Letter From the Editor

Coaching in the 21st Century
by: Aaron S. Lee
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Granted, I am not a coach – never have been, never will be. To make matters worse, I don’t even play one on TV. But then again, I don’t have to be a coach to fully understand what American Football Monthly brings to the coaching profession.

Coaches have often been a misunderstood sort – always receiving a bit too much credit when things go well and way too much when things don’t. Coaches are usually those made of fire and stone. They are passionate, yet stoic ... unassuming, yet brilliant. And pressure seems to be their middle name. Some thrive in it, while others falter.

So with all the negative circumstances that coaches sometimes find themselves in, whether it’s looking down the barrel of Byron Leftwich’s cannon-like arm at Marshall, fighting for the last playoff spot in District 13-4A or simply just fighting for their job - they all need that competitive edge that separates them from their peers. The old adage of the haves and the have-nots is more than just an old saying – it’s a philosophy to live by. Those with knowledge and resources usually always succeed over those without.

This is where American Football Monthly comes in.

AFM provides coaches in the 21st century a fighting chance with up-to-date clinic articles written by the country’s top high school, college and professional coaches and features that spotlight the most successful men in the trade that have usually been where you want to be and done things that you want to do.

In this issue alone, AFM showcases the diversity of modern coaches paving the way across the new landscape of college football. AFM provides in-depth clinics on Purdue’s “quick game” and Georgia Military College’s unorthodox, yet devastating 3-5 defense.

Not to mention, all the state-of-the-art products featured that consistently provide optimum advantages in training, performance and digital technology.

Oh, did I fail to also mention that AFM has a fully functional, interactive Web site (www.americanfootballmonthly.com) that not only provides exclusive material not found inside the pages of the monthly publication, but also provides a complete archive of all editorials, clinics and features since 1998? How’s that for a database?

Also, the Web site has a message board open 24-hours, seven days a week that allows anyone to ask or respond to questions regarding coaching techniques, play calling, schemes or simply debate the greatest football movie of all time, Rudy or The Longest Yard.

OK, I realize by now that if you already know this stuff, then you probably have stopped reading this column and are halfway through the feature on Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez located on page 8. But if you didn’t – and once you stop salivating over all the information I just shared – you are now aware of what thousands of readers have known for years. AFM is and always will be a magazine about coaches for coaches. I am proud to serve a publication that is truly dedicated to the betterment of one of the most decent and respected professions in the world.

There are simply no excuses ... the tools are in place. Now it’s up to you to utilize them. AFM magazine, AFM Web site and you – the perfect combination to a successful year, err ... career.

Aaron S. Lee
Managing Editor
American Football Monthly
aslee@lcclark.com

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