FNF Coaches 2020 "The Tech Issue"

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The Magazine for High School Football Coaches

Summer 2020

+ enhance practice safety + Instill phone discipline + Create a tech culture

EXCLUSIVE Q&A WITH UNC COACH

Mack Brown

LOCKER ROOM SANITATION | ESTABLISHING A FEEDER PROGRAM RECRUITING DURING A PANDEMIC | GPS TECHNOLOGY HEADSET SYSTEMS | DIGITAL TICKETING

SIDELINE SPOTLIGHT

Phenom Elite Page 24

Cold Daddy Page 47

CONTENT

JULYAUGUST

Innovate or get left Behind page 10

11 How to Create a Tech Culture 12 The Robot That Reduces Injuries 13 Dartmouth Coach: Don’t Tackle in Practice 14 Instill Phone Discipline

15 Social Distance with Coach-ToPlayer Communication 16 2 Less Expensive Alternatives for Video 17 10 Ways GPS Technology Works for High Schools

UNC IS POISED TO ESTABLISH ITSELF AS A CONTENDER P.08

SOCIAL MEDIA

EQUIPMENT TRENDS

PROGRAM BUILDING

04 Texas Coach Brought Humor to Pandemic with TikTok

24 A Team Order of Gloves Will Steal the Attention TICKETING SOLUTIONS

34 10 Tips for Building a Feeder Program

05 10 More Coaches Who Shined During the Stoppage PANDEMIC IMPACT 06 5 Daily Solutions for Locker Room Sanitation 18 2 Products to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 HEADSET TECHNOLOGY 20 ProCom CEO on How to Shop for Headsets SAFETY TECHNOLOGY 22 Personalize Helmet Fits 23 5 Tips to Reconditioning

02

Mack Brown

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25 Switch to Digital Ticketing to Avoid Hand-to-Hand Transactions COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

35 How to Help Your Players in a Changing Recruiting Landscape

36. playbook PRESENTED BY

26 A Partner for Headsets, Cameras, Drones, Devices and Other Tech Needs APPS FOR COACHES 30 8 Apps Every Coach Needs SAFETY TRAINING 32 How Texas Coaches Got Certified in Safety During the Pandemic

USA FOOTBALL INITIATIVE 40 How to Coach Tackling Safely FUNDRAISING 42 Keep 90 Percent of Donations with FNF Coaches Platform

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They taste great and quickly absorb into your system to fuel all your efforts.

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PORTA PHONE’S NEW TD 900 HD WIRELESS HEADSETS HAVE BEEN

upgraded and now provide expanded capacity of up to 17 coaches along with digital, High Definition performance. The TD 900 HD are totally self-contained headsets that do not require belt packs or base stations.

They utilize a special operating system known “Frequency Hopping” which means they constantly monitor the air and switch channels automatically to avoid interference. Coaches also benefit from the “Auto Mute” boom that shuts off the microphone when set in the straight up position. In addition, the 900 Mhz band provides over twice the output power and are designed for use in University and Pro stadiums.

WEB: www.portaphone.com

SINCE 1990, FOOTBALL AMERICA

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SALES

NATIONAL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: JUSTIN HAND, MARK MORALES, JOHN ENGLE

PRODUCTION

MANAGING EDITOR: DAN GUTTENPLAN PROJECT ART DIRECTOR : JOE RABUCK ART DIRECTOR: JASON TEDESCHI DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA: NICOLE COOPER DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT: JOSH MULL WRITERS: DAN GUTTENPLAN, CHARLIE COINER, JOHN HOOPER JR., USA FOOTBALL, BOB ORSILLO PHOTOGR APHY: MVP DRIVE, MARCO REGALADO, CLEAR GEAR, UNC ATHLETICS, GAMESTRAT, DARTMOUTH ATHLETICS, RYAN DUGAN, RIDDELL, PHENOM ELITE GLOVES, EAGLES ACADEMY, LAZSER DOWN, HUDL A.E. ENGINE SPECIFIES THAT POSTPRESS CHANGES MAY OCCUR TO ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PUBLICATION AND TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOODS OR SERVICES ADVERTISED.

TD 900 “HD” WIRELESS BY PORTA PHONE

FOOTBALL AMERICA

PUBLISHER: CRAIG BARONCELLI VICE PRESIDENT, SALES: DAVID WATSON VICE PRESIDENT: CHRIS VITA

USA FOOTBALL 5 FIGHTS TEACHING PROGRESSION WANT TO LEARN

about the 5 Fights teaching progression? Visit footballdevelopment. com/advancedtackling to watch our free webinar on how the progression works. Finally, all of this comes together in the film room and the data. Don’t guess where you need to improve the tackle – USA Football’s tackling experts with high school, collegiate and professional experience added resources to the online system to help you evaluate your own tackling performance.

Using these resources, you can see how to setup your own analytics and film tools to evaluate performance.

WEB: www.usafootball.com/advanced-tackling

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SOCIAL MEDIA checklist in place. I started unloading the headsets and getting everything ready to go. One of the boosters asked, ‘Where is the tunnel?’ I said, ‘It should be in the trailer.’ I forgot it. I had to break it to the head coach. He had 100 other things on his mind. Surprisingly, he didn’t rip me a new one. He just gave me a look like, ‘Are you serious?’”

ff Is your humorous style on social media in response to people being bummed out by the pandemic?

“It’s definitely in response to everyone being bummed out. I had an occasional fun tweet before this. I’m a light-hearted person, and I like to make people laugh when it’s appreciated. I never anticipated it blowing up this big. I thought it was funny when I saw the students using TikTok. They said, ‘You’re funny, you should download the app.’ I was so bored the second or third week, I downloaded it. I started with 2,500 followers, and now I’ve accumulated 12,000 with 3 million views on Twitter.”

Lead with Humor South Texas Coach Becomes TikTok Sensation During Pandemic At the start of the coronavirus outbreak in March, everything came to a halt from a high school football perspective. We know how valuable those relationships can be during the high school years, and in many cases, players look to their coaches and teachers for leadership.

A South Texas led with his humor.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

D

uring the pandemic, many of us in the

coaching community followed Marco Regalado on Twitter. The South Texas coach offered some levity during an otherwise serious time.

Regalado is the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at PSJA Memorial High in South Texas.

He recently shared his social media strategy during the pandemic with FNF Coaches.

04

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ff The TikTok video that caught our eye was the one about forgetting the inflatable tunnel during your first year as a coach. Was your story true?

“It’s a funny story. My first year coaching, one of my coaching duties – along with many others – was packing the inflatable into the trailer before the game.

We were going to play the No. 1 team in the state. I thought everything was good to go; this is before we had a coaching

ff Do you attribute the jump in followers to anything other than the TikTok videos?

“It’s definitely the videos. You’ve got to do something to stand out for that to happen. I made a couple of videos, and everyone was asking for the next one.

People follow just to keep track of when it’s coming.”

ff Was it easy to figure out TikTok? “I’m pretty good with technology.

I’ve always edited videos and produced highlight videos for school. Once I understood the effects and how to use the green screen, I mastered it.”

ff Do you find yourself writing down more ideas for TikTok videos when they pop in your head?

“If anybody has a video they want to see, reach out. I’ll never say no unless it’s absurd. One guy suggested I do one about principals. I said no, my bosses are principals. I like my paycheck.”

Podcast Alert Marco Regalado joined FNF Coaches podcast host Dan Guttenplan on the FNF Coaches Podcast in May. Visit fnfcoaches.com to listen to the pod.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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more Coaches who Shined on twitter during the pandemic

COACH JASON GLENN KLEIN OAK (TEXAS)

COACH JASON REYNOLDS NATALIA HIGH (TX.)

COACH CHRIS VASSEUR FORMER SERRA HIGH (CA.)

COACH KENNY SIMPSON SEARCY HIGH (ARK.)

COACH AARON KUNZ

WILLIAMSVILLE HIGH (ILL.)

COACH DONALD LITTLEJOHN MALLARD CREEK (S.C.)

COACH JEREME HUBBARD BROOK HILL (TEXAS) SCHOOL

COACH RODNEY WEBB DENTON GUYER HIGH (TX.)

COACH DARRELL KEITH CLINTON HIGH (TN.)

COACH BRANDON CLAY HALTOM HIGH (TX.)

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PANDEMIC IMPACT

5

Daily Solutions

for Locker Room Sanitation

One potential positive to take away from the coronavirus outbreak has been the way in which coaches have prioritized sports hygiene by adopting protocol for all athletes to follow at home, in the locker room and on the field. In order to combat the spread of the virus this fall, set up a daily locker room sanitation plan.

1

Clean surfaces with soap and water.

2

Use disinfectants.

Wear reusable or disposable gloves for routine cleaning and disinfection. Clean surfaces with soap and water before disinfectant to reduce the number of germs, dirt and impurities on the surface. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Global Cleanliness Council is requiring the use of “hospital-grade” disinfectants in public spaces and guest rooms. Use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing between 70 and 75 percent alcohol. For a list of products that fit this description, visit www.epa.gov/pesticide-registrationlist-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2-covid-19 Also check out the EPA’s six steps for safe and effective disinfectant use. www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/six-steps-safe-effective-disinfectant-use Source: Environmental Protection Agency

TIPS FROM A CLEAR GEAR SPRAY REP Clear Gear has demonstrated effectiveness against viruses similar to COVID-19 on hard, non-porous surfaces. Clear Gear Spray is perfect for a coach’s daily sanitation routine because the spray eliminates odors and kills harmful bacteria.

Clear Gear representative Margaret Mason offered these tips for a daily sanitation plan.

■■ Anything worn or sweated in should be disinfected after each use and allowed to dry.

■■ High touch areas in a facility should be disinfected daily.

■■ Facilities should be disinfected weekly.

Why is it so important to disinfect equipment – particularly given all that is going on in the world?

“Sweat, bodily contact between athletes, open wounds, and shared environments (weight room, door knobs, etc.) all contribute to germ proliferation. Infection control is like a spider web. It must be attacked and managed at multiple entry points to truly keep athletes safe.”

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3

Set up hand sanitizing stations.

4

Do the laundry after each practice.

5

Consider a disinfecting robot or misting service.

One of the best ways to keep the virus out of locker rooms is preventing it from spreading. That means making hand-washing easily accessible for players. Keeping gloves at the sanitizing station is also a good preventative measure.

Remind players to clean hands after blowing one’s nose, coughing, sneezing, and using the restroom. Restrict food from the locker rooms.

Source: Dr. Bruce Sherman, inventor of GymValet

Launder items in the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely. Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from a person who is sick. Do not shake dirty laundry.

Clean and disinfect clothes hampers.

Remove gloves and wash hands right away after handling laundry.

Source: Alliance Laundry Systems

Consider using electrostatic sprayers and testing ultraviolet-light technology on locker room items. Robots can deliver up to 4,300 times more germicidal UV pathogen killing intensity than UV-C mercury vapor and can disinfect an entire locker room room in as little as 20 minutes. A new, promising technology in this industry is the application of EPAapproved disinfectants utilizing electrostatic application systems for proper surface disinfection. Electrostatics is a proven technology in the agricultural and automotive industries.

Source: LightStrike GermZapping Robots

Stay Informed & Engaged Through the FNF Coaches Podcast

“

“I always enjoy the opportunity to talk high school football on the FNF Coaches podcast. It’s a fun, relaxed environment that allows me to reflect on my experience as a coach and share it with other coaches.”

– SLIDELL HIGH (LA.) COACH RYAN DIECK

WHAT: The FNF Coaches Podcast is a half-hour program (think: radio interview). The podcast gives coaches and industry experts an opportunity to speak to our audience of coaches from 16,000 high schools across the country.

WHEN: The podcast is produced twice a week.

HOW: FNF Coaches will handle all of the technical aspects of the podcast — recording, editing, producing. For coaches, it’s as easy as connecting on a Zoom call.

WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT?: Dan will interview the guest on the subject of his expertise. This could be X’s and O’s, technology, a product, coaching philosophy, etc.

WHERE DOES THE PODCAST APPEAR?:

It will be catalogued on www.fnfcoaches.com/category/fnfcoaches-talk-podcast/ HOW DO WE PROMOTE IT?: We promote the podcast on Twitter to our 9,000 followers.

HOW DO WE SHARE IT?: Spotify, iTunes, Simplecast & Twitter

COLLEGE COACHES’ CORNER

with Q&A North Carolina

coach mack Brown

W

ith Mack Brown, 68, closing in on the

final years of his Hall of Fame career at University of North Carolina, it’s sometimes easy to forget he is the same coach that led Texas to a national championship in 2006. In fact, during his 16-year tenure at Texas (1998-2013), he posted nine consecutive double-digit win seasons, two Big 12 titles and a national title.

Now the man who has amassed a record of 251-128-1 over 31 seasons as a head coach is looking to leave one final mark on a program he turned into a legitimate ACC powerhouse in his first stint from 1988 to 1997.

Brown recently joined FNF Coaches for an exclusive interview.

ff What inspired you to get into coaching?

“My father was a coach. My grandfather left Putnam County (Tenn.) as the winningest coach in Tennessee history.

The stadium is named after him. He was the Superintendent then. My father became a Principal. My grandmother was the Assistant to the Superintendent. I’ve been in schools for my entire life as well as the sports business. My mother was All-State in basketball and volleyball. My dad owned a local sporting goods store.

I had knee surgeries at the end of my playing career, so I went into coaching.”

ff Was it something you always wanted to do after playing?

“I actually wanted to be a lawyer. I didn’t like to read, so I realized I’m not going to be a lawyer unless I read. I went to Vanderbilt and they told me I had to read all of these pages and go to more years of school. Nope. I transferred to Florida State. I hurt my knee and started coaching. I turned a negative into a positive by starting to coach at a young age.”

ff You’ve had to establish a winning culture in a couple of spots throughout your career. How is that done?

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“Going through the difficult situation at UNC the first time ended up being the best thing that ever happened in my career. You have to have a plan and continue to tweak the plan and grow from other people who are successful.

Have confidence when things are bad and you’re not winning games. Find places to win small victories. Maybe you force more turnovers or finish with more rushing yards. I knew if enough things went right, the scoreboard would take care of itself. We told them, ‘Don’t look at the scoreboard, just give us everything you’ve got.’ When I was asked about the future, I said, ‘I know we’ll be good, I just don’t know when.’

A lot more people talked about the 2-20 start than the 10-2.”

ff Those Texas teams that you coached were so talented. You must have done a great job recruiting and then building team chemistry.

What advice would you give for coaches of talented players who are trying to build a team-first environment?

“Well, you have to remember that Ricky Williams won the Heisman my first year there after a 4-9 season.

We felt high school football was the lifeblood of a college program. We had to have players who were taught right and wanted to continue to grow. So, we had to do a great job of evaluating 20 million people in Texas. There were an average of 375 players who signed with Division 1 programs, and we could take 25 or fewer. We had to play the other 350, and they didn’t like that they couldn’t play for us. They expect you to win every week at Texas. If you’re not prepared for the pressure of 120,000 people watching and a media situation like the NFL, you shouldn’t be there.

“I think the biggest thing is finding people who fit at Texas. It’s the same thing here. Who do you like? If you don’t like them, they won’t like you. And then they’re not going to play very hard.”

ff I think everyone remembers that classic national championship game between Texas and USC. How did you feel in-game when it was going back and forth?

“When you’re in a game like that, you’re coaching like any other time. You don’t think about the crowd or the score

except for strategy purposes. Even when we scored with 19 seconds left, I was thinking about how we had to kick to Reggie Bush, and USC has a timeout and a real good field goal kicker. People said I showed little emotion, but I was working. You don’t appreciate it until you look back.”

ff What made you decide to come out of retirement and return to UNC? “We interviewed for jobs every year, and it wasn’t right for them or it wasn’t right for us. Nothing connected. When they told me I had been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, I asked why it took a year after the announcement.

They said you should go say thank you to all of the players that made it possible. I connected with former players and coaches, and my wife said she’d never seen me happier since I got out of coaching. She said, ‘If the perfect spot opens, we should go back and do this again.’”

BROWN RETURNS TO UNC BROWN, WHO WAS INDUCTED INTO THE NATIONAL

Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame in December of 2018, won more college football games than any coach in the country over a 24-year period from 1990-2013.

Still, he wasn’t sure he’d get another chance before he got back into coaching after a five-year retirement.

“When this job came open, I said I wouldn’t interview and be one of five candidates,” Brown said. “They said, ‘No, it’s you.’ I called my wife in Austin. She had said jokingly, ‘I’ll let you coach in Hawaii, the Bahamas or Chapel Hill.’ I said, ‘Honey – You said I could go back to Chapel Hill.’ She was silent for 30 seconds and said, ‘Yeah, let’s do this thing.’”

For Brown, the hardest part was getting started.

“I stayed involved with coaching through TV, and I was at spring practice. I’d visit campuses days before games every week.

If the game changed, I changed with it. Early Signing Day was the biggest change for me. I took the job on Nov. 26, and I had 19 days to hire a staff, learn my team, see who’s in academic trouble, get medical information, see who’s leaving early, see who’s in the Transfer Portal, figure out your position needs for recruiting. So, the most difficult thing for a new coach is early Signing Day. You have to multitask and move very quickly.”

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TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Now more than ever, it is paramount that coaches are using technology to their advantage as they try to reach players in unique and innovative ways.

High school football is constantly evolving. Whether you are “old school” or “new school”, tech-savvy or computer illiterate, the coach at a small-town school or one at a powerhouse school with a college-style campus, you need to invest resources into keeping up with products and companies that are helping to improve the game.

In the current age of high school sports, as we sift through a pandemic with social distancing restrictions, masks, video conferencing and at-home workouts, the coaches who adapt to the new landscape the quickest will be best prepared for the 2020 season.

We understand the challenge of the current

10

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situation, and that’s why we’ll be presenting you with various options. Technology is changing the profession of coaching. It’s altering the world we live in, and also the way the game we love is played and coached.

Technology is not just about spending money; it is about investing in the future and finding ways to better relate to players. We’ve all seen the way student-athletes learn these days – with devices and visual aids. Meet them where they are, and teach more efficiently.

Read on to learn about which products and companies are paving the way for the future of football.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

How to Create a Tech Culture Finding room in the budget for new technology is one challenge for coaches. Spending the money wisely is the next challenge. Perhaps the most important challenge to conquer is getting buy-in from players on the new technology. If they’re not using it, it can’t help your team.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

USE A TEACHER APP TO COACH OXNARD PACIFICA

Peoria High (Ill.) head coach Tim Thornton took over a struggling program in a low-income area in 2010 with a plan to update the program’s technology.

Since his hire, he has led the team to a record of 72-35 and one Class 5A championship in 2016.

During that time, he has established a tech culture in which players get schedules, motivational messages and workouts on apps. They also have team meetings on video conferencing software.

Thornton laid out some tips to establishing a tech culture.

1.

Apply for financial assistance through the district.

“Our district allows players to apply for technology — like streaming tablets — if they need it. Some of our coaches are on the delivery team, and we make sure our guys get what they need.”

2.

Make sure players are aware of all platforms for apps.

3.

Don’t allow players to use poor technology as an excuse to fall behind.

“The cool thing about the Zoom call is most can do it on their cell phones. At least 95 percent of our players have access to a cell — even if it’s not theirs.

“If we get the majority to check in on the weekly Zoom call, we’ll follow up with whoever was missing. Most times, a phone broke or something came up.”

4.

Use social media to communicate with and inspire players.

5.

Teach with video.

6.

Use an app that allows the entire team to watch video remotely.

“We’ve got a strength and conditioning coach that’s new with us. I ask him to tweet our workouts and put it on Facebook.”

“The strength coach will do a rep of everything so that the players can see it. So, it’s not like we ask them to do a Romanian deadlift, and then we get 15 calls asking what it is. We encourage kids to share videos of them working out. It adds a little accountability.”

“The plan is to get into more football curriculum.

We’re doing install stuff and getting our minds back into it. Just like coaches, it’s what they enjoy.”

7.

High (Calif.) coach Mike Moon organized his team on the Remind teacher app last season. He led Oxnard Pacifica to its first Southern Section championship in Division 6 and its first CIF state championship Division 2-A bowl victory.

“Year-round, we always use the Remind teacher app,” Moon said. “All of the coaches on staff are teachers. I get a hold of my team the same way I get a hold of my class. We have all of the individual numbers for personal conversations and texts.

“We do everything together. I’m of a different school of thought. For us, March and April are about strength and conditioning with less time on film and field work. I’m not saying we don’t do that too. There’s just more emphasis on the weight room, strength training and plyometrics.”

Find fun ways to interact with players using tech.

“I think our assistants are doing a great job of playing Madden with our guys and communicating while they’re playing. That’s keeping relationships alive and letting the kids know they have someone to lean on. From a mental health perspective, we have guys that need a little extra and might not have somebody at home to talk to about how they’re feeling. When we’re playing games and online chatting, we’re able to give them some of that.”

Find hundreds of articles to help your program at fnfcoaches.com

11

SPOTLIGHT

Mobile Virtual Player

1

4 WAYS THE SPRINT IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS MVP Robotics has been manufacturing tackling robots for football since 2016, but until last year, had never manufactured a robot with a price point for high school programs. With the MVP | Sprint, high school coaches now have an affordable alternative to live tackling drills on grass.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

The idea of using a robotic tackling dummy during practice is it allows coaches to re-enforce proper tackling technique without risking injury of players as they learn and make mistakes.

With concussion concerns increasing and sports participation at the youth and high school level declining, Mobile Virtual Player (MVP) — the company that introduced football’s first robotic tackling dummies to the NFL -- revisited the drawing board to redesign their robotic tackling dummies to lower the cost in order to increase accessibility and, overall, reduce the maximum number of injuries and player-on-player contacts that occur during football practices.

Here are four ways the SPRINT is the perfect fit for high school teams.

IT RE-ENFORCES TACKLING TECHNIQUE. The SPRINT is the budget-friendly remote-controlled, self-righting, mobile tackling dummy designed to replicate an in-game experience by simulating the size, speed and agility of an elite player. Weighing 165 lbs. and reaching speeds up to 16 mph, the SPRINT enables teams to reduce player-on-player contact during practices while also providing a great teaching tool for athletes that are learning and perfecting proper technique.

2

IT REDUCES INJURY RISK.

4

IT WORKS ON UNEVEN GRASS SURFACES.

Among youth football

athletes, 46 percent of concussions occurred during practice, according to the study published

by JAMA Pediatrics in 2015. The concerns over injury have also led to the unfortunate decline in participation, which has fallen nearly 30 percent in the last five years among kids ages 6-12 (Washington Post).

3

IT’S AFFORDABLE FOR HIGH SCHOOL BUDGETS. In order to combat the

alarming injury and participation rates, MVP’s team of engineers did a full redesign of their existing robotic tackling dummies with high school and youth budgets in mind. By redesigning and sourcing consumer electronic parts, the MVP team was able to successfully create a robotic dummy that was durable, less than $4,000.

The SPRINT has increased

performance on grass and the rougher field types that high school and youth programs often practice on.

“The purposes of creating the SPRINT was to bring the price down for high school coaches,” said MVP Director of Sales and Marketing Ryan McManus. “That was the feedback we got from high school coaches. It moves a lot of weight quickly, and we increased the clearance to work better on grass and rough fields. We know a lot of high school teams share fields during the season.”

THE MVP SPRINT MVP’s robotic tackling dummies were specifically engineered to replicate the performance and size of a skilled player, enabling teams to get game-like reps in a safer, more effective way.

“The applications we are quickly finding are endless,” said Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. “It never gets tired, and it runs at an appropriate football speed. In today’s NFL, with player safety the focus, I think it’s going to provide opportunities to improve without the hand to hand or man to man combat.”

The SPRINT is available for order through www.mvpdummy.com

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■■The MVP Drive Sprint is designed for high school athletes.

SPOTLIGHT

Dartmouth Coach Buddy Teevens on MVP Robotics:

‘We’ll never go back to the old way’

MVP began as a collaboration between Dartmouth head football coach Buddy Teevens and a group of engineers and athletes from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering.

The idea behind the robotic tackling dummy was to help reduce unnecessary contacts and the incidence of injuries suffered during football and other sporting practices.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

A

t Dartmouth, concussions were reduced by 58% in the

first two seasons of implementing the MVP Drives into practice. The team has continued to use the technology for the last seven years on its way to becoming the winningest team in the Ivy League during that stretch.

Since starting to use the MVP Drive technology, Dartmouth is both the best tackling team in the conference and the team that has lost the fewest games to injury.

Teevens recently joined FNF Coaches to talk about his experience with MVP.

ff How did the relationship with MVP Drive come about?

“It was about 10 years ago. Our injury rate was high, particularly with concussions and subconcussive hits. I was a quarterback when I played, and I never got tackled. I did OK. So, I decided to eliminate live tackling periods. I called a friend in Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering and said I wanted to create a tackling dummy that could move and simulate live game action.”

ff How did your coaching staff react to the idea of taking live tackling periods out of practice?

“I told them it would cut the injury risk in half by taking one human out of the equation. It was

not a popular decision with the coaching staff right off the bat. It was about coming up with a way we could work with something nonhuman to simulate the skills we worked on in practice. We actually became better teachers of tackling. We coached players the way they worked. Defensive linemen don’t tackle the same way as safeties. The concussions and orthopedic injuries dropped significantly.”

ff How did it impact the way your players tackled during games?

“We’re the best tackling team in the Ivy League. We miss about five tackles a game – down from 15 to 20 before. People say we don’t tackle in practice, but we actually tackle a lot – just not humans. With the robot, you don’t see stride length or arm action change, so you have to be very precise.”

ff How do the players like the robots?

“At first, they were like, ‘What are you kidding? I’m a Division 1 linebacker and I’m not tackling anybody?’ They weren’t hurt as much.

They felt better going into games at the college level than they ever did in high school. Last year, 21 of our 22 starters played in every game.”

WANT TO HEAR MORE FROM TEEVENS? DARTMOUTH COACH

Buddy Teevens joined FNF Coaches editor Dan Guttenplan on the FNF Coaches podcast in June. To listen to the entire discussion, visit fnfcoaches.com/ fnf-coaches-podcastdartmouth-footballcoach-buddy-tevens/ Follow @FNFCoaches to listen to other podcasts as soon as they’re posted to FNFCoaches.com

ff Have you ever gone back to live tackling periods after a game in which your team missed a lot of tackles?

■■Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens

“At Dartmouth, no player has ever tackled another player in their time here. We’ll never go back to the old way. You hear thud, we prefer bump. We’ll have freshmen in that first period blow up a tight end. Everyone will be yelling at him that we don’t do that. We protect our own.”

13

WEIGHT ROOM TECHNOLOGY

How to Instill Phone/Device Discipline Time with players in the weight room is always at a premium. It may be even harder to come by this summer and fall due to limitations on the number of players allowed in the weight room at once. Make sure athletes have device discipline to keep them on task.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

■■Brush High (Ohio) strength coach Ryan Dugan uses the TeamBuildr app.

PREPARE THE PLAYERS

Brush High (Ohio) strength coach Ryan Dugan started using the TeamBuildr app in 2016, so he’s been through all of the trials and tribulations that come with giving high school athletes devices and phones in the weight room. Gaffney High (S.C.) coach Tony Smith has been using a velocity-based training platform , which measures velocity-based training with cameras through an app, for the past year.

The two coaches offered these tips for coaches looking to instill phone discipline.

1.

Collect the phones at the beginning of the workout.

“The phone app is phenomenal,” Dugan said.

“When they come in, they put their phones in an egg crate. We work out in eight- to 10-minute blocks. Then I give them 2 1/2 minutes to get water and enter their numbers. If you coach and control it, you can avoid the typical high school issues. If I let them carry their phones around, SnapChat would be up.”

2.

Provide feedback after the workout.

“With Perch, we record the reps so what I can do is watch film on my computer cloud,” Smith said. “I don’t have to stop and say, ‘What’d you get?’ That saves time on the workout. They’re moving through it, but I can still have a conversation with the kids after the fact. If they’re lifting

14

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80 percent and not hitting the target velocity speed, we’ll have a conversation.”

3.

Prepare videos for the players to watch in advance.

4.

Stress the importance of focus for safety reasons.

5.

Use the percentage of max lift option.

“If an exercise isn’t in the database, I can film the exercise and upload it to YouTube,” Dugan said. “From TeamBuildr, you post the exercise. That’s been the nice part; I’ve done that over the break.”

“We have to set the tone,” Smith said. “Tell them why you don’t want them on their phones.

It’s for their safety. They get to see the results after if they do what we’re asking for the day. Educate them and take a bit of time to explain why. It creates a great environment in the room.”

“If a kid’s max squat is 350, it will tell him 80 percent in the app beforehand. I don’t need to post charts. That was the first thing that drew me to it. I know people are old-school, but kids are better with tech. They can quickly pull up their phone before the workout so they know how much weight to put on for a superset. There aren’t pens and pencils everywhere.

It just gives more versatility.”

One way Coach Dugan avoids weight room confusion is by setting expectations for each and every workout by communicating through the TeamBuildr app.

Rather than blow up your players’ phones with constant texts and emails, post your updates on the strength training app’s dashboard.

“The communication aspect of it is nice. It has a team feed like a Facebook homepage.

I post challenges to kids. They can post the videos wearing their gear. We had a lip synch battle. You can private message and that keeps from having a text go to everyone. It’s kind of like HUDL that way.”

Smith has taken to video conferencing for pre-workout communication.

“We Zoom with a couple of kids,” Smith said. “We text, email.

We might send them a challenge to see who can send the first video doing a push-up contest. Kids are always good about sending videos.”

PRACTICE TECH

Maintain Proper Distancing with Coach-to-Player Communication THREE COMPANIES THAT SPECIALIZE IN THE TECH One piece of practice technology that may become more popular at the high school level in the wake of the pandemic is coach-to-player helmet communication. These three companies specialize in products that help foster distancing while coaching and maximize limited practice time.

IN-PRACTICE HUDDLES AND FACE-TO-FACE COACHING MOMENTS

may not be possible this summer and fall, as social distancing restrictions remain in place in many states. Here are some options for coach-to-player systems that allow coaches to communication with players from a distance while also remaining efficient with practice time.

GSC Coach-to-Player™ With GSC Coach-to-Player™, a coach can make sure his voice is ingrained in his players’ heads as they execute in practices. GSC Coach-to-Player™ (C2P) makes that possible by providing coaches with an ability to speak to players through 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 players – of his choice – helmets. The technology provides additional coaching opportunities while also helping to 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. Wahoo High (Neb.) coach Chad Fox chose to have both his starting and backup quarterbacks use C2P so that both players could hear his instructions before/after practice reps.

“I wanted our backup to stay engaged while taking mental reps throughout practice,” Fox said. “I would even see him walking through his steps while the play was going, just like he was getting the actual rep.”

Web: gsc.us.com/

ProCom X12M Football Helmet Receiver Since 1974, ProCom has been dedicated to providing the highest quality communication products on the market. The ProCom X12 Football Coaches Headset supports communication with enhanced noise cancellation technology.

The helmet receiver is a miniature receiver than can be mounted inside a helmet to provide communication from the coach to a player.

ProCom Founder Frank Girardi recently sold an eight-coach,

The Porta Phone CLIP “The CLIP,” from Porta Phone, is a new teaching tool that provides wireless coach-to-player communication.

At the heart of all CLIP systems is the CLIP itself, a miniature speaker that can be worn either on the athlete’s jersey or placed elsewhere. It can be used in multiple sports for communication. For example, outside of football, it could be clipped to the goal netting in soccer, hockey or lacrosse.

Coaches can talk hands-free through their headset and they have the ability to mute their voice automatically. Setting the CLIP volume allows coaches to talk to single player or a larger group, such as all players within a football huddle.

The CLIP receiver is unique because it is worn outside of the helmet.

“Football coaches from Division I FBS through high school are using Porta Phone wireless mid-week to drill game-day staff communication,” says John Hooper, President of Porta Phone. “The Porta Phone CLIP takes this growing trend to the next level by providing coaches wireless voice communication to players on the practice field, making it an invaluable teaching tool.”

Web: portaphone.com/the-clip/

nine mini-helmet receiver system to a team in Florida.

“They want the coaches and the players to avoid the close contact,” Girardi said. “They’re using our system to do it.

“We were the first to offer coach-to-player communication.

The coaches who use our system agree that it’s just a matter of time before all teams can use it in games. Texas was supposed to roll it out before all of this happened.”

The Texas High School Coaches Association football advisory committee discussed trying a coach-to-quarterback communication system for the 2020 season. The technology would be placed in the quarterback’s helmet. However, that measure has been tabled due to the pandemic.

Web: procomheadsets.com/

15

VIDEO TECHNOLOGY

2 Alternatives to HUDL for Video QWIKCUT, SPORT SCOPE GIVES COACHES OTHER OPTIONS Some coaches express frustration that there are very few alternatives to using HUDL for recording and sharing game film. However, companies do exist that offer less expensive options with other benefits as well.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

QwikCut Video and Analytics

Sport Scope EDGE Replay

QWIKCUT OFFERS AN AFFORDABLE VIDEO ANALYSIS

SPORT SCOPE EDGE INSTANT REPLAY ALLOWS OFFENSIVE,

platform to elevate game performance. Store, share and analyze game film from your desktop or mobile phone with the app. Here are six advantages to using Qwikcut.

1

Unlimited storage

Just like you hate when your iPhone asks you to pay more for additional iCloud space, you won’t like it when HUDL forces you to pay more to store your own videos.

2

Less expensive

3

Interactive for fans

HUDL’s unlimited storage plan checks in at around $3,300. QwikCut’s unlimited storage plan is $600.

QwikCut’s team pages include fan pages. A school can sell access to parents, grandparents and other relatives to view videos of practices and games.

16

4

Player grading

5

Photo library

Position coaches can go on the platform and grade players. The players receive the feedback through their individual profiles.

The photo library is a big draw for athletes, who love looking at their own action shots. Uploading photos gives athletes access to all media from games.

6

Social media platform

QwikCut takes the functionality of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and provides a platform for specifically for athletes. College coaches can search profiles for height, weight, position, GPA and video highlights.

Web: www.qwikcut.com

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

defensive, and special teams coaches to filter the play tags that matter most to them. In doing so, the app is tailored to their position and instruction style. Sport Scope co-founder Derek Taylor shared five advantages of using the EDGE Replay system.

1

Reliability of network

2

Price

3

Smart camera control

The EDGE Replay system offers superior reliability with better antennas and a three-point network. The customers are getting more for what they pay for.

The EDGE Replay system starts at $499 annually. Even a two-angle HUDL replay system costs about $1,500 annually.

The EDGE Replay system allows coaches to synch the system with end zone cameras, which the coaches can control from the press box. It cuts down on the film staff and saves the team money.

4

Hardware technology

5

Live streaming capabilities

Sport Scope builds its own hardware made specifically for replay systems. Other products rely on a streaming box to do something it is not intended to do.

The EDGE Replay system has more features.

One example: It gives coaches the ability to live stream from replay equipment with no extra staff needed. The live stream can be set up behind a pay wall so fans are charged ticket prices. The livestream feed can also accept donations to the program Web: www.sportscope.com

Editor’s note: QwikCut and Gamestrat are not affiliated with each other.

WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

10 Ways

Catapult Playertek Can Help Teams Perform Better

Coaches no longer have to look for athletes breathing heavy or tapping their helmets to realize they need breaks. Now, GPS tracking technology provides coaches with precise metrics that serve as predictors of unproductive play or injury.

C

atapult has recently released the

Playertek, which was designed with high school coaches in mind. The software is less technical and more intuitive than the products marketed to pro and college coaches, and the price point falls in line with high school budgets.

D.J. Callender, Catapult Director of Sales, and Robert Pomazak, St. Charles North (Ill.) head coach, each weigh in with five ways the Playertek technology can make a team better.

Catapult Director of Sales D.J. Callender

1

Fewer soft tissue injuries.

“One of the buckets we preach and coaches find is the value of soft tissue mitigation. The technology allows coaches to keep athletes fresh so they’re not at risk of suffering soft-tissue injuries.”

2

Prescribe workloads.

“If you can understand what peak performance and output looks like, you can dial in what you want for a 50 percent day or a 75 percent day. It’s taking a preventative approach.”

3

Program the week.

“Go into every Friday night fresh and ready to perform at your best. If that’s the goal, what should you do on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday?

That’s a growing piece of the puzzle.”

4

Gain access to a content hub.

“The Catapult community is consolidated into a hub online for all users. We have blogs with comments, so you can ask for feedback. It’s a user-generated content hub.”

5

Get in-house consulting.

“We have a team of sports scientists, and we can package in a consulting piece to it. A lot of teams use our in-house staff and trainers.”

St. Charles North (Ill.) coach Robert Pomazak

The Catapult Playertek PLAYERTEK

leverages Catapult’s heritage to deliver high-quality athlete monitoring technology to teams of all levels and budgets. PlayerTek provides insights into performance with a range of powerful features, including live snapshots, heart rate, and Catapult Vision integration.

WEB:

https://www. catapultsports.com/ products/playertek TWITTER:

@PlayerTek

Pomazak has created a system using Catapult technology to help track and evaluate the performance of his defense throughout the season.

1

Players are fresher.

“I decided to invest in this technology because the return on investment is huge.

We’re able to keep our players fresher for longer.”

2

Customize practices for individuals.

“It’s not just cookie-cutter. I’m able to look at an individual player’s load and prescribe the lowest dose practice for that player. The ideology of running players into the ground has changed.”

3

Get key metrics.

“The metrics I use the most are sprint distance, total caloric expenditure and impact. The biggest adjustment we’ve made is to

impact. We have eliminated impact from the practice to the point that we don’t monitor the metric.”

4

Eliminate high-risk periods for fatigue.

5

Don’t rely on players to rest when they’re tired.

“I monitor our wide receivers’ sprint distance. If a player runs a deep route, we immediately put in a new player. Within a week, we saw 250 yards of sprint distance cut down.”

“Often times, players won’t tell us the truth. When you show them the data behind it, you might get a more honest response. ‘I’m tired.’ Or, ‘I feel fresh.’”

17

PANDEMIC IMPACT – EQUIPMENT

Two Products to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 SCHUTT SPORTS SPECIALIZES IN PROTECTIVE GEAR DURING PANDEMIC

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

Safety will take on a new meaning on football fields this summer and fall, as preventing the spread of the virus will be of the utmost importance. One helmet manufacturer is taking the lead on producing safety gear especially geared for the pandemic.

F

ootball is back after a pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, but

with the virus still a serious threat, teams are altering the way they practice and play to help keep everyone safe.

Schutt Sports has taken the lead on this with two new products.

SCHUTT SPORTS PYTHON FACE MASK The Python Face Mask is a five-layer facemask featuring a replace-

able filtration system that can be purchased with a variety of filter level options, with up to 95% filtration.

This provides a unique balance between enhanced SCHUTT SPORTS SPLASH SHIELD breathability and filtration, specifically designed for The Splash Shield is designed to offer protection for players from athletic or workout use. harmful droplets caused by talking, sneezing and coughing Also available for purchase in July, the Python Face in close proximity. The Splash Shield will attach directly to Mask’s unique design combines a five-layer enhanced the faceguard. Not only will the new Splash Shield filtration and inhalation/exhalation system with a fit all configurations of football helmets, but silicone stabilization system on the inner layer. these guards are lightweight, easy to attach The silicone provides a tight seal over the and clean, and inexpensive enough to be face without the abrasion one gets from disposable. a traditional mask. This enhances the Schutt will offer the Splash Shield security of the mask during activities. for purchase by July, both through The combination of the over-thetheir dealer network ear construction combined with an and online. adjustable Velcro backstrap design “This new product will help players allows for a customized, secure fit and return to football,” said Kip Meyer, all-day comfort. The patented multigeneral manager for Schutt Sports. layer construction wicks moisture “We are excited to introduce a product from the mouth and evaporates to the ■■The Splash Shield is designed to that benefits the players, the industry and outer layer, while the adjustable nose prevent the spread of droplets. ultimately, the fans.” bridge provides a custom fit and seal around The Splash Shield is made of a clear optical material the nose. The filter of the mask is replaceable, and and has slotted tabs for ease in connecting the product to the mask is reusable. The mask can be washed and dried, any faceguard on any helmet. While the Splash Shield will and the material has an inherent memory retention due offer some protection, it can only limit exposure to airborne to its wrap knit fabrication versus the polyester or woven droplets that the athlete encounters during play. materials of the competition.

18

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CEO SPOTLIGHT

Q&A

with ProCom Founder Frank Girardi

A quality wireless headset system is like a quality offensive line. When it’s at its best, a coach doesn’t have to spend any time worrying about it. Since 1974, ProCom has been dedicated to providing the highest quality communication products on the market.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

F

rank Girardi doesn’t have the background

you’d expect for a Founder and CEO of a headset communication company. He started his career as a physical education teacher before making the switch to his lifelong pursuit – building quality headsets for coaches.

Girardi recently joined FNF Coaches for a Q&A.

ff How did you go from a physical education teacher to the founder of ProCom?

is enough to switch back and forth. On the contrary, with a smaller staff, more coaches need to switch back and forth.’”

ff What are some other things coaches should be looking for in a headset?

ff How did you stay in the industry after the sale?

“Our display is on the top of the headset so you can look down on the field and see it. Our microphone and belt packs have military specs. We offer the most output power. A well-designed belt pack should not require an external antenna. When you add that on, it pokes into the side when a coach bends over and also open up more interference to signals. It’s called spurious communication.”

“In 1982, I developed the first All-In-One headset with no belt-pack. I first sold it to my brother, who was a coach.”

ff Do you have any new technology that will help teams after the stoppage in play?

ff How has the technology evolved over the years?

“We sold a coach-to-player system to a school in Florida because they want the coaches to avoid close contact while they coach. They’re using our system to do that. I believe it’s just a matter of time before all states allow it during games.”

“I always had a knack for designing communication equipment. I came up with a wireless headset system patent in 1977. When I was 21 or 22, I was approached to buy the patent. I sold it because of some things going on in my personal life.”

“Frequencies have changed. The type of modulation has gone from analog to digital. Things have gotten smaller because the components have gotten smaller in size. There’s all different types of ways to construct the product. Unfortunately, some coaches are using headset systems that never should be meant for football.”

ff What makes ProCom headset system different than the competition?

“I designed a product for the mind of a football coach using it. I think that’s important and what sets us apart. We’re not the cheapest headset company. We want to be the best for little dollars difference. It’s satisfying the needs of a football coach. It’s a system that is waterproof. You need a system that has the capability of expanding. A lot of systems have coaches switching back from offense to defense. That’s not practical.

“A lot of coaches think, ‘I have a smaller staff. One headset

Podcast Alert

ProCom CEO Frank Girardi also joined FNF Coaches editor Dan Guttenplan for a podcast.

Visit FNFCoaches.com/podcast to search for his interview.

ONLINE: PROCOMHEADSETS.COM EMAIL: SALES@PROCOMHEADSETS.COM PHONE: 724-337-1400 TWITTER/FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM: @PROCOMHEADSETS

20

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SAFETY TECHNOLOGY

Riddell Can Customize, Personalize Helmet Selection with Smart Helmet Technology Riddell has long been recognized for producing football products with the intention of making player safety the highest priority. With a line of new equipment and technologies that includes Insite, Riddell has helped make the sport of football safer for athletes at all levels.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

F

or over 20 years, the innovators at Riddell

have utilized data collected through a sophisticated head impact monitoring system, Riddell’s Sideline Response System, to identify ways in which the helmet-maker can make the game safer for football players. Since its introduction over 10 years ago, Riddell SRS has been used by major research institutions that are collecting data to help better protect players and inform important rule changes. The technology has been validated many times and serves as the basis for the well-publicized Virginia Tech Star Ratings of football helmets.

In addition to leveraging the data to improve helmet performance, Riddell set out to produce an impact alert system that is accessible and affordable for high school and youth football teams.

Riddell Insite achieves that goal by providing teams with a helmet-based impact monitoring technology designed

■■Riddell is developing a mobile app that will scan the surface of a player’s head so that the company can customize individual helmets.

to alert coaches and trainers when significant impacts are sustained during football practices and games. InSite helps sideline staff detect atypical head impact exposures for football players based on their level of play and position using sensors in the helmet that send alerts to a handheld monitor. Team staff can also use InSite software to track player alert history and learn more about the impact exposure.

Thad Ide, Riddell’s Senior Vice President of Research and Product Development, recently joined FNF Coaches to discuss Riddell Insite Training Tool.

ff I know that Riddell Insite has collected data from over 7 million impacts through the Insite Impact Response system. What have you determined?

“It has informed us on how to design protective equipment and will very likely lead to helmets that are position specific and skill level specific.”

ff How else are helmets personalized for the individual player?

“Riddell is in its third-year of using the tech, Precision-Fit. We scan the surface of a player’s head and create a customized liner that fits the surface. Think of them like finger prints. No two are alike. We use that to create 100-percent custom fitted helmets. It’s an elite technology that more than half of the NFL is using. It will find its way to the high school ranks.”

ff Do you send out a rep to scan the heads?

“We’re developing a mobile app that will scan the surface of a player’s head and relay the information to Riddell. We’ll then create a suggested fit helmet. Currently, Riddell has to have a rep on site, but it won’t be long before a coach can line up 40 players and scan the surfaces of their heads, upload to Riddell, and we’ll suggest the best fit for them.”

ONLINE: WWW.RIDDELL.COM/INSITE/ PHONE: 1-800-275-5338

22

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RIDDELL INSITE IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE FOOTBALL’S

stakeholders a quantitative impact and workload analysis to help improve player performance.

5 Tips on Reconditioning Helmets One of the most important things on a coach’s checklist coming out of the work stoppage in the spring should be helmet reconditioning. The sanitizing aspect of the reconditioning process will certainly be paramount, as is the process of testing the helmets for safety and defective parts.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Many manufacturers and recertifiers of football helmets closed their facilities during the pandemic for a numbers of weeks, slowing down the timeline for when schools can expect their equipment to be returned. With the uncertainty surrounding the start of the fall season, we offer five tips to reconditioning in case a school does not have time to go through a professional reconditioning process.

1

THE RECONDITIONING PROCESS DURING A PANDEMIC IT’S BEEN A STRANGE

Get rid of helmets after 10 years.

Most helmet suppliers expect a 10-year life on each of its helmets, but not a day more. No helmet over the age of 10 is suitable for action, according to the National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association. To comply with this edict, most helmet suppliers remove any helmet over 10 years old from the reconditioning process.

2

RRecondition every year – or at the minimum, every two years.

3

Inspect helmets for damaged parts.

Many reconditioning specialists tests each helmet for safety, before disinfecting and sanitizing. If nothing else, it gives coaches and parents peace of mind that the helmets have been checked and certified for a return to play.

Coaches don’t always think of jaw pads or chin straps when they think of helmet safety. But a misfit pad or malfunctioning chin strap can make all the difference between being a helmet that meets safety standards and one that puts the athlete at further risk of injury. Order a new set of jaw pads and chin straps each season so you have them when you need them.

■■Recondition helmets – at a minimum – every two years.

4

Disinfectant and sanitize the inside of the helmets.

5

Follow the rules.

While there is still much we don’t know about the coronavirus, one thing we seem to know is that the virus doesn’t spread on surfaces. So, no helmet that has been sitting in a closet for the last four months is going to be able to transmit the virus. Still, there are plenty of bacterial infections that can stem from dirty equipment, so a proper disinfecting process is essential.

If you haven’t sent out your helmets yet, make sure you’re not putting others in jeopardy by trying to expedite the process. Follow all CDC and local health guidelines. If you’re looking to disinfectant equipment, use a hospital grade disinfectant like a KilZone product.

Follow all local guidelines for social distancing while cleaning.

year for coaches in many ways, particularly those waiting on equipment to be sent back after reconditioning efforts.

“Ours was grabbed, maybe in March, so I don’t know yet if that’s going to affect our fleet of helmets coming back yet for the season,” Jerald Pierucci, a high school football coach in Shafter, California, said.

Pierucci has been a high school football coach for over 20 years.

“Right now, we’re kind of in limbo as high school coaches, and I know youth is even worse,” he said. “We’re really worried that he won’t have any equipment to hand out to his kids even if we have a season.”

23

EQUIPMENT TRENDS

Phenom Elite Gloves Steal the Attention on the Field Football gloves are often overlooked by coaches when purchasing or replenishing equipment for players. With so much attention paid to the marketability of the jerseys and other apparel, it only makes sense to equip players with a flashy set of gloves.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Phenom Elite Brand Founder Nathan Dorton is a former walk-on wide receiver at Appalachian State.

He admits he was never the most athletic player on the field. So, he looked for ways to gain an advantage on the competition.

One way he did that was to deck himself out in the most technologically advanced football gloves on the market. Since his playing days, Dorton has started a company that produces those very gloves.

Dorton recently connected with FNF Coaches for a Q&A.

ff What separates Phenom Elite Brand gloves from the competition?

“Our gloves and grip is outstanding. We always figure out ways to make this better.

Our gloves push the legal limit. They have been certified by the national associations, and they’re as close to legal as it gets.”

ff How do you come up with these designs?

“We just try to think of as much creative stuff that will appeal to high school and youth athletes.”

ff How are you surviving the pandemic?

“We’ve been OK. Our online sales operation is the majority of our business. That dropped considerably when everything closed. Parents

24

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weren’t buying gloves for a season that might not happen. It’s been growing, and we don’t have a lot of overhead. It could have been a lot worse.”

The Phenom Elite Way PHENOM ELITE IS A

company that manufactures highly customizable uniforms, apparel, and gear, while maintaining an excellent quality standard. Phenom Elite has been found to be much more flexible in terms of customization and pricing in comparison to its larger competitor counterpart brands. Phenom has built a large part of its brand based on its creativity and customization options for all products.

ff What can we expect from Phenom Elite Brand in the coming months?

“One thing we haven’t done that we’re about to do is solid colors. We’ll have a wide range.

We have a lot of crazy designs. We want to make sure coaches and players have plenty of different options for groups. We should have options for about 12 colors.”

ff Do you sell mostly to individuals?

“It’s mostly to individuals. We have had coaches buy in bulk for position groups. I know all defensive backs on specific teams wore clown face and Joker gloves. We’re hoping to tap into the bulk orders with solid colors.”

ff What other apparel do you offer?

“We’ve developed a team uniform apparel line. We were the official provider of the Arena Football League last year. We have apparel, gloves, everything.”

ONLINE: PHENOMELITEBRAND.COM TWITTER: @PHENOMELITE

TICKETING SOLUTIONS

Switch to DIGITAL TICKETING with One of These Platforms Hand-to-hand ticket exchanges may be deemed unsafe this fall if social distancing restrictions remain in place. Eliminate the risk of forcing fans to stand in long lines to purchase tickets at the stadium by setting up digital ticketing.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

5 TOOLS

FOR KEEPING STUDENTS & FANS SAFE VARSITY TIX,

HUDDLE/GOFAN

HOMETOWN TICKETING

Printing over 150 million tickets to over 10,000 high

HomeTown ticketing provides a comprehensive

schools across the United States, Huddle offers a clean, easy-to-use consumer experience while also creating a comprehensive back-end that can be trusted by schools to handle a high volume of ticket transactions. High school ticket buyers showed a strong interest in adopting GoFan, with some schools showing as high as a 50% adoption rate with only limited advertising of the new platform.

For athletic departments, the ability to provide event reconciliation reporting quickly moved from being a ‘nice to have’ to a must.

In a later version of the consumer experience, Huddle designed and built a new feature that enabled fans to reserve specific seats or groups of seats at a given venue when making a ticket purchase. This functionality also allowed schools to create virtual versions of their event venues and configure individual seating sections for each.

Web: www.huddletickets.com/gofan

ticketing solution at absolutely zero cost. The company does not charge any setup fees to get started. The software adds minimal service fees to every order in the form of a processing fee. No expensive scanners or equipment are required.

HT’s designers and developers customize the entire ticketing system to shadow a school’s brand. Users embed the software directly into your school website. This provides a simple and easy way for your community to purchase tickets online. Intuitive cloud-based box office empowers you to easily create and publish events on your website within minutes.

Receive funds from ticket sales as soon as tickets are sold online. Daily transfers automatically distribute electronic funds to the appropriate account. HomeTown Ticketing has automated the entire billing process with a ticketing system. You never make a payment.

Web: www.hometownticketing.com

VARSITY TIX Varsity Tix technology can be used district wide or at a single school. It’s easy to use and implementation can be completed in a few days. Deploy the platform across athletics, performing arts, dances, graduation and more.

Track your target goals and upsell non-ticketed inventory (sweatshirts, hats, etc.) during the ticket transaction. Advertising space is available on your site and tickets. Collect donations from fans and boosters during the ticket transaction.

Use this software district-wide to alleviate costs and ensure all schools are operating on the same platform. Updates are provided for each

school in real time. Each school receives the same level of support.

Ensure against counterfeit tickets with unique bar codes on all tickets. Instant ticket validation and a detailed reporting tool provides valuable marketing data. All accounting is reconciled in real time allowing for instant access to funds. No credit card fees are incurred by your school or district.

Web: www.varsitytix.com

powered by TicketReturn, possesses nearly two decades of box office and online ticketing industry experience.

Its veteran team can empower your school to manage ticket sales, control venue access, offer a streamlined customer experience and enjoy real-time reporting at your fingertips.

Varsity Tix provided FNF Coaches with five tips for keeping students and fans safe with touchless ticketing.

1 2 3 4 5

Cashless Transactions that Provide Your School Instant Access to Funds Touch Validation Reduces the Need for Proprietary Hardware and Physical Tickets Branded Season Ticket Cards for Your Loyal Fans Detailed Reporting on Who Attends Your Events Social Distanced Seating Algorithm for Your Stadium ■■ Dynamic Online

Seating That Generates Real Time Seat Options ■■ Adjustable on a Section by Section Basis ■■ Enter the Distance You Desire Between Fans and the Rest is Automated

25

Sideline Power: Setting the Standard in Coaching Technology The last thing a coach wants to think about during a game is technology – whether it comes in the form of headsets, end zone cameras, sideline replays, timing systems, drones or portable sound systems. Sideline Power owns that responsibility so coaches can focus on the action.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

L

aunched in 2011, Sideline Power specializes in outfit-

ting teams with headsets, end zone and sideline cameras, timing systems, drones and portable sound systems to improve the game experience for coaches, players and fans alike.

“We take care of our clients’ needs,” said Matt Starr, CEO of Sideline Power. “We support our clients by providing the best products for the best price with the best support.”

Sideline Power started in 2011 as a leader in headset communication technology for coaching staffs. Over the last decade, the company has developed packages as basic as the X Series All-in-one, which is priced as low as $400 per headset for a two-, three- or four-coach setup, and as elaborate as the Vokkero Guardian C2C, which is priced at $21,584 for a package with a 16-coach setup.

Over time, the innovators at Sideline Power have embraced the latest advances in technology in sideline and end zone replay, as well as Lazser Down first-down markers, timing systems, coach tablets, drones and portable sound systems. Sideline Power supplies coaches with several drone options – made by DJI, and many coaches use the aerial photography to get practice footage.

ONLINE: SIDELINEPOWER.COM PHONE: 1-800-496-4290

26

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

“

“The response to service requests has always been amazing. Sideline Power clearly understands the urgency in responding quickly, especially in-season.

The price we got on the ‘trade-in’ deal this offseason, for the set of four new headsets, was really good!

Much less expensive than we expected.”

– TOBY WADE, COACH AT SAN MARCOS ACADEMY (TEXAS) Sideline Power also specializes in portable sound systems that allow coaches to simulate crowd noise. The speakers can serve as public address systems and provide in-game entertainment in the form of music or hype speeches. The Bigfoot Sound System uses Bluetooth wireless technology, so it is portable with a weight of less than 50 pounds.

“We started a Good, Better, Best Program, so we don’t just target highbudget programs,” Starr said. “We’ll work with you whether it fits your budget or not. We have something for you.”

SIDELINE POWER IS THE NO. 1 CHOICE IN COACHING COMMUNCATION

providing a wide variety of coaching headsets, end zone cameras, drones, timer, portable sound systems and other technology needs for all athletic programs.

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Q&A

I understand the football world. I always see the needs and try to get them the latest and greatest products.”

ff How has your team been communicating with clients during the pandemic?

“We always have guys on the road visiting coaches and clinics. Now, we have time. We created a #PoweredUp coaching community page on Facebook that already has 1,000 coaches.

We’re sharing ideas. We offer a free live clinic on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. We also have one of our reps – a former WWF wrestler and professional football player – do a Q&A on Thursday at 2 p.m. We have been very creative in finding ways of marketing our products. We’re not trying to push it down our clients’ throats. We’re seeing what we can do to help coaches get through this.”

with Sideline Power CEO Matt Starr

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Matt Starr is the Founder and CEO of Sideline Power.

Sideline Power works to find and bring cutting edge technology to the football industry in order to help coaches win. ff How has your business been affected by the pandemic?

“We saw a little dip in March when everything hit. April was a record month of April for us. It was pretty good for us. We’ve been busy and off to a great start for May.”

ff Are you getting most of your business from high school or college coaches?

“A little bit of both. I heard from a lot of high school coaches who said the buses weren’t running so they had a little extra money to spend. It’s either spend it now or lose it. They took advantage of that, so we hit up a lot of schools and got a lot of orders.”

ff Is your background in coaching or technology? How did you become the founder of Sideline Power?

“It’s been a wide variety of things.

I started Sideline Power in 2011. My previous background was with the U.S. Olympics years ago. Then I got into semi-pro indoor football. I went to a company, Game Plan, in 2004 and 2005.

It was a short stint, and then I was one of the ones that got DSV rolling. DSV sold to HUDL in 2011, so I had a lot of coaching contacts at the time. I was doing editing software, and then I focused on coaching headsets. Our main focus was headsets in 2011, and it grew from there. I added on several products, and we now offer a wide variety of coaching communication needs.”

ff How do you think the industry will change as a result of all this?

“We’re doing more demos on Zoom instead of face-to-face meetings.

We’re hopping on Zoom and going over products from A to Z. We still specialize in end zone cameras, drones and headsets. We offer one of the best reconditioning programs out there with a thorough cleaning. Not much of what we sell will change, but how we sell will change with more Zoom meetings.”

ff How do you stay ahead of the trends?

Podcast Alert

Starr joined FNF Coaches Managing Editor Dan Guttenplan on the FNF Coaches podcast in May. Visit FNFCoaches.com/ podcast to listen to his interview.

“I’m kind of a tech nerd myself. I always look for the latest and greatest thing. I’m a coach myself. I coach high school basketball so I see the needs.

The Sideline Power Lineup

JACKIE STARR

MARC SHEIL

OFFICE MANAGER

VP OF SALES & MARKETING

BILL DANENHAUER ANDREW BENNER NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER

SALES ASSISTANT

MITCH MCCOY

BRETT DAVIS

SUPPORT & SERVICE MANAGER

CLINIC DIRECTOR

LARRY THEXTON CHRIS HANCOCK TEXAS REP

DRONE SPECIALIST/ CONTENT WRITER

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COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Sideline Power’s Most Popular Products Sideline Power is the No. 1 Choice in Coaching Communication providing a wide variety of coaching headsets, end zone cameras, drones and other technology needs for all athletic programs. Here are some of the most popular products for coaches in 2020.

The CoachPad MSRP: $850 The CoachPad™ is an efficient way to prepare

EVS25 Complete Setup with Sony Camera MSRP: $5,595 The EVS25 has been the top selling endzone tower for over a decade because of its versatility and ease of operation. The EVS25 has stood the test of time because of standard options such as the winch system, the patented pan/tilt, and other features that set EVS apart from all others. https://sidelinepower.com/product/evs25complete-setup-with-sony-camera/

For more great products visit sidelinepower.com

28

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

scout cards for practice, whether that is loading a PDF from a drawing software you currently use (Hudl Practice Scripts, JustPlay, Visio, PowerPoint, etc) or by drawing them all by hand. No more stuffing a binder full of clear vinyl sheets! Ever have a card drawn wrong or wanted to modify the play? The CoachPad™ allows you to erase and redraw easier than ever outdoors on either a PDF or hand drawn card. https://sidelinepower.com/product/thecoachpad/

Legacy End Zone Camera Monopod MSRP: $1,650 Take your practice film to the next level with the 15ft Legacy MonoPod. Made out of lightweight carbon fiber, the MonoPod allows your filmer to be mobile and move around the field to capture the action up close and personal. Easy to set up and use, the MonoPod will give you a simple and direct view to see what the players are seeing. https://sidelinepower.com/ product/legacy-monopod-15/

X Series All-In-One Headsets MSRP: $400 PER HEADSET The X Series All-In-One Headset is an affordable option for easy-to-use, clear communication during the game and at practice. https://sidelinepower.com/product/xseries-all-in-one-headset-4-coachpackage/

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

The #PoweredUp Clinics

I

n 2021, Sideline Power will host four

#PoweredUp clinics in 2020 – two in Nebraska, one in Nevada, and one in Arkansas. The #PoweredUp clinic offers coaches freebies, technology information, coaching advice, and opportunities to expand their networks. Sideline Power specializes in outfitting teams with headsets, end zone and sideline cameras, drones and portable sound systems.

Per the terms of a recent partnership agreement, Sideline Power will host the Clinic of Champions in Reno, Nev. – the longest-running coaches clinic for high school

football coaches.

“It has helped with our relationships,” Starr said. “We were going to several clinic a year, and this is a way to give back and get our products in front of coaches.”

“We’ve taken feedback from coaches on what makes up a great clinic,” said #PoweredUp Coaches Clinic director Brett Davis. “We focus ourselves on customer service, and we really try to make this a great experience for coaches. It’s an opportunity to do some networking through small group sessions. We’re custom-fitting our clinic to meet coaches’ needs.”

ONLINE: POWEREDUPCLINICS.COM & CLINICOFCHAMPIONS.COM

THE LIST OF SPEAKERS FROM THE 2020 #POWEREDUP COACHES CLINICS INCLUDED: SPEAKER SCHOOL John Stiegelmeier South Dakota State University Ryan Gottula Lincoln Southeast High (Neb.) Michael Huffman Bellevue West High (Neb.) Kody Morgan North Dakota State (N.D.) Guy Rosenberg Elkhorn South High (Neb.) Steve Martin Wichita Northwest High (Kan.) Shannon Moore University of Wyoming Chad Fox Wahoo High (Neb.) Reed Manstedt Waverly High (Neb.) Seth McClain Freemont High (Neb.) Conor Riley Kansas State University Andrew Shanle Cypress Ridge High (Tex.) Aaron Danenhauer Bentonville High (Ark.) Casey Dick Fayetville High (Ark.) Nathan Foster Tulsa Union High (Okla.)

Jacob Gill Shiloh Christian High (Ark.) Sean Riley Southwest Assemblies of God University (Tex.) Loren Montgomery Bixby High (Okla.)

Jeff Conaway Shiloh Christian High (Ark.) Justin Kramer Missouri State University Adam Gaylor Jenks High (Okla.)

Missouri State Coaching Staff

29

Apps for Coaches

30

Using apps has become an essential part of being a coach, as we try to find new ways to connect with players on a variety of platforms. Here is a collection of apps that have served coaches in the changing landscape of high school football.

COACH.ME

GOOGLE MEET

GOTOMEETING

GROUPME

Create your playbooks with ease. Everything needed to bring your play to life is just a click away. With stateof-the-art animation tools and customizable player options, CoachMe® PlayBook provides you the canvas for your masterpiece. The CoachMe® Network (mobile to web collaboration) enables you to create, edit and share in both the mobile and web platforms.

Meet uses the same protections that Google uses to secure your information and safeguard your privacy.

Meet video conferences are encrypted in transit, and our array of safety measures are continuously updated for added protection. Get the whole crew together in Google Meet, where you can present face to face.

GoToMeeting is designed to broadcast the desktop view of a host computer to a group of computers connected to the host through the Internet.

Transmissions are protected with high-security encryption and optional passwords. By combining a web-hosted subscription service with software installed on the host computer, transmissions can be passed through highly restrictive firewalls.

It’s like a private chat room for your team, position group or coaching staff.

Have as many as you want, and it’s always free. Now, you can coordinate or organize meetings, practices, transportation, or parent communication. Keep in touch with your entire team all in the same place.

JUSTPLAY

SPORTSYOU

FOOTBALL PLAY DESIGNER

Just Play provides coaches with football playbook and game planning tools to prepare faster and engage with today’s athlete. Build scouting reports, playbooks, and video quizzes with easyto-use digital coaching tools.

Integrate with Hudl/XOS/ DVSport video. Print play sheets and scouts.

A free communication app, sportsYou is created specifically for the needs of coaches. It gives coaches the ability to privately communicate, schedule and share media with their team.

With no character limits and the ability to send one-way messages, sportsYou is a highly versatile communication app for coaches.

TACKLE FOOTBALL PLAYMAKER X

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

Tackle Football Playmaker X is a playbook design, collaboration and printing app. We’ve built on the foundation of our coachfavorite Playmaker app and added cloud backup, multidevice syncing, advanced diagramming, deeper printing options and more.

Play Designer Football is the easiest way to draw, share and show live motion football plays. Play Designer Football helps coach your players, create plays on the fly and manage your playbook. It’s super easy to use and you will find your players learning curve and retention increase as they watch your tactics and strategy unfold in live motion.

VIDEO TECHNOLOGY

5

HUDL Technique Functions You May Not Know About

Video analysis is the process of using motion recording and gaining useful and actionable information from it. HUDL is shifting toward providing coaches with the capability to analyze video to coach players on technique.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

More and more football coaches are starting to use HUDL Technique to help players improve through slow motion video analysis. Use an iPhone, iTouch or iPad camera to record and break down technique for instant feedback during a practice or game. Analyze a player’s technique in super slow motion, compare side-by-side to a pro’s, or study the video frame by frame. With Hudl Technique, players have another avenue to improve.

Here are five functions of HUDL Technique that can help football players.

1 Analyze Using Drawing Tools

Example: If an offensive lineman is too wide in his stance,

use the drawing tool to demonstrate the proper foot position.

Instructions: Draw directly on top of your video to help illustrate the technique shown. Open Hudl Technique and choose a video to analyze. Tap the pencil icon to open your drawing toolbox. Select what tool and color you’d like to use from the options. The angle drawing tool can be used for emphasis. Use the circular end points to adjust the lengths. The stopwatch tool is for timing analysis. Tap the Aa icon to add text to the video. Tap Clear to delete all drawings or Undo to delete your most recent drawing. To save drawings, create a video review.

2 Use Slow-Motion Controls

Example: Show a wide receiver why he is struggling to make precise cuts due to being off balance by slowing down the video.

Instructions: Open the Hudl Technique app and select a video. Control video frame by frame by using the scrubber at the bottom. Play the video back at 1⁄2, 1⁄4, or 1⁄8 speed.

3 Create a Video Review

Example: Add your own commentary of coaching points over the video.

Instructions: Open the Hudl Technique app and select a video to review. Tap play. Tap the micro­phone icon to begin. The ■■ Audio ■■ Scrubbing ■■ Drawing ■■ Slow Motion ■■ Zooming & Panning review will capture the following: Tap the stop icon when you finish the review. Select the review from your video menu to begin watching.

4 Compare Videos

Example: Show a quarterback how his throwing motion compares to that of Patrick Mahomes.

Instructions: Open the Hudl Technique app and select a video.

■■ Record a ■■ Compare with ■■ Compare to new video

pro athletes

your videos

Tap Compare. Select one of the three following options: Play back each video individually or sync the two videos on a specific frame by tapping the lock icon in the bottom right.

Turn your device to land­scape mode for a side-by-side view. To overlay the videos, tap the overlay icon at the top of the screen.

Use the sliding bar to adjust transparency of the videos. Match the video sizes by pinch­ing each one to zoom in and out. To save the comparison, create a video review.

5 Flip Videos

Example: Look at blocking angles on a different plane to show a running back how plays develop.

Instructions: Open the Hudl Technique app and select a video.

Tap the Options icon. Tap Flip original to flip that video. Tap Save as new video to create a separate flipped video. Your video will now be flipped and ready to review.

31

SAFETY TRAINING

SportsYou, Atavus partner to help coaches through pandemic Coaches had to find creative ways to communicate with state athletic association officials, parents and players this spring, and some of the biggest state athletic associations in the country chose to manage that communication online.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

W

hen coaches in Texas noticed a trend

of decreasing participation numbers in high school football, they decided to do something about it. The Texas High School Coaches Association attributed the drop in participation to the increased number of news stories highlighting concerns about player safety.

In the spring of 2018, the state’s governing body, the UIL Legislative Council, announced mandatory tackling certification for coaches. In cooperation with UIL, THSCA became the first state in the country to require all football coaches to successfully complete tackling certification.

With 23,000 junior high and high school coaches needing certification

by August 1, 2019, the THSCA and UIL approached Atavus to help implement a certification program.

Atavus educates coaches to teach a safe, high-performance tackling technique. Resources such as drill videos, practice plans, coaching tips, and practical, how-to advice are designed to give high school coaches the tools needed increase player safety and improve performance.

Starting the week of March 23 – just after the spread of the coronavirus caused schools to close -- the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) required coaches to use the sportsYou app for certification and professional development opportunities.

A free communication app, sportsYou gives coaches the ability to privately communicate, schedule and share media with their teams. With no character limits and the ability to send one-way messages, sportsYou is a highly versatile communication app for coaches.

32

■■Atavus and SportsYou partnered to educate coaches in Texas.

“In order for coaches and teachers to keep getting funding, they have to provide curriculum, and our platform enables them to do this,” said sportsYou co-founder Brad Matthews. “They’re putting out a video curriculum with an ability to share daily exercises, sports performance courses, motivational speeches, game film, and information on strength training and nutrition.”

Both the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association and the Indiana Football Coaches Association also committed to partnering with sportsYou for communication with coaches in March.

Coaches in Texas, Illinois and Indiana can share information from the state athletic associations on safety, nutrition, training techniques and instructional videos with their own players.

Whether on your phone or computer, in minutes you can set up as many teams/groups as you want on sportsYou. You can create private teams or groups for the varsity, junior varsity and freshmen programs. You can also take it a step further to share specific information to only your defense, offense, special teams and so on.

While face-to-face coaching opportunities will be restricted for the unforeseeable future, the sportsYou app offers coaches the opportunity to reach and motivate their players virtually.

In addition to easy-to-use instant messaging, sportsYou allows coaches to display a calendar for their athletes for training purposes. No more questions and confusion on schedules as everyone knows the workout - and gets notifications on changes immediately through sportsYou.

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

THE COMMUNICATION PARTNERS Atavus

Atavus improves defensive performance and maximizes player safety. Introducing Tackalytics™ through data-driven tackle training and assessment.

Tackalytics™ is a grading and reporting platform that coaches can utilize through Atavus. A coach can send Atavus film following a game and receive analytical feedback on tackling technique as well as insights and video cut-ups with examples of exemplary and poor tackling technique.

WEB: www.atavus.com/

sportsYou

A free communication app, sportsYou is created specifically for the needs of coaches.

It gives coaches the ability to privately communicate, schedule and share media with their team. With no character limits and the ability to send one-way messages, sportsYou is a highly versatile communication app for coaches.

WEB: www.sportsyou.com

The Ultimate FREE Team Communication App The best way to communicate with your coaches, players, and families on one platform. Easy to get started and saves everyone time.

“I highly recommend that coaches and trainers get their teams on sportsYou. Using sportsYou I can time efficiently communicate schedules, workouts and other relevant information to save everyone time. It is easy to use and everyone benefits.�

Rodney Webb, Head Football Coach, Guyer High School

Save everyone time with these core features: TEAM/GROUP POSTS

CHAT

Post messages, files, media and polls privately to all teams/groups in your program.

Chat directly with specific people within your team/group.

CALENDAR

MEDIA

Provide practices, games and other events for your team/group to see.

Get started at sportsYou.com or in the app stores to learn more and join for free!

Organize files, images, and videos to share with your teams/groups.

PROGRAM BUILDING

■■Eagles linebacker Nate Gerry speaks to youth players at the Eagles Football Academy Youth Clinic.

10 Tips to Establishing a Feeder Program The lifeblood of any high school football program is the feeder program at the youth level. Engage youth players now so that they are active and informed when they get to the high school level.

The future rewards are well worth the sacrifice.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Garrett Shea has been organizing youth football clinics in affiliation with the Philadelphia Eagles for the past two seasons. This year, despite the pandemic, he’s had participation from more than 500 athletes from 30 different states through the Eagles Football Academy Youth Football Clinics.

He recently shared tips for high school coaches who are looking to build a feeder system.

1

Run a clinic for youth players.

2

Show off your facilities.

3

Bring in motivational speakers.

4

Incorporate the parents.

5

Follow up with youth players.

Give youth players a chance to meet your coaching staff, learn the game of football and ask questions in a fun atmosphere.

Many 6- to 13-year-old players are used to playing on worn-out fields with old locker rooms and volunteer coaches. Impress them with your football environment.

This could be anyone from a coach on staff, alumni or current player. These youth players look up to high school athletes. Inspire them with their words.

Half the battle when it comes to selling kids on the sport of football is getting buy-in from their parents. Allow them to spectate at the clinics and ask questions of coaches.

Don’t let the conversation end at the conclusion of the clinic. Attend youth games, reach out to parents by email, and set up informational sessions each season.

34

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

6

Keep it simple.

7

Connect families through football.

8

Build character in your own players.

9

Expand your fan base.

Don’t push youth players too hard with conditioning drills or full-contact workouts. Give them drills to do at home, in their garages or even in their living rooms to stay engaged.

Any time a high school coach hosts an event for youth players and parents, he is giving them a chance to connect with each other. If families come together through football, they’ll be more likely to stick with it through high school.

The common feeling among high school players who volunteer their time is they get just as much out of it as the people they’re helping.

Ask your players to volunteer at youth football events to give them an opportunity to experience that feeling.

Not every youth player is going to play high school football. But every player might remember how impressive a coaching staff was when they hosted him for a football camp as a youth player. That’s how you build good will in the community.

10

Build leaders.

It’s never too early to find out which players at a particular youth level are natural leaders.

Find out early, and lean on those players when they get to high school. Those are the players who will lead their classmates to success.

THE VIRTUAL CLINIC THE EAGLES

Football Academy conducted several virtual clinics this spring after the spread of the coronavirus forced Shea and his team to shift gears.

More than 500 kids registered and participated in the Zoom sessions. Players like Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham and running back Miles Sanders served as motivational speakers during the clinics.

“When you think ‘online’, a lot of people think it’s recorded,” Shea said. “The fact is we do it live. Mom and Dad can do it with their kids. The kids and parents both loved it.”

Between each session of the clinic, Shea opens the floor to questions.

Youth players and parents can speak directly to NFL players.

“From the Eagles’ perspective, they can connect with youth fans when they don’t get a chance to come to the facility,” Shea said. “It gives Eagles players access to families in their community who are fans.”

WEB: www. eaglesacademies.com

10 tips

RECRUITING

to Managing the Changing Recruiting Landscape

With lengthy dead periods imposed by the NCAA and very few chances for athletes to showcase their skills, this spring was a wasteland in the recruiting world. Coaches and players will need to adjust to the new landscape to maximize opportunities for college offers.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

J

ohnson C. Smith University (N.C.) linebackers coach

Robert Cross has established a robust social media following by tweeting recruiting advice to high school prospects. The recruiter for the Charlotte-based HBCU currently has more than 11,200 followers, with the majority of his posts directed to high school athletes who want to play at the next level.

Cross offered these tips to players trying to navigate through the changing recruiting landscape.

1

Call or text.

2

Set up Zoom conferences.

3

Ask for a virtual campus tour.

4

Get the parents involved.

Recruiters are used to working the phones.

Just because they’re spending more time at home or in offices rather than on the road does not mean they are more likely to email.

We’ve all been using Zoom over the last few months. It’s as easy as setting up a calendar meeting, sending an invite, and clicking on the link. Be proactive in requesting meetings with recruiters.

More and more schools are offering virtual campus tours since recruits can’t visit schools and walk around campuses. Coaches are even taking the initiative with recruits and touring campuses while holding cell phones.

We all know parents heavily influence the college decision process, so offer them the

WHAT IS THE DEAD PERIOD? THE NCAA’S

chance to sit in on Zoom conferences, campus tours or other communication between the college recruiters and your athlete.

5

Don’t wait for things to pick up.

6

Stay on top of your players’ academics.

7

Take advantage of social media outlets.

8

Continue to communicate with parents and players.

9

Encourage athletes to post film.

Players are still getting offers as coaches need to fill recruiting classes. It’s an arms race, and there is no agreement among college coaches that they’ll wait for things to return to normal before making offers.

Many high schools switched to a virtual learning platform this spring. Did your players stay on top of their studies? Is there anything they can be doing this summer to boost their academic standing? Find out, and point them in the right direction.

Recruiters are still monitoring social media accounts as they look for prospects. Post highlight reels of prospective recruits with academic profile info, height, weight, 40-yard-dash times and any other metrics that might help recruiters.

Do you know which of your athletes is still looking for an offer? Have you been in contact with players and parents to help with the process? Some of this communication can take place over team communication apps. Check in whenever you can.

College recruiters like to see athletes advocate for themselves. Encourage your players to use their own platforms to market their own skills and abilities.

10 ■■Johnson C. Smith University recruiter Robert Cross

Organize your players by class.

Send your prospect list to coaches organized by graduating classes. List the players in a spreadsheet and email it to college coaches.

Division I Council has extended the ongoing dead period through Aug. 31.

The existing dead period had been set through July 31, which was an extension from the original extension to June 30.

The current dead period is in place for all sports.

Considering the difficulty teams are encountering in getting their own players on campus, it’s hard to imagine the NCAA giving the green light for recruits to travel to campus any time soon.

And given that reality, it seems it’s only a matter of time until we start to hear talk of the appropriate NCAA committee eliminating the December signing period with the hope of making up for lost time in early 2021.

“Hopefully it doesn’t extend past that,” Cross said. “There are no visitations or campus visits. Most schools in the country are completely shut down. We’ve all moved our recruiting plan to a virtual platform.”

35

PLAYBOOK presented by KICKOFF COVER GET OFF ZONE

BY CHARLIE COINER, FIRSTDOWN PLAYBOOK

We break down kickoff coverage into five separate areas to cover as you coach this Special Teams phase. The “get off” phase is critical to getting your coverage team started down the field.

The goal is to have all of your coverage players hitting the restraining line exactly as the ball is being kicked and at full speed as possible. This has always been challenging and it is even more difficult with the new rules that only allow the Kickoff coverage team five yards to work with behind the ball.

It may seem like a small thing but there is still an advantage to getting your Kickoff team moving down the field as soon as possible and at the same time staying within the rules.

It all starts with your Kicker. He must establish a consistent approach to the football. If the Kicker is constantly changing his approach then it will be nearly impossible to maximize the edge that can be gained on the get off.

After the Kicker establishes his normal approach you will designate the step that the 4’s and 5’s can leave on. It may be the Kicker’s second, third or even fourth step but whatever step it is it will allow the 4’s and 5’s to turn and begin to run full speed without worrying about timing up the get off with the kick.

The alignments are critical as the coverage team is forming a bowed line with the outside guys being the closest to the restraining line and the interior players being the the maximum five yards back. This allows every player to see the player to his immediate inside.

As you can see from the drawing the 3’s will leave on the 4’s movement, the 2’s will leave on the 3’s movement and the 1’s will leave on the 2’s movement. If every player executes his part of the assignment you will end up with ten players hitting the restraining line just as the ball is being kicked.

How important is this? One of the most critical aspects of coaching the Kickoff team is eliminating seams in the coverage. These seams can be horizontal and this type of seam is normally caused by one player running behind another. Seams can also be vertical.

These type of seams are created when one or more of your coverage players is way out in front or way behind the rest of the unit.

A good coaching practice when grading your Kickoff unit is to stop the video when your first coverage man hits the far 35 yard line. Regardless of individual speed there should not be anyone on your coverage unit more than five yards behind the first man to arrive at the 35.

Monitoring and coaching the elimination of vertical seams will go a long way to solidifying your Kickoff coverage and coaching the get off phase is one of the first step towards getting this done.

Find hundreds of articles to help your program at fnfcoaches.com

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

BUNCH FORMATION: TOSS CRACK-COUNTER PACKAGE

BY CHARLIE COINER, FIRSTDOWN PLAYBOOK

When you line up in Bunch formation on offense you are almost certainly going to get a middle of the field closed defense. Even if you form the bunch with three receivers, the numbers and the leverage convince most defensive coordinators to roll coverage to that side or have a quarters safety ready to insert as part of the box at the drop of a dime.

One obvious counter to that is to have a solid passing game from your Bunch package and that would include Drop Back, Play-Action, Boots

and Sprints. Your 3×1 middle of the field closed beaters would come in handy here.

Today, however, we touch on another answer to a defense that rolls up to your Bunch formation and also starts to cheat the linebackers over strong, and this answer keeps the ball on the ground. FirstDown PlayBook has always liked marrying the Toss Crack with the weak side Counter play that we will detail.

This gives the quarterback something simple to look at for a “Check With Me” at the line of scrimmage, or sometimes the coordinator can just call both plays individually and let it ride. Check out the drawings to get more details on how we coach this run game package.

PLAYBOOK presented by MOVE THE CHAINS WITH 896 F FLAT

BY CHARLIE COINER, FIRSTDOWN PLAYBOOK

On 896 F Flat, the tight end is responsible for running a full-speed seam route and recognizing if the middle of the field is open or closed.

He is a viable option vs Cover 2.

Although, when the middle of the field is open, he must keep this seam route thin as he has a backside safety to be concerned with after the catch. The F must expand the curl area with his flat route immediately and try to outflank all defenders.

The Z will push the defenders with initial vertical speed, but at the top of the route he will put his outside foot in the ground and drive straight back to the quarterback. He does not need to run a 4.4 40 back to the quarterback, but instead come back with tempo.

The X will also read if the middle of the field is open or closed. He will run a go route vs. 2 press and run the deep post route vs. middle-of-the-field closed man or zone.

The quarterback will, in most cases, work the strong side all of the way here. If the middle of the field is open and the tight end runs good seam routes, then you may want to give the quarterback the green light. If not, then it is a simple

Flat-Curl-Checkdown read.

If the F out leverages the defense, get him the ball now. If the curl defender expands, then look to get the ball to the Z. If both are covered, progress to the back.

The X is pretty much based on personnel and experience.

If the receiver and quarterback have a great feel for this route, then it can be a viable alert on this play, particularly vs. man coverage.

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

CALL SIDE END:

WILL LB:

ALIGNMENT: 4 TECHNIQUE

ALIGNMENT: 20 TECHNIQUE. (POSSIBLE ADJUST TO THE SKILL) KEY: BACK THRU CENTER. RUN: B GAP. PASS: BLITZ B GAP.

ASSIGNMENT: SLANT INTO

THE B GAP. READ THE BLOCK OF THE GUARD. KEY: OFFENSIVE TACKLE TO OFFENSIVE GUARD. RUN: B GAP. PASS: B GAP PASS RUSH.

EXECUTE THE NICKEL KNIFE 3 FIRE ZONE

BY CHARLIE COINER, FIRSTDOWN PLAYBOOK

We call this pressure Nickel Knife, and we are playing 3 Fire Zone behind it.

It is one of over 57 different varsity defensive pressures in FirstDown PlayBook. Yes, 57 is right, but it doesn’t stop there.

FirstDown PlayBook then takes every one of these pressures and fits them up against six different formations. Why? Because any good defensive football coach knows that the formation adjustments can have huge implications on how you execute any defensive pressure.

Hold on, though, that’s not all. Then FirstDown PlayBook takes everyone of these pressures vs all six formations, and we motion and tight end trade adjust each one. Starting to get the picture?

Oh, yeah, two last things before we sign off. See the player assignments and coaching points below? That’s right, we do that for every pressure in FirstDown PlayBook Finally, and the last thing might just be the biggest thing…

Now you can edit all of these to fit your system. Talk about a time saver. Enjoy this nickel pressure and the coaching points.

NOSE TACKLE: ALIGNMENT: 0 TECHNIQUE. ASSIGNMENT: SLANT INTO THE AWAY A GAP. READ THE GUARD’S BLOCK. KEY: OFFENSIVE CENTER TO OFFENSIVE GUARD. RUN: AWAY SIDE A GAP. PASS: AWAY SIDE A GAP PASS RUSH.

AWAY SIDE END: ALIGNMENT: 4 TECHNIQUE. ASSIGNMENT: SLANT TO THE C GAP WITH EYES BACK INSIDE. KEY: OFFENSIVE TACKLE TO TIGHT END IF ONE IS ALIGNED TO YOUR SIDE. RUN: C GAP. PASS: CONTAIN PASS RUSH

SAM LB: ALIGNMENT: 9 TECHNIQUE. KEY: TACKLE TO RB. RUN: C GAP. IF TE BLOCKS YOU, KEEP OUTSIDE LEVERAGE. PASS: DROP INTO COVERAGE & PLAY SEAM FLAT & READ QB’S EYES.

MIKE LB: NOTES: ■■ THE FRONT IS SET TO THE TIGHT END. ■■ THE PRESSURE (CALL SIDE) IS SET TO THE PASSING STRENGTH. ■■ THE NICKEL DB WILL LINE UP TO PASSING STRENGTH. ■■ THE PRESSURE WILL COME FROM THE PASSING STRENGTH. ■■ THE COVERAGE PLAYED IS 3 UNDER 3 DEEP. ■■ SEAM FLAT DEFENDERS COLLISION VERTICAL ROUTES & ZONE

OFF AT 10-12 YARDS.

■■ HOOK DEFENDER KEYS #3 RECEIVER IN THE LOW HOLE AREA. ■■ COVERAGE CAN BE PLAYED AS COVER 1.

ALIGNMENT: 40 TECHNIQUE. (POSSIBLE ADJUST TO THE SKILL) KEY: TE TO RB (RUN/PASS KEY) RUN: B GAP. PASS: PLAY HOOK #3.

PASS KEY IS #3. CAN HELP WITH NEAR RECEIVER OR CROSSING ROUTES.

NICKEL: ALIGNMENT: HEAD UP TO INSIDE LEVERAGE OF #2.

KEY: #2 TO TACKLE. RUN: BLITZ C GAP. SET THE EDGE. PASS: BLITZ C GAP. CONTAIN RUSH.

STRONG SAFETY: ALIGNMENT: ALIGNMENT: 8-10 YARDS DEEP HEAD UP TO INSIDE OF TE. RUN: ALLEY INSIDE OUT. PASS: DEEP MIDDLE THIRD.

FREE SAFETY: ALIGNMENT: 8-10 YARDS DEEP HEAD UP TO INSIDE OF #2.

ROLL DOWN OVER #2 PRIOR TO SNAP. KEY: #2.

RUN: ATTACK #2 & DEFEAT HIS BLOCK. KEEP OUTSIDE LEVERAGE ON #2 IF HE BLOCKS. PASS: ROLL DOWN OVER #2 & SEAM FLAT DROP & READ QB’S EYES.

CALL SIDE CORNER: ALIGNMENT: OUTSIDE LEVERAGE 7-9 YARDS OFF WR. RUN TO: ATTACK THE BLOCKER AND WIN OUTSIDE LATE. RUN AWAY: MAN TO CUTBACK TO PURSUIT ANGLE. PASS: DEEP THIRD.

AWAY SIDE CORNER: ALIGNMENT: OUTSIDE LEVERAGE 7-9 YARDS OFF WR. RUN TO: ATTACK THE BLOCKER AND WIN OUTSIDE LATE. RUN AWAY: MAN TO CUTBACK TO PURSUIT ANGLE. PASS: DEEP THIRD.

39

USA FOOTBALL INITIATIVE

The Art & Science

of Coaching Tackling F

ootball instruction and coaching is an art form many coaches

believe in gut decisions, and instincts are a heavy part of the game.

But there is a data aspect to decision-making, especially at the higher performance levels of our game. Educated gut decisions are much better than emotional gut decisions.

This of course applies to your next play call. It also applies to how you plan your practices. How many times have you walked onto the bus after a game thinking, “We have to spend more time practicing tackling this week?”

There is nothing wrong with that thought, but when you setup next week’s practice plan, are you going to go back to your “tried-and-true” drills like form tackle, angle tackle and pursuit? Or are you going to look at the film and analyze each tackle to understand where your players’ true strengths and weaknesses really lie?

This analytical approach to practice planning your tackling periods can pay huge dividends. Instead of focusing on a base drill, be specific with drills that work on key elements of the tackle, like the moments just prior to the connection, the initial connection phase or accelerating to sustain pressure on an opposing ball-carrier after connection.

You also can get more granular if time allows. Did your

players fall off a tackle because they didn’t grip the opponent with enough strength, or did they start to perform the physical act of the tackle too early or too late?

Whether you stay higher level or get hyper-focused, these are areas you should consider when selecting your drills for practice. Don’t trust those “tried-and-true” drills to always fix the problem. Use your coach’s eye, analyze where each player or position group needs work, and find drills that improve performance in those areas.

One challenge is simply knowing all these coaching points, or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), on the tackle. It can be daunting as there is a lot to uncover.

Making life easier is USA Football’s Advanced Tackling System. It’s a step-by-step approach to coach tackling, from the practice fields to game day to the film room. The 5 Fights teaching progression isn’t simply a series of steps for players to memorize or to streamline communication – it’s a way to define aspects of the tackle that can be improved and identifies drills to make that happen.

The Advanced Tackling System’s progression: 1. Tracking the ball-carrier 2. Preparing for the tackle 3. Connecting with the opponent 4. Accelerating the feet 5. Finishing the tackle In addition, there are 37 KPIs associated with individual steps in the progression to help you go even deeper, identifying areas where players are successful or need improvement. The system also provides 23 drills that introduce KPIs help your players improve a specific aspect of the tackle.

Want to learn about the 5 Fights teaching progression?

Visit footballdevelopment.com/advanced-tackling to watch our free webinar on how the progression works.

40

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

TWO SYSTEMS TO HELP YOU WIN EVERY SNAP Build the most critical defensive skill within your athletes

SHOULDER TACKLING SYSTEM Built in partnership with the Seattle Seahawks, explore a foundational approach to tackling to develop better defenders and build a more efficient and physical defense.

This free system is endorsed by the NFL and USA Rugby. It starts with instruction, drills and coaching points to help your players with regards to Fundamentals and Leverage.

ADVANCED TACKLING SYSTEM Created with international and multi-sport tackling expert Richie Gray, the Advanced Tackling System focuses on fitting every element of how your team tackles together.

From execution in-game to practice planning to film breakdown and drills, this system is a comprehensive and cohesive approach that will change the way your team approaches tackling.

WIN THROUGH BETTER EXECUTION. GET THERE WITH USA FOOTBALL. Explore your opportunities today at footballdevelopment.com

FUNDRAISING

Earn 90 percent of donations with FNF Coaches fundraising platform We’ve all heard a story about an online fundraising platform that kept a larger percentage of donations than a coaching staff and players expected.

Tired of sliding scales? Keep 90 percent of donations with FNF Coaches.

STAFF REPORT

F

HOW EASY IS IT TO SET UP?

NF Coaches is offering sports teams free access to a

year-round Fundraising Marketplace and Donation web page that will earn them 90 percent of every sale with minimum administration. Our platform is fully automated, with all setup and transactions taking place online.

The days of fundraising through team dinners, golf scrambles or door-to-door solicitations are over – or at least suspended indefinitely. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the fundraising game for the 2020-21 school year.

Now more than ever, every team needs to explore online fundraising options. FNF Coaches has partnered with SuSportMe.com to provide an online marketplace fundraising platform for individual teams, clubs and organizations.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: 90% of each sale stays with the sports team. Using this platform, your team receives 90 percent of every sale starting with the first sale. We do not use a confusing, frustrating, sliding-scale model to determine how much you make. You make as much money on the first sale as the last sale!

MORE GOOD NEWS: There is no upfront cost and no minimum requirement. You are in total control of your marketplace and your program. This program is so easy to start, you can have your online marketplace running in a matter of minutes.

HEY, FINDING PEOPLE TO DONATE PRODUCTS FOR A MARKETPLACE IS NOT MY THING! So, you don’t like the idea of finding donations to post on your marketplace? No problem, let’s jumpstart your page by creating services and offerings that only your team can exclusively provide, such as: ■■ Team autographed footballs ■■ VIP sideline access ■■ VIP parking ■■ Have the football staff visit for dinner ■■ Donate a team meal ■■ Receive a game ball ■■ Motivational speech from the Head Coach

Pictured below is an example of what your page could look like – we built this to show you the capabilities of this easy-to-use fundraising platform. We created this site in about 30 minutes. We can even provide the graphics that you see on this site. Check it out!

HERE ARE 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1 2

There is no setup fee.

You own and manage the marketplace webpage that we build for you.

You can use your marketplace to sell products AND accept donations.

Individuals donating products simply upload photos of the item they are donating, write a description and establish the price of the donation.

You simply review the item uploaded, determine the asking price and approve the post. The product is immediately available for sale in your marketplace.

You receive 90 percent of the profit on every purchase.

All payments are made online via credit card.

The money is automatically placed into your account.

Product pickup is arranged directly between the buyer and the seller.

There is no time limit. You can add products and services at any time and your webpage is always available for purchases.

3

4 5

6 7 8 9

10

READY TO GET STARTED?

Sign up and have your site ready in minutes: www.susportme.com/signup-team

NOT SOLD YET? HOW ABOUT SOME MORE INFORMATION? Contact us at fnf@ae-engine.com

SIGN UP AT: SUSPORTME.COM/SIGNUP-TEAM

FOOTBALL BRINGS US ALL TOGETHER Football in the coming season will be like never before. The time to get game-ready is NOW! Adding Cobalt PLUS can give you the peace of mind that you’re equipped and ready to go with great coaching headsets.

• Unlimited Users • Up to 6 Channels • Enhanced signal delivery for superior performance and reduced wifi interference • Hear clearly in loud, challenging environments • Features the SmartBoom PRO D-1 Headset • Compatible with the NEW Cobalt PLUS Player Receiver Pack

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Cobalt PLUS provides more affordable full-featured users, more flexibility than other headset systems, and player communication options, too. It’s also backed by CoachComm’s outstanding service, along with a two-year warranty and money-back guarantee.

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Lazser Down offers advertising space on downand-distance displays One of the most difficult parts of updating your team’s equipment with new technology is the fundraising that is required to make room in the budget. Why not offset that cost by providing advertising space to a partner on the new piece of technology?

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR

U

nderstanding that budgets might be tighter than

normal coming out of the pandemic, Lazser Down is offering coaches an opportunity to showcase their advertising partners’ logos on their down-and-distance kits to offset the cost of the new technology.

Lazser Down and Distance Markers offer instantaneous feedback on bright, easy-to-read LED displays, taking out the guesswork of sideline strategy when seconds count and inches matter. The markers use patented, synchronized radio technology creating situational awareness feedback in yard, foot or inch.

For coaches, selling advertising space makes perfect sense. You get the most state-of-the-art yard marker technology on the market, and your advertising partners get exposure to fans who attend the games or watch on TV or live streams.

This sponsorship opportunity puts coaches in a position to successfully hit the ground running when football kicks off again.

In order to make this partnership between team and sponsor as seamless as possible, Lazser Down supplies coaches with some materials to share with potential sponsors that will help them

understand the full value of this unique partnership opportunity.

You can download Lazser Down’s fundraising sponsorship program flyer to catch the attention of coaches and illustrate how it works ff www.drive.google.com/file/d/1qgSsXT9ipW63JRnHCSXqu2G-yCdMoPu/ view This opportunity to run the logos of sponsors on the down-and-distance markers pays for itself in year one and actually profits each year thereafter.

What other football equipment can do that for your program? Even more information can be found here. ff www.drive.google.com/file/d/12huGlP2ck5LR bmnATmxnZjM8Rz9kxeL6/view Also included is our electronic brochure, the place for you and potential sponsors to find important details about investing in a Lazser Down and Distance Kit. ff www.drive.google.com/file/d/1AuNMpEnnV9 I856luD6TltO3soMC4BbhG/view See a powerful side-by-side video of how Lazser Down and Distance kits compare to traditional marker systems by checking out: ff www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp-rCpAj9M4 You can also see our interview with the AFCA explaining what makes a Lazser Down and Distance Kit so unique at: ff www.youtube.com/watch?v=zewIvqdBxTM Over the past two seasons, Lazser Down has been used on more than 100 televised games including the XFL, 2020 East-West Shrine Game, 2020 Senior Bowl, seven NCAA National Championships, six NCAA Bowl games, Power 5 Conference Games, 22 All-Star games and 24 UIL State Championships at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, as well as numerous high schools nationwide.

Visit www.lazserdown.com and let Lazser Down change your game.

44

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

Q&A WITH LAZSER DOWN CEO MICHAEL FOSTER How does the Lazser Down technology work?

“It uses radio waves, which have an ultra-wide band. All that happens is that once the down marker is set, then the person holding the line to gain pushes a button and the distance shows up automatically. The push of the button measures from Point A to Point B.”

So, you’re not using a laser?

“It’s fool proof this way.

We originally started with a laser and we had interference problems.

If something wasn’t aimed just right, it was off. That was too costly and too heavy. This changed things.”

Is it easier to maneuver?

“It is still a chained system, the lightest yard marker (5 lbs.) on the market, and the only system that has a distance marker. Dial A Down markers are 10 lbs., eDown is a shade under 10 lbs., and the Fisher electronic marker weighs 13 lbs. Our Distance Marker, at 9.2 pounds, is still lighter than our competitors down markers, even though the display has a larger screen surface. Our complete set is $3,995.”

HOW DO LAZSER DOWN AND DISTANCE SPONSORSHIPS WORK? Step 1: You buy a Lazser Down and Distance Kit. Step 2: Name the price to have your donors logo prominently displayed on this interactive, disruptive advertisement.

Feeling competitive? Auction it off. May the highest bidder prevail.

Step 3: We produce the labels.

Just send us the vector file and we take care of the rest.

Step 4: Watch this money maker in action, game after game, year after year.

THAT'S A WIN.

Sideline Spotlight

There are products that just make a coach’s job easier or more enjoyable, and we want to share some of those with you. Here is a collection of products we at FNF Coaches like.

WHEELIN’ WATER

COACHCOMM Cobalt PLUS coaching headsets provide

Wheelin’ Water is dedicated to provide the

more full-featured users and more flexibility, and now with player communications options, too.

Featuring easy setup, extended range, and exceptional performance, the system is also coupled with the industry’s most trusted D-1 SmartBoom® headset. Backed by outstanding service, Cobalt also has a two-year warranty on parts & labor. It’s a powerful combination - a great coaching headset solution to fit your needs and your budget. Web: coachcomm.com/cobaltplus

Web: wheelinwater.com

safest, most user-friendly, top-quality, best-built, hydration carts in the world and make them available at an affordable price. Proper hydration, without sacrificing the safety and healthy well-being of athletes, is what it’s about. Utilizing the time and efforts of trainers, coaches and players to get maximum performance is what makes a winning program.

PHENOM ELITE Phenom Elite is a company that manufac-

FITGUARD The FITGuard measures linear and rotational forces experienced during an impact.

The FITAlgorithm determines whether or not these forces have breached a user customized impact threshold. The FITPlatform provides real time alerts for head impacts. Alerts are tailored to the individual athlete because when it comes to head health, one size does not fit all. To learn more, please visit:

fitguard.me

tures highly customizable uniforms, apparel, and gear, while maintaining an excellent quality standard.

Phenom Elite has been found to be much more flexible in terms of customization and pricing in comparison to its larger competitor counterpart brands. Phenom has built a large part of its brand based on its creativity and customization options for all products.

phenomelitebrand.com

LAZSER DOWN AND DISTANCE MARKERS Lazser Down and Distance Markers offer instanta-

Podcast Alert

Force Impact Technologies CEO Anthony Gonzales was a guest on the FNF Coaches Podcast. To listen, visit: fnfcoaches.com

46

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

neous feedback on bright, easy-to-read LED displays, taking out the guesswork of sideline strategy when seconds count and inches matter. The markers use patented, synchronized radio technology to give instantaneous distance feedback by yard, foot or inch.

Web: lazserdown.com/

CATAPULT PLAYERTEK Catapult has recently released PlayerTek, which was designed with high school coaches in mind. The software is less technical and more intuitive than the products marketed to pro and college coaches, and the price point falls in line with high school budgets. PlayerTek provides insights into athlete and team performance and work load, with a range of powerful features, including the ability to see live, on-field data snapshots, heart rate monitor integration, a dedicated player-centric app, and more.

Web: catapultsports.com/products/playertek

THE SPORTS ATTACK AERIAL ATTACK Introducing the NEW Aerial Attack Football machine that is designed for football programs on a tight budget. This unit will deliver right-footed deep spiral punts that turn over as well as end-over-end kickoffs for coverage and return practice. Plus‌ it throws both long and short passes for receiving and defensive drills. The machine pivots in any direction to challenge the defensive coverage or to instantly throw to an exact location. The two solid polyurethane throwing wheels grip the ball for a tight spiral and precise ball delivery. The Aerial Attack is easily moved around during practice or can be used with the Universal Cart Clamp to attach to any cart.

sportsattack.com/football/ aerial-attack/

DJI OSMO X5 Motion without blur. Action shots without shake. Perfect video even when you move. Thanks to advanced technologies specifically designed to keep the camera flat no matter how you move it, the DJI Osmo helps you record videos and take photos like never before. It is much more than just a camera. It helps you create with more freedom than ever.

WEB: dji.com/osmo

SPORT SCOPE EDGE REPLAY EDGE Replay by Sport Scope is the most advanced and reliable replay system in the industry. Get instant replays from up to 3 angles to your iPads in seconds. Systems start at $1,599 for your first year with a $499/yr. annual fee starting in year 2. EDGE Replay can also live stream all your home and away games for free and help your team recover lost ticket revenue by charging your fans to watch and by accepting donations.

Web: www.sportscope.com

COLD DADDY Imagine an ice bath without ice! Cold Daddy’s patented, portable water chillers and insulated tubs pay for themselves.

You can depend on Cold Daddy for safe, reliable cold-water therapy when you need it, wherever you need it, for as long as you need it.

Web: Colddaddy.com

47

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Keep Communication Private

by Frequency Hopping

BY JOHN HOOPER JR., PORTA PHONE CO.

T

he question in the back of every head football coach’s mind hasn’t changed since wireless headsets first replaced wired sideline telephones decades ago:

“How do I know that the signal of my wireless system won’t be interfered with by the other team or picked up by somebody other than my staff?”

It is widely perceived today that each football program enjoys exclusive use of its own unique operating channel to overcome the threat of interference. Unfortunately, in a world where wireless products are exploding in popularity there are only a finite number of channels available and certainly just a fraction of what are needed to go around.

The solution to this paradox can be attributed to a technique called “Frequency Hopping”, a specialty wireless technology that originated just prior to World War II. Frequency Hopping is a military protocol that is utilized by today’s most effective wireless systems and guarantees coaches’ conversations remain totally secret. Ironically the concept of Frequency Hopping was devised not by electronic engineers, but of all people a movie star actress. The story of how this has all come about is intriguing, historical and important for coaches to understand.

In 1940, the free world was readying to wage war against Hitler’s mighty German army. An issue the Allies faced was how to prevent the Nazi’s from jamming radio-controlled torpedoes rendering the weapons ineffectual. One evening at a late-night party, actress Heady Lamarr and her friend, George Antheil, a musical composer, invented a technique to keep the wireless signals that were to guide torpedoes both secure and totally discreet. Lamarr utilized Antheil’s musical composition sheet as a guide to outline her concept of a Frequency Hopping wireless system. Her idea was that a transmitter and receiver should use multiple frequencies instead of just a single channel.

If transceivers could be made to move to particular frequencies in synch according to a random pattern, there is no way the communication between them can be deciphered. Put simply, if a signal is hopping from frequency to frequency, every fraction of a second it cannot possibly be detected or intercepted.

48

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On the football field, Frequency Hopping is what allows multiple wireless headsets to share the same set of frequencies without the possibility of interfering with each other. In order to visualize how this actually operates think of two coaching staffs each running Frequency Hopping headset systems with their wireless signals bouncing like a ball from frequency to frequency every fraction of a second.

Since each system has a unique hopping sequence and only “lands” on channels that are clear they can easily work in harmony.

Frequency hopping signals are in essence constantly jumping or moving and it is this agility that that allows coaches conversations to carry on uninterrupted while also remaining completely private.

Lamarr and Antheil ultimately patented their Frequency Hopping protocol that was improbably created on a cocktail napkin. Today their revolutionary Frequency Hopping concept has become the driver at the heart of the most robust football coaches’ headsets. As more wireless products are being added to the Friday Night Lights landscape every year there is an ever-increasing threat of interference that coaches’ headsets need to successfully avoid. This makes Frequency Hopping a critical feature for coaches and a prerequisite in the design of today’s most effective football coach’s wireless headsets.

ONLINE: PORTAPHONE.COM PHONE: (800) 233-1113

READY ALL DAY EVERY DAY You never know when an athlete will suffer from a heat related illness. There is an easy way to ensure that you will be ready to save a life or mitigate potentially dire effects any time this happens.

THE COLD DADDY

CHILLERS

Cold Daddy chillers come in various sizes and can chill one or multiple tubs at once.

Let’s find out which best fits your program’s needs.

THE BAY TUB The first ever of it’s kind. This tub can be used with ice or any Cold Daddy chiller.

Extra thick walls, pressure injected foam and rotomolded construction mean unmatched cold water retention.

Less ice. Less stress. More chill.

VISIT US ONLINE AT

COLDDADDY.COM @getcolddaddy

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SIMPLIFYING WORKFLOWS AND INCREASING THE POWER OF YOUR ANALYSIS, PLAYERTEK IS DESIGNED TO TAKE YOUR TEAM’S ATHLETE MONITORING TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

→ M O N I T O R AT H L E T E PERFORMANCE Capture athlete performance and output data in practices and games. PlayerTek provides a simple, plug and play workflow – allowing coaches to quickly gain actionable insights across 10 key performance data points including speed, distance, sprint distance, work to rest ratio, impacts, energy output, player load, and more.

→ M I T I GAT E S O F T TISSUE INJURY RISK

→ PROVIDE OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK AND IMPROVE C O M M U N I C AT I O N Ever wonder how hard your guys AC R O S S YO U R are working and who is not giving O R GA N I Z AT I O N it their all? Wonder no more with objective thresholds and Add another layer of objectivity benchmarks across positional and fact-based insights when groups, and the team as a whole. communicating to players, Quickly understand what peak coaches, strength staff, athletic performance looks like within a trainers, administrators, and game setting, so that you can parents around what is expected, tailor your practice approach how their student athletes to ensure you are preparing are performing, opportunities your team for the demands of for growth and improvement, the game. Ensure athletes are season trends, and more. peaking at the right time, and Coaches can build out custom heading into games as fresh reports or simply provide players and fit as possible. Establish with individual access to their benchmarks during preseason data in the dedicated player app. and build on those baselines as you head further into the season.