Welcome Back
I enjoyed putting together the first edition of the Playbook last month, and look forward to it continuing to evolve into what I hope can be a helpful monthly resource for high school coaches.
I really appreciated the feedback that I received on the April edition and it continues to be my goal to make this something that is useful to you all. I would love for it to be as interactive as possible so if there are topics or things about the game that you would like discussed, please let me know. It is my hope to not only give my perspective but also tap into the expertise of others in the coaching profession.
This edition includes coaching philosophy, Part II in a QB series, thoughts on getting the most out of 7x7, as well as a new Game Ball feature. Future editions will include more of the same as well as one on one conversations with area coaches and additional features as we continue to evolve. Additionally, all articles and videos from previous editions are archived and available each month to subscribers. If there are other coaches who you think may be interested, please send me their email and I will get them included on the distribution list. I also encourage you to subscribe for $5/month using the subscribe button found a little further down in the Playbook. I look forward to doing my best to make it a valuable and useful resource.
JM
“If You Tolerate It, You Encourage It”
This is a quote used by Tom Holmoe at a coaching clinic I attended at Stanford University in 1992. Coach Holmoe (who would later go on to become the head coach at Cal ), was a former Super Bowl champion safety for the San Francisco 49ers who at the time was coaching defensive backs under Bill Walsh at Stanford University. He made the comment in reference to a technique he was teaching to his players that spring, but his simple statement really resonated with me and I believe it applies to all aspects of a football program.
As coaches, we are constantly communicating to our players on the proper technique, effort level, communication, and hustle that we expect in each situation. If we see a player clearly do something that does not meet our standard yet we do not address it with him, then we are giving him the green light to do it again. While it may seem like “no big deal”, I believe that this can become contagious and can begin to peel away at the standards we have for our team. This certainly applies to the on field techniques we want our players to use: whether tackling with their head up, keeping their hands inside while blocking on the perimeter, or protecting the football with the proper points of pressure, we need to consistently coach our players to do things right. If we get in the habit of letting things go or not addressing these situations in real time, the players will get the impression that these things are not that important and will be more likely to do them again.
I believe that this is equally, if not more important, when dealing with non-football related situations. Whether it be bad body language after a mistake, lack of hustle in practice, or leaving trash on the bus after an away game, if players see these behaviors being tolerated than you can expect these issues to only grow as the season moves along. At Silverton High School in 2014, we had an excellent team that had many returning players who had been to the State Semi-finals and won a league championship in the previous 2 seasons. Our program was built on the belief that while we had many talented players, our focus was always about the team, not the individual. For this reason, we didn’t have names on the back of our jerseys, we awarded helmet stickers based upon team goals not individual achievement, and all players wore black or white socks on game day. As we took the field for early outs prior to our first game that year, one of our best players (who was a great kid and All Conference player) was wearing bright orange socks. As I was nervous about our first game and getting the season underway, the last thing I wanted to do was deal with this situation but I believed that if I tolerated it, then the next game there could be a couple of more guys doing the same thing. I didn’t want our core value of “team first” to be jeopardized so when we got back into the locker room, I talked to the player and had him change his socks. Our team that season went 12-1, only losing in the State Championship game and was as fine a team as I have ever coached. We didn’t accomplish all of that because I had a player change his socks, but for me for me it all came back to Coach Holmoe’s quote that I heard in 1992.
The reality is that despite our efforts, high school football is filled with “mistakes” each practice and game, and thus we could spend all of our time correcting players. This would lead to a badgering style of coaching with a jagged flow to practice if you were constantly correcting and addressing each and every mistake, and frankly could harm your ability to build connections and positive relationships with your players. For this reason, I believe each staff should prioritize what handful of your team’s philosophy are most valued and have a laser focus on those. Similarly, each position coach can also identify a technique that will be the focus and have consistent messaging and follow through on these most important priorities.
While it is certainly up to the coach to hold the players to expected standards, the best teams are the ones where the members of the team understand what is expected and hold one another accountable. Fostering this atmosphere can be tricky, especially if some of your most talented players are the biggest violators. My experience has been that the best teams to coach have been the ones where the best players had the best attitudes. Encourage and compliment positive behavior, and make sure that you are not tolerating things that may ultimately undermine the success of your team and program.
Sean Mannion QB Drills - Part II
Good QB fundamentals are a result of daily, focused drills that are repeated to the point where they become second nature and carry over to the game. It is critical to have a daily routine or menu of drills over the range of skills that will be needed on Friday nights. Having a purposeful routine that is done either pre-practice or during individual periods can be so much more beneficial than simply tossing the ball around on the sideline. The following drills are Part II of a series designed to give your players sound, game-like work that can be done whether pre-practice or part of individual practice.
Sean Mannion played quarterback at Oregon St. from 2010 – 2014, and has been playing in the NFL since 2015 with the Rams ( 4 years ), Vikings ( 3 years ), and Seahawks ( 1 year ). He has played under many excellent coaches including Mike Riley, Sean McVay, Gary Kubiak, and Pete Carroll. The following drills are part II in a series and include video and narration by Sean.