FNF Coaches 2017 "Player Safety" by A.E. Engine

@fnfcoaches

The Magazine for High School Football Coaches

april 2017

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College Coach Q&A with smu coach chad morris

Training strength, speed & flexibility

A Run to Remember Saint Ignatius High (Ohio) coach Chuck Kyle with juniors Mark Bobinski (34), John Jamieson (65) and Justin Sands (8)

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ON THE FRONT COVER

04. COACHES’ CONNECTION 06. NEWS & NOTES 08. GEAR 32. SPEED TRAINING 34. FLEXIBILITY TRAINING 35. NUTRITION 36. INJURY PREVENTION 37. EDUCATION 40. USA FOOTBALL

■■ Saint Ignatius High (Ohio) coach Chuck Kyle with juniors Mark Bobinski (34), John Jamieson (65) and Justin Sands (8).

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COACHES’ CONNECTION LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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e are proud to present our fourth monthly edition of 2017, which features

player safety. April is the perfect time for coaches to take stock of their programs and make sure they are providing a safe environment for their student-athletes. Ensuring player safety is all about having a plan, and we do our best to help coaches formulate one. Coaches are now expected to educate themselves on safety issues such as concussions, heat-emergency preparedness, equipment reconditioning, tackling and blocking technique, offseason strength and conditioning, nutrition, and recovery. It can be overwhelming to tackle all of this at once. Believe us – we know. We will attempt to break it all down in a simple, easy-to-understand format. We’ll provide research, analysis and product recommendations – and if you’re looking for more information, we’ll try to steer you in the right direction. Parents place their faith in coaches to keep their children safe and healthy – and return them back in one piece at the end of each practice or game. No responsibility is more important. It’s worth taking the time in the offseason to make sure you are aware of all of the latest trends and educational opportunities. If you would like to learn more about any of the topics we cover in this edition, we’d like to hear from you. Please email fnf@ae-engine.com and let us know what we missed. We want to continue to provide you with information you want in the coming months, so we’d like to hear your suggestions for content. Engage with us on our website, FNFCoaches.com, and social media, @FNFCoaches, and tell us your suggestions for feature stories. We recognize there is no better source for high school football trends than the coaches that make the game great.

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o beyond the coaching philosophy – learn the steps to implement them in your program. USA Football’s NEW Coaches’ Notes provides strategies you can trust and is written by coaches for coaches. Learn the philosophy, dive into the schematics, watch it in action and start implementing immediately into your program. Coaches’ Notes allows coaches to get deep into the details of on and off field strategies. ■■ Interactive – features video, schematics and written explanations. ■■ Read it, watch it, print it off, mark it up – learn at your own pace. ■■ Unlimited access for just $50/year ■■ Access your go-to football resource – subscribe at usafootball.com/coaches-notes

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he FNF Coaches app is available for free on iTunes (designed for both the iPhone and iPad) and Amazon (for Android). It is geared toward high school football head coaches and assistants across the continental United States. Coaches who download the FNF Coaches app will be eligible to win an Insight Replay Sideline Replay System. The Sideline Replay System allows coaches to capture video in real-time from multiple cameras and mobile devices. To become eligible for the give-away, a coach must download the FNF Coaches app on the iPhone or Android. Open the app, and the Insight Replay promotion will serve as the welcome screen. Click on the promotion, and enter your name to be eligible to win.

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were mailed to coaches across the country – free of charge. Starting this month, coaches will need a subscription to FNF Coaches to receive the magazine on a monthly basis. FNF Coaches magazine is 100-percent dedicated to high school football coaches. Our intent is to inform coaches on the latest trends and technology advancements in the industry. Each issue will feature a Playbook section with team strategies, training advice, fundraising tips, coaching profiles, health and prevention keys and the latest team-building practices. The publication schedule includes editions in January, February, March, April, May, Summer, September and November. Coaches can order an eight-issue subscription at fnfcoaches.com/subscribe for $26.95 plus $3 for shipping and handling.

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NEWS & NOTES NFSA: No Blindside Blocks, Pop-Up Onside Kicks

he National Federation of State High School Associa-

tions put two new rules in place this offseason that will impact high school football games next season. In order to make the game safer for players, the NFSA has eliminated blindside blocks and pop-up onside kicks. Some coaches question whether these new rules will be able to be officiated fairly. After all, onside kicks occasionally pop up after a few bounces when the kicker had no intention of causing that bounce.

The blindside block is difficult to call because any time a player gets taken to the ground away from the ball, a coach can argue that the player was not looking at the blocker. A hit on any player who is not carrying the ball and “does not see the blocker approaching” is now punished with a 15-yard penalty. A blindside hit is legal if it is initiated with “open hands,” the rule says.

FNF Coaches is a publication FOR coaches, and we certainly welcome submissions BY coaches. If you have a great story idea, a training plan or scheme you wish to share, or even a philosophy on team-building or mentorships, we’d love to publish your work. Feel free to share your story idea with us at fnf@ae-engine.com and we’ll provide you with guidelines in terms of length and structure. We recognize that coaches are experts on topics surrounding football – and not necessarily AP guidelines or writing style – so we are happy to edit all stories and find photos that will help complement your work. Thanks in advance for your contributions.

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if the biggest problem in high school football is the parents. Of the 227 coaches who responded to the survey, 82 percent said dealing with parents has gotten worse. Sixty percent of coaches said they’ve had to speak with parents about their conduct. And 58 percent of the coaches said they’ve considered quitting because of parents. The biggest problem coaches incur with parents is complaints about playing time for their child. Other problems include parents questioning a coach’s strategy, and unsportsmanlike conduct among parents.

to reduce injuries and simulate game scenarios with less risk. It’s a free-standing, remote-controlled, padded dummy that hit the practice field two years ago when Dartmouth College coach Buddy Teevens encouraged the engineering school to come up with a safer way to tackle.

THE NORTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRE-

sentatives is considering a bill that could give parents more input as to when injured players return to the field. The bill seeks to make high school athletics safer by requiring anyone involved in school athletic activities to complete training regarding concussions, sudden cardiac arrest and other heat-related illness. But one part of House Bill 116 is causing controversy: It would allow parents or legal guardians, in addition to health care professionals, to determine when a student-athlete could return to playing following a concussion.

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THE TAYLOR HAUGEN FOUNDA-

High school coaches in Arizona can now practice year-round after a measure was passed by the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s legislative council. The measure, which passed by a vote of 39-5 and goes into effect July 1, does not put limitations on out-of-season practices with the exception of helmets and shoulder pads not being allowed during football workouts. A coach can now practice up to five times a week during the winter sports season.

tion (THF) was created to honor the memory of Taylor Haugen, a 15-year-old Niceville High (Fla.) football player who died in 2008 after sustaining an injury to his liver during a game. The THF created the Youth Equipment for Sports Safety (YESS) program, which outfits middle and high school teams with abdominal protective gear. The THF formed a partnership with NFL quarterback Drew Stanton of the Arizona Cardinals. With the help of Stanton, the foundation was able to outfit Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, Ariz., with EvoShield Rib Shirts. To learn more about the YESS program, visit: yessprogramthf.org

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Base Cover 1 stunts and twists in the double eagle-double ﬂex defense LEO HAND

Because so many teams are now employing no-huddle offenses, defensive huddles should be stored on the same shelf as leather helmets. Defensive calls should be conveyed to

players from the sideline via wristbands. Also, all verbiage must be eliminated from the call.

Many coaches avoid implementing complex stunt maneuvers or comprehensive stunt packages because they are unable to express the information in a concise, precise manner. The answer? Simplify. For me, “Nat-Wamer-1 Tag” is all I need to tell my defense to convey ﬁve vital bits of information: How defenders are aligned in the box, three different stunt maneuvers and the pass coverage.

The system works as follows: Since no defensive alignment is mentioned, players know that they will line up in their base alignment. No need exists to mention the alignment if it’s a team’s base. If you want to change from base to something else, simply precedes the call with a single

syllable that designates the variant. Two-digit numbers and word descriptions are too longwinded. For example, “forty-three” and “single ﬂex” both add three syllables to the call. It is

much more succinct to assign each variation a single syllable (e.g., sap, wap, Mom, Tom, etc.) than to give a multi-syllable word or number description. Next, defensive maneuvers are designated by phonetic sounds that can be merged to create words that are meaningless to everyone on the planet except the players who use them every day in practice.

GO BEYOND THE COACHING PHILOSOPHY – LEARN THE STEPS TO IMPLEMENT THEM IN YOUR PROGRAM

USA Football’s NEW Coaches’ Notes provides strategies you can trust and is written by coaches for coaches. Learn the philosophy, dive into the schematics, watch it in action and start implementing immediately into your program. Coaches’ Notes allows coaches to get deep into the details of on and off field strategies. ■■ Interactive – features video, schematics and written explanations ■■ Read it, watch it, print it off, mark it up – learn at your own pace ■■ Unlimited access for just $50/year Access your go-to football resource – subscribe at: usafootball.com/coaches-notes

For example, with Nat-Wamer 1 Tag: Nat tells nose and Ted to twist Wam tells Whip to blitz through the weakside A gap. When the sufﬁx “er” is added to “wam” or any other stunt involving Whip, Mike is assigned to play his Base 3 technique versus run and spy the near back versus pass. 1 Tag conveys a variation of Cover 1 in which the strong end covers the tight end and Stud blitzes from the edge.

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INSPIRATION A Run to Remember A Michigan coach rewarded a special needs manager with a touchdown as his mother, fighting cancer, saw her son scamper down the field in front of cheering DEREK SMITH fans from two rival schools.

t shouldn’t come as any surprise to anyone

who knows Jeff Burnside that he helped make a young boy’s dreams come true and gave a mother a gift she’ll never forget. Burnside, head coach at Novi (Mi.), High School, went to great lengths to recognize a water boy on his team with Down’s syndrome for his contributions to the program. And, in turn, thanked the teen’s mom for bringing the young man in the team’s life. Robby Heil, a senior special needs student at Novi, began serving as the school’s “hydration engineer” in his freshman year. Last season, Burnside, 40, sent Heil into a game versus South Lyon East, telling him to take a handoff and run to the end zone where he scored a “touchdown” while his mother, Debbie, who is battling cancer, cheered from the sidelines as her son became the star of the game for a few minutes. “Coach Burnside wanted to make

“I realized right then and there I wanted to work with kids,” he said. “It was never something I looked to do. I’ve always said coaching is a calling, not a profession.” Burnside thought about putting Robby on the field for several years and finally decided to design a play for him at the first home game back in school in 2016. “It popped into my mind probably after his second or third year,” he said. “I thought it would be kind of a cool deal to get him one play for all the work he’d done for us.” He called the opposing coach to set it up and ran the play, “Shark Pepsi,” a run-pass option, in practice leading up to Friday night. The event was publicized on Twitter Wednesday before the game, and by Thursday, the school was buzzing. A local television anchor with a child at Novi got wind of it, and word spread among the broadcast and print media who documented the touchdown as it happened. Heil was named Homecoming King later in the season.

this happen and he was able to talk to South Lyon East [coach Joe Pesci] and make this happen,” Debbie Heil, told The Detroit News after the game. “[Robby] feels like he’s a part of the team.” The moment left many at the game, including Burnside, a native of Lapeer, Mi., in tears and earned him much respect from fans, coaching colleagues and special needs advocates across the country. “It was pretty cool,” Burnside said. “It was even more emotional than I expected.” Heil came to the team as a ninthgrader after Debbie, a team photographer, emailed Burnside looking to get Robby involved in a team sport at the school. Burnside didn’t have to think twice about making Heil a manager on the team. “I was like, heck yeah, we’ll do it,” he said. “It wasn’t even a second thought. I knew it would be great.” Burnside worked as a YMCA counselor at the University of Michigan and became interested in education and coaching. Download the FNF Coaches app from the Apple App Store and Google Play

COLLEGE COACHES’ CORNER GRASS ISN’T ALWAYS GREENER

Q&A

WITH SMU COACH CHAD MORRIS DAN GUTTENPLAN

had Morris took over as head coach at Southern

Methodist University in 2014 after spending five seasons as an offensive coordinator on the collegiate level and 16 seasons as a Texas high school coach. He won back-to-back undefeated state championships with Lake Travis (2008-09) in his final two seasons as a prep coach.

What advice would you give to a newly hired high school coach in terms of building a staff? The biggest thing I always looked for in hiring coaches is guys who are willing to work. I can teach you what I want you to know. I know everybody has knowledge. I want guys who are willing to coach and learn. I want a guy with a great work ethic and energy about him. He’s got to have intangibles – a guy who is willing to do things I don’t have to tell him to do. When you talk about guys playing special teams, we talk about guys who are willing to do the things nobody else wants to do just to get on the field. Some people think they’re too good for that. When I’m interviewing coaches, I’ll plant a piece of trash in the hallway. I want to see if he’ll bend down and pick up the trash to throw in the garbage. If he does that, I know he doesn’t think he’s too good to do it. I didn’t have to tell him to do it.

One of the bigger differences in the operating budget

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for high school and college programs is the investment in strength and conditioning programs. What would you recommend to high school coaches who might not have much money to invest? You need to be hands-on as a high school coach. You have to have knowledge of the strength and conditioning program. I’ve been on both sides. I’ve had a strength coach in some places, and in others, I haven’t. I’ve always been heavily involved in the overall development of the players. That’s the biggest thing. You’ve got to have a hands-on approach to it all.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned about strength and conditioning? One of the biggest things we’re seeing

ome coaches think of high school football as a stepping-stone to a bigger job – either at the college or professional level. Morris implores high school coaches who are looking to make the jump to the next level to be careful what you wish for. “Once you get into the business, it’s hard,” Morris said. “It’s different than high school. The time commitments and constraints … Everybody sees that Saturday afternoon when you’re in front of 85,000 people. They think that’s the life of a college coach. That’s 12 times a year. They don’t see the long hours and the demands that are placed upon us.” Most high school coaches that make the jump to college will spend several years working behind the scenes as support staff – either recruiting or breaking down film. “It’s a great profession, don’t get me wrong,” Morris said. “But you have to be in it for the right reasons. You can’t be in it for the money. People want to get in it because they see what they’re paying coaches these days. If that happens, great. If not, then you got in it for the wrong reasons.”

more and more is these kids train yearround before they get here. I have to be cognizant of knowing there is such a thing as overworking them. The recovery part is so important – recovery, rest and nutrition. Those are the things that weren’t looked upon five years ago. Everyone is lifting weights and doing speed and agility. Now, because they’re working so hard, we have to build in recovery time for these guys.

What does that look like? Do you give them extra days off? Our recovery is built in during a portion of the week. It’s not that we’re not working. It’s that we’re working smarter. We dedicate a day of the week to recovery. We’re still working in an area that allows the body to recover. Maybe we’re doing mental reps in the film room. Maybe it’s stretching or yoga. Those things help with recovery.

How closely do you

monitor nutrition and hydration? We have a nutritionist constantly monitoring what our players put in their bodies. We monitor players’ work rates with a GPS device that they wear. We can see their maximum speed and exertion load during the training session. Everyone has access to those numbers, and we watch those numbers to make sure we’re not overusing these kids. If they hit a yardage number, we’ll start backing down.

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How does a coach instill a culture of academic excellence? That’s easy. We’ve been doing that for many years. We still do it here. Get involved with the teachers. We would have a Teacher of the Week when I was in high school. That teacher would get perks throughout the week; we’d put a banner over the classroom door, give them tickets to game, sideline passes. We let them speak to the team during the pregame meal. Those types of things involve the faculty and staff. You have to be out there as a head coach. You have to be seen in the lunch room, the teacher’s lounge. They have to see you and be able to relate to you on campus if there’s an issue.

So, you’re showing teachers that you’re willing to work together as part of a team? One thing I was told long ago: Look, there’s the chief of police, the superintendent, the high school principal, the preacher and the high school coach. Those are the big influential people in the community. And people would tell me, “Coach, it’s not in that order.” The head coach might be as influential as anybody in the system. Own that, and set an example.

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I think the No. 1 thing, to be honest, is just be straight. Take pride in that. Be honest about your players. It’s all about working together. Have them demand to the college coach that they work through the high school coach. What’s happening now is we deal with handlers, people who go around the high school coach to get to the player and his parents. As a high school coach, I never wanted that to happen. It all had to go through me or my assistant.

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Have a

SAFETY PLAN A coach bears the ultimate responsibility of providing a safe environment for his players during training sessions and games. Nothing is more important.

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layer safety has come to the forefront of

the discussion surrounding high school football in recent years, and coaches are expected to educate themselves on the rules and best practices for keeping their players out of harm’s way. We understand this can be an overwhelming proposition for high school coaches who are also trying to serve as role models, build programs, and win games. Football is a collision sport, so injuries are inevitable. Every coach needs a plan for when these setbacks occur – whether they come in the form of concussions, heat-related illnesses, damaged equipment, or any other issue that might require oversight.

What is your safety plan? If you don’t have one, you need one. Parents place their trust in coaches to steer their way through the most challenging of medical issues, and making the wrong decision could leave a coach wishing he’d taken the time to formulate an emergency action plan. We’ll help you with that by sharing our findings of the most recent trends in player safety. The responsibility of a high school football coach has never been greater when it comes to seeking out resources and educational tools to deal with issues of player safety. Read on to learn how to create a safety plan for your team.

10 Things You Must Do to Ensure Player Safety A coach needs to be proactive when it comes to player safety. There are many preventative steps a coach can take to ensure that he is prepared when a player safety issue arises. We polled a collection of industry experts to come up with a list of 10 things every coach DAN GUTTENPLAN should be doing to ensure player safety.

Appoint a safety advisor. Saint Ignatius (Ohio) coach Chuck Kyle has one coach on his staff who is responsible for educating himself and the rest of the staff on issues of player safety. “This person will have the safety factor in mind when we’re drawing up a drill, introducing a new strength training philosophy, or dealing with heat and dehydration.” Keep the players in-house. Neshaminy coach Steve Wilmot discourages his players from training at local gyms or under the supervision of personal trainers. He prefers to monitor the techniques that are being taught and recovery periods allotted. “I want to make sure I am providing the best weightlifting environment, the best agility and speed program.” Get educated on best practices. SMU coach Chad Morris was a head coach at the high school level for 16 years, so he understands not every program has a budget for a strength coach and full-time athletic trainer. “You have to be educated on it first, and then you have to educate players on safety.” Keep records for each player. University of Delaware equipment manager Kyle Martinelli recommends that a coach should have a file on each one of his players. The file should include weight gains, strength gains, and equipment adjustments. “We create player cards with all of their measurements, all sizes, and any alterations. From a liability standpoint, that’s huge.” Get players acclimated to heat. Korey Stringer Institute of the University of Connecticut Director of Sport Safety Will Adams, PhD, stresses that coaches should ease players into exercise in heat. “All summer conditioning should involve a heat acclimatization period in which you’re gradually exposing athletes to exercise in hot conditions.”

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Work with the conditioning levels you have – not the levels you want. Gunnar Peterson,

a personal trainer for professional football players, recommends that coaches consider the conditioning level of each player and adjust

the workout accordingly. “Start with a fresh canvas every day. You have to amend workouts based on what the athletes are bringing you. Don’t just say, ‘We’ll do this on Day 13, this on Day 14.’ Maybe they took the weekend off, and they’re more at risk for injury.” Limit the live contact periods. Cathedral High (Ind.) coach Rick Streiff has seen the overall number of injuries decrease since he scaled back the amount of live drills. “We practice thud drills. There’s a predetermined winner. It minimizes the amount of contact, and limits the numbers of hits a player takes in one practice, over the course of a week, and the course of the season.” Keep sight lines open in the weight room. Carl Middelton, sales manager for Total Strength and Speed, says that injuries in the weight room often stem from a lack of space. “When you’re training 70 or 80 kids at the same time, it’s impossible to keep sight lines open for coaches to oversee proper technique. You want players to have a range of motion so they’re not restricted.” Stock your training room. Rancho Verde (Calif.) coach Jeff Steinberg stocks his training room with athletic tape, a first-aid kit, crutches, ice, water jugs, heat packs, and a whirlpool. “You don’t want to have to mess around looking for something when somebody needs medical attention.” Sanitize and recondition equipment. Martinelli recommends disinfecting all hard equipment (helmets, pads) twice a week – before and after games. He also sends out helmet and shoulder pads to the suppliers once a year to be recertified and reconditioned. “We feel good once we get them back that they can be used on the field of play.”

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SAFETY PLAN

10 Things You Need to Know About Concussions DAN GUTTENPLAN

hen people think about player safety in football,

concussions are often the first thing they think about. At just about every level of football, the sport’s governing bodies are taking steps to ensure that athletes are less susceptible to head injuries. Here are 10 things coaches need to know about concussions.

The NFHS’s safety recommendations. Full contact periods – both live and thud – should be limited to two to three practices per week, and only 60-90 minutes in that week. Additionally, there should be no full-contact on consecutive days and only one session of two-a-day practices.

Learn the proper coaching techniques.

As part of its Heads Up Football initiative, USA Football worked alongside the Seattle Seahawks, USA Rugby and the American Football Coaches Association to offer coaches online and in-person instruction on its Shoulder Tackle system. The Heads Up Football certification is available on NFHSLearn.com. Take the complimentary shoulder tackling course today at: usafootball.com/courses

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Helmet reconditioning standards. The National Operating Committee for Sports Equipment standards do not require recertification or reconditioning of helmets on any particular schedule or frequency. However, many state athletic associations have their own regulations. For instance, the state of California requires annual inspections. Every other state playing under National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and NCAA rules requires recertification every two years. Concussions signs. Look for the following signs from a player that is suspected to have suffered a concussion: He can’t recall events prior to or after a hit, appears dazed or stunned, forgets an instruction, is confused about an assignment or position, is unsure of the score or opponent, moves clumsily, answers questions slowly, loses consciousness, or shows mood or personality changes. When to call 9-1-1. Dangerous signs and symptoms of a concussion include one pupil larger than the other; drowsiness or inability to wake up; a headache that gets worse and does not go away; slurred speech, weakness,

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THE CDC

numbness, or decreased coordination; repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures (shaking or twitching); unusual behavior, increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation; or a loss of consciousness (passed out/knocked out). Returning to school. Most studentathletes won’t require academic adjustments as they recover from a concussion. However, for student-athletes with ongoing symptoms, a variety of formal support services may be available to help them during their recovery. Check your state and school district guidelines to see if your player is eligible for the Response to Intervention Protocol (RTI), 504 Plan, or Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Returning to play. After a concussion, an athlete should only return to sports practices with the approval and under the supervision of their health care provider. A player’s return to the field requires these five steps: 1.) The player returns to school. 2.) The player begins light aerobic activity. 3.) The player begins moderate activity. 4.) The player begins heavy, non-contact activity. 4.) Practice and fullcontact. 5.) Competition. Create an action plan. When in doubt, remove the athlete from play on the same day of the injury and until cleared by a health care provider. Record the following information for the health care provider: cause of injury and force of the hit, any loss of consciousness, any memory loss, any seizures, and the number or previous concussions. Recovery tips. Rest is key to help the brain heal. Advise the player’s parents to keep the player on a regular sleep routine with no late nights or sleepovers. Avoid high-risk activities that could cause another blow to the head. Return slowly to activities, and report any setbacks or challenges to the studentathlete’s medical provider. Consider new technology. The Riddell InSite Impact Response System has a helmet-based impact monitoring technology designed to alert coaches and trainers when significant impacts are sustained during football practices and games. Team staff can also use InSite software to track player alert history and learn more about the impact exposure.

THE CDC (CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL

and Prevention) offers coaches opportunities for continuing education on concussion training through online courses and the Heads Up app. The CDC website – cdc.gov – offers information on brain injuries, helmet safety, online courses and resources for coaches to post in their locker rooms and distribute in team meetings. The Mississippi State Department of Health endorses the CDC’s Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sport online course as a resource for coaches, parents and athletes. The Mississippi Youth Concussion Law of 2014 requires that concussion education be made available for parents and other interested Mississippians. THE VICIS FOUNDATION THE VICIS FOUNDATION STARTED FROM A

realization that many schools and youth leagues lack access to the latest sports protective equipment. VICIS Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to helping high schools and youth leagues gain access to the latest helmets, other sports protective equipment, and sports safety educational programs. The VICIS ZERO1 helmet, designed to reduce impact forces, is the culmination of a 3-year, $20 million research and development effort shaped by some of the world’s leading athletes, engineers and neurosurgeons. To apply for a grant through the VICIS Foundation, visit: vicis.co/vicis-foundation-pre-application NOCSAE THE NOCSAE (NATIONAL OPERATING COMMITTEE ON

Standards for Athletic Equipment) commissions research in sports medicine and science and establishes standards for athletic equipment, where feasible. In its efforts in this field, the Committee fosters and encourages the dissemination of information on research findings on athletic equipment, injury data, and other closely related areas of inquiry through the organizations represented on the NOCSAE Board of Directors, and other entities in the fields of athletic and sports medicine. In January of 2017, The NOCSAE Standards Committee finalized revisions to its existing football helmet standard that limits maximum rotational forces that are involved in many concussions. VIRGINIA TECH 5-STAR RATING SINCE 2011, VIRGINIA TECH RESEARCHERS

have been providing unbiased helmet ratings that allow consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing helmets. The helmet ratings are the culmination of over 10 years of research on head impacts in sports and identify which helmets best reduce concussion risk. This work is done as part of Virginia Tech’s service mission and is 100 percent independent of any funding or influence from helmet manufacturers. The helmet ratings identify which helmets best reduce concussion risk. To view Virginia Tech’s rated helmets, visit: beam.vt.edu/helmet/helmets_football.php Download the FNF Coaches app from the Apple App Store and Google Play

SAFETY PLAN 10 Tips to Avoid Heat-Related Illnesses Will Adams, PhD, is the Vice President of Sport Safety with the Korey Stringer Institute, University of Connecticut. The mission of the Korey Stringer Institute is to provide research, education, advocacy and consultation to maximize performance, DAN GUTTENPLAN optimize safety and prevent sudden death for athletes.

Hold a preseason meeting. A coach, in conjunction with an athletic trainer, should host a preseason meeting in which he discusses hydration and heat-emergency preparedness with players and parents. Dehydration is shown to inflate a player’s body temperature when he’s exercising in heat. A coach and athletic trainer should share strategies to minimize fluid loss in heat.

one-a-days so that players don’t have two-a-days on back-to-back days. Rest in a cool environment. Whenever possible, get the players out of the sunlight on hot days. If you’re giving a post-practice speech, do it in the locker room or in a shaded place. Watch more film on hot days, and save the intense workouts for less extreme temperatures. Give extra water breaks. The hotter the temperature, the more athletes will sweat. That means they’ll need more breaks to replace the water they’re losing. If you can’t stand the thought of sacrificing practice time for water breaks, remember that a player’s focus and physical productivity will be sacrificed when he’s dehydrated.

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Address each player’s fitness level before the season begins. NCAA

research has shown that 88 to 90 percent of heat-related deaths since 2000 have taken place in the opening days of practice after players return from an extended break. Players often struggle through those opening workouts because they are unaccustomed to exercising in heat. If the state allows it, it is helpful for coaches to build in some conditioning prior to those first team workouts.

Help players acclimate to the heat.

Help each player improve his heat tolerance while exercising. Coaches need to ease athletes into adverse heat conditions. Start with shorter workouts and plenty of rest periods and water breaks. As temperatures get more extreme, coaches need to make modifications to the practice schedule. Manage equipment in the first week. The Korey Stringer Institute recommends the following guidelines for the first week of practice: On Days 1 and 2, practices should be held in helmets, shorts and t-shirts. On Days 3 to 5, players can add shoulder pads. Only on Day 6 should a coach run a practice with players in full pads. Modify practice length in heat. No practice in the first week should run longer than three hours. Two-a-days should not start in the first week of practice. Once two-a-days begin, coaches need to allow at least three hours between practices. Coaches should alternate two-a-days with

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it might make sense to postpone a practice until the evening when the sun is down. Cutting practice short is also a smart decision in extreme heat. In the most severe temperatures, you might even consider cancelling practice altogether rather than risking a potential heat-related illness. Consider your geography. A 90-degree day in Maine is going to feel different for the players than a 90-degree day in Georgia. If your players are unaccustomed to exercising in heat, they will be more likely to suffer a heat-related illness. If you can find a website that offers the wet-bulb temperature for your school’s town, go to it regularly. You may also consider purchasing a wet-bulb thermometer. A wet-bulb temperature reading considers factors such as humidity, air density and dew point. Weigh the players before and after practice. Different players have different fluid needs. A lineman will likely need to drink more water than a skill position player. Establish what those needs are before and after practice.

WILL ADAMS, PHD VP OF SPORT SAFETY, KOREY STRINGER INSTITUTE

Be flexible with the practice schedule. On the hottest of days,

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educate youths and others about the dangers of heat-related illnesses. Cool Draft donated a HP-360 Portable Misting Fan to the Max Gilpin Beat the Heat Foundation last summer, allowing players practicing in the extreme heat and humidity in the Ohio Valley to cool down. Crockett wrote a letter of gratitude to Cool Draft following her experience with the misting fans. “It deeply saddens me to know that had the football team my son was playing for had one of these fans on that sweltering August day, his life may have been spared,” Crockett said. “Heat illness can creep up quickly so be prepared! With the help of Cool Draft Scientific and our foundation, we hope to keep this tragedy from happening to another young athlete.”

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BENEFITS ■■ Cool Draft misting fans will reduce unsafe

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“COOL DRAFT HAS HIT A HOME RUN WITH THIS ONE! I HAVE USED EVERY MISTING FAN SINCE THE LATE 1990S, AND THE HP-360 IS BY FAR THE BEST, MOST PORTABLE, MISTING FAN I HAVE EVER SEEN!” – DWAYNE JOHNSON, HEAD ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, OHIO VALLEY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FOOTBALL Download the FNF Coaches app from the Apple App Store and Google Play

SAFETY PLAN 10 Tips for Safe Tackling and Blocking As more restrictions on full-contact practices have been implemented at the high school level over the last few years, coaches are finding DAN GUTTENPLAN new ways to teach safe tackling and blocking techniques.

Place the near foot on the leverage side. The tackling player’s shoulder and near hip should mirror the lead foot. This will prevent the ball-carrier from breaking containment and getting a clean path to the sideline.

When blocking, take six-inch steps into the strike zone. An offensive lineman will become

unbalanced with longer strides. Keep the steps short and precise to remain balanced before the contact with the pass-rusher or run-stopper is initiated. Perfect the strike zone technique. An offensive lineman should initiate contact with the defender by striking his hands into the defender’s breast plate. Strike with the thumbs up and palms in. The lineman should attempt to lift the breast plate to create leverage.

athedral High (Ind.) coach Rick Streiff, a USA Foot-

ball Master Trainer, has been teaching his players the Shoulder Tackle technique for five seasons. He offers 10 tips to teaching safe tackling and blocking techniques.

Keep the head up and out of the tackle. Streiff has

found that even mentioning head placement when teaching tackling often results in players overthinking the technique and getting the head involved. The emphasis should be on the parts of the body that should be used in the tackle. Focus on the positioning of the feet. A player attempting a tackle should keep his feet under him – rather than lunging or leaving his feet. Stress that a player should bring his feet to the point of attack and continue taking steps through the tackling process. Become a leverage team. Defensive players should practice team defense when making a tackle. Players on the outside should attack the outside leg of the ball-carrier. The focus of the tackler should be stopping the ball-carrier’s momentum at the point of attack.

Force the ball-carrier toward the defense’s pursuit.

If the defensive player is going to miss the tackle, he should miss in a way that forces the ball-carrier back toward the strength of the defense. Players on the perimeter should force the ball-carrier back inside where his defensive teammates are in pursuit.

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RICK STREIFF HEAD COACH, CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL

Lineman should stick with their hips underneath them. Once the contact is made in the strike

zone, the offensive lineman should get on his heels and bring the hips forward. The proper technique is for the offensive lineman to have his entire foot on the ground. If you’re standing behind the offensive line, you don’t want to see linemen’s heels.

Teach blocking through the hands, hips and feet. The old system of blockers initiating contact with the hat and hands has become outdated. Now, it should be taught through the hands, hips and feet. Steer the blocker with the hands and keep the hips and feet underneath the torso to create leverage. Walk through it. Build muscle memory by walking through the technique rather than starting in live gameaction speed. In a pass set, teach linemen to create separation from the defender. In run-blocking, teach players to drive forward rather than going for a finishing blow.

The Frog: ‘It’s Given Us an Edge Over Our Competition’ Last month, the San Pasqual High (Calif.) football team received a shipment of five Frogs from Frog Fitness, Inc. The Fighting Eagles DAN GUTTENPLAN now feel that they have a leg up on the competition.

an Pasqual strength coach James Eidson

spent the last 10 years trying to correct players’ hip issues by reinforcing squatting technique. Still, he always felt he needed to provide better visualize evidence to expose his players’ weaknesses. He’s found that in The Frog. “One thing I’ve definitely seen is that kids today have a large amount of hip issues,” Eidson said. “When you put them on a horizontal plane and ask them to push back with their legs, you can see which hip has the issue. In the old days, you’d make them squat and try to teach them form. Sometimes, they’d get it. Sometimes, they wouldn’t. This is a game-changer.” Eidson can now show an athlete exactly where an imbalance lies by pointing to the way The Frog reacts to his movements. “I’ll see kids get their legs back; one leg goes with no problem while the other is struggling,” Eidson said. “When a kid can actually feel it, he can make an adjustment. If the wheels go sideways, he can see it and have an immediate response. The reason they’ll struggle is they lack strength in their hips, quads, hip flexors and hamstrings.” The Frog is the result of years of relentless hard work, research and development, and scientific testing. The Frog is already

being widely accepted throughout the NFL, the NBA, Pro Motocross, and MMA. Even America’s most respected warriors throughout the U.S. Military are training with The Frog, and most recently Olympic athletes began adding The Frog to their training regimens. Eidson has found many ways to use The Frog over the last month – both as a stationary device in the weight room as well as a mobile device used for inter-team races on the football field. Regardless of how The Frog is used, Eidson and San Pasqual coach Tony Corley swear by its efficiency.

“Our big thing is movement,” Corley said. “You have to be strong when you move in football, so we want to train that way, especially with our big guys. You can be strong and lie on a bench pushing weight. When you have to move, you activate the core and really expose the areas that need work. We want them to be coordinated, and all of those stabilizer muscles have to work together on The Frog.” Eidson also trains college and aspiring professional athletes on The Frog. One particular player is dealing with a knee injury that makes it painful to run or do plyometric exercises. He’s found that he’s able to maintain his fitness and prepare for team workouts on The Frog. “I can take an athlete with a knee problem that can’t run very well and put him on The Frog,” Eidson said. “He can be explosive and achieve tripleextension with maximum effort and no pain. That’s huge for a strength coach.” Eidson has even started doing his own workouts on The Frog. “I’m not just getting feedback from kids; I’m using it myself,” Eidson said. “I wish I could get a few more.” ■■ Learn more at frogfitness.com/fnf

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SAFETY PLAN eight tips for equipment safety Kyle Martinelli, head equipment manager at the University of Delaware, is responsible for all equipment and apparel maintenance and reconditioning for the football team. He offers eight safety tips for managing equipment and apparel for a football program. DAN GUTTENPLAN

Helmet and shoulder pad reconditioning. Martinelli and his staff sent the team helmets and shoulder pads back to the supplier once a year for reconditioning. Any helmet that passes the test is reused the following season. If a helmet is rejected, it can no longer be used in the field of play. Helmet fitting. The University of Delaware rule is that each athlete should be fitted for a helmet eight times during a four-year career. A player will be fitted at the start of each fall and spring season. The equipment staff measures each player’s head size, identifies the appropriate helmet, and then begins the process of fitting looking for surface contact to ensure there is no space between the head and padding. Surface contact is where the process always begins. Chin strap fitting. “The chin strap is one of the most important parts of the fitting process – if not the most important,” Martinelli said. “It anchors the helmet to the jaw line. If it’s too loose, the helmet will not have a secure environment around the head during impact. It’s just as important as measuring the surface contact because it keeps the helmet secure and fastened.” Shoulder pad fitting. Martinelli starts by taking an AC measurement across the shoulder plane. He then does a chest measurement. Once he selects a pad size, customized for that player’s position, he tests to make sure the pad is firmly above the AC joint on each side of the body. Ensure that the shoulder pads are not pinching the neckline and provide full pectoral coverage. Sanitizing pads. Martinelli’s staff does a bi-weekly sanitation of hard goods and equipment to avoid the spread of germs, including MRSA. The sanitation efforts take place pregame and postgame, so Mondays and Fridays. The Delaware staff uses Clear Gear Sports Spray to disinfect the equipment. Sizing Cleats. Manufacturers of cleats typically set weight parameters for each model. In other words, Delaware’s supplier, adidas, will make a different type of shoe for athletes 240 pounds and up. “If the manufacturer says it does not produce for an athlete that size, it’s injury-prone,” Martinelli said. Be sure to measure each player’s foot (length and width) with a Brannock device, and be sure he

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is wearing a shoe designed for his weight class. Rib protection. All of the University of Delaware quarterbacks are required to wear a full rib pad, which is an extension from the shoulder pad. The running backs are required to wear back-flaps, and all other skill position players are encouraged to wear them. When a specific player has a rib injury, Martinelli and his staff recommend EvoShield rib protection. Knee and thigh pads. University of Delaware players wear a girdle that includes pads over each knee, each thigh, each hip and one on the tail. “That’s something we’ve adopted,” Martinelli said. “Not everyone does it. I think we’ve benefitted over the years in terms of avoiding thigh bruises and knee injuries. Our guys probably don’t even realize it’s helped, but I think it has.”

KYLE MARTINELLI HEAD EQUIPMENT MANAGER, UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

10 Keys to a Safe Training Room The purpose of a training room is for teams to have a place to treat players with injuries or provide preventative measures to help them avoid injuries. DREW CHAMPLIN It should be the safest place for players to go.

eff Steinberg is entering his 26th year of coach-

ing, with 20 as a head coach, so he knows what he wants to have in his training room. Steinberg is going into his third year as head coach at Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, Calif. He has also been a head coach at nearby Burroughs, A.B. Miller and Santiago. At each of his stops, he has placed an emphasis on making the training room a sanctuary for his players. It is a place where they can get treated for injuries, taped, hydrated, or just relax. But it has to be a clean environment where everyone feels safe. This year, “everyone” includes a total of 90 players for Rancho Verde. The freshman team alone has around 50 players. Steinberg addressed 10 things every training room should have for safety purposes.

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Training table. Rancho Verde has five, where

players sit on or lay down to get taped or examined. They are five to six feet long. Athletic tape. Steinberg isn’t sure how much tape is in in his training room, or even how many rolls are in a box. What he does know is that the athletic trainers have more than enough to tape players’ ankles and even fingers or wrists, if necessary, before practice and games. Spine board. In case of an emergency where you have to mobilize an athlete, Steinberg thinks there should always be one available. Rancho Verde has two. First-aid kit. This has everything needed to handle injuries, including bandages, antiseptic wipes, antibacterial soap, or possibly scissors, cotton and gauze. Crutches. Steinberg said Rancho Verde’s training room has a surplus of crutches and, even though metal crutches are adjustable, he suggests having them already set in at

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least three different sizes based on heights “so you don’t have to mess around and you have them ready to go.” Ice cups for the freezer. “As many as you can fit in there. Put them in a Dixie cup or small Gatorade cup. That’s to do ice massage on the athletes. If they have a contusion, that helps right away.” Water jugs. These are for all sports. The athletic trainer fills them up with water or Gatorade and takes them out on the field for hydration. Heat packs. Much like ice packs, heat is also used to treat injuries or aches. Ice machine. Rancho Verde has two ice machines, but Steinberg says you need at least one that regenerates ice to scoop into a wrap to slow swelling or treat injuries. Whirlpool. Rancho Verde has one, but not all schools can afford this. If that’s not an option, oversized trash cans filled with ice and water for cold baths also do the trick. “We have one whirlpool, but we have six oversized plastic trash cans. After our Thursday practice [during the season], kids take ice baths.”

6 JEFF STEINBERG HEAD COACH, RANCHO VERDE HIGH SCHOOL

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PLAYBOOK presented by Defending against power formations from the 3-5-3 DIAGRAM 1

THOMAS COUSINS

s football coaches, we have all been taught that

offense wins games, but defense wins championships. This statement is true, and because of the 3-5-3 defense I feel that football is becoming more even in terms of matching up with today’s high-powered offenses. This defensive concept is not new. The 3-5-3 and all of its variations have been around for years, but as more and more coaches move to this defensive scheme, it has become the great equalizer in terms of matching up smaller, speed-type personnel with both wide-open and power offenses. Part of the reason I have had success is that while I don’t do specific pursuit drills in practice, I incorporate pursuit into every drill my team uses – whether individual, inside, skelly or team drill. Because we are always stressing pursuit, our players know no other way. Many of the techniques and schemes within the 3-5-3 go against what coaches have grown up learning and what defines “sound” football. Be creative, and you will find that this defense is easy to run and fun for your players. You cannot be bound by what you perceive as boundaries in defensive football. Sure, voiding zones all over the field and having a three-man front on the goal line are not normally considered examples of sound judgment in football, but if you are willing to be a little different, this defense will work for you as it has for us. The 3-5-3 defensive has the following advantages: ■■ Many coaches struggle against how to block or game plan for the 3-5-3 because most of the defensive reads and reactions are backward from what offenses expect. ■■ It is extremely flexible. Nickel and dime substitutions can be made without disrupting the overall scheme. In fact, with the right personnel, no substitutions need to be made at all. ■■ The defense is an eight-man front, yet five speed players are on the field for pass coverage. You get the best of both worlds: pressure and pass defense. There is big difference between a defensive end who runs a 5.0 40-yard dash chasing the quarterback and an outside linebacker who runs a 4.5. ■■ It allows for the use of smaller, speedier players. ■■ Offenses often do not know where pressure is coming from.

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DIAGRAM 2

The 3-5-3 does have some perceived disadvantages, including: ■■ Teams lining up and trying to mash your three defensive linemen. ■■ Not covering the tight end. ■■ Being limited to Cover 3 or man-to-man coverage. ■■ Not giving multiple looks up front. However, as this article will show, the 3-5-3 not only lends itself to defending the spread offense, but it is effective against power looks as well. The No. 1 key is that the defense must not get outflanked by the formation. This is done by: ■■ The linebackers and defensive backs must always check for play action. ■■ Inside linebackers bounce everything to the outside. ■■ Outside linebackers force everything inside. ■■ Defensive backs come up late on the run. ■■ Defensive linemen must not give up ground on double teams.

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your connection to the

The 3-5-3 defense considers any type of double tight end formation to be a power formation. When facing such a formation, the outside linebackers must tighten up to two yards by four yards off the end player on the line of scrimmage, such as in the examples below.

MORE VARIATIONS VERSUS POWER FORMATIONS

coaching COMMUNITY

DIAGRAM 3

high school football

Tuff. Use this versus double tight. It may be helpful to bring the Stud linebacker down as a fourth defensive lineman and play the tuff front.

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DIAGRAM 4

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Goal line. In short-yardage situations, it is sometimes helpful to jump into goal line to add extra defenders to the line of scrimmage.

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Purchase now at ■■ Thomas Cousins is an assistant football coach at West Ashley (S.C.) High School, a position he assumed in 2006. Before joining the Wildcats’ staff, he coached at Avon Park (Fla.) High School for seven seasons (1999-2005), the last three as the Red Devils’ head coach. Involved with football for more than three decades as either a player or a coach, Cousins began his coaching career in 1991 as a defensive line coach at his alma mater, Newberry College.

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PLAYBOOK presented by Carolina Tackling Circuit Progressions in Season

GOALLINE TACKLE

DIAGRAM 1

CHRIS METZGER

1 YD

hen our staff arrived at Pinecrest in March of

1 YD

RAPID FIRE TACKLE

DIAGRAM 2

SHUFFLE

AGILE

IN-SEASON MONDAY TACKLING CIRCUIT

AGILE

1 YD

AGILE

2007 we made a commitment to a twoplatoon system so that we could boost the numbers in the program. We made a very intentional effort from Day 1 to put the best players on defense. That is not to say that we have not had good players on offense, but we wanted to hang our hat on defense and special teams. With that being said we run a Bend-But-Don’t-Break defensive package that relies on relentless pursuit and a simple approach so our student athletes are not thinking but playing fast. We have two separate tackling circuits that we utilize in season. Below, with the help of coach Antwon Murchison, we give you a breakdown of each day. We feel very strongly about these circuits as we have had a monstrous decline in concussions on our defense, and also our injuries due to tackling improperly. At the same time we have seen a vast improvement in the decline of our yards after first contact by our opponents. By doing one circuit on Mondays and the other one on Tuesdays in-season, it has really helped us become a more efficient tackling program.

FILL

We focus on three stations with our players broken up by position of Defensive backs, Inside/Outside Linebackers, and Defensive Line. Our staff focuses on always utilizing the same vocal cues with all drill work. All tackling drills will utilize the following buzz words: Breakdown, Buzz, Hit, Shoot, Rip! The defensive staff does a super job of getting the defensive players fired up.

RAPID FIRE TACKLE

DIAGRAM 3

GOALLINE TACKLE This drill is intended to make a quick and aggressive tackle with very little space with a huge point of emphasis being stopping the offense on the goal line. We put a dummy down and have one player act as a runner approximately one foot from the bag. We have cones on both sides of the bag so the defender simulating the runner runs inside of the cone which will be just far enough from the bag so that he can fit through. Coaching Points focus on the defender taking no false steps, keeping his head up, putting his shoulder on the ball and “Ripping” at the point of contact (Diagram 1).

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OFFENSE CUT OPTIONS

BUZZING FEET

CLOSING GROUND

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RAPID FIRE TACKLE This drill is a technical, repetitionbased, intense drill. Its success is based on having a defender simulating the ball-carrier to be a Servant Leader. We put out four dummies approximately one yard apart. We have a defender simulate the runner. He will have the ball in his outside hand. They will shuffle and then meet in the space between the bags to make a perfect form tackle. The coaching point of emphasis is on having hot feet, shooting arms, near shoulder on the ball, eyes and head up, and having the proper pad level (Diagram 2).

OPEN-FIELD TACKLE DRILL Open-field tackling is perhaps one of the toughest skills to coach/teach a defender. We set this drill up with a 10-by-10 yard square. We start the defender simulating a runner on one side of the square. We coach our defender to close ground on the ball-carrier with a focus on utilizing leverage with regards to the sideline or the rest of his defenders. Key coaching points focus on buzzing your feet a couple yards from the ballcarrier. We also utilize a coaching point of focusing on the ball-carrier’s belly button to hips. As the defender closes the distance we emphasize putting the front of his shoulder pad on the ball. It is a lot more about making the tackle which can sometimes not be pretty in the open field but the key is making the play (Diagram 3).

COACHING POINT FOR MONDAY’S CIRCUIT Each drill should only take 90 seconds to two minutes with a huge emphasis on fast-paced productive repetitions. We have found that one of the keys is to really coach up the defender simulating the ballcarrier to be a servant leader in that drill.

IN-SEASON TUESDAY TACKLING CIRCUIT This is a non-contact day where we work on four drills that we call our USA Football Tackling Circuit day. This is a huge muscle memory day for our

defenders and allows them to utilize extremely safe and efficient violent methods of tackling on bags. On this day all you will need are 12 agility bags and cones for each line. Each of the three groups will utilize four agility bags.

DRILL 1 FREEZE DRILL All defenders have their toes at the end of the agility bag. This drill will focus on the proper footwork and pad level at the point of contact when tackling. All staff members start by giving the verbal cue to breakdown. This is an athletic position where all defenders are bent at the ankle, knees and hips with their chest up and out. Then the verbal cue to buzz is given in which all defenders take a positive power step forward, working their way to the other end of the bag with feet chopping. The next verbal cue that all staff utilize is HIT. Prior to the start of the drill all coaches will let the defender know that he will be making a Right Shoulder Right Hit so they will lead with their right foot and take a 45-degree power step with great balance and pad level. The next verbal cue is “SHOOT”; kids will activate their arms in a cocked position ready to shoot arms. The last verbal cue is “Rip” in which defenders will violently rip to the sky. Some other coaching points are: squeeze the elbows together while pulling both your hips, knees, and ankles through at the same time. As the defenders exaggerate these movements it can look like they are doing high knees but this emphasizes the explosive nature of the point of contact when tackling. All defenders will get three reps each Tuesday.

DRILL 2: HIP ACTIVATION DRILL All defenders in the front of line will go to their knees with the top of their shoelaces facing the ground. Their chest will be up and out while squeezing their shoulder blades together to overemphasize the proper position. The defenders are given the following verbal cues by all coaching staff. The first one is “SHOOT” in which they will sink back with chest still up and arms cocked back.

■■ Chris Metzger is the head coach at Pinecrest High School Southern Pines North (NC). He has coached USA Football National Teams, Regional Development Camps, and served as a Master Heads Up Trainer.

The next verbal cue is “RIP.” At this point the defender should explosively rip to the sky with hips exploding through and squeezing their elbows together. The defender will fall onto the bag in front of him with a huge emphasis chest first and eyes up. Coach staff will hold up their hands with fingers up so defenders have to identify how many are up. This ensures safety for our players as this is a progression to take onto the field.

DRILL 3 PERFECT TACKLE DRILL In this drill we will utilize the agility bags. We have a defender hold the bag horizontally at right below chest level. The defender will stand behind a disc approximately two yards away from the agility bag. The drill is similar to the freeze drill but the difference is the bag is simulating a ball-carrier. The coaches will give the verbal cues “Breakdown, Buzz, Hit, Shoot, Rip.” The main coaching point is for the defender RIP through the bag, squeezing elbows together violently. The rip and squeeze is the most critical part of this drill finishing the tackle on the ball-carrier.

DRILL 4: HAWK ROLL TACKLE DRILL In this drill you will have the defenders get on their knees. The other defender that is simulating the ball-carrier will be holding an agility bag directly in front of him to his right side. They are going to make a right shoulder tackle, roll onto that same shoulder, pull your knees up, and squeeze them together. The verbiage is “SHOOT RIP.” Once the defender is comfortable with the movement we will put them on their feet.

CONCLUSION We realize that these drills may seem extremely basic and simple, but we feel that is the key to becoming a sure, confident, safe tackler. We have visited hundreds of collegiate and professional practices and have copied what they do to simulate game-like situations and more importantly put our students-athletes in the best possible situation for success. On behalf of the entire Pinecrest High School football staff and community, it has been my honor, along with defensive coordinator Antwon Murchison, to write this article.

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PLAYBOOK presented by Teaching the shovel option in a spread offense DAVE CHRISTENSEN

his play is called shovel option. We block it as an

off-tackle power play. We are blocking gaps in the offensive line and pulling the backside guard through the hole. It used to be that if you ran the shovel pass and the defender dropped to the inside, the quarterback was in trouble. This play gives the quarterback something to do with the ball (Diagram 1). When the shovel option is run to the left, the running back aligns to the right behind the outside hip of the guard, five yards off the line of scrimmage. The quarterback is in the shotgun set with hands at five yards, heels at five-and-a-half yards. The quarterback runs the speed option down the line of scrimmage toward the read key, attacking the outside number of the read key. If the defender attacks the quarterback, he gives ground and shovels the ball back inside to the running back. The quarterback has to go hard toward the defensive end to make the defense commit one way or the other. If he is lazy, the defensive end can hang in the middle and play both the quarterback and the shovel back. The pulling guard leads up inside on the linebacker. If the defender does not attack the quarterback and falls back inside on the running back, the quarterback continues to run the option and brings the ball to the pitch key. He is running the read option with the slot back as the pitch man. The slot back is reading the key defender so he knows whether to block or become the pitch back (Diagram 2). A key element of this play is the center snap. We found the most success when we had a center who was so good that he led the quarterback in the direction he was going. The snap is blind and dead with no spin on the ball. A bad snap will stop this play quicker than anything. Working in trips and bringing motion by the inside slot toward the quarterback, it looks like the triple option toward the motion. We snap the ball and run the shovel option back to where the motion came from with the outside slot back as the pitch man (diagram 3). If working an empty 2-by-3 set, we can still run this play using motion. The formation is a double set one way and a trip set the other. We can run any of these plays using motion and achieve the same results. Nothing gets changed

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SHOVEL OPTION

DIAGRAM 1 FS

C W

S E

SHOVEL OPTION

DIAGRAM 2 FS

C W

S E

for anyone in the offense. The backs in our sets are interchangeable in the running game. They know how to run the read option as the pitch man. By using multiple formations and motion, you can run the same plays with different looks for the defense. I would like to reiterate what we teach the quarterback on this play. I really believe this is the key to the execution of the play. We want the quarterback to force the defensive end to move when he comes down the line. If the end just sits there, we are in trouble. A sitting end can take both the quarterback and pitch man on the play.

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We want to force the end to get a little wider and move one way or the other. If the defensive end comes upfield and outside, we want the quarterback to pitch the ball underneath. If the defensive end comes upfield toward the quarterback, we want him to shovel the ball underneath to the tailback underneath. The quarterback takes the snap and gets width. He pitches off the end man on the line of scrimmage. If he takes the pitch to the tailback away, he keeps the ball. If he squeezes the play inside, the quarterback keeps the ball and runs the option in the alley. You can make the play as complex as you want, and you can also make it simple.

SHOVEL OPTION

DIAGRAM 3 FS

S M

W SS

■■ Dave Christensen is a college football veteran of more than 30 seasons, including his last two stops at Texas A&M and Utah. Previously, Christensen was the head coach at Wyoming from 2009-13 and a longtime offensive assistant at Missouri and Toledo.

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PLAYBOOK presented by Footwork and cheat steps 3-STEP DROP

STEVE AXMAN

THREE-STEP DROP

hree-step drop action is a bit different from the

five- and seven-step drops, because the threestep drop does not allow for much depth by design. As a result, a slight modification is made in the second – or crossover – step to produce as much depth as possible. On a three-step drop, the quarterback takes his normal first step – the close to 180-degree turn step – in his effort to get away from the line of scrimmage. The quarterback also could utilize an initial cheat step with his left, staggered foot. On the second step, however, the quarterback utilizes an elongated skip-type step in an effort to add even just a few extra inches before taking his plant step. On average, the skip-type step helps to produce six to eight extra inches of depth. Any extra depth, even if it is only inches, can be important because the quarterback is setting up much closer to the line of scrimmage and the offensive line. Since the quarterback must still throw over the top of the blockers and rushers, that little extra depth helps alleviate the angles the throws must take.

TWO-STEP DROP The two-step drop is a specialized dropback action used to throw a fade route when inside the 5-yard line. Being so close to the goal line, the quarterback doesn’t have time to take a normal three-step drop. In essence, the quarterback takes one drop step with the right foot. This step must angle the quarterback’s hips to the right or left, depending on the direction of the throw. When throwing to the left, the drop plant step is backward and slightly to the left. The second step is merely a slide step of the left foot to help the quarterback balance his body in his prepass stance so that he can deliver the quick fade pass.

CHEATED STEPPING FOR SIDELINE THROWS

With the hips and body set for a straight-ahead, downfield throw, the quarterback is forced to swing the left foot, hips and trunk to the left to make the left sideline throw. As a result, the natural body torque and the swing of the body to the left can pull the thrown football down and away to the left. To accurately deliver the pass when using these incorrect mechanics, the quarterback must add extra arm power to the delivery to get the football to go where he wants it to go. To rectify this problem, the quarterback can utilize a cheated crossover throttle and plant steps to set up with his body actually facing toward the left sideline target point. Such a cheated setup allows the quarterback to properly step toward the pass target without having to swing his body. To turn the stance properly to the left, the quarterback does not fully cross over the throttle step backward. Instead, he steps slightly forward toward the right sideline on the crossover throttle step. On the plant step, the quarterback swings his right foot around to the right to turn his hips and body to the left as he sets. The cheated step is used to open a right-handed quarterback’s hips to the left. The action is the same whether the quarterback is using a three-, five- or seven-step drop since the entire cheated setup stepping action takes place on the last two steps.

For highly timed passes thrown to the left, the quarterback utilizes cheat steps on the last two steps to enable the hips and body to be set to the left and therefore ready to make an immediate sideline throw. A major throwing problem can occur when right-handed quarterbacks set up as if throwing straight downfield when they are actually going to make a sideline throw to the left.

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■■ Steve Axman is a former football coach who retired at the end of the 2014 season after a 44-year career in coaching. His coaching resume includes stints at East Stroudsburg State, Stanford, UCLA, Northern Arizona, Washington, Maryland, Arizona, Army, Albany State, Illinois, Minnesota, Idaho and the Denver Gold of the USFL.

ELONGATED 1 CROSS-OVER SKIP STEP

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2-STEP DROP LEFT

CHEAT STEP

2-STEP DROP RIGHT

3 2 THROTTLE

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TRAINING tips from tom brady’s trainer DAY IN THE LIFE OF TOM BRADY

Gunnar Peterson is a personal trainer whose clients include celebrities and professional athletes, including fourtime Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady. Peterson focuses on achieving longterm results through challenging and constantly varied workouts.

Peterson is quick to note that no two workouts are ever the same for Tom Brady. But he was willing to share one upper-body workout and lower-body workout.

UPPER BODY

Repeat Circuit 3-4 Times

EXERCISE SETS REPS REST (SECS.) Dumbbell Chest Press 1 10-12 15 Dumbbell Flys 1 10-12 15 Overhead Shoulder Press 1 10-12 15 Dumbbell Curls 1 10-12 15 Lateral Dumbbell Raises 1 10-12 15 Cable Press-Downs 1 10-12 15 Triceps Extensions 1 10-12 15 Turkish Get-Ups 1 10-15 15 Crunches 1 10-15 15 Reverse Crunches 1 10-15 15 Medicine Ball Push-Ups 1 12 15 Stability Ball Crunches 1 12 15 Stability Ball Climbers 1 12 (per leg) 15 Planks 1 1 30

LOWER BODY EXERCISE Wide Dumbbell Squats Forward Lunges Side Lunges with Twist Skater Lunge Stability Ball Leg Curls Cable Lat Pulldowns Dumbbell Rows Dumbbell Bicep Curls Close Grip Bicep Curls Crunches Reverse Crunches Mountain Climbers

SETS 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

REPS 10-12 10-12 10-12 10-12 10-12 10-12 10-12 10-12 10-12 10-15 10-15 30

REST (SECS.) 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

NO SET TEMPLATE

Peterson does not subscribe to a one-size-fits-all workout plan. Before he designs a workout for a football player – like Tom Brady – he considers a number of factors. “I write a different workout for every client every day,” Peterson said. “I base them off the goals the client has, the things they need to shore up. I consider what they did in the past as well as injuries, deficiencies and disparities.” One of the disparities Peterson finds common among football players is unbalanced strength from one side of the other. Many positions in football force players to call on the muscles on one particular side of the body more often than the other. For instance, a quarterback will almost always use one arm to throw the ball and rotate his body in the same direction to generate power. A left tackle will plant with the same leg and use his left arm to create separation with a defender. As a result, Peterson often finds himself focusing on strengthening a football player’s non-dominant side. “I try to have them do different functional movements that will be comprehensive with different planes of motion,” Peterson said. “Sports are three-dimensional, as is life.”

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INCORPORATING HIIT

Peterson finds ways to incorporate High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on a cardio machine into most football players’ workouts. He prefers Synergy Air Fitness products such as a Power Swim and Paddle Erg or Bionic Cycle, but high school coaches with smaller budgets can try mixing exercises as simple as jumping jacks, stationary bikes or jogging in place. “We might do 10 seconds slow and 10 seconds like they’re being chased, for 60 seconds,” Peterson said. “Next time around, we might do four busts for 10 seconds or 10 bursts for five seconds. As the guy running the show, it’s on me to make sure I don’t break them.” Not every workout should leave a player’s tank on empty. Peterson’s goal is to see his clients five or six days a week, with a split two days on and one off – or two days on and two off. “If it’s April or May, I don’t need to take the workout to the next level every day,” Peterson said. “I want to see him finish on a high note. You’ve accomplished this, leave the gym feeling good. Sometimes not throwing up is more important than throwing up because you worked so hard.”

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TRAINING six Exercises to Improve Athletic Speed Lee Taft is one of the top athletic movement specialists in the world. Over the last 25 years, he has devoted the majority of his career to training multi-directional speed to all ages and abilities. He runs Lee Taft Athletic DAN GUTTENPLAN Consulting out of Greenwood, Ind.

athletic speed development because the athlete must randomly react. ■■ Do two to three sets (3-5 reps).

RESISTED POWER SKIPS This exercises increases force production and extension of the hips. Do three to six reps for 20 meters each. ■■ The athlete must learn to drive hard to move the resistance of the tubing, yet maintain good posture for acceleration. ■■ The athlete will learn to coordinate the arms and the legs during this exercise. ■■ The biggest benefit is that more muscle fiber gets recruited when attempting to power skip.

PURE ACCELERATION STARTS

Taft offers six exercises to help football players improve their speed.

MEDICINE BALL SIDE-THROW PROGRESSION Standing Side-Throw. The athlete will face sideways to the wall (10 to 12 feet away) in an athletic stance with the ball at chest height and the elbows out. Use the backside leg to drive the hips forward, and take a small step toward the wall with the lead leg. Drive the ball into the wall, keeping the back elbow up so the shoulder doesn’t get injured. Forward Shuffle Side-Throw. The athlete will back away from the wall (6 to 8 feet). The exercise will be performed the same as the standing side throw, but the emphasis changes to lateral speed. The athlete will shuffle one to two times while staying in a good stance and then driving off the back foot and transferring the speed into the throw.

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Backward Shuffle Side Throw. Now the athlete will shuffle away from the wall. Start the athlete only 6 to 8 feet from the wall. The athlete will shuffle aggressively one to two times away from the wall and plant aggressively to throw the ball. Do two to four sets (3-5 reps) on each side.

ONE-ARM, ONE-LEG TUBING ROW This is a great speed exercise because it focuses on both deceleration and acceleration. The initial position has the athlete squatting on one leg and resisting the pulling action of the tubing. Then the athlete quickly stands and pulls on the tubing while driving the knee up. Do two to four sets (5-8 reps) per side.

REACTIVE SHUFFLES AND CROSSOVERS ■■ The athlete will get into a loaded athletic stance and be prepared to shuffle or crossover and react to the coach’s point. ■■ This type of exercise is great for

To increase the mechanics and efficiency of accelerating from various starts, you must practice them. Do two to three different stances (3-4 reps each). ■■ Use falling starts, get-ups, box starts, parallel stance starts, and many other variations. ■■ The goal is to be consistent with leg and arm action as well as acceleration posture. ■■ If the athlete has breaks in his form, address them quickly.

CUTTING SKILLS ■■ There is not enough time to think about the cut. Encourage the athlete to do what comes natural and correct mistakes. ■■ The athlete must learn to make the cut by re-directing the cutting foot outside the width of the body. You do not want the athlete to purposely drop low with the hips if the cut must be quick. ■■ If the cut is sharp and the athlete must come back, then the hips may lower slightly – but only enough to control the center of mass. ■■ The key to cutting is to create separation for an offensive player and to close the gap for a defender. Choose two or three of the following cuts (3 to 6 reps): speed cuts, sharp cuts, rehearsed cuts, random cuts, jump stop cuts, spin cuts.

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TRAINING

FIVE BENEFITS OF A DANCE WORKOUT Improved balance. Much of the dance workout consisted of Los Alamitos football players learning to balance on their toes and transfer their weight. Flexibility. Football players grunted their way through difficult poses and stretches, but found increased flexibility in their ankles, hamstrings and major muscle groups. Injury prevention.

Strengthening the muscles in the feet can help prevent plantar fasciitis and shin splints. Dancers are also less susceptible to another common football injury, an ankle sprain.

Train with the Dance Team INCREASE FLEXIBILITY, DECREASE INJURY RISK DAN GUTTENPLAN

os Alamitos High (Calif.) football coach Ryan Fenton

only needed a reminder of Lynn Swann to understand that incorporating a training session with his school’s dance team was the right move for his football players. Fenton, whose wife is a dance instructor, received an email this winter from Los Alamitos dance coach Rikki Jones. The dance coach invited all of the school’s coaches to participate in a player swap program this spring – one in which Jones would teach another team’s athletes dance techniques one day a week, and the collaborating coach would teach Jones’ athletes another sport. “I was a big fan of Lynn Swann, and she knew that was my hook,” Fenton said. The Los Alamitos football team swapped players on four dates in February, and the football players learned many techniques to increase flexibility, as well as dance moves like the arabesque and grand jeté.

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“My guys had great feedback,” Fenton said. “They were really sore, which was not surprising to me because they thought they’d go in there and fluff through it. They worked muscle groups we don’t normally work.” The player swap program fell in line with one of Fenton’s philosophies – to remove players from their comfort zone. He likes to keep players on their toes by having them compete in singing contests and other non-football competitions after workouts. “We like to think outside the box and establish a good feeling of trust in our program,” Fenton said. “I’m sure many kids went in there uncomfortable. We’re often in cleats or tennis shoes that have support. They had to take off their shoes and get in their bare feet. They had to go through a process of finding their comfort level.” For her part, Jones loved the experience. Her dancers led the football players in flexibility, core strengthening and stability while the football players helped dance team members improve their stamina through cardio.

Muscle development.

Football players often spend the offseason building core strength and major muscles groups through squats, benchpress and other heavy lifts. Dance workouts will hone in on the smaller muscles in the legs that are often neglected.

Increased athleticism.

Doing athletic activities that take you out of your comfort zone is a great way to increase athleticism. Force players to recruit muscles they don’t use with different movements.

NUTRITION 10 Benefits of Smoothies for Football Players As more football coaches have turned their attention to nutrition as a way to gain an edge on the competition, smoothies have become popular pre- or post-workout snacks for players. A smoothie provides players with sustenance through nutrients and antioxidants while offering an opportunity to improve DAN GUTTENPLAN the taste with ingredients the players enjoy. that recommendation can result in an unbalanced diet. When athletes have protein above and beyond their daily needs, it is crowding out calories from other key nutrients like carbohydrates and fats. Never miss breakfast. There are a couple of smoothie additions that help provide a perfect jumpstart to the day. Those additions include the three necessary ingredients of any breakfast: fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Those ingredients help to provide longer lasting energy. In addition to the yogurts listed above, try adding fish oils or flax oils as well as Chia seeds.

The convenience. Restaurant menus

now often include smoothies as a healthy alternative to eating a larger meal with unhealthy sides. Convenience stores often sell bottled versions, and preparing a smoothie at home can be easier than making a sandwich. The nutrition value. Smoothies can be used in addition to meals to boost calories for players looking to add weight the right way. Smoothies also include nutrients and antioxidants. A smoothie can serve as a snack or a side for a full meal. The transparency. The toughest part about going out to eat is guessing what ingredients are used in the preparation of your meal – and the nutritional contents. If you’re counting calories, you may want to control your intake by making your own smoothie. The power of mixing. If you don’t enjoy eating fruits or vegetables on

their own, try preparing a smoothie. You can mix a touch of cinnamon or honey to improve the taste. Just don’t go overboard with syrups or other sweeteners. Increase the protein intake. While Morgan doesn’t recommend adding protein powder to a smoothie, she does advocate for adding protein-rich ingredients such as Greek yogurt, protein-rich yogurt, and nut butters. A six-ounce cup of fruited Greek yogurt has about 13 grams of protein. Attention to detail. Once an athlete starts preparing his own smoothies, he is more likely to learn about nutrition. For instance, he might find that protein recommendations for teenagers are often misunderstood. Teen athletes need 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of weight. A 150-pound football player needs about 75 to 120 grams per day, at the most. Surpassing

A pre-practice fueling session.

Smoothies before a workout or game should include protein, carbs, and be lower in fat. Ingredients that are easy on the stomach will help to avoid unexpected bathroom breaks. An example: 1 cup of vanilla yogurt with 1 cup of frozen mango cubes and a 1/4 cup of orange juice or coconut water. That will provide 325 calories, 3 grams of fat, 68 grams of carbs, and 11 grams of protein. A recovery boost. Recovery smoothies can be more focused on a blend of carbs and protein. Try a chocolate milkbased smoothie like: 1 cup of chocolate milk, 1 frozen banana, and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. This provides 435 calories, 19 grams of fat, 55 grams of carbohydrates, and 17 grams of protein. Hydration on the go. A high-powered blender like a Ninja or Vitamix makes it easy to blend smoothies, and the attachment can be removed to take the smoothie on the go. Smoothies are hydrating and can count towards daily fluid goals/recommendations.

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INJURY PREVENTION 10 Keys to Rest and Recovery The offseason is a great time for a player to make gains in the weight room and on the field. Without the proper rest, a player’s DAN GUTTENPLAN hard work might not pay off as much as it should.

STEVE WILMOT HEAD COACH, NESHAMINY HIGH SCHOOL

teve Wilmot spent 19 years as the strength and conditioning coach at Neshaminy

High (Pa.) before becoming the head coach in 2005. With a focus on nutrition and recovery since his hire, Wilmot has led the team to three consecutive winning seasons, including an 11-1 mark last fall. Wilmot, who is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, offers 10 keys to rest and recovery for players.

Put down the phone at night. Players are losing sleep these days because they

are staying up late surfing the internet and using social media on their phones. The LED light makes it difficult to go to sleep even after the phone is powered down for the night. Players should set a phone curfew of 8 p.m. Track progress in the weight room. If a player is spending the same amount of time in the weight room as his teammates, but he’s not seeing the gains, he may want to consider the rest factor. A teenager’s body is still growing, and needs eight to nine hours a night of sleep. Stick to one training plan. Wilmot understands that many athletes have access to local gyms or personal trainers. However, he encourages his players to lift at school with their teammates so he can monitor their progress and make sure they’re not overtraining. Take breaks in the offseason. Wilmot gave his players three weeks off to recover at the end of the season. He then started the offseason strength program, but he offers other short breaks during the offseason so players are not burnt out at the start of training camp. Preach the importance of rest and recovery. High school players often mistakenly feel as if more is always better. Let them know that they need to give their bodies time to recover to enjoy the benefits of their hard work.

Build stretching periods into workouts. Wilmot’s offseason workouts include two speed days. The first 20 minutes of each speed workout includes a stretching period that helps with flexibility. Weigh players regularly. Wilmot weighs his players every two to three weeks to ensure that they are on track to hit their offseason goals. Each individual has a different plan, but if a player is not trending in the right direction, Wilmot will address the player’s nutrition and recovery. Place an assistant in charge of recovery. Wilmot has an assistant coach, Ray Jones, who offers advice to players on diet, supplements and sleep. Wilmot is adamant that the players should hear one message from the entire coaching staff, and Jones preaches the message of Wilmot. Research the latest trends. One habit that Wilmot has carried with him from his days as a strength coach is constantly researching fitness trends to find out if he can implement new strategies. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Reinforce the importance of hydration to recovery. Take breaks on the field and in the weight room to allow players to hydrate. They’ll perform better and learn the importance of hydration.

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EDUCATION On the right track BULLDOGS’ COSGRIFF INVESTED IN PLAYER’S ACADEMIC SUCCESS A retired history teacher, San Rafael (Calif.) coach Ted Cosgriff remains engaged in his players’ academic success. He recognizes that the greatest contribution he can make to a high school football BY CODY DALTON player is to mold him into an exemplary man.

Thirty years ago, Ted Cosgriff started his journey in teaching, and he couldn’t have asked for a better profession. “It was a natural fit,” Cosgriff said of teaching. “I just got involved and fell in love with it.” Even though he retired a year and a half ago from teaching history, Cosgriff still remains active as the head football coach at San Rafael High School in California, and he still places a heavy emphasis on how his players do inside of the classroom. “When you teach, you have these students in your class, and you get to know them. You do what you can to get them on the right track,” Cosgriff said. “If you coach sports, you see what a great avenue it is. “You are invested in their academic life,” he added. “That’s what is going to benefit them in their life. We tell our players here [at San Rafael] that they are here to be a student because if they graduate in four years, they are going to have opportunities that benefit them as a young man.” Through the school’s AERIES Portal, Cosgriff regularly checks on each of his player’s grades in every one of their classes. “It’s a nice way to follow up and track their academics and progress in general,” he said of AERIES. “It’s been very rewarding.”

Players participate in study hall sessions after school, and if extra time in the classroom is needed, Cosgriff and his staff operate Saturday study halls, which typically run 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. All of the study hall sessions have been well received by all of the Bulldog football players. “They really like study halls because it gets them a chance to catch up on work,” Cosgriff said of his players. “I think they like that part of it. If they like the sport [of football] enough, they will appreciate the opportunity to get academic awards and scholarships and continue to play it.” Changing the culture of a team takes time, so coaches should not get frustrated and abandon the plan if it does not produce immediate results. “It’s an ongoing process,” Cosgriff said. “It’s changing the mindset and the culture, and that’s a long-term process that requires a consistent message.” While Cosgriff said the academic progress of San Rafael’s football players is ongoing, he believes their results will continue to get better as time goes on. “I think the message is there,” he said. “It’s starting to resonate throughout the team.” Not every student will commit to maintaining a 4.0 GPA in AP classes. Start small, encouraging a student to show small improvements. “Some players were struggling to get passing credits,” Cosgriff said. “Reward them for improvement the same way you would a stronger student.” Sixty to 70 percent of Cosgriff’s players are first-generation immigrants to the United States from Latin America. “College has not always been on the radar for those families – particularly not for multiple generations,” Cosgriff said. “It’s about changing that mindset.”

FIVE TIPS FOR HELPING PLAYERS OFF THE FIELD Take an interest: Let them know you are there to listen and talk. Some kids have tough school and family lives. It means the world when an adult asks how they are doing.

Set long- and short-term goals: Make sure these

are attainable. Meet with your players and discuss these goals and update them monthly. Focus on the future: Talk with your athletes about postgraduate plans. What do they plan to do in the future? Make sure they have an idea whether they want to go to college and attempt to play sports or enter the workforce.

Hold them accountable:

Whether it’s being on time to class or practice or keeping up with their school work, stay on top of your player’s habits in and out of the classroom.

Create a culture of communication: If one

of your players has a problem or issue — whether it be in school, on the team, or even at home — make yourself accessible and open to them. Creating a personal relationship with a player could increase their trust and respect for you.

TED COSGRIFF HEAD COACH, SAN RAFAEL HIGH SCHOOL

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ASSISTANT’S CORNER 10 Tips to Earn Your Headset MAKING THE MOVE FROM POSITION COACH TO COORDINATOR Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) head coach John Rodenberg, entering his 10th season there, has called both sides of the ball for the Crusaders and mentored play-callers strictly as the HC. The 2012 state title-winner shared some tips for ALEX EWALT assistants ready to start calling plays.

Script your plays at practice. “The only way

to get into the flow of what you’re calling is to know how you’re going to call it in practice,” Rodenberg said. For young coordinators, scripting is essential to know how to strike a balance. If you’re an aspiring coordinator, pick a practice to shadow the play-caller on your side of the ball. Avoid late changes. “I’m emphatic about not making changes [on game weeks] after Wednesday,” Rodenberg said. This is key for young coordinators, with new responsibilities, to follow. And it’s important to keep the increased teaching aspect of an OC or DC job in mind. “It’s not about what you know; it’s about what [the players] know.” Make in-game adjustments easy. Rodenberg said simply asking position coaches, “What are we running well?” at halftime should be enough. Expect quick answers and tweaks from them. Practice pressure—in practice. Simulate those pressure-packed situations before you encounter them in games. “You have to practice things like going over with your unit after a series and talking to them,” Rodenberg said. Change up your coaching approach. The reality of moving from position coach to play-caller is that your relationship with the kids must change. “Some of my most fun days were when I was just a defensive backs coach, where you can just have a great relationship with your players,” Rodenberg said. “But once you’re a coordinator,

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you’ve got a lot of parts you’re responsible for.” Show faith in your system. Rodenberg encourages young coordinators to stick with their schemes—even if things aren’t going well right away. “That faith in what you believe in has to be stronger than the doubts that you have about your players,” he said. Position coaches: Show the HC you’re ready. “I will give you more responsibility when you show me you want more,” Rodenberg said. “Are you willing to go to an extra clinic? Are you willing to speak up in a meeting?” The ability to express ideas to other coaches on staff is key.

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Clinics are fine, but make colleges your go-to.

Clinics are a good place to pick up ideas, but everything you find won’t fit your style. Rodenberg urges young play-callers, if possible, to strike up relationships with area college coaches. Follow a recruit on a visit, and have questions prepared. Summer or right after national signing day are the best times, he said. Making a change? Sell it. If you’re installing a new philosophy or just making some tweaks, you’re not just teaching changes to your players; you have to convince your other coaches as well. It’s ultimately your call. It’s important to lean on your position coaches and get them involved in meetings. But Rodenberg said he’s had young coordinators who were absorbing too much from coaches around them. “After that meeting, it’s got to be about what you feel is good.”

LEARNING ON THE JOB

oepke just finished a second season as OC for Oklahoma power Union in which the Redskins won a Class 6AI championship, hanging 57 points on a team that beat them earlier that fall. But the young playcaller said he grew up a lot last offseason. “I definitely had a learning curve of how to adjust in-game,” Roepke said. “When [the defense] is showing something they haven’t done or things aren’t working like we thought they were, just being able to have that second or third counterpunch.” Roepke coached wide receivers at Union for two seasons and then QBs for two before taking over as OC. He retains QB coaching duties and said young coordinators have to quickly build trust with their unit’s leader. Though playing QB at the NAIA level made his path easier, Roepke said that with the right preparation, anyone can earn their headset. “If you’re willing to put in the work and put in the time, you can be a successful playcaller regardless of what position you played,” he said.

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RICHARD ROEPKE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR, TULSA UNION HIGH SCHOOL

FUNDRAISING 14 Keys to Executing a Successful Fundraising Program There is not always fun in fundraising. But fundraising is necessary for most football coaches who are trying to expand their budgets to provide their players with more resources. Here are some things to keep in mind when you are planning your next fundraiser. Believe in the Product. Both you, your staff and your players must be 100-percent behind what you are selling or promoting. The product must be one or more of the following: sellable, unique, exciting, useful, inspirational.

Start Early and Document the Journey. Be sure to document the entire process in writing. It will make the next year’s program a lot easier to execute. Don’t Go It Alone. Get a partner or group of people involved in organizing the fundraising program, but keep it small. Your team needs to be organized, but uncomplicated. Assign responsibilities to people who will see it through. Assign a Point Person. The person who believes in the fundraiser the most needs to be the one in charge. As a head coach, find someone who will champion the cause.

Be Uber-Organized. It is imperative you understand the program better than anyone so you can create a strategy and be able to make quick decisions when required. Creating a sales goal, schedule and procedure to settle and close the fundraiser is important. How is the money collected? How are the sold units distributed? Write it down or use Google Docs and invite multiple people to view and/or update.

Build a Solid Schedule. Create a schedule that reflects every step of the process. Identify the major milestones, including planning sessions, the team meeting, the launch, the closing date, and the different stages of settling and fulfilling the fundraiser. Paint the Picture. Why are you doing this fundraiser? Be very clear to yourself, your organizing committee and the players as to why the fundraiser is important. Give them bullet points, on a piece of paper. Have them recite them. Get Your Team in the Boat. If your team does not back the fundraiser, it will fail. Some coaches require compliance – and that system works if the players understand the repercussions if the fundraiser fails. Other coaches seek a buy-in from the players (via a vote for example). Broadcast Your Goal. On a markerboard, post your goal (money or units or sign-ups, etc.) and provide updates along the way if possible. The board will serve as both a reminder and a motivator.

Create Accountability, Reward Achievement. Make the players understand that every contribution matters. Some players will do better than others, but encourage everyone to get involved. Set

a minimum goal for each player and provide a “carrot” for the top performers. The incentive could be something exciting to the player (helmet sticker, football gloves, training shoes, etc.).

Keep it Fun. Fundraising is not always fun. But you can make the process of raising money more fun by emphasizing what success will look like. Give the players tips and advice and direction. Focus on Intensity Rather Than Time. Go in thinking either your fundraising program is a pass-fail course (or has four quarters and a scoreboard). Either it is going to work or not going to work; either you will win or lose. Take advantage of the energy created from the launch.

Explain, and re-explain, why you are fundraising. At first, your players will not understand why fundraising is important. To them, it is a chore, a task, a pain in the butt. Keep reminding them over, and over, and over again.

Show Thanks. Show the players and people who contributed the results of their fundraising donation. This will not be your last fundraiser, so keep that in mind. People love to help, but they also like to know their contribution went to a good cause.

■■ If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, share them with us on Twitter @fnfmag, or email Craig Baroncelli at cb@ae-engine.com.

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USA FOOTBALL LEARN FROM THE TOP COACHES USA FOOTBALL’S COACHES NOTES OFFERS EDUCATIONAL TOOLS HERE’S A SAMPLE:

Teaching the speed option in the spread offense DAVE CHRISTENSEN, ASSISTANT COACH ARIZONA STATE

his spring, USA Football will launch Coaches’ Notes,

a daily deep-dive into schemes, drills and program development written by coaches for coaches. For $50 a year, coaches can gain full access to the service, including topics covering technical/tactical, staff development, coaching philosophy, physical development, motivation and health and safety. Whether you are looking to completely overhaul your system, find some tweaks to what you already have or improve critical off-the-field components, Coaches’ Notes will provide proven methods that your peers are already taking advantage of – and what’s coming next. Football is unlike any other sport. Coaches spend the entire offseason helping each other get better while raising their own games. With Coaches’ Notes, tap into that knowledge from your home, office or tablet.

By coaches, for coaches. USA Football works with top coaches across the nation at the high school, college and NFL levels to share what they know. From young up-and-comers to proven champions, it’s a coach’s buffet. More than words. Every article includes video, graphic illustrations, playbook pages and other ways to consume the information in order to drive home the message. Every day. A new note will post to USA Football’s Coaches’ Notes every day, bringing seven new ideas each week, 30 fresh topics every month and 365 ways to improve yourself and your team each year. Beyond the X’s and O’s. Sustained success doesn’t happen without solid organization behind it. Coaches not only share their best schemes, plays and teaching tools, they dig into how to build the strongest staff, offseason program and in-season plan to bring out the best in your athletes and staff.

e run the option game with our quarterback as an alternative to get on the perimeter. In fact, we probably run this play more than the stretch play. There are a number of different ways to block this play. We can load the scheme and block the defensive end or read him. Game planning and the alignment of the defense will make the decision. We like the option against an aggressive defensive end, using a man-blocking scheme. When we are fortunate to have fast athletic tackles, that gives us the opportunity to reach the defensive end and option the flat defender.

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SHOTGUN OPTION

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To us, the option play is run from the shotgun. By running it from the shotgun, you have the built-in space between the quarterback and the defensive end. Some coaches say, “When you run option, you hold your breath every time the quarterback runs the ball,” but when he faces up the end rarely if ever does a big hit or injury occur. The quarterback secures the snap in the shotgun and gets his eyes on the defensive end. The quarterback has two hands on the ball and makes the defender make a decision – take the quarterback or cover the pitch. The pitch relationship must be good so the defensive end cannot force the quarterback to pitch and tackle the pitchman before he turns the corner.

COACHES’ NOTES WILL BE AVAILABLE IN APRIL 2017 AT USAFOOTBALL.COM/COACHES-NOTES.

COACHES’ NOTES STRATEGIES YOU CAN TRUST. WRITTEN BY COACHES, FOR COACHES. Read it. Watch it. Print it off. Mark it up.

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Base Cover 1 stunts and twists in the double eagle-double ﬂex defense

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Go beyond the surface with a comprehensive breakdown of the strategy.

LEO HAND

Because so many teams are now employing no-huddle offenses, defensive huddles should be stored on the same shelf as leather helmets. Defensive calls should be conveyed to players from the sideline via wristbands. Also, all verbiage must be eliminated from the call.

Dive Into the Xs and Os

For onfield topics, get the details on how to implement them into your program.

See it in Action

You know the philosophy, you understand the schematics, now watch it come together.

The system works as follows: Since no defensive alignment is mentioned, players know that they will line up in their base

alignment. No need exists to mention the alignment if it’s a team’s base. If you want to change from base to something else, simply precedes the call with a single

syllable that designates the variant. Two-digit numbers and word descriptions are too longwinded. For example, “forty-three” and “single ﬂex” both add three syllables to the call. It is much more succinct to assign each variation a single syllable (e.g., sap, wap, Mom, Tom, etc.)

than to give a multi-syllable word or number description. Next, defensive maneuvers are designated by phonetic sounds that can be merged to create words that are meaningless to everyone on the planet except the players who use them every day in practice.

It’s more than another article. It’s your insider’s look. Subscribe and access unlimited content for only $50/year! For example, with Nat-Wamer 1 Tag: Nat tells nose and Ted to twist

Wam tells Whip to blitz through the weakside A gap. When the sufﬁx “er” is added to “wam” or any other stunt involving Whip, Mike is assigned to play his Base 3 technique versus run and spy the near back versus pass. 1 Tag conveys a variation of Cover 1 in which the strong end covers the tight end and Stud blitzes from the edge.

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