FNF Coaches 2019 "Coach vs. Ref"

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The Magazine for High School Football Coaches

aug/sept 2019

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S R V H C A O C AN T R O P IM S I H T G IN V O R P M OI T T I M COM

Playbook + Apply a Count System in an Option Offense + Sprint Out Concepts + Basic Zone Blitzes + Goal Line defense in an Under Front

HIP S N O I T T RELA

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Oklahoma Coach Lincoln Riley

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COACHES’ CORNER

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DIAGRAM 2

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

CONTENTAUG/SEPT

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USA FOOTBALL: ADVANCED TACKLING SYSTEM

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COACHING LEGEND: KEN LEONARD

06. NEWS+NOTES 07. PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 16. APPS FOR COACHES 20. TECH CORNER 33. INNOVATOR’S SPOTLIGHT 34. PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 36. SOCIAL MEDIA 37. COACHING LIFESTYLE 38. FNF PARTNERSHIPS 40. INSPIRATION

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A coach is a role model and leader in the community.

Leaders don’t act like jerks.”

–BILL COLE World-Class Performance Psychology Expert

…Let’s Work Together Grissom High (Ala.) coach Chip English and Alabama High School Athletic Association trainer and referee David Bell

COVER PHOTO BY DAVID FROST, THE OWNER OF DAVID FROST PHOTOGRAPHY, LLC. ORIGINALLY FROM NEW YORK CITY

and now based in Huntsville, Alabama, David travels throughout the south and northeast for weddings and sports photoshoots.

WEB: DAVIDFROSTPHOTO.COM EMAIL: INFO@DAVIDFROSTPHOTO.COM

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR We are proud to present our sixth edition of 2019, which has a “Coach vs. Ref” theme. The number of game officials has decreased on a national level over the last decade, forcing some states to push games to Thursdays or Saturdays. In some instances, games have been cancelled.

What is the cause of this crisis? Most officials attribute their decisions to leave the profession to the abuse they take from coaches, players and fans. We reached out to coaches and officials to determine how we can address this situation.

We also spoke with coaches about the process of starting a new fall season. So many times, the season starts with a flurry of unexpected activity (injuries, new leaders emerge, unexpected players struggle).

Players and coaches are left scrambling as to how to recalibrate their goals. The head coach has the ultimate responsibility of providing energy, enthusiasm and inspiration throughout the season. Some legendary coaches offer their advice of this topic.

We will share the stories and tips from experts in the field– whether it’s other coaches, authors, or coaches that specialize in strength, conditioning, speed, equipment, nutrition, motivation, safety or recovery – in hopes of sharing some information that high school football coaches may not know.

It’s worth taking the time at the start of the season to make sure you are aware of all of the latest trends and educational opportunities so that if a parent asks for your advice, you will be armed with the information you need. If you would like to learn more about any of the topics we cover in this edition, we’d like to hear from you at fnf@ae-engine.com.

We want to continue to provide you with information you want in the coming months, so we’d like to hear your suggestions for content.

Engage with us on our website, FNFCoaches.com, and social media, @FNFCoaches, and tell us your suggestions for feature stories.

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NEWS+NOTES

ESPORTS MAY BE COMING TO HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS

T

he Nevada Interscholastic Athletic

Thompson said the companies would be in charge of most facets of esports.

He said students would pay a fee, likely around $50, to be on their high school team. A portion of that fee would go to the NIAA with the technology company getting the rest.

He said esports do not require travel and they could bring a lot of revenue to

Association board approved having its staff move forward on bringing esports to Nevada high schools.

NIAA executive director Bart Thompson said he has been approached by a couple different technology companies interested in bringing esports (video games) to Nevada.

the NIAA. A state championship would be held in a central location.

Thompson said the technology companies have said they would build computer labs for the participating high schools.

The NIAA staff will research esports further with the possibility they could be sanctioned in about a year.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Some University of Iowa alumni have invented The Monarc Sport Seeker — a product that’s the brainchild of the company Monarc Sport. The Seeker uses positioning technology from sideline sensors and a remote tracker to deliver balls to an athlete. It can also operate like your standard jugs machine, but with upgrades for accuracy.

Mobile Virtual Player (MVP) – the company to develop and patent the world’s first self-righting robotic tackling dummy to help reduce player-on-player contact and the overall incidence of injuries suffered during football practices – is now the preferred tackling equipment partner of USA Football.

This summer, MVP released a newer lower-priced model, MVP SPRINT, for high school and youth programs. By redesigning and sourcing consumer electronic parts, the MVP team was able to successfully create a robotic dummy that is durable, sells for $3,450 and has increased performance on grass and the rougher field types that high school and youth programs often practice on.

Visit mvpdummy.com.

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A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS FROM MIT HAS UNVEILED AN INVENTION THAT MIGHT

finally be capturing a bit of that much-needed human touch: an electronic glove equipped with nearly 550 pressure sensors that, when worn, can learn to identify individual objects and estimate their weights through tactile information alone. If this holds true, the future of football could be tackling robots with sensory gloves catching and throwing the ball while student-athletes learn to tackle in a safe way. The product is easy and economical to manufacture, carrying a wallet-friendly price tag of only $10 per glove.

TRENDING TOPICS @FNFCOACHES Less than 5% of high school athletes make it to every summer workout. Guess what percentage of high school athletes play sports in college? Yup, you guessed it... Less than 5%! @COACHKURTHINES Why is your coach so demanding?

They see something special in you They have high expectations for you They want you to create good habits They want you to be successful They care about you If your coach pushes you to be your best, don’t be annoyed, be appreciative! @COACHWILCOX55 ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

The weight room is special because it only rewards those that work. It values tenacity over talent. It doesn’t care about playing time. It’s a sanctuary where athletes aren’t subject to scrutiny from the outside world. The weight room is an equal-opportunity equalizer. @RYANHORN45 Speed training and conditioning are not the same. Athletes getting plenty of rest and recovery between sprints is sign #1 of a good speed session. If you can’t stand seeing your athletes resting that much, turn your speed training over to someone who can. @MATTRHEAPHD One of my HC had very different schemes – strayed from the norm – but it was sound. I learned at an early age that it’s ok to be vastly different as long as your scheme is sound. @COACHKIRKTHOR

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Nike’s latest breakthrough is a proprietary material innovation designed to help keep athletes at their optimal temperature so that sweating, overheating or getting chilled won’t interfere with a workout.

Generally, air flow decreases in apparel as you sweat because fabric becomes saturated, but with Nike AeroAdapt it increases. That’s because the moment AeroAdapt senses sweat, the material’s moisture-reactive yarns open the fabric to release body heat and let air in. The wetter the material gets, the more it opens. As the moisture evaporates, the vents close to trap body heat, helping to prevent the athlete from feeling chilled or staying wet during a warm-up or cool down.

THE LATEST PRODUCT FROM VICIS IS THE

ULTIM Cap, intended for use with youth flag football and the quickly expanding competitive 7-on-7 football played during the offseason for youth and high school programs. The target audience is youth and high school football players in those specific areas, but some high school programs are considering the ULTIM Cap for nonhelmeted, in-season practices.

VICIS couldn’t use the same columns it uses in its football helmets to make a soft product viable, but was able to transfer some of the protective technology in the new headgear.

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USA FOOTBALL COACH CERTIFICATION Football season is around the corner – are you ready? Become a better coach with USA Football Coach Certification. Includes: ■■ Core Techniques of Proper Shoulder Tackling ■■ Principles of Blocking and Defeating Blocks ■■ Concussion Recognition and Response ■■ Heat Preparedness and Hydration ■■ Proper Equipment Fitting Refine your coaching methods and gain access to resources that will help guide your team to success. Visit usafootball.com/certification today to start your certification.

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FNF COACHES TALK

The Best Excerpts from FNF Coaches Talk FNF Coaches Talk is a daily post on FNFCoaches.com that shares all of the top stories that coaches are talking about. We dig up creative play calls, explanations of how to out-scheme an opponent, articles from strength trainers on seasonal programs, tips from veteran coaches, funny videos, and more. Visit FNFCoaches.com daily or follow @FNFCoaches to keep up with the daily feed.

Most of the buzz on coaching chat boards this summer revolved around preseason practices and getting back to work. We shared those stories in our daily Coaches Talk posts. Here are some of the more popular posts from July and August.

Football Playbook: What Happens When Absolutely Nothing Works ■■ Gobbler County SB Nation

We know the worst-case scenario for any game plan is when your team can’t execute on game day, and the first couple of series are just a collection of meltdown after meltdown.

But what happens when it isn’t exactly a meltdown; it’s more like a bowl of mush? Nothing that you try within your game plan is working. Your offense can’t get more than one first down in a row and you haven’t managed to cross their 40. What do you do?

Morale-wise, it’s a good idea to get the players at the half, and be positive with them. Not Pollyanna, Joe Pep sort of silly clownish sort of positive, though. That sort of thing gets BS detectors going off and players lose operational respect. This is where it gets tough, and you are going to see what your players are made of, as individuals, units, and a team.

Staying positive is great, but it won’t mean anything unless you show the players how they can improve. To do this, you must have a different game plan for the second half.

Look, pride goeth before the fall. It’s obvious that your game plan is complete poo. It was a thing of beauty an hour ago, during the coach’s pep talk. So you remember that axiom from some old German general… von Moltke… “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” Maybe it’s time to take that advice to heart.

■■ How do you approach the second half when your game plan was a disaster in the first half?

08

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■■ Clemson’s tradition of allowing the fans to swarm the field post-game is one of the best in college football.

The lies coaches tell during training camp

The Coaching Conundrum

Well, we’re getting ready to start training camp in a lot of regions of the country, and we all know we’ll be saying some things that … aren’t true.

This is a funny column with the five biggest lies we tell our players during training camp. I encourage you to read the story, but here are the five.

5. “Every job is open. There are no starters here. It’s a competition.”

4. “Our goal is to win the conference.”

3. “Our strength and conditioning staff made some changes that are really going to pay off during the season.”

2. “We’re only focused on Week 1.”

1. “We don’t pay attention to what the media is saying about us this year.”

The explanations after each one are pretty funny, give it a read!

■■ What is one lie you tell your players during training camp?

Summer is no break for high school coaches, many of whom are working nearly year-round to keep up with the competition and approaching their breaking point.

In Montana, high school coaches are allowed to work with their studentathletes beginning June 1, and for any coach who wants to field a winning team that means the start of the rigorous summer season, filled with camps, tournaments and travel, all unimpeded by class schedules.

Getting the team together after the school year ends, however, is not without its challenges. For one, the schools themselves are not permitted to assist with the summer grind, so the infrastructure (including activities directors) normally in place to help coordinate travel, equipment and meals, and to communicate with

■■ CBS Sports

■■ Flathead Beacon

■■ A coach must always be able to change the game plan when everything is going wrong.

players and parents, is gone. Then there’s the matter of pay, or the lack thereof. No coach is required to get their team together in the summer, so no coach is compensated for the time, and many spend money out of their own pockets to subsidize the team.

But no program with even a modicum of on-court or on-field success takes the month of June off, and no successful coach — all hypercompetitive by nature — would dare to skip the summer and forfeit a competitive edge.

■■ Coaches — How do you motivate yourself to do the job year-round when you’re only getting paid for the fall season?

win or lose, Tigers fans pour onto the field. The coaches and players mingle, take pictures, sign autographs. But every year, at least once, Clemson fans get criticized for “storming the field” after a victory that wouldn’t seem to warrant such celebration.

Nope, it’s just tradition.

Why not incorporate the fans into the postgame celebration? It will make them more likely to return for more games.

Here’s another one that could work with Friday Night Lights.

13. Penn State. Playing in Happy Valley against Penn State is difficult enough because of the size of the crowd and how loud that crowd stays throughout the game. But, for whatever reason, it becomes that much more intimidating when the Nittany Lions hold a whiteout game at night. The entire crowd is decked out in white, on its feet, screaming and chanting, creating an incredible environment. The crowd gets so loud during these games, it has been known to shake the press box.

■■ Of all of your team’s traditions, which is your favorite?

Behold the analytics revolution: If you’re gonna miss, miss fast ■■ 247Sports

There’s a reasonably common question in recruiting that largely defines a program’s overall philosophy: Is it better

to take a great high school player with a lower ceiling or a high-ceiling athlete who lacks polish?

Most programs fall somewhere in the middle of this scale. Some, like an Alabama, can easily get obtain readyto-play freaks. Others, like Baylor, are at the extreme end and target athleticism above all. It’s what helped transform Temple, and it’s a big reason the Bears are projected to take another big jump in Year 3 of the Rhule era.

It’s a numbers-based philosophy that’s slowly seeping into the pores of college football at large.

“I feel like we might value numbers just as much as tape, and maybe even more in some cases,” Baylor recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach Evan Cooper told 247Sports. “We’re a big, big believer in development. Sometimes you get kids who are maxed out whose ceiling might not be as high. We take the approach of what they’ll look like in five years. If he has the requisite size, speed and strength we feel like we can turn them into good football players.

“In recruiting, you miss. You’re going to miss. So, we figure: If you’re going to miss, miss fast.”

■■ If you have two players competing on a starting job, how much do you weigh each player’s physical measurements (size, speed, etc.)?

The best tradition for each Top 25 team ■■ ESPN

July 4, a day rich with traditions like fireworks, cookouts and pool parties.

At this time of year, many high school football coaches are looking to generate enthusiasm around their programs, and nothing helps do that better than starting some fun traditions for fans and players alike.

This story is a fun read heading into Independence Day. It’s a breakdown of the top traditions for each of college football’s top 25 teams.

Here are two of our favorites that can be applied at the high school level.

1. Clemson. The team’s run down the hill into Memorial Stadium before kickoff is the obvious tradition that comes to mind, but the better one to focus on comes after the game — the one uninitiated observers seem to always get wrong, much to Clemson’s consternation. After each game,

■■ Coaches sometimes mislead their players about what’s to come in training camp.

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USA FOOTBALL

How the Advanced Tackling System Builds Upon the Shoulder Tackling System

BY CURTIS PETERSON

I

n 2017, USA Football released Shoulder Tackling System and then

updated certification materials to match. The materials were built in conjunction with the Seattle Seahawks and gave coaches drills and fundamentals to execute an efficient and safer type of tackle.

This year, the Advanced Tackling System was released, building upon the Shoulder Tackling System and the tackling principles taught within the nationally endorsed Heads Up Football program and USA Football’s coach certification.

The Advanced Tackling System uses the 5 Fights progression developed by multi-sport tackling expert Richie Gray during his time in rugby and with the Miami Dolphins. This progression allows the Advanced Tackling System to layer on top of any tackling system a coaching staff may be using, including the existing Shoulder Tackling System.

WHY TWO TACKLING SYSTEMS? The free Shoulder Tackling System and shoulder tackling components of coach certification provide an excellent foundation for three tackle types: ■■ Form Tackle ■■ Thigh & Drive Tackle ■■ Thigh & Roll Tackle Coaches can use this system and that progression to give their athletes a thorough understanding on how to tackle and make contact with the shoulder.

The Advanced Tackling System breaks down and builds the tackle in a new way that applies to any type of tackle, including but not limited to the three types covered in the Shoulder Tackling System.

The goal is to help coaches work with their players and the rest of their staff to understand what separates a poor tackle from an adequate tackle, and ultimately, what separates both of those from a world-class tackle.

As previously mentioned, the Advanced Tackling System leverages the 5 Fights progression, which includes: ■■ Fight to Track ■■ Fight to Prepare ■■ Fight to Connect ■■ Fight to Accelerate ■■ Fight to Finish These are not physical fights. Instead, they represent the struggle and the mental toughness to execute every part of the tackle at the highest level.

Every tackle is composed of those five elements and corresponding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs help coaches work with their players at every step of the progression to develop the skills necessary to improve.

MORE THAN JUST DRILLS The Advanced Tackling System is also more than just a series

10

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of drills. It was truly designed as progression to understand, build up and break down the tackle. Once a coaching staff and their players understand the 5 Fights progression, they can use them to evaluate their performance in game, in film review and in practice.

In-Game Understanding When we tested the Advanced Tackling System with collegiate and high school staffs during the 2018 season, we discovered that players were able to report their own usage of the 5 Fights progression as well as their teammates’ along with the corresponding KPIs. As players feel their own success, they can even note that they may have had a bad clamp and grip when they were Fighting to Connect, or that they left their feet and lost ground when they were trying to accelerate and finish.

Postgame Analysis Evaluation and grading are critical for every team. Most of the time, coaches are looking at effort and schematic execution.

Tackling isn’t often examined with the critical detail necessary to determine success. Tackle analytics aren’t often considered.

Coaches grade the player and simply say the tackle was either made or missed.

With the Advanced Tackling System, coaches are taught how to properly grade and analyze tackles within their scouting tool of choice.

This helps coaches look for areas of strength and weakness, so they don’t have to say, “We missed a lot of tackles so we’re going to practice tackling this week.” Well, if you practice form tackle and thigh and drive, but you’re struggling when it comes to tackling below the knee and taking proper angles in the open field, you’re not fixing the actual problem.

In-Practice Performance From what coaches and players learn in game and in film review, they can apply directly to their practice periods. Coaches can plan and program individual drills from the Advanced Tackling System into their practices to address the flaws that separate their players from executing premier tackles.

GET RESULTS. GET BETTER. GET CERTIFIED. Getting certified means you’re learning critical aspects of the game that impact both you and your players on and off the field.

BLOCKING AND DEFEATING BLOCKS

PROPER SHOULDER TACKLING

HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION

EQUIPMENT FITTING

CONCUSSION IN SPORTS

SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST

TAKE THE NEXT STEP - GET CERTIFIED TODAY Visit usafootball.com/certification to get started

COLLEGE COACHES’ CORNER

I

Q&A with university of

oklahoma coach lincoln riley

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

12

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

n his first two years as head coach at Okla-

homa University, Lincoln Riley has led the Sooners to their 11th and 12th Big 12 titles and a pair of College Football Playoff berths. He was also named the 2018 Co-Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Riley recently joined FNF Coaches for an exclusive interview.

You were a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech in 2003 before becoming a student-coach on Mike Leach’s staff.

Did you always dream of being a coach during your playing career?

“No, I think like most kids, I dreamed of playing in the NFL and felt I could play football forever. As it got toward the end of my career, I thought I’d have an interest in coaching. Once I was done, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything that outside of the game of football. I found myself in a great situation where I could learn about the college game, recruiting, and all that goes into this.”

You’ve been the play-caller for the highest-scoring offense in college football since 2015. How did you develop that ability? Does it come easy to you?

“Oh man, it’s definitely not easy.

There’s no part of this that’s easy. First, I’ll say I’ve been lucky to have been around and learned from a lot of great coaches and people. We’ve had a lot of good minds in the room and good people who are all on the same page. I can’t begin to explain how critical that is to success. It’s never one person; it certainly hasn’t been here. It takes good players, and I’ve had a lot of good players. We’ve always had a clear picture in mind of what we wanted to do offensively. We haven’t gotten too far outside of our beliefs. But we have had the creativity and flexibility to adapt to the talent we have each year when teams try to stop us. We always have a clear vision of who we are and what we want to do.”

What is your process for putting together a game plan?

“It’s a very similar process each week.

We tend to look at our team first, look at the things we feel we can do well. If you don’t have a grasp of what you can and can’t do, game-planning is a waste. Once we have a beat on that, game-planning starts very broad. We’ll watch games

and cut-ups of the other team to get a feel for who they are. Then we’ll look for situations when we might be able to attack. It’s important to empower all of the coaches in the room. If you hire the right people and get the right people in the room, you can split up responsibility for game-planning and opponent evaluation. Then, we get the ideas flowing. At some point, we do have one central voice. But we want to use all of the talent we have in the coaches’ room just like we want to use all of the talent we have on the field.”

So many coaches want to play fast now. What advice would you give a coach who is trying to find ways to call plays more efficiently?

“The best thing we’ve always found is to reevaluate ourselves each year. Find things that slow you down and are unnecessary and eliminate them. It’s amazing how many times we’ll go back on a play call or protection call or adjustment and find a word that’s unused or a signal we can do without. Those little things add up when you’re trying to make things faster and more efficient. My advice is to keep trimming the fat.”

You’ve had back-to-back Heisman winners, so you know something about managing star players. How do you prevent star players from getting inflated egos?

“It’s about the culture you create within the program. If you allow guys to do that, then it’s going to happen. We want guys to have individual goals. We want them to have aspirations of winning individual awards, becoming draft picks, all that. But it has to happen within the team concept.”

Have you discovered any teambuilding activities that have helped your players develop camaraderie?

“For us, what’s awesome is spending time together without our phones in hand. Everyone’s engaged. We give them opportunities to create moments when they can be together without phones or distractions, situations where all they have is each other.”

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portaphone.com 800.233.1113 Is there any technology that you’ve discovered in the last couple of years that you couldn’t live without?

“One tool we’ve used that’s been really beneficial to us is the telestrator screen.

It’s no different from what you see on TV. In meetings, it’s another way to be able to quickly and easily make a point.”

This month’s edition focuses on the

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER THE FOOTBALL BOWL

Subdivision’s youngest head coach (33) at the time of his hiring, Riley holds the OU record for most wins (24-4 record) by a head coach in his first two seasons. No one has won more games in his first two seasons as a college head coach since 1892 and 1993.

“It’s never been something that’s bothered me that much,” Riley said of managing more experienced

relationship between coaches and officials. What is your approach to officials?

“It’s not an easy job with all of the rule changes in the last several years. That’s made their jobs much harder. For me, it’s never personal. I’ve yelled at officials, and they’ve yelled at me. We make mistakes as coaches, and they make mistakes as officials.”

staff members. “In previous years, when I got asked about my age, that was really the only time I thought about it.”

Riley caught the eye of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops during a five-year stint as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at East Carolina from 2010-14.

“My focus was always to do the best job I could do for that team, whether it was as a graduate assistant, position coach or offensive coordinator. I wanted to be

prepared and do the best job I could do. Through that hard work and preparation, I gained confidence that I could do the job. If you believe in yourself and what you’re putting in front of the guys, they’ll believe it too. You also have to understand the other coaches in the room with you are darn good coaches.

One of the great ways to manage a room and make it as efficient as possible is to give guys responsibility, listen and give feedback.”

13

FUNDRAISING

Online Fundraisers Offer Teams Opportunities to build Revenue

W

hat’s the difference between Kickstarter and GoFundMe? Kickstarter is a platform that usually focuses on creative and entertainment

projects. Funding is all-or-nothing, so if the fundraising goal is not achieved, donors get their money back. GoFundMe is a crowdfunding platform designed for individuals and personal causes. There is no all-or-nothing requirement, so any donation is final. Here are some ways in which coaches have used these fundraising platforms.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

GOFUNDME

KICKSTARTER Mason Flick, a master’s candidate

High School football team, raised money for its championship rings through GoFundMe. The team brought home the Class 3 state championship title, but now need to raise money to be able to buy their championship rings, which are $215 a person.

The team has so far raised more than $4,000 towards its $20,000 goal.

at Central Michigan, produced “Ithaca: The Climb” – a story of Ithaca High (Mich.) football, the community, and their 69-game winning streak that put them on a national stage.

The film explains how the Yellowjackets were able to get themselves to the top of the mountain of Michigan high school football – and how the streak came to an end. Featuring in-depth interviews with members of the media, players, coaches, and community members, the story of Ithaca football is told through the eyes of those who experienced some of the best high school football in the past 20 years. The project’s fundraiser brought in $7,570 from 116 backers.

A family of a Minnesota football player turned to

A full-length, narrative

GoFundMe last fall to help drum up funds for legal representation to fight a controversial call. East Ridge High football player Marco Cavallaro was ejected from a game and suspended “4 ½ games” over a targeting penalty. In a letter to MSHSL, which was shared on GoFundMe, the family said the suspension would “effectively end Marco’s high school career and jeopardize his college recruitment.” The campaign raised $1,000.

documentary film, “The Akron Holy War,” highlighted the heated rivalry between two Akron, Ohio parochial high school football powerhouses. Nestled in the comfy confines of Akron sits two parochial football powerhouses, Archbishop Hoban High School and St. Vincent St. Mary (STVM) High School. Each year, these schools breed Division 1 talent en route to bringing home Ohio state football championships. This film showcased how one week of prep for 48 minutes of a football game affected these players for the rest of their lives.

A Lynchburg, West Virginia, team, the 2018 championship-winning Heritage

Supporters of Sincere Davis, a critically injured Page High School (N.C.) senior and football player, organized a GoFundMe fundraiser to help pay for his medical expenses. The fundraiser raised more than $31,000 before Davis died in March of 2019 due to the injuries he suffered as a shooting victim. Page was headed to play football at Guilford College upon graduation in May.

While this one may not be a fundraiser for a particular program, it’s one that may be of interest to high school coaches. A publisher in Texas created “Friday Night Legends,” a board game featuring the greatest Texas high school football teams of all time. The group launched this project as its first Kickstarter, compiling data on Texas high school football teams for 15 years. The trivia game includes history and records dating back more than 100 years.

The Kickstarter raised $3,300 between 16 backers.

14

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

e v o r p m i y l s u o u n i t n o c e

t a d o t p u p e d l Ke r o w e h t h t l wi o o h c s h g i of h ll coaching footba m o c . s e h c a o C F N Visit F

r u o y n o Read Device Mobilemputer or Co

APPS FOR COACHES

Apps for Football Coaches A good coach is always looking for ways to improve the program. We asked our Twitter audience to recommend apps for coaches. Here’s what they shared.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Hudl: The app allows coaches to study the video they’ve uploaded, or capture new video using their device. Coaches can watch an entire game, practice or opponent scout video. Analyze full breakdown data and make notes on each clip. Keep stats and upload video.

GroupMe: 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.

Coach.Me: Create your playbooks with ease.

Everything needed to bring your play to life is just a click away. With state-of-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.

REPu: Everyone who follows professional or college sports is pretty familiar with using their favorite sports app to follow their teams. REPu strives for the same level of engagement and quality to in high school sports. The REPu mobile app is designed to make you feel like you’re using the ESPN, CBS Sports or Bleacher Report App. JustPlay: 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 easy-touse digital coaching tools. Integrate with Hudl/XOS/DVSport video. Print play sheets and scouts.

Twitter: Football coaches can use Twitter to promote their program, coaching staff, players and brand.

Share HUDL videos of players for college recruiters.

Engage with other coaches for networking and mentoring opportunities. And keep track of future opponents and rivals through the Twitter app.

Rack Performance: Using the Rack Performance Application, coaches can customize and schedule workouts, automate specific work and rest times, and follow the analytics of each athlete’s progression. By organizing, automating and tracking each athlete’s accountability, coaches can focus on teaching, motivating and building a winning culture.

16

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

YouTube: One way coaches report using YouTube is when players ask them for demonstrations of correct lifting technique or playing technique and they want to communicate or find videos to share. Coaches can set up a YouTube channel, and grant the players access, and communicate through that medium.

FaceTime/Google Duo: Athletes today prefer to communicate through FaceTime to phone calls, email or even social media. Use your FaceTime app to get face-to-face with them for instruction, individual meetings, or just to check in and form closer bonds with your student-athletes. Coaches can communicate this way as well.

TeamBuildr: A platform for any coach in any setting. Every day, thousands of coaches log into TeamBuildr to write training programs, build questionnaires and access athlete performance data.

Whether you use iPads, Chromebooks or Android, TeamBuildr is fully compatible.

GoArmy Edge Football: GoArmy Edge Football is a FREE game-changing app created by the U.S. Army, that allows coaches to draw their plays on a digital whiteboard. Get mental reps from the first person perspective or any position on the field with real-time 3D graphics. GoArmy Edge Football comes pre-loaded with many example plays and drills for concepts such as formation recognition and RPO reads.

TeamFunded by Txtreme: TeamFunded by Txtreme is a mobile fundraising app for schools and firstresponder organizations. TeamFunded App is an fundraising app which can be used by any school or organization. Through TeamFunded Mobile Application, a registered student/person from respective school or organization can share campaign details via various options such as Facebook, Twitter, SMS, email.

Skordle: Skordle is a social scoring app for high school and club sports. With Skordle, you can keep up with real time score updates for your favorite high school teams. Are you going to a game? Open the Skordle app and submit the score as it happens. With Skordle, you can have all the high school sports scores you want, right in your pocket.

COACHING LEGENDS

From small program to powerhouse TOP ILLINOIS COACH EARNED STRIPES WITH TEAM OF 18 PLAYERS When Sacred Heart-Griffin coach Ken Leonard was at Gridley High School in rural, central Illinois, he had only 18 players during the 1983 season. Now, Leonard coaches at a powerhouse and holds the state record for career wins.

BY DEREK SMITH

The Ken Leonard Profile AGE: 66 SCHOOL: Sacred Heart-

Griffin, Springfield, Ill.

YEARS AT SCHOOL:

36 (1984-2019)

2018 RECORD: 8-3

(playoffs, quarterfinals) STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS:

Five (2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014) COACHING RECORD: 379-74 OTHER SCHOOLS:

Gridley High (Ill.) (1980-1983) NOTE: son, Derek, is state champion-winning head coach at Rochester High (Ill.) ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

■■ Sacred Heart-Griffin (Ill.) coach Ken Leonard

H

e was early in his head coaching career and Leonard was still

learning the ropes of building a program. The school enrolled less than 100 students.

Leonard had just one assistant coach so he had to be innovative when it came to running practice every afternoon.

While he spent only four seasons at Gridley (1980-1983) before leaving for Sacred Heart-Griffin in Springfield, Ill., he took with him original ideas that led him to a 379-74 career record as a head coach.

“I might not have come down here if Gridley would have had enough players. We just ran out of kids,” Leonard said.

Gridley, with a population of 1,432 according to the 2010 census, was a long way from Springfield, the state’s capital with more than 100,000 people. Leonard was comfortable in the small community. He had grown up in nearby Chenoa and won 10 games each in 1981 and 1982. Leonard didn’t want to leave, but the school dropped football.

One of the solutions Leonard developed in order to conduct practice and offseason drills at a small school with so few assistants was to teach his seniors how to be coaches.

Today, many of the former players are, and have been, assistant coaches for him at Sacred Heart-Griffin.

“Now I have more coaches than I had players at Gridley,” Leonard said.

18

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Winningest coach in Illinois high school football history; named the National High School Coaches Association National High School Coach of the Year “The people who are successful are the people who know what they don’t know and are honest with themselves. You become better or you get people around you that know what you don’t know.”

A born-again Christian at a private, Catholic school, Leonard’s motto for his program and team is, “Our goal is to be champions. Our purpose is to Christ-like.”

Character development classes once a week, Leonard says, help build boys into men and makes them better people.

After putting in over 40 years as a coach and being of retirement age, calling it quits has been on his mind before.

A few years ago he experienced a challenging period of time both on the football field and in his personal life that left Leonard considering walking away.

Everything then that could have happened, did,” he said.

His wife of 40 years, Liz, died after a long illness on New Year’s Eve, 2017. Ken wondered if he had the passion to keep coaching the Cyclones.

As luck would have it, he met a special lady at a church grief support group, who also had lost a spouse, and the two married shortly afterwards. He continued coaching at Sacred HeartGriffin and has no plans to retire yet.

“I’ve been blessed,” Leonard said. “I could have not imagined a better life being in teaching and being around young people.”

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TECH CORNER

Digital Piggy Back allows videographer to film wide and tight Digital Piggy Back and Air Link features allow coaches to study game film at multiple angles. By providing wide and tight shots, the technology allows coaches to control the filming process from an Air Link remote-controlled system.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

I’m Matt Starr, Founder and CEO of Sideline Power. Sideline Power works to find and bring cutting-edge technology to the football industry in order to help coaches win.

Sideline Power has partnered with FNF Coaches to create an educational article each month on different innovative products. It’s time to get #PoweredUP with this month’s featured products, Digital Piggy Back and Air Link Communication System.

Digital Piggy Back might not be revolutionary in theory, but it revolutionizes the efficiency of the process. Recording a tight shot and a wide shot has been the standard for decades. But to record two shots either requires two videographers or one videographer who is really good at multi-tasking.

Digital Piggy Back allows a single videographer to film wide and tight from one camera stand with a single pan/tilt control. Sideline Power’s Digital Piggy Back frame mounts two camcorders and controls both of them with a single pan/ tilt handle. For the Digital Piggy Back system, a single remote control operates both cameras’ record/stop functions with one button and also allows independent control of each camera’s zoom in/out feature. The frame has two mounting plates with locking knobs that tilt independent of each other in order to make sure both cameras can capture the same angle. With a waterproof hard case and customer-fit foam to protect camcorders, frame, and accessories, the Digital Piggy Back is a complete system that is ready to hit the road.

While the Digital Piggy Back takes care of your tight and wide shots from the sideline, you still have to spend time

matching up clips from the sideline cameras and the end zone cameras. But, do you?

With Sideline Power’s Air Link Communication System, a single operator can start and stop both the sideline cameras and the end zone cameras with the touch of a button. Don’t waste valuable time matching up angles. Combine the Digital Piggy Back and the Air Link Communication System to match up segments from three different cameras in a fraction of the time. With the Air Link, a remote-controlled communication system transmits “record” and “stop” signals from the press box to the end zone cameras.

Even if you don’t combine Air Link with Digital Piggy Back, Air Link allows you to integrate one sideline camera with one end zone camera. Obviously, the perfect scenario would be a tight and wide side line camera shot linked with an end zone shot, but either of these options is available with this package.

If you would like more information about how Digital Piggy Back and Air Link can help your program get #PoweredUP, visit sidelinepower.com.

MATT STARR FOUNDER AND CEO, SIDELINE POWER

SIDELINE POWER LLC IS THE NO. 1 CHOICE IN COACHING COMMUNICATION

providing a wide variety of coaching headsets, end zone cameras, sideline replay and other technology needs for all athletic programs.

20

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

PLAYBOOK presented by BASIC ZONE BLITZES FOR THE UNDER FRONT DEFENSE

BY JERRY GORDON

Z

DIAGRAM 1

one blitzes from the under front have three things

in common: ■■ There will be five rushers.

■■ There will be three underneath players: two seam/curl/flat defenders and one No. 3 control defender.

■■ There will be three deep players.

The zone blitz can be called on run and pass downs. There will be a mechanism to bring the zone blitz from the field, up the middle and from the boundary.

To create consistency, zone blitzes are run with the Sam set to the field. The Will always sets the front away from the Sam. Although the under defense is always three under and three deep, a different name is given to each coverage based on which three defenders are responsible for the deep thirds. For us, those are: ■■ Rain ■■ Fog ■■ Freeze

Field, Smash, Rain (Diagram 1) “Field” tells the Sam to align to the field.

“Smash” tells the Sam and the Mac they are involved in the stunt. “Rain” tells the safeties that the Rover is the middle third player.

Here are the roles and responsibilities for each defender: Sam. Contain blitz. Since he is in zone coverage, the Sam does not have to cover the running back flare as he normally would.

End. He takes a “long stick,” angling two gaps using a crossface technique. Crossface technique means if the guard comes at the end, the end crosses his face. If his face goes away from the end, the end should heel line trail.

Nose. Tag steps into the opposite A gap, reading the V of the neck of the offensive guard.

Tackle. Loop to the offensive tackle using a crossface technique. The tackle is the contain player versus pass.

Bandit. Stomp and drop technique. He takes two hard tag steps to the outside (stomp), and if the run does not appear, he drops to play seam/curl/ flat. If a swap call comes from the Will, the Will becomes the seam/curl/flat player, and the Bandit becomes the No. 3 control player. The Will makes this call when it is decided that the Bandit cannot, because of his position or athletic ability, perform

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FIELD SMASH RAIN

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

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the seam/curl/flat function. This call usually occurs when No. 2 removes himself from the core of the formation (pro/twins) to the side of the Will.

Mac. Blitzes the B gap behind the end using cloudy/clear rules 4. If the B gap is closed and action is to him, he scrapes one gap wider. If the B gap is open, he maintains B gap responsibility.

Will. No. 3 control player versus the pass. Regular under rules versus the run. Makes a swap call if necessary Free. Seam/curl/flat player versus the pass. If a tight end is No. 2, the free is also a C gap and quarterback player with action to him. If No. 2 is a wide receiver, the free is a secondary contain player with action to him.

Rover. Middle third Corners. Outside third

Variation: Field Strike Rain (diagram 2) The Sam now executes a long stick using crossface technique on the offensive tackle to attack the B gap.

If the tackle’s face goes away from the Sam, the Same heels line trail.

The Mac now becomes the contain blitzer. For simplicity, the “I” in “Strike” can signify to the Sam to come inside and the end to go inside.

■■ Jerry Gordon has coached with the Boston Breakers of the USFL; on the college level at Northeastern, UMass and Yale; and at the high school level at Sandwich (Mass.) and Potomac Falls (Va.).

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

GOAL LINE defense WITH an UNDER FRONT

GOAL LINE COVER 4 VERSUS DOUBLE TIGHT

DIAGRAM 1

JERRY GORDON

n

othing changes enthusiasm within a game like a

successful goal line stand.

This defense is called Goal Line Cover 4 and should only be played when the offense presents two tight ends and a minimum of two running backs. The great thing about this goal line package is the similarities it has with the under front, which will minimize teaching and allow your defense to play with more confidence under pressure.

Goal Line Cover 4 uses the same aggressive coverage reads in a regular in field defense. There are two 9 techniques, so you have to make a decision whether to play your Rover, backup Sam or another player as the second 9 technique and train them to do the skills required.

Goal Line Cover 4 is played with two 2i techniques with the nose and the tackle. In goal line defense, the Bandit always lines up in a 5 technique unless the defense is tagged with a call.

The Mac and the Will line up in 30 techniques about 3½ to 4 yards off the line of scrimmage.

The Mac and Will reads remain the same in goal line defense as they are in the under defense.

The Sam uses his same alignment rules that he uses in the regular under defense.

The defensive backs play approximately 5½ to 6 yards from the line of scrimmage.

This goal line defense will always have two look players and a sky call to both sides of the defense. If the offense presents a wide receiver, the corner to his side plays man-to-man.

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Goal Line Cover 4 Versus Double Tight The corner and the free are look players, and both have a sky call to their side. The other corner is man-to-man on the wide receiver (diagram 1).

The closer you are to the goal line, the tighter the man-to-man corner should play. Many teams like to play the man corner from press coverage.

When there are three backs in the backfield, both corners have a sky call to their side (diagram 2). The free must balance up since the offense is balanced.

When there is an offset running back, the free must offset to the side of the extra running back to create even numbers on both sides of the ball (diagram 3). Creating even numbers means that the offense and the defense will have the same number of players on both sides of the ball.

The Mac linebacker also moves to a 20 technique because of the extra defender to his side. If the offset back were on the other side, the Will moves to a 20 technique.

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Goal Line Cover 4 variations Goal line, as with any other base defense, can be adjusted to help stop the offense’s best plays. Use film study or personal scout study to determine the offense’s best goal line plays. Many of the same calls that applied in the under defense also apply to the goal line defense.

Goal Line Pinch The Bandit and the end both execute a pinch call (diagram 4).

Obviously, this call is good when an inside run is expected.

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PLAYBOOK presented by APPLYING A COUNT SYSTEM IN AN OPTION OFFENSE

GO READ DIVE

DIAGRAM 1 3

F

BY C. RAY GREGORY

E

identifying alignments, fronts, coverages, stunts and blitz reads. Many presnap reads, calls and signals must be prepared to have a chance for a successful play.

If part of a team’s offensive package has an option phase, this requirement should be consistent with the general premise of adding ideas into the offensive system.

Option offenses count and identify one, two and three defenders who are used as reads for dives and pitches as well as to help designate whom to block. In our offensive system, we use a count system as our form of communication and identification on every play. We are ready to check and call plays from the line of scrimmage as well as have calls made by other members of the offense. The count is the first phase of our efforts to establish these rules.

The count starts from the center playside, inside-out, as our linemen identify this defender as our dive read (diagram 1). This defender must be on the line of scrimmage. Mid-line count starts from the playside guard out – from a 2i out to a 5 technique. Triple count starts from the playside tackle 4i out technique.

If we read No. 1 for our dive read, he will not be blocked. The quarterback will read his actions and either give the football to replace the read or locate the No. 2 defender for the pitch player. The quarterback must be ready to either keep or pitch the football. If the read does not take the dive back, the quarterback should keep the ball and replace the dive read or continue to the second defender who is in a stack-look area read.

We use single, one-way reads on mid-line as a dive read. We also employ speed and counteroption plays to read as the pitch man. One exception would be triple-option play against an even 4-3 look reading the Mike linebacker as the No. 1 read.

We also count and identify the No. 2 defender, looking for a pitch player or a dive read. He will not be blocked, regardless of whether this defender is on the line of scrimmage. If he’s not on line of scrimmage, the quarterback should look at linebacker’s depth. Is the No. 2 defender lined up outside or stacked with the No. 1 defender?

We have double-reads as two-way goes.

Our double-option entails reading two opponents, who will be read and not be blocked. This

24

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very offense has its own way of communicating and

football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

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

situation entails our mid-line triple option, which is good against odd-stack looks. This play facilitates getting the football outside quickly on pull-pitch scenarios. In these situations, we are ready for both blood and easy stunts. Triple mid-line cowboy assigns the dive back to block the No. 1 defender. It is also good against odd stack and stunts.

In the triple option, you must always count to three. Because this defender could be a linebacker or a safety, he would be blocked on most all option plays, either by the slot or the receiver.

One variation of the triple is utilizing an H call in which the slot blocks the No. 2 defender. The quarterback reads the No. 1 defender for dive. If the read takes the dive back, he then keeps the football, goes up the alley and pitches the ball to the pitch man.

On triple base, both the playside tackle and the slot block No. 1 and No. 2. It is great way for the quarterback to get in the alley and upfield with a pitch player riding with him. Depending on what No. 3 does, the quarterback can either keep the ball or pitch it to the pitch man.

On triple or mid-line cowboy, the dive back is assigned to block No. 1, which helps the quarterback with his reads. This approach is great against teams that are taking the dive back.

The outside veer playside tackle base-blocks No. 1 and the dive back must change his track to the inside leg of the playside tackle. The next player out is the dive read. The playside slot load-blocks with the playside guard.

Every phase must be accounted for on all option plays. Getting correct checks and calls start with everyone being on the same page. Defenders against the dive read and the pitch player will only be blocked with buzz words added into a core play. The blocking scheme is set signals made before the play is initiated unless the game clock dictates otherwise.

Key Coaching Points ■■ Teach team offense.

■■ Reinforce the importance of making contact and running their feet, while blocking.

■■ Make sure all players understand the count.

■■ Make sure all players can to communicate and identify the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 defenders.

■■ Make sure all players understand their assignments, using rules and buzz words to help them remember.

■■ Make sure all players can apply tags, using the appropriate count and rules.

DIAGRAM 51 3

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Option scheme cheat sheet Option Type Read No.

Pitch No.

Mid-Line Mid-Line Triple Triple Triple H Triple Base Counter Speed Outside Veer

None (Show Only) No. 2 No. 2 No. 3 No. 3 No. 2 End man on LOS No. 3

No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 None None None No. 2

■■ C. Ray Gregory has been the slot backs coach at Bethune-Cookman University since 2008. With more than two decades of experience, he also has coached at Southern Utah, Millsaps, Hines (Miss.), Georgia Southern, Hawaii, Itawamba and Buffalo. Three of his teams won NCAA rushing titles while running his renowned option offensive system.

25

PLAYBOOK presented by SPRINT OUT CONCEPTS

SPRINT OUT CURL

DIAGRAM 1

BY C. RAY GREGORY

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print out packages add value to offensive play-

books. They assist all 11 on offense, the line gets different angles on defenders, the receivers get deeper routes, and the backs can either set the edge or run routes and the quarterback gets to throw on the run. It’s fun for all.

Offensives with athletic quarterbacks who can run the football add even more opportunities to attack the edge with the football in hand, moving forward toward the line of scrimmage with eyes downfield looking to make a decision to either throw the football or keep it.

Getting your quarterback rolling out moves the pocket and improves ways to protect him. It helps your offensive against the blitz, and allows your QB to outrun it or run away from it. It is harder to play man with no rush, and zone blitzes have even less effect against it.

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SPRINT OUT COMEBACK

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DIAGRAM 3

Protections The best plans are the simplest. The same holds true for sprint out protection.

First, you must set the edge with either the playside tackle, tight end or back. That means blocking the end player on the line of scrimmage, the defensive player with contain responsible, who will need to be hooked and pined inside. If the edge is not set, this will force the quarterback to pull up, causing time issues and taking away his ability to run the football or allowing backside defenders to get involved in the play.

Linemen can hinge using a drop step and turning their butts to the side the quarterback is sprinting toward, forming a wall. They now will block the gap in front of them attacking anyone that crosses the face. They make contact and run their feet looking for work.

Next, they all will climb up, aiming at the outside shoulder of the nearest outside threat, looking to make contact at any point but only running three hard steps. This will give defense a false run read.

Once the target is inside, put hands on him to force him into the backfield or into the line of scrimmage.

Against a three-player defensive front, you may consider a puller from the other side of the offensive line. Why not get another guy over? This may allow you to get another receiver out in the route.

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READ CORNER VERTICAL

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Quarterback The QB will need to get depth if lined up under center. Based on his throwing arm, he will need to get deeper on his opposite arm so he can get square his shoulders as he attacks the line of scrimmage.

For a right-handed quarterback, start with seven yards deep to his right and nine yards deep to his left.

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

If lined up in the pistol, it would be three yards to the right and five yards to the left.

The shotgun would be three to the right five to the left. These steps could be adjusted based on height and speed of the quarterback, but this will give you some idea of a starting point.

He will look to get downhill with his eyes on a read, looking to throw the ball first and run second. This could change based on down, distance and game plan.

His pass reads will be a one-man read, which most of the time is the corner.

This will tell him were to throw or run.

Recognition in routine pre-snap read or during play development starts with reading man to man coverage. That means he looks to throw to our best match-up or run the football. He will need to understand his speed with the football while moving forward attacking the line of scrimmage ready to throw a pass or keep it. His decision all based on timing routes perfected during practice repetitions. He will always take care of the football, using the sidelines to his advantage and knowing when to slide getting down to avoid contact.

Based on your quarterback arm strength, adjust route depths, look to time up throws and break as you practice.

Backs The number of backs in the backfield will allow play caller options of who blocks and who is in the route. The protection could be setting the edge or next gap out.

The back will attack the defender’s outside leg, looking to get his inside shoulder on the defender’s outside leg.

His route begins just as he gets past the end player on the line of scrimmage.

As a checkdown, he can be a safe, easy toss while defenders close in on the quarterback. Use the flats up to eight yards downfield for route depth if you’re not concern with timing. Go deeper on occasion to keep the defense honest.

If using more than one back, mix up who is running the route and who is blocking first level out.

Lining up under center, pistol or in gun will determine timing and assignments.

Backs set play side have better angles get out in routes and setting the edge.

Offensive line Blocking rules vary with

understanding of concept from play call.

Many are mentioned above.

Rule No. 1 will always be looking to get defender to the inside. They will use their pass work techniques at different angles and will use hinge, inviting defenders inside while looking to pin inside, taking away the ability to get to the football outside. They need to know how far they can get downfield before it is a penalty.

Tight end The tight end will either set the edge or be in the route. He may also use a block first and slip out late in to the route.

Having him in the route means that the edge must be set by the running back or playside tackle based on the way they are playing the tight end. His routes can include flats or bench routes, easy stops in the flats were the defender has vacated the area. He could run deeper routes such as a sail or corner route.

Receivers Receivers must run routes full speed understanding that we are shorting the field down to a third of our normal passing game area, so your landmarks must be understood with little or no drifting.

All backside routes look to get across the field, looking for a soft spot, only crossing the hash by a couple of steps.

We are looking for eye contact, trusting the quarterback to throw ahead of us to that soft spot.

We need good releases from all to keep the timing of the throws. Each will need to get correct depth and routes working their areas to help space the plays, allowing quarterback time to get to the edge and make his reads.

Looking to move the pocket and get the ball downfield allow you to throw longer passes. Just understand your quarterback’s arm strength and the speed of your receivers. This will help you set your route depth. The routes in the drawings below are suggestion – not set in stone.

The route combinations could be changed with tags such as “swap,” where you are trading routes with your No. 1 and No. 2 receivers. Mix things up and get more for opponents to work on, but work basic concepts first. Once they are mastered, look to add changes or additions just as you would other parts of your passing game.

HEY

There is a shortage of officials in high school sports across the nation, and research suggests that’s due to the abuse these part-time employees take from coaches, parents and fans. Let’s work to improve this situation.

REF! …Let’s Work Together

■■ Above: Grissom High (Ala.) coach Chip English and referee David Bell

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We spent the summer talking to coaches and officials about how the relationship could be improved, and the word that kept coming up was “perspective.”

Perspective. It’s important for coaches to maintain a healthy perspective during a game. Yes, this is your livelihood, and yes, we understand the time and energy that goes into preparing for each Friday night. But it’s also a game – one in which we strive to teach student-athletes how to handle adversity and treat others with respect.

Perspective. It’s what we need the next time we think about dressing down a referee in plain sight in front of players, parents and fans. This part-time employee that you’re preparing to berate is likely taking on this role because he loves the game, wants to stay around it, needs a few extra bucks for his bank account, and puts in unpaid hours that you don’t see during the week brushing up on new rules and tendencies.

Perspective is what we need before we set the tone for our team in how to handle a blown call.

Parents and players are watching. If we lose our cool, they will too. And then you have a sideline and bleacher section filled with people abusing these people who are critical to the Friday night football experience. Let’s work together to keep a healthy perspective and support each other.

What’s Being Done About the Officiating Crisis?

There’s a shortage of high school officials in almost every sport, including football.

In some communities the shortage is critical and high school games are being either postponed or cancelled. Organizations across the country are coming up with solutions.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

WHO MAKES A GOOD OFFICIAL? IT’S A JOB ■■ officials cite the verbal abuse they can during games for the reason they leave the profession.

In some areas around the country, Friday Night Lights has moved to Thursday evening or even Saturday afternoon games. The shortage of officials is forcing schools to move games from nights other than Friday to accommodate all games.

“You can’t play the game without us,” said Michael Fitch, executive director of the Texas Association of Sports Officials. “If you turn on the lights and there aren’t any officials, what are you going to do?”

While the relatively meager pay and inconvenient hours may be part of the reason, most officials leaving the profession cite the abuse they take from spectators as the primary factor.

“There’s certainly been surveys done that the overwhelming reason individuals leave the vocation of officiating is the abuse they take primarily from parents,” said Bruce Howard of the National Federation of State High School Associations. “For most officials, it’s a secondary job that helps them stay involved in a sport they love while making a little extra money on the side. When you have people berating them from the stands, it’s not worth it.”

Here are some programs that have been launched to address the officiating crisis.

NFHS marketing campaigns: In 2017, the National Federation of State High School Associations started a national officials recruitment campaign targeting high schools. Posters titled “The Final Whistle? – Not So Fast” emphasize that “The High Schools in Your State Need New Officials.” Last

year, the NFHS released an editorial, “Dear Mom and Dad … Cool it.”

HighSchoolOfficials.com: This year, NFHS added a new program targeting policemen, firemen, first responders and ex-military as potential officials.

The organization also launched the website: https://highschoolofficials.com/. There, anyone in the nation who wants to become an official can enter his/her information, and a member from that person’s state association will follow up to provide information on training. More than 16,000 people have applied through the site in the last year.

Battlefield to Ballfields: Former NFL official Mike Pereira started a national initiative, Battlefield to Ballfields, which is geared toward getting veterans involved in officiating. It reimburses their local and state dues, cost of training and any equipment needs. Veterans who are interested in becoming officials can register at battlefields2ballfields.org Students Today Are Referees Tomorrow: START asks high school coaches to identify prep players who love their sport but might not have the talent to play at the next level and might have an interest to stay involved through officiating.

Player recruitment: The Texas Association of Sports Officials is just one organization that is challenging every varsity coach to encourage at least one or two players on their team to consider officiating at lower-level games. Fitch believes players have a “game IQ” that could help them officiate games.

description unlike any other – that of a high school football official.

It’s important to have some athleticism, particularly for officials like the back judge who might run as much as 6-8 miles per game. It’s important to be able to command respect and make calls with confidence. And it’s important to be able to take when it comes to the give-and-take with coaches and spectators.

“I don’t think the answer is finding people who are good at being yelled at,” said Bruce Howard with the National Federation of State High School Associations. “That’s not the route we want to go. We want to change the culture. That’s not acceptable behavior toward officials.”

Howard did offer some suggestions for prospective officials: ■■ Former high school or college athletes ■■ Firefighters, police officers, first responders ■■ Shift workers with flexibility on nights/ weekends

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COACH VS. REF

Officiating From a Coach’s Perspective We like to say that our interactions with officials never get personal, but in what professional setting is it commonplace to berate the support staff? Coaches have a responsibility to maintain a professional rapport with the officiating crew.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

■■ A coach can alert officials of any trick plays or unusual plays during the pregame to decrease the likelihood of an inadvertent whistle.

GET PARENTS ON THE SAME PAGE BRUCE HOWARD OF

Grissom High (Ala.) coach Rodney English admits he occasionally screams at game officials. Why does he do it? Well, for a variety of reasons, actually.

“You want them to know when they mess up,” English said. “You want guys to feel like their coach is fighting for them. I’m competitive too. I want the best opportunity to win football games.”

That being said, English doesn’t expect his yelling will result in the referee changing a call.

“No, very rarely do calls get changed,” English said. “We’re not even looking for them to make it right by making a phantom call. If someone is holding my defensive end, and they score around that end, I’m going to be yelling, ‘This is what’s happening, this is why they scored. Don’t miss it again.’”

Sierra Canyon School (Calif.) coach Jonathan Ellinghouse struggled with maintaining his composure on the sideline in his early years as a coach. After 20 years, he has learned to put himself in the official’s cleats.

“The biggest thing for me was I decided to be a softball umpire,” Ellinghouse said. “That was a turning point for how I act and how I treat people.

I learned how to get what you want without embarrassing anyone.”

English and Ellinghouse offered the following tips for coaches when dealing with officials.

Find your preferred crew. In English’s state of Alabama, coaches can request their preferred officiating crew. In Ellinghouse’s state of California,

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the officiating crew can request a particular game. In both cases, maintaining a positive rapport with the officials can lead to coaches getting their preferred crews.

“The best officials pick the games they want, so if they don’t pick your games, you’re getting the worst officials,” Ellinghouse said.

Use one voice to complain. Set the expectations for your assistants and players that all complaints about officiating will come from the head coach.

“I always say if someone is going to argue a call, it’s going to be me,” English said.

Communicate before the game. Have a trick play that might confuse an official and prompt an inadvertent whistle? Share that before the game.

“I always share any unusual plays or formations,” English said. “I try to have a great relationship going into the game.”

Don’t show them up. Keep your back to the bleachers when challenging officials so that parents can’t see the confrontation. Don’t wave your arms or stomp your feet.

“They don’t want to be made to look like fools,” English said.

Try it yourself. Ellinghouse said his experience as an official served as a turning point in his relationship.

“I think putting officials in coaches’ shoes would be good too,” Ellinghouse said. “It’s a twoway street.”

the National Federation of State High School Associations believes that a coach or athletic director should be responsible for setting the expectations for parents about the proper treatment of officials.

“The perfect scenario is that the athletic director lays it all out at a preseason meeting,” Howard said.

English said the biggest problems in his region take place at the youth level, where there is a mix of inexperienced officials and parents standing right on top of the field.

“The quality of officials at the lower levels can be a problem,” English said.

“In high school, we have a track around the field, so they’re not on top of us.”

Howard believes coaches can still diffuse tense situations at that level by modeling good behavior.

“If a coach does it the right way, there’s a better chance the parents and fans will follow,” Howard said.

Officiating from an Official’s Perspective Officiating seems to be the perfect side job for someone who loved playing football and wants to remain close to the game. But the job is anything but perfect when that sense of nostalgia is clouded by abuse from coaches, players and fans.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Alabama High School Athletic Association referee trainer David Bell has seen his nightmare play out dozens of times.

An eager officiating prospect comes to him looking for training. The official goes through the training, and is assigned to youth football games. Overzealous parents then abuse the inexperienced official. The official chooses not to return for a second season.

“What’s bad in that lower level of officiating is we also don’t have more qualified coaches,” said Bell. “It’s usually dads who don’t necessarily know the rules. The parents are extremely tough on officials.

They’re starting in the worst situation they can start in.”

Yes, officiating isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, particularly when you consider the amount of training required.

“There’s an aspect of abuse per dollar per hour,” said Alabama State and District Referee Camp Instructor Jason Elin. “A lot of guys would probably get paid less if they didn’t have to deal with the abuse.”

Bell and Elin shared five ways in which officials can set themselves up for success.

A Transition Process. The natural starting point for an official would figure to be the lowest level of play. But Bell believes that is the most difficult environment for an inexperienced official because players are committing penalties on virtually every play, officials need to use their discretion for what to call and what to let slide, and argumentative parents stand along the sideline.

“What we try to do is get new officials involved at the varsity level early,” Bell said. “We take them through pregame with more experienced officials. We’ll let them track penalties from the sideline. That gets them experience.”

Communication. Bell finds each head coach before the game and asks if either is planning to run any usual plays.

Then, he promises that if there’s confusion about any call, he will not make the coach waste a timeout to get an explanation.

Elin also takes time to explain each call so as to avoid a blow-up from a coach.

“Clearly and succinctly explaining rules as they are applied helps a lot,” Elin said. “Coaches have to know the rules, but they don’t have to be experts. Sometimes it helps if we can explain why and how a rule is being enforced.”

■■ Some states are assigning police officers to patrol the sideline at games to curtail the abuse of officials.

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Training. Elin, a back judge, tracks the mileage he runs

during a game on a GPS watch. He once logged 10 miles in a game between two high-octane offenses. He runs half marathons and marathons to stay in shape.

On the mental side, officials start training on new rules during the second week of July. They read the rule book front to back each season. They also have weekly meetings for study sessions.

“The physical part is the toughest as we get older,” Bell said.

“When it comes time for the playoffs, the officials that have been in classes and know the rules have priority.”

Protection from abusive parents. The state of Alabama has started assigning police officers to each game to control abusive fans.

“We have rules set up where parents cannot get on the field,” Bell said. “Police will step in and take care of it before it gets bad.”

A culture change. Booing and complaining about officiating seems to be as American as apple pie, but should it be?

“The most important part is changing the atmosphere,” Elin said. “I think fans yell because they’ve always done so. They think part of the admission price is they get to berate officials.

That has to be changed as a culture.”

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COACH VS. REF

How to Communicate with Officials It’s easy to show respect for an official during the pre-game when coaches typically exchange pleasantries with the men in stripes. It’s a far different thing to maintain that level of respect when a coach feels his team has been wronged.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

■■ A coach should model respectful behavior toward officials for his players.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION MORE THAN ANYTHING,

Most coaches have experienced the feeling of having to digest a blown call that may swing the outcome of the game in the opposition’s favor. Blood pressure starts rising, it feels like steam is coming out of our ears, and we find the nearest official to scream at, don’t we?

Well, that’s not what we should be doing, according to sports performance psychologist Bill Cole, MS, MA, founder of Mental Game Coaching.

“A coach is a role model and a leader in the community,” Cole said. “Leaders don’t act like jerks.”

Cole believes that a coach’s treatment of officials is shaped well in advance of a game or even a season. He offered some tips for coaches when communicating with officials.

Make a pledge to respect officials. “It’s all about attitude and being strategic,” Cole said. “Sit down with your coaches in the beginning of the season and say, ‘We’re not going to act like jerks this season. We’re going to be beyond reproach.’

Set the standard for the entire team.”

Consider the trickle-down effect. “Coaches aren’t aware of the effects they’re having on a 360-degree radius,” Cole said. “They see a bad play, they get upset, they’re raging, and then they tell their players to settle down and play with self-control. It’s a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do dichotomy.”

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Don’t get personal. “Be professional. Have selfcontrol,” Cole said. “A coach wants to show he’s not going to take any guff, but you can still be respectful without taking any guff.”

Consider the end game. “Be mindful of your influencing skills. When a ref makes a bad call, consider two things. Can I get the ref to change the call? If that’s possible, consider the best way to go about that. Second, moving forward, can you make an impact on the ref that he’ll think twice about making a bad call again? Fear is generally not a good motivator.”

Model behavior for the players. Do you want your players to scream at officials when they get upset? No. Then practice what you preach.

“A lot of coaches totally miss the boat and go off the deep end,” Cole said. “They’re doing it wrong.

In an executive position, you take charge. Leaders have a responsibility to set the standard.”

Breathe. “The preparation of how to handle stress in the moment is forged weeks ahead,” Cole said. “Practice deep breathing, mindfulness and meditation. These are pregame decisions.

You don’t start doing those things when emotions get hot. Otherwise, you’re unlikely to follow through. If you’re trying to implement stress management techniques in the middle of an altercation, it’s too late.”

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when an official gets a call wrong, we as coaches want an explanation. We don’t need a make-up call or reversal. We just want to know why it happened.

Bob Arnone was a football official before founding Get It Right Enterprises, an online teaching tool for officials. He’s been on the receiving end of many rants from coaches, and he has one piece of advice for coaches in avoiding these meltdowns.

“Ask the official what he saw,” Arnone said. “So many times, that simple question can diffuse a confrontation because it gives the official an opportunity to explain how difficult the job can be. Maybe the back judge had to run across the field with his back to the quarterback. By the time he got in position to make a pass interference call, he had a fraction of a second to process the play.”

INNOVATOR’S SPOTLIGHT

Get It Right allows officials to get reps on their own schedule Each month, FNF Coaches selects a product that makes the game safer or more enjoyable for players, and allows a representative from that company to share the benefits of the product. For the preseason edition of FNF Coaches, we’ll feature Get It Right.

BY BOB ARNONE, FOUNDER OF GET IT RIGHT

How would you like to improve your performance by getting in reps—on your schedule—without disrupting practices and not putting player safety at risk? Welcome to Get It Right!

Think of a Madden® Football video game; but built for officials with a focus on NFHS Rules. Get It Right is exactly that, and it is the only program like it in the world and is recognized as a “game changer” by the National Association of Sports Officials.

Our 2019 NFHS products include over 100 NFHS Rules animations so we are now offering a rules-only product to coaches who may not want the deluxe product that includes officials’ mechanics and an evaluation module.

I started officiating high school football in 2001 as I was preparing to retire from the Army in 2002. I was looking for a way to stay in shape and continue contributing to society. I found that in officiating. I also found how challenging it is to understand and apply the rules while keeping the players safe and the game fair.

I was exposed to modeling and simulation technologies the military was developing to improve training and thought, “Why not officiating?” So, upon leaving the defense industry in 2012, I founded Get It Right Enterprises, LLC. So, what problems are addressed by Get It Right?

Learn the Rules. We know what a “back” is in a scrimmage formation; but look at NFHS Rule 2-32-3 because those details (and others) will determine if you have a legal scrimmage formation according to 7-2-5a. So, as we train officials and as coaches explain to the players the various “…planes through the waist..” we show it!

Teach Officials Preventative Officiating. Get It Right presents game situations from the officials’ perspective on the field. The umpire can get in reps watching chop blocks so it is recognized immediately during the game. More importantly, if a player is observed consistently going low, the umpire can talk to that player and get word to the sideline to preclude that player from getting hurt, hurting an opponent, or causing a 15-yard penalty to the team.

Improve Communications; Determine Replay Challenges. Have an issue with a call? Rather than telling the official, “That’s a terrible call,” a more productive conversation would be, “That defensive player had a knee on the ground, that is not hurdling.”

Manage Practice Time. Use Get It Right animations in a classroom setting to teach players the rules and focus the limited on-field practice time to game preparations.

Easy to Get; Easy to Use. The price is amazingly affordable. Download to your laptop/desktop. Mobile versions are also available.

Check us out at GetItRightTraining.com.

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ONLINE: GETITRIGHTTRAINING.COM EMAIL: INFO@GETITRIGHTTRAINING.COM FACEBOOK: @GET-IT-RIGHT-ENTERPRISES TWITTER: @GETITRIGHTLLC

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

THE CLIP BY PORTA PHONE

A Breakthrough “Outside the Helmet” Coach To Player Communication System

BY JOHN HOOPER, PORTA PHONE FOUNDER

T

he Porta Phone CLIP is a revolutionary Coach to Player communicator. What makes

The CLIP system totally unique is that rather than being installed inside a player’s helmet, this powerful wireless receiver is worn externally on the practice jersey. Since listening volume is totally adjustable, a coach can speak to a single player or all 11 players in a huddle.

At the heart of each complete system is The CLIP itself, a miniature speaker housed in a protective neoprene enclosure with a military steel clip. Not only a teaching tool for practice, on game day The CLIP becomes a wireless player phone allowing a press box coach to instruct a player or even multiple players on the sideline. This versatility allows your staff to utilize The CLIP all season long, even on Friday nights.

Set-up and operation of this system couldn’t be easier. Just charge up The CLIP’s internal battery (charging sled provided), turn it on, and snap it onto any player’s jersey. The coach is provided with a Porta Phone GOLD series wireless headset that features a radio inside the ear cup (no beltpack required) and can speak with players anywhere within a 400 yard range.

Check out these “Outside Of The Helmet” CLIP benefits: ■■ No NOCSE helmet certification considerations ■■ Instantly transferrable among players on offense or defense ■■ Share between athletes without concern for hygiene ■■ Use during the regular season as a wireless press box-to-sideline player phone A complete Coach-to-Player football system including The CLIP and Porta Phone GOLD series wireless headset starts at $795. Adding additional CLIP receivers, unlimited users, can be done at a minimal cost of $130 each. Porta Phone can even supply a custom CLIP system allowing coaches to switch between offensive and defensive players wearing a CLIP and operating on separate channels. Rechargeable batteries, charger, and a padded soft-side case for convenient storage and transport included.

SINCE 1961, THE PORTA PHONE COMPANY HAS

been the leading supplier of rock-solid football coach headsets. To learn more about The CLIP or to see Porta Phone’s complete line-up of wireless headsets, visit portaphone.com

WORN OUTSIDE THE HELMET

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TD 900 “HD” Wireless by Porta Phone 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.

For detailed product specification call Porta Phone or visit portaphone.com to see updated videos and tutorials.

MSRP: $1,850 TO $3,995 – DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF COACHES WEBSITE: PORTAPHONE.COM

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Road to the Rings: California Coach Shares His Championship Formula Each month, Legend Rings sponsors a Q&A with a champion high school coach. The supplier of custom championship rings has worked with many championship teams over the years, outfitting coaches and players with keepsakes following memorable seasons.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Jonathan Ellinghouse has been the head coach at Sierra Canyon School (Calif.) for the last 13 seasons.

He led Sierra Canyon to CIF championships in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2018. FNF Coaches recently connected with Ellinghouse for an interview.

You’ve been racking up championships over the last few years. What has been the key to your success?

“We have a small independent school, and I really think we’ve been fortunate with a mix of smart kids who are talented physically. We create teams that are tight-knit, and the players care about one another. It’s not always the most talented team that wins the championship. When push comes to shove, you want kids who want to be there to fight for their teammates. That’s what we’ve had.”

What type of scheme do you run on offense and defense?

“We run a 4-2-5 defense, and we’re multiple on offense. We’ve gotten to where we’re good at running as an RPO team. We have lots of fronts, motion and personnel groupings.”

How do you stay on top of the trends of high school football?

“Part of it is just trying to be creative and staying ahead of defenses. We’re always going to

clinics and tapping into college coaches. We spent a week at the University of Utah watching film and dissecting what they did. We try to stay on the cutting edge, but it’s always good to be strong up front along the offensive line regardless of what you’re running.”

What are you doing during this time of year for team-building exercises?

“Our program is pretty unique. We’re not competing at the highest level of competition in California. Our staff works as one. We don’t have JV or freshmen programs, so we basically have starters and futures. We develop them on a daily basis and practice as one team. Those guys get to know us at a young age and what we expect.

A brotherhood forms when they’re together for four years. They figure out how to be good leaders and find out what the guys before them did.

“We won a championship last year, and the freshmen were a big part of it. We found a niche there. We do overnights and barbecues. We really sit down with kids and explain what we want it to be like, how we want them to act, and how to take care of each other.”

Do you identify your leaders each season, or does that happen organically?

“That’s all forged in the weight room. A big part of it having a kid who is a leader is taking other kids under his wing. When they can see how another player made them feel great, that’s how you create leadership.”

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SOCIAL MEDIA

7 Social Media Influencers in High school Football Some high school football coaches simply have a knock for controlling the conversation on Twitter. These coaches use the medium for promoting their programs, talking X’s and O’s, sharing insider tips, and making recommendations for products that help their teams win. We put the spotlight on these social media influencers.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Kurt Hines, Coronado High (Calif.)

■■ Handle: @CoachKurtHines ■■ Followers: 36.7K ■■ On Twitter since: Jan. 2014 ■■ Approach to Twitter: “Educate,

What helped you build an audience? “When I began #TXHSFBCHAT in January of 2015, the weekly chat had maybe 10 or 15 coaches participating. The chat has grown to 16,000 followers.”

empower and connect!”

How do you use Twitter to market your program? “I really don’t use the chat to

What helped you build an audience?

“I don’t remember any specific tweets that increased my number of followers, but once I started posting videos, they seemed to resonate with a good number of people.”

How do you use Twitter to market your program? “We encourage our players to pin their Hudl highlights on their accounts, connect with coaches and schools they’re interested in, and to use it as a teaching tool!”

Tony Shiffman, Lake Forest College (Ill.) ■■ Handle: @CoachShiffman ■■ Followers: 14.9K ■■ On Twitter since: March 2009 ■■ Approach to Twitter: “Try to have fun with it while still be a positive influence.”

What helped you build an audience? “When Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae participated for the first time and when University of Texas OL coach Herb Hand participated.”

How do you use Twitter to market your program? “Being able to tweet out positive graphics or messages about our program shows these student-athletes that we have a ton of pride and passion.”

Christopher Fisher, Ridge Point High (Texas) ■■ Handle: @txhsfbchat ■■ Followers: 15.8K ■■ On Twitter since: June 2015 ■■ Approach to Twitter: “An avenue to connect with others and learn.”

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market our program, with the exception of detailing how we do things, when answering weekly questions.”

Jake Timmerman, Grayson High (Ga.) ■■ Handle: @Coach_Timmerman ■■ Followers: 6.1K ■■ On Twitter since: May 2016 ■■ Approach to Twitter: “A great way to connect with coaches from all different parts of the country and even around the world.”

What helped you build an audience? “I was fortunate enough to be a guest on the Run the Power Podcast last year which definitely helped me grow my social network.”

How do you use Twitter to market your program?

“Promoting our players and our program in general by tweeting out pictures, videos and articles that feature our kids.”

Deerick Smith, Southside High (Ark.) ■■ Handle: @coachdeesmith ■■ Followers: 7.2K ■■ On Twitter since: Nov. 2014 ■■ Approach to Twitter: “Highlight your kids within the program, make connections, and it acts as an extension of your resume.”

What helped you build an audience? “Once I got to 1,000 followers, it wasn’t long before 2,000 and 3,000. I have picked up a few more followers since I’ve been tagged in several conversations with guys like Travis Mash (@mashelite) and Jason Spray (@JasonSpray).

How do you use Twitter to market your program? “Many teams we play may feel I post too much or I post for myself rather than for my kids. That means they are thinking about our program or our brand, and their kids are noticing what we are doing.”

Drew Piscopo, Ashe County High (N.C.) ■■ Handle: @DrewCPiscopo ■■ Followers: 5.7K ■■ On Twitter since: May 2009 ■■ Approach to Twitter: “I post things that I find a personal interest in.”

What helped you build an audience? “It really started to grow once I started to post responses to the #AirRaidChat forums that used to be held on Wednesday nights on Twitter.”

How do you use Twitter to market your program? “I have had college coaches at some major programs reach out to me about certain things, and I generally try to use those openings as a chance to talk about our kids.”

Nick Codutti, Tomball High (Texas) ■■ Handle: @coachcodutti ■■ Followers: 9.3K ■■ On Twitter since: June 2012 ■■ Approach to Twitter: “Show off my kids and their accomplishments, connect with other coaches.”

What helped you build an audience? “I sent a tweet about four years ago about something we did in the weight room, and I got retweeted by a Div. 1 head football coach, and all of a sudden, I had like 1,000 new followers in about a day.”

How do you use Twitter to market your program? “Show off our accomplishments, rebrand our program, bring credibility and publicity, connect with college coaches for our players.”

COACHING LIFESTYLE

Half a Ton Shed in Hog Football Chat Weight Loss Challenge The Hog Football Chat is a weekly chat on Twitter geared towards offensive line play. The chat was started in 2015 as a branch off of the @txhsfbchat originally with the intent of serving offensive line and defensive line topics. According to co-founder Tony Shiffman, offensive line coach of Lake Forest College, the DL themed chat “failed miserably so we stuck specifically to OL after that.” Learn from coaches at all levels and tune into the chat using #hogfbchat on Monday nights at 9 p.m. EST during the off-season.

BY AUSTIN HERSH

The Weight Loss Challenge During a chat geared toward health and nutrition, a challenge emerged amongst the coaches to see who could lose the most weight. With the guidance of Tymon Gilliland, offensive line coach for the Chaparral Pumas (Calif.), the challenge came alive with a spreadsheet and defined rules.

The challenge ran from March 1 to June 1, with the winner being determined by the highest percentage of body weight lost. A total of 168 coaches from more than 30 states, Mexico, and Canada signed up to participate. All told, the group lost a total of 1,470 lbs.

Recommendation to Help Others Lose Weight:

The Winner: Garett Tujague Garrett Tujague has been the offensive line coach at the University of Virginia for four years.

He began his football journey as an offensive lineman at Chabot College, eventually transferring into BYU. While at BYU, he contributed to a top-25 final ranking by protecting Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer. Since his time as a player, he has been a coach for 27 years. He cites the “discipline that he was taught in high school, in junior college, and BYU by Lavell Edwards.

There’s nothing that can replace that, so if I’m able to make a difference in one young man’s life like my coaches were able to do that for me” as reason to keep him coming back to coach each year.

The Challenge During the course of the three-month challenge, Tujague lost 71 lbs., or 22 percent of his body weight. Tujague read the book “StrengthsFinder 2.0,” by Tom Rath and found one of his strengths to be competition. He cited his competitiveness as the main reason for taking part in the challenge. Tujague reflected that he had gone through weight fluctuations throughout life, as many people do, but what made this challenge different was that “he had to weigh in every week and it was holding him accountable.”

■■ Garrett Tujague, offensive line coach at the University of Virginia

the day he has an 8-hour window of eating and a 16-hour window of fasting.

“The key to the whole thing is when I come up on the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th hour, I flush my body of insulin and it starts to feed on the fat,” Tujague explained.

He tried to keep a balanced diet, including meat and greens, while still sneaking in his favorite, Diet Mountain Dew. If he was craving something that was overly indulgent, he would save it for his cheat window on Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m.

He tracked all of the meals he ate on the app, Loseit. This wasn’t new for him – he has a streak of more than 1,200 days tracked. For the majority of the challenge, he was on the recruiting trail, which added a layer of difficulty. While taking flights and managing hotel stays, he made conscious food choices and got his recommended fitness through his Apple watch.

LIKE JOCKO SAYS, ‘DISCIPLINE EQUALS FREEDOM.’ YOU HAVE TO MAKE UP YOUR MIND IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A HEALTHY CHOICE TO LIVE LONGER.” Coaching Wisdom:

ALWAYS BE WILLING TO PERFECT YOUR CRAFT, ALWAYS BE WILLING TO LEARN.” HE ALSO OFFERED THE ADVICE, “IF YOU’RE

BY A COLLEGE, GO VISIT THEM DURING SPRING BALL.”

His Secret Intermittent fasting. Instead of a diet or workout plan, he calls it “a way of life.” During

FOLLOW THE COACHES ON TWITTER:

@COACHSHIFFMAN | @TGILLILAND57 | @COACH2J

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FNF PARTNERSHIPS

FNF Coaches Partners with CoachTube Just in time for the 2019 fall season, FNF Coaches partnered with CoachTube, the first and only two-sided marketplace for aspiring athletes and coaches. FNF Coaches will share CoachTube videos on its website, in daily Coaches Talk posts, and in weekly newsletters.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

CoachTube.com, created in 2014 and founded by Austin, Texas-based entrepreneur Wade Floyd, provides an online opportunity for coaches to give every athlete access to the instruction, knowledge, and motivation they need to grow and progress as athletes.

CoachTube.com provides access to training from some of the world’s best coaches in the form of on-demand video courses that can be taken anywhere, at any time, for an affordable rate.

As per the partnership, FNF Coaches will be able to share videos of coaches providing breakdowns of X’s and O’s, as well as clips of coaches leading drills, evaluating film and more.

“We are thrilled to be able to share CoachTube videos because we know how valuable visual evidence can be to our audience of coaches, who are always looking for ways to connect with players,” said FNF Coaches Managing Editor Dan Guttenplan. “This gives our platform more valuable content and strengthens the video section of our website.”

Examples of CoachTube videos that FNF Coaches can share with its audience include: ■■ Oklahoma Offense Breakdown ■■ Triple Threat Spread No Huddle Offense: Game Planning ■■ Breaking Down Gus Malzahn’s Auburn Offense ■■ Air Raid Quick Game: Mike Leach’s Breakdown ■■ No-Huddle No-Mercy Practice Plan Videos on the FNF Coaches site will range from 2 to 10 minutes, and the full courses can be purchased through the FNF Coaches posts.

CoachTube.com has hundreds of classes available to football coaches. Floyd, along with his team of industry experts, created this sportsfocused video course platform with both athletes and coaches in mind. The rapidly growing site enables athletes to learn skills and techniques ondemand from some of the world’s leading coaches in their respected sports.

CoachTube.com empowers athletes by giving them unique access to talented coaches who can help them improve their specific skill set. Parents can make world-class training available to their

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children at an affordable price, choosing from hundreds of experienced coaches, each committed to helping athletes reach their full potential. The platform simultaneously empowers coaches to take their brand to the next level and impact a vastly larger audience. Coaches can set course prices, with demand driving the optimal price point, choose to donate all proceeds to their foundation, or simply make their videos available for free. CoachTube.com covers the technical operations, distribution, and even marketing, allowing coaches to simply do what they do best—coach.

CoachTube enables coaches to disseminate useful content, without having to worry about technology, distribution costs or marketing, all while providing the opportunity to supplement their income or to donate funds to their favorite charity. CoachTube makes it easy to create and share premium content with audiences anywhere in the world.

HOW DOES COACHTUBE WORK? SEARCH SPORTS

courses from the top 5 percent of selected coaches in any skill and difficulty. Develop skills on-demand. Watch courses when and where it’s convenient for you.

Take your new skill on the field or court, come back anytime to revisit your courses or keep learning.

COACHABLE MOMENTS: What’s your favorite training series on Coach Tube?

What would your own video training series cover if you were on CoachTube, and who would your training program be built for? Let us know your perfect strategy guide at @fnfcoaches on Twitter or FNFCoaches.com, and we might feature your answer in our next edition of FNF Coaches Talk!

INAUGURAL edition of FNF TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE

T

he enthusiasts who bring you FNF Coaches Coaches in print form

eight times a year recently released the inaugural edition of Friday Night Football Tampa Bay magazine.

Friday Night Football Tampa Bay, or FNF Tampa Bay, follows a long line of high school football publications produced by A.E. Engine, which has produced similar state-wide high school football previews in Florida, Texas, Georgia and Ohio under the FNF brand.

FNF Tampa Bay includes 120 full-color pages and contains features and in-depth previews of 84 high school football programs. The extensive school previews are complemented by feature stories, player statistics, recruiting information as well as predictions. FNF Tampa Bay also identifies the top prospects in the area.

This edition also features full-page team previews for select schools in the region. Schools that received full-page team previews were part of the FNF Tampa Bay Custom Cover Project, a fundraiser which allows teams to receive special edition magazines.

The cover of the magazine features four of the top prospects in the Tampa Bay region. Some of the feature themes for the inaugural edition include: ■■ FNF Blitz: Fridaynite. Fortnite-themed Player Profiles ■■ 10 Burning Questions ■■ Rivalry Rumble: From the “Holy War” to the “Butter Bowl” ■■ Students of the Game ■■ Mapping out a Dream Schedule ■■ Leaders in the Game: Coaching Profiles ■■ Who’s Who in Tampa Bay Football ■■ All-Tampa Bay Team ■■ Top 50 Seniors ■■ Underclassmen to Watch ■■ I am FNF ■■ Team Moms If you are interested in discussing how the FNF team can bring a similar magazine to your market in 2020, please email us at fnf@ae-engine.

CHECK OUT THE DIGITAL EDITION OF FNF TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE: FNFMAGAZINE.COM/FNF-TAMPA-BAY-2019-DIGITAL-EDITION

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INSPIRATION

Many of the best football coaches and players provide inspiration to the people around them on a daily basis. We often present quotes from former players/coaches on Twitter @FNFCoaches. The following quotes received the most buzz from our followers.

Survival

I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game.” –Bear Bryant

Take care of the tiniest detail, because the little details add up until they represent significant differences.

Let nothing slip through the cracks.” –Bill Belichick

INTENSITY

If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does them day in and day out.” –Chuck Noll

Opportunity

The successful person is one who finds an opportunity in every problem. Unsuccessful people find a problem in every opportunity.” –Lou Holtz

STANDARDS

Leaders cannot accept mediocrity, as it impacts the culture of the organization.” –Nick Saban

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football coaches! Get your subscription at fnfcoaches.com

(Your Football Market Here)

This 124-page print magazine includes full-page team previews, schoolspecific front covers, tons of features and profiles, and local advertising and newsstand sales opportunities.

After the successful launch of FNF Tampa Bay magazine in July 2019 – a high school football preview publication 100-percent committed to 84 teams in the four-county Tampa Bay area – the team at FNF is seeking schools interested in publishing a magazine in their community in 2020.

Learn more by reviewing a digital edition of FNF Tampa Bay at fnfmagazine.com/digital Please direct inquiries to Craig Baroncelli at cb@ae-engine.com