This & That

First things first – don’t forget about the San Diego Women’s Football Camp in November. You can see the Facebook event here. Last weeks’ blog has 200 views in just a couple of days, making it the most viewed post I’ve ever had.

I’d like to remind the coaches out there that this camp isn’t only for players. We know that most of the big coaching clinics are in February and March, and so are tough to get to when you’ve already started your season practices. Plus, you have to sift through the topics and discussions to get down to what you can do on a 1-2 time per week practice schedule. Also, if you’ve already started practice, and then picked up a new concept, how do you integrate it into whatever you’re already doing without it looking like you’re changing things as the wind blows?

So a few things about our camp: There will be 11 instructing coaches there, plus however many others show up. All of the instructors are from winning programs at the level you coach at – your direct competitors. They’re there to share their knowledge to get you and your players better. Although there is no one way to do things, what these coaches will share are things that actually work at our level. So treat it like going to a coaching clinic, except you not only get classroom talks and film sessions, but also live on-the-field applications of what is being taught. All for $20. Can’t beat it!

Players, the overriding consideration is getting you better. We’re not out there to condition you or discipline you (although if you dog a drill, wasting someone else’s rep, that’ll get you “noticed”). We’re like the doting grandparents that get to have fun and then send you back to your parents after a weekend. If you’re a beginner, we’ll pair you either with someone of your level (if it is a competitive drill) or a more experienced player if it is a teaching drill. For veterans, I’m sure that when the competitive drills come up, you’ll want to see where you stand against All American and Team USA players – they’ll be there for you!

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One thing that has always driven me crazy about football announcers is that they’ll rave over a defensive player making a “great play” when it was really due to an offensive player’s incompetence. Such was the case of Michael Sam sacking Johnny Football the other night. The Browns RT on the play was absolutely brutal – head forward, no punch, stopped feet. LeCharles Bentley, noted owner of OL Performance World referred to the RT in a Tweet as being “allergic to effort”. That sums it up pretty well.

I went to a Browns practice while I was on vacation and saw their #2 OL struggle a lot – even in Indy drills. Not much depth there.

You see the same thing in defensive highlight films all the time – some dude coming through unblocked and making a play. Well, hell – he should make the tackle if he’s unblocked! What I want to see in a highlight film is a guy getting blocked, then playing off that block and making the stop. That’s when I admire defensive players.

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The number of penalties being called in the NFL this year could be scary – and changing the game for the worse, in my opinion. Yeah, I’m an offensive guy, but that doesn’t mean that I want a penalty if the DB even breathes on my receiver (unless that DB plays for Boston, and then yeah, I do).

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What a poised young lady Mo’Ne Davis is! She was by far the highlight for me in the recent Little League World Series. Apparently she wants to play basketball at UConn for Geno Auriemma.  It’s still early, but I certainly wish her luck. With what she has shown at a young age, I have no doubt she’s got the mental make-up to thrive under a demanding coach like Auriemma (whom I am a fan of).

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Go see “When the Game Stands Tall”…it’s a good football/team movie. It focuses on just a short time period for Concord De La Salle (2003-2004), so if you want the whole story, read the book – it is excellent!

I remember coaching for Fountain Valley High in the 90’s and thinking, “Well sure they win – they’re not playing anyone up there. Wait until they play Poly or Mater Dei.” Then they did – and kicked both of their butts. That’s when we all sat up and paid attention. Having coached against Long Beach Poly, I can tell you it was no fun….zero fun.

That’s it for now – don’t forget to go and let us know that you’re coming to the camp on the FB page (here, again). It also wouldn’t hurt to pay – that helps us out with knowing for sure how many shirts we need, whether we need to grab extra coaches, etc. Thanks!