Football Coach Daily

AFCA Board of Trustees Discuss Recruiting Legislation And AFCA Coaches’ Trophy

2013-05-01T22:03:56Z

The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Board of Trustees conducted its summer meeting April 29-30 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mack Brown, AFCA president and head coach at the University of Texas, said, “The AFCA Board of Trustees spent considerable time discussing the national championship trophy that will be presented to the national championship team in the new College Football Playoff and issues dealing with proposed changes to recruiting regulations as a result of the NCAA’s reform efforts.”

Specifically, the AFCA Board of Trustees voted unanimously to recommend to the Football Bowl Subdivision commissioners that the AFCA Coaches’ Trophy (Crystal Ball) continue to be the national championship trophy. It was the board’s opinion that the trophy has become the symbol of supremacy in college football and it should be retained as the national championship trophy.

With regard to NCAA legislation, the AFCA Board of Trustees has been asked by the NCAA to serve as an advisory group to a special subcommittee that will review proposed legislation dealing with recruiting. As a result, the board spent considerable time developing recommendations dealing with the recruiting calendar and policies pertaining to off-campus contacts.

In addition, a proposal regarding limitations on coaching staffs and non-coaching staff personnel was developed and will be submitted to the NCAA for consideration.

The AFCA Board that will serve as an advisory committee to the NCAA is composed of representatives from the 11 FBS conferences as well as two representatives from the Football Championship Subdivision.

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Heads Up Online Training Course

2013-04-26T14:16:04Z

Get prepared for the new season in less than 30 minutes

Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to help you recognize a concussion and know how to respond if you think that your athlete might have a concussion.

Once you complete the training and quiz, you can print out a certificate, making it easy to show your league or school you are ready for the season.

What You Will Learn

This course will help you:

Understand a concussion and the potential consequences of this injury.
Recognize concussion signs and symptoms and how to respond.
Learn about steps for returning to activity (play and school) after a concussion.
Focus on prevention and preparedness to help keep athletes safe season-to-season.

You can help athletes stay active and healthy by knowing the facts about concussion and when it is safe for athletes to return to play.

Technical Requirements

This training performs best on an up-to-date computer (for example, one with a multi-core processor) with a broadband internet connection, as well as an up-to-date web browser and operating system. While this training does run on mobile devices, a printer connection or a PDF writer will be required to print your completion certificate. Older computers may crash while using the training resulting in a loss of progress. Progress is not tracked or saved. Do not close or refresh your browser as this will restart the course. If you need to exit the training, you will be returned to the beginning of the course. Please also feel free to contact DUIPinquiries@cdc.gov if you are having trouble accessing the course.

Launch the Training Course

If you would like to order a copy of the course on CD, visit the publication order form.

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Quarterbacks: Inspiring Teammates To Believe In Themselves

2013-04-25T17:38:12Z

by Terry Shea, Quarterbacks Coach

First and foremost, quarterback is a leadership position. Until that base is covered, all the measurables such as height, weight, speed and arm strength become secondary. Quarterbacks who become leaders at all levels of football are bright individuals and they are tough.

The quarterback position is complex and the game itself takes courage to play, therefore the necessity for brightness and toughness. The brightness factor is not about an intelligence level. It is about an intellect that allows a quarterback to operate an offense consistently at a high performance level. And that is the nature of the position, a very complex position that if played with production can inspire teammates to also perform at a high standard of play.

Can this quarterback lead? Will the team play inspired football and follow the quarterback? A team does not need a quarterback to merely lead the offense, but it does begin there. What a team does look for in a leader playing quarterback is that when the defense goes running on the field, their mindset is to get the ball back for the quarterback, because they believe he will get the offense into the end zone.

That is what a strong team needs and looks for it its quarterback – a teammate who can lead his unit into the end zone, because the game has always been and will always be about out-scoring the opponent. If a quarterback can consistently lead his teammates into the end zone and make smart decisions with the ball, this inspired group of players will win a lot of football games.

Becoming this type of quarterback requires long hours of skill development, technique work and intuitive training. Without a full toolbox of quarterback skills, you will struggle to get your guys into the end zone. Without this ability, your teammates will lose their inspiration to play at a high level throughout an entire game.

The true test of a leader is if he makes his teammates better players. A quarterback wont make his teammates block more efficiently, catch better or tackle harder, but being a better player isn’t just about skills. Sometime a player has all the tools, but no toolbox.

The game is about having a toolbox and no one understand s that better, or can put things into perspective, than the quarterback. The cornerstone of a toolbox are composed of an endless work ethic, a passion to develop position skills, a complete understanding of the system and its nuances, and the ability to play with discipline and accountability.

This is the toolbox each player must bring every day to the playing field with the drive and determination to fill the box with his individual skills.

Quarterbacks must find ways to connect with each player and inspire them to load up their toolbox. It is an essential leadership challenge. The quarterback’s job description is to reflect the coaching staff’s thinking on the field. Coaches coach during practice week and players prepare with each practice. But during the game, coaches can only make adjustments and players must perform.

A quarterback’s performance is what inspires teammates to believe they can perform at a winning level no matter the opponent.

This is an excerpt from Terry Shea’s book Eyes Up: Coaching The Men With The Nerve To Play The Most Challenging Position In Football. Coach Shea is the preeminent quarterback coach, having trained many of the game’s top quarterbacks. In his 420-page book, Coach Shea shares all of the components of playing the quarterback position with success.

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Extra Point And Field Goal Protection

2013-04-25T15:16:48Z

by Lester Erb And Ronald Aiken, University of Iowa

Extra point and field goal protection is often overlooked. It is easy to neglect it because extra points are supposed to be automatic, right?

We have all won and lost games because of an extra point or because our opponent blocked a field goal attempt and returned for a touchdown.

When this happens, we look at the film to see where the breakdown occurred and why it happened. Often, technique is the reason. At the University of Iowa, our head coach Kirk Ferentz, is adamant about coaching the finer points of every position and every unit. He is about paying attention to detail, using perfect technique and trusting the fundamentals. He takes nothing for granted, not even extra point and field goal protection.

The placekick is crucial to success and often determines the final outcome of the game. We talk to our players about the importance of the FC-PAT unit. We tell them that anytime we get within the 25-yeard line, we have a great opportunity to score points.

They should expect to score every time they take the field, but should not take it for granted. To be successful, the FG-PAT team must:

be disciplined in substitution;
be disciplined in alignment and technique;
have a great snap, hold and kick;
have confidence in our ability to execute the kick; and,
take pride in doing the job well.

This is how we coach the FG-PAT unit at Iowa. It isn’t the only way to coach special teams, but it works well for us.

This is an excerpt from Complete Guide To Special Teams, published by Human Kinetics and the American Football Coaches Association. To learn more, please visit their websites.

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More Than 900 Youth Leagues Commit To Safer Football

2013-04-25T14:26:58Z

More than 900 youth football leagues across the United States representing more than 200,000 players have committed to the health and safety of their young players by adopting Heads Up Football, a new USA Football pilot program for the 2013 season dedicated to making the game better and safer.

The Heads Up Football program promotes a positive youth football experience and advances player safety by providing coaching education and teaching resources that benefit players, parents and coaches. Heads Up Football aims to take the head out of the game.

USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams.

Heads Up Football is comprised of five primary elements:

Heads Up Tackling	USA Football’s Heads Up Tackling technique, endorsed by medical and football experts, teaches players to keep their heads up and out of the line of contact.
Coaching certification	All coaches within a youth program are trained to teach the game’s fundamentals by completing USA Football’s nationally accredited Level 1 Coaching Certification Course.
Concussion recognition and response	Coaches learn and are assessed on CDC concussion recognition and response through USA Football’s Level 1 Coaching Certification Course. Coaches, parents and players are taught concussion-related protocols at the start of the season at a league-wide clinic and have them reinforced throughout the season.
Player Safety Coach	Appointed by each participating Heads Up Football youth organization. This individual is trained by USA Football to implement Heads Up Football’s player safety protocols, including coaching certification, and conducts safety clinics for coaches, parents and players.
Equipment fitting	Coaches, parents and players are taught proper helmet and shoulder pad fitting.

Seventy-eight former NFL players will participate in the program as Heads Up Football Ambassadors, working with youth leagues. Former NFL standouts CARL BANKS , RANDALL CUNNINGHAM and BARRY SANDERS are among those serving as Heads Up Football Ambassadors. They will attend practices and games while endorsing Heads Up Football.

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Coaches Devise Game Plan To Mentor Boys And Young Men

2013-04-25T14:15:26Z

Several hundred coaches from area middle and high schools, colleges and universities, and community leagues met April 16 in Baltimore to draft a new game plan to learn how to develop, mentor and lead young men and help build their character.

The Verizon Foundation and A CALL TO MEN – a leading national violence prevention organization – brought the second installment of their national training series, entitled A Call To Coaches: Your Voice Counts. This half-day, interactive seminar was designed to equip coaches and community leaders with resources to prevent abusive behaviors by promoting respect, non-violence and healthy relationships. The first training session was held recently in North Carolina, drawing more than 400 coaches and community leaders who pledged to use their power of authority and leadership to encourage boys and young men to have a healthy and respectful manhood.

The Baltimore session brought together several members of the NFL community and domestic violence prevention advocates, including Chris Canty, Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman; Willis Whalen , NFL Players Association manager of player affairs and development; CBS Sportscaster James Brown; Joe Ehrmann , president of Coach For America and former Baltimore Colt; and led by Tony Porter and Ted Bunch , co-founders of A CALL TO MEN.

“A healthy relationship begins with respect,” said Bunch. “Breaking down traditional stereotypes about manhood is essential, and that begins in the locker room. For instance, it’s not cool to demean a teammate by saying he throws like a girl. When a coach takes the lead and stops that kind of language, men and young men listen.”

The training session enabled coaches and community leaders to learn about fostering healthy manhood and gave them access to free resources for talking with athletes about healthy relationships. Participants left the training with a list of action items and resources to continue the conversation with their teams and in their own communities.

Brown, who has been an outspoken advocate for the importance of engaging men in domestic violence prevention, said: “Coaches play an extremely important role in shaping who young athletes will become – not only on the field, but in society and in their own relationships. When coaches and community leaders are positive mentors and role models, they instill character, respect and other healthy qualities in their players or the youths they lead. These coaches can take an active role in breaking the cycle of violence in our society, molding young men who will value women.”

Resources from the training also will incorporate elements of the Verizon Foundation’s recently launched Your Voice Counts awareness campaign (www.verizonfoundation.org/yourvoicecounts), which features Brown and is designed to engage and empower men to speak up and be a part of the solution to end domestic violence.

Verizon Foundation Program Director Susan Sullivan said: “Domestic violence is a hidden epidemic in the United States, and it has devastating impacts on individuals, families and communities alike. Verizon’s commitment to ending domestic violence is long-standing. It’s time to start a powerful conversation focused on new ways that men and women can work together to end domestic violence.”

The next A Call To Coaches: Your Voice Counts training session will take place in Seattle on May 7.

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Mobile App Helps Evaluate Sports Concussion At Games

2013-04-12T14:51:57Z

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the world’s largest association of neurologists who treat brain injuries such as concussion, has launched a new app called “Concussion QuickCheck“, to help coaches, athletic trainers, parents and athletes quickly evaluate if someone may have a concussion and needs to see a licensed health care provider, such as a neurologist, who is specialized in concussion.

The app, which is available for iPad, iOS (Apple), Android, and mobile, was developed in partnership with the Academy’s updated guideline for diagnosing and evaluating sports concussion. The announcement of the new app was made at the Academy’s Annual Meeting in conjunction with the release of the updated sports concussion guideline.

Key information and tools in the “Concussion Quick Check” app include:

Common signs of concussion
Symptoms of concussion
Things the athlete may tell you
What to do if an athlete has a head injury during a game
What to do if it appears the athlete has a concussion
When an athlete should return to the game
Help finding a neurologist near you (GPS capability)
Help finding state laws on concussion
More about the Academy’s new guideline for diagnosing, treating and managing sports concussion

“The American Academy of Neurology, the world’s largest association of neurologists, is the trusted authority in managing sports concussion,” said Christopher C. Giza , MD, with the David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, who helped develop the content for the Concussion Quick Check app. “We hope this easy-to-access tool will help coaches, athletic trainers, parents and athletes alike to quickly determine if an athlete shows signs of concussion and needs to see a licensed health care professional trained in managing concussion, such as a neurologist. It’s a perfect tool to have on your iPad or smart phone when coaching or watching a game from the sidelines.”

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Strength And Conditioning – Scap Circuit

2013-04-12T14:13:43Z

The Scap Circuit is a supplemental exercise that isolates the scapulae to promote proper function of the shoulders. This circuit is a key component to increasing the integrity of the rotator cuff. The circuit is made up of four exercises performed in a row. Perform 10 repetitions of each exercise.

Equipment

Exercise band or cable machine
Barbell
Pull-up bar

Scap Push-Up

Begin in the starting position of a push-up with your elbows fully extended.

While maintaining full extension of your elbows, retract your scapula (i.e., bring your shoulder blades together).

Actively protract your scapulae (i.e., push your shoulder blades apart) while maintaining full extension of your elbows to return to the starting position.

Scap Band Row

Begin in an upright, seated position.

Grab the band or cable machine attachment with a supinated grip with your elbows in full extension.

While maintaining full extension of your elbows, actively pull your shoulders down and back by depressing and retracting your scapulae (i.e., bring your shoulder blades together).

Hold for a three count and slowly return to the starting position.

Overhead Shrug

Begin in a standing position.

Grasp the bar with a closed, pronated grip. Your elbows and shoulders should be at 90-degree angles.

Actively shrug the barbell up by elevating your scapulae while maintaining a perfect standing posture and full extension of your elbows.

Hold for a three count and slowly return to the starting position.

Scap Chin-Up

Grab a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width, neutral grip and shoulders in full extension.

While maintaining a slight bend at your elbows, actively depress and retract your scapulae (i.e., bring your shoulder blades together).

Hold for a three count an slowly return to the staring position by protracting your scapulae (i.e., push your shoulder blades apart).

For more information on plyometrics, as well as training and conditioning for football athletes, check out Complete Conditioning For Football from Human Kinetics at: http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/Complete-Conditioning-for-Football-3112626

Posted with permission from Human Kinetics.

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Unequal Technologies Debuts Latest Innovation In Supplemental Head Padding

2013-04-08T13:11:24Z

Unequal Technologies unveiled a new suite of supplemental head padding (SHP) available for athletes in multiple sports. Responding to demand from professional athletes in the National Football League, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and X Games, Unequal’s supplemental head protection now includes the DOME, BAND, HALO and MAXX. Each new product features Unequal’s military-grade composite fortified with DuPont Kevlar.

Unequal Technologies says recent test results for SHP indicate up to a 50 percent reduction in the Severity Index (SI), a measurement of hazard, or risk of injury, compared to helmets without SHP.

“An independent accredited lab conducted NOCSAE tests on helmets that claim to ‘meet NOCSAE standards,’” says Rob Vito, CEO of Unequal Technologies. “One such helmet failed with a 1,980 SI. That is 65 percent over the 1,200 SI NOCSAE safety limit – considered a danger zone. Defective helmets can expose athletes to unnecessary risks and increase athletes’ propensity for head injury. Much of the helmet testing today is self-regulated, so I am not surprised that helmets fail. Results such as these should caution parents and coaches and corroborate the need for SHP. It’s like supplementing your car’s seatbelt with an airbag.”

Each SHP is just four to six millimeters thick and has been impact-tested using standard ASTM, HECC and NOCSAE tests at third party ISO17025 accredited test labs. SHP slips on the head or into helmets in seconds, has applications across multiple sports and can be customized to fit individual needs.

Unequal’s supplemental head padding is rated for incidental contact (DEFCON 2) to high impact (DEFCON 4) situations. SHP does not modify a helmet, as products are removable.

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iPhone, Android App Teaches Running Basics

2013-04-08T12:57:18Z

Runners the world over can now get professional running technique advice from a new app for iPhone and Android. Running Technique Basics from MOJO Skills Coaching, is a mobile app ‘how-to’ on the basics of running technique.

MOJO Skills Coaching’s David Hohnberg says that the app guides runners through the eight basic running skills with clear, user-friendly information to improve running technique and speed and help to reduce the risk of injuries.

“We developed this app because there is so little accessible help on running technique out there” said Hohnberg. “There is a vast amount of improvement available for most runners, if they just know what to do.”

The Running Technique Basics app closes the gap between professional coaching and the average runner with clear, user-friendly how-to information on the eight basic skills of running technique.

“Good running technique is all about knowing how to use your posture and bio-mechanics in the most efficient manner, to minimize jarring impacts and maximize efficient forward movement,” says Hohnberg. “I’ve been coaching runners and triathletes for years and they’re always amazed by the improvements that can be gained from taking the time to work on their running skills.”

The Running Technique Basics app lets anyone start improving their running technique and to move away from the repetitive injuries caused by lack of technique. Each skill covered in the app has both a succinct description and a short demonstration video. There are also sections on stretching and strengthening for running as well as hydration and nutrition basics.

The Running Technique Basics app is available now on iPhone: goo.gl/UEVWz and Android: goo.gl/IZOCU

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Football Coach Daily

AFCA Board of Trustees Discuss Recruiting Legislation And AFCA Coaches’ Trophy

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Heads Up Online Training Course

What You Will Learn

Technical Requirements

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Quarterbacks: Inspiring Teammates To Believe In Themselves

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Extra Point And Field Goal Protection

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More Than 900 Youth Leagues Commit To Safer Football

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Coaches Devise Game Plan To Mentor Boys And Young Men

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Mobile App Helps Evaluate Sports Concussion At Games

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Strength And Conditioning – Scap Circuit

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Unequal Technologies Debuts Latest Innovation In Supplemental Head Padding

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iPhone, Android App Teaches Running Basics

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