|
Post by jhanawa on Apr 18, 2010 10:24:20 GMT -6
Most youth games we played we were waiting for the main field so we warmed up wherever there was space. We'd do team dynamic stretch for 5-7 minutes, then broke into offensive groups. Backs & receivers would start with circle drill running patterns from the 10 out and 35 in, rotating lines, starting with our quick game routes. We do this same warm up drill on air in practice so its very normal and comfortable for our kids to do. Then we'd come together for play timing on air, then oline would come down and we'd go offense vs scouts for a few reps, then team punt. Then we'd go defensive groups, team D vs scouts and review team depth charts. Then we'd weigh in, come back for a few minutes before we started and get a few form tackles in and a few PAT's, if we had time we'd run a few offensive plays vs scouts. This is very similar to what we do in HS, its organized but pretty short, we don't want kids getting worn out physically or mentally. I've seen some teams warm ups that looked like a full scale practice, their pregame stretches take 20-25 minutes, push ups, jumping jacks, leg lifts, screaming out counts at the top of their lungs, etc. We'd rather keep it short and quiet. We don't do any rah rah stuff other than our team break right before kickoff.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Apr 12, 2010 18:55:23 GMT -6
I agree, the Maddox presentation was excellent, obviously the material is solid but he also did an outstanding job in presenting it with a combination of video, power point and speaking. The video clips of training and game clips were excellent. I always take something useful away from clinics, usually it isn't X's & O's but rather, just how different coaches teach things, a little different method in presenting the same message can make a difference. In that regard, I'll certainly borrow some of the terminology that was given in the Maddox sessions. The Denver Oline coach was a really good guy and obviously knew his stuff, however, his presentation was kind of "scattered" because he'd show something and then have to back up and teach the prior steps in order for you to understand the concept he was originally trying to explain. I still enjoyed him speaking and the film was good also. I sat in on Coach Pease from Boise State and listened to his formations and shifting package, it was overall sorta boring and I didn't really gain anything that we can use, but as an observation, wow, lots and lots of terminology and formations for his kids to remember, but I guess it was a positive in the fact that it made me feel really good about our formation and shift package.... Also I listened to a local HS coach, coach Moro, who is from a smaller school in northern Arizona, real good coach and program. He talked about good old fashioned trap, buck and veer, very simple but effective in what they do. Also saw Doug at the clinic and chatted about no huddle stuff. It was a good time.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 26, 2010 22:48:33 GMT -6
Now that's funny...
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 26, 2010 6:59:22 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 25, 2010 19:18:13 GMT -6
Baseball.....ugh.....LOL, analogies in general are good, anything that illustrates the message in a way to get the light bulb to come on........
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 24, 2010 19:37:41 GMT -6
I wasn't there, but it sounds absolutely appropriate to me, should have gave the reporter and his paper the boot right then and there.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 18, 2010 20:50:08 GMT -6
Doug can have a position on my team but I think he's balking at the 200 mile round trip commute....
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 13, 2010 11:48:52 GMT -6
OC for the University of Arizona against the Scum Devils of Arizona State....I'd love to lay 60 on them! And then, in the second half, we'd pour it on....LOL ;D Coach Stoops, I'm available, give my agent a call....LOL
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 13, 2010 11:40:00 GMT -6
Well, I had 4 different coaching staff's in college, and to be honest, he seems pretty mellow in comparison to me. The fact is that college football is a completely different world than HS or youth football, it is a business with lots of money involved. That might shock people if they haven't been around the college game but the fact is that's the reality of it.
Sure, there are more "politically correct" ways that he could express himself. Honestly, he didn't seem real worked up, wasn't yelling, etc, he just relied on a limited and repetitive use of vocabulary, which, for a lawyer, seemed odd.....lol
I had a few coaches in college that would have taken the camera and thrown it through the wall to get warmed up, and then given a tirade that would have made a sailor blush.
I'm not endorsing his choice of vocabulary, merely pointing out that it is tame in comparison to other coaches at the college level.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 7, 2010 12:25:55 GMT -6
Did I mention that Flagstaff is leading the nation in snowfall this year....LOL, we have it all....
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 6, 2010 18:19:05 GMT -6
Gila Monsters are rare and slow, but they do have the same neuro-toxin as the Mohave Rattler, the venom of these two is very similar to a cobra. Mohave's are mean suckers compared to the other rattlers here....are you packed and heading back to CA yet....LOL Really, running into anything dangerous within the city would be extremely rare unless your near a desert area. However, if your going to go hiking or walking in or near desert areas, be careful where you step. If by chance you happen to come across something, just leave them alone they will slither off and leave you alone. Don't worry, its a "dry heat" anyway...much better than a Iowa summer for sure.....
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Mar 6, 2010 14:22:36 GMT -6
Doug,
Welcome to Arizona, home of 13 different kinds of rattlesnakes, gila monsters, coral snakes, black widows, brown recluses, scorpions, bees, hornets, wasps and 115 degree summers.....LOL
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Feb 23, 2010 21:08:31 GMT -6
Last year on our frosh team we had 3 coaches. On our previous year's youth team, we had 6, all of who had been together for several years, it was a cohesive staff. This coming year we have 6 coaches lined up for frosh and are looking for two more. I've been on huge staff's and small ones, its great being a part of a large, well organized staff that is on the same page, likewise, it's a PITA if there are differing agenda's. Make sure your staff is on the same page and is teaching things the way that you want, otherwise, it can turn into a cluster real quick....
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Feb 23, 2010 19:20:56 GMT -6
After getting settled in let me know when you can come up to visit our program. We'll have spring ball starting in May but are having coaches meetings every two weeks to get a few of our new coaches up to speed in the system. Also, if your going to get a team for the fall, something to consider is our summer passing league, we will have between 24-32 teams this summer, freshmen teams with a few midget (7-8th) grade teams in it. We have 4 weeks (Saturdays) of competition with the last weekend being a championship tournament.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Feb 22, 2010 18:58:34 GMT -6
Sounds like a great experience. I agree handouts/dvds are a nice touch but most don't provide them. Are you still planning on moving to AZ? If so, are you going make the Glaziers in April?
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Feb 22, 2010 15:09:54 GMT -6
Doug, how did the clinic go?
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Feb 17, 2010 19:33:15 GMT -6
We've got a good faculty staff and a great principal.
Parents are what they are, really need to do something to get them active and supportive.
School groups...we have pep rally's in the fall, winter and spring....every Friday is spirit day, kids wear the school colors and most of their teachers give them extra credit for it. Lots of participation and its carrying over to other days of the weeks....
Also, what are some of the things you do to support athletics?
We tell or kids that "the season" is year round......we expect them to play football, then wrestle (or basketball for the tall/fast guys) and then run track.....in our eyes its all great for developing our football program and our school. When they aren't in another sport, they should be in the weight room. We've made it a point to have the wrestling and track coaches speak to our kids at our football meetings and emphasis that we want them to play other sports....as for the basketball staff, they are still kinda iffy as far as sharing kids and buying into a "school first" mentality.....but I think they'll come around, they're good guys, but are just used to the old way of doing things....
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Jan 19, 2010 18:30:32 GMT -6
Saturday is a full pad day for Freshmen, who play on Wednesdays. JV's and Varsity its a no pad light lift, run out the bumps/bruises workout and film. Early Saturday mornings help prevent late Friday nights by the players and are a great "primer" for college games later in the day.... Maybe they aren't necessary but they are productive for us.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Dec 30, 2009 11:54:28 GMT -6
Pop Warner is VERY stringent about ages and weights, nearly impossible to make it in by fraud. They are vigilant about this, weekly weigh ins and book verifications before every game. One of the main reasons many go PW< While there are 1000s of PW teams out there and leagues of varying quality, Ive not heard anyone tell me of this type of abuse.
LOL,
I've got some kids on my high school team that told me how their coach had them weigh in with a special set of shoulder pads/thigh pads and helmet, and then go around the corner and change out to their normal gear.....no kidding.... Another one? Sure, I'm bored......a coach a few years got caught cheating when league officials went to an address to verify a kids address....the address was a bare lot/field....Turns out the completely false documents that they forged (yes, FORGED), were pretty good, but somebody blew the whistle....
Played in a bowl game in CA (twice) where we weren't allowed to see the other teams weigh in......but, they had their people there for our kids weigh ins......nice.......we thumped them both times too........
Played a bowl game in San Diego where one of their kids was 4 pounds over (and an absolute STUD LB) but their association director threatened (his kid was their QB, and the director announced the game to boot...LOL) to eject our HC unless their kid was allowed to play.....yep, absolute truth.....we kicked their A$$ anyway so it didn't matter.... Here's a beauty...........had two kids that were on our team get recruited in the offseason to play in another part of town (about 30 miles away)......the guy PAID cash to the kid's parents and provided a driver to ferry the kids to and from practice............nice twist to the story...., the guy's wife was on the board of directors............BTW, guess who got seeded first in the playoffs that year out of the 4 undefeated teams............LOL, that's ok, they went down too...........as for how do I know they got paid? One of the two kids parents told me after the year.....
Yep, it might be tough to cheat in PW, but it ain't impossible.....
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Dec 30, 2009 11:27:08 GMT -6
Is it a public/private debate or a don't recruit vs blatantly recruit debate? Yes, there is a debate about public vs private in Arizona, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for any changes. The multiplier idea probably works with the smaller schools, but when you have privates at the highest level (5A) and they have deep pockets and deep connections, multipliers won't help because in essence, your now competing against a college type program that literally has the pick of the litter. How it works in Arizona is that the privates have no enrollment boundaries so they can recruit "students", from anywhere within the state, who also by coincidence are the best athletes around. These "students" are then given financial assistance (scholarships) as "needed". These schools have networks of parents and alumni that actively recruit youth football players every weekend. These networks are organized and effective in recruiting the best talent. It's frustrating. An interesting news piece of late that is related to the public/private debate is that light is being shed on prior legislation that was passed in AZ that allows for dollar for dollar tax deductions. The law was supposed to help public education with funding. In reality, it has turned into a tax shelter for the wealthy and their private schools. Whereas the law stipulates that the donor can't write off deductions for their own children, the loophole being exploited is the first donor donates in the name of their friends child, and their friend in turn donates in the name of the original donors name. This is called "swapping", it has been the subject of several articles in the local paper (Arizona Republic) lately about the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been "swapped" away from the state in tax revenues, which in turn takes away from the public schools. It will be interesting to see how this plays out now that the IRS is becoming actively involved. I don't know what the answer is, but I'd think a good place to start would be eliminating or severely restricting the "financial assistance" programs these schools have in place. Tuition should only come from the kids parents. This would eliminate most of the blatant recruiting.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Dec 26, 2009 12:53:14 GMT -6
Lightbulbs are overated, torches are the best!
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Dec 16, 2009 16:03:07 GMT -6
I just fire a few rounds into the air...they hit the dirt,
We've had some kids who might shoot back.....LOL, just kidding, they are good kids just new to football and whats required, now the parents, that's another matter....
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Dec 15, 2009 20:27:29 GMT -6
We use "EYES", they say "CLICK"....great way to get quick attention and focus. This is an important and often overlooked aspect of coaching that I feel is the secret to our success.....discipline and focus.
Some other related things we do: We have a "get lined up together quickly" call, It's called "11 across", everybody sprints into formation quickly and stands quietly at attention, then we give a "be seated" command and they quickly sit down. We do our team conditioning as an entire team rather than in groups. We alternate between defensive pursuit/mental toughness drills and offensive candence drills. Defensive Pursuit conditioning: Team is in lines of 11 between the hashes, coach is in front. We give feet call, all kids feet buzz, then we yell ball, entire team does an up down and sprints to the direction that the coach throws the ball (to another coach). Entire team sprints to that sideline and huddles up. One player is called out, they step out and lead team chant/breakdown, entire team sprints back to their original position with feet buzzing. We do this 4 Times then get into ready position (tackling position, legs bent, eyes up). We then do our "Focus Drill" where a team member jumps out front and gives a hit call while touching his ears or a hit,hit call while slapping his thigh pads. The player will go through several calls varying his calls. By this point the team is tired and must dig to focus. If any kid flinches or messes up, the entire team does 10 up downs. At the end of this session (First Quarter), the team does pushups. We do 4 quarters of these. We vary the end of quarter exercise between pushups, jumping jacks, leg raises, etc. The most updowns we've done during this drill last year as a result of mess ups was 90. I remember that day as well as the kids do....LOL The offensive cadence drill is this, starting line on left has with QB and backs behind, 2nd line on right hash, slots in between the hashes and WR's on left and right numbers....whole team at once. Cadence (we have 5) is signaled, cadence is called and we sprint 20 yards. Anybody flinches or messes up, whole team backs up 20 yards behind the original LOS and does 10 updowns. Our target is 200 yards if they don't mess up. When we first started this we ran for a LONG, LONG ways, but it pays off. Those are a few of our main team/focus/conditioning drills......additionally, Burma Roads are great for conditioning/pursuit....
Simple things like this seem ridiculous to the outside eye, heck, maybe it seems ridiculous to fellow coaches, but when dealing with the type of RAW kids we get from the area we get them from, its critically important to the process of developing team & individual discipline & accountability. Trust me, they show up with zero discipline & accountability. Lastly, keep in mind this is with 8th graders and freshmen football, not the real little guys.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Dec 15, 2009 18:07:30 GMT -6
I'd just take the entire wishbone offense Oklahoma had when Jamel Hardaway was running the wishbone there. If I'm adding to that depth chart..........Dee Dowis from Air Force, he was a bad a$$ option QB. Jerome Bettis and Earl Campbell would be my FB's, those two would wear people out on the dive.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Dec 13, 2009 20:05:08 GMT -6
My High School HC was Paul Hoffland at Alhambra HS in Phoenix, AZ, Class of 1986. We ran a combination of Nebraska's Power/Option and Woody Hayes Straight T offense. He was very sound schematically but very conservative, his idols were Tom Osborne, Woody Hayes and Bear Bryant so we didn't throw it much. OC/Oline coach was Ron Scott, a very colorful coach who impacted everybody he coached. After colllege I began my coaching career under Paul, as fate turned out I ended up changing some of his views on the passing game....LOL... I played for 4 staff's in college so I had a very diverse football experience. Some of the college coaches that had a positive impact or provided some tidbit of knowledge that I've "borrowed"; Larry Smith (UofA) HC (Amazingly Organized, had an incredible staff) Tom Roggerman (UofA) LB's, He recruited me and trust me, he influenced the entire team and anybody within earshot range of 1/2 of a mile. Meg Ritchie (UofA) Strength Coach) She was very nice and was a Bad A$$ weight coach. In mean that in a very respectful way. John Matsko (UofA) Oline Gary Bernardi (UofA) TE's (position coach) Chuck Stobart (UofA) OC (Multiple Offense) Dick Tomey (UofA) HC (Georgia Southern/Hawaii Flexbone w/ Run & Shoot) Ron McBride (UofA) Oline Denny Stoltz (San Diego State University) HC Steve Fairchild (SDSU) OC (West Coast Offense) Dana Bible (SDSU) TE's (position coach) Dave Lay (SDSU) OC (Joe Gibbs Zone & GT w/ Sid Gilman Vertical Passing Game) Dan Underwood (SDSU) TE's (position coach) Dave Ohton (SDSU) Strength Coach
There are a lot of other coaches that were on those staff's that I learned something from as well as coaches on here and around the country that I learn from. It's a never ending process.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Dec 8, 2009 18:42:18 GMT -6
"Offense wins games, defense wins championships"
Isn't that Nebraska's Mantra?.....LOL
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Dec 7, 2009 19:32:12 GMT -6
There was an article showing that statistically, the team that scored first won the majority of the time, I believe it was around 75% of the time. Based on this, and my being an OC, WE WANT THE BALL!...........However, we've had year's with GREAT defenses, and had no problem kicking off first, percentages be damned......LOL
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Nov 25, 2009 17:28:57 GMT -6
LOL, tell me about it.....although, I must say with coaching only one team this year, my hair isn't turning gray as fast....go figure...LOL As far as MMP's, we've always been in leagues that mandated minimum plays, which IMO is a good thing anyway.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Nov 25, 2009 16:55:04 GMT -6
Dave,
MMP requirements varied by team size, we had 23-24 kids on our team that year and that the min. plays requirement I believe was 7 plays (I didn't coach youth this year so I'm going of of memory here) per half excluding special teams/extra points. I do know that in reality our 2's ended up with more reps than the 1's.
|
|
|
Post by jhanawa on Nov 25, 2009 9:18:27 GMT -6
I don't' believe the spread can work at the youth level (in fact, it struggles at the freshman and JV levels) because of the incredible amount of mental reps kids need (as well as a lack of motor skills. Do you have receivers who can adjust to poorly thrown balls, make one handed catches, make sliding catches like your typical spread team requires. I really don't think many 13 year olds have developed those skills.
I'll politely disagree with you on this...... Yes the spread, like any offense, takes time and coaching. It does take more time to teach than a typical youth offense where they turn around and toss it to the fast guy 35 times a game but I feel the end reward justifies the time invested in teaching it. We've run the spread at the NON SELECT youth level (7-8th grade) for several years without having the problems that you mention. We've also run it with Freshmen teams, as well as JV and Varsity also...I'd say we've been pretty sucessful durning this period of time.
These are clips from our team two years ago 11-2 (lost in AZ state championship to national runnerup and to CA champion in the Jr. Rose Bowl on the last play of the game). We had two QB's, one was a backup for the jr. midget team the year before and the other never played QB before.
This years 7-2 frosh team (QB #8 never played football before as well as 4 of the 5 offensive linemen.)
|
|