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04. NEWS & NOTES 05. PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 07. COLLEGIATE SPORTS DATA 08. GSC COACH-TO-PLAYER SYSTEM 10. MAYFIELD ATHLETICS 11. FOOTBALL MADE ME 23. TEAMBUILDR 30. TECH CORNER 32. INSPIRATION

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

coaching

e are proud to present our fourth monthly of 2018,

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

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+ Install a Mid-Line Offense + Coaching QB Play in Triple Option + Defending Trips with Quarters + Install Cover 1 in a 3-3 or 3-4 The New Jersey state champion Bergen Catholic coaching staff includes (front, from left) Joe DiFilippo, Al Nittoli, Ralph La Testa and Guy Bertola; (rear) Dan Nastasi, Tony DeBellis, Fred Stengel, Anthony Muir, Head Coach Nunzio Campanile, Zach Sparber, Ron Carti, Ed Van Curen and Phil Fusco. Photo courtesy Dave Rubel/NJ Sports Media

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NEWS & NOTES

FLORIDA HAS MORE PLAYERS SELECTED IN NFL DRAFT THAN ANY OTHER STATE

lorida had the most drafted players in the 2018 NFL Draft, while

California (27) and Texas (27) tied for second. Georgia, which had the most players drafted in 2017 with 29 selections, finished tied for sixth in 2018 with 12. a total of 242 high schools contributed to the 256 players selected in the seven rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft. Two high schools – Lakewood (Fla.) and Serra (Calif.) – had three players selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, while 10 high schools – Callaway (Miss.), Dan River (Va.), Imhotep (Pa.),

Narbonne (Calif.), Norcross (Ga.), Oscar Frommel Smith (Va.), Stonewall Jackson (Va.), Taylor (Texas), Trinity Christian (Fla.), and Washington (Fla.) – each had two players selected. California and Florida led all states with six first-round selections in the 2018 NFL Draft. Pennsylvania followed with three players selected in Round 1. Of the 32 players drafted in Round 1, 29 played multiple sports in high school (91 percent). BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

National Federation of High School Executive Director Bob Gardner had this to say about the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize sports betting: “I am concerned with this court decision and where it may lead. Our past contains instances of wagering on high school games illegally. If that now becomes legal, does the pressure on our coaches and student-athletes grow? Maintaining the integrity of all sports is critical to the system at every level. If we think the high schools are immune to this, we are not seeing clearly. We ask that states do not include wagering on high school athletic contests.”

The USA Football Tip of the Spear Contact System is now online. No matter your opponent, no matter your environment – help your program dominate this season with USA Football’s Tip of the Spear Contact System. What You Get: ■■ Interactive instruction of contact system techniques ■■ An innovative approach to expediting skill development ■■ Tools and drills to amplify team performance Not able to attend a private clinic? You can now access Tip of the Spear Contact System content online! Improve your approach to contact – start today by visiting usafootball.com/clinic.

TRENDING TOPICS @FNFCOACHES Coaching

Coaches need to remember that supporting multi-sport athletes requires multisport cooperation. Don’t schedule events, practices, etc. that force kids to choose & then use it against them. #walkthetalk”

– @chrisp_7

Athletes – Just because your high school coach doesn’t charge you $50 an hour for working with you doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s talking about! Individuals who want to see you improve don’t do it for the money!!!”

Teammates

Bad teammates don’t take much seriously. Average teammates take games seriously. Good teammates take practice and games seriously. Great teammates take academics, nutrition, warm ups, weight room, conditioning, film, individual work, practice and games seriously.”

–@gregorys1976

Reflection

The @PFT_Live question of the day: Which rule in the NFL would you change right now?”

–@profootballtalk

–@Coachlvlow

USA FOOTBALL FOCUS 3 USA Football and Focus 3 have partnered together to create an exclusive leadership system

THE FNF COACHES | 50 COACHES IN 50

States Contest will continue in June and July. The first coach in each state to submit a photo posing with FNF Coaches is eligible to win a CarbonTek Gen 3 Shoulder Pad System. All entries must be submitted by Twitter. Simply take a selfie with FNF Coaches, and tag @ FNFCoaches along with your high school and state. To subscribe to FNF Coaches, visit fnfcoaches.com/subscribe.

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for football coaches. This combines both Lead Now and The R Factor, custom programs for coaches who want to build elite programs, win championships, and change lives. What you get: ■■ Two elite programs ■■ 5+ hours of content ■■ 16 skill courses ■■ 80 chapter lessons

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Product Spotlight MAYFIELD ATHLETICS S.A.F.E. CLIP™ Mayfield Athletics 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. The Mayfield Athletics 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 percent of current helmet/facemask configurations from all manufacturers with no alterations needed to the facemask or helmet. Other configurations are in development.

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CARBONTEK GEN 3 SHOULDER PAD SYSTEM BUILT FOR POWER: Created with the LB in mind, CarbonTek reduces the maximum applied force by 81 percent! DESIGNED FOR SPEED: Streamlined for increased range of motion, CarbonTek is low profile and (on average) 25 percent lighter than traditional pads. ENGINEERED FOR PERFORMANCE: Vest is machine washable (air dry) and is perfect for 7-on-7 camps or non-contact drills. CarbonTek provides 360 degrees of coverage to the athlete. The exoskeleton is composed of aeronautical grade Carbon Fiber, with vest utilizing OST to disperse energy. The back plate provides vital protection to lower back and utilizes same proprietary technology as shoulder pad system and is sed throughout NCAA FBS and the NFL. CarbonTek.com

PORTA PHONE TD 900 SERIES WIRELESS HEADSETS With the introduction of the TD 900 Porta Phone has taken our time-honored “All in One” headset concept to the next level with rugged construction and the extra transmitting power that is allowable for wireless systems operating in the 900 MHz band. These revolutionary headsets operate without a base station or beltpacks and allow coaches to talk simultaneously in a hands-free, open line pattern. They utilize the 900 Mhz band, a frequency range free of “RF clutter”, where the allowable power output is more than double that of standard wireless systems. The TD 900 system delivers coaches both the superior punch-out power capable of penetrating thick pressbox glass and concrete while delivering high definition digital audio performance.

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ATHLETE INTELLIGENCE VECTOR™ MOUTHGUARD AND CUE™ SPORT SENSOR With Athlete Intelligence’s state-of-the-art Vector™ MouthGuard and Cue™ Sport Sensor, coaches and trainers can monitor the impact of hits to their players’ heads during practices and games. When a player’s health has been compromised, the system will alert a coach or athletic trainer to check that player for injuries. The data provided through the sensors can help improve performance in a number of ways. The first is by providing data on each of the hits every player on the team experienced. Through gaining this information, a coach can use coaching points to eliminate the use of a player’s head in tackles or better condition linemen so they are using the proper technique through four quarters.

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OX SPORTS OX Sports allows coaches to reach players away from the field and academic setting. With players spending more and more time on devices, it is the perfect avenue for coaches to share learning tools through photos, videos, scouting reports and customized tips. Just as important as the interaction between coach and player is a coach’s ability to communicate with parents, and coaches have that option with targeted messaging for specific audiences. A coach can send requested dress options for players, directions to away games, release forms for players, and updates on a player’s academic progress.

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

TURN YOUR LOVE OF THE GAME INTO A CAREER YOU’LL LOVE OPTIONS INCLUDE:

BACHELOR’S DEGREE

■■ A coach can give himself a fallback option outside of football by continuing his education.

FURTHER YOUR EDUCATION AS A FALLBACK OPTION Many coaches look to go back to school after starting their professional careers to give themselves options beyond football, such as athletic director or administrative roles. Advanced degrees can also prove useful if coaching runs its course. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Norcross (Ga.) defensive tackles coach Corey

MASTER’S DEGREE 5-YEAR BA/MSA PROGRAM

LEARN MORE fdu.edu/sportsdegrees

Richardson wanted to keep his options open early in his coaching career just in case his dream job didn’t work out. He pursued a Master’s degree in administration and leadership from Jones International University so that he would have options beyond football. “I did it in case I got out of coaching,” Richardson said. “I wanted to have another option.” Richardson hasn’t exercised that option yet, and he has no plans to do so after 16 years of coaching. He’s found the right school in Norcross, and his wife, Kimberly, and two children, Kaitlyn and Conner, are happy with the lifestyle. “I’ve found that my education helps in this role too,” Richardson said. “I can help (Norcross head coach Keith) Maloof out by taking on some of the head coaching duties. I help as much as I can.” Richardson originally received an Associate’s degree in General Education from Emmanuel College before earning a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from the University of Georgia. He went back for a Master’s as well as a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership.

“It demanded a lot of time, and it helped me in a lot of ways,” Richardson said. “I’m not the best writer in the world, so it challenged me and made me a better writer. From a leadership standpoint, it helped me understand the entire organization of a school system.” Richardson said his biggest takeaway was the necessity for teamwork in establishing a strong high school community. “It’s important to understand taxes and how they benefit education,” Richardson said. “It’s important to develop leaders around you. It takes a community to make a school run, and this put that in perspective. It takes teachers, coaches, administrators, parents and students working together.” Richardson said Norcross has a particularly strong high school community, with many parents who don’t even have children at the school serving in volunteer roles for the football program. “People see the benefits of what football does, and they come back even if they don’t have kids in the program,” Richardson said. “We have a lot of people volunteer with the program, and that makes it that much stronger.”

Collegiate Sports Data Gives College Prospects Exposure

Collegiate Sports Data (CSD) is an NCAA-approved scouting service that provides player information to nearly 500 collegiate football programs each year. CSD never charges or accepts fees from high schools, their coaches, or their players. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN ■■ CSD provides high school coaches an opportunity to give their under-the-radar players the recognition they deserve.

t’s easy for a high school coach to get overwhelmed by the

abundance of paid scouting services, combines, camps and clinics. At the end of the day, a coach just wants to do everything in his power to get his best players on the radar of college recruiters. CSD provides high school coaches with that platform – at no cost – a direct pipeline to college coaches who are looking for incoming talent. Every high school coach in the nation can log into their CSD profile page and update their list of college prospects at any time. For coaches who are uncomfortable with updating their prospect list online, CSD allows them to text, call or email recruiting sheets to CSD staff members to enter in the database. “We try to make it as easy as possible for high school coaches to get players in our system,” said CSD President Joleyn Smithing. A coach provides CSD with a list of any player on his team that he feels is capable of playing any level of college football – from FBS to Division III programs. The coach can then enter specific metrics for each player, such as height, weight, position, 40-yard-dash time, player number, and a player rating. The player and/or parent of the player can then go into the profile and enter academic information and college preferences such as geographic location or area of study. The player and/or parent is blocked from seeing the coach’s evaluation of the player.

“Our model is to help college coaches create a target board that is populated with college football prospects,” Smithing said. “The player rating filter helps decide who might be the best fit for the program. We’re just a giant filtering system that takes away the noise. “We’re different from a matching service in that we don’t open the doors to every parent who believes their son is destined for a D1 scholarship. We get rid of the noise and work to make sure everybody who has the ability to play at the college level gets exposure.” CSD is used by every college football program in the country, at varying levels. Some use singlestate searches while others purchase the national package. Many area recruiting coordinators use the service to search for players in their geographic regions. “Coaches are always going on to see what’s new,” Smithing said. “Players are trying to get in front of programs sooner and sooner. Our database includes freshmen through seniors.”

THE CSD SCHOLARSHIP

he CSD Scholarship is open to Class of 2018, 2019 or 2020 athletes. CSD awards the scholarship recipients money for tuition, supplies, books, fees and equipment at a nonprofit, accredited two- or four-year university or college in the United States. To ensure integrity, transparency and legitimacy, the program is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc., a firm that specializes in managing sponsored scholarship programs. Applicants need to submit essay/video content and proof of how amazing they’re doing in school. The football scholarship is non-renewable, and awards funds in $1,000 increments. A player can’t appeal if he’s not selected, but students can apply over and over again as long as they remain eligible. If a scholarship winner transfers to a different school, the money transfers along with him. To learn more, visit collegiatesportsdata.com/ football-scholarship.

Collegiate Sports Data

CSD works as a strategic partner with colleges, high school coaches and the high school athletes who are the future of their football programs. Website: collegiatesportsdata.com Email: info@collegiatesportsdata.com Phone: 615-255-9161 Facebook: CollegiateSportsData Twitter: @CSD_Nashville

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SPOTLIGHT

Texas Coach Wins GSC Coach-to-Player Contest, New Communication System A Texas coach won the 2018 GSC Coach-to-Player Contest, providing his team with an opportunity to integrate a new communication system that allows coaches to speak directly into players’ helmets during practice. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Spring Hill (Texas) head coach Kelly Mercer wants his quarterbacks to hear his voice in the back of their heads when they approach the line of scrimmage on game day. ■■ Kelly Mercer The process has been made easier for Mercer, now that Spring Hill has won the 2018 GSC Coach-to-Player Contest. Three of Mercer’s assistant coaches – Travis Buchanan, Chad Ashby and Michael Colvin – entered the contest, which was hosted on FNFCoaches.com. The FNF Coaches selection committee felt the Spring Hill nominations made the strongest case for the Coach-to-Player™ communication system, so the Texas program received the grand prize of a communication system (retail value: $1,600) in May. “As an offensive coach, I’ve always wanted my quarterback to have my voice in his head as he gets to the line of scrimmage,” Mercer said. “Now he really will hear my voice in practice. I think we’ll use this system a lot early in the week, and hopefully as the week goes on, he can take the system out and still hear my voice as we prepare for the game.” Buchanan believes the GSC Coach-to-Player system will speed up the tempo of practice and provide more coaching opportunities for young players. “This interests me so I can do more coaching from the sideline without having to pull an

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■■ The GSC Coach-to-Player system gives a coach the opportunity to speak directly in players’ helmets during practice.

athlete out of the drill and to simulate game day coaching,” Buchanan said. “It will also allow us to use this to prepare athletes on what to look for based on personnel groups and formations. GSC Coach-to-Player™ (C2P) provides coaches with an ability to speak to players directly in to their helmets during practice. Through the C2P practice system, a coach speaks into a handheld transmitting device and his voice is audible through the speakers loaded in the helmets of the players of his choice. The technology provides additional coaching opportunities while also helping to maintain or expedite the tempo of practice. The C2P system can also help a coach build depth on his roster by giving him an avenue to coach players who are not taking part in a particular rep. “Coach Mercer and his staff are going to see first-hand how powerful C2P is as a developmental tool,” said GSC Director of Operations Alex Shada. “The increase in reps and the quality of those reps will certainly benefit the entire team. It will be fun to watch Spring Hill this year.” C2P also allows for more focused instruction from coaches to players due to its ability to customize the communication. For instance, multiple position coaches can provide specific instruction to his particular position group. “Rely on C2P as a developmental tool,” said Shada, when asked what advice he’d offer Spring Hill coaches. “Do NOT use it as a play-calling device. Talking your athlete through scenarios, reads and progressions will only improve his abilities. On Friday night, his play will be directly impacted.” From a player’s standpoint, the C2P system results in more productive meetings, less time reviewing plays in the film room, and more productive time on the field. For those who “learn by doing,” the C2P system allows them to go through reps while they’re learning new concepts rather than staring at a screen or dry-erase board. “It’s good to get the kids involved in the film,” Colvin said. “If they have particular things they are listening to, then we can keep them focused on improving instead of other distractions.”

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SPOTLIGHT

MAYFIELD ATHLETICS REBRANDS, JOINS SAFETY COALITION

IMPACT REDUCING FACEMASK CLIP

Mayfield Athletics has created and patented an impactabsorbing 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. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Mayfield Athletics has been in the business of

S.A.F.E.Clip works by absorbing impacts to the facemask when impacted!

Hobart Mayfield has developed a patented technology that reduces force transferred to the head and neck.

football safety for over a year, and now the company that created the impact absorbing facemask clip to combat concussions is part of a six-company Safety Coalition. The coalition also includes: ■■ Zuti Facemasks ■■ Wegener Safety Latch ■■ Helmets to Heal ■■ Vector Mouth Guard (Athletes Intelligence) ■■ Impact Sports LLC “This was a brain child of all of the companies together,” said Mayfield Athletics co-founder Rich Williams. “We are all making products that bring safety to the game of football in one shape or form. We work with each other as experts in the industry. It’s a collection of products and services all branded together to help the game become safer.” Mayfield Athletics recently 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. Mayfield Athletics 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 percent of current helmet/facemask configurations from all manufacturers with no alterations needed to the facemask or helmet. Other configurations are in development.

mayfield athletics Website: mayfieldathletics.com twitter: @MayfieldAth Email: rwilliams@mayfieldatheltics.com

The Stats The average high school football player is on the receiving end of 500 head impacts per season. The The S.A.F.E.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. ■■ All statistics generated through research by Wayne State University.

The Facts ■■ Patented visco-elastomer is used by NASA, GE Healthcare and Wilson Sporting Goods. ■■ Mayfield Athletics 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 FaceMask Clip costs $29.95 for a set of two. For every five clips sold, Mayfield Athletics will put a virtual set into a ClipBank for a needy school. Schools in need can apply for free clips by completing a certificate of need.

Football Made Me: Louis A. Vitantonio PRESIDENT OF GREATER CLEVELAND AUTOMOBILE DEALERS’ ASSOCIATION

s President of the Greater Cleveland (Ohio) Automobile Dealers’ Association, Louis

A. Vitantonio, Jr., oversees an organization that represents more than 250 automobile dealers from across Northern Ohio. As President of the Cleveland Auto Show, he also oversees one of the largest Auto Shows in the nation. But it was his love for the game of football that taught him the valuable life lessons that propelled him to success in life. “The whole team concept in football, especially when you play on the line, is something that you carry with you the rest of your life,” says Vitantonio. “You start off in PeeWee football just trying to figure out who to get in front of and not jumping offsides. But as you grow into your freshmen, JV and varsity teams, you really begin to appreciate the need for teamwork. You rely on the people next to you. The same goes for business, you want to build a team that you can rely on, one that works as hard as you do in order to be successful.” Vitantonio played the line on both offense and defense, starting his junior and senior years at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls. He went on to play at Dayton University, before transferring to John Carroll University, where he started on offensive line his junior and senior years. Vitantonio would go on to get his M.B.A. at John Carroll before receiving a Juris Doctor from Cleveland Marshall School of Law in 2001. “Looking back, it was not just about playing the game, it was also about the friendships I was able to build and the fond memories that last a lifetime,” Vitantonio says.

High school football also instilled a strong work ethic and a resiliency in Vitantonio that have both served him well professionally. “You can’t win everything, whether it’s on the field or in business,” Vitantonio says. “We all get knocked down, it’s how you react to it that is important. “It really comes down to passion,” he adds. “You may not have all the physical capabilities in the world, but if you have the heart, you’ll find that it all works out. I was fortunate to find two things I was really passionate about: one was playing football, the other was my love of the automobile and the automotive business.” Vitantonio, his wife Penny and their three daughters, Angela, Malena and Lauren, live in Independence, Ohio. – Terry Troy

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USA FOOTBALL

“Tip of the Spear” Contact System emphasizes technique The next step in football evolution has arrived with the USA Football Tip of the Spear Contact System – created by former NFL offensive lineman Scott Peters – which teaches proper use of the hands and hips to reduce helmet contact through exceptional technique in blocking and defeating blocks. BY BRENT GLASGOW

The leverage-based, all-positions Tip of the Spear Contact System addresses posture and body movement for skill development and transformation. Peters has taught the system to more than 50 college and professional teams. “Tip of the Spear is so detailed I don’t think anyone has seen anything like it before; that’s what we hear from every coach we work with.” Peters said. “Everything is spelled out.” Peters devised the system over time, after an injury sidelined him in 2006, while he was playing for the Carolina Panthers. With the incorporation of jiu-jitsu and other mixed martial arts movements, the system has evolved into one that covers virtually everything coaches need to know in order to teach it. Level 1 of the Tip of the Spear Contact System — debuting in June at USAFootball.com — will be available in an online educational format, with videos, accompanying text, still photos, self-assessments and problem-solving. In-person clinics are also available. “Coaches can watch the videos, learn how to do it, then troubleshoot for answers to common issues that come up with players performing the drills,” USA Football Senior Manager of Education Joe Frollo said. “If their hips or their feet aren’t doing the right thing, for instance, you can learn how to correct it to make it more fundamentally sound.” Level 1 of the eventual three-part series includes coaching points and application, and drills that convey the “Shape,

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Sharpen and Polish” skill development model. Shape drills are meant to shape the body to understand and utilize techniques (shaping the spear). Sharpen drills are non-competitive, contact-based drills that work on hand fighting (sharpen the spear). Polish drills are designed to get players to learn how to compete together or against each other to help refine the drills they learned (polish the spear). Featuring Peters’ Tip of the Spear instruction and demonstrations by high school football players, the online clinic videos were filmed at the Arizona Cardinals practice facility. “These drills are appropriate for any level of football that wants to teach the skills of blocking and defeating blocks,” Frollo said. “This is going to make your players better, and help you coach the fundamentals in a progressive path, to make it easier to remember. The goal is to help you win on game day, but it’s also designed to eliminate that natural step that leads kids to put their head down, to take the head out of the contact.” While Level 1 lays the foundation, Level 2 (scheduled for release later this year or in early 2019) will be more position-specific, and Level 3 will be geared toward schemes. “It’s exciting. It’s the first of a new wave of USA Football in-person and digital clinics, where youth, high school and even college coaches can come learn from experts, and take it right into their practice plans,” Frollo said.

CLINICS NOW AVAILABLE FOR COACHES

n-person Tip of the Spear clinics are also available for coaches and full teams. The staff at Lakeview Academy (Gainesville, Georgia) recently had one on its campus. “Highlights of the day were to go back and analyze our old way of doing things, looking at the new ways of doing things, and realizing how much more effective we can be,” Lakeview coach Matthew Gruhn said. “We’re a small school, we have kids who are undersized, and now we have an advantage to teach them how to take on and handle bigger people, and to do it in a safe way.” That’s one of the primary lessons of Tip of the Spear. “Football focuses so much on the attributes of big, fast and strong, whereas skill is something related to the techniques you are implementing,” Peters said. “Size is arbitrary when you have really good technique.”

Learn more about Tip of the Spear at: usafootball.com/development-training/clinics/contact-football-clinics

CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL TEAMS ARE BUILT IN THE OFFSEASON Tip of the Spear Contact System Clinics

SAFETY THROUGH

SUPERIOR TECHNIQUE

USA Football’s Tip of the Spear Contact System Clinics are your way to take full advantage of implementing a new approach to contact.

Two options designed for any program at any level. Coach Clinic

Coach & Player Clinic

Three hours – trains your entire staff

Five hours – trains your coaching staff AND players

Classroom instruction Interactive, on-field coaching

Split into two parts: Part 1: Train up your coaches Part 2: Train your players

Learn the entire Level 1 program and customize it to your specific program

Gets your coaches out on the field to install and drill the entire system with your players

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS 3

Level 3 Scheme Specific

2 1

Level 2 Position Specific Contact Level 1 Principles of Contact

Fast-tracks skill mastery Teaches players how to dominate opponents with their hands and shoulders Previously available only to NFL coaches and players – now available for your entire program

Become a smarter, stronger and better team with a system focused on helping your program win. Get started today at usafootball.com/clinic

COACHING LEGEND

Michigan Coaching Legend at a Crossroads John Herrington, Michigan’s winningest high school football coach, won’t have a team to lead next season. After nearly a half century, Harrison High (Mich.) is closing its doors forever, leaving Herrington unsure of his future. BY DEREK SMITH

HERRINGTON

How important is strength and conditioning?

“It’s tremendously important. To keep you away from injuries and able to compete at a high level, you have to have strength and conditioning. That’s why we have year-round weightlifting. I think it’s vitally important. It’s also a good time in the offseason for kids to bond.”

How has strength and conditioning changed?

■■ John Herrington and Harrison quarterback coach Mill Coleman, who played for Michigan State and the Chicago Bears, along with Mill Jr.

Herrington was hired in 1970 to become the first football coach at Harrison when it opened, and he’s been the only person to occupy that position since. He’s helped Harrison become one of the most successful programs in the state, winning 13 titles (1981-82, 1988-89, 1991, 1993-94, 1997-99, 2000-01 and 2010), a Michigan record, and grooming dozens of college players including Drew Stanton, who played at Michigan State and has been on five different NFL rosters, and Devin Funchess (Michigan, Carolina Panthers). “I guess more than the wins, the accomplishment is just to be able to coach that long,” Herrington said. “Every year I had great assistants and great players and it was so much fun.” As the Hawks approach their final season as a team, Herrington says it’s business as usual. “We’re trying to make it as normal as possible,” Herrington said. “I don’t see much of a change. Kids are pretty resilient.” There are several legacy events planned for the fall to recognize the achievements of the program, a reunion for all alumni will be held after the season, and a few former rivals have agreed to schedule and play the Hawks one more time. Herrington isn’t sure what he’s going to be doing next fall but he does have a couple of options – volunteer if one of his current assistants gets a head coaching job or return to his alma mater, Central Michigan University, in a public relations role with the football team. “I’ve got two possibilities and hopefully I’ll do something but I just don’t know what,” he said.

Q&A WITH COACH

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John Herrington PROFILE

Team: Harrison High in Farmington Hills, Michigan Years as Head Coach: 55 State Championships: 13 Coaching record: 435-106-1 Profession: Head football coach; former history teacher and head baseball coach

Family: son, Layne; daughter, Lisa Accomplishments: Michigan Sports Hall of

Fame, Michigan Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Michigan Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame

“When we started out, we had one universal gym. Then we went to a few Nautilus machines. Finally we got a good sized weight room and we started purchasing free weights. We started concentrating on the core lifts, power clean, dead lift, bench and squat. Kids have also joined gyms and gotten personal trainers. They’re bigger, stronger and faster.”

■■ John Herrington coached eventual Michigan State starter and NFL quarterback Drew Stanton on the 2001 and 20012 state championships. ■■ Do you have a thought about this article that you would like to share? Email managing editor Dan Guttenplan at dguttenplan@ae-engine.com or tweet us @fnfcoaches.

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COLLEGE COACHES’ CORNER

MOORHEAD’S PATH TO COACHING

Q&A with Mississippi State

Coach Joe Moorhead BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

oe Moorhead was hired as the Mississippi State head

coach this offseason after Dan Mullen left to become the head coach of the Florida Gators. Penn State hired Moorhead to be its offensive coordinator before the 2016 season after he went 38-13 in four years as the head coach of Fordham in the FCS. The Nittany Lions went 11-3 last season, won the Big Ten and reached the Rose Bowl. They then went 10-2 this season with running back Saquon Barkley serving as a Heisman Trophy candidate throughout the campaign. Moorhead offered his thoughts on coaching high school football in an interview with FNF Coaches.

This is typically the time of year to take stock of a program and make big-picture changes. How is it different in your first year with a new program? “It’s kind of where I’m at right now as a new head coach. During the weeks of April, our assistant coaches go on the road and do evaluations. I’m left in the office to look back at the recruiting process. I look at winter

conditioning and spring ball and decide what things we did well, and what we can improve. We’ll look back at last fall – evaluating the organization and execution – and make an inseason plan. The coaches come back, and we start preparing for the first three opponents.”

What trends are you noticing in the SEC? “Everywhere I’ve been, we have an offseason research project for the offense, defense and special teams. We look at pro teams and college teams that run similar systems. We look at statistical data and learn what people at the top are doing well. In the SEC, to be honest, we’ve been consumed with ourselves. We’re looking into what we need to do to get ready for the season. I haven’t looked into what anyone else is doing. First, we’ll lay the foundation for our program.”

Have you tried to market the program to the fan base or potential recruits to drum up excitement? “It’s actually been the reverse. My plane landed and I was met with 2,500 people with signs and cowbells asking me for autographs. That’s a memorable thing—that outpouring of new support. They served cheese fries and handed out t-shirts. I’m speaking at every engagement possible to share the vision of the program and let them know why 2018 is going to be a great season.”

What advice would you give a high school coach looking to market his program? “I think it’s important for most teams to reach out to the youth football program and the middle school. High school football is the fabric of a community, and it galvanizes people. When you go to a game on Friday or Saturday, everybody knows the faces and can integrate themselves into what’s happening on the field. It’s a holistic experience.”

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s a collegiate performer at Fordham University, Moorhead was a three-year starter at quarterback and a team captain as a senior. He was a second-team All-Patriot League pick as a senior, finishing 13th nationally in total offense. He graduated with school single-season records for completions and passing yards. Following his collegiate career, Moorhead spent time in the training camp of the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League after playing the 1996 season for the Munich Cowboys of the E.F.A.F. Moorhead credits Rutgers Director of Player Development Nick Quartaro for inspiring him to go into coaching following his playing career. Quartaro served as head coach at Fordham for four seasons (1994 to 1997). “I had dreams and aspirations to play in the NFL as a pro quarterback, but that fizzled when I got cut from the Arena League,” Moorhead said. “Under Nick Quartaro, I had the autonomy to audible at the line of scrimmage. That sparked my interest to get into coaching.” Moorhead, 44, arrives in Starkville after spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on James Franklin’s Penn State staff. Tabbed as Sports Illustrated and Yahoo’s No. 1 rising assistant in college football in August 2017, Moorhead transformed the Nittany Lions offensively and spearheaded them to a combined 21-5 record, a 17-3 mark in Big Ten regular season play and the 2016 Big Ten Championship.

HIGH POWER for MAXIMUM RANGE

Have you found any new technology that’s helped you as a coach?

No Beltpack or Base Station!

“We’ve really started to dive into analytics. We’ve had people come in and say what’s been beneficial for them, and we plan to use that more this season.”

How important was it to establish a strength and conditioning program? “I think it’s critically important that the strength and conditioning staff is on the same page as you. They spend more time with the players than most of the assistants. You want them to be culturedrivers and an extension of the staff. We want speed and explosive development. We want to reinforce discipline, work ethic and selfless attention to detail. Aside from physically getting ready for camp and the season, we want them building the mental side as well.”

What more can high school coaches do to help with recruiting? “Most coaches I’ve seen are great. There’s a proliferation of social media and technology that makes it easier to connect with college recruiters. They have lists ready and HUDL links and Twitter handles – all the info you need from an athletic and social perspective.”

Do you keep tabs on the social media accounts of your recruits? “We’re very active on social media as a staff. The area coordinator and position coach will communicate through those applications. I haven’t seen anything from a Twitter profile that is cause for concern, but I can understand why other coaches are cautious. The things that the kids are putting out there can impact the college.”

How do you stress the importance of academics within your program? “Our academic support staff does a fantastic job. Our kids come in and put in the time with academic support hours. Tutors are available to everybody on the team. We go over their progress on a bi-weekly basis. Just as the strength staff is important, the academic support staff goes hand in hand with the coaching staff.”

YOUR CONNECTION TO THE

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

COACHING COMMUNITY

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Win the Offseason with a Strength and Conditioning Program

A coach can lay the groundwork for a successful preseason by keeping players engaged and motivated throughout the summer. A coach may find it easy to motivate a player when he can ■■ A strong strength and conditioning program will pave the way to a successful season in the fall.

hang the figurative cookie of a Friday night game in front of a player’s face and demand maximum effort for a couple of days. Finding a way to motivate players may not be as easy for a coach during the summer months, when games are on the distant horizon, and distractions are plentiful. However, we all know the best teams always seem to have the most productive summers. The summer is a time for players to get

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stronger, faster and better-conditioned. The only way for a coach to achieve that goal is to provide a structured program for his players, and ample motivation along the way. Players today are interested in what’s new. What are the latest developments in strength and conditioning? What workouts will help them play faster on Friday night? We attempt to answer those questions this month through our cover theme – strength and conditioning. High school football has become a year-round sport, and that requires a year-round commitment to strength training, conditioning, speed workouts, nutrition and recovery. The information we’ve gathered from experts in the field will make you – the coach – better prepared for the upcoming season.

8 Ways to Incorporate the Military Into a Strength Program TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS LOCAL RESOURCE Representatives from the U.S. Army, Marines, Navy or Air Force might be available to visit your team and form a partnership that will benefit both parties. Take advantage of these opportunities by scheduling it this summer. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Brendan Curtin prioritized building a strength and conditioning program upon his hire as head coach at Riverside-Brookfield High (Ill.) in 2012. In his second season, Curtin enlisted the services of U.S. Marines Capt. Daniel Kinney and Sgt. Nathan Scheid along with other military personnel to lead the Bulldogs in a challenging “Marine Day” workout. Curtis has since formed a partnership with local recruiters from the U.S. Army. The seventh-year coach has found several ways to incorporate the military into a strength program.

HOW TO PARTNER WITH THE MILITARY

Attend military presentations at clinics.

Curtis initially met Capt. Kinney and Sgt. Scheid at a Glazier Coaching Clinic when they gave a presentation on leadership and team development. Host recruiters at practice. Representatives from the military are always looking for recruiting opportunities, so Curtis offered Kinney and Scheid the opportunity to speak to his players about leadership. Ask military recruiters to conduct a workout. “We offer to have them come out to school and put the kids through a workout for an hour,” Curtis said. “It’s grueling.”

Establish culture. “It’s obvious the kids feel a sense of accomplishment and pride working out with the toughest, baddest dudes around,” Curtis said. “They help instill the band of brothers mindset.” Weekly awards. Army recruiters provide Curtis’ team with Player of the Week awards for offense, defense and special teams, as well as a Blood and Guts Unsung Hero. The winners receive dog tags.

■■ The Riverside-Brookfield High (Ill.) football team saw great benefits from military-style training.

Offseason competitions.

Military Appreciation Week.

Fundraising opportunities.

Riverside-Brookfield hosts an annual offseason competition, which includes categories for academics, community service, strength gains and attendance.

The football team honors the partnership with the U.S. Army by designating a week for military appreciation.

urtin initially connected with the U.S. Marines after the recruiters gave a presentation at the Glazier Coaching Clinics, but he has since called his local U.S. Army recruiting office to establish a partnership with that division of the military. The local recruiters are always looking for faceto-face time with players, so Curtin will work with them to provide that time in ways that are also beneficial to his program. As part of the Offseason Competition last year, the U.S. Army representatives arrived at the RiversideBrookfield campus driving two Humvees for a pushing competition. “We put them on sixman teams for the competition,” Curtin said. “They brought out two Humvees for the push contest, and it was double-elimination. They had to push it about 130 yards, and it was pitch black because we had just finished a workout. It was a pretty exciting way to cap off the competition.”

Riverside-Brookfield generated funds for a local hospital for veterans last year. Download the FNF Coaches app from the Apple App Store and Google Play

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

5 Tips to Timing Meals

iming meals is particularly important for athletes,

because training schedules can really upset standard meal times. We need to pay attention to meal timing — starting at an early age. Children and adolescents who skip meals have a higher risk of developing health issues (higher BMI, more belly fat, higher serum insulin and blood glucose). Because meals can be a central part of our social life—and busy training schedules can contribute to chaotic eating patterns—many athletes disregard the fact that food is more than just fuel. When (and what) you eat impacts your future health (and today’s performance). Here are five tips for timing meals around training. Eat breakfast within two hours of waking. Is it really the most important meal of the day? If you define breakfast as eating 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories, about ¼ of adults do not eat breakfast. This drop in breakfast consumption over the past 40 years parallels the increase in obesity. Breakfast skippers tend to snack impulsively (think donuts, pastries, chips and other fatty foods). They end up with poorer quality diets and increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and overweight/obesity. Eating a wholesome breakfast starts the day with performance enhancing fuel at the right time for your body’s engine. If you exercise in the morning, fuel-up by having part of your breakfast before your workout and then enjoy the rest of the breakfast afterwards. This will help you get more out of your workout, improve recovery— and click with natural circadian rhythms. It’s better to calorie-load early than late. In terms of weight, eating 2,000 calories divided into one, three, six, nine or 12 meals doesn’t change your body fatness. Eating more calories in the morning than evening can lead to significant reductions in metabolic risk factors and better blood glucose control. Athletes who skimp at breakfast commonly get too hungry and then devour way too many calories of ice cream and cookies. If they do this at night, when the body is poorly programmed to deal with an influx of sweets, they are paving their path to health issues. Hence, if you are eating a lot of calories at night, at least make them low in sugary foods, to match the reduced insulin response in the evening. Avoid late-night eating. Should you stop eating after 8 p.m.? There’s little question that

3 20

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late-night eating is associated with obesity. Research with 239 adults who ate more than 1/3 of their calories in the evening had twice the risk of being obese. The combination of late-night eating plus skipping breakfast is associated with a greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Wise athletes make a habit of eating the majority of their calories earlier in the day, to curb evening eating. Plan to eat intentionally. Failing to plan for meals can easily end up in missed meals, chaotic fueling patterns and impaired health, to say nothing of reduced performance. If you struggle with getting your food-act together, consult with a sports dietitian who will help you develop a winning food plan. Eat when you’re hungry. Instead of saving up for a big dinner, enjoy food when your body needs the fuel: when it is most active. If you worry you’ll eat just as much at night if you eat more during the day (and you’ll “get fat”), think again. Be mindful before you eat and ask yourself: Does my body actually need this fuel? By eating when you’re hungry, you are simply moving calories in your pre- and/or post-dinner snacks into a substantial and wholesome second lunch (such as a peanut butter-honey sandwich, or apple, cheese and crackers.). The purpose of this second lunch is to curb your evening appetite, refuel your muscles from your workout, and align your food intake to your circadian rhythms.

■■ Athletes should plan to eat more early in the day when they have a night game.

4 5

NANCY CLARK MS, RD, CSSD ■■ Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD, has a private practice in the Boston-area, where she helps both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes create winning food plans. Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is available at nancyclarkrd.com.

The Frog – The Indisputable Game-Changer!

Q&A WITH JOHNS CREEK COACH MATT HELMERICH When did your team start training on The Frog?

We’ve had it for a little over a year.

How many Frogs does your school have? We have 12.

How do you incorporate The Frog into your strength program?

We use it for an alternate lift to the weight room. It’s great for core. We use it for everything – shoulders, legs. As I’ve said previously, if you have a weakness, it will find it. If you have a dominant hand, whether it’s the left or right, it will expose it and force you to correct it.

■■ The Johns Creek football team has 12 Frogs for training purposes.

uch the same as other football tech advances

like cleats on shoes and the transition from leather helmets to hard plastic … The Frog is taking football training to an entirely new level. The Frog is an “Innovative Total Body Training Device” meant for athletes of all disciplines. It is the result of years of relentless hard work, research and development, and scientific testing by Frog Fitness, Inc. The Frog is already being widely accepted throughout the NFL, the NBA, Pro Motocross, and MMA. Even America’s most respected warriors throughout the U.S. Military are training with The Frog, and most recently Olympic athletes began adding The Frog to their training regimens. The end is nowhere in sight! Frog Fitness has partnered with FNF to supply various schools across the publication’s

THE FROG The Frog is the first concurrent strength and aerobic training device. This Total Body Training Device works every major muscle in the body simultaneously. The design of The Frog allows the user to match his or her specific abilities to the exercises. The Frog is a training device that can be used to train any position group. Core strength is important

coverage area with Frogs. The Frog Fitness staff will now have the opportunity to reach out to well over 10,000 serious high school programs throughout the nation. Frog Fitness partnered in 2017 with an upand-coming program in Georgia, Johns Creek. Johns Creek posted an 8-3 record in 2016, earning a Class 6A, Region 7 championship. With 29 underclassmen on the roster in 2017, the team went 3-7 under first-year coach Matt Helmerich, who served as the defensive coordinator for prestigious St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) during the team’s national championship run in 2010 and state championship seasons of 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Helmerich shared his thoughts on The Frog after going through the orientation process with his players in June.

to any player on a football field, and The Frog builds that strength to help players exceed their fitness goals. The Frog comes standard with two 10-pound resistance bands, two 20-pound resistance bands, two 40-pound resistance bands, and two 60-pound resistance bands. The Frog allows for up to three bands per side so an athlete can customize the weight to his

or her particular strength goals. Use any combination of resistance to adjust to the specific exercise, use heavy weights until failure for muscle-building, or race The Frog to build endurance. The Frog is not about finding a player’s one-rep max; it is about maxing out every muscle in the body as a player assumes the signature horizontal position or the traditional vertical position.

How often did you use it last season?

We did a four-day lift cycle, and on the fifth day, we’d go out on the field and use The Frog.

Did you have the players race The Frog on the field?

We’d mix it up. Sometimes we’d do the drills on the videos. That’s what I like about the videos, they give me ideas. We’d take the base off and do squats. We’d do shoulder press, put the wheels on and do different activities. We’d race from end to end.

What did you learn about The Frog in the first year that you plan to implement in Year 2?

The tricky thing is we don’t use it in the gym because our basketball coach wouldn’t want us to do that. So, we use it on the field turf, and the biggest challenge is scheduling a day with good weather when you can go out and use it.

Do athletes from other sports teams use The Frog?

It’s everybody. We have four weight training classes – only one is football-specific. Our athletes and non-athletes get to use it. In the summer, we have an all-sports weight training class with conditioning. They use it as well. The soccer, lacrosse and basketball teams use it as well.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

5 Tips to Getting Better Sleep Players who sleep better perform better on the field. Getting proper rest can help improve health, mood, memory, judgment and safety. Eliminate minor sleep problems by creating a comfortable sleep environment, maintaining a healthful balance of nutrition and exercise, and engaging in relaxing activities near bedtime. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

■■ Most athletes could improve their performance by getting more sleep.

William Dement, MD, PhD, is a professor at Stanford University’s medical school and was instrumental in opening the first sleep laboratory in the world at Stanford. He is the Chief Scientific Advisor for SleepQuest, and is considered the father of modern sleep medicine. The author of The Promise of Sleep offers five tips to getting better sleep.

Pay Attention to Your Sleepiness Sleep needs and patterns of sleep and wakefulness are not the same for everyone. The first step in determining your need for sleep is through self-evaluation. Ask yourself: “How tired do I feel during the daytime? When do I feel most alert? When does fatigue set in?” Even moments of sleepiness that you may think of as routine are likely a sign that you are not getting enough sleep.

Keep a Sleep Diary A very helpful tool to track your sleep time and patterns is a sleep diary. Used in sleep research and clinical settings, a sleep diary is a handy reference to help people become familiar with their own natural patterns of sleep and wakefulness. The information that you will record in the sleep diary is simple and straightforward. It includes the time you go to bed, the time you wake up, your total hours of sleep, and whether you had

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any nighttime awakenings (and if so, how long you were awake) and any daytime naps. In addition, noting how you feel upon awakening (refreshed or tired), and how you feel at different times of the day will enable you to become more aware of your patterns, and help you determine if you are getting adequate sleep.

Take a Sleep Vacation

HOW MUCH SLEEP IS ENOUGH SLEEP?

he majority of healthy adults require between 7.5 to 8.5 hours per 24-hour period. This is true from young adulthood through late in life, though many older people have difficulty sleeping in a single block of time each night. Generally, sleep needs during a 24-hour period follow this pattern:

Newborns (1 to 2 months): 10.5 to 18 hours

Infants (3 to 11 months): 10 to 14 hours

Toddlers (1 to 3 years):

12 to 14 hours

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 11 to 13 hours School-aged children (5 to 12 years): 10 to 11 hours Adolescents (12 to 18 years): 8.5 to 9.5 hours Adults (18 years and older): 7.5 to 8.5 hours

Another method for Even without considerdetermining your sleep ing genetics and age, the need is to take a “sleep National Sleep Foundavacation.” During a two-week tion’s 2008 Sleep in period, when you have a America poll found that flexible schedule or perhaps many adults are apparently not meeting their are on vacation, pick a sleep needs, sleeping an consistent bedtime and do not average of only 6 hours use an alarm clock to wake and 40 minutes during the WILLIAM DEMENT up. Chances are that for the week, and about 7.5 hours first few days or week you on the weekends. Sleep MD, PHD will sleep longer because scientists and physicians you’ll be paying off your have a variety of methods “sleep debt”—the amount of sleep deprivation to help determine if you that you’ve accumulated over a period of time. If are getting enough sleep. you continue going to bed at the same time and allowing your body to wake up naturally, you will eventually establish a pattern of sleeping essentially the same amount of time each night, probably in the range of 7 to 9 hours.

Make Sleep a Priority Now that you know how much sleep you need—and if you’ve allowed your body to pay back your sleep debt and “find” its natural sleep patterns and duration—you are probably also feeling a lot better, sharper, happier, and healthier. This is how it feels to be well rested. The next step is to make sure that you continue to make sleep a priority and find ways to protect your sleep time.

Consult a Sleep Specialist You may still be experiencing daytime sleepiness, fatigue, or insomnia. If that’s the case, you should consider consulting a sleep specialist.

TeamBuildr Adds TV Modules to Improve the Coach/Athlete Experience

teambuildr Website: teambuildr.com iTunes & Google Play: teambuildr Twitter: @teambuildr

Whether on tablets or on paper, in a single facility or scattered across the country, teams can pull workouts wherever and whenever they need to with TeamBuildr. Like today’s generation of athletes, the TeamBuildr platform is mobile and accessible from any device. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

TeamBuildr founder Hewitt Tomlin recognizes that today’s athlete relies on screens and technology to provide instant feedback. With that in mind, he has taken the next step to integrating TeamBuildr technology into weight rooms by repurposing the TVs. TeamBuildr’s TV modules now serve three purposes: A live leaderboard: This module provides instant feedback on max lifts for each exercise. TV mode: This acts like a Facebook feed and is populated with personal bests, new max records, and highs for each exercise as soon as the information is entered into the TeamBuildr database. Weight room timer: This allows a coach to set a timer, and the TV module will alert athletes of which exercise to do, and when to do it. “We found TVs in a lot of weight rooms, but the coaches didn’t have a plan for how to use them,” Tomlin said. “The screens acted as glorified white boards with that day’s workout displayed on the screen. We wanted to give coaches more information to share with players.” TeamBuildr software is a platform on which strength coaches can build their workouts. TeamBuildr is Web-based and is, therefore, accessible on any computer, tablet or smartphone. It allows coaches to send workouts electronically or print them out in the weight room. TeamBuildr stores and secures fitness data, which allows coaches of all skill levels to make better decisions when training their athletes. Tomlin plans to continue on the path of integrating screen time in the TeamBuildr experience by shifting the focus to video in the future. His idea is to give athletes the ability to record themselves in the weight room and upload to TeamBuildr so coaches have an opportunity to provide feedback remotely. “We know that HUDL does a great job for coaches with game video, and we want to be the HUDL for strength coaches,” Tomlin said. “It’s a way for coaches to provide validation to athletes and create more interaction. It’s like SnapChat for the weight room, with players posting videos all the time. It will bolster the interaction in the offseason.” The TeamBuildr video technology will not add a significant cost to the software, unlike some other strength training video technology with velocity trackers. Tomlin expects the TeamBuildr software to continue to sell for $500-$1,000 per year no matter how big the school. “We try to create tools that benefit the masses,” Tomlins said. “The high school programs are trying to utilize technology that provides an edge without breaking the budget.”

TeamBuildr allows my weight training programs to become united under one platform, without having do to the same workouts. Our workouts can be sport-specific but still allow teams to work together as a school or program.” – CHAD FRIGON, HEAD STRENGTH COACH AND HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT LIBERTY HIGH (MISS.)

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PLAYBOOK presented by The vision-decisionaction cycle of drills

TRADITIONAL DRILL

DIAGRAM 1

BY ANDY RYLAND

undamentals. The key building blocks of football,

the core of each football play and how most coaches should see the game. The ability for players to perfect and execute skills on game day separates highly successful teams from a just another group of “athletes.” A mentor of mine introduced me to the Vision-Decision-Action (VDA) cycle. This is a practice I have long employed, but I had never named it or cataloged it until VDA. I just knew that most traditional football drills lacked the decision-making component of the game itself and was always trying to train decision making in my athletes. Most traditional football drills are “blocked drills.” ■■ Run to this line and make this cut. ■■ Run to X cone and do Y skill. ■■ Run to bag 1 and do skill 2. Easy for setup, but do we get the transfer we need for sport? Let’s look at the role the VDA cycle plays in what may be perceived as a predesignated football action. If we were to look at a blitzing linebacker attacking the B gap, his path and role is predetermined, but the execution of this task has a huge VDA cycle to be successful. As the linebacker approaches the gap, he must see, process and react in the appropriate manner to use a pass rush move and be successful. Depending on the offensive blocking scheme, the guard might block out into the B gap, or the tackle could block down into the B gap. On the run, the linebacker must recognize this and then identify which side he is being blocked from? This will determine which side the pass rush move is initiated from. Which foot? Which hand? What moves first? On the run, the linebacker could see the blocking scheme and realize that the running back is assigned to him. The back could be approaching from either side of the formation and could be trying to block half-a-man or trying to square him up. In all cases, the correct pass rush moves and where to initiate it from is dependent on the offenses reaction to his blitz, but he must process this intuitively and quickly while moving. So the question is: Is simply drilling one move to a predetermined side vs. a predetermined

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BC = BALL CARRIER, D = DEFENSIVE PLAYERS

“CHAOTIC” DRILL

DIAGRAM 2 BC

D1 D2 THREE DIFFERENT UNPLANNED REPS; COACHES CREATE RANDOM CONFLICT VIA DIFFERENT ALIGNMENTS

“CHAOTIC” DRILL

DIAGRAM 3 BC

D1 D2

“CHAOTIC” DRILL

DIAGRAM 4 BC

D2 D1

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opponent with a predetermined reaction without any vision, decision and action choice the best way to prepare athletes for games? How do we prepare to be great decision makers before skill executers? How do we prepare for chaos and to become playmakers? Before we throw out all of our drills, or because we know the start-stop nature of football can be hard to coach via small-sided games, let’s look at some simple ways to introduce these concepts and add variability into some classic drills:

TACKLING DRILL

COACH

Competitive non-contact Less a drill than a philosophy, coaches need to work to competitive drills as quickly as possible. That said, these can still be non-contact drills. USA Football and the Shoulder Tackle system does teach a sizable number of blocked drills. I find these useful for teaching “movement parameters,” what the coach wants the movement to look like – especially important with contact skills due to safety teaching points. That said, we want to move to chaos and reaction as quickly as possible. Drills where you encourage the opponent to win via movement not collision and give them freedom of movement are much preferred to “jog to that cone.” Almost every drill for any position group can be turned into competitive tag, a long-lost art in physical development. We have all seen defensive backs cover the route perfectly when they know it’s coming. You drill the footwork to drive on a slant only to see the same player stagger in the game. When drilling, most offensive linemen take the perfect steps but game film against a competitive opponent in an unsure situation brings out substantial number of footwork issues and late reactions.

Start about… This is a great tool that I started using for almost all of my tracking and leverage drills. I stopped using lines and cones. I go so far as to not even say “start around 5-yards,” but say “start around … there,” and I say it to each player, every rep with a different length of pause and sometimes pointing different direction. The goal is to create “repetition without repetition.” I want the distance and angle to be slightly different (micro-variance) on each rep so that players are reacting to a different stimulus every time not simply starting 5-by-5 and tracking/leveraging and opponent to the cone. On the opposite page are a few examples visual examples of 2-man Rabbit (diagrams 2-4), leverage drills done the traditional and chaotic way. If the drill calls for a box, I often tell the ball-carrier to line up wherever he chooses on his line. His natural change of starting positions gives each rep a slightly different feel.

DIAGRAM 5

B T

Multiple Choice, Multi-Skills A wonderful way to prepare for the game is to stack drills that utilize simple either/or option but pair each option with a different skill. Instead of simply choosing right or left, think of pairing near/far and with an appropriate skill for if the opponent was at the different distance. Now, not only will the player have to react to a visual stimulus to know where to go, but when they get there, what will they do? What skill will they use to “win” the play? This type of drill setup best represents game action and works for application of skills via the VDA. Diagram 5 is an example of one of my favorites. Set up a traditional tackle drill with a tackler (T) and a blocker with a blocking pad (B), but use two different tackle bags behind the blocker. Place one on a tight angle and one at an extreme angle from the blocker. The coach positions himself between the two bags. Once the tackler controls the blocker and snaps his eyes to the coach, the coach will point to one of the two bags. The player must release the block, track appropriately to the signaled bag and make the appropriate tackle. The tight angle bag gives him the opportunity for a perfect form tackle. The wide-angle bag simulates that he is being outleveraged, is in a chase position and will most likely make a roll tackle. Pair the skills with the direction, that comes from a visual stimulus and check if technique remains perfect. To progress this drill, and I try to get here as soon as possible, have a teammate stand behind the tight angle bag and run to and tag one of the bags. Now, the tackler is reading the path of the supposed ball-carrier instead of looking to the coach for a more realistic visual stimulus. (Note: I do use the coach-controlled version to teach the drill first.)

Takeaway After players know what you want and can show the skill done safely in a controlled environment, try to progress to more game applicable versions as quickly as possible. Game speed and game specific does not always have to mean with collision.

■■ Andy Ryland is USA Football’s senior manager of education and training. A former Penn State linebacker, college football coach and member of the U.S. men’s rugby team, With USA Football, Ryland helped develop the organization’s American Development Model, Heads Up Football and Master Trainer programs.

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PLAYBOOK presented by A unique take on the spread offense

TWO-BY-TWO

DIAGRAM 1

BY DAVE CHRISTENSEN

e want to spread defenses and make them cover

the whole field. Our base set is a two-bytwo set, though personnel in those positions will change with situations and game plan.

Basic two-by-two set (diagram 1) The No. 1 receiver to the wide side aligns at the edge of the numbers. The No. 2 receiver is on the hash mark. Into the boundary, the No. 1 receiver aligns outside of the numbers. The No. 2 receiver to that side splits the difference between the tackle and the outside receiver. We try to run seven to eight plays each game in unique formations in order to make teams spend practice time in preparing to play us. We use different sets for five straight weeks, and the players love the diversion. It adds to our offense, and it is difficult to defend.

THREE-BY-ONE

DIAGRAM 2

Three-by-one set (diagram 2) The next formation we use is the 3-by-1 set. We number our receivers from the outside in. The boundary receiver is the single-receiver side of the set, aligning at the edge of the numbers. For the three receivers to the wide side, the No. 1 receiver aligns at the numbers, the No. 3 receiver is two yards inside the hash mark, and the No. 2 receiver splits the difference between the No. 1 and No. 3 receivers.

Three-by-two set (diagram 3) The other formation we use is the 3-by-2 set. This alignment gives us an empty set in the backfield, using the same boundary rules as the 2-by-2 set. The wideside receivers align in the 3-by-1 set, and the boundary receivers are in the 2-by-2 alignment. The No. 2 receiver into the boundary splits the difference between the tackle and No. 1 receiver. It is not complex, and the rules are consistent. In this set, we can bunch the receivers to either side, but 90 percent of the time, we align in a normal formation. The first time the offensive line coaches see these sets, it makes them a little nervous. There is a lot of space between our offensive linemen. We split the guard two to three feet from the center with the tackles splitting three to four feet from the guards. In the shotgun, if you align your quarterback and running back at four-and-a-half yards, you cannot run the ball with those splits in the line. The quarterback has to be six-and-a-half yards deep. Our tailback aligns six-and-a-half

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1 3

THREE-BY-TWO

DIAGRAM 3

1 2

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yards deep on the offensive tackle. We cheat his alignment on some plays, but 90 percent of the time, that is his standard alignment. With those splits in the offensive line, there will be penetration. Our offensive linemen come off the line with a zone step, but it is more of a back step. That means we cannot prevent some degree of penetration by the defensive line, so we must have the extra depth by the quarterback and the tailback to run the ball. We experimented with the splits when we first started running this offense. If the splits are too tight or the tailback is too close, you cannot run the football. The penetration in the line will not allow the back to see the creases. The depth allows the line to get their hands and shoulders on the backs of the defenders and push them out of the way. When we run the zone play, the tailback takes two steps to receive the ball. From there, he has a number of places he can run depending on how the defenders charge. He can take it front side or back side to the inside or outside. All of the zone plays break a little differently. The idea about the offensive line splits came

from what Texas Tech was doing. However, the additional depth gives us a chance to run the football. In this set, when we align our backs at five yards, that leads to a lot of negative yardage. We start out in the empty set about 75 percent of the time, but when we add motion to the sets, it gives us a new dimension, many times motioning players back into the backfield to act as tailbacks. Defenses like to play a set alignment when we are in the empty set and something different when we have one back in the backfield. We use the quick motion to our advantage, keeping some teams from moving around in their defensive alignments. We use the motion to go from a one-back set to a two-back set. We use it to go from an empty set to a one-back set and from a one-back set to an empty set. Many people say that causes the defense to move and that causes problems. That is one of the best things we do. ■■ Dave Christensen is a college football veteran of more than 30 seasons, including his last two stops at Texas A&M and Utah. Previously, Christensen was the head coach at Wyoming from 2009-13 and a longtime offensive assistant at Missouri and Toledo.

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PLAYBOOK presented by Train linebackers through footwork movement patterns

DIAGRAM 1

STUTTER

BY BILL LUND

don’t use bags in the traditional sense where you take

time during individual periods to step over the bags or shuffle in and out to develop footwork. I will use them as landmarks and to provide context for certain drills, but I have eliminated bags as footwork drills. Long ago I learned from a former colleague to “use drills that have purpose.” I have had coaches tell me bag drills help develop feet and movement in linebackers, and maybe during offseason conditioning bags drills I could agree with that, but when I watch game film I could not find any applicable area of the game where I could see the value of using bags for footwork drills. There are many great coaches who have a different perspective on using bags, but I want to use that time to get more pertinent work that can show direct applicability to my players. As I began evaluating what I was teaching and wanted to improve, I looked hard at my game film while also looking at different linebacker movements from the NFL and FBS college football. I spoke to coaches about drill work and time allotted and began to overhaul what I wanted to see from my own players. I structured footwork drills like everything else – working from snap to finish. At the snap, the footwork I want to see displayed transitions to the start of the play, then through the midpoint of the play and then finally the finish. When the ball is snapped, I prefer to teach linebackers to “pop” their feet in place to get a quick snap shot of the play, determining run/pass and direction. I use the cliché “Don’t go till you know!” I had previously taught a downhill directional step and the 6-inch power step, but with the rapid use of the spread offense, RPOs and more passing than a decade ago, it became more important to get the snap shot first and not take yourself out of position early in a play. For the drill, all the linebackers are facing me, lined up three across and stacked behind each other. I act as the key and say, “Hit!” They pop their feet until I give them a visual cue. ■■ Run: left or right ■■ Pass: left or right I exaggerate the key to emphasize the adage, “Don’t go till you know” and to force them to react quickly to what they see: training their eyes in

COACH

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SHUFFLE (STEP/GATHER)

DIAGRAM 2 2ND STEP

2ND GATHER

1ST GATHER

1ST STEP

BASE STANCE

TWO-STEP

DIAGRAM 3

COACH

LATERAL RUN

DIAGRAM 4

COACH

■■ Bill Lund is the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Saginaw Valley State University. He previously held positions at Hope College, North Park University of Carleton College, St. Norbert College, University at Buffalo, Colby College and Columbia University. Follow him on Twitter @Lundsanity51.

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the process. After the pop, the reaction I want is for them to work a stutter technique in the direction they have keyed. The next drill in our base movements is called Stutter (diagram 1). This movement is a fire-like movement of the feet moving left, then right, followed by a burst. It’s best described as taking a thousand steps to move about a foot in a direction, left or right. I view this as teaching deliberate and patient feet. It’s a movement to confirm keys while maintaining a quality base. The next drill in the progression is a basic Shuffle (diagram 2). I like to use the verbal cues of step/gather in this movement. As we step in the direction from our base stance, we then gather back into that same exact stance. We can work to the left or right based on our key, then repeat. I am looking for the linebacker to return to his stance as he moves during his shuffle which keeps him in a good base always. The next drill is Two-Step (diagram 3). This drill begins with two shuffle steps, emphasizing our shuffle technique, then transitioning to a lateral run (diagram 4). On the lateral run, we want to keep our shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and open our hips as we run laterally. We will run a total of 10 yards, and at the yard line I want to see the linebackers plant and drive downhill into a sprint. We want to limit drifting outside the plant line we are cutting on. I use this drill to help train our transition between different movements. This also works great at camps to see what linebackers the ability have to shuffle, lateral run and transition downhill to a sprint efficiently. The final part of our base progression is our 45-degree drop, an angled zone pass drop (diagram 5). I use the same verbal cues of step/ gather, but we are working our initial zone drop technique at a 45-degree angle. On our pass cue, we will open at a 45, left or right, based on our cue and move in a manner that should look exactly like our shuffle. Off the last shuffle we will zone turn and burst to finish. The last pattern is our play action feet. We will get some great fakes by offensives, and I want to train the appropriate response to those fakes by the linebackers. This drill I call “Tag the Can”

(diagram 6). I set up five cans as an offensive line. As I snap the ball, my three linebackers pop their feet then attack their gap at the line of scrimmage. When they are close enough to tag the can, they turn and sprint to their zones of responsibility. As an additional aspect, I can add a throw to

DIAGRAM 5

ANGLED ZONE PASS DROP

COACH

DIAGRAM 6

TAG THE CAN

COACH

provide a target and break cue for the linebackers. This adds to the progression and trains breaking on a throw while also transitioning to a full sprint and coming to balance on the ball carrier. I also use the drill names as buzz words for quick coaching points to my players. As an example, on a counter play, if I notice a player was out of position because of his footwork, I may tell him that when he sees counter action to “stutter” until you see the puller. Or if I notice a linebacker floating backward on a play action drop, I will remind him to “tag the can.” The drills are now engrained in the players’ minds and provide an instant visual reminder of what they need to do technique wise. I hope these drill ideas provide some food for thought. Match what you see on film to what you do in practice. Develop drills that have direct application and progression to things you see on the field. As your players utilize and understand the patterns trained they will become more efficient movers on the field. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Download the FNF Coaches app from the Apple App Store and Google Play

TECH CORNER

TECH CORNER WITH MULTIVOICE™ VICE PRESIDENT DUSTIN FRASER

An Industry Leader Shares His Thoughts on the Newest Trends BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

ormed in 2011, MULTIVOICE™ has developed the first

Wireless Mesh-Network Intercom™, a solution that enables simultaneous and secure group communications among fearless individuals in rigorous environments. MULTIVOICE Vice President Dustin Fraser is this month’s guest in the Tech Corner column to share the latest trends in high school football.

3 BENEFITS OF MULTIVOICE

raser said that MULTIVOICE goes beyond the Point A to Point B communication by solving three problems.

What MULTIVOICE technology do you think has caused the most significant change in sideline communication at the high school level? “I’d say changing to a different frequency – 900 megahertz. In the past, most of the companies used 2.4, which was flooded with WiFi and cellphone towers. Coaches were getting a lot of interference.”

How long ago did that change take place? “We changed about five years ago; that’s when we came out with it. It had never been developed. Our stuff was originally produced for the military, and it’s been in football for five years.”

What do you think makes MULTIVOICE the best choice for coaches? “There are three main reasons why our stuff works well. No. 1 – the frequency. No. 2 – our power. We have five times more power than other headset. Our headsets have 13 football fields in range. Most others can only get to about the 20-yard-line. No. 3 – great penetration. One problem we hear from coaches is that the signal can’t get through the press box. They have to open windows, or drill through the box to set up external antennas. The set-up takes longer. Most have central base stations with a central location that controls all of the headsets. Our setup doesn’t have a base station. Our belt packs will figure out coordination and thinking between them. It’s very secure and encrypted.”

Loss of communication. 1/30th of a second of data. If you happen to have interference, it only interferes for a small fraction of the total talking.”

So, you’ll still occasionally hear static? “With this and other technology, our system can handle a 30 percent bit-error rate. How much signal can be lost? We can lose 1/3 of all data, and the system will figure out the missing holes and fill them in. This allows for clear communication without any words dropped. It’s very unique for our industry.”

Is there any new technology that you’re excited about? “We have active noise-cancelling technology. It can tell the difference between noise and a voice on an open mic and take out the noise. It could be music if the coach is standing in front of a speaker. The coach can whisper, and the other person hears the voice – not the noise. If you see a coach scream into a headset, you immediately see the other coaches rip off the headset. Most watch the game with the volume way down or off their ear because they don’t want their hearing damaged. They’re missing plays. We had to make a solution. We made it so if you yell or whisper into the mic, the other person will hear it at normal volume.”

How does the MULTIVOICE system avoid static or white noise? “We use a frequency hopping spread spectrum. The normal two-way radios are set to one frequency. The scanner picks up one frequency and listens. Frequency hopping can take a range from 902 to 928 megahertz. You may start in one frequency, then hop to another. It hops every 30 milliseconds. The reason for hopping is it’s great for privacy. A scanner can only pick up

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MULTIVOICE™

MULTIVOICE™ enhances the human experience by enabling groups to BE HEARD™ in real-time while they work or play. Website: multivoice.com phone: 800-604-0737 twitter: @Multivoice2011

“We solved by changing the frequency power and military technology,” Fraser said.

Noise. “When there are

too many mics on, the background noise can be overpowering, and nobody can hear. We solved that through digital noise cancellation.”

Whisper/shout technology. “It makes

sure a voice can be clearly heard regardless of the volume level. We’ve noticed this is huge for coaches with disabilities. Even someone with hearing aids can hear clearly.”

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BUBBA BURGER FNF MAGAZINE MOMS OF THE YEAR CONTEST RETURNS IN 2018 FNFMAGAZINE.COM/MOMS

e all know how important the team

mom is to the success of a football team. They are every program’s biggest fans, and they support the players through challenge and victory. Last year, the BUBBA burger FNF Magazine Football Team Moms Contest gave us all the opportunity to honor the contributions of team moms, and thanks to you, it was a huge success. Fans responded by voting for their schools and sharing their team mom stories on social media. So of course, we had to bring it back for 2018. And this year, we’re extending it to the entire country – any school, any state! FNF Coaches and BUBBA burger will set out this summer to determine which schools from all across the country have the best collection of football team moms. And we need your help! One large school (1,000+ students) and one small school from any state in the U.S. will be voted the Team Moms

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of the Year via an online vote on FNFMagazine.com/moms. Fans from any school will then go online and vote – and then spread the word to your friends and family. And of course, the prizes return in 2018! The winning large school will get a $1,000 donation to their school’s team, and the winning small school will take home $500. Nominations for the 2018 BUBBA burger FNF Magazine Team Moms Contest start on July 15, and the voting will begin on August 23. Students will then have until September 22 to cast their votes, and live results will be available so you can track your progress. The winning schools will be notified by phone and once the prize is accepted, it will be posted on the website and shared via social media. Mark your calendars for July 15! Make sure your school is nominated this summer, so we can show our pride and support for our team moms!

OFFICIAL PRIZES: CASH PRIZE: A $1,000 donation will be made to the high school booster club of the large school on behalf of FNF Coaches and BUBBA burgers. A $500 donation will be made to the high school booster club of the small school. Get those much-needed upgrades for your team! FEATURE STORY: A photo of the winning Team Moms and an article will appear in FNF Coaches. Show off your awesome team moms and share their inspiration with schools across the country!

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