Coaching football is a complicated
profession often made more difficult by the fact that every armchair quarterback has an opinion. While
some coaches focus more on coaching schemes other coaches focus more on
technique; yet, both are important parts of the game of football. As a coach, I
believe in the basics --- you can’t teach a baby to run until you teach that
baby to walk. Likewise, a coach can’t teach an athlete new plays until that
athlete learns how to perform the technique that will make him successful in
the game.
Technique. Many of today’s coaches
have gone away from the fundamentals of football and this is one of the reasons
that so many players are injured on the field. Players now do not know how to
tackle correctly, thus causing injuries to themselves and to their opponents. ESPN
recently wrote an article on Donnovan Hill who was paralyzed after making a tackle.
The article asks the question whether or not proper tackling technique was
taught? I would argue NO - Donnovan was not taught the proper tackling
techniques. In the video of the tackle you can clearly see that Donnovan had
his head down when he made the tackle. To make a safe tackle the tackler needs
to have his head up. Technique could have saved Donnovan from this horrific
accident.
Scheme.
Scheme is great but only once technique is mastered. A coach in the first part
of the season should take the first meeting to just talk about technique then move
into installing his offense or defense. This allows players to learn the
technique that is wanted before going to the practice field. Scheme will come
along much better once technique is mastered. If a quarterback doesn’t know how
to take a snap how will he be able to perform any part of the scheme?
Being a great coach is
all about teaching. Anyone can tell a player where he needs to be on a play. It
takes a great coach/teacher to show the player how to get there and the proper
technique to be successful.
As a basketball, football, and soccer coach for a youth sports league, it is imperative that our athletes learn the basics and fundamentals of all sports. If we teach our athletes this first, then they will be better off in the future when they need these skills in order to win a game. For instance, with my football kids ages 3-5 many of them can throw the football with no problem, but when I ask them to put their fingers on the grooves before they throw it, it takes a lot more concentration and practice to get it right. Another example is the handoff. Even with my older kids up to age 12, many of them have never been taught how to properly receive a handoff. Yes, it seems pretty common sense just get the ball and go, but if the technique is not learned properly it could cost the game by fumbling the ball. It takes a person to implement sports into an athlete’s life, but a real coach to implement technique and fundamentals.
ReplyDeleteI feel that without sound technique, schemes means nothing. the thing that worries me about Pop Warner and pee wee football is that these kids are taught improper technique and those habits are hard to break as the players get older. Also, most coaches should spend a good portion of the first week of practice on technique and reinforce this through out the season.
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