have to be able to adapt this “next normal”. The days of shying away

from technology are coming to an end. Coaches have to be able to embrace technology in the weightroom in order to continue to create belief within your strength programs. One of these technologies we use is an online software called TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr allows us to create a completely paperless strength program that streamlines everything to a device straight to the athlete.

I strongly believe Teambuildr and all of its features has set our program apart from others in the state. We are able to cater to our athletes, give them what they need when they need it, and allow coaches to spend more time doing what we love -- which is coaching. If you are in need of a software program for your weight room, give TeamBuildr a look.

In our program at Northwest Cabarrus, we utilize Teambuildr in three critical ways.

1

Programming

2

Workout Data Entry

3

Whiteboard and Weight Room Session Management

Teambuildr allows us to make programs based upon training age, skill level and what particular phase of training they are in. Once the workout is placed on a particular calendar, it can then be assigned to the athletes with the click of a button. This feature also allows all of our coaches to see what is programmed on a given day, just like a practice plan, and they can coach accordingly. We can provide cues for each movement to empower our assistant coaches and/or volunteer coaches to coach with confidence & clarity in the weightroom.

Once we have made the calendar as we have just discussed, we can assign it to our athletes. From here, this is where our “paperless” concept comes into play. Using chromebooks, tablets and iPads, athletes at a rack can pull up their workout and see their given loads and reps for a particular exercise. With this, the hardest thing an athlete has to do is figure out how to load the bar accordingly. Also, we empower our athletes to insert their data so that they “own” their progress and growth in our program.

■■TeamBuildr offers an online platform for programming workouts.

■■Northwest Cabarrus (N.C.) strength coach William Fly

One of the most underrated features that TeamBuildr has is the Whiteboard feature. Using the TVs in our room, we are able to set up a timing system that essentially runs the room for me and allows me to spend more time coaching our athletes.

We place three athletes per rack and tell them to pick a section of the screen to follow during the course of the session. By simply following the screen, they know what movement/exercise they have, how many reps and what the next movement is. We also set a “transition” time to go from our first tier to the next.

This establishes urgency and tempo so our athletes can get used to moving quickly from one part to the next, just as we want our athletes to move with a sense of urgency from one segment of practice to the next (i.e Indy to inside run, 7-on-7 to team).

21

STRENGTH TRAINING

Lift Like Hoover High 6-TIME ALABAMA STATE CHAMPION COACH OPENS HIS S&C PLAYBOOK

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

H

oover High (Ala.) coach Josh Niblett estimates he spends as many as

six hours a weekend programming his team’s strength and conditioning program. The rewards have been tangible — the Bucs have won six state championships under Niblett.

Niblett developed a love for the weight room in his days as a middle-schooler, and his strength training experience includes nine months as a body-builder as well as a stint as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Jacksonville State University.

He recently joined the FNF Coaches Podcast to share his team’s strength training plan.

All lifts are position-specific, and he breaks the team into four groups to use 32 racks: ■■ Defensive line ■■ Offensive line

■■ Big skill (RB, QB, TE, LB) ■■ Skill (DB, WR)

Here is an example of what a summer week might look like, depending on the player’s position.

3 LIFTS PER WEEK (M, W, F) Before each lift, there is an activation period. It’s called the Champions Circuit and includes six drills that take 90 seconds each.

The warmup drills include hip mobility, shoulder mobility, speed drills, plyometrics, ladder runs, flexibility exercise and foot quickness drills.

MONDAY LIFT ■■ Power pulls to the floor ■■ Legs — split squat ■■ Upper body dumbbell work (incline bench) ■■ Finisher

22

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WEDNESDAY LIFT ■■ Hang clean front squat (heavy, not over 55 percent speed) ■■ Heavy squats ■■ Dumbbell movement ■■ Finisher

FRIDAY LIFT ■■ Power cleans ■■ Heavy bench ■■ Leg auxillary (step-ups or split squat) ■■ Finisher

STRENGTH TRAINING

TOUGHNESS TUESDAY This day is reserved for agility work in the gym or on the field. Each session includes eight or nine stations with exercises like: ■■ 1-on-1 tug-of-war ■■ 4-point wave ■■ 2-point wave ■■ Star drill ■■ Speed transition Plyometrics

COMPETITION THURSDAY This session includes the same agility work as the Tuesday section -- only the team of 140 rising sophomores to seniors is split into 12 teams.

After a two-week evaluation period at the start of the spring season, coaches draft teams of players to compete against each other.

Players are graded on anything from max bench, to timed sprints, to classroom attendance to GPA. Each team has a captain, who wears a black shirt on Thursdays. Everyone else wears gray shirts. If the captain skips a workout or gets in trouble, he must give the black shirt to another player in his group.

TEST DAY The Hoover coaching staff tests max on three lifts.

■■Coach Niblett credits much of his success at Hoover to the strength and condition program he has instilled.

Since he took over as head coach in 2008, the Bucs have amassed a record of 159-25.

■■ Power clean ■■ Parallel squats ■■ Bench press “I’m a big clean guy,” Niblett said.

“We power clean from the floor. We also do power pulls and hang cleans, but we test on power cleans.”

In March, Hoover had 29 athletes power clean at least 225 lbs.

While Niblett is a fan of power clean test days, he isn’t as enamored with bench press testing periods.

“I just don’t think high school athletes are very good at benching,” Niblett said. “But they want to bench, so we bench. They get stronger, so that’s all that matters. When we’re not testing, we’ll adjust the grip based on the position.”

THE WEIGHT ROOM VIBE What SHOULD the Hoover High weight room look like?

“Total chaos,” Niblett said. “Everybody should be working, sweating, getting after it. No guy is doing bench with three guys waiting. Then when he’s done, he stands there and waits. We complex all lifts. They’ll know what weight they’re supposed to be lifting, and it’s constant motion.”

HOST A COMBINE IN THE MIDST OF

the NCAA dead period last spring, the Hoover coaching staff hosted a Combine to help players get recruited. The Combine included measurements/ results for: ■■ HEIGHT/WEIGHT: College coaches don’t want to take your word for it.

Provide video of the measurements.

■■ WING SPAN: Some college coaches set minimum requirements for wing span for each position.

■■ HAND SIZE: Again, this is an important metric for many college recruiters.

■■ FLEXIBILITY DRILLS: Record video of players in which they show flexibility in their hips and knees.

■■ REPS ON BENCH: Players to decide between 135 lbs., 185 lbs., and 225 lbs., and do as many reps as possible.

■■ 40-YARD DASH: A Hoover corner ran a 4.3 and subsequently received an offer from Air Force.

■■ PRO AGILITY: This includes cone drills and shuttle runs.

■■ BROAD JUMP/ TRIPLE BROAD JUMP: Some

coaches want to see leaping ability.

■■ INDIVIDUAL WORK

Podcast Alert!

TO HEAR AN IN-DEPTH EXPLANATION OF THE HOOVER FOOTBALL

program’s strength and conditioning schedule, listen to Coach Niblett’s appearance on the FNF Coaches Podcast.

WITH POSITION COACH: Example:

Corners might do the W drill, line drill or work in the middle of the field.

23

PLAYBOOK Run the pistol spread triple option vs. difficult reads CHRIS PAULSON AND JEFF GLESSNER

I

t’s not always as simple to read a defense as a football reference book might describe. Specific instances might cause the quarterback to become

confused and where he doesn’t know what to do because the situation isn’t wasn’t specifically addressed ahead of time.

As coaches, it’s our job to find solutions and empower our players to quickly reach these snap judgements. Within the pistol spread option, the quarterback needs to know certain things before he even takes the snap.

Here are some solutions to the most common issues.

BLOOD STUNT Since the beginning of the wishbone, the blood stunt has been one of the most popular ways to attack an option offense. The idea is to have the two defenders come so hard at the quarterback that a bad play is inevitable.

fadeaway pitch isn’t taught in this offense. However, when Nos. 1 and 2 come hard, the quarterback should have his weight on his front foot so he can simply pitch the ball and push off his front foot to absorb the hard hit that is coming.

If his weight is on his back foot, he won’t be able to push away and absorb the defender being left unblocked, which could result in a disaster for the quarterback.

The quarterback must understand that the defense won’t always come hard on a blood stunt when it aligns like this. Defensive coordinators are smart. They’ll mix things up.

As a result, the quarterback must be ready to pull and replace the handoff key. He must be ready for everything.

The problem with the blood stunt is executing the hardest part of it: Nos. 1 and 2 coming hard at the quarterback.

CROSS CHARGE There are different terms for this The first thing in the quarterback’s head is that he’s expecting a quick pull and pitch when defenders No. 1 and No. 2 are on the line. Making it an “area” read gives the quarterback a simpler time reading the situation.

If the quarterback sees the shoulders of Nos. 1 and 2 aimed toward him, he immediately pulls and pitches the football.

It’s true that this won’t always happen. The quarterback must still go through his regular progression, because it could look like Nos. 1 and 2 are coming hot and something else happens.

In this case – as will be explained later – the

26

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stunt, but a cross charge is simply No. 1 and No. 2 in a stack alignment exchanging responsibilities. This is one of the most difficult reads for a quarterback, which means it must be worked on throughout the offseason and the season to recognize and react to.

Before the quarterback even executes this read, the offense must do three things to attack the stack defense adequately: ■■ The offensive line must widen its splits. This creates a better picture for the quarterback to perform his read.

■■ The tailback must tighten his path by a hair, which will be explained later, and square his shoulders to the goal line sooner than normal.

■■ The quarterback fully meshes into the line of scrimmage.

The stack read can be executed in two ways. The first is the easiest: Make it an area read.

The area read against a stack defense can be summed up as “air or no air.” If the quarterback is meshing with the tailback and air is in the hole, give the football. Otherwise, pull the football.

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Run Quarters Against Spread Offenses

BY CODY ALEXANDER, CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, MESQUITE HORN (TEXAS)

A

s spread offenses become the norm across high school and college foot-

ball, defensive coordinators across the country are feeling pressure to adapt traditional defenses to the modern game.

The spread offense, in particular, is built to test traditional structures of defenses. There is more speed on the field, and the formations cover more area. The modern spread offense wants to create as many one-on-one situations and challenge the fundamentals of every defensive player on the field.

The spread offense has also adapted itself to what every high school in America has: hybrid players. It is up to defensive coaches to adjust.

Running a split field scheme complementary to quarters allows for multiple adjustments within the defensive structure. A quarters defense is not static despite what its detractors say. A quarters defense – run properly –is more multiple than a single-high scheme or just running a blanket coverage.

And the answer is already here: split field match quarters.

Defense is reactionary. Offenses are always going to have the advantage because they know exactly what they are doing. Modern defenses must be structured in ways that are simple, flexible, yet can

adapt to every situation an offense may throw out there.

Quarters coverage is simple and adaptive. If a defender can count to three, he can play in a quarters scheme.

Starting from the outside in, the corners will always relate to the No. 1 receivers. The outside linebackers and safeties relate to the slots, and the Mike will relate to the No. 3 receiver. No matter what formation the offense throws at a defense, a quarters scheme can adjust.

Spinning to a single-high structure gives a spread offense multiple options. If a defense spins the wrong way, the offense can out-leverage the defense away from the kicking safety. Even if the defense spins and keeps a balanced alignment, the defense has created one-on-one matchups across the board.

Modern spread offenses want a defense to spin to single high. The single-high alignment puts high percentage throws near the quarterback. The spread offense, particularly the Air Raid, is looking for throws over the middle and underneath.

Routes such as drags, crossers, slants and posts are all high percentage throws and close to the middle of the field. Quarters is designed to force the offense outside.

Most high school quarterbacks are not going to be able to throw a 25-yard comeback but can easily throw to an open receiver down the middle. Running a single-high scheme puts each the defense at risk to high percentage throws.

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PLAYBOOK

Gain leverage within the drive block

BY DAVE CHRISTENSEN, RETIRED COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACH

THE RUN-BLOCKING DEMEANOR A key part of every run block is establishing a proper run-blocking demeanor, and this figures heavily into the execution of one-man blocks.

The proper run-blocking demeanor is a combination of the correct body positioning and the blocker’s movement during the “fit” stage of the block, which comes at the moment of contact and allows the blocker to maintain a sufficient blocking surface on the defender.

The fit includes the stage of the block when the offensive lineman maximizes his leverage.

A blocker exhibiting the correct blocking demeanor during the fit should demonstrate the following: ■■ Hips low.

■■ Knees bent.

■■ Ankles flexed.

■■ Feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

■■ Lower back arched (hyperextended).

■■ Toes pointing outward.

■■ Shoulders slightly elevated.

■■ Elbows tight to the body.

■■ Hands open with thumbs up.

Optimal use of the leverage angle or power angle from low to high involves the following body positioning:

R

■■ Feet flat to maximize the opportunity for contact with the ground.

■■ Toes turned slightly outward.

■■ Knees turned slightly inward.

■■ Hands to target. Depending on the type of angle desired, a flipper or both hands should be punched into the chest of the opponent in a low-to-high lifting fashion.

■■ Elbows remain tucked inward,while the thumbs point upward.

■■ Pad under pad. The shoulders of the blocker should be lower than the shoulders ■■ of the defender.

■■ The chin is kept level, so that the blocker’s head remains level, while his neck is bowed.

■■ Head remains behind the plane of the chest with the screws of the headgear facing forward.

un blocking is divided into three categories: man-blocking

techniques, two-man blocking techniques and pull techniques. Blocks categorized as man blocks are executed by only one lineman, including: ■■ Drive block ■■ Cut-off block ■■ Down block ■■ Influence block ■■ Level block ■■ Fan block

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■■ Butt block ■■ Escape move ■■ Arc release ■■ Block release ■■ Alley block ■■ Reach block

The mechanics of the correct blocking demeanor should be practiced year-round. Similar to a proper golf swing, the correct blocking demeanor has multiple components that must fall into place.

Continually drill players in the development of the individual components of the proper blocking demeanor. Using slower paces with an emphasis on controlled movement can help to keep offensive linemen finely tuned on the mechanics of maintaining the proper demeanor.

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Basic Zone Blitzes for the Under Front Defense JERRY GORDON, NAUSET HIGH (EASTHAM, MASS.)

Zone blitzes from the under front have three things in common: ■■ There will be five rushers.

■■ There will be three underneath players, two seam/curl/flat defenders and one No. 3 control defender.

■■ There will be three deep players.

The zone blitz can be called on run and pass downs. There will be a mechanism to bring the zone blitz from the field, up the middle and from the boundary.

To create consistency, zone blitzes are run with the Sam set to the field. The Will always sets the front away from the Sam.

Although the under defense is always three under and three deep, a different name is given to each coverage based on which three defenders are responsible for the deep thirds. For us, those are: ■■ Rain ■■ Fog ■■ Freeze

Field, Smash, Rain “Field” tells the Sam to align to the field. “Smash” tells the Sam and the Mac they are involved in the stunt. “Rain” tells the safeties that the Rover is the middle third player.

HERE ARE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH DEFENDER: ■■ SAM. Contain blitz. Since he is in zone coverage, the Sam does not have to cover the

running back flare as he normally would.

■■ END. He takes a “long stick,” angling two gaps using a crossface technique. Crossface

technique means if the guard comes at the end, the end crosses his face. If his face goes away from the end, the end should heel line trail.

■■ NOSE. Tag steps into the opposite A gap, reading the V of the neck of the offensive guard.

■■ TACKLE. Loop to the offensive tackle using a crossface technique. The tackle is the contain player versus pass.

■■ BANDIT. Stomp and drop technique. He takes two hard tag steps to the outside (stomp), and if the run does not appear, he drops to play seam/curl/flat. If a swap call comes from the Will, the Will becomes the seam/curl/flat player, and the Bandit becomes the No. 3 control player.

The Will makes this call when it is decided that the Bandit cannot, because of his position or athletic ability, perform the seam/curl/flat function. This call usually occurs when No. 2 removes himself from the core of the formation (pro/twins) to the side of the Will.

■■ MAC. Blitzes the B gap behind the end using cloudy/clear rules 4. If the B gap is closed and action is to him, he scrapes one gap wider. If the B gap is open, he maintains B gap responsibility.

■■ WILL. No. 3 control player versus the pass. Regular under rules versus the run. Makes a swap call if necessary ■■ FREE. Seam/curl/flat player versus the pass. If a tight end is No. 2, the free is also a C gap and quarterback player with action to him. If No. 2 is a wide receiver, the free is a secondary contain player with action to him.

■■ ROVER. Middle third ■■ CORNERS. Outside third

NUTRITION

How to Gain or Lose Weight for Football Most coaches will set a goal weight for each player, depending on position group, body type and workload. The easy part is setting the goal. The hard part is knowing how to achieve it.

BY KATHERINE HARMER, RDN, FUELING TEENS

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT FOR FOOTBALL

1

Make a Plan.

2

Be Smart At Meal Times.

3

Do Not Restrict Carbohydrates.

Find out how many calories you burn in a day and create a plan for your eating schedule. Eat about 200-500 calories less per day and continue to plan in regular exercise. Don’t expect quick weight loss. Plan to lose no more than 1/2 pound -1 pound per week.

Plan in 3 meals and 1-3 snacks throughout the day. You’ll want your meals to be around 500-1,000 calories each and your snacks to be around 100-300 calories each.

In order to get the nutrients and the calories you need to fuel your body, you’ll want to appropriately eat enough of the main food groups. At meal times you should fill 1/3 of your plate with carbohydrates, 1/3 of your plate with lean proteins, and the last 1/3 with vegetables.

If you do this you will fill up nutrient-rich foods that are low in calories but high in fiber.

Do not cut carbs -- carbohydrates are the best fuel source for athletes. If athletes decrease their intake of carbohydrates they can feel more fatigued and have less energy during exercise. Carbohydrates come from grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, and dairy products. Choose mostly whole-grains instead of white breads/pastas/crackers. Limit desserts, candy, treats, and other sugary foods and beverages.

■■High school athletes must be strategic about hitting goal weights during the football season.

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4

Stay Hydrated.

5

Identify Your Problem Behaviors

Make sure you are drinking an appropriate amount of water throughout the day. Water can help you curb some cravings and can help you to feel full faster during meals.

Plus, as an athlete it is important to stay well hydrated so you aren’t feeling fatigued and light-headed on the field.

Decrease your intake of soda, juice, and other sugary beverages. If you like drinking sweet things, try substituting lemon water or a green smoothie.

Think through your eating behaviors to find areas for improvement. Trying to change everything about your eating habits can be overwhelming all at once. Set a realistic goal this week and just choose 1-2 things you can work on, like decreasing soda or packing a lunch instead of going out to eat.

Start small to build the habit and then slowly work up from there.

HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT FOR FOOTBALL Taken High school athletes should not try to quickly gain weight, but instead have a nutrition plan to build muscle over time.

XX Make an appropriate nutrition plan.

If your goal is to get bigger you have to do it in the right way with a plan for proper nutrition and training. Speak to your coach/parents/trainer/doctor first and set appropriate goals for growth.

XX Focus on short term athletic goals and how they affect long term

health goals.

Quality sports nutrition and strength and conditioning programs can optimize body composition while limiting the health consequences that come with excess weight gain.

XX Do not try any restrictive diets or extreme health trends.

Eat enough protein (but not too much), stay within your recommended calorie level, resistance train regularly, avoid performance enhancing drugs, and don’t try to gain more than 1 pound per week. Monitor your body composition regularly, if possible.

XX Be patient and it will be worth it.

You’ll gain weight over time and it will be mostly muscle instead of fat. You’ll be faster, stronger, and have more endurance, while excess fat gained quickly would bring the opposite effects.

MENTAL PERFORMANCE

1

Find ways for them to set a PR every week.

2

Program biceps, triceps and trap work at least two days per week.

3

Have a “who needs love list”.

4

Provide an overwhelmingly positive environment in the weight room.

Every athlete needs to have at least one big win each week. Whether it is hitting a new max on squat, a fastest 10-yard sprint time, a PR on pull-ups, or a bench press rep out, each and every athlete needs to get a ‘W’ each week. Keeping accurate records is vital for this. I would suggest selecting 4-5 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which you track and test 1-2 of them every week.

Do me a favor … Remember when you were 16 and got a savage pump into your arms? Remember how you felt like a badass and like your arms were about to explode?

Yep, that’s what we are going for here. At least two days per week we’re going to have our guys walk out of the weight room with a ridiculous pump. This is good for them between the ears, and it is good for the culture in the weight room.

4 Strategies to Build

Confidence in Student-Athletes

BY ROB VAN VALKENBURGH, CSCS, TSAC-F, NASM-PES, STRENGTH-PERFORMANCE COACH (COACHVANSTRENGTH.COM)

■■Strength coach Rob Van Valkenburgh

S

trong, fast and physical are three adjectives we want to be able to

use when describing the athletes we coach. Of course, as strength and conditioning coaches, if we check these three boxes, our athletes are going to test well and most likely see performance improvements on the field.

However, I’d have you consider that building athletes who are just strong, fast and physical is secondary to what should be our No. 1 objective.

As a strength and conditioning coach, our measure of success should be this: Do we develop confident young men?

As a coach, I have four strategies that I implement weekly which I believe help build the confidence of young men.

We keep a list of athletes who need to get loved up. Anyone who works with this age demographic can tell you that these dudes are emotional rollercoasters, and sometimes they just need some love. So, we have a list of guys who we need to have more interaction with based on their energy level, body language, or if our relationship feels a little different from the usual. Once an athlete lands on the “who needs love” list, they get a text, a post of them lifting on social media, and more attention during the lift.

This is simple. Every athlete who comes in the weight room gets some form of personal welcome. This can be a fist bump, pat on the back, or a holler from across the room. In addition, we never coach negative, and we never dog-cuss our guys. If there is a time where we have to give negative feedback we follow it up with three positive ones.

Podcast Alert!

ROB VAN VALKENBURGH IS AN EXPERT STRENGTH AND PERFORMANCE COACH WHO HAS TRAINED

D1 athletes as well as pro athletes in preparation for the NFL Combine. He now owns his own gym in Littleton, Colo., where he trains high school football players year-round.

He joined the FNF Coaches Podcast to discuss his strength training philosophy in-depth.

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TECH CORNER

Use End Zone Camera/Drone Combos for Best Coaching Experience Mounting a drone to a tripod reserves all power for the camera and gimbal functionality.

The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom is the only one on the market, today, with zoom capabilities.

BY MATT STARR, FOUNDER AND CEO OF SIDELINE POWER

I

■■The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom allows coaches to mount a drone on a tripod for better camera and gimbal functionality.

Set up a Drone/Tower Combo for your program.

Web: www.sidelinepower.com | Phone: 800-496-4290

#POWEREDUP

32

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’m Matt Starr, Founder and CEO of Sideline Power. Sideline Power works to find

and bring cutting edge technology to the football industry in order to help coaches win. Sideline Power has partnered with FNF Coaches to create an educational article for each issue on different innovative products. It’s time to get #PoweredUP with this month’s featured product, The Drone/Tower Combo.

End Zone Cameras have been around in various configurations for decades. From a personal camcorder sitting atop a tall stepladder, to high end all-in-one systems, End Zone Cameras have been a staple of athletic programs.

When drones first came to the market not only were they expensive, but no one really understood how to utilize them in the realm of athletics. Over the past decade, drones have become more and more commonplace. In some instances, drones have even completely replaced End Zone Cameras.

The biggest drawback is that between FAA and individual district regulations, most programs can’t fly a drone during a game, only practices. Because of this, many programs resort to using drones for practice and End Zone Cameras for games. But that means two sets of equipment to set up and take down, a mess of batteries to charge before each outing, and additional cost for extra equipment. So, the question is, how to simplify the process. Sideline Power has found a solution in the Drone/Tower Combo.

The Drone/Tower Combo is exactly what the name indicates. A DJI Mavic 2 Zoom mounted to an end zone tripod. You might query the purpose of such a configuration, but the answer is simple. The drone is capable of capturing footage that a traditional End Zone Camera cannot.

During games, when a drone is relegated to the end zone, hovering depletes battery power at an exponential rate. Thus, mounting the aircraft to a tripod reserves all power for the camera and gimbal functionality.

The effectiveness comes with the combination of the tripod and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom due to the fact that this aircraft is the only one on the market, today, with zoom capabilities. A simple long press on the remote-control screen pans the camera from left to right. Functions in the roller bars on the remote control allow the videographer to tilt up/down and zoom in/out.

With the Drone/Tower Combo, an athletic program’s videographer is able to use the same piece of video equipment for both practice and game. Continuity of controls is paramount for ease of functionality.

With an extended range of communication between the Mavic 2 Zoom and the Smart Controller, your program’s videographer can be virtually anywhere and still capture 4K video and still images of all the important plays in the game.