Building Blocks – The day your 2012 season ends, your 2013 pre-season begins. Now is the time to build the foundation for your team’s future success.

In today’s ultra-competitive football environment, there’s no such thing as a true off season. The coach who leaves the game behind after the last items of equipment are stored for the winter is the coach who falls behind his peers.

Between post-season evaluations of players and coaches, planning and implementing special activities and training programs and working with seniors who want to play at the next level, coaches’ plates are full. To successfully navigate the challenges that the off-season presents, priorities must be established and planning must get underway.

To help you establish your own blueprint for the post-season, AFM recently spoke to eight of America’s most prominent and successful high school head coaches. Their guidelines for how to best approach the months after the season concludes will let you get the most out of your time off the field and keep your players and coaches involved and motivated to improve in 2013.
 
SETTING YOUR PRIORITIES

AFM: Coaches face many important tasks once the season is completed. What are your priorities for the off season?

Niblett: Our number one goal is to improve our kids both mentally and physically. The physical part is a strength and conditioning program where we work our athletes to be stronger, quicker and more agile. By mentally, I mean mentoring and nurturing our players. That means periodic talks with them about leadership, character and the importance of education. We also teach them to buy in early to accountability and responsibility.

Miller: We have our athletes work on their strength and speed. We meet as a staff and make sure a detailed program is in place to develop the players that are coming up to the varsity and fit our scheme. We try to develop technique for our skill players while the O and D-linemen will work on their footwork. We also make sure who’s replacing who on the varsity as well as the JV and freshman team. As a staff, we go through all of those players and where we are replacing seniors at each position.

Carter: It’s really twofold – to evaluate as a staff the team’s strength and weaknesses as we go forward and put together an extensive strength and conditioning program that will help get our kids bigger, stronger, faster, and mentally tougher. This is really for the January-April period.

Rodenberg: By Ohio high school rules, we cannot have any contact with our players for 28 days after the last game of the season. But we put together a comprehensive 21-week program for strength and conditioning. Our certified strength coach takes a look at where we had the most injuries that season and researches with other S & C coaches as to the best way to rehab that part of the body and what exercises can be done to prevent similar injuries next season. We do a lot of self study and training. Each player is presented with a playbook for the off-season. We lift four days a week and continue to talk to our players in the areas where they need to improve.

Wright: We have a 12-month calendar for our athletes. We test them in December in terms of their strength and speed. Our S & C program is geared to have our athletes get stronger in the January-March time period. They will lift three times one week and two the next. They then work on agility and speed by having 6 AM workouts for four days a week over a four-week period. In the spring, we meet with them regularly for film study sessions and discuss expectations for the upcoming season.

Severino: We encourage our players to play winter and spring sports – we want them competing in the off-season. For those that don’t, we have an extensive strength and conditioning program where we want our players to improve their strength, speed, and explosiveness.

GRADING PLAYERS

AFM: What methods do you use to evaluate players who will be returning next season?

Trimble: We sit down and have an exit meeting with each player along with his position coach and our strength and conditioning coach. We have a candid discussion of his performance and what he can do to improve and progress. We will set up detailed progress reports as the school year goes on. We will also set up an individualized strength program for each player. There may be a DB that needs to put on weight or some O-linemen that have too much weight. We also keep the parents informed and work on each player’s overall nutrition.

The most important thing is honesty with players. We ask them how they think they played and what they need to improve on. We also talk about goals, academics, and the potential of playing football at the next level. Similarly, we discuss family life as well – how are things going at home?

Steuerwald: Returning players have a sign-up list and I meet with them between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I let the parents also know that I’m here for them. Each returning player is given a list of 20 questions and are required to meet with me for 30-45 minutes in a private, non-threatening environment (see list of questions). I’ve done this for over 40 years and consider it an absolute essential for me to really know them and know that I care on both a personal as well as athletic basis. It helps to put everything up front, especially if you’re in a situation to cut an athlete. It’s the hardest part of coaching.

Carter: We are continually evaluating them as the season goes on but at the end of spring ball we sit down with each player. We tell them where we see them fitting in come fall as well as what they need to work on, whether it’s attitude, film room study, competitiveness, leadership, lifting or how they practice.
Miller: We work with them, of course, during the season and then sit down with them as a staff after the season and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. More importantly, we look at each one and see if they need to put on weight, get faster and really what they need to do to get better as a football player.

Niblett: We have a detailed form to evaluate our players but meet with them one-on-one. At the end of each meeting, we affirm with every athlete that we are there for them and will do whatever we can to help them both on and off the field.

COACHING YOUR COACHES

AFM: What guidelines do you use to evaluate coaches on your staff and help them improve?

Wright: I sit down with our coaches and get their input as to how the season went. Our philosophy with the position coaches is to try to instill in them that their group is the best group on the field. We evaluate how they did as a group and how they developed the players they coached.

Off-season professional development for our staff is important as well. We take 2-4 days to visit colleagues who run the same or similar schemes as we do which helps us on a number of levels. One being they become a resource for our coaches to contact with questions after we leave and start preparing for the season. Last spring our offensive staff visited both Oregon and Air Force and our defensive staff visited Michigan and Navy. After the season, when I meet with our coordinators and evaluate the season, we establish where we can go to improve what we’re doing. Clinics are okay, but in my opinion, college visits are of much more value.

Miller: Our AD gives us a form for each coach which includes goals, how the program can get better, things that worked during the season and what didn’t work. While each coach fills out this form, we also talk things over as a staff. If there is a controversial issue, we talk about how to deal with it next time and control the situation.

Niblett: We meet one-on-one with each coach in a thorough evaluation. We also evaluate our practices and the drills we conduct daily. Coaches are sent to specific winter clinics to educate themselves on offense and defense.

Steuerwald: I ask the staff to complete a “20 Questions for Coaches” form with as much detail as they can (see list of questions). I also meet with them one-on-one but the form gives me a comprehensive idea as how they feel we did as a team and what their individual goals are. If a coach is interested in becoming a head coach, I’ll work with him with the idea of giving him experience on both sides of the ball.

Trimble: Our administration has an evaluation form that we use. Kansas State Head Coach Bill Snyder told me that you really have to talk with each coach one-on-one. Are they carrying out your philosophy and do they believe in the same core values you do? You also ask each coach what kind of teacher is he? We also review practice habits, evaluating the use of technology, cut-ups, are they keeping in touch with our players’ parents, etc.

Rodenberg: We get together as a staff and determine how the team performed, overall, for the season and where did we fall short. I meet with each coach individually in an informal setting and review the season with each one.

HELPING YOUR SENIORS

AFM: How do you assist seniors who want to play at the next level?

Severino: I work directly with all of the players we feel are capable of playing at the next level. Usually the FBS colleges are scouting the kids they think can play at their level by an athlete’s sophomore year and they do most of the work. I will help those kids that can play at the FCS level as well as Division II, III, and NAIA schools.

I tell the kids that they have to be out there, promote themselves and be aggressive in the recruiting process. This involves the time period from December to actual signing day. Whether a kid can play at a smaller college becomes a subjective judgment. But I never tell a player he can’t play at the highest level but will tell him, in all likelihood, that he probably won’t be recruited by FBS schools. If a player is interested in a smaller school, often the school itself – and not football – becomes the priority. The player will select the college and then see if he can play there. Also, financial aid becomes a major factor in selecting a college.

Steuerwald: For graduating seniors, it’s a sequence of preparation to apply to colleges with the parents involved. I have 20 questions for them to answer as well (see list of questions). I want them to know that I care for them as much after the football season as during it. It is not my decision as to which college a player chooses but I give some input based on the player’s goals. What does he really want? Is it liberal arts education, business, computer sciences, or an architectural program? If he’s interested in liberal arts then he shouldn’t apply to RPI. At a non-FBS college, football should be the second priority after the right educational fit.

Seniors fill out a form before their senior year which serves as a guide during the year. This form includes their GPA, testing scores, their main interests as well as height, weight, 40-yard dash time, and lifting achievements. It helps me, the player, and the parents.

KEEPING YOUR TEAM INVOLVED

AFM: What special activities do you organize for players and coaches to keep them involved as a team?

Trimble: We push toward using community service as a team builder. Every spring we have a community service event – Feed My Starving Children – in which we work with our rival, Union High School. Last spring we prepared 33,000 meals. We’re giving back to the community, showing a strong work ethic and it’s a great bonding experience for our kids.

Wright: Every December, we have a senior-driven community service project that is usually tied to Christmas. They are in charge of the project. This past winter we had a leadership conference at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis sponsored by the NFL. It dealt specifically with social media as we tried to develop their leadership skills. We’ve also had leadership sessions at Camp Atterbury with the National Guard.
    Our parents meeting is usually the first week in May and we discuss the upcoming season as well as if there are any new rules. Our program development is an ongoing process as we want our kids to be prepared for life after football. I also send letters to middle school players when they are honored for being the Player of the Week. We also have various strongman competitions during our summer camp.

Rodenberg: We don’t appoint our captains until March. In fact, those players that would like to be a captain must fill out an application form and four coaches, including myself, interview each applicant. A total of 20 out of 33 seniors filled out the captain application form this past year.

Carter: During the season, on Wednesday nights, two different parents will host dinner for our offense and our defense. We tell our kids to be with each other after Friday night games. We also have a number of team activities while attempting to work on our overall team mentality. One of our activities as a team was watching The Blind Side together.

Miller: In addition to our strength and conditioning program, we have meetings with our players over the winter with regard to being a man, having the right attitude, being a person of character, and how to develop leadership. The idea is to prepare the players for life, as well, after football.

Niblett: We help all our seniors with preparation for the right college and whether or not they can play at some level after they graduate. We also have our traditional “Night of Champions” before our spring practices. The leaders of our winter program – in terms of points earned by lifting, etc. – are captains for the night and they draft 12 players each for their respective teams. A number of different competitions are then held – a tire flip relay, three cone agility drill, dummy agility drill, half hoop drill, dummy push relay and the 5-10-5 combo’s – with the top two point leaders competing in the championship. It’s a great bonding experience for our players.

Learn from the legends

Hank Carter, Lake Travis High School (TX) – LTHS became the first school in Texas prep history to win five consecutive state titles (2007-2011). Carter was the defensive coordinator for two of them and the head coach for two more.

Chris Miller, Byrnes High School (SC) – Byrnes has won eight state titles in a ten-year span, including last fall, and is the most dominant team in the state over the last decade. Miller has been head coach since 2007, with four titles.

Josh Niblett, Hoover High School (AL) – Niblett is in his fourth year at Hoover and has one state championship – 2009. Going into this season, his four-year record was 54-4.

John Rodenberg, Archbishop Moeller High School (OH) – The Crusaders finished 9-4 last season and this fall are going after their eighth state title. Rodenburg’s first four years produced an overall 31-16 record.

Tony Severino, Rockhurst High School (MO) – Severino recently completed his 30th year as head coach at Rockhurst, He has an overall record,  going into the 2012 season, of 279-62-1 with seven state titles and four undefeated seasons.

Brent Steuerwald, retired high school coach – A legendary coach in upstate New York, Steuerwald retired with an overall record of 319-88-4. He was head coach at Shenendehowa High School for 43 years.

Allan Trimble, Jenks High School (OK) – Trimble was named Head Coach at Jenks in 1996 and has taken his teams to the state championship game 13 times and won nine titles.

Kevin Wright, Carmel High School (IN) – Wright led Carmel to last fall’s 5A State Championship and finished 14-1. He also won three consecutive titles while head coach at cross town rival Warren Central, 2003-2005.

20 Questions for Returning Players

One-on-one sessions with returning players will provide valuable input and get them thinking as leaders.

1.  What did you like most about last year’s season?

2.  What did you like least?

3.  How would you evaluate last year’s
senior leadership?

4.  What do you think the attitude of this year’s seniors will be?

5.  What things did the coaching staff do
that helped you the most?

6.  What could you have “done without?”

7.  What personal goals have you set for
next season?

8.  What do you think our team goals
should be?

9.  How are you doing academically?

10.  What are your college plans?

11. Do you feel the team as a whole kept their training pledge?

12.  Why were we successful last year?

13.  Who, on the team, did you feel had a positive impact on our season and why?

14.  What specific things in the off season do you feel you have to work on to be an impact player?

15.  How do you feel about our practice (too hard, too easy, etc.?).

16.  How do you feel about our pre-game routine?

17.  How do you feel about our halftime procedure?

18.  Did we ever go so fast with a new offense or defense that you got lost?

19.  Did you feel comfortable going to your coaches for help or advice?

20.  If you could change one thing in your whole football experience, what would it be?

20 Questions for Coaches

Personal interviews and thoughtful questions will keep a coaching staff involved and motivated to improve.

1.  What did you like most about coaching last year’s team?

2.  What did you like least?

3.  How would you evaluate last year’s senior leadership?

4.  What do you think the attitude of next year’s seniors will be?

5.  What do you think our team goals
should be?

6.  What things did the coaching staff do
that helped the team the most?

7.  What could we have done better?

8.  What personal goals do you have for
next season?

9.   What personal goals do you have for
the future?

10.  Do you feel the team as a whole kept their training pledge and what is our role
as coaches?

11.  Why were we successful (not successful) last year?

12.  Who, on the team, had a positive impact on our season and why?

13.  What specific things in the off season do you feel you have to work on to improve your coaching?

14.  How did you feel about our practice structure (pre-season and in-season)?

15.  How did you feel about our pre-game routine?

16.  How did you feel about our halftime procedure?

17.  How do you feel about our offensive structure?

18.  How do you feel about our defensive structure?

19.  Did you feel comfortable coming to me for help or advice and input?

20.  If you were head coach, what changes would you make in our program?

20 Questions for College-Bound Seniors

Coaches can help graduating seniors who want to play at the next level.

1. Is it a fully accredited, highly rated
institution?

2. Does it offer my preferred major?

3. Will my high school grades be good enough to admit me?

4. What does my guidance counselor think about the colleges with respect to my academic ability and the major I plan to pursue?

5. How many hours a day will athletics and the other responsibilities involved maintaining my scholarship take me away from my studies?

6. Will the athletic department pay for any tutoring I may require?

7. What happens to the scholarship if I am injured and unable to play?

8. How much will it cost me to go to school on top of the scholarship?

9. Must I work for my room and board?
What are the hours of this job?

10. Can I afford to travel home during vacation periods, and can my parents afford to travel to the college to see me play as often as they wish?

11. Would I like to play for the head coach who is recruiting me? Will he be the coach next year?

12. What do the present and former athletes have to say about the athletic department and the institution in general?

13.  Does my high school feel I can play at this level?

14. Am I as big, fast, and strong as the player now occupying the position I desire to play?

15. Do my particular skills fit their style
of play?

16. A college athlete is usually a person who participates in a highly competitive high school league, has unusual physical abilities, and a burning desire to excel. Do you have at least two of these attributes?

17. Is the present varsity team composed
of boys who play freshman ball or is it
composed of junior college transfers
and red shirts?

18. Is this team well publicized in the part of the country in which I plan to make a living?

19. Does the college environment (students, dorms, town, social activities) appear to be one in which you care to spend four years?

20. What percentage of the varsity players receive a degree from this institution in four years? Five years?