FNF Coaches Winter 2020 - USA Football Takeover Edition by A.E. Engine

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The Magazine for High School Football Coaches

THE PATH TO

HIGH SCHOOL

winter 2020

TAKEOVER Edition

THE FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT MODEL

ADDS MORE ENTRY POINTS & OPTIONS

Influential High School Coaches

X’s and O’s

3 x 1 Coverage Checks The Rocket ConcepT

Non-Contact

Limited Contact

Contact

Establishing a Culture The Impact of Women in Football | Tech corner fundraising | Q&A with a Neuropsychologist Questions from parents on safety

The Next Innovation

Moving Football Forward Page 4

CONTENT

USA FOOTBALL

TAKEOVER EDITION

THE IMPACT OF WOMEN IN FOOTBALL

06 Protecting Traditions 08 Tools for Enhancing Contact Techniques 09 Preparing Players for Contact 12 Coach the USA Football National Team 14 Rethinking Tackling Instruction 18 Q&A with a Neuropsychologist 19 FAQs by Parents 24 Comparing Apps 25 Football Gear Tradition 30 Tech Corner Spotlight 32 HS Linemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Service

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Champion Coaches Talk Culture-Building

20 Most Influential High School Coaches

playbook PRESENTED BY 26 3 x 1 Coverage Checks 27 A Playbook for No Season 28 Teach the Rocket Concept

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FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT MODEL

Football’s Next

Big Thing

BY GEHRIG PARKER, USA FOOTBALL

hroughout its rich history, football, like other sports, has

undergone great transformation. Ask around and coaches can easily recite how the game they coach today has changed from the one they coached five years ago and another five years before that. Heck, we’re even now seeing some changes take place from season to season. But in that same conversation, most of those coaches are quick to tell you today’s game is taught and played better and smarter than ever before. Each evolution has helped grow football into America’s favorite sport. Put simply, innovation is what makes football stronger, today and tomorrow. The next innovation already moving football forward in communities across the country is the Football Development Model (FDM). Led by USA Football, the sport’s national governing body and member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the FDM reimagines how the game is taught, played and experienced. It centers on developmentally appropriate skill

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instruction through a range of football game types while also making the game safer by reducing contact. Before the Football Development Model was even a seed of an idea, other national governing bodies were proving the efficacy of such a framework by not only building better athletes but also increasing participation and retention rates through a focus on creating an optimal youth sport experience. Learning from them and other existing research, it was unequivocally clear that “America’s game,” for all the success it had achieved throughout the years, could be made even better through the creation of its own development model. And where it needed to start was at the foundation of the game – youth football. “The Football Development Model is a progressive approach for the development and safety of our players as they are learning the game,” says Dartmouth College head coach Buddy Teevens. “This is 21st century football that embraces the value of the team experience, fundamental skill instruction and contact reduction in an effort to teach the sport in a smarter and safer fashion.”

FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT MODEL Not only is Buddy Teevens the coach whose own unconventional approach to the game has contributed to unprecedented program success (26-4 record since 2017), he’s also one of the 22 leaders spanning football, medicine and long-term athlete development who comprise USA Football’s FDM Council that helped shape the model and supporting resources. That point merely speaks to the fact that the model wasn’t created in a vacuum, but rather came to be through the insight, experience and hard work of many different experts across a multitude of different fields who aspire to see football’s future shine brighter than its past. But don’t just take USA Football’s word for it. Take it from those who’ve played and coached at the highest levels of the game. “I think the Football Development Model is the best way to teach the game of football,” says retired eight-time All-Pro offensive lineman Joe Thomas. “There’s a very specific progression of skills that you have to learn in football all along the way from youth football through middle school, through high school. It’s important to keep it about the fun and keep the development slow but steady. And I think having that keeps players engaged in the game and once you are in high school you’ve got that huge background you’re able to build upon.” “USA Football has come up with a model that I think will help young people and parents to look at football in a new light,” says Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards. “It’s not the same football that was played 50 years ago. It’s a different game and it’s a safer game. At a young age, there has to be certain stages that young people go through to develop as football players and USA Football has come up with a remarkable idea that I think is going to help football.” Still only in its nascency, principles of the model are being adopted and put into practice by youth organizations nationwide. And some of those currently experiencing the most success share one thing in common: the involvement and support of their high school program. So wherever you find yourself in your coaching career, whether it be Year One or Year 50, the future of our game and its youngest athletes stand to benefit from your vision and innovation.

Football at a Glance 2 Million

YOUTH FOOTBALL PLAYERS

85%

of FOOTBALL PARENTS AGREE THE GAME IS SAFER THAN 5 YEARS AGO

700,000

USA FOOTBALL COACH CERTIFICATIONS

90%

of PEOPLE BELIEVE COACHES ARE MORE INFORMED ON HEALTH & SAFETY THAN 5 YEARS AGO

Learn more about the Football Development Model by visiting usafootball.com/fdm

PROTECTING TRADITIONS

Protecting Traditions While Looking Ahead The sport of football has been faced with many challenges in recent years, and the pandemic of 2020 certainly didn’t help matters. Preserving “America’s Greatest Game” must be a priority for all associated with the sport, particularly coaches. BY USA FOOTBALL

As we embrace the critical challenges and realities facing our game, we must adapt, including how we teach and play it. Football as we know it has changed, as have the athletes. Football can enrich and nourish a young athlete’s life through lessons, discipline and companionship if we teach it correctly. Our sport is everchanging – it always has been – so, it’s natural that we adapt in how it’s taught, played and experienced.

POSITIVE, NECESSARY CHANGES Football can be a young athlete’s doorway to exponential growth and holistic development. ■■ Coaches should strive for fun and engaging drills to hold athletes’ attention and interest. ■■ Time on the field should also be educational, formational, and worthwhile. ■■ Football can teach players life lessons without them directly recognizing this at the time. ■■ Focus should always be on ■■The priority for safety, fostering an experience that coaches at the youth level should athletes can enjoy. be providing a safe By offering a 21st century youth experience. football experience, your priority is the safety and holistic development of your players. Parents appreciate seeing this level of care as well as hearing and reading you communicate it. Your forward-thinking and transparency keeps parents and families inspired. Parents are the foundation of youth sports – proudly show them how your football program puts them and their kids first.

DITCHING “OLD-SCHOOL” FOOTBALL The days of “because I said so” coaching are long gone. Coaches can become frustrated because today’s youth culture tends to look for instant gratification. Societal experiences

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could also give youth a sense of entitlement. Strategies will be questioned, and patience tested because athletes will not care how much coaches know, until they know how much you care. It is essential to work with your players’ strengths and work to improve their weaknesses, both on and off the field. Strive to grow in technique and work to make your lessons applicable to them.

BEING A TRANSFORMATIONAL COACH Most youth coaches volunteer because of a love of the game and to positively impact players’ lives. Impactful coaches make players want to work harder and to be the best version of themselves. Ways to be a more transformational coach include: ■■ Be aware of drill and equipment changes as the game evolves ■■ Keep in mind, “A good coach improves a player’s game, but a great coach improves a player’s life!” ■■ Connect with players and build a rapport Remember, each player learns differently, so having a coaching staff with diverse styles rooted in the Football Development Model’s philosophy can help them thrive. The more mutual trust and respect there is for one another, the harder the team will work for each other.

This information was originally presented at the 2020 USA Football National Conference by Cleveland Browns Chief of Staff Callie Brownson and Executive Director of CYO–Archdiocese of Indianapolis Bruce Scifres.

ADVANCED TACKLING

& CONTACT CERTIFICATION EQUIP YOUR TEAM FOR SUCCESS ON EVERY SNAP

YOU DON’T CONTROL THE OUTCOME ON THE FIELD, BUT YOU CAN DETERMINE HOW YOUR PLAYERS PREPARE TO WIN. Enhance and demonstrate your ability to teach the latest and safer techniques through USA Football’s NEW Advanced Tackling & Contact Certification.

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RUN BLOCKING

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THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE CONTACT CERTIFICATION MASTER THE TECHNIQUES & PROVE YOUR COACHING KNOWLEDGE Get started at footballdevelopment.com

SECTION

PRODUCTS & PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE CONTACT TECHNIQUES USA Football has many products and program to improve the experience of teaching players how to tackle safely and efficiently. Here are some of the programs and products. BY CURTIS PETERSON

THE ADVANCED TACKLING SYSTEM ($) Featuring Andy Ryland along with multi-sport tackling expert Richie Gray, the Advanced Tackling System helps coaches teach, break down and grade each defender’s ability to make elite level tackles. Get three free lessons and subscribe today at footballdevelopment.com

THE TACKLETICIANS (FREE)

HIGH SCHOOL COACH CERTIFICATION ($)

This series of videos feature Andy Ryland and

USA Football’s 2021 High School Coach Certifica-

Rashad Elby of USA Football. They cover common topics and concerns related to tacking and all contact as voted on by USA Football’s social media followers. This series is designed for high school and youth coaches. Subscribe to USA Football’s YouTube channel and checkout The Tackleticians playlist to get the latest videos.

tion will have several updates, including brand new resources to prepare athletes for contact. Coaches looking to take this new certification will be able to find it available at usafootball.com/certification in the spring of 2021. Create a USA Football account to make sure you get alerted when it’s ready!

THE SHOULDER TACKLING SYSTEM (FREE)

THE ADVANCED TACKLING & CONTACT CERTIFICATION ($)

USA Football’s Shoulder Tackling System was designed with the Seattle Seahawks to help coaches equip defenders with a plan and the fundamentals necessary stop the ball-carrier. This is a foundational defensive tackling framework to help coaches develop more efficient tacklers. Get the entire system free at footballdevelopment.com

THE CONTACT SYSTEM ($) This system’s progressive framework for blocking and defeating blocks is applicable to any contact position on the field. It helps develop key postures and movements to help all players generate maximum force with the greatest degree of control. Get three free lessons and subscribe today at footballdevelopment.com

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Earn the most in-depth certification centered solely on run blocking, defeating blocks & shoulder tackling. By taking this certification, you’ll see how to equip your players with the latest and proven techniques that are available in both the Contact System and the Advanced Tackling System. You can learn more about this certification at footballdevelopment.com

Products for your Youth Coaches

s high school coaches, we often do clinics for our youth programs on our schemes. Make sure to take time to inform them on effective techniques as well – whether that’s techniques for physical skills or techniques for effective teaching. Here’s some tools USA Football offers youth coaches that you can share with them as well.

THE COACH PLANNER APP (FREE) RUNNING A TEAM JUST GOT

easier with the Coach Planner App from USA Football. It makes it easy to find the right drills, share practice plans and setup schedules. You can unlock even more tools by earning your USA Football Youth Coach Certification. Learn more at: usafootball.com/coach-planner or download it now for Apple or Android.

USA FOOTBALL YOUTH COACH CERTIFICATION & RESOURCES ($) EVERY COACH SHOULD BE

certified before they step on the field. The new 2021 Youth Coach Certification will be available early in the new year. It will offer a course curriculum and in-depth content to make sure coaches are ready to set their players up for success. This certification and it’s bundled guides, webinars and other resources offer topics on athlete health and well-being, age-appropriate education and teaching strategies, technical contact and non-contact skills and drills and much more. It also includes content and information related to the Football Development Model. Have your coaches create an account at usafootball.com/ certification to see when it’s available.

PREPARING FOR CONTACT

Preparing Football Players for Contact BY DAN GUTTENPLAN , FNF COACHES EDITOR

e’ve all coached an athlete who can

perform a variety of non-contact skills, but when it comes to contact, is a little more hesitant. Some coaches think time fixes this problem – and that may be true. But what if there is another way to assist players in overcoming this hesitation? Next year, a new curriculum called ‘Prep for Contact’ will be featured in USA Football’s high school coach certification course – in partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Prep for Contact helps athletes prepare mentally and physically to learn contact skills. The goal is to help coaches get their athletes ready for contact that will occur with an opponent or the ground. This curriculum focuses on three key areas that you can start thinking about now.

Learning the Foundational Qualities of Contact

As coaches, we ask a lot of our high school players. For instance, we direct them to have a lower pad level and expect their growing bodies to reshape while potentially contacting an opponent. This might seem simple, but what if an athlete – perhaps a first-year player or freshman – lacks the required flexibility, leg strength, spatial awareness or balance to accomplish this? Try as the athlete might, they’re not developmentally ready to meet the demands of the coach’s request. Coaches should ask themselves, “Can my player take my coaching cues and put them into physical practice?” The Prep for Contact curriculum provides deeper insight on this – but also includes tools and drills that can help you as a coach develop these areas that serve as the foundation for contact success.

Designing Progressive Drills to Challenge Athletes

The fear of going to the ground or contacting an opponent can cause hesitancy

■■USA Football will offer a “Prep for Contact” curriculum for coaches in 2021.

and will ultimately hamper success. To overcome this, designing a sequence of practice plans that gradually increase physical challenges through drills and practice competitions can go a long way. The truth is that not every player is psychologically ready to jump into a fullcontact drill in which they’re going to engage with an opponent or the ground. The Prep for Contact materials includes substantial insights for coaches on ways to help players develop greater spatial and kinesthetic awareness on the field. Through carefully designed practices, drills and activities, coaches can help athletes gradually prepare for the contact skills so valuable to our game.

Getting Ready for a New Season or Heavy Contact Days

Athletes might go six to nine months without contact. Expecting a player to jump right into a heavy contact drill on the first practice doesn’t set them up for success. As coaches, developing practice plans with this in mind is crucial for our athletes’ success. By straddling the line between strength and conditioning and on-field drills, the Prep for Contact curriculum helps coaches get an athlete’s body ready for the rigors of a practice and a season.

This includes fun football-based activities, small-sided games and challenges to ramp up to more contact that can be done in the off-season. This can serve as a supplement to strength and conditioning programs or as a warm-up prior to a heavy contact day.

Putting it Altogether These are all aspects of the Prep for Contact curriculum – and hopefully they get you thinking about how you’ll design your practice plans for next season. By reverse engineering contact, we can look at body awareness, spatial awareness, postural strength and the ability to reshape. These all support your technical teachings and serve as the pre-requisite aspects of football contact. Prep for Contact also addresses the psychological aspects of contact with young and newer players through controlled environments that gradually get them ready for the field. Keeping that in mind will certainly help you get the most out of every athlete. If you need assistance, don’t forget that USA Football’s high school certification is expected to be ready in the spring.

Available Spring 2021 at

usafootball.com/certification

THE IMPACT OF WOMEN

Adding Value to Your Team

The Impact of Women in Football BY EMILY WONDERGEM

t should be apparent now, more than ever,

that women have a place in football. They are enthusiastic fans, but also catalysts driving positive change in the sport. They are mothers, wives and sisters of players and coaches, but also players and coaches themselves. The impact that women are having in football is growing by the day, and perhaps there’s never been a greater opportunity to contribute to that growth while simultaneously benefitting from it. The three women featured in this article are just part of this change in football. ■■ Kandice Pritchett Mitchell, Assistant Director of Athletics for Atlanta Public Schools ■■ Sam Rapoport, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion the National Football League (NFL) ■■ Rachel Worsham, Director of Football Operations for the DC Divas (Women’s Football Alliance); Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator at George C. Marshall High School (D.C.)

The X’s and O’s don’t have a gender.

Football is football. - Kandice Pritchett Mitchell ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS, ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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THE BENEFITS TO HAVING WOMEN ON YOUR TEAM Adding female representation onto your team or coaching staff can have many benefits, both on and off the field, for your players and team culture. “If there was female representation at every level of the game; the support, exposure, awareness and influence of the game of football has the potential to grow exponentially. Women have the base to advance the game of football as we know it,” says Pritchett Mitchell. But what difference does it make if a coach is male or female? Rapoport explains that adding female coaches to NFL staffs makes a big difference to the players. “Our players now are demanding diversity, equity and inclusion in all spaces. The one thing I hear from female coaches most is that the players love it,” Rapoport shares. “The players want to see differences; they want to see diversity and don’t want the same type of coach over and over again. To the high school and college coaches that are thinking about this - players want it.” What Rapoport sees on the NFL level, Worsham experiences and exemplifies at the high school level. “I connect with each player to understand them and get to know them personally. This makes them want to perform for me. Even players in other units reach out to me to talk

football and life,” Worsham explains. “I mentor as many of these players that want it because I know how critical it is for kids to have at least one person in their life who cares about them beyond their families.”

SEEING THE DIFFERENCE WOMEN HAVE HAD IN FOOTBALL It’s one thing to say that women can help your team or staff, but seeing it is another story. For Rapoport, the impact she’s had in the NFL is readily apparent. In 2014, there were no female coaches in the NFL. Now, there are eight on seven different teams, plus, over 100 women in scouting and operations positions. Following up with these teams, Rapoport has heard about the actual differences that adding diversity has had on organizational culture. “I’ve heard that it becomes more of a family feel when your locker room and front office looks like a family and not a contrived setting of one type of person. I’ve heard that it lowers the testosterone levels of the men in the room because they aren’t as competitive when you equalize the work environment,” she said. Meanwhile, Worsham saw a change in player retention. “Every single one of my players that did not graduate or move came back to play for my unit on all 3 levels: Freshmen, JV and Varsity. And that is always my goal;to make sure they feel like they are a part of the unit.”

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BE PART OF THE CHANGE? Whether you’re looking at players for your team, coaches for your staff or leaders for your program, you’re always on the lookout for the best. Here’s a few things you can do the next time you have the opportunity to bring in the new talent.

WOMEN AT USA FOOTBALL

During my time at USA Football, our organization and sport has undergone great transformation thanks to the contribution of many incredible women. I’m grateful to have highly skilled women on our staff who are dedicated to helping shape the future of football, and when looking around the sport at-large, from youth up to the NFL, it’s a common thread. Our sport will only continue to be made better thanks to these women leaders. Scott Hallenbeck CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, USA FOOTBALL

Nicole Hollomon Managing Director of Business Intelligence and Education

Tiffany Trotter Director, People & Culture

ff Understand there is a place for women. “It’s important for coaches and other football leaders to understand that women have a place in this game today like we never have before. We have been around it. We can play, coach, teach, educate and operate within the sport,” said Pritchett. “There is a place for us on the sidelines, between the lines, the locker rooms, the boardrooms and the war rooms. It shouldn’t matter if we are women. The X’s and O’s don’t have a gender. Football is football.”

Jamie Riley Chief of Staff

ff Ask questions and help them grow. “Embrace it, but don’t be afraid to ask questions,” shared Worsham. “Make sure the women that want a place in your organization have the background needed to do the job, but if they don’t have it, be willing to help them get some experience as interns or allow them to shadow you or their position of interest.”

Brittney Brothers Director, Football Operations and Events

ff Think differently. “I would love for high school and college coaches to look at how coaches are doing things in the NFL,” said Rapoport. “If you look at the best leaders in the NFL, it’s the people that challenge themselves to think differently and not do things like they’ve been done for 100 years. Ultimately, they’re the most successful on the field.”

Beth Porreca Senior Director, Development and Grants

Nominate a Player, Sign Up to Coach USA Football National Team USA Football is the only organization in the sport that provides high school players the opportunity to represent their country while gaining instruction from and training under current college coaches. The USA Football National Program has high performance pathways in non-contact and contact. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

Q&A with Aaron Ingram USA Football National Program Senior Manager

Senior Manager of the USA Football National Program Aaron Ingram is tasked with building the best coaching staff at every level of the U.S. National Team program by sorting through a pool of 1,600 candidates. He hires more than 1,000 coaches for the Regional Development Camps and selects the best of the best to represent the United States

against international competition. Ingram recently joined the FNF Coaches podcast to share how coaches and players across the country can get involved in the National Team program.

ff What is the process for coaches who want to get involved with the USA Football National Program? “This year, right before COVID pulled the plug, we had 1,600 coaches in the pool running for 18 regionals. The process is a lengthy one and can be overwhelming at times. We go through the applications like it’s a job. My staff scours

applications and does the background homework; sometimes, we do a phone interview. We’re going into our 12th year with the program, so we’re starting to get a lot of return coaches who fall in love with the process like I have.”

ff What should a coach do if he/she wants to get involved in the program? “The process to get it started is to go to usafootball.com/programs/national-team/ coach/. That’s the first step. It’s rare that we’ll hire coaches without seeing them in a regional event for two days in t-shirts and shorts. That’s boots-on-the-ground fundamental football. We want to see a coach get into it and be an outstanding communicator and teacher.”

ff And how would a coach nominate a player? “That same spot has a link for recommending players. We’re always looking for players. It’s a nonstop process. There’s not a time of year when we’re not looking at players, not looking at film, and not looking for the next great one.”

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USA FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAM

Q&A with Eric Mayes USA Football Director of High Performance

approximately 70 countries affiliated in some shape or form. Many European countries field competitive teams. Japan is fairly competitive. There is a large footprint in Canada and Mexico. The IFAF has been running the world championships for men’s and women’s adult teams, as well as U19 and U20. USA Football has assisted in fielding those teams.”

As the Director of High Performance for USA Football, Eric Mayes works to develop a pathway for players to perform at the highest level while representing the U.S. National Team. He recently shared his goals for the USA Football National Program.

ff What is the best way for players to get involved -- whether it be contact or non-contact?

ff What is the High Performance aspect of the job? “We select the National Teams for traditional tackle and flag. In other sports, the governing bodies work to engage communities to create local footprints. To play this sport at the highest level, we want to develop pathways to our National Team. Once we have that map, we can pour those resources into athletes to get them to compete against the highest international competition. The pathway is a pipeline with regional development camps. We want to take players through tackle or flag and have them compete at the highest level.”

“On the contact side, we have a player interest form and coach nomination form on the website. We select players to invite for Combines and Regional Development Camps. Then, we select players to represent the U.S. at international competitions. On the executive side, we have two pathways to the World Games in Birmingham (Ala.) in 2022. We’re also going to hold a National Team Trial Combine model at one of our events over the summer of 2021. We’ll use that information and evaluations to help field preliminary rosters to participate in the World Games.”

Interested in the USA Football National Program? If you would like to apply to be a coach or recommend a player, please visit:

ff What does the international competition look like? “The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) has divisions for both tackle and noncontact. There are

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TEACHING TACKLING

RETHINKING THE WAY WE TEACH

TACKLING COACHES CAN SHARPEN DEFENSIVE SKILLS WHILE DRIVING PARTICIPATION BY CURTIS PETERSON

s a high school football coach on pause, raising two young children and working for the

sport’s national governing body, I often think about how I taught tackling six or seven years ago before my time with USA Football. There’s so much I didn’t know. Not solely from a performance perspective, but also just the core fundamentals of a proper tackle. But now, sitting two chairs down (pre-COVID) from Andy Ryland – our leading tackling expert – I learned how little I knew about tackling. I, a coach who had already spent a decade teaching the game prior to my time at USA Football, was repeatedly shocked by what he and the rest of our education team could turn out: Youth and High School Certifications, the Shoulder Tackling System with Pete Carroll and Rocky Seto of the Seattle Seahawks, the Advanced Tackling System with Richie Gray: multi-sport tackling expert, our top-notch events highlighting better drills and techniques for tackling That’s a long way of saying that we produce a lot of resources on tackling. But over the last few years, I saw what this was becoming. It’s bigger than just tackle football. It’s even bigger than just the tackle. See, football can be played in variety of ways. Some people say 7-on-7 isn’t football, but I think it is. And some people say flag isn’t football, but I view it as such. The core skills we love, from passing and receiving to blocking and tackling, can trace their foundations back to these non-contact game types. The issue isn’t the way you play. It’s how you teach and train the skills, especially those that lead to contact. In this article, I’ll share what I learned about the way we help youth coaches embrace teaching tackling in new and familiar ways to play.

TEACHING THE SKILLS This starts with the Football Development Model (FDM), USA Football’s new initiative designed to help youth coaches teach athletes based on their age, the skill they are learning and game type. Through it, we equip youth coaches with step-by-step skill progressions that include detailed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to identify elements of

The issue isn’t the way you play. It’s how you teach and train the skills, especially those that lead to contact. 14

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SECTION competitive sport option for young athletes, not to mention flag participation has increased by 300,000 players in the last 5 years. There’s a clear disconnect there. We need to bridge the gap, and it’s doable. We just need to teach the skills and find the right way to play for each athlete. That might be flag. Or it could be tackle. When you think about it, any form of football, when taught correctly, is good football. It just depends on what’s best for an individual kid. “In tackle football, you wear a helmet and you wear pads. It’s no different than playing flag football. You have to be in proper position to tackle. You have to be in proper position to pull a flag. Guess what? When you pull a flag, and you have no helmet, your head is out of the equation.” That was Herm Edwards, head football coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils. He ■■More and more coaches are teaching tackling believes flag football can teach the tackle through the Advanced Tackling System. skill effectively. As he illustrates, it’s also a way to naturally reduce contact, something we care about as coaches. Again, at USA Football, we believe mirsuccess and failure for optimal on-field performance. You can see them all detailed at fdm.usafootball.com/how-it-works. roring the tackling progression at the flag For tackling, this gradual progression is simple: level will help kids develop this skill and bridge that gap so they’re better prepared TRACK PREPARE CONNECT ACCELERATE FINISH for football. But that’s not all…

MORE PATHS TO PLAY & TACKLING WITHOUT This is the same progression found in USA Football’s Advanced GOING TO THE GROUND Tackling System and the new Advanced Tackling & Contact In practice, we have different period Certification – geared towards high school coaches like yourself. designations, especially in the high It’s the same one we advocate youth coaches to teach their players. school level. Here’s the beauty of it. Those steps – we call them skill elements ■■ No Contact – can be taught at every level of football, from youth to the pros. ■■ Controlled Contact This is great for the tackle game we know and love, but how ■■ Full-Contact, aka Thud and Live does it help athletes in flag or other non-contact forms of the game, As coaches, we instinctively teach which we call game types? players by incorporating less contact and Simple: we just reduce the skill elements. by working with smaller group exercises to Flag football only uses the first two, Track and Prepare. By using keep them healthy and emphasize certain this Tackling Skill Progression in game types with less contact, aspects of skill development. coaches and athletes become familiar with the physical movements Why not emphasize a path to play youth and coaching points for success as they advance through the game. football that does the same thing? But I’m not naïve, and I know many of you don’t buy it. Maybe it’s something that fits right Some people don’t like non-contact game types and think we between the flag and tackle versions of should jump right into tackle, but I’d argue that not every kid is our game, similar to how baseball employs ready to jump right into the deep end of swimming pool and dive to “coach pitch” between “tee ball” and the bottom. “player pitch”. Still, there are doubters. In fact, at USA Football, we conducted a At USA Football, we’re doing just study and found that only 27 percent of coaches thought flag football that through the Limited Contact game fully prepared children for tackle football. That’s shockingly low for category: the bridge between Non-Contact a problem that we - as coaches - can collectively solve. and Contact. The game types in the At the same time, two thirds of coaches thought it was a good

TEACHING TACKLING Limited Contact category can reduce the number of players on the field and/or the amount of contact through rules and various equipment options. The focus again is on teaching – but within the right environment. Not every athlete is ready for all the variables involved in full contact, full field football. By controlling the environment through Game Type rule adjustments, we allow the athlete and coach to focus on core skills and fundamentals that are appropriate for them. We can still use that same tackling progression from before in Limited Contact. Some leagues have introduced Padded Flag as an equipment option here, which looks like traditional tackle football with flag pulling instead of tackling. Again, you’re using Track and Prepare from the Tackling Skill Progression. But if you’re looking for more, TackleBar® is a partner we work with through Riddell that provides another equipment option for Limited Contact. The players wear full pads plus the TackleBar harness, learn all the traditional fundamentals, but in a limited contact setting without purposefully going to the ground. For us, this adds the next step to our tackling progression, Connect. Players wrap up and make appropriate contact before the whistle is blown. For more evidence, I turn to another

■■USA Football’s Tackling Skill Progression emphasizes proper skill development. ■■USA Football tackling expert Andy Ryland speaks to coaches at the USA Football National Conference.

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PAC-12 coach for some insight on the importance of teaching and the environment you do it in. This is Justin Wilcox, former college defensive back who now serves as the head football coach at the University of California. “There is a progression and a teaching model where you can learn the skills before you start running into each other at high speed … There’s an approach to a tackle, there’s a body position to a tackle, and then there’s a finish – the physical part – of the tackle. You can work a lot of tackling without the finish element.” Again, the point is simple: emphasize proper skill development in the appropriate environment for that athlete. That’s what we as coaches need to do. That’s how we as high school coaches need to work with our youth programs. By giving kids a developmentally appropriate environment, possibly with less players on the field or a smaller field, we increase the entry points and options to participate and develop in our great game.

WHAT YOU CAN DO AS A HIGH SCHOOL COACH There’s a lot here you can take away for your own practices and program as well. Follow a progression, whether that’s ours or something like it. Introduce new practice tools like flags or something like TackleBar®. Use your state or our practice guidelines and levels of contact. Don’t let yourself get complacent. Stay on top of the latest techniques. A great way to do that is by getting certified. You can check out our new Advanced Tackling & Contact Certification for a fresh new experience at usafootball.com/certification. But the biggest takeaway: make an impact on your youth program. You can work with your youth program’s coaches to teach the right skills in the right environment, just like teaching them the schemes in your playbook. Visit usafootball.com/fdm to learn more about the model and reimagine how the game is played. We’re here for you and your youth programs if you need help getting started as well. From finding flags or equipment to resources and rulebooks, reach out to one of our Regional Managers if you need help bridging the gap with your program by visiting usafootball.com/ regional-managers. Finally, thanks for keeping the game great. I’m proud there are wonderful coaches out there who will help my children play the game when they’re ready.

ESTABLISHING CULTURE

CHAMPION COACHES SHARE TIPS ON ESTABLISHING CULTURE Champion coaches know that the groundwork for successful seasons is laid long before the state championship game. Winning programs have cultures that outlast graduating classes. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

COACH JASON MOHNS

COACH STEVE SPECHT

It’s tough to argue any high

Steve Specht has led his alma

school coach established a better winning culture from 2013 to 2018 than Scottsdale Saguaro head coach Jason Mohns. “The thing that has allowed me to be successful with culture-building is the ability to form genuine, strong relationships with the people who are important to the program,” Mohns said. “Once you have those strong relationships, it’s easier to put a plan in place and say, ‘Our program is based on hard work. We’re going to love and treat each other with respect, but we’re also going to push and hold each other accountable.” Mohns cited three examples of ways in which he emphasizes the importance of relationship building.

mater, St. Xavier, to three state championships. His favorite one came in 2016 when his team started 5-5. That was the perfect example of a team that called on his winning culture to overcome adversity. “We have a mission statement at St. Xavier that I’ve adopted with the football program,” Specht said. “We want these kids to develop their faith, their leadership and their character. They’re here to be men for others. We want them to understand the reason they’re placed on Earth is to make a personal sacrifice for a cause bigger than themselves. It’s called leading a purposeful life.” Specht shared three ways in which he can tell if a particular team has a winning culture.

SAGUARO HIGH (ARIZ.)

Hiring coaches with dynamic personalities.

“It’s not just about me building relationships. It’s about assistant coaches having relationships with players at their position groups. I want each position coach to be his position players’ favorite coach. The head coach can’t be everyone’s favorite coach.”

Coaching staff retreats.

Take the players to camp.

“We do an annual coaches trip. Before COVID, we took a trip to Austin, Texas, and visited UT and A&M. We also met with Todd Dodge at Austin-Westlake (High). We stayed in a vacation rental house with coaches sleeping on the floor. We ate dinner together every night.” “We take the kids out of state to a camp in California. We have a senior bonfire, and the seniors talk about what they want from their senior year and their future goals. One day, we let the kids go to Six Flags and have fun together. It’s good to show the kids there’s a time to be loose and have fun, and there’s a time to work hard.”

ST. XAVIER (OHIO)

Players police each other.

“At the beginning of every year, I meet with the senior class, the captains, in particular. I make sure they understand. ‘Look, I was asked to be a steward for the program. So. it’s my program, but it’s not my team. It’s YOUR team. You need to police it. If you police it, we’ll have a pretty good team and a pretty good season.”

Coaches and players are accountable.

Make it look right.

“It all starts with trust. If you’re accountable to teammates and the coaching staff, they have to trust you. You have to build that trust. You don’t build trust by pointing fingers and laying blame. That causes more dissension. We preach that we all have permission to fail.” “We have one rule: It better look right. We harp on: Don’t tell me what you’re going to do. Show me. If a member of ‘The Long Blue Line’ comes back to practice, walks into a class or the weight room, what should it look like? If you come back in 15 years, you’re going to want to make sure it looks right.”

HEALTH & SAFETY

Q&A

Football, Brain Health & Forward-Thinking Play Dr. Gerard A. Gioia is the Chief of the Neuropsychology Division at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. He also is a professor at George Washington University School of Medicine and a past-president of the Sports Neuropsychology Society. Dr. Gioia recently shared his insight with FNF Coaches Magazine. ff Can you share a bit about your job at Children’s National? I’m the hospital’s Chief of the Neuropsychology Division. I’m a clinician who evaluates and treats children with neurological disorders and brain injuries as young as 4-years-old, conduct research related to concussion and other neurological disorders, and have worked with the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control for almost 20 years. Advancing brain health is my passion and life’s work.

ff In recent years, calling youth football too dangerous to play, some state legislators have introduced bills to ban the sport on grassroots levels. Those bills have been defeated. Why so? First, let me establish the common ground that I believe we can all agree on. All youth sports, especially those involving contact, need to be regularly examined for how we can improve player safety while maximizing enjoyment and camaraderie. Broad, sweeping policy recommendations to ban youth tackle football take an extreme, scientifically unsupported position. When legislatures research further and look beyond the headlines, they’ve ultimately come to this conclusion. Regrettably, to the detriment of parents seeking to parse facts from fear, some statements in the press have been misleading. Articles claiming mounting evidence of lasting cognitive damage caused by youth football and accumulated damage from ‘sub-concussive’ hits causing

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damage later in life mischaracterize our current state of knowledge.

ff As far smarter play and making youth football better, USA Football recently introduced its Football Development Model. Dartmouth head coach Buddy Teevens, former All-Pro receiver Anquan Boldin and you are among the council members contributing to the model. What’s that experience been like? I may not be able to lay claim to four Ivy League football titles like Coach Teevens, but I’m only 82 TD receptions shy of catching up to Anquan (laughing). This is an energetic, diverse group of leaders across vitally important disciplines for youth sports – particularly football – and we all have different positions, so to speak. I’m inspired to reimagine a sport in this way for young athletes. Youth leagues, including high school coaches who help lead their communities’ youth programs, have embraced the model and more are coming. This is an inspiring trend, indicating that football’s brightest days have yet to come. The ‘FDM’ – as it’s informally called – centers on fun and athleticism for kids. At its core, it seeks to apply training concepts that recognize the developmental differences in children and teen athletes. It’s designed to develop the whole person while contact is reduced and fundamentals are taught in a smart progression. Dr. Brian Hainline, the NCAA’s chief medical officer, chairs the council. He made an interesting comment, saying, ‘Part of the model’s forward thinking is that you learn to become an athlete before you learn to become a player.’

Coaches understand that concept exceedingly well. Put simply, the FDM is built to deliver lasting and beneficial outcomes for football-playing youth athletes. And many of the model’s aspects inherently lift the health and well-being of kids who play a multitude of sports. The FDM is rooted in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s American Development Model, which explains the universal benefits of what USA Football delivers in its model. Youth programs are wise to use it.

ff We don’t normally get to speak to someone with your expertise. For parents especially, is there a specific study that you recommend they read to help guide them in decisions about their children who love to play football? Well, there are many. Beyond singular studies, meta-analyses (scientific summaries) of multiple studies or international consensus statements are stronger sources. Although these require more time to produce, they provide greater knowledge through a wide range of research sources. It’s also important to note that no study is without limitations. A recent review of the scientific evidence of youth contact sports was published in JAMA Pediatrics (Rivara et al., 2019). This is a detailed meta-analysis of more than 100 published studies. It states, “High-quality data show no association between repetitive head impact exposure in youth and long-term neurocognitive outcomes. The association between repetitive head impact exposure and changes on neuroimaging in youth is inconsistent and the clinical implications of these changes are unknown. There is little evidence that age at first exposure to repetitive head impacts in sports is independently associated with neurodegenerative changes.” I invite a scientifically supported stance on improving football for young, aspiring athletes. USA Football contributes to this through educational resources, guidelines and the FDM. There’s more to be done, and again, the best days for football and the kids who love to play it are ahead of us. Note: The published meta-analysis referenced above received funding by The American College of Sports Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, US Lacrosse, USA Football and USA Rugby. Funders had no role in the development of questions, conclusions or recommendations.

HEALTH & SAFETY have been coached using better and safer techniques.

ff What’s the best helmet available?

Parents Have Questions? We’ve Got Answers. Running a program can feel like you’re on the hot seat 24-7-365. Questions come early and often from players and parents. Some are easy to answer, while others can put you on your heels. BY USA FOOTBALL

There is insufficient data on the frequency of concussion (pre-high school) to accurately answer this question due to a number of factors like restrictions under the Health Insurance Portability Act, availability of funding, use of human subjects and others. USA Football encourages more robust research in the area of concussion occurrence so the medical community can better assess the prevalence of the issue.

■■ Balance problems or dizziness ■■ Double or blurry vision ■■ Sensitivity to light ■■ Sensitivity to noise ■■ Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy or groggy ■■ Concentration or memory problems ■■ Confusion ■■ Just not “feeling right” or is “feeling down” Across all sports, the CDC cites the following concussion signs observed by parents: ■■ Appears dazed or stunned ■■ Is confused about assignment or position ■■ Forgets an instruction ■■ Is unsure of game, score or opponent ■■ Moves clumsily ■■ Answers questions slowly ■■ Loses consciousness (even briefly) ■■ Shows mood, behavior or personality changes For more information, check out the CDC’s “Concussion Fact Sheet for Parents”

ff What are the signs and symptoms of a concussion?

ff How does USA Football make coaching and playing football safer?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), concussion symptoms reported by an athlete in any sport include: ■■ Headache or “pressure” in head ■■ Nausea or vomiting

USA Football provides resources to coaches on proper technique as well as athlete health and safety. More than 700,000 coach certifications have been completed through USA Football. This means millions of athletes across all ages

We created this guide to help answer some of the common questions for coaches with USA Football-approved answers.

ff Is football safe? Every sport offers an abundance of physical, emotional and social advantages. Enjoying any sport comes with a chance for injury. However, sports today -- including football -- are taught and played smarter and safer than ever before. It begins with trained coaches and forward-thinking developmental frameworks.

ff How common are concussions?

A properly fitted helmet -- regardless of manufacturer -- is the key step in reducing the risk of concussions, facial lacerations and fractures. USA Football has partnered with Riddell to educate coaches on properly fitting helmets as part of USA Football’s Youth Coach Certification and to help parents by providing helmet fitting guidelines. Coaches and parents should continue checking helmet fittings frequently throughout the season to ensure the helmet is still properly fitting the player. Also, helmets should have a National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) seal. We encourage you to insist that your youth football program follows the reconditioning guidelines of the helmet manufacturers.

ff Does the Football Development Model make the game safer? The Football Development Model is designed to make America’s favorite sport safer by reducing contact and teaching it in a way that meets athletes where they are in their development. The model centers on physical literacy and age-appropriate skill instruction. It teaches the right skill at the right time and builds athletic foundations through pregressive skill development. The model reimagines how football is presented, practiced and coaches from youth through adulthood across multiple game-types and options. Dr. Brian Hainline, the NCAA’s Chief Medical Officer and Football Development Model Council Chairman, says, “The Football Development Model is an athlete’s roadmap -- at any age -- to enjoy the fun of football by participating in sport activities that are developmentally appropriate physically, mentally and socially. Part of the model’s forward thinking is that you learn to become a player. When sports programs adopt the FDM, athletes will perform better, play longer and gain a lifelong path to athleticism, health and wellness through football.”

most influential High school football coaches

In some rare and memorable instances, a high school coach will impact the game outside of his own region or state. He might do that by innovating a new scheme or coaching style, changing the way coaches approach strength and conditioning, or perhaps even inspiring others through a commitment to excellence.

NF Coaches and USA Football put together a list of 20

current or former coaches who are considered some of the most influential leaders in the profession. Some are USA Football Masters Trainers, while others have demonstrated leadership on a national level. MATT GALLAGHER

Maine-Endwell High (N.Y.)

Gallagher has led M-E to four New York state championships in the last decade. In 2015, ESPN produced a 30 for 30 documentary on Gallagherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program in the midst of a 62-game winning streak. Gallagherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s philosophy starts with building the pee-wee program that serves as a feeder system for his high school program. His staff attends practices, and helps install scaled-down plays and formations that are run at the high school level. Gallagher serves as a USA Football Heads Up Football Master Trainer for Section 4 coaches in New York.

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DAVE KEEL

Homestead High (Wisc.)

Keel spent 30 seasons as the head football coach at Homestead before resigning before the 2020 season. That ended a career that included 292 victories, an .807 winning percentage and six state championships. Keel leaves with a record of 292-70 and ranks 10th all-time in the state in coaching victories. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association inducted him into its hall of fame in 2012. In addition to his work on the sidelines, Keel was the president of the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association from 2007-09. Keel is a USA Football Master Trainer and member of the Positive Coaching Alliance.

20 INFLUENTIAL COACHES JOHN RODERIQUE

KEVIN LYNOTT

Webb City High (Mo.)

Middletown High (Md.)

Since returning to his alma

In nine seasons as the varsity

mater at Webb City, Roderique has led the team to a record of 286-26. He has guided the Cardinals to 11 MSHSAA state championships and 14 championship game appearacnces. The Cardinals have reached the Missouri state playoffs in 21 of the last 23 seasons (including the last 19 seasons in a row). Roderique has been named Missouri State Coaches Association Coach of the Year 11 times. Roderique was enshrined into the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Joplin Area Sports Authority Hall Fame in 2016.

football coach at Middletown High (Md.), Lynott elevated an established football power. Under Lynott’s guidance, the Knights won their first three state championships during a sensational run from 2011-13 that also included 36 consecutive wins. In nine seasons as Middletown’s varsity coach, Lynott went 86-27. He oversaw a program resurgence in 2016 when the Knights finished 9-3 and bounced back from their only losing seasons under Lynott. Prior to being hired in January 2008, Lynott spent five seasons as the varsity football coach at Brunswick High School, where he went 26-27.

GARY SWENSON

■■Left: Middletown High (Md.) coach Kevin Lynott won three consecutive state championships from 2011-13.

STEVE SPECHT

West Des Moines Valley High (Iowa)

Cincinnati St. Xavier (Ohio)

Swenson, who recently

Specht has been the head coach

finished his 45th season, has accumulated 371 career wins, currently the fourth-most all-time in Iowa. He has coached teams to six state titles, tied for the third-most all-time, and one of three to win championships at two different schools (five at Valley, and one at Spencer in 1994). Following this season, he was named Iowa Class 4A Coach of the Year by the Iowa Football Coaches Association for the fourth time in his career. Swenson is Iowa’s only Master Trainer for USA Football Heads Up Football.

at his alma mater since 2003. Under Coach Specht, the Bombers have won four Ohio big school championships (2005, 2007, 2016, 2020), with Specht earning Ohio Division I Coach of the Year honors in 2005 and 2007. Specht received the NFL Don Shula High School Coach of the Year Award in 2013. Specht, who has a career record of 157-57, has established a culture of winning with “The Long Blue Line” serving as a pathway between current players and alumni. He is also a USA Football Master Trainer and has coached in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

JIMMY WALLACE

York High (S.C.)

Wallace spent 40 years coaching football at four York County high schools including York (1972-75), Rock Hill (1975-1981), Lewisville (1981-1986), and Northwestern (1987-2011). He also served as an athletic administrator for 25 years and has been inducted into six Halls of Fame including York County Sports Hall of Fame (2003), Northwestern Sports Hall of Fame (2011), South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame (2011), Lewisville Athletic Hall of Fame (2014), South Carolina Football Coaches Hall of Fame (2015), and the South Carolina Athletic Administration Hall of Fame (2019). He led teams to state championships in 1983, 1989, 1993 and 2010 and logged a career record of 286-83.

JASON MOHNS

Saguaro High (Ariz.)

Saguaro is 102-13 since Mohns took over the program in 2012. Mohns’ overall record, counting two years leading Salt River, is 110-21. He is partly responsible for the program’s consistent excellence since the mid-2000s with his youth team, the Argonauts, who fed Saguaro football. Saguaro reached the state final every season from 2013 to 2019, winning six in a row, before the 4A school was placed in the first-time Open Super Eight Division last year. They lost to 6A powerhouse Chandler 42-35 in the championship game. He has coached the U-16 and U-19 USA Football U.S. National Teams.

20 INFLUENTIAL COACHES RANDY ALLEN

CHUCK KYLE

Highland Park (Texas)

Cleveland Saint Ignatius (Ohio)

Allen is one of just three

Kyle has directed the Wildcats to a

coaches in Texas history with 400 career wins. Allen, who recently completed his 47th year of coaching, 40 as a head coach, also held stints at Ballinger, Brownwood and his alma mater, Abilene Cooper. Allen has led teams to four state championships and was named the Don Shula National Coach of the Year for 2016. This past summer, he led a movement in which coaches provided statistics to the University Interscholastic League to prove that the spread of the coronavirus could not be attributed to football workouts.

record of 361-99-1, 30 playoff appearances, 15 regional championships and 11 state titles in his 38 seasons. In 2016, he was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Hall of Fame. The same year, the Cleveland Browns hired Kyle as a youth football advisor to help with the team’s youth football programs. In 2009, he was named the head coach of the United States’ first Under-19 national football team, which competed and went undefeated in the International Federation of American Football Junior World Championship, the first event of its kind.

BRUCE ROLLINSON

Mater Dei High (Calif.)

Rollinson is heading into his 31st year as head coach at Mater Dei. He has won over 300 games, taken teams to the CIF finals 13 times, and triumphed to seven CIF championships, three state titles, four times finished the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the country (1994, 1996, 2017, 2018). Rollinson is proud of the Monarchs 4 Marines program which lends tangible support to Marines, Sailors and their families. This past June, the Monarchs traveled to Camp Pendleton for the 13th consecutive year. KEVIN KELLEY

ROGER HARRIOTT

Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)

In his five full seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas, Harriott has led the team to three state championships (2015, 2016, 2019). His team finished as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation by GEICO in 2019 after posting a 15-0 record. Prior to accepting the position at St. Thomas Aquinas in 2015, Harriott spent eight seasons at University School, finishing with a 78-15 record and Class 3A state title in 2012. Harriott is a graduate of St. Thomas and played football at Boston University. He became the head coach at University School in 2006 and stayed there until resigning to join the staff at FAU.

Pulaski Academy (Ark.)

In December, Pulaski Academy won its ninth state title — all of which have come with Kelley at the helm. The title also is Kelley’s ninth, the most for any head coach in the playoff era and one behind the legendary Wilson Matthews, who won 10 from 1947 through 1957 at Little Rock High and Central. Kelley is renowned for never punting and almost always onside kicking after scoring. He was even called ‘probably the top high school coach in the country’ in a press conference by New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

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ROB BUSMENTE

Sterling High (Colo.)

Busmente has turned Sterling into a perennial contender. Sterling has been to the playoffs in five of the past six seasons, including a trip to at least the quarterfinals in 2015, 2016 and 2019. In 2019, Busmente led Sterling to the first state championship in the history of the program — which dates to at least 1908 — when the Tigers claimed the Class 2A title. Busmente was voted the 2A coach of the year by his peers as part of the All-State teams. He was also selected as the 2019 Denver Broncos high school football coach of the year.

20 INFLUENTIAL COACHES MATT LAND

Dalton High (Ga.)

Land was the recipient of the 2019 Don Shula NFL Coach of the Year Award. Prior to serving as head coach, he spent 17 years at Dalton High as an assistant coach after playing for the Catamounts in high school. In his 11 years as head football coach before resigning in December, Land led the Catamounts to three region championships and eight playoff appearances with an 80-43 record. The 2016 Catamounts finished 13-1 and reached the semifinals of the Class 6A playoffs. JOHN T. CURTIS

TROY MCALLISTER

Chicago Wendell Phillips Academy (Ill.)

McAllister led Phillips to the only two state football titles (2015, 2018) in Chicago Public League history. After the second state title, McAllister was honored as one of two national winners of the Gatorade Coaching Excellence Award. Phillips, listed with an enrollment of 575 students on the IHSA website, is the only Chicago Public League team in the history of the IHSA state football playoff system schools to win a state football title. The Wildcats won a Class 4A title in 2015 and a 5A state title in 2017. They volunteered to play “up” in enrollment to Class 6A. BOB BEATTY

John Curtis Christian High (La.)

Louisville Trinity High (Ken.)

John T. Curtis, the only coach John

With 14 state championships and

Curtis Christian has ever had, recently completed his 52nd year as head coach of the Patriots with 597 career wins. With an average of 12 wins per year during his career, Curtis will likely join the late John McKissick of Summerville (S.C.) with over 600 wins. McKissick, who passed away on Nov. 28, 2019, retired in 2014 with 620 all-time wins. Curtis went 0-10 in his first year as a head coach but won his first state title in just his seventh season. Since then, he has put together 13 undefeated seasons.

an 87-6 record, Beatty’s playoff resume in 21 seasons as Trinity High School’s football coach has few blemishes. He was inducted into the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. The one goal remaining on Beatty’s list of lifetime achievements is is to be named Trinity’s teacher of the year for his classroom work in health and physical education. At press time, Beatty seemed to have Trinity in prime position to win a 15th state championship under his leadership. Trinity (9-0) – ranked No. 1 in Class 6A – advanced to face No. 3 Male (8-1) in the state final.

MIKE GRANT

Eden Prairie High (Minn.)

Grant took over as football coach at Eden Prairie in 1992 and has led the program to 11 state championships. His record over the last 24 seasons at Eden Prairie is 311-32. Grant has received acclaim not only on the local level, such as earning numerous coach of the year nods and being named the Star Tribune’s 2014 Sportsperson of the Year, but also on the national stage. He was recognized as the NFL’s National High School Coach of the Year at Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.

GARY RANKIN

Alcoa High (Tenn.)

Rankin has since won 16 TSSAA state titles — more than any other coach in Tennessee high school football history — and he’s the state’s alltime coaching wins leader. Rankin also coached at Riverdale, where he won four 5A titles (1994, 1997, 2001, 2004), and Warren County before taking over Alcoa’s program in 2006. During Rankin’s tenure, the Tornadoes have advanced to the state championship every year but two (201112), and they have won 11 titles. In December, Alcoa clinched its sixth consecutive state title by defeating Milan 35-0.

TECH CORNER

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACHES SHARE WHICH APPS THEY’RE USING IN 2020 As teams in many states move into the offseason strength and conditioning program, it’s important for coaches to know what’s available when it comes to online platforms for programming workouts. We reached out to our audience of coaches to learn about different strength and conditioning apps coaches are using during the pandemic. Here’s a spotlight on two that coaches are using.

TeamBuildr

MaxOne

TeamBuildr allows coaches to write

MaxOne is an all-in-one coaching app that

training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete performance data. Whether you use iPads, Chromebooks or Android – TeamBuildr is fully compatible. For coaches who have access to TV monitors for the weight room, TeamBuildr is a great organizational and motivational tool. TeamBuildr’s TV modules now serve three purposes: A live leaderboard: This module provides instant feedback on max lifts for each exercise. TV mode: This acts like a Facebook feed and is populated with personal bests, new max records, and highs for each exercise as soon as the information is entered into the TeamBuildr database. Weight room timer: This allows a coach to set a timer, and the TV module will alert athletes of which exercise to do, and when to do it.

helps coaches to communicate better, train better and coach better. This football coaching software was built by coaches for coaches to ensure the best results. The feedback we received from coaches was generally focused on the ability to build custom strength programs simplifying the tracking of workouts by delivering them right to your athlete’s phone. Athletes get key points on technique as they perform and record their results in real time. With fewer athletes and coaches in the weight room at one time due to COVID restrictions, this platform serves as an extra set of eyes as well an instructor in the weight room. Coaches can use the “Percent of Max” feature to assign custom weights to each athlete. Coaches also have the ability to send custom skill workouts for quarterbacks, linemen or receivers. Athletes are sent the workouts on their phones and then simply watch the video, perform the workouts, and record the results. With all of the workouts logged, athletes will be able to see their improvement overtime.

“The communication aspect of it is nice. It has a team feed like a Facebook homepage. I post challenges to kids. They can post the videos wearing their gear. We had a lip synch battle. You can private message and that keeps from having a text go to everyone. It’s kind of like HUDL that way.” - Brush High (Ohio) strength coach Ryan Dugan

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“The pandemic has made it difficult to correct every technique issue. The kids can log in and see videos of proper technique linked to each lift and they self-coach. It makes my role in the weight room a lot more effective.” - Jason Wilson, Birmingham Groves High School (MI)

FOOTBALL TRADITION

Football’s Constant: Football America Reflects on 30 Years of Serving the Game BY MARTIN WINKLER, FOOTBALL AMERICA DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

ver the last 30 years, football has seen changes at an unbelievable pace. Traditional run

first offenses have been replaced with pass heavy plays. Los Angeles lost two professional teams, only to see two of them return. The game saw exponential growth in popularity, fully cementing itself as America’s Game. But most importantly, the game’s focus has moved from adoring bone-crushing hits, to pushing for better player safety and care. But even as the game has evolved, at its heart, football is the same great game it has always been. It is a game of toughness, anxiousness, high drama, and the undying will to succeed, epitomizing the American Spirit. Since 1990, Football America has been helping players excel at the game they love by providing the latest equipment and apparel needed to play the game at the highest level. Starting out as a small sporting goods specialty store in San Antonio, Texas, we have since grown to become one of the largest and oldest continuously operating online football retailers in the country. While our customers have certainly changed over the decades, we are still lucky to see some familiar faces from those early years. The kids that bought from us years ago are now making purchases for their own kids, and words cannot describe how humbled we are to know that, like football itself, we have been able to cross generations. The world is constantly changing. The game of football is constantly changing. But our mission has never wavered. The key to our success has been having a staff that, just like you, loves the competition and the spirit of football. And we will keep working hard to make your football fun and enjoyable. It is our expertise and our passion for the game that has been our cornerstone, and we vow to keep it that way. Yes, the game has certainly changed. But we are proud to be football’s constant. Being able to serve our coaches, our players, our teams, and our leagues for more than a quarter of a century has been an absolute honor. We look forward to serving you for another 30 years and beyond, and we cannot wait to see where football takes us next. Contact one of our Team Representatives today for special pricing on the latest equipment from top brands like Adidas, Schutt, Under Armour, and more! Give us a call at 866-816-9892 or visit us anytime at FootballAmerica.com.

ADDRESS:

1003 E Nakoma St, Suite 104 San Antonio, TX 78216

WEBSITE: FootballAmerica.com FACEBOOK: @FootballAmerica PHONE: (866) 816-9892

PLAYBOOK presented by 3X1 COVERAGE CHECKS OUT OF A 3-MAN FRONT BY MATT MCDONNELL, HEAD COACH OF KETTLE MORAINE HIGH (WISC.) @MATTMCDONNELL14

or most coverages, coaches begin to draw them against a pro or a 2*2 open set. However, when offenses choose to put three threats on one side of the

field, coverages must adapt due to an overload. Offenses can use these sets to gain a numbers advantage or a matchup advantage. Here, I will go over our methodology at Kettle Moraine for adjusting to 3*1 sets as well as diagramming a few of our favorites. ■■ Methodology: After deciding how many checks you will carry into the week, you must decide which checks to carry. We do not carry all of our checks every week. Here are the three most important aspects we look at:

What type(s) of 3*1 set is the opponent in? Are they in spread sets, with 4 WR’s? Or 11 personal sets with the TE to the 3 man side? 3*1 with a nub TE? Do they get into 12 personal sets? The formations that we will see have a great influence over which checks will come in for the week, as some checks we only like vs certain looks.

What is the offense trying to do in these sets? What pass concepts are they using? Do they go attack the field, the boundary? Are they trying to gain vertical leverage or horizontal? Are they trying to run the ball or throw? This information will further help determine which checks we like for the week.

What is their personnel like? Who is the best WR and where does he line up? Do they move him around? The biggest thing with this is if we feel we can cover the backside WR one on one or we need help. That determines which coverages we can play and what reductions we run.

Lastly, you will need to determine how you want to call these checks in a game. Do you want to tell your players one check per series and change it as you see fit? Do you want to give them one check per formation or personnel grouping? Or do you want to signal in a check with every call so the players know if the opponent goes 3*1 to use that check? Below are a few of our favorite checks drawn up.

There are a lot of details that go into this check. However, the basic premise is a cover 3 strong cloud spin, with man on man on the backside. We will typically send one of the linebackers as well.

In this check, we are playing true zone quarters to the 3 man side and on the backside playing man to man. The backside safety is responsible for the vertical of #3.

This check gives us another cover 3 look and we can use it vs open sets as well. We like this because it puts our safety over their TE and gives us extra run support to that side.

We like this check because it gives us an answer if we feel the backside player is better than our CB, or the guy they want to get the ball to. We play cover 2 with all the all linebackers, minus the sam, as well as the backside corner and safety. We play our zone quarters to the 3 man side.

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One Place. All The Football. HELPING FOOTBALL COACHES, PLAYERS AND FANS AT ALL LEVELS: blog.firstdownplaybook.com

California Coach: A Playbook for Dealing with No Season BY JEREMY PLAA, HEAD COACH AT THOMAS DOWNEY HIGH (CALIF.)

eeping our kids motivated during this off-

season, or non-season for some states, is an on-going and evolving process. At Thomas Downey High School in Modesto, Calif., we’ve had months of “conditioning only” activities. We have not been allowed to use weight equipment or footballs, or even have cones on the field. As in most places in California, the restrictions are heavy to keep our kids safe. So we’ve had to come up with some creative things to help keep our kids connected to our program.

Monitor Grades

Structure Conditioning Workouts

An App to Stay Connected

Reviewing the scheme

Create competition

The first and most important thing our coaches do is monitor their grades. With a constantly changing start date in our state, it’s been difficult to figure out what term grades will actually determine our kids’ eligibility. Regardless, we are constantly trying to motivate our kids to bring their grades up. I will check our kids’ grades every two weeks and then communicate our straight “A’s” on Twitter for positive reinforcement, and then text individual players who have bad grades. I will also notify all position coaches of their group’s grades, so the assistant coaches can also help to motivate their kids. We condition for three days a week, for 90 minutes at a time. We have to be separated into 25-member pods to make sure we can isolate a pod in the case of any positive COVID tests. Ninety minutes of just conditioning is a challenge, so we build in a “halftime talk.” Most of our coaches will do 30-45 minutes of flexibility and conditioning drills, and then do position-specific drills with their group. In between, we think it’s important that our kids talk. We have them address the group and the coaches. Our coaches will choose their own topics or themes and try to come up with something that will get the kids talking. Staying connected has been made easier with apps like GroupMe. In the past we’ve used group texts and Hudl messaging, but nothing has been as quick or efficient as the apps meant for group texting. As we all know, kids have their phones attached to their hands most of the time, so constantly communicating with them through the group apps makes them always feel connected to another human. We’ve been paused twice in our conditioning, and both times I felt many of our kids’ helplessness was overwhelming. The GroupMe app really helped our boys stay connected to each other. And I made it a point to reach out to the program at least once or twice a week with updates. We use some online tools to help keep kids connected as well. We use an online playbook to coordinate our scheme and terminology. For years, we’ve used Google Slides and Docs to keep our playbook materials live and easy to share with players, but now we are moving to an online playbook platform. Either tool gives our kids a chance to distance learn. I’ve used Google Sheets to keep track of our “Pride Points” and kept it on our program’s website so kids can always check in on their current rank and progress. The last thing we started this year is a fantasy football league. I quickly see it growing next year. I started a free league on ESPN and invited the first 19 kids to show up and have the chance to become champion of my league. The league filled up in about 10 minutes. It takes no effort to run because the app does all the work for you. It has led to more discussions about football.

PLAYBOOK presented by

BOOST YOUR PASSING GAME WITH Rocket Concept

The Rocket concept is a simple concept that we use out of our 3 X 1 set. This concept involves a 15-yard stop route by the No. 1 receiver, a 12-yard option route by the No. 2 receiver, and a 12-yard sit route by No. 3 receiver (as shown in diagram 1). We have experienced a lot of success with this concept as it allows us to attack the defense vertically and gives us unlimited options vs. blitzing defenses and quarters coverage. We have found that this concept is a very compatible to our quick game and has a direct effect on defenses when it’s time to stretch the field vertically.

trips right/left rocket

Coaching the Stop Route

We require that the receiver use a speed release off the football. We coach our guys against a soft corner to attack the defenders technique splitting the midline of his chest while quickly closing his cushion. Once he feels he has created a two way go he should step on the defenders toes, causing him to open his hips. Once he has opened the defenders hips, he is coached to continue to push the route to 15 yards. He will make his break opening his hips 45 degrees expecting the throw to be on his up field shoulder, providing him the opportunity to run after he makes the catch.

Coaching the Option Route

Once the No. 2 receiver has defeated the invert defender, he will push his route 12 yards and depending on the coverage he will hook up away from pressure. The key coaching point in this route is the alignment of the No. 2 receiver and the ability to work to their landmark. We have found that aligning the No. 2 receiver one yard inside the hash and having him work to a landmark of two

trips right/left rocket TB swing

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yards outside the hash creates a natural horizontal stretch on most defenses. This stretch allows the quarterback to get through his progressions much easier and instantly opens up throwing lanes.

Coaching the Sit Route

Our philosophy in the pass game is that if they didn’t blitz you on first down be prepared for it on the next down. In embodying this philosophy we ensure that all of our route concepts have built in blitz beaters. The Rocket concept is no different. Our No. 3 receiver is coached to take a track to his landmark that will automatically replace any blitzing defender on the way to his landmark of hitching up 12 yards over the center. It is important that he gets to this landmark as he is key in holding the safety vs Cover 3, and is an immediate option as the coverage lifts vs quarters coverage.

Quarterback/Read and Progression

We consider Rocket to be part of our base passing game which is predicated primarily on timing. In our base pass game we utilize formations and pre-snap movement to create favorable matchups. We often run Rocket out of some form of a 3 x 1 formation because we believe it gives our backside X receiver a favorable matchup that we instill he must win. After our QB has gone through his pre-snap read if he determines he has a one on one matchup, that will be his primary read in his progression. After the QB receives the snap we coach our quarterbacks to take a three step drop, a quick gather, and throw. We emphasize to our quarterbacks the importance of ball placement in the success of this concept, so we are critical of their mechanics as they go through their progressions. We coach our quarterbacks to place the ball on the outside shoulder of the receiver, throwing him open and away from pressure. In this concept we will vary the protection using both a 5 and 6 man protection. If we find that defenses are attempting to get the WLB underneath the X receiver’s route, we will then move to a 5-man protection and swing the RB to open the throwing lane.

One Place. All The Football. HELPING FOOTBALL COACHES, PLAYERS AND FANS AT ALL LEVELS: blog.firstdownplaybook.com

THE ROCKET CONCEPT Vs. Quarters Coverage

The Rocket Concept has become a very explosive play for us vs quarters coverage (Diagram 3). It allows us now to tag our No. 2 receiverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s route and further put the defense in conflict. Tagging the No. 2 receiver gives the play a completely different look however it still keeps an element of simplicity that allows the concept to be productive. We will often tag the No. 2 receiver on a corner route. We coach our No. 2 receiver to push the corner route to 12 yards and stay high on the break as we are looking to remove the safety and high low the corner simultaneously. This allows for a very explosive play as the CB is put in immediate conflict and when completed delivers a big play downfield.

We also love this concept against quarterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coverage because it gives us a favorable matchup backside that we look to exploit. This helps us continue to move the chains while working to set up the defense for us to take a calculated shot with the deep ball.

Trips right/left rocket y corner

CONCLUSION

BY TORIANO MORGAN, VIRGINIA STATE, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

trips vs quarters

When to run Rocket

We feel rocket is a great concept against any defense. We will run Rocket against a hard or soft corner as we feel it is very effective against both. We see a lot of quarters coverage so being able to execute this concept out of various formations and personnel l groupings has played a very big part in our execution of this success. We have made this play a staple in our offense as it also marries well with down and distance and moving the chains which we utilize to our advantage.

Trey Rocket

Empty Rocket A corner

IN CLOSING WE HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS

throwing the ball and I believe it is attributed to several key points. We like to make sure our concepts are simple enough that our athletes understand where they are going and why. This will make a much more confident athlete that will produce big gains. While the Rocket concept is simple enough to teach at any level it also is flexible enough to attack any defense and gives your QB clear cut options.

TECH CORNER

Sportsboardz Organize Coaches While Recognizing Players Coaches are always trying to drum up inter-team competition by pitting players against each other in the weight room, on the practice field or even in the classroom. Sportsboardz helps streamline that process. BY MATT STARR, FOUNDER AND CEO OF SIDELINE POWER

’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 each issue on different innovative products. It’s time to get #PoweredUP with this month’s featured product, Sportsboardz. Record boards for athletes, school, district, and state; depth charts, strength and fitness boards, goals boards, motivational banners, or facility rules and regulations boards. Chances are, your school uses at least ONE of these. Sometimes there is a nice plaque with a name engraved on a plate, sometimes there is a painted piece of plywood that has records and achievements written in or painted on by hand. There are as many different ways to keep track of and display information as there are schools. Sportsboardz brings cuttingedge design, materials, and manufacturing to the process of keeping, tracking, displaying, and updating records, or any other information. Established in 2009, Sportsboardz uses the highest quality materials for all of their boards. Sportsboardz prides themselves on complete customization of each and every product. There is no one size fits all template. Each board can be as

FOR ADDITIONAL

information about getting Sportsboardz for your program and school, visit www.sidelinepower.com or call 800-496-4290, and see how we can help your program get #PoweredUp.

unique as the program it represents and the information on it. That said, uniformity throughout a program and school is paramount and Sportsboardz can easily transition base elements to maintain continuity. But with Sportsboardz, there is no “click to pick” option. After you approve the initial free proof, the Spoartsboardz Graphic Design Team gets to work on a customized project specifically detailed for your school and program. When it comes to updating records, it can be tricky to maintain visual consistency over the years. That’s why Sportsboardz uses precision cut, micro thin, update strips for all update information. These strips are sent directly to you and updating is as simple as applying the new micro thin film over the old. Additionally, Sportsboardz creates a workbook for every product that allows you to track records and years, to ensure every record and board stays up to date.

FUNDRAISING

High School Offensive Lineman Opens Daylight for Others BY GEHRIG PARKER, USA FOOTBALL

he lack of recognition associated with

being an offensive lineman has never bothered Heritage High School (Wash.) senior offensive lineman Cade Gardner. Nonetheless,, the long-time unsung hero of the gridiron is starting to turn heads for his work in the community. When Heritage announced a six-week shut down on March 13 that later evolved into a rest-of-year closure, Gardner immediately thought of the community that had supported him and the Timberwolves over the past four years. He took to social media to offer a lending hand. Be it shopping for groceries, mowing the lawn, taking the trash out or even washing cars, it didn’t matter to Gardner. He simply wanted to help. “There’s a lot of people who are down or upset, and I’m a kid that has everything I could want – my health, a great family – and a lot of people don’t have that same thing,” Gardner said. “I love ■■Heritage High (Wash.) senior offensive lineman Cade Gardner seeing people smile and helping out.” committed to community service during the pandemic. Though magnified by the pandemic and shutdowns across his hometown, serving the community is nothing new for Gardner. He’s amassed more than 200 hours of community “I’m one of two kids who go to Heritage in my service during his time at Heritage, including work with Reneighborhood, so it’s the main place I’d resort to for any lay for Life, The Water Project and organizing a blanket drive. fundraising we did,” Gardner said. “I’d describe it as a His desire to give back to the community even precludes high lower-income community, so it was tough, but even when school and traces back to his time playing in the Clark County they couldn’t purchase a whole coupon card or whatever (Wash.) Youth Football League. it was we were selling, they’d find some way to donate “At the time I didn’t understand why, but at end of practice money. I was more thankful in that respect because they our coach would have my teammates and I pick up trash weren’t getting anything in return and just genuinely around the field even if it wasn’t left by us because it was our wanted to support us.” high school’s and they were letting us use it,” Gardner said. “I Gardner graduated virtually in the spring before headnever thought anything of it more than just having more time ing east to continue his football career at the University to hang out and talk with my friends, but as I moved through of Jamestown, a NAIA school in North Dakota. He is middle school I noticed more and more opportunities to help researching local businesses in the school’s backyard and outside of football and it just grew from there.” working with university representatives to find commuIt’s more than just putting smiles on the faces of those he nity service opportunities. helps. Another factor fueling Gardner’s servant leadership Though the scene may change, one thing for certain is is his community’s contributions to the Heritage football Cade Gardner is committed to leaving anything he comes program. into contact with better than he found it.

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