Life over here

First post for 2011, puts me a little behind my New Years resolution of updating every two weeks, but as we say in Sweden "sante livet" (Such is life)...if I spelled that correctly...
Here is an update of what is going on.

Football:
Rik Parker has settled in here and taken over as Head Coach for the Senior Team. Rik and I work together with the High School guys in what is called National Idrotts Utbildning in American Football. So we start each morning with a quick cup of coffee then walk over to the gym and work with the players that are in the school program. After the work-out we head back to the office and plan out that next practice. It has added a little skip in my step so to speak, because it has been along time since I had time to spend with another coach during the "normal" work day hours. We have started our "pre-season" practice and are practicing outside Tuesday and Thursday nights while having theory meetings every Wednesday. So far I can say that every practice has been good. The guys are working hard. We are not many so that will force us to be creative, but last time I checked it is still only 11 on the field at a time.
What we are trying to do is be good at what football is about. As Coaches we are often amazed with ourselves at our "new" ideas or our special schemes we like to run. It is a very solid feeling to see a QB step back and hit the seam quick, when the flat defender breaks to the flat. Looks good on paper and even better when it happens on the field. The thing we have to remember is that the ability to throw the ball, run the route and read the defender have to be able to be executed by the players. So, in this example, the better the QB is at throwing mechanics, footwork, decision making abilities...the better that play will be. Also it will be tied into the receivers base fundamentals of understanding route running, take-off, reading the defenders movement and actually to get it all done, he has to know how to catch the ball. In a nut shell that is what we are trying to work on those five basic things that every football player has to do--blocking, tackling, catching, throwing & running. It's that simple. It will not be a system that wins, it will be a group of athletes that can do the things that each offensive, defensive or special team system requires to be done. The thing to remember is that everything can be traced back to one or more of the five fundamentals of football. Don't get me wrong. Coaching your system and the keys things that are involved are very important. Matching what your system is to what the talents of your players are is the key to developing any system in football...again, simply in my opinion. I have coached in Pro-style, Wing-T, Flex-Bone, Wish-Bone, Spread and Single Wing systems...they are all good systems but to win in the system, you need the athletes that can perform the special athletic skills required by each system.
What we are going to trying do is play a fundamentally sound style of football that matches the strengths our athletes possess. It is that simple. What will happen? We will see....

Youth Football:
On the youth football front I am running full speed ahead. I know have over 34 school visits booked between now and the end of the school year. Our U-11 & U-13 teams have started outdoor training so we are expecting more and more to start showing up. I have some tremendous leaders in our youth programs and I expect an increase in those numbers.
On Sunday April 3rd, 13.00-15.00 at our field, Midgårdsvallen, we are conducting a big "prova på" (try-out) day for our U-15, U-17 & U-19 teams. This is a project to have our active players bring a friend to try out some football and see if they like it. We will also get some advertisement out in the schools and also in the community by handing out flyers. If every active player brings one friend then we have a chance to double in size right away. If nothing else, we expose the game and club to more people.

5 Things to do from each formation:
1. Run inside
2. Run off-tackle
3. Run outside
4. Pass (including PAP)
5. Screen

5 Things for a lineman to do every practice:
1. Stance and first 2 steps
2. Pass set and punch versus various alignments
3. Working on putting hands, feet & head together with every block. (by head I mean where it should be aimed)
4. Recognize alignements of defenses and understand who (most likely) has what gap.
5. Keep your body between your assigned defender and the ball for the entire length of the play. (If you are not good at any of the first 4, adhere to this principle at all times. If you are good at the first 4, this will be easier to do)

Until next update...just keep coming off the ball low and hard...Keep a postitive attitude between you and the challenges you face everyday...