Sunday, May 4, 2014
Summing Up My Experince
I'm finished with what I wanted to complete, not really. Not really because there is so much more to learn I think I will always be exploring the game of football and teaching kids how to play it. I had to figure how I could use the information I have learned and transfer it on to a willing player. I know I really won't get a chance to really learn how to do this until I get hired by a school district and ask the head varsity football coach "What can I do to help?" But in the meantime, I have drawn my kids in learning how to play by making them my guinea pigs. Since I introduced some the basic techniques to them their interest in learning the sport has turned into a daily ritual even if I only have a few minutes between my clinical practice and my job at night. I have tried baseball and jiu jitsu with my kids to get them involved in something physical, and both have turned into something they are forced to do. This time I will let them go at their pace to keep their interest while I work on coaching them. While I have learned a lot from something I find extremely interesting, the best part of this project is that I found another way to bond with my kids.
Putting the Concepts I Have Learned into Practice
Its one thing to tell what I have learned through this experience, its another to show how I can apply what I learned. My subject, my kids and their friends. I spent over an hour trying teach kids ranging from 4-10 on how to catch a football the proper way and to apply it by running a basic route. Sorry for the video quality in advance.
Defense 101
The goal of the defense is to stop the offense from advancing the ball and scoring. There are three main groups of positions that each player assigned to. The defensive line, whose main responsibilities are to engage the blockers so that other players can get to the ball carrier to tackle them and disrupt the passing of the ball by the quarterback. These player start on the line of scrimmage most of time in a 3 and 4 point stance. There can be anywhere from 3 to 5 of these down linemen and there defensive assignment is based on how many of them are on the field. For example, in a 3-4 scheme the "3" represents three down linemen and their job is engage the offensive blockers. But in a 4-3 scheme the outside linemen, also known as defensive ends usually have the job of containment, meaning they are to make sure the ball carrier does not get outside of them. The second group of position players are the linebackers who are the primary tacklers of the ball carriers, but they also can be responsible for covering the receivers as well. The number of linebackers is dependent on the number of the other positions. Some schemes call for between 2 and and 4 linebackers on the field at one time. The examples below show each defense.
Cover 3- The cornerbacks along with the free safety split the deep part of the field into thirds. The strong safety covers the short and intermediate section of the field where the TE is lined up (strong side)
The diagram above shows a 4-3 defense (4 down linemen and 3 linebackers)
The next diagram shows a 3-4 defense (3 down linemen and 4 linebacker)
The last group of defensive players are the defensive backs. There job is to prevent the receivers from catching the ball and to be the last line of defense for tackling the ball carrier. There are 4 primary defensive backs for most schemes. Two corners who cover the outside receivers, the free safety that covers the middle of the field, and the strong safety who covers the TE or backs coming out of the backfield and also provides additional run support if needed. Where a defensive back lines up prior to the snap depends on the type of coverage being called.
Coverage Schemes
Cover 2-meaning two deep safeties each covering 1/2 of deep part of the field. The corners play closer to the line of scrimmage and are responsible for the flats.
Cover 3- The cornerbacks along with the free safety split the deep part of the field into thirds. The strong safety covers the short and intermediate section of the field where the TE is lined up (strong side)
Cover 0 (also known as Man-to-man)- Each defensive is assigned to a particular receiver and they move with that receiver no matter where the route takes them. The corners have the outside receivers and the safeties have either a slot receiver, TE, or running back.
Its been awhile........
Busy lives can often keep you away from the things you rather do or learn about. Which has definitely been the case for me. Believe me, i'd much rather be learning about coaching football than providing wonderful dining experiences to customer. But enough with the excuses, this is football.
When I last wrote about my experiences I was going through each of the positions. I am going to continue to do this, but I am going to skip a couple that I have the least interest in coaching. Today I am going to talk about the receiver position. This includes wide receivers and tight ends. Now I have already talked about pass catching as being an essential skill in the game of football, so I am going to talk about the other elements of the positions such as pre-snap positioning, route running, and blocking. All three of these skills along with catching the football are necessary to play this position.
Lining up before the snap
The receiver positions can be complicated in the sense that there are multiple types of receivers that are labeled according to where they line on the field.
X receiver is the player that is usually furthest away from the ball lined up on the line of scrimmage to meet the required 7 men on the line.
Y receiver is the Tight end position that usually lines up on the opposite line of the X receiver that can lines up in either the 2-point or 3-point stances.
The Z receiver is lined up on the opposite side of the X receiver on the other side of the TE and begins play off the line of scrimmage, but can line up inside the X receiver to turn into a slot (SL) receiver.
Route Running
Once the ball is snapped there are several routes the receiver can take to find an opening in the defense where the QB can get the ball to them. The best way to simplify it is by assigning each route a number. Using a passing tree simplifies the routes even further for beginning players because it gives you a visual to remember what each route does. The even numbers represent routes that lead the receiver to the inside while the odd numbers represent routes that lead the receiver to the sidelines. Another use for the passing tree is to simplify the play calling. If the QB or the coach calls a Z 8, then the Z receiver knows that he is running a post route. The higher the number the longer the route. 7,8,9 are deeper routes that the receiver runs.
Run Blocking
One of the underrated skill a receiver needs is the ability to block down field for the ball carrier. For the tight end position, players should practice blocking with the offensive linemen because they both positions start in the 3 point stance. The wideouts usually block the defender directly in front of them but there are designed plays where the receiver block down on the defender whose has containment also known as a "crackback"
When I last wrote about my experiences I was going through each of the positions. I am going to continue to do this, but I am going to skip a couple that I have the least interest in coaching. Today I am going to talk about the receiver position. This includes wide receivers and tight ends. Now I have already talked about pass catching as being an essential skill in the game of football, so I am going to talk about the other elements of the positions such as pre-snap positioning, route running, and blocking. All three of these skills along with catching the football are necessary to play this position.
Lining up before the snap
The receiver positions can be complicated in the sense that there are multiple types of receivers that are labeled according to where they line on the field.
X receiver is the player that is usually furthest away from the ball lined up on the line of scrimmage to meet the required 7 men on the line.
Y receiver is the Tight end position that usually lines up on the opposite line of the X receiver that can lines up in either the 2-point or 3-point stances.
The Z receiver is lined up on the opposite side of the X receiver on the other side of the TE and begins play off the line of scrimmage, but can line up inside the X receiver to turn into a slot (SL) receiver.
Route Running
Once the ball is snapped there are several routes the receiver can take to find an opening in the defense where the QB can get the ball to them. The best way to simplify it is by assigning each route a number. Using a passing tree simplifies the routes even further for beginning players because it gives you a visual to remember what each route does. The even numbers represent routes that lead the receiver to the inside while the odd numbers represent routes that lead the receiver to the sidelines. Another use for the passing tree is to simplify the play calling. If the QB or the coach calls a Z 8, then the Z receiver knows that he is running a post route. The higher the number the longer the route. 7,8,9 are deeper routes that the receiver runs.
One of the underrated skill a receiver needs is the ability to block down field for the ball carrier. For the tight end position, players should practice blocking with the offensive linemen because they both positions start in the 3 point stance. The wideouts usually block the defender directly in front of them but there are designed plays where the receiver block down on the defender whose has containment also known as a "crackback"
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Offense Techinique Part 2 and the Internet Forums
Running Backs
Being that I have never tried to play this position, I already knew about most of the basics. There are two different positions that make up the running backs, the halfback and fullback. The halfback (tailback) is the back who is usually the ball carrier. They tend to be faster than the fullback and are expected to use their quickness and speed to gain yardage. The fullback is usually bigger and slower than the halfback,but their main functions are to run block and carry the ball in short yardage situations. The course did not get into specifics about carrying the ball, but it did instruct on basic aspects of the position such as stances, taking handoffs, and pass catching.
There are two stances for the position. The halfback is usually in the 2-point stance, feet should width apart with their hands placed on the thighs. The three point stance is where the feet are the same as the 2-point stance, but one of the hands is place on the ground in front of them. The hand-off technique has not change other than many systems now have plays where the running back gets the ball directed snapped to them by a the center. (Wildcat) When the quarterback hands the ball off, the running back's inside arm and hand is placed across the chest while the outside arm and hand come across the stomach to create a pocket for the ball between the arms. The image below demonstrates this process.
Now as for my other resource, the internet forums, I have gone from a purely reader to a creator of threads where I posted this thread: "I am a just finishing my credentialing program and I am in the process
of filling out applications. Now I know that many schools would prefer
to have teacher coaches over walk-ons, but I lack experience coaching
any sport at the high school level. My question is how do I approach
the topic in my interview if my preferred coaching job is football? I
played a couple of years in high school but was never the starter, but I
have always followed the game I think I have a pretty good
understanding of the game. My only coaching experience is coaching my
two sons' Pony baseball teams. What kind of things I can I do now on my
own to learn the coaching aspect better that would help me in an
interview. Any pointers is appreciated."
Being that I have never tried to play this position, I already knew about most of the basics. There are two different positions that make up the running backs, the halfback and fullback. The halfback (tailback) is the back who is usually the ball carrier. They tend to be faster than the fullback and are expected to use their quickness and speed to gain yardage. The fullback is usually bigger and slower than the halfback,but their main functions are to run block and carry the ball in short yardage situations. The course did not get into specifics about carrying the ball, but it did instruct on basic aspects of the position such as stances, taking handoffs, and pass catching.
There are two stances for the position. The halfback is usually in the 2-point stance, feet should width apart with their hands placed on the thighs. The three point stance is where the feet are the same as the 2-point stance, but one of the hands is place on the ground in front of them. The hand-off technique has not change other than many systems now have plays where the running back gets the ball directed snapped to them by a the center. (Wildcat) When the quarterback hands the ball off, the running back's inside arm and hand is placed across the chest while the outside arm and hand come across the stomach to create a pocket for the ball between the arms. The image below demonstrates this process.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Better Late than Never
I have had a rough week and a half where I have regrettably have pushed this project off to the side due more pressing (less fun) commitments I had. Ok, I am now 55% through the NFHS course and completed the entire 3rd unit that discussed basic offensive team skills. Going by the position sets, not a whole lot has changed. Lets start with the quarterback skills;
The center to QB snap is one of the most important skills for the position. Now I know by watching a few high school football games these past few years that taking the snap from under center is a rariety, but I think is important for a QB (and center) to be able to handle both type of snaps because it makes the offense more versitile. A QB can get rid of a ball much quicker under center. Watch this video as an example:
As you can see with a one step drop, the QB has the option of throwing a quick pass.
Here is a demonstration for a quick pass using a 3 step drop.
Now don't get me wrong, I believe there is a place for the shotgun snap. It may be necessary to the abilites of the quarterback and what the opposing defense is doing. If your QB is like another RB that can move the ball with his feet, then the shotgun might be suited for him. If the defense is getting good pressure, the shotgun gives the QB more time to throw as shown by this last video.
There is a lot more to the quarterback position but most of those skills such as throwing is still the same as when I played. So I wanted to focus on some of the trends that have past me by and discover for myself why so many schools' offenses are built from the shotgun.
Here is a forum I found that discusses this very thing: shotgun vs center snap
The center to QB snap is one of the most important skills for the position. Now I know by watching a few high school football games these past few years that taking the snap from under center is a rariety, but I think is important for a QB (and center) to be able to handle both type of snaps because it makes the offense more versitile. A QB can get rid of a ball much quicker under center. Watch this video as an example:
There is a lot more to the quarterback position but most of those skills such as throwing is still the same as when I played. So I wanted to focus on some of the trends that have past me by and discover for myself why so many schools' offenses are built from the shotgun.
Here is a forum I found that discusses this very thing: shotgun vs center snap
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Reality check...................football has change since I played.
So I completed the second unit which focused on two components of the sport; catching and tackling. I have really never seen football broken done to those skills, but as I thought about more and more, I came to the conclusion on its accuracy. As for catching, nothing has really changed since my playing days. If the ball is at your numbers or higher, you position your hands so the thumbs are touching and fingers are spread apart. Then you look the ball into hands in front of you. Pretty the way it has always been. Now for the apocalypse, wrapping up is no longer the proper form of tackling. It used to be keep your head up, wrap your arms around the ball carrier and drive your legs.
Not all the elements of the proper tackle have change. For example, you still have to shuffle your feet until contact so you can react to the change in direction of the ball carrier. You still thrust your hips through the tackle. But now instead of wrapping up, you rip. Ripping is essentially two uppercuts underneath the ball carrier's pads and exploding through the tackle. The video below shows how it is supposed to be done now in order to minimize the risk of injury.
Now as far as my learning through my community at Coachhuey.com I have to admit that I have been slacking. I have been reading through the forums and have gotten valuable information, but I have yet to participate past the point of just introducing myself.
Not all the elements of the proper tackle have change. For example, you still have to shuffle your feet until contact so you can react to the change in direction of the ball carrier. You still thrust your hips through the tackle. But now instead of wrapping up, you rip. Ripping is essentially two uppercuts underneath the ball carrier's pads and exploding through the tackle. The video below shows how it is supposed to be done now in order to minimize the risk of injury.
Now as far as my learning through my community at Coachhuey.com I have to admit that I have been slacking. I have been reading through the forums and have gotten valuable information, but I have yet to participate past the point of just introducing myself.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Joining a Community
The last time I talked about the online course I am taking and that is going pretty well. I am half through the second unit. What I am really excited about now is that I have joined an online community coaches that has provided multiply opportunities for me on my learning journey. The website is called CoachHuey.com where coaches all over the country come to discuss football. Of course much of it is the x's and o's of the game, but there are a lot other interesting topics that will help me as well. There are forums on actual coaching scenarios outside of the game that coaches are experiencing where they ask the community for their input. I spent a good amount of time reading the general forums on coaching jobs and how to interview. My goal now is to find some people in the same boat as me in my area who wants to learn how to coach.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Ok, I now have some sense of direction.....I think.
I bought the online course "The Fundamentals of Coaching Football at NFHS Learning Center for a few reasons. First, the course is a national recognized course that many states actually require of their coaches. Secondly, the website also provides many resources such as practice plan templates and animated video drills. And lastly, with my subscription to the course, I also got a free membership to USA football which is the governing body for youth football where there are a whole cache of tools and resources.
Now as for what the actually course entails, it is a five unit course that must be done in order and has assessments to make sure you understand the material. I figure I can do at least one unit every one to tow weeks. The biggest drawback is that the lessons are all videos that take a long time to load. The first unit was all about player safety. I did learn something that was not practice when I was a player, the levels of contact. This where you control the type of contact your players have with each during practice. There are 5 levels of contact:
Air-simulating drills in the air to check for proper form and technique.
Bags-same as air, but gives the player a target to practice technique on.
Control- Player on player contact, but the outcome is predetermined for one side of the ball.
Thud- Player vs player, but the drill stops before any players go to the ground.
Live- Full, game simulated contact that only should be done in a team setting.
I am kind of confused by this because there are drills I did as a player that were one on one like tombstones that was entirely full contact. Are these type of drills not considered safe?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNk5IFZ0FpQ
Now as for what the actually course entails, it is a five unit course that must be done in order and has assessments to make sure you understand the material. I figure I can do at least one unit every one to tow weeks. The biggest drawback is that the lessons are all videos that take a long time to load. The first unit was all about player safety. I did learn something that was not practice when I was a player, the levels of contact. This where you control the type of contact your players have with each during practice. There are 5 levels of contact:
Air-simulating drills in the air to check for proper form and technique.
Bags-same as air, but gives the player a target to practice technique on.
Control- Player on player contact, but the outcome is predetermined for one side of the ball.
Thud- Player vs player, but the drill stops before any players go to the ground.
Live- Full, game simulated contact that only should be done in a team setting.
I am kind of confused by this because there are drills I did as a player that were one on one like tombstones that was entirely full contact. Are these type of drills not considered safe?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNk5IFZ0FpQ
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Where to Start?
Learning how to coach football is pretty daunting without having some sense of direction. Obviously my goal someday is to coach at the high school level since I will be the teaching profession at that level and I want to make myself a better teacher candidate. So where do I go first? Do I jump right in and YouTube videos of position coaches that I know to be experts at their profession as did when I first started exploring this topic? Finally I decided to do what I usually do when I want know about something, I Googled it.
I ended up just searching the query "how to become a football coach." This led me to a whole array of quality search results. I got to reading a couple of blogs about coaching which were pretty helpful in explaining what I would be getting into as a football coach.
http://strongfootballcoach.com/how-to-become-a-football-coach/
This blog is by a football coach who I now follow on Google + by the name of Curtis Peterson. He gives a well thought out guide in becoming a coach and he emphasizes things I hadn't thought about.
Step 1: Analyze the time I have to devote to coaching. Curtis suggest that you make sure you are physically able to do it. In high school, we are talking about 30-35 hours per week. For me I think that commitment is entirely possible since I will not be in the credential program anymore and I won't have to (hopefully) wait tables anymore for an income. My biggest hurdle in this will be with my wife. But I know she understands my passion for this. Curtis goes into some other things like what level to coach and what financial compensation to expect. But most importantly he writes about what coaching is really about, having a positive impact not just on the players, but impacting the community as well.
Other resources I explored.
http://coachhuey.com/ This is an online forum where coaches discuss the game of football and share ideas with each other.
http://www.nfhslearn.com/sportDetail.aspx?sport=football This is an online coaching football course that the state of Ohio has as a requirement for all coaches to complete. It is 50 bucks to take the course, I haven't decided on it yet.
I ended up just searching the query "how to become a football coach." This led me to a whole array of quality search results. I got to reading a couple of blogs about coaching which were pretty helpful in explaining what I would be getting into as a football coach.
http://strongfootballcoach.com/how-to-become-a-football-coach/
This blog is by a football coach who I now follow on Google + by the name of Curtis Peterson. He gives a well thought out guide in becoming a coach and he emphasizes things I hadn't thought about.
Step 1: Analyze the time I have to devote to coaching. Curtis suggest that you make sure you are physically able to do it. In high school, we are talking about 30-35 hours per week. For me I think that commitment is entirely possible since I will not be in the credential program anymore and I won't have to (hopefully) wait tables anymore for an income. My biggest hurdle in this will be with my wife. But I know she understands my passion for this. Curtis goes into some other things like what level to coach and what financial compensation to expect. But most importantly he writes about what coaching is really about, having a positive impact not just on the players, but impacting the community as well.
http://coachhuey.com/ This is an online forum where coaches discuss the game of football and share ideas with each other.
http://www.nfhslearn.com/sportDetail.aspx?sport=football This is an online coaching football course that the state of Ohio has as a requirement for all coaches to complete. It is 50 bucks to take the course, I haven't decided on it yet.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Welcome to my Learning Experience!
Hi all,
I have been given the opportunity to spend 20% of my time in teaching credentialing course to learn how to do something that I have a passion for. While being able to talk about History everyday is great by itself, one the reasons I want to become a high school teacher in the first place is because I have always dreamed about coaching a sport that I love, Football. While I played the sport when I was in high school and remember many of the drills I participated in, that does not mean I can walk on a football field and be an effective coach. So when this opportunity was presented to me by my university professor, I knew exactly what I wanted to devote my time towards. This blog was created so I can share my learning experience with the rest of the world (mostly my professors) and I will update what I have learned weekly. If anyone would be willing to share their knowledge about coaching the game of football, it would greatly appreciated. As of right now I plan watching a lot of YouTube videos to build up my knowledge because it has helped me in the past when I have coached for kids' baseball teams. I also plan on attending a coaching conference this semester, so if anyone has any ideas on that, I would love your input.
I have been given the opportunity to spend 20% of my time in teaching credentialing course to learn how to do something that I have a passion for. While being able to talk about History everyday is great by itself, one the reasons I want to become a high school teacher in the first place is because I have always dreamed about coaching a sport that I love, Football. While I played the sport when I was in high school and remember many of the drills I participated in, that does not mean I can walk on a football field and be an effective coach. So when this opportunity was presented to me by my university professor, I knew exactly what I wanted to devote my time towards. This blog was created so I can share my learning experience with the rest of the world (mostly my professors) and I will update what I have learned weekly. If anyone would be willing to share their knowledge about coaching the game of football, it would greatly appreciated. As of right now I plan watching a lot of YouTube videos to build up my knowledge because it has helped me in the past when I have coached for kids' baseball teams. I also plan on attending a coaching conference this semester, so if anyone has any ideas on that, I would love your input.
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