FNF Coaches 2017 "For the Good of the Game"

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The Magazine for High School Football Coaches

oct/nov 2017

FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME Download the FNF Coaches App

playbook schemes & tactics

+ Defensive Line Play vs. No-Huddle + Why Run a Quarters Defense? + The Pistol Spread Triple Option Arroyo High coach Kurt Bryan (right center) poses with (from left) Abraham Villavicencio, Jonathan Caling, junior varsity head coach Mikel Dace, Zachary Soto and Michael Donalaya.

The People and Products That Make the Game Stronger

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ADVANCING FOOTBALL TOGETHER

SAVE THE DATE USA Football’s 2018 National Conference is heading back to Orlando.

Mark your calendars for January 26-28 and plan to attend the largest gathering of high school and youth stakeholders in football.

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1,000+ attending coaches = unique networking opportunities 75+ live demos from cutting-edge vendors in sports 60+ breakout sessions and 9 chalk talks 3 specific education tracks for youth and high school Numerous special Pro Bowl activities and sessions

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SPEAKER: Brian Kight, Focus3

Learn from one of the leading experts on leadership, culture and behavior.  Lead Now for Coaches  The R Factor for Coaches

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2017 Speaker Brian Billick

live demos

2017 Speaker Ray Lewis

2017 Speaker Bill Polian

Visit usafootball.com/nationalconference to learn more and register for this year’s National Conference.

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12. COLLEGE COACHES’ CORNER

hal mumme

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04. NEWS & NOTES 06. GEAR 22. POWERPLUS 23. HOBART-MAYFIELD 24. HELMETS TO HEAL 36. THE FROG 40. TEAM BUILDING

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football made me

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Find your athlete a great place to play & graduate on time.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

W

e are proud to present our seventh edition of 2017,

which has a theme of “For the Good of the Game.” The beginning of the fall can be a time when coaches become obsessed with results. Is the team winning? Is it on pace to hit its long-term goals?

Did we accomplish what we set out to accomplish in practice? What does the playoff picture look like?

During the time of year when it’s easy to get buried in box scores and league standings, it can be motivating to reflect on why you got into coaching in the first place. Many of us started in this profession to give back to the game. We remember the lessons we learned from playing football, and we attribute so many character-building moments to that experience.

Most of us set out to impact the lives of high school students in a positive way. We wanted to help them build life skills that would help them succeed in their personal and professional lives. Football has a unique ability to foster those life lessons through its reliance on team work, toughness, determination and camaraderie.

In this edition, we set out with a goal to share stories of people and products that are making football a better and safer sport. We spoke with coaches who lead service projects in the community and instill lessons upon their players of always looking out for those less fortunate than them. We spoke with coaches and innovators who are trying to get out in front of the biggest problems in the sport – concussions. We spoke with coaches who are implementing innovative schemes that are making the game more fun and safer.

If you would like to learn more about any of the topics we cover in this edition, we’d like to hear from you at fnf@ae-engine.com.

We want to continue to provide you with the information that helps you succeed as a coach, 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.

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ON THE FRONT COVER

Take matters into your hands

■■ Arroyo High coach Kurt Bryan (right center) poses with (from left) Abraham Villavicencio, Jonathan Caling, junior varsity head coach Mikel Dace, Zachary Soto and Michael Donalaya.

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NEWS & NOTES NFHS Pushes to Keep High School Football on Friday Nights

I

n an effort to re-emphasize that Friday nights in the fall should

be reserved for high school football, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has adopted a resolution that urges schools and teams at the college and professional levels to honor that longstanding tradition and schedule games on other days.

The NFHS membership, composed of state high school associations in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, has adopted the following resolution:

Athletes who began playing tackle football before the age of 12 had more behavioral and cognitive problems later in life than those who started playing after they turned 12, a new study showed.

The findings, from a long-term study conducted by researchers at Boston University, are likely to add to the debate over when, or even if, children should be allowed to begin playing tackle football.

The results of the study by researchers at Boston University, published in the journal

A top recruit’s transfer to a rival school has become the norm in high school football.

A quick glance of the top players in the 2018 class shows that 18 of the top 50 players in the 247Sports.com rankings are on their second school, or in some cases, their third. While coaches are concerned IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) is the primary culprit, only four of those top 18 players transferred to IMG.

M

iami Dolphins players spent the week of Sept. 10 practicing in California due to Hurricane Irma. When news reached the players that Miami Central High’s football team was basically stranded and financially strapped in Las Vegas because Irma ruined scheduled travel plans, the local professional team decided to provide aid for the local prep team.

Dolphins players are paying for lodging and transportation costs for the Central traveling party of 69 players, coaches and administrators – costs that had rocketed for Central to multiple tens of thousands of dollars.

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“Be it resolved that every Friday night during the fall in America is ‘High School Football Night.’

“Be it further resolved that college and professional football teams should refrain from scheduling contests on Friday nights …”

Although some major college football games have been played on Friday nights for about 20 years, the numbers continue to increase. This year, more than 50 major college football games will be played on Friday nights.

Nature’s Translational Psychiatry, was based on a sample of 214 former players, with an average age of 51. Of those, 43 played through high school, 103 played through college and the remaining 68 played in the N.F.L. In phone interviews and online surveys, the researchers found that players in all three groups who participated in youth football before the age of 12 had a twofold “risk of problems with behavioral regulation, apathy and executive function” and a threefold risk of “clinically elevated depression scores.”

USA FOOTBALL’S COACHES’ NOTES. 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

A Christian football coach from Bremerton, Wash., who was

THE USA FOOTBALL

suspended for kneeling and praying on the 50-yard line after high school games lost a bid to be reinstated and allowed to worship in front of students.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said that Bremerton High football coach Joseph A. Kennedy was serving as a public employee when he prayed in front of students and parents immediately after games, and the school had the right to discipline him.

Kennedy, an assistant football coach there from 2008 to 2015, led students and coaching staff in locker-room prayers before and after most games.

USAFOOTBALL.COM/ NATIONALCONFERENCE

National Conference has been scheduled for January 26-28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. This year’s conference allows key players within football the opportunity to connect and discuss the future of America’s favorite sport.

Learn more by visiting

Perform Better with a Protein Shake That Tastes Good

F

ormula 32 has successfully produced a

grass-fed, GMO-free whey protein shake with zero detectable metals for football players. And here’s the best part – it only needs to be mixed with water, and tastes good.

A Formula 32 owner recently tasked National Sales Manager Casey Bass with finding a healthy protein shake for the owner’s sons, both of whom are high school football players. Bass, a former offensive guard at Warner Robins High (Ga.), did his research, but didn’t feel comfortable recommending a specific product.

“His son was choking down protein shakes; he’d have to stand over the sink when he drank them,” Bass said. “We’re a powder drink company, so I thought, ‘This is what we do.’”

Formula 32 hired scientists to come up with a protein drink specifically formulated with athletes in mind. What

they came up with is a drink that has 32 grams of protein to help the muscles begin the healing process immediately after a workout. The protein drink comes from pasture-raised cows and includes 19 vitamins, 18 amino acids, 18 carbs and 470 mg of potassium.

Formula 32 sources its protein from New Zealand to avoid GMOs, antibiotics and steroids. It has been sold to more than 150 schools over the last three years.

“We built a drink that is not only focused on muscle recovery, it’s a good protein source and helps with school work and sleep,” Bass said. “Now, all of that doesn’t matter if it doesn’t taste good. Once we got that right, we had to come up with an easy way to get it to

coaches, so they could get it to players.”

Formula 32 developed a system of getting the product to over 100 players at one time without contaminating the product and without the added cost of individual servings. The system ensures that no hands ever have to touch the actual product. This process keeps the product safe, sterile and keeps the environment clean by using either a vending machine system or a manual wall-mounted unit.

“We created a hygienic dispenser system so that no coaches or players touch the powder,” Bass said.

Coaches who began using Formula 32 last season told Bass they saw marked improvement in the weight room and on the field.

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GEAR Football players and coaches are always looking for the best equipment, nutrition and technology to help their team reach its full potential. Here are some products to consider this season.

FORMULA 32 One of the challenges with protein powder for high schools is delivery to the athlete. F32 developed a dispensing system that allows each player to receive his serving of powder without anyone’s hands ever touching the product.

No scooping! Our manual dispensers hang neatly on the wall or a rolling cart allowing coaches many options for the delivery of the product. formula32.com

HONEY STINGER Organic Honey Stinger Waffles are the perfect half-time or pre-game football energy food! Honey is rich in carbohydrates, making it the ideal fuel for working muscles.

Loaded with simple sugars and simple carbohydrates, these waffles digest light keeping the athletes quick on their feet. These tasty sports nutrition snacks are already widely used by many collegiate and pro teams. To learn how to purchase these waffles for your high school team at exclusive pricing, contact Mac at mkelly@honeystinger.com.

POWERPLUS MOUTHGUARD POWERPLUS MOUTHGUARD IS THE

next generation in mouth guard technology. It’s revolutionary design uses your body physiology to allow you to perfectly align your muscle function. This balancing increases your strength output by 16.8 percent. More importantly, it separates the jaw joint to dissipate the G-Forces found in concussions. Using this new technology you can perform better and play safer!

Power Up with PowerPlus Mouthguard! powerplusmouthguard.com

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football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

PORTA PHONE GOLD SERIES WIRELESS HEADSETS PORTA PHONE GOLD SERIES

are a new breed of wireless that features a transceiver installed inside the headset ear cup. This compact design eliminates belt pack radios making the systems trouble free and affordable. Gold Series include breakthrough Spread Spectrum technology and automatically switch to the best frequency when necessary to avoid interference. Since there is no base station required all coaches are wireless and totally mobile.

To learn more visit our website, or call Porta Phone at 1-800-233-1113 for a quote.

MSRP (Complete 5-Coach Gold system): $2,995 portaphone.com

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USA FOOTBALL

What if coaches could provide a playbook for developing leadership and character? Brian Kight believes coaches can with Focus 3.

■■ Brian Kight develops leadership plans for football coaches as Focus 3 CEO.

Sought out for their knowledge and skill in culture

What’s Leadership Without a System?

BRENT GLASGOW

08

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

development, Brian Kight and Focus 3 – the leadership company his father, Tim Kight, founded – has helped Ohio State, Washington, Boise State, Houston, SMU, San Jose State, Texas State and even the Chicago Bears grasp oftenelusive intangibles.

So how did Kight become the go-to leadership guy for the football community?

Back in the game Kight grew up in Southern California. Upon graduation from Fallbrook High in 2000, he headed to the College of Wooster in Ohio to continue his academic and football career.

“I wanted to play college football in a place where it mattered,” Kight said of Ohio. “Football was central to my life, pivotal to everything that I wanted to do. It came down to Wooster and the University of San Diego, and my dad encouraged me to go to a different part of the country, to live in a different type of town, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Toward the end of his time there, Kight developed a thesis paper on a unique concept – “Who is Coaching the Coaches?”

“Anyone who’s played any sport has had good coaches and bad, and it dawned on me that there wasn’t a correlation between years of experience and quality of coaching,” Kight said. “I was curious how a coach could be 20 years in, in high school, college or the NFL, and be career .500 and

not have any championships. I wanted to know how coaches get better at their job.”

Kight studied and visited programs at various levels, and found no real system to coach coaches.

He formulated his plan, and after a brief postgraduation occupational detour as an information technology recruiter in LA, he returned to Ohio and shopped it to coaches.

“I got turned down by everyone I spoke to,” Kight said. “I reluctantly helped my dad in his business, which is our business now. I fell in love with the competitive side of business and helping people.”

Over nearly a decade, Kight developed leadership plans for successful companies and took over as Focus 3 CEO. Then came a moment of destiny in mid-2013, when Tim attended a fundraiser at Ohio State coach Urban Meyer’s home. The two chatted for two hours about the business, and Meyer extended an invite to one of his leadership sessions, asking for feedback.

With Brian on vacation, Tim went, and upon his return and joint evaluation, they gave Meyer their thoughts.

“We told him he had great content, lots of energy and good messages, but the fact that it doesn’t have a system, it’ll struggle to get applied in any meaningful way,” Kight said. “He asked if we had a system, and we said, ‘We sure do.’”

The Kights met with Meyer and staff, and spelled out their system on a whiteboard.

“About three minutes in, Urban told me to stop, turned to the others in the room and said, ‘Get on board, because we’re going all in on this,’” Kight said. “We gave him a system to do what he was doing, better.”

■■ Kight will lead two seminars at the USA Football 2018 National Conference.

COMING TO ORLANDO

B

rian Kight will lead two seminars at the USA Football 2018 National Conference, Jan. 26 through 28 during Pro Bowl week – “Lead Now for Coaches” and “The R Factor.”

“With Lead Now, coaches can expect to learn how to build trust that allows you to push people really hard for results,” Kight said.

“R Factor revolves around our principle of E + R = O, or, Event + Response = Outcome.

Disciplined responses win in individual matchups, games and in life.”

Seeing coaches and programs succeed with Focus 3’s system gives Kight plenty of personal and professional satisfaction.

“Watching these programs and knowing these guys, I’m more nervous than I ever was playing, because you pour yourself into them,” Kight said. “The enjoyment of watching them rise up and respond, and see a culture come alive during a game, it’s incredibly fulfilling.”

The USA Football National Conference is your opportunity to network and collaborate with elite coaches and administrators, while experiencing in-depth and quality presentations on a wide variety of topics.

Registration is open for the 2018 National Conference at usafootball.com/ nationalconference.

■■ Kight helps football coaches design “culture playbooks.”

How to coach coaches Kight’s program is about developing culture – something that’s easy to say, but difficult to achieve.

“Average coaches use quotes, good coaches have a plan, but elite coaches have a system,” Kight says. “The best have a definitive, declared, disciplined system on how to build leaders, exactly what their culture is and the behavior required to get the desired results – typically wins and building great young men.”

A big element is that leaders create the culture that drives the behavior that produces results.

“What coaches see is winning isn’t about strategy. What really counts is whether the players are disciplined enough to execute what they’re trying to teach,” Kight said. “I already know they’re good at football. The question is if they can keep a young man mentally, emotionally disciplined over a 14-week season.”

Kight helps each program design a “culture playbook,” then teaches coaches and players how to live it, to build the culture they want and need. Just like its long-term corporate clients, Focus 3 works with teams as they evolve, usually meeting with them four to six times a year.

“We observe where they are, what they need, and we, too, are evolving how we teach, constantly applying better applications,” Kight said. “Another thing is weekly messaging – teaching points that let coaches fold it into their weekly activities.”

In working with football programs and businesses, Kight sees similarities and differences.

“They’re both hyper-competitive, and they’re environments where the competitive advantages on the strategic side are shrinking,” Kight said.

“You can’t rely on talent and strategy to win anymore. You win by executing better and being more disciplined, adjusting faster with more toughness and endurance.”

Download the FNF Coaches app from the Apple App Store and Google Play

09

FOOTBALL MADE ME

J

osh Brock was near completion of his bach-

elor’s degree in education at the University of Georgia when he played in a letterman’s golf tournament that forever changed his life. He had planned to be a teacher and football coach. It was his goal since he stepped foot on campus at UGA as a lineman out of Cartersville High, Georgia.

The foursome he played with that day, including former Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier, convinced him otherwise.

“They laughed and said, ‘No you don’t, you want to work for us,’” Brock recalled.

The ‘us’ in this scenario was a mortgaging company in Atlanta, where, in 2006, Brock began an unanticipated job in the business world.

“I would have never seen myself wearing a suit and tie to work every day,” Brock said.

“But now, if you ask the people that know me well enough that I’m in business with and work around, they’re shocked when I show up and don’t have a suit on.”

Brock was a star offensive lineman at Cartersville High (Georgia) who committed to Clemson in 2002 before flipping his choice to the University of Georgia. A medical disqualification forced his football career to an early end before he entered the business world.

But Brock learned a lot about life in his time as a football player, lessons he’s carried over into his current role as an Account Executive for Peachtree Planning of Cartersville.

“It taught me a lot more about life in general than any school class could have; in a sense of thinking on your feet,” Brock said. “You have to think quickly and be decisive when you do make a decision.

More importantly, everything you decide to do, you have to go at it 100 percent.”

Brock is a financial planner for the company, making important decisions on a daily basis for clients who seek ways to better their portfolios and banking accounts.

Brock is a firm believer that giving 100 percent effort on the football field is how he approaches clients’ financial needs.

“If you don’t go at it 100 percent, bad things will happen to you,” Brock said.

“That’s probably the No. 1 thing I’ve taken from football is to process the situation and make a decision, and once you decide what to do you can go at it 100 percent.”

10

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Josh Brock ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE FOR PEACHTREE PLANNING OF CARTERSVILLE CARTERSVILLE HIGH (GEORGIA), CLASS OF ’02 RYNE DENNIS

■■ Former Cartersville High (Ga.) football player Josh Brock now works for Peachtree Planning of Cartersville.

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence!

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A Tradition of Excellence Since 1987 Abusinesses Tradition oftoward Excellence Since 1987 Helping thousands of individuals and plan for and work their financial goals and objectives, Peachtree Planning has built a tradition of excellence as one of the Southeast’s leading financial services firms. All fiscal decisions are interrelated. What looks like a smart move in one area might have Helping thousands of individuals and businesses plan for and work toward their financial goals and objectives, Peachtree Planning has built a tradition of excelnegative implications elsewhere, which is why clients need to have an organized, integrated view of their finances. lence as one of the Southeast’s leading financial services firms. All fiscal decisions are interrelated. What looks like a smart move in one area might have negative implications elsewhere, which is why clients need to have an organized, integrated view of their finances.

Alabama • Georgia • Tennessee 800.366.0839 | peachtreeplanning.com Alabama • Georgia • Tennessee 800.366.0839 | peachtreeplanning.com

Peachtree Planning Corporation is an agency of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. Securities products and advisory services offered through Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS), member FINRA, SIPC. OSJ: 5040 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30342, Phone #404.260.1600. PAS is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Guardian. Peachtree Planning Corporation is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. The GUARDIAN® Logo is a registered service mark of Guardian, used with permission.2016-21737 (exp.02/18) Peachtree Planning Corporation is an agency of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. Securities products and advisory services offered through Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS), member FINRA, SIPC. OSJ: 5040 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30342, Phone #404.260.1600. PAS is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Guardian. Peachtree Planning Corporation is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. The GUARDIAN® Logo is a registered service mark of Guardian, used with permission.2016-21737 (exp.02/18)

COLLEGE COACHES’ CORNER

ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY

W Q&A

WITH BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY HEAD COACH HAL MUMME DAN GUTTENPLAN

H

al Mumme is in his fourth season as the Belhaven

University head coach. In his first three seasons with the Blazers, Mumme’s Air Raid Offense has helped set team records in pass attempts, passing touchdowns and total offense.

Mumme is widely credited with being one of the innovators of the Air Raid Offense. He has been a head coach at Division 1 schools like University of Kentucky, New Mexico State, and Southeastern Louisiana. Mumme was also head coach at NCAA Division 2 Valdosta State, Iowa Wesleyan (NAIA), and most recently McMurry (Division 3). He also coached at the high school level in Texas from 1976 to 1979 and 1986 to 1988.

How can high school coaches be more helpful in the recruiting process?

“I think the thing we run into the most is the academic part of it. The good high school coaches know exactly where their kids stand. They can email lists in terms of test scores and GPAs. That’s really important. You go in to see a kid, and they can’t tell you if he passed a test or not. That’s burdensome. With their own players, they should encourage them to take the tests multiple times and start when they’re sophomores and juniors.”

How do you prefer a potential recruit reach out to you to express interest in Belhaven?

“We get it in all forms. We get coaches, players and recruiting services. Everything is so easy to get to these days. I can look up kids on HUDL. The

12

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

reaching out part is not as important as taking care of the academic piece.”

What steps can a high school coach take to ensure his players have success in the classroom?

“I left being the offensive coordinator at UTEP in 1986 to become the head coach at Copperas Cove High School in Texas. That first year, the state of Texas passed a no-pass, no-play rule. We had to keep track of every player daily so they’d still be eligible at the six-week mark. We had a community effort in the hallways to make sure the kids were doing what they should have been doing. We did home visits to encourage parents and find out what kind of home life the kids had. We had weekly grade checks. We implemented a study hall for kids who were struggling in class. It was a lot of work. You have to do it, because at that age – 14 to 16 – a lot of kids haven’t learned study habits.”

What inspired you to create the Air Raid Offense?

“Back in the 1980’s, I was coaching in Texas during the era of ‘three yards and a cloud of dust’.

That wasn’t appealing to the kids. We started spreading the ball around and spreading the kids out. It was easy to tell parents if their kid gets hurt, it’s not going to be in practice. I’m a big fan of what we do. Styles matter. In defense, we teach kids the rugby-style tackle. If we can do that from the ground up, that would make the game safer all the way around. Players tend to not lead with the head with rugby tackling.”

hile coaching at the high school level, Mumme pushed his players to represent themselves well in the community. He encouraged his players to join the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and go to church.

“We encouraged participation in the community and the school,” Mumme said.

Mumme’s strength coach created a Barbell Club, opening the football team’s weight room to the entire community after school.

“We treated it like a health club,” Mumme said. “That really forged friendships and bonding experiences. People would come in after school and get a workout in. It helped the kids get in workouts while other people around the school got to see how hard they worked. They’d share the weight room with teachers, students, people in the band, and faculty.”

Mumme’s strength coach also hosted an annual lift-athon in the spring.

Before the start of spring practice, Mumme’s players would max out on various exercises with much of the student body in attendance to cheer them on.

“We let our guys show off how much they gained in the weight room,” Mumme said. “We invited the whole school and the community.

That was a nice idea.”

Why do you promise parents that players wouldn’t get injured in practice? D0 you not have contact in practice?

“At the high school level, we had very little contact in practice. You don’t have piles. A lot of high school kids get hurt because they’re shoe-to-shoe along the line. We spread it out. Kids don’t fall on each other. We don’t run a lot of inside drills. We have big splits along the line to create more space.”

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Do you think you would have had more stability in your career if you ran a more conventional offense? It seems there is less patience for innovative ideas.

“That’s 20th century thinking. That was a question for 30 years ago. You have to think outside the box. What I’m suggesting now, so many high schools run it. It’s not risky anymore. When we were doing it in the 80’s, and 90’s, we were the only ones doing it. People thought we were crazy. Back then, it was risky. Now, so many high school teams are doing it, it’s not innovative anymore.”

Where did you get the idea for the Air Raid Offense?

“I was always a big fan of the BYU offense. We got to compete against them, so I studied their system. I got to know Mouse Davis and Bill Walsh, and I created the Air Raid with those three ideas. When Mike Leach and I were at Iowa Wesleyan, we got so good that the small schools wouldn’t even play us anymore. So, we had to play bigger institutions, and that’s when we started looking for an edge. We started playing fast. The book, ‘The Perfect Pass,’ kind of tells the whole story. I recommend that book.”

How do you balance running your scheme vs. catering to the talent on your roster?

“We just put in the scheme and coach it. The challenge is finding players that could fit each position.

Sometimes, the hardest one is the quarterback. Mouse Davis told me a long time ago, if you don’t have a quarterback at the high school level, you should immediately try to get the shortstop off the baseball team. I would watch the kids coming along, go to Little League games, try to see who could throw a tight spiral. Then I worked with and developed them.”

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■■ Arroyo High (Calif.) head coach Kurt Bryan implemented an offensive scheme that reduces the risk of injury for his players.

For the Good of the Game A Responsibility to Make the Game Stronger It’s easy for a coach to be consumed by what’s best for his team. We encourage all coaches to think about what’s best for the sport.

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There’s no denying that football is on the decline at the high school level.

The number of high school football players dropped by 25,901 participants in 2016-17, according to a report by National Federation of State High School Associations.

The manner in which we process that decline is a matter of perspective. There are those that will look at the increased awareness of concussions and other safety concerns and say that football is dying.

On the other hand, others will ignore the recent influx of scientific evidence pointing to the dangers of football and say that the sport has never been stronger.

Our perspective falls somewhere in the middle.

We love football and realize many others do too. Football still had the highest number of overall participants among all high school sports in 2016-17, with 1,086,748 in total last season. An additional 61 schools added football to their athletic offerings in 2016-17.

Football provides life lessons for over a million high school players each year.

That being said, the sport can be made safer through advances in science, medicine and technology. We will share people that are at the forefront of making the game stronger.

Establish a Culture of Community Service WESTSIDE HIGH (SC) COACH REQUIRES HIS PLAYERS TO GIVE BACK The lessons coaches teach their players extend well beyond the football field. Establishing a culture in which the players consider the plight of those less fortunate will help make them better people. Inspire them to help out their friends and neighbors in the local community.

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FOUR BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE Improved Health: A report

ootball players at Westside High School in

Anderson, S.C., do more than suit up each Friday night – they give back to the community.

Head coach Scott Earley says his team follows five guiding principles (spiritual, community, academic, physical and mental) and helping others in need is just one way it makes them better people and football players.

“We do a lot of that kind of stuff,” he said. “It’s a part of what we do.”

The Rams read to elementary school children, and volunteer with Special Olympics, March of Dimes and Relay for Life. “[The five principles] are a wagon wheel with spokes. Our big thing is to give back,” Earley said. “Our kids just know this is a part of it when you play in the program.”

Earley said he tells his team that football doesn’t last forever, but the satisfaction of community service does.

“I think it makes them more humanistic, compassionate,” he said. “I think it keeps them humble, makes them grateful. Our kids have taken a liking to it.”

As 28 year-old teacher at Myrtle Beach, Earley said he decided to make community service a part of what he was trying to teach as a football coach. He acknowledged it probably began as a public relations tool for his team, but it soon took on a life of its own. He wanted to use the game of football in a positive manner and clean up the culture by giving back to it.

“I wanted to make the spiritual, academic and community pieces more important than football,” he said. “I believe good things happen to good people.”

This past spring, the Rams became involved with an 8-year old boy with autism who was having a difficult time in school.

With the help of the Westside players, the rising third-grader is more comfortable in school

■■ Westside High (SC) football players mentor Centerville Elementary students.

and is making friends with classmates who used to tease him, said Centerville Elementary teacher Teresa Sanders.

“To me it meant so much,” she said. “They were very well-mannered and it was a good example [to set]. It takes a community to grow a child. We felt like this was a team we can be a part of in our own community. As soon as I asked, [Coach Earley] responded quickly.”

Sanders said the Westside players encouraged the autistic boy and his classmates to always do their best in school, listen to their teachers and make the right decisions.

Afterwards, the players went outside for recess and ran the track with boy, drawing a crowd from the other students at the school.

“All the other students wanted to be with them and run with them,” Sanders said. “It just really helped him. Once that happened and those guys came and did that there was more respect for [the boy].”

Earley said the boy is going to dress out with the Rams this season and they hope to throw him a pass in a game.

by the Corporation for National & Community Service states that “those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.”

Team Building: As teams work together to complete projects, they get to spend time working toward a common goal outside of their particular sport.

These projects allow the student-athletestointeract with their coaches and teammates in a different environment.

Leadership and Skills Growth: Community

service projects give each individual a chance to rise to the occasion and assist others. Athletes can demonstrate and develop leadership ability even if that is not normally their role within the team.

Volunteers also have a chance to showcase their talents outside of the given sport they are playing.

Positive Publicity:

Although publicity and recognition should not be the main impetus behind community service, it is often an outcome of giving back to the community. Community service projects help to build awareness and community trust.

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FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME

■■ A coach should err on the side of caution when dealing with an injured player.

6 Signs a Player Should Get Medical Attention A COACH’S RESPONSIBILITY INCLUDES REMOVING PLAYERS FROM ACTION DAN GUTTENPLAN

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Kevin D. Planchard, MD, is a Clinical Professor in Orthopaedics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and a team physician for the New York Lizards Major League Lacrosse Team.

Planchard shared his thoughts on how coaches should handle situations in which a player is struggling to determine whether he is hurt or injured.

A Suspected Concussion. If a coach monitors any of the following signs, it is incumbent that he removes the players from action: headache, nausea, balance problems, dizziness, double or blurry vision, sensitivity to light and noise, fatigue or drowsiness, trouble concentrating, irritability, and memory loss.

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A Change in a Player’s Gait.

If a player is limping or struggling to move in between plays, evaluate the player for

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KEVIN PLANCHARD, MD PROFESSOR, ORTHOPAEDICS ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE IN NEW YORK

an injury. “A simple sprain can become a broken ankle if it’s not taped. A coach can save the whole season for a player by having him sit out for one game.

A lot of parents can become accusatory if a player exacerbates an injury, and a coach doesn’t want to be put in that position.”

A Player Grimacing. “The best coach is one that develops a relationship with his players, and the best coaches do that naturally,” Planchard said. If you know a player well, you will be able to tell when he’s playing in pain.

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Trouble Breathing. Make note of your players’ preseason physical evaluations. If you have a player who has been diagnosed with asthma, monitor that player’s stamina and fatigue levels during games.

Dehydration. Many high school players play on both sides of the ball, so opportunities to hydrate can be few and far between. Make sure those two-way players have access to water during stoppages in play.

Trainers can run onto the field with water bottles.

Preexisting Conditions. If a player is returning to the field from injury earlier than expected, monitor that player closely to ensure he is making a smooth return. If a player struggles in cold or hot temperatures, monitor the pregame routine to ensure the player is giving himself the best chance to make it through the game healthy.

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HURT VS. DISINTERESTED

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lanchard has found that one common explanation for players who routinely ask out of games – or spend an inordinate amount of time in the trainer’s room – is the player doesn’t want to play football at all.

“In that case, you have to worry about a father that wants his son to play football, and the kid doesn’t want to play,” Planchard said. “You have to understand the relationship the player has with the coach to know if he’s excited to play the game. Someone who goes into the training room all of the time, I’m suspicious that he doesn’t want to play the game.”

Identifying which players are on the team in body but not necessarily in spirit can be easier for coaches who establish strong relationships with their players.

“Very few players are going to play beyond high school, so it’s important the coach has an understanding that this may be the end of the road for that player’s career,” Planchard said.

Products and Organizations That Make the Game Safer A few individuals and businesses are emerging as leaders in making the sport of football safer.

Through educational videos and the development of safer equipment, these businesses are leading the way in limiting concussions.

PRACTICE LIKE PROS

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ractice Like Pros Founder Terry O’Neil learned how a football practice should be run while serving as a television producer for NFL broadcasts in the 1980s and ’90s. One of the lasting impressions he gained came when he watched Bill Walsh run a practice with the San Francisco 49ers.

“For the first time, I saw them going full speed in shorts,” O’Neil said.

“Before that, I’d only seen full speed in pads. He’d say to the defensive backs, ‘Everyone must stay on their feet. Nobody goes to the ground.’”

That helped spawn O’Neil’s idea for Practice Like Pros, an organization that travels the country to share videos with high school coaches of successful, safe practice strategies.

The tenets of Practice Like Pros include: ■■ Grade-school boys should be restricted to flag football. Full contact

■■ Practice Like Pros founder Terry O’Neil

should not begin until ninth grade.

■■ High school coaches should ban

full-contact practices in the offseason, and limit full-contact periods to three hours per week during the preseason and 30 minutes per week in-season.

■■ Coaches should educate players on concussions and second-impact dangers.

■■ Every team should have access to a full-time athletic trainer or comparable medical professional.

■■ EMS should be on site at every game.

WEB: PRACTICELIKEPROS.COM

■■ The GameBreaker protective cap is worn by players in 7-on-7 games.

GAMEBREAKER

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f you’ve seen a 7-on-7 game recently, you know that soft-shell protective headgear is being worn by most players. Gamebreaker is at the head of the industry as a supplier of soft-shell protective headgear, which helps fill a safety void where incidental contact from athletes might result in a head injury.

“I’m a huge football fan, and have always played and coached,” Gamebreaker President Michael Juels said. “Our motto is: ‘Protect the player, protect the game.’ We want to address what’s hurting football and prescribe a solution.”

Gamebreaker protective caps are molded out of EVA rubber foam. The hook and loop chin strap combined with adjustable laces enables the headgear to custom fit each player’s head.

The material that surrounds the outer shell allows air flow to release heat during those summer 7-on-7 contests.

Juels said the creation of Gamebreaker protective caps was a response, in part, to reports of the decreasing popularity of football.

“We thought the reason the game was shrinking was concern for head injuries,” Juels said. “We can’t allow those 7-on-7 games to have as many head injuries as tackle. Then we’d really have a problem. We feel this protects the player as well as the game.”

WEB: GAMEBREAKER.COM TWITTER: @GAMEBREAKERHG

Three Shadowman Pro units retail at $2,500 or $833 per unit. hadowman Sports has helped “Our product emphasizes the target coaches solve the mystery of zone with white areas numbers 1, 2 how to teach proper tackling and 3,” Flanagan said. “It’s ideal for technique without putting players at teaching tackling and replicating good risk of injury. Shadowman has created form over and over again. We’re trying a product that allows players to take to protect players and allow coaches game-speed reps without player-onto get around limited or no contact player contact. The Shadowman Pro restrictions. The players are doing it at and Shadowman Junior offer players a high level with a ton of repetitions.” moving targets with strike zones WEB: SHADOWMANSPORTS.COM between the shoulders and knee flex.

TWITTER: @SHADOWMANSPORTS “Our philosophy is we try to protect the game of football,” said Shadowman Sports President/COO Stephen Flanagan. “We hear from ■■ The Shawdowman moms and dads at all Pro is popular at the different levels, thanking high school level. us for doing that with our equipment.”

Shadowman Pro models are 5 feet, 10 inches tall and manufactured with heavy-duty three-layer PVC. The product is inflated with air and water and pulled manually. It has three options for a target zone and has a bent-knee posture.

SHADOWMAN SPORTS

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FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME A REDUCTION IN CONCUSSIONS

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■■ Bobby Vernon teaches Miami Palmetto (Fla.) players a rugby-style tackling technique.

7 Tips to Reducing Concussions PALMETTO (FL) ASSISTANT VERNON INTEGRATES RUGBY TACKLING DAN GUTTENPLAN

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obby Vernon, a coach at Miami Palmetto High (Fla.),

authored the best-selling book titled Tackling Dummies: Playing Amateur Football Smarter. He also produces a series of football tackling drills, Tackling Dummies, which promotes “Heads Out” tackling.

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Run pursuit drills. “In pursuit drills, if you’re a

middle linebacker tracking a running back, your shoulders need to be square to the line of scrimmage. We never line up two guys next to each other and say, ‘Wrap him up.’ That’s a waste. You’re coming from a leverage position in pursuit drills.”

Stress eye position. “If they’re playing insideout, tell them to keep their eyes lasered to the near hip, and do not let the ball come back across their face. If you’re outside, it’s the same thing from the other side.”

Track dummies and players as rabbits. “We’ll have the players track the dummies. We’ll also use players as rabbits and make sure the tacklers stay behind so the rabbit doesn’t come across their faces. We use Shadowman dummies. The remote control is typically outside the price points for high school football, so we use blow-up dummies.”

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Focus on leverage. “One of the things I’ve found historically is we focus on the point of contact – how the body is placed on another player’s body.

If your head is up but you don’t have leverage, you won’t make the tackle.”

Work on tracking. “In rugby, the field is 50 percent wider. The tracking is tremendous because they’re always thinking about ways to work with teammates to get the ball-carrier between two guys.”

Take the helmets off. “When you put helmets on kids at an early age, they tend to feel invincible. They’re using their head as a weapon.

Take the helmet off, and they tend to protect the head more.”

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Do not require players to take the dummies to the ground. “If I had to guess, we probably finish

tackles only 30 percent of the time. It’s about the pursuit more than the point-of-contact.”

almetto head athletic trainer Michelle Benz reported that football players suffered 15 concussions during the 2012 season and 13 during the 2014 season. But in 2015, only four concussions were reported (two on varsity and two on JV. Last year, that number dropped to zero at the varsity level.

“It’s a dramatic drop,” Vernon said. “Luck plays a factor, but there are other factors. Some of it is strength training the neck and trap muscles.

We have limited contact in practice, so we prepare for games without running the risk of practice injuries. Certainly the effectiveness of tackling helped us get through a season concussion-free.

That tells us we’re doing it the right way.”

It has also led to better results. In 2014, Palmetto allowed 24 points and more than 150 rushing yards per game. Last year, Palmetto allowed only 11.3 points per game and 113 rushing yards per game.

An App to Help Coaches Diagnose Concussions CLEVELAND CLINIC DOCTOR DEVELOPS REVOLUTIONARY TECH Jay Alberts, PhD, BME, head of the Concussion Center at Cleveland Clinic (Ohio), developed an app to help diagnose concussions. The app compares assessments of balance, reaction time, memory, and vision after a hit to data collected for that player during the pre-season. DAN GUTTENPLAN can a coach really be responsible for assessing each player for a potential concussion during a game?

“Every coach certainly dedicates practice time to special teams, the 2-minute drill, and other game situations. I encourage coaches to dedicate a segment of practice to the emergency preparedness plan. What are you going to do if your quarterback or running back is being evaluated for a concussion?

That’s why you do fire drills. Practice it.”

can equipment prevent concussions?

“I haven’t seen anything on the market that has any really good make a judgment to determine if scientific data that says it can the player can return to play. By prevent concussions. When it comes saving athletes’ baseline informato equipment and helmets, it’s not tion for later use, doctors can spot going to prevent concussions. That JAY ALBERTS, PHD, BME concussions, tell how bad they said, an ill-fitting piece of equipHEAD OF THE CONCUSSION CENTER are and how long it takes to fully ment can contribute to a concusAT CLEVELAND CLINIC (OHIO) recover and get back on the field. sion. If it hasn’t been certified or if Cleveland Clinic athletic trainit’s been modified, that would put ers use the C3 app to conduct baseline assessup a red flag. If you add something to a helmet as a modification, that’s a potential red flag.” ments of motor and cognitive function in nearly Are there measures that can be taken during strength 11,000 high school and college athletes who play contact sports across Northeast Ohio and in training to limit the likelihood of suffering a concussion?

“We have a little bit of data showing that several locations throughout the United States. building neck strength reduces incidents of FNF Coaches recently spoke about concussions concussions. There’s no real downside to making with Dr. Alberts.

What are some steps football coaches can take to sure your neck is strong, particularly for football. help prevent concussions in practice?

While the data is not conclusive, it points to “It’s very similar to the steps a coach would take a relationship between neck strength and a reduction in concussions. If there is a potential if he wanted to put in a new system. He has to think about planning a practice. One thing he can relationship between training and reducing do is not concentrate all of the hitting during one concussions, I would advocate for that.” time. Maybe the team does some conditioning, then tackling drills, then the coaches might do some education, some agility, then maybe a little more hitting. That way, the hitting is not concentrated into one period. There’s data about concussion research on animals that if you give an animal more frequent impact in a short duration, the amount of damage is significantly greater.

There’s a bit of practice planning that goes into it. Use drills that transfer to a game. I don’t think the bull-in-the-ring drill is very helpful anymore.

Practice with thud and don’t go live all the time.”

The Cleveland Clinic’s C3 App helps coaches

THE 5 PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONCUSSION SAFETY

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van Peck, MD, is a sports medicinephysician in the Section of Sports Health of the Levitetz Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida.

He said five people must work together in helping to reduce concussions.

Coaches: Teach proper tackling and blocking.

Get USA Football certified and run schemes that stress player safety. For instance, the West Coast Offense with short crossing routes is said to result in more concussions than other schemes.

Players: Don’t be reckless.

Defeat an opponent without causing a head injury.

Practice proper tackling and blocking techniques.

Respect your opponents.

League administrators:

Draft rules to disallow helmet-to-helmet hits, blows to a defenseless receiver, and stricter enforcement of late hits.

Officials: Enforce the rules, educate the players and coaches regarding safety. State clear expectations to both teams before the opening kickoff.

Equipment managers: Be sure players are wearing safe equipment as dictated by league rules.

The role of the equipment in preventing concussions is modest and should not be emphasized.

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FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME

■■ The Insight Replay system allows coaches to review film on the sideline.

A Coach Who Seeks Out the Best Technology GENESEE (IDAHO) WON THE FNF COACHES CONTEST DAN GUTTENPLAN

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enesee High (Idaho) coach Tim Sperber strives to

provide his team with “the best equipment, best facilities, and best training”. Sperber helped that cause by submitting an entry for the 2017 FNF Coaches Sideline Replay System Contest.

Sperber officially nominated Genesee High for the contest prize — an Insight Replay Sideline Replay System – by downloading the FNF Coaches app and entering the contest. Genesee was selected among a pool of applicants, and Sperber and the Genesee staff received the sideline replay system prior to the team’s Homecoming game on Sept. 15.

“It’s really cool for us,” Sperber said. “We are one of the smallest schools in Idaho, but one thing we do is make sure our kids get the best technology and resources they can get.”

Genesee’s 8-man football team also has access to a drone video system. This spring, the coaching staff also allocated fundraising resources to an end zone camera. Genesee’s game film quality is already second to none at the high school level in Idaho due to a partnership with a cinematographer for Washington State University and the Pac-12 Conference. That cinematographer also volunteers as a video producer for Genesee.

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“We have the best film you can imagine for a small school,” Sperber said. “We’re planning to use the sideline system at home and when we travel on the road. Our cinematographer already has a plan.”

Sperber’s decision to prioritize new technology this season appears to be paying dividends on the field.

Genesee started the season 2-0 including the team’s first victory over a local powerhouse in six years.

“We’re excited about putting the Sideline Replay System into our system,” Sperber said. “Once we get it on our iPad, a coach can walk it over to the sideline and show it to me along with the footage we’re getting from our end-zone camera.”

FNF Coaches will continue to offer subscribers contest prizes. The FNF Coaches app is available for free on iTunes (designed for both the iPhone and iPad) and Amazon (for Android).

8 TIPS FOR USING SIDELINE REPLAY

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DELEGATE RESPONSIBILITY. Decide which coaches are responsible for viewing devices before the game starts.

PROVIDE PLAYERS WITH A MONITOR. A bigger screen will allow more players to see it and make corrections.

CONSIDER THE WEATHER ELEMENTS. There’s no use having a 47-inch monitor if it’s not working because it’s been soaked in rain. Provide cover for electronics.

MAKE TIME TO REVIEW FILM. Coordinators and head coaches don’t have time to go through unedited clips. Edit and share video as quickly as possible.

IDENTIFY A TECH GENIUS. At least one person needs to know the purpose of an HDMI cord and antennae.

USE A SECURE NETWORK. You don’t want to share your in-game adjustments with an opponent.

USE MULTIPLE CAMERAS. The more views of the action, the better.

LOAD VIDEO TO HUDL. Take advantage of the technology postgame by allowing players to review.

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Create a Scheme and Share It In 2006, Kurt Bryan and his offensive coordinator, Steve Humphries, created the A-11 offense, based on the concept that any of the 11 DAN GUTTENPLAN players on the field could be eligible receivers.

The A-11 offense was born in 2006 out of Bryan and Humphries’ desire to play to the strengths of a Piedmont (Calif.) team that lacked in size and natural running backs. The team had two quarterbacks and several undersized receivers, and the two coaches were determined to design a scheme that played to their team’s strength.

“We researched the rule book and found that in a certain formation, all players could be eligible receivers,” Bryan said. “The formation would dictate eligibility rather than jersey number.”

The A-11 offense was short-lived because the National Federation banned the formation in 2009, two years after Bryan and offensive coordinator Steve Humphries created it.

Still, Bryan’s offense exploded in popularity – not only at the high school level. College and NFL coaches also reached out to Bryan in an effort to learn the offense.

“We made a decision as a staff to share everything with everybody,” Bryan said. “We could have either shared nothing or shared everything, and we decided to give back. We’d learned so much from other coaches over the years.”

In 2008, Scientific American magazine

A SAFER SCHEME

K ■■ Kurt Bryan helped invent the A-11 offense in 2006.

calculated that the A-11 offense allowed for 16,632 possibilities in terms of which player might receive the snap and which player might end up with the ball on any given play, compared to 36 in a conventional offense.

“Once you coach the A-11 offense with all of the players interchangeable, it opens the brain to amazing possibilities,” Bryan said.

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art of Bryan’s guarantee to his players involves playing time. He promises that every player who is eligible, physically able to play, and attends all practices, will receive playing time in that week’s game. He managed this policy for nine years at Piedmont, and found it to be a motivating factor for players.

“What’s nice about it is – regardless of the score or outcome – it helps in practice,” Bryan said. “You can turn to a guy in practice and say, ‘Aren’t you playing on Friday?’ It gives them a chance to play in front of their family and friends.”

Arroyo’s Super Spread offense also makes it safer for undersized players to compete at the varsity level.

“I came from the school of the West Coast offense and the Power-I,” Bryan said. “I respect that. I was never a spread coach. I love downhill football as much as anybody. But the bottom line is we need to protect the players. If we put safety first, and it’s innovative, everybody wins. If we don’t, everybody loses.”

5 WAYS TO SHARE A SCHEME Once Bryan and Humphries decided to share their scheme with other coaches, they had to devise a system to do it.

Website: Bryan created a website and offered downloadable PDFs of his playbook so other coaches could view his entire menu of plays.

Video: Bryan produced videos with explanations of plays, practice drills and game film of the A-11 offense.

Clinics: Bryan and Humphries have shared their scheme through speaking engagements at clinics.

Networking: Most coaches who wanted to borrow pieces of the A-11 offense chose to follow up with Bryan by phone or in-person.

urt Bryan is now coaching at Arroyo High (Calif.), where he teaches a variation of the A-11 offense – now called the Super Spread.

However, he believes state and national athletic associations will soon alter the rules to allow the original A-11 scheme.

“When we implemented this scheme 10 years ago, we banned the three-point stance on our offensive line because everyone had to be in a flexible, athletic position,” Bryan said.

“When they’re in a twopoint stance, it takes the head out of the game.”

Bryan’s Piedmont team did not suffer a major injury over two seasons (2007-08) of running the A-11 offense.

“That was a wonderful benefit that kind of unfolded,” Bryan said. “If you look at the way the game is going and where it will be 25 to 30 years from now, there is no way it will look like what it is now. It will be so far advanced. You’ll see a shift to putting smaller, dynamic athletes on the field. It has to change.”

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POWERPLUS Perform Better and Play Safer with PowerPlus Mouthguard The PowerPlus Mouthguard is a game-changer in the industry due to its ability to disperse the G-force of an impact to reduce the likelihood of a player suffering a concussion. The mouthguard has DAN GUTTENPLAN also been proven to improve performance.

POWER QUOTE

THE COLLEYVILLE HERI-

Michael Hutchison, DMD, started developing a mouthguard 15 years ago to treat his patients for Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ) and migraine headaches. He found that by simply putting the patients’ jaw in the proper position, the mouthguard helped increase strength.

“After their jaw was positioned correctly, they seemed to have more energy and felt stronger,” Hutchison said.

The PowerPlus system allows an athlete to measure the degree of anatomical deficiency in his or her unique jaw position and will correct any deficiency with the patented combination design.

After the PowerPlus Mouthguard is installed correctly, the jaw joint will be in the optimum “PowerPlus” position, providing maximum strength, endurance, performance and protection.

After discovering the strength gains associated with the PowerPlus system, Hutchison began outfitting his son’s middle school football team with the mouthguards. He found that the team’s performance on the field improved, and the rate of concussions decreased. Over a six-year period, no player on that team reported a concussion.

“We tested players, and they were 25 percent

POWERPLUS MOUTHGUARD

22

stronger,” Hutchison said. “The strength increase was really shown to be a phenomenon. You’re never going to eliminate every concussion unless you stop playing the sport. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s something we can do to address and reduce the forces in impacts to mitigate concussions.”

Hutchison partnered up with Michael Hott, a North Texas resident who lost his daughter to a head injury in 2002, to form PowerPlus Mouthguards. In 2009, the mouthguards were tested at Wayne State University, and scientists found that athletes experienced a 16.8 percent increase in strength using the physiological jaw position in PowerPlus Mouthguards compared to Shock Doctor. The PowerPlus system has been tested by over 2,000 subjects since its inception, and only four athletes have reported concussions – marking a 0.26 percent rate of concussion.

“This newer level of testing is making all other mouthguards obsolete,” Hutchison said. “Those mouthguards are just to protect teeth from fracturing. There’s no other purpose. The PowerPlus Mouthguard allows a maximum neuromuscular response, which increases performance.”

WEBSITE: POWERPLUSMOUTHGUARD.COM

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

FACEBOOK: @POWERPLUSMOUTHGUARD

tage football team began using the PowerPlus Mouthguard in 2016. Of the 30 players who wore the mouthguard, not one suffered a concussion.

This season, Colleyville coach Joe Willis ordered PowerPlus Mouthguards for the entire team.

“Anytime we can find technology that enhances the game and enhances our kids ability to stay on the field and stay healthy, we want to do that,” Willis said.

POWERPLUS MOUTHGUARD POWERPLUS

Mouthguard is the next generation in mouth guard technology. Its revolutionary design uses your body physiology to allow you to perfectly align your muscle function. This balancing increases your strength output by 16.8 percent.

More importantly, it separates the jaw joint to dissipate the G-Forces found in concussions.

Using this new technology you can perform better and play safer! Power Up with PowerPlus Mouthguard!

HOBART-MAYFIELD Impact-Absorbing Facemask Clip Reduces G-Force of Hits to Facemask Hobart-Mayfield, LLC has created and patented an impact-absorbing facemask clip, the S.A.F.E. Clip™️ to reduce the g-force of a blow to the face mask while maintaining the integrity of the unit.

DAN GUTTENPLAN

T

Hobart-Mayfield Vice President and CMO Greg Wieczerza,

■■ All statistics generated through research by Wayne State University

and his partners, CEO Justin Summerville & COO Rich Williams, decided a few years back to take on one of football’s biggest problems: concussions.

They sought out to improve the safety features of the outdated plastic or silicone facemask clips by creating a product that reduces g-force at the point of impact to the facemask during a tackle or collision. Studies show that concussions occur in football at forces between 98-103 g’s.

“I’m 65 now, but I remember some of the hardest hits I took were to the face mask,” Wieczerza said. “I’d end up seeing stars.”

The Hobart-Mayfield staff created a facemask clip with a patented visco-elastic membrane housed in a thermoplastic body. The product has shown in independent testing to dampen blows to the face mask before the impact reaches the head/neck. The S.A.F.E.Clip™️ is retrofittable to over 94% of current helmet/facemask configurations from all manufacturers with no alterations needed to the facemask or helmet.

Other configurations are in development.

“We want to protect players,” Wieczerza said.

“If one fewer kid gets injured, we’ve done our job.”

HOBART-MAYFIELD

THE STATS

he average high school football player is on the receiving end of 500 head impacts per season.

The Hobart-Mayfield face mask clip results in: ■■ A 24 percent g-force reduction translational (lateral) motion in a facemask collision over a standard clip.

■■ A 28 percent g-force reduction rotational motion in a facemask collision over a standard clip.

■■ A 12 percent g-force reduction rotational in a facemask collision at a 45-degree angle over a standard clip.

THE FACTS ■■ Patented visco-elasto-

mer is used by NASA, GE Healthcare and Wilson Sporting Goods.

■■ Hobart-Mayfield is providing product development information to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, Core Institute: The Sports Neurology Clinic, Caring4Concussions, National Organizing Committee for Safety in Athletic Equipment, NFL, NCAA, NJCAA, NAIA, NFHS and youth leagues.

THE COST ■■ The Impact Absorbing

WEBSITE: HOBARTMAYFIELD.COM EMAIL: GREGW@HOBARTMAYFIELD.COM FACEBOOK: @HOBARTMAYFIELD TWITTER: @HOBARTMAYFIELD1

FaceMask Clip costs $29.95 for a set of two. For every five clips sold, Hobart-Mayfield will put a virtual set into a ClipBank for a needy school. School in need can apply for free clips by completing a certificate of need.

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23

HELMETS TO HEAL Helmets to Heal: ‘Working on a Culture Change’ Kyle Oppenheimer started his non-profit organization, Helmets to Heal, with two goals in mind: to decrease concussions in youth sports and increase youth football participation by educating parents on ways to make football a safer sport. DAN GUTTENPLAN

■■ Helmets to Heal founder Kyle Oppenheimer checks on a donated helmet.

Oppenheimer was a defensive coach at Racine Horlick High (Wisc.) in 2016 when he appealed to his employer for a donation of 40 helmets for the football team.

“The answer was no,” Oppenheimer said. “I decided to start my own foundation and partner with as many schools as possible.”

Oppenheimer started Helmets to Heal in Racine, Wisc., and through fundraising efforts in the first year, donated 150 Xenith helmets to multiple programs.

After distributing the helmets to programs in need of new equipment, Oppenheimer decided to take it one step further. He researched the impact that new equipment had on safety—and more specifically, the number of concussions suffered by players. He found that of the 76 players that

HELMETS TO HEAL

24

wore the Xenith Epic helmets that Helmets to Heal supplied in the first year, not a single player suffered from a concussion.

“Now, we’re providing the data and putting programs together to help lower youth concussions,” Oppenheimer said.

The other piece to Helmets to Heal’s mission is the education of parents on concussion research and preventative strategies. Helmets to Heal has endorsed the King-Devick (K-D) Test, a 2-minute, sideline assessment of rapid number naming that requires the athletes to quickly read a series of numbers on three test cards given on a 9.4-inch tablet. Worsening of performance on the K-D Test from their baseline has been shown to be an accurate indicator of a concussion. The addition of this type of visionbased test has also been shown to enhance the detection of athletes with a concussion.

Oppenheimer has also endorsed products like Hobart-Mayfield’s S.A.F.E Clip, the TeamSafe app., and Tackle Tube, which promotes practice strategies that teach proper tackling technique, while limiting the amount of live, full-contact periods in each practice.

“As a former coach, I know we want to tell parents as much as we can, but we don’t want to scare them away from the sport,” Oppenheimer said. “Some parents spend the $200 for their kids to play football, and they don’t look into it any further. We’re working on a culture change. The old days of rubbing dirt on the wound have to go away. This is a different generation. Like any business, we have to mold to the clientele.”

WEBSITE: HELMETSTOHEAL.COM PHONE: 262-488-0930 TWITTER: @HELMETSHEAL FACEBOOK: @HELMETSTOHEAL EMAIL: KRO@HELMETSTOHEAL.COM

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HELMETS TO HEAL PARTNERS XENITH HELMETS XENITH IS A FOOTBALL

helmet company out of Detroit, Michigan. Helmets to Heal works with Xenith because their helmets are different from any helmet on the market. Xenith was the only helmet manufacturer to show Oppenheimer how their free-floating shell and bonnet system decelerate the head. To date, Helmets to Heal has donated 150 Xenith football helmets to kids aging from 8 to 18 years old. None of the players with Xenith helmets have recorded a concussion yet.

xenith.com/pages/ xenith-technology

KING-DEVICK TEST THE KING-DEVICK (K-D)

Test is a 2-minute, sideline assessment that requires athletes to quickly read a series of numbers on three test cards given on a 9.4inch tablet. The K-D Test requires eye movements, language function, and attention to perform functions that have been shown to reflect suboptimal brain function in concussion. The K-D Test has been studied as an acute sideline concussion screening tool in several cohorts throughout a variety of contact sports, including boxers and mixed martial arts fighters, collegiate athletes in contact sports, amateur rugby players, elite professional hockey players and high school level football and hockey. In these cohorts, worsening of performance on the K-D Test from the baseline was shown to be an accurate indicator of a concussion. The addition of this type of vision-based test has also been shown to enhance the detection of athletes with a concussion.

kingdevicktest.com

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PLAYBOOK presented by Teaching Defensive Line vs. No Huddle and Tempo Offenses MICHAEL GIANCOLA

U

ndoubtedly, offenses that run tempo or no-huddle

put extreme stress on defensive players and coaches alike. The no-huddle philosophy is working its way into more and more offenses even if it’s not wholesale. Some coaches keep it in their repertoire for certain situations to get the defense on its heels. Regardless, this is something defenses need to account for in some capacity.

Of all the position groups on defense, no-huddle and tempo offenses put a lot of pressure on the defensive line. Bigger bodies are naturally exposed to a game that is fast paced. Like anything else in defensive football, this is something that can be accounted for. Normalizing the tempo, increasing the defensive tempo in practice, having a clear plan for substitutions and simplifying alignments for the defensive line allows them to be comfortable against teams that try to gain the advantage by speeding up the pace of play.

Simplify Alignments The most imperative task of defending no huddle and tempo offenses is aligning properly.

Due to the pace of play, keeping alignment rules simple for the defensive line will help immensely.

At times, alignment rules can be messy, so limit the amount of thinking that the line needs to do presnap. Also, the onus needs to be put on the defensive line to align correctly. The linebackers and secondary battle the same issue.

Compartmentalize presnap assignments to make sure each position group is policing themselves.

Normalizing tempo No-huddle and tempo offenses are a daunting task for any defender. The key is to normalize the speed of play, especially for the defensive line. Exposing them to tempo early and often is crucial. Here are a few ways to accomplish this: ■■ Crystal Ball Drills. August practice is a long and arduous, especially with the advent of offseason camps and practices. Crystal ball drills are periods in practice that focus on things players will see in the future. Taking a ten minute period or two early in the season to expose the defensive line to tempo situations will pay tremendous dividends. These can be full team drills, as well as defensive line specific drills.

■■ Scrimmage against No Huddle/Tempo Teams. If possible, try to schedule at least one scrimmage against a team that utilizes tempo. The main advantage to this is it exposes your players to

26

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HEAD-UP ALIGNMENT

DIAGRAM 1

DE

DT

TO THE BACK ALIGNMENT

DE

DT

DIAGRAM 2

DE

OPPOSITE THE BACK ALIGNMENT

DT

DE

DT

DIAGRAM 3

DE

DT

DT

DE

tempo offenses while the stakes are low. Mistakes will inevitably be made, but it’s better to make those mistakes and learn from them in a scrimmage than in a game that matters in the standings.

■■ Explain and prepare for the

playing base defense all the time is the way to go, but when the bottom begins to drop out the players be comfortable and excel at playing within a simpler scheme.

limitations of No Huddle/Tempo Offenses.

Effectively increasing the tempo of practice when playing no huddle/ tempo teams during the week helps mimic what the defense is going to see come game time. However, avoid devolving practice to the point where guys are running around like headless chickens.

This will take precise planning on the part of the coaches, and can be achieved a few different ways: ■■ Tempo alignment periods.

Formation recognition and aligning

Teams that are true no huddle and high tempo need to be relatively simple in scheme. This does not include teams that rush to the line, get lined up, hard count then look to the sideline for a play call or audible.

Teams that do that, while fast, allow defenses to adjust as they adjust.

■■ Know what “home base” is.

Overcomplicating scheme against a no huddle or tempo offense is a fool’s endeavor. That doesn’t mean

Increasing the tempo in practice

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correctly constitutes a majority of the challenges when playing a fast paced team, and getting the front aligned quickly is of paramount importance.

To reconstruct the speed of the game for the defensive line, have them turn their backs to the line of scrimmage. Set up an offensive line while their backs are turned. On command, have them turn around and get aligned based on your rules for the week as fast as possible. The goal is to get aligned within five seconds. If you want to increase the stress, have another coach with another line ready to go for the next rep.

■■ No huddle pursuit periods. Pursuit periods can serve a variety of purposes, chief among them are conditioning and assuring all players are running to the football. However, tailoring pursuit drills to the offense you play that week helps drill more than just those. Run/pass, rabbit and formation recognition pursuit drills are great for making the conditioning aspects more practical.

That idea holds when it comes to no huddle pursuit drills. This drill can be run for the defensive line or the defense as a whole.

Logistically it is not complicated, but it moves fast.

Place cones at the corner of each endzone and on the 50 yard line on the numbers (four cones total).

Use a scout line or cans and scout skill players as the offense, and start them on the +40 yard line. The defensive line (or defense) stays on the sideline until the initial whistle blows. Once that happens, the offense aligns as the line runs onto the field. Calls are made and the ball is snapped within 15 seconds. The coach will point to one of the four cones and the line will run to it. As they pursue to the cone the scout offense runs up ten yards to the +30 (don’t forget the cans if you use them), and aligns in a new formation. Blow the whistle again, and the line needs to run back to the new line of scrimmage to do it again. Repeat at the +20 and the +10.

Have two scout huddles for Team and Perimeter periods. If it can be managed based on numbers, having multiple scout huddles to work against the defense makes the tempo of team and perimeter periods more representative of the game speed. Group the plays you script into threes. As one huddle runs the play, the other is looking at the next scout card. When the play is done the next huddle is already moving towards the line of scrimmage.

■■ Mike Giancola is the defensive line coach at Bridgewater College in Virginia. Before Bridgewater, he coached at Chantilly (Va.) Westfield High School. As the Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach in 2015 and the Defensive Coordinator in 2016 Coach Giancola helped Westfield win back to back state championships in class 6A in Virginia. You can follow him on Twitter @CoachGiancola.

TO THE “Y” ALIGNMENT

DE

DIAGRAM 4

DT

TO THE FIELD ALIGNMENT

DE

DT

DIAGRAM 5

DE

DT

DT

DE

Substitutions Keeping the linemen fresh against a no huddle/tempo team is a must.

However, wholesale changes of the front between plays is a formula for failure. Develop a concise plan for substitutions that the players know and stick to it. Use this as a guide:

On the near hash ■■ Eliminate distances the linemen have to run ■■ Easier to get guys on and off the field ■■ Sideline communications is clearer when the ball is closer

By complements ■■ Based on depth ■■ Pair players at the same positions based on similar skill sets ■■ When one needs to come off, another comes on of comparable skill ■■ Keeps the plan on defense consistent ■■ Limits exposure based on the game plan

When the offense subs ■■ Know the offensive personnel on the field at all times ■■ If personnel changes, adjust to it if possible ■■ Ability to match personnel (e.g. speed vs. speed, heavy vs. heavy) ■■ Keeps matchups where you want them

Timeouts or stoppages in play ■■ Easiest time to get fresh bodies on the field ■■ Limits risk of getting caught in between plays ■■ Avoid having to call a timeout if you can; they are precious Download the FNF Coaches app from the Apple App Store and Google Play

27

PLAYBOOK presented by Why Run a Quarters Defense?

4-3 OVER

DIAGRAM 1

CODY ALEXANDER

N

ow more than ever, defenses must have sound

structural integrity. The days of the age old “plugger” at Mike linebacker are gone. All three linebackers must be able to cover in space while still being responsible for filling a gap.

The spread offense has also adapted itself to what every high school in America has: hybrid players. It is up to defensive coaches to adjust (Diagram 1). And the answer is already here: split field match quarters.

Defense is reactionary. Offenses are always going to have the advantage because they know exactly what they are doing. Modern defenses must be structured in ways that are simple, flexible, yet can adapt to every situation an offense may throw out there.

Quarters coverage is simple and adaptive. If a defender can count to three, he can play in a quarters scheme (Diagrams 2 & 3).

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

Running a split field scheme complementary to quarters allows for multiple adjustments within the defensive structure. A quarters defense is not static despite what its detractors say. A quarters defense – run properly –is more multiple than a single-high scheme or just running a blanket coverage (Diagrams 4 & 5).

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

Modern spread offenses want a defense to spin to single high. The single-high alignment puts high percentage throws near the quarterback.

The spread offense, particularly the Air Raid, is looking for throws over the middle and underneath.

Routes such as drags, crossers, slants and posts are all high percentage throws and close to the middle of the field. Quarters is designed to force the offense outside. Most high school quarterbacks are not going to be able to throw a 25-yard comeback but can easily throw to an open receiver down the middle. Running a

28

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E

T

N

S

E

M

W BC

FC CS

DS

4-3 SPIN (CHECK UNDER)

DIAGRAM 2

E S

FC

T M

N

E

W

CS

BC

DS

CLOUD (STR=FIELD)

DIAGRAM 3

2S

2W

1S

1W E

C

6 YDS/SLIDE MATCH 1-2

T

N

E

HIP/B-GAP ZERO/A-GAP S COVER DOWN M W MATCH NO.3 (PUSH) MATCH NO.2 MATCH NO.2 (PUSH) (LATE PUSH) LEFT CS

10 YDS/STEP OFF FIT SUPPORT, MATCH 1-2 SKY

single-high scheme puts each the defense at risk to high percentage throws.

The structure of a split field quarters defense allows for a flexible structure a high school level coach can utilize when defending the multiple variations of the spread. The main objectives of a match quarters defense are to force low percentage throws outside and bracket the offense’s best receivers, the slots. In a singlehigh scheme, the seam players are forced into a one-one-one situation with the slots. Even though the corners in a Cover 3 scheme are topping any

DS

5 YDS/FEATHER MATCH 1-2 C

12 YDS./FAST BAR MATCH 2-1 CLOUD

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4-3 OVER (STR=FIELD/PRESS)

DIAGRAM 4

FORCE E

T

N

E BC

FC S

M

APEX

W HIP FOLD

CS SET WALL

DS

4-2-5 OVER (FIELD/SKY)

DIAGRAM 5

SET WALL

E FC

T

N

E

S

BC COVER DOWN

CS FIT SUPPORT

M

W HIP FOLD DS

vertical routes by the receivers in its unit – No. 1 and No. 2 – the seam defender must carry the vertical until pushed.

Couple this with the fact the seam defender is the primary force player, and an offense has a recipe for success, especially if it uses run/pass options (RPOs).

Where a quarters scheme earns, its stripes is versus single receiver formations. When utilizing a single-high scheme, a defense loses its plus-one away from the single receiver and opens the window for a high percentage throw backside – mainly the post.

Traditionally, offenses put their best receiver to the single receiver side. Quarters defenses adjust to this by keeping a safety at home to support the backside corner in coverage and an extra defender in the run fits (plus one). With leaving a safety to the boundary, a split field quarters defensive coach can use the offense’s tendencies to establish what coverage will be ran to the field and to the boundary.

Against two-back RPO teams, the X – or single receiver – is used as a presnap read. If the corner is in off coverage, the quarterback will flip it out to the receiver on a hitch route and force a

one-on-one tackling situation for the defender.

In a quarters scheme, the defense can stay in a quarters look to the field and gain the Sam as a force player while pressing the boundary corner to eliminate the hitch route: four read to the field, two read to the boundary.

All this can be done with calling one defense, your base. Like the modern spread that packages plays to gain tempo, a modern quarters defense can install rules that help the safeties call coverages without communicating to each other.

By splitting the field, the defense has reduced the amount of formations an offense can run at it by two. Simplicity is how defenses can gain back an edge against high powered spread offenses.

A two-high safety scheme gives the defense nine in the box. This can be achieved by utilizing the safeties as fit support. The safeties in a quarters scheme are tasked with making the outside linebackers fit correctly.

If a defense is using the Sam to the field as its primary force player, the safety is most likely to fit outside. In many 4-2-5 or 3-4 Okie hybrid defenses, the Sam is required to have a full cover down. A cover down is a term used to describe the Sam’s width. In most cases, a quarters defense sets the front to ensure the Sam or hybrid Nickel is not in the box fit. This allows the defender to gain width and align closer to the slot.

This cover down alignment helps the safety defend vertical routes because the underneath defender can get hands on the receiver and slow him down. In the case of a cover down, the Sam becomes the force on the slot, making his fit on the outside of the receiver.

The theory behind a full cover down is to eliminate the presnap RPO screen, assist the safety if the slot goes vertical and force a cutback to the alley running safety and scraping Mike linebacker. Quarters is designed to condense the field, opposite of what a modern spread offense wants. Versus most RPO offenses, a quarters defense can eliminate multiple presnap RPO passes and force the offense into the box. This makes the offense predictable and protects the defense from having to constantly make open field tackles.

■■ Cody Alexander is the secondary coach at Midlothan (Texas) High School. He also is the author of “Cautious Aggression: Defending Modern Football,” which is available at Amazon and other online bookstores. You can follow him on Twitter @The_Coach_A, and visit his website, matchquarters.com.

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29

PLAYBOOK presented by the pistol spread triple option versus difficult reading situations CHRIS PAULSON AND JEFF GLESSNER

I

t’s not always as simple to read a defense as a foot-

ball reference book might describe. Specific instances might cause quarterback to become confused and where he doesn’t know what to do because the situation isn’t wasn’t specifically addressed ahead of time.

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

TWO SHOULDERS INSIDE = PULL AND PITCH

DIAGRAM 1

CROSS CHARGE

DIAGRAM 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cross charge There are different terms for this stunt, but a

30

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

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

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

The quarterback fully meshes into the line of scrimmage.

The stack read can be executed in two ways.

The first is the easiest: Make it an area read.

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

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CROSS CHARGE

DIAGRAM 3

AIR = GIVE

NO AIR = PULL

AIR AND NO-AIR

DIAGRAM 4

PULL AND PITCH

DIAGRAM 5

give the football. Otherwise, pull the football (Diagram 3).

The main coaching point of reading a blood stunt also goes with reading the stack. Once the quarterback sees two defenders’ shoulders turned inside facing him, it’s an automatic pull and pitch (Diagram 4).

Another coaching point remains the same: The weight of the quarterback must be on his front foot in order to push off and absorb the blow against a defender.

The air, no air method is the easiest to perform. However, they have their shortcomings. The main problem is that sometimes it’s not as easy to simply read air or no air. It has to be more specific.

The next way to teach reading the stack is to read it from the stack backer to the down defensive lineman. The quarterback first looks at the stack backer’s reaction. If the backer stays there or turns his shoulders inside, the

quarterback’s eyes immediately turns to the down lineman. The quarterback simplys react accordingly.

Two variables need to be discussed. It’s true that reading a defender off of the football can be hard and sometimes cloudy. That’s why against the stack, the offensive line will widen out its splits, and the tailback will tighten his path a bit.

If the stack backer is trying to play games, the exaggerated structure has given him several predicaments. The first is that he must cover much more ground, which means his movements have to be sharper and more aggressive. The next is that the tailback has more room to operate in making the defender wrong.

If the quarterback is in doubt or if the stack linebacker’s angle is cloudy, the ball is given. The change in angle puts the linebacker in a bind.

Against a stack defense, the tailback’s shoulders become square to the goal line as soon as possible (Diagram 5).

The point of this figure is to show that if it’s a cloudy read, the mechanical changes of the line splits and the tailback’s path have put the defense in a bind. The stack backer now has a lot more space to account for if he’s trying to play games with the quarterback.

The tailback against a stack should look to square up his shoulders as soon as possible, which makes the stack backer wrong.

Whether the quarterback has given or is keeping the football, he must accelerate 100 mph off the tailback’s rear end. The most important aspect when faking is whether the quarterback is running like he has the ball or if he’s running like he’s given the ball.

The acceleration off of the tail eliminates defenders squatting to take the tailback and then popping up at the last second to take the quarterback. The easiest way to defeat a defender who’s trying to get the quarterback to pull the ball and then take him is for the quarterback to give the ball and accelerate out like he’s on fire.

The defensive end will be confused.

It’s easy to toy with a quarterback who has two distinctly different reactions. However, if the quarterback’s reaction always remains the same, the defense will be taken advantage of badly.

■■ Chris Paulson is the head football coach at Curtis High School in University Place, Wash. A former linebacker and graduate of Washington State University, Paulson previously coached at three other Washington high schools: Kentlake, Mount Rainier and Auburn Riverside.

■■ Jeff Glessner is the offensive coordinator and associate head coach at Curtis High School in University Place, Wash.

In 2012, the Kentlake offense led the state in offensive yards and was third in points scored per game.

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PLAYBOOK presented by Gaining proper leverage within the drive block DAVE CHRISTENSEN

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un blocking is divided into three categories: man-

blocking techniques, two-man blocking techniques and pull techniques. Blocks categorized as man blocks are executed by only one lineman, including: Drive block; Cut-off block; Down block; Influence block; Level block; Fan block; Butt block; Escape move; Arc release; Block release; Alley block; Reach block.

DRIVE BLOCK AGAINST INSIDE SHADE

DIAGRAM 1

DRIVE BLOCK AGAINST OUTSIDE SHADE

DIAGRAM 2

DRIVE BLOCK AGAINST MAN OVER BLOCKER

DIAGRAM 3

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

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

The fit includes the stage of the block when the offensive lineman maximizes his leverage. A blocker exhibiting the correct blocking demeanor during the fit should demonstrate the following: Hips low; Knees bent; Ankles flexed; Feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart; Lower back arched (hyperextended); Toes pointing outward; Shoulders slightly elevated; Elbows tight to the body; Hands open with thumbs up.

Optimal use of the leverage angle or power angle from low to high involves the following body positioning: Feet flat to maximize the opportunity for contact with the ground; Toes turned slightly outward; Knees turned slightly inward; Hands to target.

Depending on the type of angle desired, a flipper or both hands should be punched into the chest of the opponent in a low-to-high lifting fashion; Elbows remain tucked inward,while the thumbs point upward; Pad under pad. The shoulders of the blocker should be lower than the shoulders of the defender; The chin is kept level, so that the blocker’s head remains level, while his neck is bowed; Head remains behind the plane of the chest with the screws of the headgear facing forward.

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

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check out more in-depth coach content at usafootball.com/coaches-notes

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

Drive block Of all the man blocks, the most basic is the drive block. Mastering the techniques involved in the drive block is essential for an offensive lineman attempting to develop a complete repertoire of essential skills.

As an offensive line coach, it is your objective to develop at least five offensive linemen and two tight ends who can whip their opponents with a drive block.

Most of the two-man blocking techniques usually depends on the movement created by a drive blocker.

The drive block consists of three main elements: set to drive, attack step and leverage step. The set to drive is the departure step of the offensive lineman (i.e., the first step of the blocker). This step is a four-inch jab step that serves as either a directional step or a settle step. The set to drive is a directional step that is used when the offensive lineman is firing off the line to meet the stunting defender.

When the defender is not a threat to stunt, the set to drive is a settle step.

Setting to drive entails the lead foot grazing the turf to quickly plant and enhance the power of the offensive lineman’s demeanor. It is important for the offensive lineman to arch the lower back and flex the large muscle groups as setting to drive. Eyes focus on the target or the point of aim as he attacks the neutral zone.

The attack step is the offensive lineman’s second step. When drive blocking a defensive lineman, the attack step is executed just before contact.

Ideally, the blocker makes contact with the down defender after the blocker’s third step. However, contact is usually made with the down defender after two-and-a-half steps.

The attack step is also a tracking step.

On the attack step, the blocker’s inside foot steps toward the defender’s inside foot, thereby putting the blocker on the

track to strike the landmark with a full blocking surface. The attack step propels the blocker through the neutral zone as the blocker gains momentum to hit through the defender.

“Hit through them, not to them” is a good phrase to use when coaching inexperienced offensive linemen.

Beginning offensive linemen tend to stop at the moment of contact. As an offensive line coach, note that while blocking is a fundamental part of football, it is not a common everyday acts or one even common to other physical sports.

Teach blockers to overcome this fear of contact by starting against soft dummies that are held with minimum resistance. Refrain from standing on the blocking sled during repetitions, because many young players are not strong enough to explode through the heavier five-man and seven-man sleds.

Standing on sleds only teaches the young offensive lineman to “hunker” on contact with the pad, often resulting in the development of major mechanical flaws and a negative psychological outlook on blocking.

The next step (i.e., the third step) after the attack step is the leverage step.

Against an outside-shaded defender, such as a 3 technique, the leverage step is made with the outside foot. The leverage step allows the blocker to gain depth and initiate the finish of the block. It is on this step that the blocker gets the lift on the defender as the fit is secured. The blocker should fit snugly with his pads under the defender’s pads.

“Pads under pads” is the commonly used phrase used to reinforce the concept of fitting with the defender on the third step. Coach your linemen to attempt to get the third step down before contact is made. The three-step progression must be made with four-inch strides completed in rapid fire succession.

The net result of the rapid threestep departure to gain leverage with pad-under-pad contact should result in the proper run-blocking demeanor.

As the blocker completes the third step and engages the defender, he begins to attempt to gain lift on the defender.

The blocker begins to apply effort with

regard to the “three-inch rule,” which states that if the blocker can achieve a vertical dominance on the defender in a manner to knock him back off the line approximately three inches, the blocker will be successful in his block. In other words, after a blocker engages a defender, it is a matter of whether the blocker can achieve only three inches of movement.

Evidence suggests that the success of a block is determined in the first fraction of a second. Almost without fail, a blocker who achieves three inches of movement and maintains a proper fit with the opponent will dominate the defender.

Lift is achieved primarily from the violent punch and thrust of the hands through the opponent’s chest. Shooting the hands from the knee and ground causes the blocker’s hips to snap forward on contact. As the hips snap forward, the feet must accelerate to chase the hips, thus providing even more momentum to the blocker’s forward thrust. By forcing the defender to elevate his head and pads, the blocker is able to finish the block. Once the defender elevates and the blocker begins to chase his hips by accelerating his feet, the defender becomes off-balance and vulnerable to being pancaked.

By simply running through the defender and not to him, the blocker can shoot the hands, elevate the defender and drive the defender back or to the turf after he topples. Multiple points of control such as this during a game invariably swing the psychological pendulum in favor of the offensive lineman.

Another way for a lineman to finish the block is to maintain contact until the whistle blows. If your lineman forces his opponent to take an extra step to get to the ball-carrier, your lineman has achieved a degree of success. The question to answer is an issue of accountability. Did the blocker inhibit or prevent the defender from getting to the ball carrier? If the answer is yes, the blocker measured up to his level of accountability in executing the drive block.

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

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING 10 Benefits to Hill Repeats Cedar Park football coach Carl Abseck believes his team’s in-season hill workouts – done each week on Sunday – are responsible for his team peaking late in the season. Cedar Park won Texas state championships in 2014 and 2015.

DAN GUTTENPLAN

Cedar Park football coach Carl Abseck believes his team’s in-season hill workouts – done each week on Sunday – are responsible for his team peaking late in the season. Cedar Park won Texas state championships in 2014 and 2015. He shared 10 benefits of training on hills.

Leg Strength. We know that doing sprints is great for sculpting powerful, and strong hamstrings. Sprinting up a hill has an even greater effect.

Speed Gains. If a player wants to be able to run faster, he should practice running fast. If he wants to be able to easily run fast on a flat surface, he should practice running fast uphill.

Builds Stamina. H.I.I.T. (High Intensity Interval Training) has seemingly taken over as the smart way to quickly build endurance and rapidly shed fat.

Well, that’s exactly what sprinting uphill qualifies as: short bursts of intense activity followed by a rest period as they walk back down.

Sheds Body Fat. Just as hill sprints are the ultimate exercise for building stamina, they are unbeatable for fat loss.

After the first few sprints up the hill, players will feel their hearts racing and lungs gasping for air. Their legs will feel like they’re on fire and their bodies will be burning fat like a furnace.

Boosts Metabolism. We know that higher metabolism goes hand-inhand with fat loss. It’s been shown again and again that HIIT is the best method for boosting metabolism throughout the entire day due to the intensity of the activity. This contrasts with jogging which does nothing to boost metabolism.

Boosts Human Growth Hormone. HGH is a tissue building and fat mobilizing hormone that a body produces during sleep and after intense exercise. Being that hill sprints are the most intense

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■■ The Cedar Park football team runs hill sprints each Sunday during the season.

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exercise one can do, the circulating HGH levels will be through the roof.

A Feeling of Euphoria. A “runner’s high” is not exclusive to jogging. After bouts of intense exercise, players will most likely find themselves in a much better mood than usual, almost like a state of peaceful happiness. This is the result of chemicals in our brain called endorphins being released which bring us into a state of well-being. Want to turn that frown upside down? Go run up a hill.

Builds Mental Toughness. Given that hill sprints are one of the toughest workouts one can do, conquering them instills a sense of mental toughness that few other exercises can.

Become One with Nature. If you’re looking to train your players, why

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not let them get some sun and fresh air at the same time? Get out of the gym for a change.

The Safety Factor. One of the more unnoticed benefits that hill sprints provide is an alternative to simply sprinting on a flat surface. The issue with running on a flat surface at full speed is that you are very prone to getting injured. The beautiful aspect of hill sprinting is that the inclined surface prevents you from reaching top speed while running. This is important because most muscular injuries occur when you are running at a high speed.

Therefore, doing hill sprints will nullify this risk for injury because you will not be able to run at a high speed (this is a good thing).

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THE LIFTING SCHEDULE

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■■ Players should stick to the heavier lifts and avoid eccentric lifts in-season.

6 Ways to Train In-Season THE KEY TO MANAGING FATIGUE

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ob Van Valkenburgh, CSCS, TSAC-F, NASM-PES, is a 10-

year veteran football strength coach. Before starting his own business, Football Strength Coach, he coached in the Big 10 Conference and Pac 12 Conference.

Van Valkenburgh has created a template to maximize performance and eliminate burnout in-season. He shares the benchmarks of that template with FNF Coaches.

Use Cluster Sets. Cluster sets are a series of low rep sets (1-3 reps) performed for 6-10 sets.

The key is to do a set every 45-60 seconds and be above 80 percent of the athlete’s 1-rep max.

This allows you to do a high volume of strength/ power work while limiting the fatigue.

Limit Eccentric Movements. The great majority of muscle fatigue and soreness comes from the eccentric (lengthening) phase of a movement.

By limiting or removing the eccentric phase, you will allow your players to be able to train heavy without having a high level of soreness the following days.

Be Strategic with Your Heavy Squat Days. Use the gap between games to program a heavy squat day directly following the previous competition.

If you play on Friday nights, make Saturday the squat day.

Program Throws, Jumps, and Bounds. Throws, jumps, and bounds are one of the best ways to build explosive power. When an athlete is in-

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season, the volume of jumps, throws, and bounds should increase because they limit fatigue.

Limit Volume on Accessory Work. With in-season athletes, the amount of time they have to train is very short. Your goal should be to get the big lifts in and then get them out of the weightroom. During this time an athlete does not need to spend 15 minutes doing arms and shoulders.

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Include a Nervous System Reset After Each Training Session. After every strength training session

take five minutes and reset your athlete’s nervous system with a wall stretch variation that includes diaphragmatic breathing. Have the athletes lie down on their backs with their feet up on the wall at a 45-degree angle. Have them close their eyes and take a few minutes to do some slow breathing drills.

aking into account all of that information, the question arises of how many training sessions should be done during the week.

Van Valkenburgh recommends starting with three days per week during the pre-season and non-conference play. Then cut it down to two days per week once the season ramps up into more important competition.

The training sessions should be limited to 45 minutes and scheduled at convenient time for both the players and inseason coach.

Remember, the most important thing is that you provide your players with a program that allows them to build strength and power while allowing them to play at a high level with their inseason team.

If you follow this and are smart about your programming, you will have players that peak at the right time of year – in late October into November.

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■■ Allow players to go through a nervous system reset after each training session.

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THE FROG The Frog: A ‘Game-Changer’ for Florida Powerhouse Frog Fitness, Inc. delivered The Frog to Belleview High (Fla.) after the 2016 season. Belleview strength coach Chris Hickman believes the addition of the new training device has taken his program to the next level.

DAN GUTTENPLAN

■■ The Belleview High (Fla.) football team has made gains on the field since starting to train with The Frog.

The Belleview football team was in need of a change following the 2015 season when the Rattlers went 1-9. The coaches wanted to ramp up the strength program last spring, and they decided to take a chance on The Frog.

The Frog is the result of years of relentless hard work, research and development, and scientific testing. The Frog is already 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.

Belleview got the ball rolling in the right direction in 2016 with a 6-3 record. Athletes from other sports – such as wrestling and weightlifting – began training with The Frog last winter. One Belleview wrestler and one weightlifter took home individual state championships.

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Belleview strength coach Chris Hickman attributes the school’s improved performance in various sports directly to athletes training with The Frog.

“The Frog system was exactly what we needed as far as cutting-edge technology mixed with good old-fashioned hard work,” Hickman said.

“The Frog gave each player the opportunity to compete with themselves as well as their teammates. This competition brings every player’s game up another level.”

Belleview experienced dramatic improvement on the football field from the start of the 2016 season.

The team’s stamina was evident as the Rattlers scored 40 or more points in all six wins. The Rattlers also qualified for the FHSAA Class 5A Tournament.

“Our program was stuck in a proverbial rut of completing routines,” Hickman said. “We weren’t bringing out the greatest intensity, which is what football is truly about. Our players immediately responded with how their bodies were feeling new muscles that were not being activated by previous strength and conditioning programming.”

Hickman said the feel-good nature of the training extended beyond the players to the coaches.

“The new muscle recruitment combined with a dynamic system created a culture of high energy that boosted our athletes to the next level,” Hickman said. “The system also helped refresh

FROG FITNESS

WEBSITE: FROGFITNESS.COM

our coaching staff that had the responsibility of making our organization feel invigorated so we could become a powerhouse on the field.”

Belleview has opened the 2017 season with a 3-0 record. Hickman has also seen the team’s rate of injury decrease significantly.

“Each player has a different level of fitness, and The Frog allows each individual athlete to strengthen his body at his own pace,” Hickman said.

“We have noticed the players have a greater range of motion in their hips and shoulders, as well as dramatic core strengthening. In football, being able to generate power is key, and this program did just that. We noticed an obvious increase in our players’ athleticism.”

“The experience with The Frog has been an amazing journey. The football program has definitely benefited in various ways, and we look forward to making continued progress as we move forward in our pursuit of a championship.”

PHONE: 844-837-6443

EMAIL: SALES@FROGFITNESS.COM

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ASSISTANT’S CORNER 8 Ways for a Coach to Give Back to the Game A coach’s obligation to mold men and build character goes beyond his players.

The best coaches give back by mentoring other coaches and helping them make DAN GUTTENPLAN an impact on players in their respective communities.

John Rice has the distinction of coaching in state title games with teams in three different states. In addition to being a head coach at J.W. North High (Calif.), he has been an assistant under Bob Beatty at 19-time Kentucky state champion Trinity, and is currently an assistant for reigning California state-champion St. John Bosco.

“I try to give service where I can,” Rice said. “When I was young, I was fortunate to be around coaches who mentor me. They said we’re part of a profession that has an obligation to give back and serve football whenever you can.”

Rice shared eight ways in which coaches can give back to the game.

Get Involved in Youth Football. Rice works with youth coaches through USA Football to teach Heads Up Tackling and player safety. If a coach invests himself in player development at the youth level, he will reap the rewards when those players matriculate to the high school playing field.

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Attend Coaching Clinics/Conventions.

Rice attended the 2016 USA Football National Convention in Orlando, Fla. “Whenever a head coach encourages his

■■ St. John Bosco assistant coach John Rice

■■ The St. John Bosco (Calif.) coaching staff

assistants to network with other coaches – whether it’s at conventions, clinics, youth leagues, or on the high school field – it strengthens the profession.”

Record Videos for Other Coaches. Rice shoots videos for Coaches Choice, a publisher of instructional materials for coaches in all sports. High school coaches need not take a page out of NFL coaches’ books, which stress that all coaching strategies are sacred. Share what works with other coaches.

Publish Articles or Books. Rice has been published in articles and books. Share your scheme and provide informative suggestions as to how to practice and prepare for games. If your strength training program is resulting in impressive player gains, share your philosophy with other coaches.

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Become a Board Member for Football Associations. Rice is a member of

the Board of Directors for the Riverside Chapter of National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame as well as the Southern California Football Coaches

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Association. “We decide which players get scholarships and we have a hand in addressing rule changes and safety issues.”

Direct Clinics for Players/Coaches.

Rice is a featured clinic presenter for Glazier Football Clinics. However, coaches who lack the means to travel the country can direct clinics on their own high school field. Run a clinic for coaches to share your coaching strategies and one for players to give them opportunities for extra practice.

Lead Community Service Projects. Fundraising is a necessary evil for any high school football program, but don’t forget to organize projects that benefit people outside the program. Some ideas are reading to elementary school children, volunteering with Special Olympics, or doing a walk/run with the March of Dimes or Relay for Life.

Mentor Other Coaches. Take a coach under your wing, and help him strengthen his weaknesses. Teach him how to relate to players while also providing a bridge to his next job.

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NUTRITION Fueling Strategy for Game Day Jacqueline R. Berning, PhD, RD, CSSD, chairs the Health Science Department at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She was the nutrition consultant of the Denver Broncos for more than 25 years.

DAN GUTTENPLAN WHAT TO EAT BEFORE THE GAME

3-4 Hours Before Game Time: Larger meals can be consumed during this time period. However, watch the amount of fat consumed because it takes the longest to digest. Try pre-game meals like: ■■ Turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread with low-fat cheese, yogurt, fruit or granola bar ■■ Pasta with 3-4 ounces of meat sauce, bread sticks, low-fat milk ■■ Steamed rice with vegetables with 3 ounces of chicken and a piece of fruit ■■ French toast or a small stack of pancakes with limited syrup, 1 egg, low-fat milk and a piece of fruit two Hours Before Game Time: Solid foods can be introduced two hours before the game if the foods sit well with the player. Examples could include: ■■ Small bowl of a whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk ■■ Wholegrain toast or a small low-fat muffin ■■ 1/2 whole-grain bagel, low-fat yogurt and fruit ■■ Fruit smoothie made with low-fat yogurt or milk one Hour or Less Before Game Time: Football players should consume lower amounts of carbohydrates that digest quickly. Try consuming: ■■ Liquids that contain 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates from a sports drink or gel

WHAT TO EAT DURING THE GAME

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nvironmental conditions such as temperature, altitude and humidity

change from game to game and can also differ from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. All of these factors, along with whether a player consumed a pre-game meal and at what time, can affect carbohydrate consumption during a game.

Whether players may benefit from a carbohydrate beverage over water depends on a variety of factors, especially the duration of the exercise. Consuming a carbohydrate-containing beverage during exercise may be important for players who: ■■ Have not consumed a pre-game meal ■■ Skipped a meal throughout the day ■■ Participate in intense training or at a moderate intensity for a prolonged period ■■ Participate in two-a-day practices ■■ Train in the heat, cold or altitude In terms of hydration, Berning recommends that players check the color of their urine to determine if they are hydrated.

“I always tell high school football players they need to drink more during the day,” Berning said. “The easiest way to monitor it is by checking the color of your urine. It’s not supposed to look like apple juice. It should be pale lemonade or no color at all.”

WHAT TO EAT AFTER THE GAME BERNING RECOMMENDS THAT

players refuel before even leaving the field after a game. That could include a mixture of carbs and protein, which is available in most recovery drinks.

Then, a player should eat a full meal within two hours of the game’s conclusion to resynthesize the muscle protein.

Home Games

Consuming a post-game meal in players’ homes is much easier than when the team is traveling on the road. In the past, the post-game meal was more of a smorgasbord of food focusing on massive amounts of protein.

However, that has changed. The post-game meals are now focused on healthy foods and fluids for hydration.

meal is most likely served on the bus returning home. The team’s post-game meal can be catered provided by the team or perhaps a local restaurant. Again, in the past this meal was high in protein and fat; however, the post-game meal is now a meal that focuses on healthy portions of vegetables, fruit, lean protein and whole grains, and the fat that is found in the meal is a healthier fat such as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Away Games

After the game, fluid is available and possibly a small post-game snack. The main post-game

JACQUELINE BERNING PHD, RD, CSSD CHAIR, HEALTH SCIENCE DEPT. UNIV. OF COLORADO AT COLORADO SPRINGS

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TEAM BUILDING Tips for Success at a Team Banquet END THE SEASON ON A POSITIVE NOTE The team banquet gives coaches an opportunity to honor the players in front of their parents. While drumming up positive public relations might not be every coach’s favorite activity, it does help the coach create a family atmosphere DAN GUTTENPLAN with everyone pulling in the same direction. staff person. Make sure everyone gets recognized!

■■ A coach should honor each senior individually at the team banquet.

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Highlight Three Things for Each Player. Stats

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Avoid Negative Comments. Do not

are good, but they are not everything. Look for highlights that show the character and growth of an individual.

Buckeye Border (Ohio) Fellowship of Christian Athletes Area Director Rex Stump counsels coaches on the best strategies for hosting a successful team banquet.

He shared 10 pieces of advice with FNF Coaches.

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Set Clear Expectations For the Banquet. What time

are you starting? What should attendees wear?

What can people bring? Set an ending time for the banquet, so people know when to expect to finish.

Identify Some Area of Growth From the Season. A good leader has a vision and knows how to cast it in a positive manner. What were your goals for the season? Now is the time to share some of those goals, and more importantly celebrate your accomplished goals. Do not linger on the things you didn’t do.

Thank Everyone Who Helped in Any Way. This includes the Principal, athletic director, the janitor, bus drivers, managers, and then a BIG thanks for the parents and players. Consider all who played a part in the success of your season.

Know First and Last Names. Know and say the first and last name of each player, manager,

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belittle other coaches, programs, or your players. An example is giving an award to a player because they made a dumb mistake or a funny comment.

You can have a fun banquet without belittling your players.

Give Equal Time to Each Player. Make sure that all players are valued by you. This is not just a varsity banquet, it is a team banquet. Make sure each player gets the same value time. Do not linger too long on one player, and avoid repeating stats and comments about certain players.

Don’t Take Away Hope for a Football Future. You may be “realistic” about playing opportunities for next year or college, but the banquet is not the place to share your opinion about a player’s future.

Encourage your players to follow their dreams.

Don’t make promises, just encourage.

Highlight Team Accomplishments. While sharing the team accomplishment, make sure you don’t confuse or bore the parents with inside jokes, or inside stats that no one understands.

Involve the Seniors. Have each senior take 30 seconds to share what really mattered to them, what they learned, and a thank you to the parents. Make sure you have those seniors write down what they are going to share, and make sure you read it a day before the banquet.

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GIVE THE GIFT OF MINI THROWBALLS

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rophies are great for remembering wins, but how do you remember your teammates and coaches who helped you get that win? How do you remember all the people that you worked alongside over a season, or the people who taught you everything you know about football?

Mini Throwballs offers a different alternative to the traditional trophies that are passed out at the end of a season.

Autograph Footballs, which can be customized with your team name and logo, can be signed by everyone that helped make your last football season so memorable.

These unique team gifts are available in Mini (7 inches), mid (10 inches) and full size (14 inches).

This can be a great way to make sure those memories extend beyond the season by allowing team members and coaching staff to leave their mark on everyone’s football.

And besides making a great team gift, these Autograph footballs can also be used at awards banquets, for the cheer team, or as thoughtful gifts for coaches and training staff.

These footballs are available year-round at MiniThrowballs.com.