Texas Coach - November 2022 - Volume LXVII Issue No. 3

New and existing athletic department package customers are eligible for the Every Play, Earn $5K promotion, where schools have the opportunity to earn a minimum of $5,000 of livestreaming revenue in year 1.

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Eric Sudol, VP Corp. Partnership Sales & Marketing, Dallas Cowboys

Dexia Smith, MBA Sport Entertainment Management (’22)

Eric Sudol, SVP Corp. Partnership Sales & Marketing, Dallas Cowboys

Dexia Smith, MBA Sport Entertainment Management (’22), Sales Associate, Corporate Partnership Sales, Dallas Cowboys

although it is mailed around the 10th of the publication month.

Change

ADVISORY COMMITTEES

ATHLETIC DIRECTORS

R-1 Chris Koetting, Canadian

R-2 Russell Lucas, Sweetwater

R-3 Seth Stinton, Melissa

R-4 Rusty Purser, Greenwood

R-5 *John Snelson, Dickinson

R-6 Don Drake, Ennis

R-7 Rob Davies, Harlingen

R-8 Stan Laing, Northside

AQUATICS

R-1 *Trey Hayes, Lubbock

R-2 Casey Pacheco, Abl. Wylie

R-3 Eric Vogan, Texas High

R-4 Michael Waldmann, Andrews

R-5 Robert Kelly, Sam Rayburn

R-6 Daniel Gonzalez, Longview

R-7 Hector Castaneda, Harl. South

R-8 Kristin Libardoni, Northside

BASEBALL

R-1 Thomas Brockman, Idalou

R-2 Allen McGee, Graham

R-3 Josh Wheeler, Muenster

R-4 Juan Orozco, EP Coronado

R-5 Corey Cephus, Cy-Ranch

R-6 Matthew Anderson, Franklin

R-7 Eric Martinez, Mathis

R-8 Tom Alfieri, SA Churchill

At-Large *Chans Chapman, SA Reagan

BOYS BASKETBALL

R-1 Jason Pillion, Amarillo

R-2 *C.J. Villegas, San Angelo Central

R-3 Ty Tabor, Krum

R-4 Jason Archibald, Wink

R-5 Danny Russell, Katy

R-6 Jake Russ, Franklin

R-7 Sean Armstrong, G. Portland

R-8 Brad Lacey, SA Churchill

At-Large Richard Flores, Cy-Falls

GIRLS BASKETBALL

R-1 Tyler Helms, Idalou

R-2 *Kenni Patton, Electra

R-3 Donna McCullough, Sachse

R-4 Steve Lee, Pebble Hills

R-5 Christina Jamerson, Dulles

R-6 Amber Wiley, Tyler

R-7 Clarissa Arredondo, McAllen Mem.

R-8 Christina Camacho, Judson

At-Large Brooke Brittain, Mansfield

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

R-1 Jay McCook, Canadian

R-2 Glenn Griffin, Holliday

R-3 Calley Conner, Wylie

R-4 Alonzo Samaniego, Presidio

R-5 Kenneth Decuir, Paetow

R-6 *Josh Sypert, Eustace

R-7 Efrain Ambriz, Harlingen

R-8 Kelly Thompson, Leander Rouse

At-Large Scott Hippensteel, Lockhart

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

R-1 Ray Baca, Canyon

R-2 Loy Triana, Burkburnet

R-3 Susan Bailey, Highland Park

R-4 Corina Marruto, Del Valle

R-5 Jim Darcey, Katy

R-6 Edward DeLaCruz, Waxahachie

R-7 Michael Villareal, Zapata

R-8 *Callie Cameron, Lake Belton

FOOTBALL

R-1 Lyle Leong, Levelland

R-2 Sterling Doty, Stephenville

R-3 *Joe Castillo, Little Elm

R-4 A.J. Famaligi, EP Montwood

R-5 Rick Lafavers, Ridge Point

R-6 Keylon Kincade, Winona

R-7 Brent Davis, G. Portland

R-8 Alan Haire, Chaparrall At-Large Clint Fuller, Kilgore

BOYS GOLF

R-1 Cord Wilburn, Lub. Cooper

R-2 Jason Hodges, Stephenville

R-3 Charlie Means, Denison R-4 Paul Bustamante, Pebble Hills R-5 Clayton Brady, Hous. Memorial R-6 Brant Bennett, Midlothian Heritage R-7 Celso Gonzalez, McAllen Mem. R-8 *Mike Martin, SA Johnson At-Large Paige Martin, Southlake

GIRLS GOLF

R-1 Cathy Palmer, Lubbock R-2 OPEN

R-3 Kerry Gabel, FM Marcus R-4 Shawn Trousdale, Ysletta R-5 *Angela Chancellor, Kingwood R-6 Joel Davenport, Ennis R-7 Jennifer Ruiz, McAllen R-8 Patrick Pruitt, Westlake At-Large Brent McCuiston, Alamo Heights

BOYS SOCCER

R-1 Hugo Aguillon, West Plains R-2 Justin Rhodes, Stephenville R-3 Pablo Regalado, Kemp R-4 Chris Bryant, Midland Legacy R-5 Ben Powell, Bellville

R-6 *Cashan Clark, Midlothian Heritage R-7 OPEN R-8 David Rogers, SA Lee At-Large Jason Meekins, Katy Jordan

GIRLS SOCCER

R-1 Alistair Caldwell, Lub. Coronado R-2 Carl Wiersema, WF Rider

R-3 Kelly Thompson, Allen R-4 *Cecilia Kellar, Odessa R-5 Evelyn Torres, Ridge Point

R-6 Gerald Slovacek, Midlo. Heritage R-7 Juan Luna, Los Fresnos

R-8 Bailee Perrine, Dripping Springs At-Large Aaron McGough, Highland Park

SOFTBALL

R-1 Styler Haddock, Canyon

R-2 Cynthia Herrera, Stamford R-3 *Kathy Schoettle, Allen R-4 Lindsie Swarb, Monahans

R-5 Katie Roberts, Brenham

R-6 Same Weeks, Troup

R-7 Audra Troutman, Sinton

R-8 Jennifer Fox, Alamo Heights

TENNIS

R-1 *David Denham, Lub. Corondao

R-2 Mark Hathorn, Abil. Wylie

R-3 Carrie Castleberry, Vernon

R-4 Sylvia Sims, Frisco Heritage

R-5 Daniel Marshall, A&M Consol.

R-6 Keith Howard, Ennis

R-7 Jeff Davidson, CC Vet. Mem.

R-8 Tyson Stewart, Harlan

At-Large Teri Saunders, Pf. Hendrickson

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

R-1 Jon Murphy, Stratford

R-2 Andy Howard, Brownwood

R-3 Janson Head, Denton Ryan

R-4 Brien Burchett, Greenwood

R-5 Jason Haddock, Clements

R-6 Josh Rankin, Longview

R-7 Bob Bechtold, McAllen

R-8 Keith Randle, SA Johnson

At-Large *Will McCrary, Rockwall

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

R-1 Crista Jones, Lub. Monterey

R-2 Jeremiah Butchee, Stephenville

R-3 Ashley Broom, Sunnyvale

R-4 Robert Ontiveroz, Monahans

R-5 David Pollack, Seven Lakes

R-6 Angela Moon, Tyler

R-7 Stacy Zamzow, Goliad

R-8 *Karmen Sanders, RR McNeil

VOLLEYBALL

R-1 Kelly Lozada, Lubbock Monterey R-2 Shay Douglas, Stephenville

R-3 Jennifer Chandler, Northwest

R-4 Heather Archibald, Wink

R-5 Pamela McRae, Cypress Park

R-6 Arden Johnson, Troup

R-7 Jess Odem, Goliad

R-8 *Rachel Torvik, SA Reagan

At-Large Jacob Thompson, Leander Rouse

BOYS WRESTLING

R-1 Mark Snow, Lub. Coronado

R-2 OPEN

R-3 *Kyle Stevens, Anna

R-4 Oscar Norez, EP Montwood

R-5 Vinnie Lowe, Katy

R-6 Collin Stroner, Midlothian Heritage R-7 OPEN R-8 Kevin Smith, Lake Travis

GIRLS WRESTLING

R-1 Tyler Frausto, Canyon

R-2 OPEN R-3 *Jessica Fresh, Northwest

R-4 Stephen Scott, EP Franklin

R-5 OPEN R-6 OPEN R-7 OPEN R-8 Garvin Smith, San Marcos

* DENOTES CHAIR

FROM THE PRESIDENT

THSCA Family, Welcome to November! This is an exciting time of year. Cross Country, Volleyball and Team Tennis are crowning their state champions. Congratulations to all the teams who were able to experience the UIL Texas High School playoffs this year. For those of you who missed out on the playoffs this season, I hope you realize that the value of what you do as a coach is not measured in wins and losses. Your investment into the lives of these young student-athletes and the tools you have given them to be successful in life is what matters most. My dad went to heaven on October 18th, and he is the most successful coach I’ve ever known. He never won a state championship, but every athlete who ever played for him in any sport genuinely knew that my dad loved them. The same can be said for the students in his class. Please don’t let what we have to do on a daily basis get in the way of your ability to focus on relationships.

The football playoffs will also be starting up this month. There’s still nothing quite like the Texas High School Football playoffs. Good luck to all the teams still playing. Girls and boys Basketball are both in full swing, and the start of Soccer is finally here as well. I’d like to encourage all basketball and soccer teams to participate in “Our Day to Shine” with your home scrimmages. The money raised goes to athletes and coaches to help during the most difficult times imaginable.

I want to remind you that the ROCK nominations for the Class of 2023 are due December 1st. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase great young coaches in our profession. The ROCK initiative gives these young Rock Stars the tools to become the leaders of our profession for years to come. Additionally, please get your nominations in for the Super Elite Team, Academic All-State, Coach of the Week, and Coach of the Year. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to nominate your athletes or fellow coaches for these amazing awards. Please remember that Coach of the Week and Assistant Coach of the Year awards are a great opportunity to nominate your Assistant Coaches recognitions as well! Lastly, the UIL Legislative Council Meeting just wrapped up. Please turn to page 64 to view the results from that meeting.

I took a new job this year in June and opened the year playing an out of state private school who was the number one team in the nation at the time. We took it on the chin as a great way to start my presidency of the greatest association on the planet. The good news is that our team made it back to the national stage and played Denton Guyer on ESPN2 in late October. I once again showed the world just how easy it is to get beaten like a drum. I say this to encourage everyone that what you do today is so much more important than what happened yesterday. In this profession, we don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves. We’re always being watched and studied by our fellow coaches and by our student-athletes to see how we respond to adversity. Your players, coaches and communities are feeding off the leadership you continue to provide. Best of luck in competitions and with your leadership throughout the rest of the school year!

Lee Wiginton THSCA President

February 10-12, 2023

Hilton and Conference Center College Station, TX

OFFENSE

Holmon Wiggins, University of Alabama (1:00 pm, Fri.)

RPO Advantage Throws / WR Fundamentals & Techniques.

Kyle Flood, University of Texas (3:30 pm, Fri.) Texas Counter & Power Game / 6 Man Pro & Play Action Pro

Sterling Doty, Stephenville HS (7:00 pm, Fri.)

Vertival Option Route Concepts / Gap Run Schemes

B J Gotte, Pearland HS (7:00 pm, Fri.) Mid Zone Run Game / Play Action off Mid Zone

Zach Kittley, Texas Tech University (8:00 am, Sat.) Red Raider 4 Verticals / Texas Tech Crossing Concepts

AJ Ricker, TCU (10:30 am, Sat.)

Zone Running Game / TCU Play Action RPO Game

Todd Dodge, 7x State Championship Coach (2:00 pm, Sat.)

Lessons learned in 36 yrs of coaching / Training the Championship QB: A 12 month plan

Rob Likens, SMU (4:30 pm, Sat.) SMU Cross Concept and Tags / WR Practice Progression

Eric Mateos, Baylor University (8:00 pm, Sat.) Wide Zone Variations Tech & Fund / Pass Pro Tech & Fund 5 man Pro

Bob DeBesse, Grapevine HS (8:30 am, Sun.)

Reasons to run(but not major in) Option FB - Communication & ID / Zone Read Option & Inside Zone Schemes - “Must Run” Option Drills

Larry Zierlein and Hardee McCrary Clinic Co-Directors

Friday Night Social Sponsors: Wings & More; Jim Smith, New York Life; Photo Texas; Adrenaline Fundraising

DEFENSE

Coleman Hutzler, University of Alabama (1:00 pm, Fri.)

OLB Fundamentals, drills & skills / Third down package

Jeff Choate, University of Texas (3:30 pm, Fri.)

LB Fundamentals / Building & Driving a winning culture

Jason Todd, South Oak Cliff HS (7:00 pm, Fri)

Building a championship program with defense / LB fundamentals

Craig Naivar, SMU (8:00 am, Sat.)

Cover 3 variations & Change ups / Pressure variations from the 1&2 shell presentations

Joe Gillespie, TCU (10:30 am, Sat.)

TCU 3-3-5 Zone Blitz Package / Linebacker Daily Must

Nick Graham, UTSA (2:00 pm, Sat.) CB play in C4 C4/2 and C3 / CB Drills & Skills

Adam Clark, Angelo State (4:30 pm, Sat.)

Wreck the decision makers - work to always make the offense wrong / Continuation of 1st hour

Terry Price, Texas A&M (8:00 pm, Sat.)

Defensive Line Checklist / Pass Rush & Drills

Robbie Wheat, Baylor University (8:30 am, Sun.)

Simplicity in special teams teaching methods to play green / Special teams culture - player relationships & yearly structure

CLINIC INFORMATION HOTEL INFORMATION

$80 if you pre-register. $90 at the door. There are no one day badges. Videotaping is not permitted. There will be no refunds issued after January 25. To pre-register please send your registration & payment to:

Lone Star Coaching Clinic 1404 Strada Curva New Braunfels, TX 78132

Phone:830-885-5415 e-mail: clinic@zierlein.com

Hilton and Conference Center, 801 University Dr. East, College Station, TX . Special room rate of $96. Check-in time is 4:00. Call 979-693-7500 or 800-HILTONS. Please state you are attending Lone Star Clinic to receive the special room rate. This special room rate is available until the room block is sold out or Jan. 18th, whichever is first.

Check for updates at: www.lonestarclinic.com

Super Elite, Academic All-State and Coach of the Year Competitions are Now Open! In your THSCA Member Portal, under the awards tab you will find access to submit nominations for Academic All-State, Coach of the Year, Coach of the Week and Super Elite competitions. Nominate your athlete and fellow coaches for these honors before it's too late! Volleyball, Team Tennis, Water Polo and Football coaches, you're on the clock!

2023 THSCA Leadership Summit Tickets

Available Now!

This is the signature event of the Texas High School Coaches Education Foundation. This one day summit features 9 phenomenal speakers; 4 from the motivational/inspirational arena, and 4 current high school coaches offering ideas for how they handle leadership development on their home campus. We will also keynote our 2023 Coaching Beyond the Game award recipient. Check out our speaker line-up and our all the information on page 40 of this issue.

Athletic Directors & Campus Coordinators:

Please remind all coaches on your staff that have not yet renewed their THSCA membership for the 2022-2023 school year, that they MUST RENEW to be eligible to nominate athletes for Academic All-State and Super Elite Teams in their sport, or receive a state champion coach ring from THSCA. Failure to renew membership could also affect their ability to receive a 25-year plaque and/or career victory milestone certificates/plaques.

National High School Academic Excellence Award:

The THSCA has partnered with The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame and state High School Associations from all states for the creation of the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Award. This award will be the first nationwide recognition honoring individual high school football teams for excellence in the classroom. Football coaches, you should have received an email outlining the protocols for nomination. Nominations will be submitted directly to THSCA beginning in November and are due no later than January 13, 2023.

NOVEMBER 2022

THSCA is asking ALL SPORTS TEAMS on your campus to participate in hosting an #OfficialsAppreciation Game. As you know, officials are an essential part of high school sports- without them, our student athletes would not have the opportunity to play the sport they love and learn so much from.

Please keep the following guidelines in mind:

• All sports please use your first home district game to recognize officials.

• Feel free to work with the opposing/visiting team and have BOTH teams make a presentation.

• To make this a positive experience, please do not publish the names of officials in a program or on a flyer, banners, etc.

As you are planning your night, here are suggested action that show appreciation to our officials. Feel free to use as many of these suggestions as you feel appropriate:

• Have your PA announcer read an announcement thanking officials before the game or during a break in play. A sample announcement can be downloaded from the toolkit on our website.

• Present the night’s officials with goody bags before the game. Goody bags can include snacks, gift cards to local establishments, team or school shirts, whistles, or anything else that represents your school.

• Take a picture with the officials that includes players, administrators, coaches, and/ or parents. Post pictures on social media using the hashtag #OfficialsAppreciation and tag @THSCAcoaches

• Create a #OfficialsAppreciation poster that you can hang in the gym/ field for everyone to see. A downloadable poster can be found in the toolkit on our website.

• Create a graphic to put on the video board thanking officials for their hard work and dedication. A downloadable graphic can be found in the toolkit on our website.

• Have your team create a video thanking officials for their work and post on social media and/or display on a video board. A sample post can be found in this toolkit.

• Create a thank you note that is signed by all team members and coaches and presented to officials before the game, when they check into the venue, or during a break in play.

Do you have any other ideas? Will you do something different than the actions listed above? Please share what you are doing with THSCA so we can share with other coaches around the state!

Our Day to Shine

Texas High School Coaches Education Foundation Our Day to Shine

Abilene Abilene Cooper Abilene Wylie Alamo Heights Aledo Allen Alto

Amarillo River Road Andrews Aransas Pass Austin Westlake Azle Bangs Banquete* Beeville AC Jones Belton Belville Benbrook Boerne-Champion Bonham Borger Boswell Brenham Bridge City Brownfield Bruceville-Eddy

Buda Hays Cameron Yoe* Canadian Canyon Canyon Lake Castleberry Cedar Creek Cedar Park Centennial Childress Cibolo Steele Cinco Ranch Clear Lake

Clear Springs Clemens Colorado City Comal ISD* Conroe Corpus Christi London* Crandall Crane Cuero* Cy-Falls Cy-Park Cy-Woods Dallas Adams Danville MS (Comal ISD) Davenport Dawson Denton Guyer Denton Ryan Dumas East Bernard Edinburg Edinburg North El Paso Burgess El Paso Eastlake El Paso Pebble Hills Elkhart Ennis Falfurrias Flour Bluff Forest Park Fort Stockton Foster Fredericksburg Frisco Independence Frisco Liberty Frisco Panther Creek Frisco Wakeland Fulshear Garland

George Ranch Georgetown East View Giddings

Gonzales Grand Oaks H.M. King Haltom Harlingen Harlingen- South Henreitta Hereford Houston Dobie Judson Middle School Katy Katy Taylor Katy Tompkins Kaufman Kenedy* Kennedale Klein Collins Klein Oak La Grange Irving La Joya La Vernia Lake Belton Lake Creek Lake Travis Lamesa Leander Glenn Liberty Hill Lindale* Lockhart Lone Star Longview Los Fresnos Lubbock

Lubbock Coronado Lubbock Monterey*

THANK YOU to all of the schools who have participated so far in this year's "Our Day to Shine" Campaign!

With support from our coaches and their communities, the THSCA is able to assist athletes & coaches beyond what our current benefit policies will allow. Your donations, just through October 25th, have totaled over $72,000!

Luling Madisonville Magnolia Marble Falls Marion Marshall Mart Mathis McAllen McAllen Memorial* McGregor Mckinney Boyd Mercedes Mesquite Horn Mesquite Poteet* Midland Legacy Midlothian Heritage Mission Pioneer Mission Sharyland* Muleshoe Navarro New Braunfels Canyon New Caney Nikki Rowe* Nixon-Smiley* North Crowley* North Forney North Mesquite Odessa Odessa Permian Olton Orange Grove Palestine Panhandle Paris Perryton Petrolia Pittsburg Plains

Plano East Ponder Porter Post Poth Princeton PSJA North PSJA Southwest Richardson Richardson JJ Pearce Ridge Point Robinson Robstown Rockwall Rowlett Runge San Angelo Central San Angelo Lake View San Antonio Churchill San Antonio Clark San Antonio Harlan San Antonio John Jay San Antonio Johnson* San Antonio MacArthur San Antonio Madison San Antonio O'Connor San Antonio Reagan San Antonio Stevens San Antonio Taft* San Antonio Wagner San Diego Sanger* Sharyland Sherman* Shiner Sinton* Skidmore-Tynan Smithson Valley Smithville

South Grand Prairie Stamford Stephenville Stratford Sulphur Springs Sweetwater Taft Taylor Texarkana Texas TX Leadership- Abilene TX Leadership- Midland Tioga Tomball Troup Troy Tyler Legacy Van Horn Vanderbilt Industrial Victoria East Vidor Waco Midway Wellington West Fork West Mesquite West Plains Westwood Whitehouse Whitesboro* Wills Point Wilmer-Hutchins Wink Woodsboro Wylie Yoakum Zapata

*Special thanks to these schools who were able to participate in Our Day to Shine at multiple events!

"be special"

Carlos Lynn Head Football Coach Cedar Hill HS

Every three plays on average involves a kick. This is a vital part of any football game and can determine if you win or lose a ball game. The effectiveness of your kicking game is invaluable to your success, so this is a part of the game that needs your time and attention as a team. We ask our Special Teams to “Be Special” so we must empower them to do so.

Mindset

If you are playing on Special Teams you are a starter! All Special Teams players must be seen as a significant piece of the team’s success. This breeds confidence and it gives the players on these teams a sense of pride and ownership. Making sure there is a solid two deep depth chart also creates competition and eliminates loafs and lack of effort.

Personnel

Don’t be afraid to put your best players on Special Teams. Because of the ability to change the momentum of the game is a prime reason to put your players with game breaking ability on the field. This also puts pressure on your opponents to put their better personnel on the field to match up with yours. You can definitely play different skill level kids on these teams, but you must balance them with your playmakers.

Steal Time

Whether in season or in the off season find some time to work some Special Teams skills. If your personnel is available you can always steal some time somewhere to get some extra work in. Find someone to catch some snaps with your deep snapper in between sets in the weight room. Have your short snappers to snap to your holders while the team is stretching before off season starts. These are a few examples of maximizing your time for Special Teams purposes.

Staffing

Try to get as many coaches as possible involved with Special Teams. Keeping coaches actively engaged in practice and in games helps the players to do the same. This also shows the investment that has been put into this portion of the game. The more eyes you have on Special Teams the more opportunities you will have to exploit some kind of weakness of your opponents.

Schedule

Make sure that your practice schedule does not neglect any aspect of Special Teams. There are some things that you need to do daily, but there is not one thing that should be left out of your weekly preparation. Always assess your teams as the season is going and schedule more time for the units that need the most work. Make your practice schedule flexible to make the necessary adjustments.

Reward Them

Having goals to achieve for each unit creates buy in and personal accountability. Players love and respond to incentives. This gives them the ability to play with an edge. Helmet decals, players and units of the week are always good rewards for great Special Teams play.

No matter what level of football that you play, Special Teams can be the difference maker. Special Teams preparation tells a whole lot about the type of team that you have. Don’t be afraid of investing time in your Special Teams unit. The time you spend with them will allow your unit to “Be Special”!

wit wisdom&

LEADERSHIP

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

John F. Kennedy

"A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better ."

Jim Rohn

“

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

Helen Keller

"Start with the premise that the function of leadership is create more leaders not more followers."

Ralph Nadar

"The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born."

Login today on your THSCA Member Portal now to access our 4-L: Listen, Learn, Love & Lead Character Curriculum.

NEW LESSON POSTED!

The 10 Lies of Leadership & What to Do About Them

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CRITICISM

"Criticism,

"We all have our limitations, but when we listen to our critics, we also have theirs."

Robert Brault

"He has the right to criticize who has a heart to help."

Abraham Lincoln

like rain should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots."

Frank Clark

"The most destructive criticism is indifference."

E.W. Howe

Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember, the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you

- Zig Ziglar

Warren Bennis

"If we are bold enough to point out problems, we must be brave enough to try to solve them."

Robert Alan Silverstein

FOOTBALL COACHING: MIDDLE SCHOOL FUNDAMENTALS

BY ARMANDO GARZA Coakley Middle School - Head Coach Harlingen CISD

When it comes to introducing and teaching football to 7th and 8th graders, there’s naturally more than one school of thought for how exactly to go about it.

“Good luck with that,” was one of the first comments I heard.

“Always do the little things right,” one coach told me early in my career.

“Make sure they have fun and that everyone plays,” was also a sage tip I received.

While the real answer is certainly left open to interpretation and the above statements aren’t entirely false, I’ve learned that in the world of middle school football, there are three things I strive to live by:

• Patience — lots of it.

• Teaching fundamentals — and repeating them as often as time allows.

• Developing a routine that is consistent from Day One.

PATIENCE

Coaching middle schoolers is a challenge, but one that we all embrace. We all remember that we were in their shoes once upon a time and were novices who thought we knew it all. Just like we did, kids today forget things, act silly, try to be funny, or all of the above. Their priorities are different today

and many have other things going on. For some, football is an outlet or a continuation of a family legacy. For others, it’s having the courage to try something new. Either way, we must keep all of this in mind when dealing with our players. They are learning new things every day, so being patient and explaining things works best for us. Our end goal is to keep them in the program and feed our high schools kids who WANT to play football, not associate it with anger, discipline, or apathy.

Keeping enthusiasm levels high is also important. We WANT them to love the sport, competition, and getting better. When that light bulb begins to flicker and they get a new concept, it’s the same feeling a teacher has when a student learns to solve an equation: euphoria. This is to be celebrated!

With middle schoolers, as everyone reading this knows, attention span is at a premium. Sometimes a couple of segments is all a coach has to work fundamentals before they begin to lose their players to grass picking, water drinking, or chatter with their buddies. This is where patience comes in. Keeping them moving and engaged is as challenging out on the field as it is in the classroom, so we’ll always explain WHY we do something, and the kids understand it’s not just for sake of doing it. Some kids won’t get it the first time nor the 10th time. But when they do get a task done correctly, it’s an awesome feeling for player AND coach. Getting “the little things” right takes time, patience, and persistence.

FUNDAMENTALS/ROUTINE

Today, our daily practice script begins with our dynamic stretch and chants before we go into position stance & alignment, form tackling, BGOs, tackle-dummy circuits, or sled-driving, to name a few. These have to be taught and take time. Fundamentals always come before any type of plays, routes, coverages, fronts, stunts, or blitzes are introduced or reviewed. This is not a groundbreaking secret, however some coaches have different philosophies in terms of teaching their kids the game. Ours is trying to do the basic things right before anything else.

It’s not a perfect science and our script is always a working document. However, making fundamental drills competitive—and fun—definitely is the way to go. Circuits, stations, competitions, and challenging the kids all go a long way and are a part of what we do every day at practice.

As a new middle school coach nine seasons ago, I was given the coaching rite of passage—coaching wide receivers and cornerbacks. Naturally, I had a large group of kids who fit the profile—skinny, some ability, quick, and in many cases inexperienced. However, I was fortunate enough to have had amazing mentors who I learned from and YouTube was also my friend that year.

Many of the kids in our group had never played organized football before so I learned pretty quickly that there was a lot of teaching involved. Some of the kids had played youth tackle, a few in flag, and some were baseball kids. So I had to start with the basics before anything else.

Stance and alignment became our key terms that year. I’d create a grid of 7x7 players who at times appeared like a military detail in action. After countless segments of turning, repeating, and possibly a little polite yelling, they started to get it and enjoy doing

things right. Neatly lined up on the line of scrimmage with their inside foot forward and their hands up ready to go and always looking at the ball. As the season went on, my guys (and a girl that year) may not have always made highlight-reel catches, but they sure knew how to line up, check with the referee, and get ready for the play. This was a daily routine that the kids got used to and they eventually stopped asking, “When can I ‘Moss’ somebody?”

After that, catching the ball and blocking for their friends were the “fun” things to do and the kids enjoyed doing “the little things” right.

As I grew in the profession to become a gradelevel head coach and later a middle school athletic coordinator, I was aware that time was always limited, but the emphasis on fundamentals must never waver regardless of position: Lining up, blocking, tackling, throwing, and catching will never go out of style.

The repetition of these basic principles of football now only creates good practices and habits, but it hypes up the kids who are now “football players” in their social circles. They begin to teach, help, and correct each other, becoming a team in the process.

As all coaches know, fundamentals and routines extend beyond the field as well. Teaching the kids how to put on a chin strap, clip their laundry (always work in progress), how to open a combination lock and lock up their locker are all little nuances they will experience every day until they graduate, but they learn with us.

All in all, the grind of coaching middle schoolers is not for everyone. It can be challenging and frustrating, with good days and bad days. But as stewards of the game, it’s also very rewarding. For many of us middle school coaches, we all know that the biggest payoff is watching our kids play on Thursday and Friday nights as they get older. That’s how we know we’re doing “the little things” right.

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

WHAT THE POLICY COVERS:

COVERAGE A - LIABILITY INSURANCE

Up to $2,000,000 per insured per occurrence/$ 3,000,000 per occurrence, plus the cost of defense, investigation and legal fees

•Applies in the event a member is alleged to have caused injury or damage to others while performing his/her professional duties

•Errors and omissions insurance for claims for damages arising out of a member’s duties as a professional educator, including all defense cost Note: The duty of the insurer to defend extends even to groundless, false and frivolous suits and accusations.

COVERAGE B - REIMBURSEMENT OF ATTORNEY FEES

Up to $10,000 per insured per occurrence

•The policy provides reimbursement of attorney fees in a broad range of situations not included under Coverage A. This includes allegations of criminal and/or sexual misconduct and employment related actions against an educator involving dismissal, revocation of certification and other professional rights and duties.

•In actions involving termination, salary, reassignment, certification or resignation, the matter in dispute must be resolved in favor of the member to qualify for the full reimbursement of $10,000. However, $2,000 of this amount is available for initial consultation and research, whether or not the member prevails, to determine if there exists a reasonable chance of the case being resolved in the member’s favor.

COVERAGE

C - BAIL BONDS

Up to $2,000 premium on bail bonds

WHAT THE POLICY PAYS:

COVERAGE A: Up to $2,000,000 per insured per ccurrence/$3,000,000 per occurrence, plus the cost of defense, investigation and legal fees.

COVERAGE B: Up to $10,000 per claim per Insured. Coverage for criminal proceedings and /or sexual misconduct limited to $10,000 aggregate per policy term.

COVERAGE C: Up to $2,000 premium on bail bonds.

COVERAGE FEATURES:

Criminal/Sexual Misconduct Allegations

The policy provides reimbursement of attorney fees up to $10,000 under Coverage B if the educator is acting in the scope of his/her duties.

Corporal Punishment

Corporal punishment is covered under Coverage A (Liability) if administered according to the rules of the jurisdiction in which the school is located.

Outside Activity

As long as the educator is within the scope of his/her professional duties, the policy covers liability for injury to students and others while the educator is conducting visits to industrial and commercial establishments, entertainment centers, outings, picnics and other similar school functions, subject to specific automobile, watercraft, & aircraft exclusions

Coverage B

Reimbursement of Attorney Fees - Such reimbursement as is afforded the member for actions involving tenure, dismissal, revocation of certification & other professional rights and duties is assured under the policy and is not contingent on the approval of a board or review committee, as might be the case where the only available assistance is from a defense fund.

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR COVERAGE & HOW DO I PURCHASE?

The Texas High School Coaches Association offers a Coaches Professional Liability Insurance option to eligible members with coverage beginning July 1, 2022. The THSCA has chosen the John A. Barclay Agency, Inc. to provide this coverage to our members. This plan was devised to offer liability insurance and legal assistance to THSCA members. In order to be eligible for this coverage you must meet the following criteria:

• You must be a Coach, Athletic Trainer or Athletic Director, including classroom duties, for an accredited secondary school, college, junior college or university, within the state of Texas.

• Your THSCA Membership must be current for the school year in which the coverage is effective – 7/1/22 - 6/30/23.

• PROFESSIONAL, AFFLIATE and LIFE members are eligible only if they meet the criteria above. This insurance is not available to STUDENT or RETIRED members.

If you choose to purchase this insurance coverage and do not meet the criteria for eligibility, this coverage will not be valid. This coverage will be in effect July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 Insurance purchased after July 1, 2022 will commence on the payment received date. This insurance coverage is not retroactive.

Payment should be made directly to the THSCA. The total 22/23 annual premium for the insurance coverage will be $58.00 per member.

$ 52.00

$ 2.56

Annual Insurance Premium: State Taxes and Fees (4.295%): Association Administrative Fee: $ 3.44 TOTAL 2022/23 Annual Premium: $ 58.00

Checks should be made payable to: THSCA Mail payment to: THSCA, P.O. Box 1138, San Marcos, TX 78667 DO NOT MAIL PAYMENT to the Barclay Agency.

Eligible members will be able to purchase the Coaches Professional Liability Insurance on the THSCA website, or by selecting to purchase the coverage on the THSCA membership application form and submitting it by fax, email or mail to the THSCA office with the insurance payment.

NOTE: In order to be eligible to purchase the coverage your membership must be current for the same year of policy coverage. (7/1/22-6/30/23)

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Do you have the financial ability to defend yourself in the event of claim?

Do you have the expertise to find the best legal counsel for your situation?

THIS IS NOT A CERTIFIED COPY OF THE POLICY BUT A SUMMARY AND IS PROVIDED FOR REFERENCE ONLY. ALL COVERAGE PROVIDED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE POLICY IN THE EVENT OF A LOSS OR OCCURRENCE IS SUBJECT TO THE EXCLUSIONS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN THE MASTER POLICY ON FILE WITH THE POLICYHOLDER, INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS, ENDORSEMENTS, AND ADDITIONS. QUESTIONS REGARDING SPECIFIC INSURANCE POLICY COVERAGE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO: The John A. Barclay Agency, Inc. 512.374.4927

SLEEP & PERFRORMANCE IN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES:

EMPOWERING ATHLETES WITH THE LATEST SCIENCE ON SLEEP

Jakob Allen PhD, Lead Sports Scientist Ascension Texas Sports Performance

Athletes and coaches often overlook the importance of sleep on athletic and academic performance. There are many reasons why athletes have a hard time getting enough sleep, but there are a few simple things they can start to do right away to help. High school athletes often balance school work, homework, family time, and a job, while still trying to excel in their sport. This is often too much to handle, and sleep can be affected. The body’s normal physiological systems (how your body functions) rely on sleep to help stay healthy. Among other things, poor sleep can lead to problems with memory, balance, coordination, strength, endurance, muscle repair, and immunity (Walsh et al., 2021). An athlete getting poor sleep might not train as well and may get sick more often, causing them to miss school and training. But when an athlete gets better sleep, their health and performance improve. For example, in one study of collegiate basket ball players, when they increased their sleep over the span of 5-7 weeks, their sprinting speed and shooting accuracy improved (Mah et al., 2011). Sleep is one of the easiest things to address that can improve an athlete’s performance in the classroom and on the field. This article will explain how coaches can help educate their athletes about sleep.

If an athlete is often tired at training, gets sick reg ularly, or their athletic performance is lower than it should be, they may be suffering from poor sleep. When the body does not get enough sleep, it cannot recover as well from hard training. Unfortunately, this can lead to even worse sleep, which is why it is very important to educate athletes early on about the importance of good sleep habits. There are several ways to figure out whether athletes are getting quality sleep. The simplest way is to ask them about their sleep: what time they usually get to bed and whether they wake up at differ ent times during the night. There are scientific sleep questionnaires that are designed to help coaches ask these questions. While not all athletes will have access to sleep-measuring wearable technology, these tools are another good way for an athlete to monitor their own sleep. If an athlete is concerned about how much sleep they get, they should talk to a doctor about having their sleep tested. A doctor will educate them about sleep and help them decide whether it is necessary to have a laboratory sleep assessment (test) done. For many people, this is a very good way to learn if they have a health condition that affects their sleep.

For most people however, there are a few simple and inexpensive ways to get better sleep. Coaches should educate athletes to avoid looking at a screen, whether a TV, smartphone, tablet or computer in the hour or two before bed. If the student absolutely must look at a screen to complete their homework, he or she should use night mode if possible. This will reduce the amount of blue light that the screen emits. Blue light tricks the brain into being awake, so night mode helps the brain relax and fall asleep. Additionally, a cool and dark bedroom can help sleep quality because sleep is easier when body tem perature is cooler. It is also important to avoid caffeine after about 2 p.m. since caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep and can reduce sleep quality. Athletes that take caffeine before a night game to improve performance will have a harder time falling asleep after the game. If an athlete cannot get enough sleep during the night, naps are a good way to replenish sleep. Post-lunch naps have also been shown to improve sprint speed and reaction test accuracy in athletes that were sleep deprived (Wa terhouse et al., 2007). Shorter naps of 30 minutes or less will prevent falling into deep sleep, which can make it harder to wake up and be alert.

Coaches can help their athletes to perform at their best with a basic understanding of the body’s natural clock, or circadian rhythm. Tasks that require fine motor coordi nation or learning new skills/tactics are best undertak en in the morning around 8-9 a.m. Training that involves hand/eye coordination such as tennis or baseball is best performed at 1-3 p.m. Activities that require substantial strength or power, and the coordination of large muscle masses, are best performed between 5-8 p.m. Interest ingly, endurance performance does not change much between the morning and evening. Scientists believe body temperature changes throughout the day cause these changes in alertness and performance. Whether or not a team has to travel to competitions, it is still impor tant to understand that travel can disrupt sleep sched ules and result in decreased performance. If a team is traveling west across time zones, coaches should avoid scheduling competitions in the late afternoon or evening. If traveling east, avoid scheduling competitions in the early morning.

While coaches have to work around facility availabil ity when scheduling training, they should also consider the impact of training times on their athlete’s sleep. For example, while many sports such as swimming train in the morning, studies show this substantially reduces the amount of time swimmers sleep (Sargent et al., 2014). On the other hand, when an athlete trains late in the evening they may have a hard time falling asleep. If possible, coaches should work to balance scheduling constraints with an understanding of how sleep quality is affected by different practice times, especially as they

approach an important competition. It is also important that coaches regularly remind athletes about getting good sleep. Coaches and other sports medicine per sonnel often forget to tell athletes about proper sleep habits and why it is important for academic and athletic performance. To help make this easier, coaches can use this sleep handout available here (link to handout) to educate their athletes. Coaches must also be mentally alert and ready to perform in the high-stakes and highstress world of high school athletics. But studies show that coaches often get less sleep and of poorer quality than their athletes on the night before a competition. This can reduce reaction time, alertness, and critical thinking when it is needed most. Coaches will benefit from follow ing the same recommendations as athletes to improve sleep quality and performance.

If you are an athlete who is concerned about your sleep or know an athlete that might benefit from learning about their sleep, Dell Children’s Sleep Program offers a full range of services to get to the bottom of youth sleep disorders. Our specialized care team is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders in children. Sleep is essential to the healthy growth and develop ment of any child. Specialists at the Dell Children’s Sleep Program can detect conditions that may be keeping your child from having good, consistent sleep patterns. Our qualified team of specialists treat a wide variety of pedi atric sleep conditions for children through 18 years of age. Or, if you are a coach or parent who would also like to learn more about your sleep health, an Ascension Seton sleep specialist can work with you to understand your sleep concerns. To schedule an appointment with one of our providers, please visit ascension.org

References

Mah, C. D., Mah, K. E., Kezirian, E. J., & Dement, W. C. (2011). The Effects of Sleep Extension on the Athletic Performance of Col legiate Basketball Players. Sleep, 34(7), 943–950. https://doi. org/10.5665/SLEEP.1132

Sargent, C., Halson, S., & Roach, G. D. (2014). Sleep or swim? Early-morning training severely restricts the amount of sleep obtained by elite swimmers. European Journal of Sport Science, 14(sup1), S310–S315. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2012.69 6711

Walsh, N., Halson, S., Sargent, C., Roach, G., Nedelec, M., Gupta, L., Leeder, J., Fullagar, H., Coutts, A., Edwards, B., Pullinger, S., Robertson, C., Burniston, J., Lastella, M., Le Meur, Y., Hausswirth, C., Bender, A., Grandner, M., & Samuels, C. (2021). Sleep and the athlete: Narrative review and 2021 expert consensus recom mendations. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE, 55(7), 356–368. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102025

Waterhouse, J., Atkinson, G., Edwards, B., & Reilly, T. (2007). The role of a short post-lunch nap in improving cognitive, motor, and sprint performance in participants with partial sleep dep rivation. JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES, 25(14), 1557–1566. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410701244983

THSCA Coaches just wanted to give all of you a pep talk and my perspective on coaching in this day and time in regard to all sports and our duty as educators and leaders in our great state. We have an awesome responsibility as teachers and coaches to be our very best every single day so we can ensure our student athletes are their very best every single day. This starts with how we approach our significant roles within the schools and programs we are so fortunate to be part of. The role you have in your current situation needs to be one that you shine in every day. It does not matter the sport or sports you coach or the academic class or classes you teach. Respect the role and invest in the opportunity you have to uplift, enlighten and encourage all that you come into contact with. We “preach” to athletes about being great teammates and starring in their roles to bring out the best in the overall team. We need to make sure we simply practice what we preach. We should be the very best Professional Teammates regardless of role, level or ISD. Our overall profession is counting on you to be this way so Athletics and Education as a whole can become even stronger and even more impactful as we progress into a bright future.

Teaching and coaching is hard as we all know. There are many who want to see public education and athletics fail. We have to come together and be each other’s biggest fans and biggest promoters. Sports, regardless of specificity, should unite us and never divide us. We are called COACH for a reason. Support everyone on your campus from top to bottom and encourage them at every turn. Support every sport and those athletes who participate in those sports regardless of level. The student athletes matter and without them…we do not exist. Without the melting pot of sports…we do

not exist. Be very thankful and humble about the importance of your role and your duty to enhance the overall experience. Strengthen your rapport and professional relationships with campus leadership and the teachers you work with every single day. Treat every staff member with the utmost respect because their roles and responsibilities are vital to your success. Without custodians, maintenance staff, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and aides in the different classrooms…we do not exist. Applaud these tireless workers and their efforts. Be a great Professional Teammate!

Be the Professional Teammate who brightens up a room. Be the Professional Teammate who encourages those who might need it on a daily basis. Be the Professional Teammate who inspires others to excel. Be the Professional Teammate who pours out their entire cup in service of others because it is the right thing to do in our profession. Be the Professional Teammate who mentors others to be accountable and responsible so that all of these aforementioned attributes and intangible qualities will become even more pronounced and contagious to enhance the overall climate and culture of your campus and program. Be the Professional Teammate who listens, shows empathy and who continuously grows to strengthen their personal WHY and in turn motivates others to find their WHY and to GROW IT EVERYDAY in a positive manner. Without these professional teammate attributes… we don’t exist.

Pay it forward for the new teacher. Pay it forward for the one who might need a kind word or a pep talk. Show up to a game, contest or extracurricular activity to leave no doubt you are a GREAT PROFESSIONAL TEAMMATE. Always remember we are in this awesome and significant profession

together and we should be rooting and pulling for the success of each other and the students and athletes we have in our care regardless of their ability. Always remember we are leaders and mentors and it is our duty to always be a GREAT PROFESSIONAL TEAMMATE so the Coaching and Teaching profession will continue to EXIST and become even STRONGER and more IMPACTFUL, SIGNIFICANT and EVERLASTING!

I personally thank everyone in my career and circle of influence for paying it forward on my behalf and for investing in me every step of the way. We need to reciprocate this on a daily basis to those who came before us and to those who will be here after us. BE A GREAT PROFESSIONAL TEAMMATE and always remember NO ONE EVER EXCELS ALONE! Thank you for all that you do on a daily basis in one of the toughest professions on the planet, but in the most important and most significant profession on the planet! Let's ensure the bright future of Athletics in Texas and in our Country by being the very BEST PROFESSIONAL TEAMMATE so all of our students and athletes can be the very best version of themselves. Keep coaching beyond the games and keep enhancing the overall experience. Thank you for building and growing future leaders of character who will be significant in society. Thank you for building, growing and inspiring GREAT TEAMMATES who will make a difference in the lives of others. Thank you for being a GREAT PROFESSIONAL TEAMMATE right now and in the future so we all can…EXIST! THANK YOU!

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Have you checked out our 4-L's (LISTEN, LEARN, LOVE & LEAD) Curriculum?

Coach Stephen Mackey of 2Words Character Development along with our THSCA I.D.E.A. Committee (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness) have worked together to generate a library of short video lessons for coaches to use as a tool when addressing issues of racial injustice and social unrest. These videos are a perfect opportunity for professional development for your staff. Check out a sample of available lessons now at www.thsca.com/4l and access the full library of lessons by logging into your THSCA Member Portal Account.

NEW Lessons Available Now...

• The Impact of Athletics Begins and Ends with the Coach

• How to Take Care of Yourself & Protect Your Impact

• The Miracle of the Locker Room: How Athletics can Raise the Character & Culture on your Entire Campus

• How Listening can Help you Encourage your Athletes and Coaches Better

• How to Build a Healthy Locker Room (R.E.S.P.E.C.T.)

• 10 Lies of Leadership (& What you can do about them)

2022-2023

ACCESS TO THE THSCA MEMBER PORTAL

TO THE THSCA MEMBER PORTAL

UPDATE YOUR MEMBER PROFILE:

1. Navigate to www.thsca.com and select the gold button at the top labeled Member Portal Login.

download and print/screenshot your THsCA membership card:

2. The first time visiting the new portal you will be required to set up a new password, so select the Forgot your Password? option. Your initial username will be the email address we have on file for your member account.

3. The system will email a link/verification code for you to verify your account and set-up a new password. (If you have any difficulty remembering the email address you used for account set-up, or you do not receive the verification email to reset your password, please call our THSCA office 512.392.3741 and we can assist you.)

4. Click on the Round Grey User icon on the top right and select “Update Profile/View Membership”.

Your 2022-23 THSCA digital membership card is accessible through the THSCA Members Portal on our website. You can download your member card at any time and choose to either print it and carry it in your wallet, or screen shot a photo of it on your mobile device and keep it ready when you need it!

To print/screenshot your Member Card:

1. Login to the THSCA Member Portal and click on the Round Grey User icon on the top right and select “Update Profile/View My Membership”

2. Click on the Membership tab, and you will see THSCA in blue under My Membership. Click on the blue THSCA letters.

5. Select the blue pencil icon under “My Personal Information” to update your contact data. Choose the blue Update button at the bottom of the screen to save your changes.

3. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen and locate the option to "Download My Membership Card" under Membership Tasks

4. Your membership card should download as a PDF that you can print or screen shot on your mobile device for proof of membership. Please note if you do not see the download you may need to turn off your pop-up blocker first.

LEE WIGINTON ALLEN HS THSCA president

Who or what most influenced your decision to become a coach?

My father was the best teacher and coach I've ever been around. His passion for the profession and his love of his peers, students and athletes was something that made it obvious that he never worked a day in his life. what legacy do you hope your student-athletes take away from your program & their time with you?

I want them to know that I love them unconditionally. I want them to know that it's ok to fail.

I want them to see that my love for them doesn't change based on failures and successes.

I want to give every athlete in our program the discipline and structure they desire.

I want to constantly create opportunities for these young people to be able to focus more on others than we do on ourselves.

I want to create positive, memorable experiences both on and off the field.

I want to do everything in my power to help young people grow into the best students they can become, the best athletes they can become, and the best men/ women they can become.

I want them to become leaders of their families, our communities, and our nation aided by the impact that I've had on their life.

what is something you've learned from your student-athletes that most influences the way you coach?

They continue to teach me that wins and gold balls are fun, but that the memories that have the most impact on their lives are the ones that involve genuine time with one another. Young people don't want to solely be an athlete for us. They don't want to be a pawn in our game of "how many wins can we get." They want to know that we care about them as people. They want to know that we will be here for them long after the last whistle is blown. They want to see us have fun with them outside of our playing fields. They want to see what it's like to love our wife

and our children. They ultimately want to know we love them as a young man who just happens to play football.

what piece of advice would you offer a young coach?

Focus on the impact you have on the people around you at this moment in time. Don't get caught up in the rat race to constantly focus on the next job. You'll find the most enjoyment and satisfaction by what you give on a daily basis. How do you explain the importance of being involved in thsca?

THSCA really is the greatest association on the planet. It is constantly evolving to keep coaches equipped to meet the ever-changing needs of this profession. There are personal benefits like the Professional Liability Insurance at a very low price, there are benefits to those in our care provided from the Benevolence Fund, and then of course the networking opportunities provided through regional meetings and Coaching School are second to none.

WHAT DOES THSCA DO FOR YOU? THSCA MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Membership in the THSCA enhances your professional growth & gives you an opportunity to contribute to the improvement of this great profession.

► Continuing Education for Coaches & ADs

• Annual Coaching School & Convention: The three-day annual conference offers cuttingedge educational sessions, multiple networking events, an extensive exhibit hall and provides opportunities for members to benefit from a variety of rules meetings and outstanding speakers. It provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and information within your profession for a minimal tuition fee. This convention includes multiple opportunities for coaches to complete courses for U.I.L. Mandatory Coaches Certification Program (CCP) credit

• Coaches Leadership Summit: The signature event of the Texas High School Coaches Education Foundation, this one-day event is designed to equip coaches with the tools necessary to enhance and encourage the lives of their players. To unite coaches with the primary purpose of “coaching beyond the game.”

• The 4-L Curriculum (Listen, Learn, Love and Lead) for professional/staff development is an online collection of videos from Stephen Mackey of 2Words character development. Born from our IDEA Committee in response to our coaches' requests for a leadership development resource to help them address specific issues student-athletes struggle with in today's society.

• Health, Safety and Wellness Education powered by Dell Children's: Working to provide downloadable content on health and safety for parent meetings, articles on wellness and athlete development in Texas Coach magazine and professional development content for our Coaching School lecture series.

• NIL Education provided by Eccker Sports Group: This group works to monitor NIL legislation from across the nation and is a resource to our Texas coaches and legislators as we move into the new realm of NIL laws.

• Texas Coach Magazine Subscription: Members receive 9 issues of TEXAS COACH between September-May annually. This publication contains articles on sports skills and techniques, character/leadership development, program management, health and safety, as well as any current topic of interest relating to the wellbeing of our coaches and student athletes.

• THSCA Weekly E-News: This weekly email service keeps coaches in the loop on headline news stories from across the state, and provides up-todate information on THSCA events, programs and services.

• THSCA on CoachTube: Browse our online video library of coaches educational materials including sport specific training, leadership lessons, and character development resources.

• Starting the Conversation: Online curriculum that includes videos, conversation starters, roleplaying scenarios, and personal reflections to help coaches address the issues of dating violence and consent.

• FREE Recruiting Webinar: is an online resource for coaching staffs, counselors and parents which covers topics related to: Scholarship Myths and Facts, NCAA/NAIA Eligibility, NCAA Core Course Requirements, National Letter of Intent, Finding the Right School and More!

• The Jason Foundation: The Jason Foundation is dedicated to youth suicide prevention. All members have access to professional development training tools for Coaches and Athletic Personnel specific to suicide prevention in student athletes.

• February Regional Meetings at various satellite locations across the state. (Always the first Saturday in February.)

• July Regional Meetings are all hosted on Monday afternoon at Coaching School. These events are used to elect new representation for your region and update you on new THSCA initiatives for the upcoming school year.

► Networking Opportunities

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of this profession is our ability to network with one another and build relationships with our coaching peers from across the state. THSCA hosts many inperson meetings and events throughout the year with opportunities for coaches to meet one another and share ideas.

• Texas Coach Network: Online Career Center for THSCA Members Only, with services for candidates seeking a coaching job and employers looking to hire a coach.

• Power of Influence Meetings are held each winter and spring in all THSCA regions. These meetings provide an avenue for our head coaches of every sport to find out what THSCA is currently working on and give ideas for ways THSCA can better serve you.

• Seat at the Table discussions, specifically for female coaches that inspire and aspire. (Hosted upon request at various locations across the state.)

• sportsYou groups have been created for all our individual sports and each THSCA region. The sportsYou app serves as an invaluable tool when needing to connect with fellow coaches in your sport/area. Ask your peers for vendor recommendations. Use it to find opponents to fill your game schedules. Receive notifications on THSCA deadlines, legislative alerts, member survey links & document downloads.

• Networking Receptions & organized hospitality events at our annual Coaching School in July, our February Coaches Leadership Summit, as well as other various clinics and conventions.

REPRESENTATION

Working as a united community to be a voice of representation for ALL kids and ALL coaches.

► Service on THSCA Board & Committees

• THSCA Directors are elected by the membership each year at the July regional meetings at Coaching School

• We now have 19 different THSCA Sport-Specific Advisory Committees. Committee members are also elected by the membership and serve a 3 year term.

• Super Elite Team Selection Committees are made up of both head and assistant coaches for each sport. You can volunteer to serve on one of these committees online through our THSCA member portal.

• Volunteer to serve as a Mentor for our R.O.C.K. Coaches Mentoring Program and share your knowledge with the best and brightest young coaches.

*To serve the THSCA in any capacity, you must be a current member and must be present at the time of voting to be nominated.

► Special Interest Groups

• The I.D.E.A. Committee for Inclusion-DiversityEquity-Awareness

• Urban ISD Advisory Committee

• Athletic Directors Advisory Committee

► Legislative Representation

• With help from our THSCA lobbyist, we are able to monitor current and pending legislation, advocate for the protection of the coaching profession, an work to help Texas maintain one of the highest levels of professional standards for athletics in the country.

• THSCA Political Action Committee (PAC) was created to support the advocacy efforts in defense of the high school coaching profession and public school athletics in Texas, as well as supporting public education as an institution.

• UIL Legislative Council Representation on rule or policy change proposals for all sports and coaching requirements.

• Vote Purple Campaign: THSCA promotes the importance of voting in the best interest of public education (and not along party lines), while providing resources to research candidates and electing those that have a proven record of supporting public education in Texas.

ADVOCACY

► Benefit Programs

• Permanent Disability Benefit Program: Benefits of up to $1,200.00 per athlete, per year, if head coach of the team is an eligible member of the THSCA at time of injury.

• Memorial Benefit Program: Death benefit of $3,000.00 to parent(s) of athlete when death was caused while participating in a scheduled practice or game, if head coach of team is an eligible member of the THSCA at the time of death.

• Benevolence Fund: This fund exists to provide aid to hardship cases that extend beyond those covered by the Permanent Injury & Memorial Benefit Program policies.

• Our Day to Shine Campaign: We ask that all sports teams select one of their pre-season scrimmages or a spring game and collect donations for the THSCA Benevolence Fund. A toolkit for hosting one of these Our Day to Shine

scrimmages is available under the "Downloads" tab at www.thsca.com.

► R.O.C.K. Coaches Mentoring Program

Program to provide novice coaches with a structured program where they can share knowledge and receive advice and emotional support from veteran coaches, which in turn will strengthen our profession. (Powered through our partnerships with Texas A&M Univ. Coaching Academy and The University of Texas - Department of Educational Leadership & Policy.)

► Participants in the National Organization of Coaches Association Directors

A collaboration of different state associations from across the country coming together to share ideas on how to better serve our members, how to address current issues, and share ideas for the betterment of our athletic community.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Professional Members (coaches of Texas secondary schools and athletic directors in the public school system of the UIL who are actively coaching) are eligible to vote in all Association elections, and nominate coaches for Hall of Honor, Board of Directors, Athletic Advisory Committees and other awards.

► Student-Athlete Recognitions

• Academic All-State Teams: Eligibility of senior athletes to be nominated by their Head Coach** for Academic All-State honors.

► Friday Night Lights Against Opioids

Mobilizing our Texas coaches to utilize the positive platform that athletics provides to spread awareness about the opioid epidemic in Texas and organizing a call to action. We hope to be the catalyst in distributing over 3.5 million at-home medication disposal packets and educational materials to high school parents, students, and community leaders.

► Straight Line Recruiting #SLR

The THSCA executive staff works as a conduit between high school and college level coaches to champion our Straight Line Recruiting Initiative. We advocate for the prioritization of the high school coach's role in the recruitment of student-athletes, and are continually working to provide more tools to educate our coaches and parents on the recruitment process.

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Coordinating Texas participation in national initiatives and recognitions and partnering with other state associations to better serve coaches at every level, in every sport.

• Super Elite Teams: Varsity players in all sports can be nominated by their Head Coach** for recognition on their exemplary athletic achievement.

• Scholarships: THSCA awards ten $2,000 scholarships, one $2,500 scholarship (Eddie Joseph Memorial Scholarship) or one $2,005 (Fisher Woodchick Scholarship) annually to the son or daughter of an active member coach. Scholarship applications can be submitted online in the member portal.

• National Football Foundation (NFF) Team Academic Excellence Award: This initiative recognizes varsity teams for their collective academic achievement. THSCA recognized state finalists in each classification, a state champion for each classification and an overall winner for the state of Texas. The Texas overall champion is submitted nationally to the NFF for consideration as the National Champion.

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** The THSCA interprets "head coach" to mean the coach who is responsible for the team and is actually responsible for substituting during competition of any of the UIL sanctioned school sports. (i.e., varsity, junior varsity, sophomore teams, freshman teams, 7th & 8th grade teams.) The head coach must be a current THSCA PROFESSIONAL member and be considered in good standing on the day prior to the death or injury.

• Coach of the Week nominations can be submitted online in the member portal to honor and head or assistant coach of any in-season sport that is going the extra mile for their team.

• Coaching Beyond the Game Award nominees are selected at the regional meetings in July at Coaching School. The overall recipient of the Coaching Beyond the Game Award is determined by our THSCA Board and then given and opportunity to speak at the Coaches Leadership Summit.

• State Championship Ring: Head Coaches** of UIL sports who are members in good standing of the association are eligible for a State Championship Ring from the Balfour Company. Eligible coaches are recognized each year at the Balfour Hall of Honor Banquet at Coaching School. This includes state champions in both boys and girls sports.

• 25-Year Plaques: Those members who have completed 25 years of membership in the THSCA are honored with a commemorative plaque for their loyalty.

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• THSCA/TASO/UIL Officials Appreciation Game: We ask all sports to utilize their first home district game to honor your officials. Use the toolkit on our website that includes suggested actions, a PA announcement, an event poster, and a video board graphic to help you organize.

• Trainer of the Year

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¨ Features only high school coaches as speakers.

¨ 18 Lectures will be given by top high school football coaches from Texas

¨ A discount to B Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World will be given to each coach at the clinic. (Good only on selected items and only for the duration of the clinic.)

¨ Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World will provide hunting and fishing equipment as door prizes.

¨ The Embassy Suites Hotel is located adjacent to Bass Pro Shops and in close proximity to Grapevine Mills Mall and the Toyota Music Factory.

¨ FCA Lecture on Saturday.

¨ A clinic t-shirt for the first 700 coaches in attendance. (Sponsored by The Performance Course)

¨ Cash and Bass Pro Shops gear given away after each lecture on Sunday.

¨ $1000 Cash door prize after the last lecture on Sunday.

¨ “Texas Hold-Em” Tournament on Friday night

¨ 50 minute lectures and 45 minute breakout sessions.

¨ Job Board available.

Clinic Headquarters:

¨ E Embassy Suites Outdoor World at D/FW Airport, 2401 Bass Pro Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051

¨ Phone (972) 724 2600 or (800) EMBASSY

¨ To receive the special room rate of $159, make your reservation by January 4 and state you are attending the DFW Coaches Clinic. Embassy Suites Hotel provides a complimentary cooked to order breakfast and happy hour each day to every coach staying at the hotel. Each room comfortably sleeps four.

¨ $ $80 registration fee if mailed in by January 20 ($90 after January 20, no refunds after this date)

¨ To pre register, please send the registration form and a check payable to:

D DFW Coaches Clinic 30801 Beck Road Bulverd e, Texas 78163

¨ Check our website for clinic updates or to register. www.coachesclinic.net

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Largest High School Only Football Clinic in Texas!

FOURTH DOWN: A MENTALITY

BY: CHARLEY DRUM Athletic Coordinator/Head Football Coach Canyon Lake High School, Comal ISD

After years of being a defensive assistant and later as a defensive coordinator and having the “mis fortune” of trying to defend several incredibly good slot-t teams, we made the decision to switch to this offense in 2012, The one thing we were looking for in an offense was an identity and a mentality. One thing that always intrigued me about this offense, besides the intricacies and discipline, was the willingness to go for 4th down at any time and at crucial times in football games. In recent years all the analytics have started to point to all the advantages of going for it on 4th down. Of course, everyone thinks of the factors involved. The simplest thing is the yardage to gain. Secondly, the time and score in the game. Finally, your offensive skill level versus the opponent's defense. Every Head Coach must take this into account when making this critical decision. Ten years ago, rather than rely on percentages and analytics we decided to try and instill a mentality within our team about 4th down. I would love to say it had an immediate impact, but it took some time to get everyone to buy in to this philosophy, including myself. Looking back, it took 3 groups to buy into this way of managing the game. The players, the coaching staff, and myself, the head coach.

Anything that is successful in high school athlet ics, your players need to buy what you are selling. We preach the mentality daily that we are going to be ag gressive on 4th down. Especially, if it is 4th and short. After years of not only talking about it but executing and converting a high percentage on 4th down, our kids love the fact that we seem fearless when it comes to deciding to go for it. On most Friday nights, you

will see our offensive kids on the field, looking over to us and pleading the case to continue the drive along with the defensive guys and backups. There is not a better feeling than seeing your offensive lineman get all lathered up about 4th down and then converting it. We do practice these situation various times during our workouts throughout the week. But as everyone knows, it is hard to simulate the intensity, drama, and physicality that occurs during these tense moments on Friday nights. Instead, we continually talk about the fact that this is “Who We Are”

The second group is the coaching staff. We all know it does not take much for an offensive coordinator or offensive assistant to say, “Coach, we can make it, just let us run this play.” The key I have learned is to have the entire staff buy into this mentality. I am sure a lot of coaches around the state have been on staffs that are divided. When I say divided, that does not mean coaching one side of the ball. I am talking about the offensive staff and defensive staff are not all on the same page regarding game management and phi losophy, etc. I passionately believe that our defensive staff has bought in to this philosophy even when we do not convert. This mentality has spilled over to our defensive coaches and players. On the occasions we are not successful, more times than not, our defense will make a huge play or stand. This does not happen by accident. Our defensive coaches talk continuous ly about quick changes with turnovers and failed 4th down conversions. A fitting example happened this past year in the 1st round of the playoffs. We received the second half kickoff up 21-7 and faced a 4th and 1 on our own 39. We did not convert but our defense and defensive coaches did not complain or throw their hands up, they went to work and dialed up a sack and two incompletions and our offense was back in business after a punt.

Obviously, the Head Coach makes the key 4th down decisions during Friday nights. Years ago, I would have more than likely went by the book and punted with a double-digit lead in the playoffs. But as players and coaches we are not going to change who we are or what has gotten us there in the past years. Although it might sound like we are going for it all the time. We of course do punt when the situation dictates. As a head coach I have looked for those opportune times that can get you back in the game, put the game away or just swing the momentum in your favor. We are more ag gressive in some years than others. The kicker, punter, and offensive and defensive personnel all play factors in this decision. Factors that have made it easier for us to live with these decisions are time of possession and the explosiveness of offenses in the last decade. We have never been known for our explosive athletes but being able to control the clock and in some cases demoralize an offense with 4th down conversions has made us more competitive, especially against superior athletes on the other side.

This mentality is not exclusive to the Slot-T, Wing T, or any other run heavy offense. This philosophy is a great fit with any offense. The key is getting all parties involved on board just like with anything you

do as a team and staff. Also, the confidence gained by the young men on Friday night is priceless. We have squared off against some of the best teams in the state in years past, and even though we have lost our share of those games, our kids never felt overmatched or in timidated by the opposing team. That is what makes high school athletics the very best. Instilling a winning mentality in a group that feels like they can play with or beat anyone they line up against regardless of their size, speed, or strength.

around the state

fall 2022

THE LONE STAR STATE PLAYS ON HELLAS

WIDE RECEIVER PLAY

ben moran, Assistant Coach, Frisco Independence High School

Currently, I am coaching the quarterbacks here at Independence High School. Before that, I coached at Alvarado HS and at Austin College for four seasons, with most that time being spent coaching the wide receivers. It is a great honor for me to share what I have learned in my few seasons about the wide receiver position. I have had many great coaching mentors over the short time I have spent in the profession, and have had some great wide receiver coaches pass on what they know to me. Yogi Gallegos formerly of TAMU-Commerce, and John Heavner formerly of Southeastern Oklahoma were gracious enough to speak to me early in my career about wide receiver play, and much of what I used as a starting point in my position room came from those men. I also would like to thank Loren Dawson of Austin College, for believing in me early on, and giving me a chance as a young coach to contribute and ultimately “learn by doing”. I am by no means an expert, but everything here that I have assembled has been tried and tested in the field, and has been refined over my time as a coach. My hope is that you can gain something usable about playing the wide receiver position, and if nothing else, I hope that you can utilize the set-up of the different categories to help jump start your own position manual, whether it be for the wideouts, quarterbacks, or any other position. When we discuss what makes a good and bad receiver, there are three distinct things that I always come back to. Catching the ball, playing confidently, and playing as quick as possible. The interesting thing is that these three things tend to be very intertwined rather than independent. A guy who is quick and catches the football can play confidently. A guy who is quick and confident will get open more times than not, and have enough belief in himself to go get the football when it comes his way. You can see where this goes on. I try to arm my WR’s with enough tools in their tool box that they can go into each game with the mental clarity that they can play quick, confident, and will catch everything in their reach.

The great thing about the WR room is its diversity. I have had the luxury in my seasons to coach kids on every end of the spectrum, including all the labels and categories that people want to assign. The common, unifying trend with all of them, I have found, is that the best ones among them all want the ball on most every play. Managing that type of “ego” has it’s challenges, but I have found that using that desire to be on the forefront of every play makes them respond very well to tactical coaching. They want to learn things like press release and STEM techniques, because ultimately they want the ball! A point of personal proud of is my WR’s development as blockers. They understand that they are the “Playmakers” of the offense, not only in the passing game making a big time catch, but as blockers in our running attack. Almost all of our big runs have had a guy downfield winning a block, and I want my wideouts to want to be that guy. From this understanding and taking ownership of big plays in our offense, they have really taken to being blockers. The receivers I coach will always have it in their brain that they control the offenses ability to make the big play happen, and they own the failure if it isn’t the case in that given game.

The way I break this down is from start to finish. From the snap to the end of the play, this position breakdown covers the keys to each piece. I have included “buzzwords” (Usually in quotes and in parenthesis) of techniques to allow you to coach fast, as well as provided general pointers for each category. If you ever need anything from me, please reach out, I would love to elaborate or clarify anything that you want. I am a selftaught guy, and I am an open book!

I. Stance and Start

Overview: Our main objective in coaching the WR stance and start is to maximize efficiency. Regardless of your offensive scheme or philosophy, a great stance and start

ensures a couple of attacking principals are accomplished by the position. Great vertical pressure off of the line of scrimmage forces defenses to honor the over the top threat first and foremost, but it also sets up your route tree to be as deceptive as possible. When everything looks like a go, “Until it isn’t”, it allows your WR’s to be more deceptive and forces DB’s to be at their best. Furthermore, when we discuss WR/perimeter blocking, a good stance and start can also force a secondary player to respect pass on a run play, giving you as the WR, more space to operate and decreasing the likely hood of a free runner coming down to make a big tackle. We create a successful stance and start by beginning in a body position that allows us to burst off the line at the snap without any “false steps” or wasted movements. It is important as the coach to recognize the main false steps in the stance and start to maximize the feedback and appropriate changes you need to make in your players stance.

Keys in teaching a successful stance and start:

• Your players understand why the stance and start is important

We always want to sell a Go route in all we do, it sets up our blocks, and all of our intermediate passing game.

• “Track Stance” relation, imagine you are coming out of the blocks at a track meet.

• Hand placement within the stance is not super important to me, some like the hands crossed, some like them inter-lapping, the big key is that they cannot be down in press.

• Proper front toe vs Improper front toe, do not let your guys pigeon toe. It creates an automatic false step off of the line (“Toe Turn”, and a “Dip”). I don’t get the rationale behind turning the toe inward, it only slows you down on your first step, because you naturally turn it back straight as you fire off the ball.

• The idea of weight distribution vs giving a %. It is hard to gauge body % (70-30, 50-50), so I tell my guys to get enough weight forward that they can pick up their back leg and put it down. This seems to give a more tangible way to get in a front foot heavy stance.

• Identifying false steps and their remedies (listed below)

• Difference in off coverage vs press coverage (specifically weight distribution and hands)

Stance and Start

• Stance: “Track Stance”

Good Knee Bend with Knee over toe, Toe pointed Straight ahead, Hips down, Shoulders pressed,

Weight loaded on front foot, Hands in “Run Ready” Position

Inside foot up for outside guys, outside foot up for inside guys

In “Off “ Coverage > Instead of %’s, again, have enough weight forward where you can pick up your back leg

In Press Coverage > Balanced , Relaxed, A Stance to allow for release to both sides, i.e., be able to take a left foot step or a right foot step depending on desired release departure

Eyes and Head Must be Up to see ball for snap and see the defender over the top of him.

Hands crossed over front leg is fine with me, most guys find it the most comfortable while still being explosive

• Start: “THE TAKEOFF” strive for the “GTO” or “Great Take Off”

Explode out of stance with eyes downfield Drive off of front foot and bring elbows with you

Think the classic example “Push the Car”

Come off the line low and fast enough to push a truck that’s run out of gas

Sell Vertical as long as you can, we want to always be a deep threat

What to AVOID:

False Steps (Toe Taps, Toe Turns, Knee Dips, Hop Backs, Etc), we define and show how to fix each for the kids with film.

“Melting” off the line of scrimmage, you must have vertical urgency

II. Release

Overview: The way I teach the releases today, compared to when I started as a first year coach is night and day. I taught many of the often heard clichés like “break wrist and punch through”, “have a plan”, “double move / single”, etc. For a season and a half I was constantly frustrated by why none of these seemed to work effectively, even though I had seen what seemed like dozens of clinics and teaching tapes conveying these messages. After analyzing what I had been doing (unsuccessfully), I stumbled upon Coach PJ Fleck’s Nike Coach of the Year Clinic. What a light bulb moment!! So much of what he discusses in terms of release is not only an answer to what I was looking for as a change up for my guys, but it also really put the player perspective back in mind. Ultimately, releases, like anything we do as WR Coaches,

should allow our guys to play confidently and as fast as possible. This system of releases not only modernizes the way they are taught, but allows them to think less and be much more fluid and reactive, rather than slow and methodical.

Keys in teaching a successful release:

• Coming to balance on the snap, but not allowing pads to pop up

• Eliminate any cushion between you and DB, make the break on his toes, (“Nose to Toes”)

• Knowing the difference in off man / press man, and being able to close the gap between you and the defender without getting too high of pad level

• Being physical with hands (“Wipers”)

• Jabs should controlled and within the body frame, just like a crossover dribble, or a skier going down slopes

• NEVER GIVE UP THE CHEST

• Always look to Stack (“Hip Capture”) as soon as you can, don’t be afraid of contact

• “Go Win Now” or “Vertical Express” step is there, meaning you do not bubble around a guy that you have just released on. You take the most direct path vertical that you can

Release

When I coach the WR’s on release I divide the body into lower and upper techniques. Mastery of the release includes putting them together as one.

Lower Body: We have adopted the “Stick System” of footwork as opposed to teaching planned double moves/ triple moves, etc. The jabs should be within their frame, and should mirror a basketball player crossover dribbling or a skier skiing. The receiver should be balanced, and work to stick with the opposite leg outside his frame. Like a cross-over dribble, they want to stay low and athletic, and not over stretch themselves. Keys are patience and balance, more than a huge exaggerated jab step. They will use a single jab first, and if needed, based on DB leverage, use a 2nd jab before they release up the field. (this looks similar to the classic double move). After the WR releases, we want him to capture the near hip of the DB and work vertical right now. Some people, including Coach Fleck, refer to this as the vertical express step. The concept is the same. We do not want the WR to bubble his path and allow the DB to get back in phase. There should be some contact as you capture the hip, no contact tends to mean you bubbled your path too much.

Upper Body: Like mentioned before, we really struggled

with the old break the wrist, punch thru, etc. We adopted the “Wipers System”, which has allowed us to keep our chest from being exposed, our hands to be as violent as possible, and our guys don’t have to think too much. They simply react more. Without seeing it on film, the “Wipers” would similar to a car wiper blade. Both hands in the same direction knocking water off. Naturally my guys will still get a good dip rip when they capture the hip, but the initial contact is knocked off by the wiper hands. (Shock and Shed like). Biggest key here is that you never let a DB get his hands on you first, so you have to have your eyes up and hands ready for him to strike.

Some Additional Tools (after guys are good with the above mentioned):

• “Hesi” Jab Release = Hesitation off line with Stick System

• Power Skip to Jab = Off man situation where we power skip to eat cushion, using the single jab at the top, sometimes works as a good change up.

• Throw By =

Most effective on In breaking routes, like slant, dig, post , etc., but can be used with an inside stem on in breaking routes

Idea is to sell a back shoulder fade to force DB to turn his back to the LOS in a full run. Use at least three steps, will only work if DB is in a run facing away from the LOS. Must get his momentum up field.

Once his back is turned, use your inside hand to “throw by” the DB and undercut him using either a dip or punch

Key: Many defensive coverage players are taught to squat as soon as they feel a hand on their back, so avoid doing this part of the release until the last second. Get his momentum going up field, hard stick with outside leg, then throw by.

• After the guys have great sticks and wipers, they can have the freedom to work to more variety, but if they can’t master good initial hands and feet, then more is futile, and tends to slow them down.

III. STEM

Overview: The “STEM” portion refers to the stem of the route. Like the stem of a plant or trunk on a tree, this is the portion in between our release and the top of our route. In my opinion, the Stem is one of the most undercoached portions of WR play, and in reality, is one of the most important things in a WR’s tool box of getting open. The STEM coaching includes how to attack defenders sitting at the top of our route, avoiding collision defenders

underneath the hard deck, getting rid of man defenders who have attached to us, and the understanding and use of “leverage” within a route.

Keys to Coaching STEM:

• Getting rid of a man defender mid route (“Meat Grinder” with hand, keep hands active and never let a DB latch on)

• Avoiding Collision Players, with low shoulder avoid technique (“Grab the Towel”). Use kickstand and release to desired side, like you are grabbing a towel off of the ground.

• Leverage and how to attack using angles, “the High Five Hand”

• Know your mandatory side releases (MOR, MIR, “No Fly Zones”)

• Using a DB’s body weight against him, “Lean-Ins”, keeping hand down to avoid penalty

• Attacking a Cover 2/Cloud corner based on desired leverage

IV. Break Points

Overview: The break on a wide receivers route (often referred to as the top of the route) is what, in my opinion, separates good wide receivers and wide receiver coaches. A great break can make an average WR good, a good WR great, etc. When I watch other WR’s play, it’s the first thing I look for. The old saying in coaching is that the WR is most open at the top of his route. This is a very true cliché, and coaching and repetition of this portion of the WR tool box will create the more open throws than any other portion of what we coach, in my opinion. Being able to have a good break requires the most physical mastery of any other technique. This takes not only time, repetition, and drill work, but the WR must be able to consciously understand his own body. This portion requires coaching on film, walk thru reps, and mental focus. You have to be patient and deliberate at the same time when coaching breaks. It is not an overnight thing, but over time, it can separate a player among his peers, and maximize his athletic abilities.

Keys to coaching the “Break”:

• The different breaks include: 45 Down (Comebacks / Curls)

Hard 90 (Outs / Digs)

Kickstand (Post / Slants)

Speed Cut (Sail)

• Great Body posture and running with a forward lean, what we call “Shoulder Press” is key to breaking in three steps or less. Making great breaks to me is all

about the pad level. The taller you play, the closer your feet are to each other.

• The closer the feet are, , the harder it is to change directions quickly and fluidly. If you are too high, you must add steps to your break in order to change direction, because you need steps to lower your body back down to an athletic position. More steps you take as a wideout = More time a defender has to react

• Proper position of the head and shoulders on the break, is what I refer to as “SOS” or Shoulders Over your Stomp. We want a forward lean, we want to be able to put our shoulders over our knee on the last step of the break.

• “Drum Pound” vs “Elbow Acceleration”

We never want to “ pound the drum” because it is a “tell” to the defense we are breaking. Instead, lower yourself and change direction by an acceleration of your natural running motion, i.e. what we call “Elbow Acceleration”. What I am saying here is don’t change your running motion to make a break. If I run up and down, but change my hands to side to side, I am creating a tell. Simply accelerate whatever your natural running motion looks like to get to a break position. This is much more deceptive, and becomes a much more fluid break over time.

• Learning to be full speed out of the break, and repping it often in practice

• We never want to bubble any of our routes. Hard angles as much as possible. Bubbled routes, and drifting, allow DB’s to undercut our path and get between us and the ball. Avoid at all costs! “Bubbled Routes Get Undercut” is something I have said over a hundred times it feels like.

• 45 down breaks happen in three steps (Curls, Stops, Comebacks)

Think “Stick, Rip, Whip”. Stick the outside leg, rip open the arm, and whip the backside leg across your body as you speed back up to a full run. This really helps with giving the three steps some meaning, but also the whip portion really helps guys get back to full speed quicker.

• 90 breaks happen in two steps (Digs, Outs). Step slightly outside frame on first step, which is your plant step, then “rip and whip” open on second step. Focus on staying flat. I like to work these on a yard line because it gives a visual cue of if they are rounding the cut.

• “Kickstands” (Posts, Slants) should still allow you to be maintain full speed while causing a freeze or hesitation in the DB. When you kick, keep the kick as close to inside your frame as you can. A big exaggerated step will slow you down ultimately, because you have to add steps to get your feet back underneath you and get yourself back to running full speed. This allows a DB a chance to recover, defeating the purpose of a great kickstand. The best kickstands are violent , abrupt movements, within the frame of body, so you can come out of kick running full speed at a full stride.

• Speed Cuts should happen without slowing down. Plant your leg, rip open, and whip your leg, similar to the 45 down cut. Be careful to avoid drifting up field. Sometimes it helps guys to tell them to almost run back down toward the line. This helps them stay flat.

V. Catch

Overview: One of the first things to consider when coaching the catch portion of the route, is understanding how most drops occur. I chalk talked with Coach Gallegos at Texas A&M Commerce the year before they won the D2 national title, and he had done a study on all of the plays in which they dropped the ball over the previous three seasons. Over 80% of all drops occurred when the receiver simply did not see the ball hit his hands, or he didn’t follow the ball into the tuck portion with his eyes. Simply put, one of the best things you can teach and emphasize when coaching this is emphasizing catching the ball with their eyes and seeing the ball into the tuck. You can hear me say this a ton at practice, and in our individual drills. “Catch with your eyes” or “Nose to Nose” (Nose of ball to your nose), are great buzz works to help train the eyes. Over emphasizing this technique is great for pre practice drills, like a settle and noose, on their own with tennis ball, or in a low impact time during practice. If they can develop great eyes, they will catch more passes. Giving them the physical tool of great vision will give them more confidence and allow them to play faster as well.

Keys to coaching “Catch”:

• Catch the ball with your eyes, you should be able to take a screenshot of it with your eyes. (“Take a Picture”)

• See every ball into the tuck, watch for the players chin to hit the chest during ball drills

• Daily ball drills that emphasize great eyes on ball, such as freezing the ball for 2 seconds with eyes on, then tucking it

• Ball above waist = “Diamond or U” hand placement

(thumbs together)

• Ball below waist = Pinkies together

• Work a contested or contact catch drill everyday if you can VI.

Blocking

Overview: The first thing you must revisit when talking about WR blocking is the idea that this group controls the big play ability in the run game. Almost all runs of 20+ have a receiver downfield making a block happen on a secondary player. Ownership in this creates a culture of guys who want to block. At the end of the day, most human beings do not want to lose a physical battle. WR’s are the same. “No block , no rock” is something we’ve all heard, but ultimately I think the physical challenge of beating another human and the idea that big plays happen with the WR’s, gives you plenty of ammo to motivate a guy to block. The biggest key we will discuss is patience. The worst perimeter blocking misses come when a WR is too aggressive down the field and a DB spills him or undercuts him. We want our guys to explode off the line for two steps, then engage in a creep to their man. They always want to stay within a half of a person away width wise, so in case the DB plants his foot and comes downhill we won’t get spilled. Within 5 yards of a defender you want to creep, keep low pads, active feet, active hands, and match path. When you engage you want to keep hands flexed (not extended) and take DB where he wants to go. I never teach my WR’s to take a side on leverage, because I don’t want them take a risk and get crossed up, I’d rather see a ball carrier be able to cut off of an engaged blocker, then have “perfect” leverage.

Keys to coaching WR Blocking:

• Explode off ball for 2 steps, Sell the go as long as you can.

• Never let a defender get a “full man” outside of you in your creep, keep him within a “half a man” away from you when thinking about width

• Work the Creep within 5 yards or less of DB, sooner is always better than later

• Keep active hands and feet the entire time, you want a good base in case the defender triggers right now. I tell my guys all the time they should destroy the grass they are on creeping to make a block.

• Engage the defender in the middle, don’t attack for a leverage. This is different than some people, but I believe this is key to helping your kids not “whiff” in open space. The goal is to give a ball carrier something to cut off of, so engage the man and stay

on.

• Maintain flexed elbows (never extend), just like we are maintaining a steering wheel on a car

• We want to stay engaged as long as possible and give ball carriers a chance to cut, that is a successful perimeter block, no matter where it happens on the field.

• Run off a press man corner, but convert if needed

If he turns to the ball to go make a play, throw inside and convert to a block, we call this our “Conversion Block”

VII. Ball Security

Overview: Biggest thing we emphasize, along with seeing the ball all the way through the catch, is carrying the ball properly. We always want 5 points of contact (Fingers, Palm, Forearm, Bicep, and Chest) between the ball and our body. We want the wrist above elbow, we don’t want the ball to swing, and we want our guys to keep the ball “High and Tight”

Keys for Ball security:

• “High and Tight” at all times

• 5 Points of Contact between body and the football

1. Middle Finger (Stronger grip when we “fork” ball, than when we use index finger)

2. Palm 3. Forearm 4. Bicep 5. Across the chest

• Don’t swing the ball

• Biggest point of contact they will lose is the ball up against their chest, we see more fumbles with guys coming from underneath the ball thru that gap than any other way.

• Cover the ball up with off-hand on contact

VIII. Favorite Drill

My favorite Wide Receiver Drill:

In lieu of going through all the drills I do / have done, I think a better approach is giving one unique drill I do that hopefully you can take with you. Every coach has drills that they love or that they believe gives them the winning edge. For me, when discussing wide receiver fundamentals, my top drill is what I call my “Command Break Drill”. The purpose of the drill is that it forces the athlete to run at the optimal pad level for the break they are about to make. Because they do not know where they will have to break off their route, they must keep their pads down and have a slight forward lean as they

progress down the field. This teaches them to run at the optimal body position for either a 2 step or 3 step break. Again, one of the biggest issues athletes have in making these types of breaks is that they are too tall (their feet are too close together as they try to break, forcing them to add steps as they attempt to stop). When you are too tall, you will have a 5 step break as opposed to 3 step break, because you have to lower your body back down to an athletic position. When doing that, you miss out on the ability to create good separation. The command break drill allows you to work each of your top of routes (90 degree, 45 Down, Kickstand, etc.), without using cones or landmarks, but rather a command to stop. You will start the athlete by saying “Go”, then break them off by saying “Break”. I like to deliver a ball after the break so you are incorporating all of your catch principles. It could be 5 yards, it could be 20+ yards, mix it up so they are clued into the cue and not trying to guess. You will be amazed at how much more crisp some of these breaks are, just by making the focus on pad level and running position. Don’t be afraid to make this a “50%” type drill in the beginning, just so your guys get a feel for the posture first, before trying to go all out full speed. To me, body posture and the ability to run with a lean, allows players to become great top of route guys, without simply just working the technique around a cone. You can do one line, or spread them out like I have in the diagram, based on numbers and how many reps you want. Either way, you can work all three major breaks using this drill. I like to put a PVC chute at the start so they have a great takeoff, and you could also add some chutes in the STEM (one say at 5 yards, one at 10 to force pads down as well). Hope this helps!!!

Contact Info: If you ever have any questions, or would like to contact me, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am always open to discuss anything and everything related to the game. I have coached the QB’s and WR’s now going on five years, and I am always looking to grow my knowledge. My twitter is @Coach_BenMoran and my email is benmoranac@gmail.com. I would love to connect!

A look inside: student coaching seminar

On October 5th 2022, the Thornton-McFerrin Coaching Academy (TMCA) partnered with the Texas A&M Student Coaches Association (SCA) to host their semi-annual Student Coaching Seminar. The seminar was a full day event held at the Texas A&M University Student Recreation center in College Station, Texas and included 125 student participants plus chaperone-coaches and administrators from 19 different Texas High Schools. Seminars such as these hosted by TMCA are intended to introduce fundamental coaching principles to high school juniors and seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in coaching, athletic administration, or athletic training.

Following the welcome message, students were grouped with their table members and prepared to begin coaching station activities run by TMCA Program Coordinator, Rashard Thurston. During registration, students were asked about their participation in selected sports and based on these responses, students were grouped by similar interests in the following sports: basketball, track & field, soccer, volleyball, and football. Students knowledgeable in these sports were assigned as “coaches” and given the opportunity to coach other students in the basic development of sport specific skills as they rotated between stations. As students “coached” their peers, the coach-chaperones were asked to observe and evaluate the student coaches in their ability to effectively communicate fundamental skills. The overall objective of the coaching stations was to allow student-coaches to learn about the importance of effective communication and catch a glimpse of some of the daily challenges experienced by their own coaches.

The Student Seminar was organized and facilitated by TMCA staff, and SCA student members, Texas A&M Challengworks and various other volunteers. Throughout the day, attendees participated in team building activities, coaching stations, interactive discussions, and attended Texas A&M Varsity practice sessions for track and field, soccer, and volleyball.

To start the day, students participated in an Icebreaker Activity conducted by Texas A&M University ChallengeWorks. The mission of ChallengeWorks is to provide organizations and groups with action-based experiences to build interpersonal effectiveness by teaching the importance of communication, leadership, and teamwork. After the icebreaker activity, TMCA Program Manager, Kelli Campbell, delivered a welcome message and introduced the day's focus topic: “Communication in Coaching ''.

After the coaching activity, attendees participated in a working lunch where they were asked to recap their coaching experience through table discussions with their peers and coachchaperones. As the students finished lunch, they participated in an interactive discussion on effective coaching communication strategies. After lunch the students and coaches attended varsity practice sessions, including Women's Volleyball at Reed

Arena, Women's Soccer at Ellis Field, and the Men and Women throwers from the Track & Field team. While attending practices, students were provided with the opportunity to hear from varsity coaches and observe coach-athlete interactions at the collegiate level. Coach G. Guerrieri, Varsity Coach for the Women’s Soccer Team, provided participants with a practice plan and a quick overview of the day’s practice followed by an interactive session at the end. SCA and TMCA leaders pointed out coaching strategies and organizational techniques demonstrated by these Texas A&M coaches and athletes. After returning to the Recreation Center, students discussed their practice observations with their peers and table leaders and heard closing remarks from TMCA Director, Mike Thornton, who recapped the day and provided students with key takeaways.

We are now accepting nominations for the R.O.C.K. mentoring program class of 2023! To nominate a mentee for the incoming class, please complete the nomination form in the THSCA Member Portal Online. You will need to login and then locate " Browse Open Competitions " under the Awards tab. Find the R.O.C.K. Mentee Nomination Form and select it to ENTER NOW.You will complete the nomination form for each potential mentee and submit it along with a one-page letter of recommendation and copy of the mentee’s resume no later than December 1 st . Please feel free to nominate more than one coach!

Please ensure that your nominee meets the requirements and expectations below before proceeding with the nomination:

• Mentee must be an active coach employed by a public, UIL sanctioned school (middle/junior or high school).

• At the time of nomination, mentee must have 1-5 years of coaching experience, but NO MORE than 5 years of coaching experience. (age not considered)

Based on feedback received after the event, a majority of the participants enjoyed their experience and commented on how they were able to think about coaching from a different perspective. The success of the Fall 2022 Student Seminar can be attributed to TMCA staff, SCA student volunteers, the students and their coaches from the participating high schools, as well as many volunteers, and program donors. This event has encouraged future coaches to develop and embrace their coaching skills, and created lasting relationships that will help them succeed in their coaching career.

• If not already a member of the THSCA, the mentee must be willing to register as a member and maintain that THSCA membership throughout the 2-year mentorship term.

• Mentee must be willing to commit time and effort to the 2-year mentoring program.

• Mentee must be ready and willing to take in valuable information and grow from it, then share that information with their peers.

• Mentee must be willing to stay in close communication with mentor on a weekly/monthly basis.

Mentee must attend the following events:

• Mentee must attend his/her Regional Meeting on the 1st Saturday of February, where the mentee will be introduced and recognized by a THSCA Board Member.

• Mentee must attend Mentoring Workshop in Arlington on March 26-27 2023, where mentee will meet his/her mentor.

• Mentee must attend and stay 3 nights at coaching school during his/her first year in the program.

Hello November, you showed up quickly! The season always seems to fly by. It is hard to believe we are already at the end of district play for fall sports. As fast as they arrive, they end. November brings on a lot of stress for Coaches and a whole mess of emotions for coaches' wives. This is the time of year when we do not know what is happening weekly. Are we in or out? Do we move on to the next round of playoffs or do I need to start putting away my Fall Football decorations? Our schedules all depend on if we win or lose, which makes it difficult to answer that one dreaded question I know we all get, “Will y’all be joining us for Thanksgiving?”

I remember the first time Coach was in the playoffs on Thanksgiving. I was so disappointed that he was not going to go with me and the kids to see family. I remember feeling a little resentment towards him. I was with my family, taking care of our four toddlers and helping with the Thanksgiving prepara tions and in my mind, he was just living his best life with all the freedom in the world. But now, 10+ years into this Coach’s Wife life, I know better, man oh man do I know better. If he is home for Thanksgiving, I know he is not happy. None of us are. That means we lost, and we are out, the season is over. We want to be playing. As much as we love the holidays and family time, we want to be in some big city, playing in a huge stadium, eating a Thanksgiving Pre-Game Meal. That is our kind of Thanksgiving.

No matter what your season brings you or how it may end, there is always something to be thankful for. For me, I am just so thankful for every memory my family makes in this crazy fun life we call Coaching. A quote by Roy T. Bennett says, “Be thankful for everything that happens in your life; it’s all an experience.”

Some of my greatest experiences as an adult have been because of the career path my husband chose, with it came the THSCWA. It is such a blessing to be a part of this organization and to be sur rounded by amazing women. If you have not yet joined the THSCWA, you can go online and submit your membership request at www.thscwa.org. If you have any questions, you can email us directly from the website.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and best of luck to all the teams that are in the Playoffs! Your 2022 President, Shelby B. Shelby, Region 7 : McAllen High School txcoacheswives@gmail.com

PRESIDENT:

DIRECTORS

REG 1: kim keys

REG 2: ANGIE MARTINEZ

REG 3: MONICA HARP

REG 4: ANGIE TORRES

REG 5: erin smith

REG 6: DAISY GREEK

REG 7: MORGAN HAMRICK

REG 8: MISTY HOUSTON

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS:

REG 1: clara simmons

REG 2: JESSICA ATWOD

REG 3: KRISTEN HAYWOOD

REG 4: GENTRY STAUGH

REG 5: RACHAEL MCGUIRE

REG 6: LYNDSEY RATLIFF

REG 7: AMBER HILLIS

REG 8: AMANDA AGUIRRE

legislative council results 2022

We are publishing results of the October UIL Legislative Council meeting so you can be informed of any changes that might be taking place. Some of these results are partial results as it applies to athletics. All proposals that were passed are scheduled to go into effect on August 1, 2023 pending state approval by the Commissioner of Education (unless otherwise noted) and are not effective until designated by the U.I.L.

ATHLETICS

athletic PROPOSALS THAT WERE PASSED:

1. A proposal to allow 6th grade participation at the 1A Level.

2. A proposal to require a best of three series in all rounds of the 5A/6A baseball post season leading up to the state tournament.

3. A proposal to allow the head golf coach and the assistant golf coach to actively coach during the course of play for all tournaments.

4. A proposal to amend junior high track meet start times.

Athletic PROPOSALS TO STUDY:

1. A proposal to allow coaches to coach in the All-Star game.

Athletic PROPOSALS TO continue pilot program:

1. A proposal to extend the pilot program to allow both girls' and boys' high school basketball coaches to be able to coach their students during the June TABC showcase event.

Athletic PROPOSALS DENIED, REJECTED, or NO ACTION taken:

1. A proposal to adjust the process of a PAPF if the previous school is a private school.

2. A proposal to change the requirement of retired coaches.

3. A proposal to add gymnastics as a recognized sport.

policy

POLICY PROPOSALS THAT WERE PASSED:

1. Resolution to allow 2A schools to compete for district honors in soccer.

2. Resolution to amend the Reclassification and Realignment Policy as it relates to the conference placement of UIL member charter schools.

POLICY PROPOSALS THAT WERE moved to june for consideration:

1. Proposal to update UIL rules in section 442 regarding students in custodial placements.

policy PROPOSALS TO STUDY:

1. A proposal to add esports as a UIL activity. policy PROPOSALS for staff to monitor:

1. A proposal to alter 5A football alignment structure. policy PROPOSALS DENIED, REJECTED, or NO ACTION taken:

1. A proposal to survey superintendents regarding eligibility of foreign exchange students.

2. A proposal to change the scheduling of UIL competitions to Sundays, weekdays or alternating Saturdays.

3. A proposal to stream and record for educational purposes.

4. A proposal to include Game Day Dance Division to Spirit State Championships.

Full results can be obtained at: https://www.uiltexas.org/policy/legislative-council