A Vision For A Successful Football Program

Travis Hayes

Chase perfection, catch excellence. The culture of our new program is to build up our student-athletes into a person of character. There are two things everyone can control, attitude and effort. As a coach or a player we must buy into the program by giving fanatical effort in everything we do and by always having a positive attitude. Being the new head coach I will implement an open door policy with the players, parents, alumni and administration. I would want to support all personnel in our program and I want to work hand in hand with them to build this program from the ground up. Family is an important value to me. We will create our program to be a second family for our athletes as well as our coaches. For our program to be successful we must grow collectively as a group. Although we do recognize individual accomplishments such as good grades, perfect attendance, weight room goals, etc., no one person is bigger than our program. Our goal here is to create a culture where everyone that is apart of the organization strives for perfection. In doing so we will catch excellence and achieve past our true potential.

Academic success is what fuels our program. We must focus our energy in the classroom first if we want to be successful on the field. One of the most important factors for encouraging our students to do well in school is by putting in place the resources to help them out. Implementing study hall hours, tutors, and peer support is key for our players to be successful inside the classroom. When my athletes come in as freshmen the first thing my coaching staff and I will do is set up academic plans and support. I will create a tutoring/mentoring system with in the football program. We will have our older players tutor younger players in all subjects and we emphasize success in the classroom as being more important than what we do on the field. I will perform grade checks and counseling sessions with each athlete and we will try to get them focused in on an academic plan that fits their needs. I will talk to their teachers and set up meetings with parents to get everyone on the same page as well. We honor our scholar athletes as a huge incentive but I also like to celebrate those kids that have gotten over a tough hurdle in their own academic achievement. We can't all be brilliant scholars but I like to emphasize effort. Having our players work together will help bring the team closer together and give each player a better chance to become successful in the classroom.

Being a defensive minded coach I will run the defense and coach the secondary. I am a firm believer of putting it on tape. This mean the film is everyone’s resume. If you do not like what you see, then change it. Each day is a new day to get better and to work on your resume. For our players to be successful on the field they must focus on becoming smart, physical, and tough.

To be a smart player they must encompass these traits:

1. Position master → Master their own craft

2. System master → Understanding the ins and outs to our defense

3. Opponent master → Study other teams

Being physical is an important part of our defense, which includes these traits:

1. Dominate the man across from you both physically and mentally

2. Be violent with engage and disengage. Get off blocks and get to the ball

3. Punish the ball carrier. All eleven guys run to the ball. Swarming defense!

The last component to our defense is being a tough player:

1. We must have an aggressive mindset. Mental toughness is key for our success.

2. Have a high pain tolerance. What are we willing to sacrifice. There is a difference between being hurt and injured.

3. Fanatic effort. Our effort has to be greater than our opponents.

If we focus on these three traits then our defense will produce great results. We all have the choice to live our best life every day, no matter the circumstances. We are all in this together. Lets start our journey together by chasing perfection.

Justin Vorhies

Running a Football Program is more than just an August-October responsibility. As a Head Coach each season starts immediately after the previous season ends. This begins with sending out all of our equipment to be reconditioned. Then, as a staff we get together, while the season is fresh in our mind and fill out player and staff evaluations. Once this is done we then schedule player meetings to go over their evaluations and what they need to focus on to improve for the next season.

Starting in December we begin our winter lifting and agility program. During this time we lift and condition Monday, Wednesday, and Thursdays after school. After the sessions on Mondays we chalk talk our defense. On Wednesdays we have our leadership/values sessions. On Thursdays we have our offensive chalk talk sessions. As coaches we hit the clinics February – April. During this time we use the clinics as to get together as a staff and discuss what we have learned and possibilities of new schemes or plays to be implemented. We also use clinics to learn about what other teams are doing and how to possible stop or beat it.

In the summer we try to only have lifting, speed, and agility sessions in June along with open field sessions that follow these. I encourage our kids to play other sports and take vacations with their families and I do not want to take away from this time. In Ohio we get 10 days to coach our kids in June and July. I use these days in the middle of July. During this time we have all our youth camps and 7-on-7s. This makes it so our kids and coaches only have two weeks during the summer to keep free for football. Finally I make it so we have no football activities for nine days before 2-a-days start. This gives our kids and coaches a chance to relax and recharge before they commit the next 15-20 weeks to football and school. During our ten camp days we do not run any entire team sessions. We maximize our time by teaching our O-line all their blocking schemes and D-line all their stunts and alignments. We get our backs and receivers and our back 7 on defense to learn formations, coverages, motions, and pass plays.

Once August begins we are officially in season. This is when we start our two-a-days. During 2-a-days we put it all together. We install our run game with our backs and receivers and work on our run fits with our back 7. For the offensive line we alternate every 2 days against odd and even fronts for the O-line. During this time we also install all of our special teams. We have three scrimmages to prepare our team for Week 1. Once the regular season begins, we Game Plan on Saturdays. We then take Sundays off, this our time to spend with our families and recharge. On Monday we have a full go Offensive practice and put in our adjustments to the other teams defense in on the fly. We also go over our punt, PAT, and KOR Mondays. Tuesday is another full go day and is a defensive heavy day. We also go over our punt return, PAT block, and KO on Tuesdays. We then review our offensive and defensive game plans on Wednesday in helmets and shoulder pads. Thursdays we follow a script that simulates game like sudden changes and transitions. Finally Friday Nights are what we work year round for!

Scott Fisher

 
Applying for a Head Football Position and Creating an Identity for Your Football Program From Resume to Championship (page 22)

When establishing a new program or taking over for an existing one, a new coach usually brings a new attitude and a new excitement. Boosters, administration, team, and the community want to know what you and this “new” program are all about. Please explain and share your vision, thoughts, and ideas for the identity that you and your new program will be known for.

IDENTITY

To create an identity that I and the new program will be known for is about changing the mindset and culture of the program. You have to get them to buy in to your vision and mission for the program. Everyone needs to be fully committed to hard work and discipline. If you want to be successful at something you have to give your best effort and in order for the program to be successful you have to have this from the coaches, players and parents. You have to take care of the little things and stick to the fundamentals of the game. You have to be good at blocking, tackling, running, and catching the football. A football program is a family and everyone needs to be involved and not just the players, but the parents, assistant coaches families, head coaches family all need to have a vested interest in the program. High School football is now year round. That means as a coach and player you have to be committed not only to the season but to the offseason as well. Players have to commit to the offseason to make themselves better in the classroom and on the field. Finally it is about being that positive role model for your student athletes and setting the example for them. Show them how to build and maintain positive relationships.

VISION

My vision as the head coach is to see the coaches on staff advance their careers; the student athletes we coach playing at the next level; or using the skills they have acquired participating in athletics to build a career outside of athletics.

Philosophy

Coaching is teaching. Coaches teach student athletes how to be successful in athletics, academics and life using solid core values. Coaches do this by modeling how to form and maintain positive and healthy relationships.

As the head coach I will lead by example and expect the same from my coaches and student athletes by building positive relationships. As the head coach I will take an interest in people and provide them with opportunities to improve themselves in order for them to be successful. Four core values that are important to me and any organizations success are integrity, honesty, commitment and loyalty.