Cisar/other recommendations for new head coach

Oh, another question:

I notice that the board is labeling me a "lurker." I'm not actually a lurker. I only just signed up. I did a web search for youth football coach forums and found this one. Are there others I should also join?

Thing is, I am not confident in the basic principles.  Our offense these past 2 years has revolved around getting the ball two one of our two studs and running around the ends.  We really had no consistent short game.

Furthermore, I am inheriting a team with only 2 returning veteran 8 year-olds (we had a predominantly 8 year-old team last year, so they're all moving up), and I don't expect to draft many/any veterans, since they're already locked up on the team that was predominantly 7 year-olds last year.  So I expect to have a team that is 90% rookie 7 year-olds, and I want to be competitive and give my players a positive experience on the football field so they return again next year.

It is not unusual in our county for the larger cities (like ours) to field 2 or 3 teams; some cities actually have a policy of putting all the older players on 1 team and all the younger players on another, but most don't; but inevitably, some teams end up having mainly older players and some younger, and then it becomes a self-perpetuating phenomenon.  Last year, for instance, we fielded 3 teams from Spanish Fort.  Two of those teams (including the one I coached) were coached by coaches who had coached the previous year, so they locked up all their veterans, who were all 8 year-olds.  That left the 3rd coach with only the 7 year-olds to choose from, which means he is now coaching all/most of the 8 year-olds in the city.  We'll probably pick up another 2 or so rookie 8 year-olds in the draft, but we won't get any veterans.  I did talk to the returning coach from last year — the one that had all the 7 year-olds — but he admitted that he pretty much winged it last year.

Anyway, my point is, I'd like to be a bit more organized and really put together a solid plan that will give my boys a positive experience in football so that they will return next year.  If I adopt Reed, I'm going to teach my MPP flankers to catch so that I can hopefully do that quick pass out to the flanker when the corner cheats.  That also requires me to have a tailback who can throw, though.

Anyway, I need more than just a playbook.  I need to figure out how to teach (and motivate) my offensive linemen to block, how to organize practices most effectively, how to install my offensive and defensive schemes, etc.  Last year, I always felt like our practices were unplanned whatever-the-head-coach-felt-like affairs.  I'd rather have a plan so my assistants can prepare.

I also need a defensive system.  We ran the Wide-Tackle 6 last year, but also occasionally dropped back into a 5-3 or moved up into a Gap-8.  Our success with the latter has actually made me seriously consider Reed's GAM, even though I used to scoff at the Gap-8.

I had the opportunity to attend a clinic here in Germany where Coach Cisar gave a fast paced overview of not only his offense but also his practice organization.
Especially as a new Headcoach at the age group you mentioned I would strongly recommend his stuff (biased, have not reviewed the other available resources).
With the budget constraints I would get the "Winning Youth Football - A Step by Step Plan" and work from there.

Cheers
Marc

Dave Cisar's system is great...but the ultimately comes a time when you have to make your own adjustments, because the best defensive coaches will react. Granted, I don't know if they'll react much to that age group, but they do with the older kids.

Here's my policy on systems, anything you can do out of the Single Wing, you can do out of the Double Wing, and out of the I Formation, and out of the Wishbone. It's really a matter of preference. I have never personally coached kids that young, but I've seen guys be able to apply the same principles to different formations and have great success with it. I'm a firm believer in the K.I.S.S policy, at that age you need one, at most two formations. And I wouldn't have more than 6 plays, until I at least hit 11 years old.

For what it's worth, and take it with a grain of salt, my favorite formation for those age groups has always been either the Maryland I or the Double Wing. Both provide deception, which is key. The Maryland I formation is also a great introduction to the I Formation if you think the kids will be using that later on.

Now when you get more advanced you can switch it up, last this past year with 11-13 we went Full House Pistol, this next year with 13-14 we're going Air Raid Pistol. But for now, stick the ball on the ground and you'll be glad you did.

Also, use Scribd, it WILL be a coaches best friend.

another system to check out is the DC wing T on Dumcoach.com Cisar as well as some coaches on here post on that forum as well.

There are defenses on there too.

This is true. But how you block is dictated by the scheme.

Chicken and egg..

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards

thats great advice!

except i passed less then 12 times a game when i was coaching HS

in my opinion, if your a single wing guy, stay a single wing guy, no need to move to any other style.

speaking as a former HS coach and now middle school coach:

teach them blocking, teach them tackling. let me take care of installing my scheme.

At 7th and 8th grade when they can actually throw the ball I would like to pass 12 to 15 times a game if we can handle it. That is hypothetical though because Im at 8-10 and we only throw it about 5-8 times a game. It is important to be able to throw the ball.

Do those teams do well? What were the coverages they faced? We play in a very competitive league and very rarely see 15 passes a game and passing every down is unheard of. I am not saying it can't be done because I know it can but to see it often would surprise me. We see spread but it is always a run first attack which imo is more dangerous in spread.

If they are a feeder program with help from a quality hs staff then that makes a huge difference.

Are you coaching the same level again this season? They drove you crazy last year. 

This is only true if you can't trust your assistants.. which is a flaw in the program. Train your coaches to be good coaches. We do many off season trainings with coaches. If someone doesnt show we didn't need him anyway.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards