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Post by Coach.A on Feb 15, 2011 13:40:30 GMT -6
I had a few people ask me about the O-Line circuit I posted earlier so I thought I'd post a video of it. I just randomly grabbed 3 of our players at the end of our off-season so our players were a little rusty with their technique. They only complete the circuit 1 time and they are winded. During the season they were able to complete the circuit 3 times in full equipment. This drill has been a great tool for fine tuning our fundamentals and for conditioning. It includes all of the main skills we ask our O-Linemen to master.
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Post by Coach.A on Feb 14, 2011 12:09:50 GMT -6
Does anybody other then Canadians play Canadian rules?
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Post by Coach.A on Feb 13, 2011 21:53:07 GMT -6
One of the best things we've done in the past couple years with our O-Line is an "O-Line Circuit". We are a no-huddle team and we have very few concepts, so we want to be great at the few things we do by maximizing reps. The circuit can also be used as a conditioning tool.
Our base plays are: IZ, OZ, Counter, Power, Trap
Our circuit consists of the following:
- IZ steps over the boards (2 x right, 2 x left) - OZ steps over the boards (2 x right, 2 x left) - Square pull along the splits marker (1 right, 1 left) - Kick-out pull along the splits marker (1 right, 1 left) - Pass Pro slide drill: line up six cones in a grid, linemen will power-step, power-step, then kick-slide-kick, repeat 3 times to make it through the grid (once through power stepping right, kick sliding left, then once through power stepping left and kick sliding right)
We position a linemen (or two) at each station. After they complete the prescribed number of reps they move immediately to the next station. We build up throughout the season - Ultimately we want the linemen to be able to make it through the circuit 3 times with no rest...this is very demanding if they are hustling through the circuit.
I think an O-Line circuit can be used for any offense, just breakdown the key skills you ask your linemen to do in your offense, then make that skill a station.
It can also be used when you have limited coaches available, or during specials for O-linemen that aren't involved...just tell them to complete the circuit 2 or 3 times.
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Post by Coach.A on Jan 26, 2011 22:18:10 GMT -6
The theme of the clinic is for HS coaches by hs coaches..not a college coach spoke I like that. I always find the presentations from successful high school coaches much more valuable and relevant. Often the college presenters forget that we have limited talent, time and resources compared to them.
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Post by Coach.A on Jan 25, 2011 15:20:30 GMT -6
Sure lifting and eating healthy isn't required to be a great coach BUT at the high school level it 100% makes your job easier if you do it. If you have the look and lifting numbers to back up what you preach then kids are way more likely to buy in.
I think that it's hypocritical of us to expect our players to lead by example but not our coaches. I'm not saying you have to be a weight room warrior, but your health should be a priority at every stage of your life (even after you're married with kids).
I'm also guilty of this, but it's funny how many of us that claim to "have no time to workout" also have hundreds or even thousands of posts on coachhuey.com.
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Post by Coach.A on Jan 21, 2011 13:01:44 GMT -6
I agree with the practice planning idea BUT keep in mind that most youth teams have very few coaches available...this is even true at the high school level quite often. So having the team break off to position groups for 15 minutes of indy work isn't always an option.
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Post by Coach.A on Jan 13, 2011 8:58:32 GMT -6
I've made the mistake of going crazy on technique as a position coach. I was not letting the position group advance in scheme until we mastered the previous skill (very stubborn). It may sound good in theory but it hurt us because we didn't get to rep our base stuff enough early in training camp (because it wasn't installed). I think team reps are extremely important to work on timing and cohesiveness even though technique may not be perfected.
Now I teach all of our base plays as soon as possible. The technique is sloppy at first, but we allot a set amount of time each practice to work on the fundamentals and techniques to master our base plays. As the season progresses, our technique in these base plays improves. We never waste time teaching techniques that aren't relevant to our system. Your drills must carry over to your game play.
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Post by Coach.A on Jan 12, 2011 18:25:49 GMT -6
Enjoy!
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Post by Coach.A on Jan 3, 2011 16:53:04 GMT -6
Actually Coach legal precedents lies with the school district on drug testing of athletes. A case regarding this was taken all the way to the Supreme Court and the school won the case. The decision said something to the effect that athletes can be held to a higher standard than other members of the school because playing sports is a privilege and not a right. Well I'm in Canada Coach, our laws are a little different. How are your drug tests administered? Are they urine samples? Is an unbiased third party conducting the tests? Unless the tests were done in a professional lab, I think a lot of the legal challenges could come from questions regarding the accuracy of the tests not necessarily the fact that they are being conducted.
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Post by Coach.A on Jan 3, 2011 15:24:06 GMT -6
We started drug testing this year. I don't have the policy in front of me, but here is the gist of it: -every athlete on roster is subject to a random test We see this as simply part of the price you pay for being part of an athletic team. We don't test performance enhancing drugs, just street drugs. Why only athletes? What does this say about other students and other extra-curricular programs within the school? The fact that you only test athletes and neglect to test for performance enhancing drugs seems odd...almost hypocritical to me. How are the test administered? When I was tested as a player in college, I had a guy sit about 4 feet away from me and watched me pee in a bottle. I had to have my shirt above my nipples and my pants below my knees. I'm not sure how they "supervise" females doing the test, but I'm sure it's also quite awkward. I don't know if parents in our region would be so accepting of this procedure...especially with freshman. Have any parents ever challenged your policy legally? I know that we could never do this in our region because if a parent challenged us in the courts we would lose.
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Post by Coach.A on Jan 1, 2011 21:26:44 GMT -6
From my understanding, it cost anywhere from $200 to $1,000 for a standard WADA urine test. Blood tests (more thorough) can cost even more. An average American high school would probably have approximately 300 kids participating in athletics. Do you think spending over $60,000 a year per school on drug tests is a good idea? In my opinion, I would rather have this money spent on educational resources, athletic equipment / facilities, etc. For this reason alone I'm against drug testing high school athletes.
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Post by Coach.A on Dec 14, 2010 22:08:57 GMT -6
I'm really excited to watch the Michigan vs. Mississippi State bowl game. A healthy Denard Robinson and Coach Rod fighting for his job vs. the overachieving Miss. State team with highly sought after Coach Mullen at helm. Two spread option gurus. I think both of these teams will be much improved after the rest and extra practices.
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 27, 2010 12:14:50 GMT -6
I only caught glimpses, but I was very impressed with the Farmington Hills offense.
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 26, 2010 8:44:45 GMT -6
i came out on top because i shut his offense down with my knowledge and the hours i put in the prior 2 weeks preparing for that battle after i won the championship i deserved more respect after that game i've dominated every level i've coached at the past 3 years in being a defensive coach Too much "i", not enough we. When you win it's because of your players. When you lose you take the blame. Learn to be humble and give credit to you players, parents, admin, fans, and other coaches...once you start doing that I think you will start to earn some respect.
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 16, 2010 21:53:20 GMT -6
For just the field, it would cost approximately 1.2 million dollars.
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 16, 2010 9:43:01 GMT -6
FieldTurf is the "green" choice because:
- The lawnmowers used to cut grass fields emit huge amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere...you don't need to cut FieldTurf. - Many of the fertilizers used on grass are harmful to the environment. - You don't waste water on it. - The paint (and production of aresol paint cans) used to line the field is harmful to the environment. - Old tires are used in the production process of field turf...better than having them sit in landfills. - Because a FieldTurf field can handle a greater volume of use (basically it can be used from the early morning to as late as you want to leave the lights on), the demand for more grass fields is reduced. This means less fields that need to be cut, watered, fertilized, painted, etc. Less of the natural environment / vegetation needs to be disrupted to build new grass fields. It will significantly reduce the ecological footprint of the region where it is intalled.
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 16, 2010 8:34:21 GMT -6
FieldTurf advantages: - You don't have to water, cut, fertilize, or paint the field. - As odd as it seems, FieldTurf is the "Green" choice...more environmentally friendly - Safer = less injuries from poor field conditions - Potential to generate revenue by renting out the field to community groups - Extended playing season. Can start sooner in the Spring and run later into the fall / winter without damaging the field - Greater opportunity to host major sporting events (e.g. championships, tournaments,clinics and camps) - Potential to put a bubble over the filed and use / rent it for the winter - Recruiting -- more kids will come to play on your fancy field - You can now practice and even play double or triple headers on the field without damaging it (even in the rain). This means you don't have to maintain two fields (a practice field and a game field).
- Get soccer on board. They would love to pay to use the field.
I've wrote several proposals so far, but have yet to get my wish.
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 16, 2010 8:22:49 GMT -6
If possible take any full time 2-way players off all special teams.
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 14, 2010 12:34:40 GMT -6
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Post by Coach.A on Nov 1, 2010 20:15:45 GMT -6
I think your best bet would be to go through the U of Calgary. I attended a pretty good clinic last year at U of Western Ontario that was piggy backed with the "Under Armour CIS East West All Star Game". Maybe you can convince coach Nill to host the all-star game (which brings all of the CIS coaches together). There were some great american presenters but also some great CIS and CFL coaches spoke. Hearing the canadian coaches speak was great because it's difficult to find systems information on the Canadian game.
If you do decide to go on your own, I think you would really need to network with coaches in your region to try to bring them together and encourage them to develop a presentation on an area of expertise. Then using the clinic fees you could maybe pay to get a key note speaker in.
Most clinics have sponsors as well. I would contact some football equipment manufacturers / distributers to ask them for some sponsorship dollars. In turn they can set up booths or present on their products.
Good luck.
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Post by Coach.A on Oct 31, 2010 10:42:04 GMT -6
I almost feel like the refs would be throwing the previous officials (that missed the call) under the bus if they stayed silent before the game. You know their coach would have complained by saying "we did this all year and it has never been called" hence putting blame on the previous officials.
If I were you I'd also be upset, BUT I think the officials did the right thing. Congrats on the win.
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Post by Coach.A on Oct 26, 2010 22:01:53 GMT -6
We play a team for the third time this season on Saturday. Too far to travel to get other well-matched opponents? We have 5 local high schools and we use an unbalanced schedule. You play two of the local teams twice. One of the teams that we played twice, we are now seeing in the playoffs. The next closest city with football is a 3 hour drive. I guess it seems strange to most, but it's normal here because we've been using a system like this for awhile.
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Post by Coach.A on Oct 26, 2010 9:57:09 GMT -6
We play a team for the third time this season on Saturday. We won the first time in overtime, the second time we won on a touchdown with 30 seconds left.
We're going to continue to run our base stuff, BUT out of some different formations and we added a counter and a reverse off of a play we had a lot of succes with against them.
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Post by Coach.A on Oct 22, 2010 7:27:11 GMT -6
If you don't have a facemask, won't you duck your head? I know I would. No, you would lead with your shoulder. Others have stated this for over 20 years. Nothing particularly new about it, just isn't extremely intuitive. Without a facemask, most would be delivering a blow with HALF the body...not the full body Good luck tackling an NFL running back with half your body. Also I think part of the reason people are claiming to see such "poor tackling" at the NFL level is that the game is played so much faster...often defenders are in less than ideal body positions to make a tackle when the ball carrier arrives because the athletes at that level are so fast, and often they are getting off blocks just a fraction of a second before they have to tackle....basically, I think they often need to improvise and make unorthadox tackles due to the speed and athleticism of their opponents. If you aren't a great tackler, you likely won't be playing defense in the NFL (possible exception for cover corners). As for the whole "get rid of the facemask" issue, this has been an ongoing debate in hockey. Many people beleive that if they got rid of helmets or at least facemasks, that would significantly reduce the amount of dirty hits and sticks to the head. I'm not totally sure if I buy that argument. I think the main reason why we are seeing more head injuries is that players are bigger, stronger and faster AND doctors are much more aware of these types of injuries so they are now identified sooner and tracked. If head injury data had been tracked in the 50s, 60s and 70s, I don't think the amount of concussions would vary much compared to today.
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Post by Coach.A on Oct 11, 2010 10:33:29 GMT -6
td4tc,
I think the fast tempo at the Notre Dame practices is significantly facilitated by the fact that they are a hurry-up, no-huddle team. If you have the same issue next season with low numbers or two-way players you may want to consider intalling a no-huddle offense in training camp just to help increase the pace of practice. I think that it's critical that you install the no-huddle system at the beginning of the season (i.e. training camp) to help establish routines for a rapid tempo.
I was at this cross-roads this season. I had a great deal of success last season with a large roster and we were a permanent hurry-up, no-huddle team. This year I got bumped to a new school with much less talent and lower numbers. I decided to implement a no-huddle system anyway just to increase the pace of practice. I has worked very well and the group has exceeded my expectations by actually going no-huddle in our first game. We don't always move at a super fast pace in the game, but using the no-huddle still provides many advantages for play calling.
We rarely line up our team on the goal line for traditional "conditioning" drills during practice. Just about everything we do is system specific...I think this is a more productive means of conditiong. I think if your staff is organized and you establish tempo routines / expectations during training camp you can do just about all your conditioning with system specific drills.
Bottom line, I'm a huge believer in the no-huddle system for the increased practice tempo and reps alone. Even if I decide to be a traditional huddle team in the future, I will still use the "no-huddle template" for our practices to increase reps and improve conditioning. Kids learn by doing...the more times they can repeat a movement skill the better they get at it.
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Post by Coach.A on Oct 10, 2010 12:37:13 GMT -6
After practice we run 50 x 40s or 25/100s. I'm also hoping this is a typo...this is total insanity even for track athletes. You are begging for injuries with this type of conditioning. How is running 25 / 100s football specific for linemen?
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Post by Coach.A on Sept 18, 2010 21:02:18 GMT -6
Check out the last two posts on this website: www.thespreadoffense.com/He (Mark) cut all the offensive snaps in the last 2 Michigan games. My favorite play was the play action pass off the QB Iso in the Notre Dame game at 30 seconds into the video. They had so much success with QB Iso the previous game that ND was keying on it...great adjustment (or addition to the playbook) by the U of M staff.
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Post by Coach.A on Sept 6, 2010 15:56:24 GMT -6
We always practice outside unless there is lightning. Some teams on the West coast see rain for 70% of their practices.
I like to practice in the rain to see what we can do in these conditions...there is a good chance that we will get rain on a couple of our game days, so I want our players to get used to it.
Now if it's the day before a big game and it's cold and pouring rain, you may want to consider moving indoors if you have the facilities, but for an early to mid week practice I think you should be outside.
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Post by Coach.A on Aug 15, 2010 2:26:05 GMT -6
In my opinion, football is the sport where coaching has the greatest impact on the outcome of the game. Not just the X's and O's, but teaching fundamentals and most importantly getting such a large group of athletes to buy in to the team philosophy and team goals.
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Post by Coach.A on Mar 28, 2010 17:37:35 GMT -6
We use GTM sportswear for clothing and we use Riddell for football uniforms. I have used Riddell for clothing as well.
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