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AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


The Drills Report

by: Wayne Anderson
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This month’s drill has been submitted by Kurt VanValkenburgh, Florida Atlantic University’s Assistant Head Coach and Linebackers Coach. Coach VanValkenburgh brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to the FAU Owls’ program. Coach VanValkenburgh has been an intricate part of the development of the football program at Florida Atlantic and his efforts helped launch the Owls during their inaugural season in 2001.

During their third season, the Owls made it all the way to the 2004 I-AA National Semifinals before suffering a loss to Colgate University. No start-up program has had that type of success in such a short period of time. In 2004, FAU joined the Sun Belt Conference at the I-A level.

Coach VanValkenburgh is sharing one of his favorite linebacker drills, The Chatter Drill. This is a drill that is used not only during the regular season but also during training camps. This drill can be run in full pads or in shorts and helmets. The purpose of the drill is to teach your linebackers body control, proper footwork and proper hitting position.

The Chatter Drill

SET-UP:
1. Use a 20-yard area with the depth of the sideline to the hash marks (See Diagram 1).
2. Have three Linebackers stacked about four yards apart facing the sideline. There is no other equipment involved in the drill.

EXPLANATION OF THE DRILL

Diagram 1. Sprint/Crossover

Coaching Point: The linebackers will be working on two types of footwork in this drill:
1. Sprint
2. Crossover

I will first describe the drill using sprint footwork. With the linebackers set in position, I will give two commands.

The first command is a ready command. This will put the linebackers in a good athletic linebacker stance. The second command is a take off command. When the linebackers hear the second command, they will sprint five yards as fast as they can go and then break down facing the sideline and start chattering their feet up and down.

As the linebackers are chattering their feet, I check to make sure they are maintaining a proper linebacker stance. This would include proper leg bend and proper weight distribution with the chest being over the feet. After about three seconds of having the linebackers chattering their feet, I give the takeoff command and they sprint another five yards and then breakdown and start chattering their feet again. The linebackers will do this a total of four times or 20-yards to complete the drill. When the linebackers have completed the 20 yards going in one direction, I will send them back in the other direction so they are working on going both right and then back left.

USING CROSSOVER FOOTWORK

Various drills are similar, except that the linebackers will use crossover footwork and keep their shoulders parallel to the sideline.

VARIATIONS TO THE CHATTER DRILL (See Diagram 2)

Diagram 2. Variations/45 Degree Angle

Diagram 3. Crossover Footwork

Diagram 4. All sprints at 45 Degree Angle

Using sprint footwork, I will add 45-degree segments to the drill by making a 45 command and either point up or down. This will direct the linebackers to either drop at a 45-degree angle for five yards or come up at a 45-degree angle for five yards (See Diagram 3).

Sometimes I will change the drill and use all 45-degree angles. You can use sprint footwork for the entire drill or make it a combination of sprint footwork and crossover footwork. Have the linebackers drop at 45 degrees using crossover footwork and then have them come up at 45 degrees using sprint footwork (See Diagram 4).

With using both sprint or crossover footwork, I will add a "BACK" command. This command tells the linebackers to go back to the last five-yard spot they were at. For instance, when I give the linebackers the take off command and they either sprint or crossover for five yards and break down, I will give them a back command and they will go back five yards the other way and break down.

The Chatter Drill helps Linebackers in these four areas:

1. Teaches good form to take on blockers
2. Makes tackles under control
3. Pass Drops
4. Good for pursuit to the ball

In addition to his duties as assistant head coach, linebackers coach, and special teams coach, VanValkenburgh also oversees the recruiting process for FAU. He began his coaching career at Mohawk High School (NY) and later coached at SUNY (Albany), Union, Colgate, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Maryland, Louisville, Oklahoma, and Purdue. He joined th Owls program in 1998.





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