Teach Your Players About In-Season Volume and Recovery

Posted February 08, 2012 by Alan Stein
Under  • Tips & Tricks  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

I recently did an informal experiment with my athletes. I had them wear a Nike+ Sportswatch GPS during games to see how far they were running. What I found was that they were running upwards of six miles per game. If you consider we play 2-3 games per week from December to late March, our athletes are racking up marathon-type weekly distance. This doesn’t include practice and off-season workouts.

Excessive volume during the season will begin to cause issues if proper steps aren’t taken. Here are some ways to avoid burnout and injury:

Three Keys to Improving Your Vertical

Posted February 02, 2012 by Colin Reay
Under  • Guest Post

Improved vertical is something that athletes strive for in their careers. The ability to jump higher than your opponent takes discipline and practice. Just like any other aspect of a sport, it won’t come without putting in the time and effort.

There are three things that are key to improving your vertical: form, strength, and flexibility.

Four Things You Should Know About the Recruiting Process

Posted January 13, 2012 by Dan Essa
Under  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

The recruiting process can seem cryptic to some. Parents with athletes looking to play at the next level can find the task of getting video to recruiters, as well as making sure they’re meeting all of the NCAA’s requirements can be quite daunting. Here are four things coaches, parents, and athletes should know about the recruiting process:

Video: Inside the Mind of a Freshman Quarterback

Posted November 10, 2011 by Zach Kerker
Under  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

A few weeks ago we sat down for a Coaches Corner with Illinois College head coach Garrett Campbell. He broke down some game film that featured Auburn High School graduate Michael Bates at quarterback. Off camera, Campbell tried to further express how impressed he was by what the freshman has done at quarterback for him this season, and he told me that Bates was basically just acting on instinct, that he didn’t really know the offense yet, and when he did, he was going to be special.

Well if there’s room for improvement then Blueboy fans are going to have a lot to cheer about for at least the next three seasons. IC ended their regular season with a 9-1 record. They’re eligible for the Division III post season but they’re in a group of about 12 teams looking to get one of six at-large bids to the playoffs. 

Two Reasons Volleyball Film Study Helps Us Win Matches

Posted November 07, 2011 by Matt Buttermore
Under  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

Although reviewing video can seem like the most boring aspect of the volleyball pre-game, if used correctly, it can be the most effective.

We use a Sony Handycam on a tripod to shoot video from the baseline. Sometimes I shoot from my Android phone if I don’t have the Handycam available.

We focus on filming:

• Drills (6-on-6, passing, etc.)
• Practices
• Scrimmages
• Matches

There are two big reasons why studying video is essential for our success on the court:

Stretch the Defense with Four Verticals from a 3x1 Set

Posted November 03, 2011 by Ed Zaunbrecher
Under  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

Perhaps my favorite pass is sending four guys deep to attack quickly in the seams of the defense. It is a common play but the details are what make it a consistent big call for coaches. It is especially effective from a 3x1 formation because many teams check to three-deep coverage when they see a loaded formation. This is this ideal situation, but even if they do not, it is still effective.

Video: Athens Offensive Coordinator Talks Playoffs

Posted November 01, 2011 by Zach Kerker
Under  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

Saturday’s first round 2A playoff matchup between Athens and Camp Point Central looks like a basic 9-0 vs. 7-2 round one contest, until you dig a little deeper and find out that there’s a family connection that will play a huge role in the game.

Joe Reed, the Athens offensive coordinator is the son of Central head coach Bill Reed. Bill was a coach at perennial power Carthage when Joe was in high school and the influence of the offense they ran there is obviously present in Athens current run first offense.

Video: Take Advantage of Your Front Line’s Agility

Posted October 21, 2011 by Zach Kerker
Under  • Tips & Tricks  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

Springfield High (Ill.) School has developed a reputation for their quick moving offense that’s able to pick up big chunks of yardage in a short amount of time. The Senators aren’t afraid to sling it around and they’re very familiar with empty backfield sets. This season Springfield has developed a running attack that’s the best they’ve had in years. It helps to have dynamic backs like Malik Harrison, with his great speed, and the very elusive Chase Thompson. It also helps that they have some ground movers on the offensive line that are as good at run blocking as they are at protecting the quarterback.

Video: Winning with the Smash Concept

Posted October 14, 2011 by Zach Kerker
Under  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

This week we took Coaches Corner to the college campus to catch up with Illinois College (Jacksonville) head coach Garrett Campbell. The Blueboys are starting a freshman Michael Bates at quarterback. Bates was one of the most prolific passers in Illinois high school football history (2nd all–time in passing yards and 4th in completions) and he’s quickly opened up some options for an IC offense that was high powered before he got there.

Video: Rochester High School Launches an Assault on the Record Books

Posted October 05, 2011 by Zach Kerker
Under  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

This week we took Coaches Corner to Rochester High School, the site of a 49-35 win for the defending 4A state champion Rockets, in a game that saw three state records fall. Rochester quarterback Wes Lunt, who will play in Stillwater for Oklahoma State next fall, threw for 590 yards, breaking the state record for passing yards in a game by a single yard. Meanwhile, Rochester wide receiver Zach Grant was on the receiving end of 20 of Lunt’s completions. Those 20 catches set a state record, as did his 345 receiving yards.

The two plays we’re looking at this week are very similar to the “screen” and “screen and go” plays we saw from Jacksonville last week. Rochester is known for throwing the screen and for having wide receivers who can block as well as they catch passes.

Controlling the Game with the Outside Zone Run

Posted September 21, 2011 by Frank Steele
Under  • Culture  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

This week’s Coaches Corner, hosted by Zach Kreker on Sports Radio 1450, featured our head coach from Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.). Our game last week against Rochester (Ill.) was an important game for everyone. Rochester is the defending state champion, and the team that broke our 69-game conference winning streak last year. This win was especially bittersweet for us, but a huge victory and great for morale going into next week’s game against Springfield.

See Coach Leonard break down the Cyclones’ win over Rochester:

Four Benefits to Bringing Video into Your Classroom

Posted September 08, 2011 by Craig Secora
Under  • Tips & Tricks  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

Football is only part of my job. I teach Advanced Sports Performance, Exercise Science, and weight training classes at my high school.

Video is honest evidence of where improvements need to happen not only on the field, but also in the classroom.

Here are the four main benefits:

The Importance of Preseason Plyometrics

Posted July 21, 2011 by Colin Reay
Under  • Guest Post

Let me paint a common picture that you might be all too familiar with: you’re in the first week of training after summer break, and your kids seem to be playing at least a few seconds slower. It’s not that they are worse athletes, but you can tell something is off. 

This early-season lack of speed is caused by poor summer workout habits. Typical workouts consist of exercises like bench press, curls, and maybe some squats or running. Your athletes have been working the wrong muscle fibers. And although we’re all aware of fast and slow twitch muscle fibers, most athletes don’t know how to train them in an effective way.

Plyometric training is the key to keeping and building that quickness over the summer. Here are the best exercises to keep your athletes quick in the offseason, no matter the sport:

Two-Minute Offense

Posted June 30, 2011 by Zac Taylor
Under  • Guest Post  • Coaching & Athletics

It’s every quarterback’s dream:

Down by 6. Less than 2 minutes to play. 80 yards to go. All eyes on you.

It’s a moment that will define you as a QB, and you better be prepared for it. The great ones have played the series in their head thousands of times. The lesser ones leave it to chance.

The 2-Minute Offense is a game within the game. You must have a plan that fits your coaching style. I’ve learned some basic rules for QBs over the years that everyone should know.