Welcome, coaches to the 30-minute Tuesday night #swarmfbchat We will be talking practice needs - what works and those must-haves. Go ahead and check in; We will start Q1 at 9:05. Use the hashtag in all tweets and like/retweet as much as you want.
With a youth camp and middle school spring ball, this #swarmfbchat is designed to ensure we are doing the best we can for our young players. What and where is our focus when we have time to work with our future?
A1: We preach physicality to our DBs. Want them to make that WR QUIT! We use quick hands drill and a tug/pull man to man coverage drill almost daily #swarmfbchat
A1)LBs, 100% right or 100% wrong. Trust what you see and GO! If you are wrong it will only help me correct it sooner. I think taking the fear of failure off the table speeds up their development. LB is no place for dipping your toe in, #swarmfbchat
A1: As a DB coach, I really stress leverage/alignment. Know your leverage and know where your help is. Eyes focused on leverage hip. We start this day 1 working on our man concepts and progresses as we install our base Cover 2. #swarmfbchat
As the HC (and mainly Offensive Coach), this season I want better awareness of Run Fits. “Where do I fit in to spot the run?” It still is HS FB. Stop the run.
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A1: Making sure we vice the ball. We always want to track the near and we always want to know where our help is. We have two tacklers to one ball carrier, that way we understand leaverage, and forcing ball to help. Don't cancel out your team mates. #swarmfbchat
A1.) Footwork, hips, and BRING ME THE BALL. Every drill. Every rep. The balls gets back to me. Needle in the Haystack drill is fun too. Get a ball underneath 8 or so dummies. They bear crawl to the dummies and find the ball. Don’t let it go. Bring it back. #swarmfbchat
A1: we start with eyes, Lazer focus on what they should be looking at to play fast and correct, connect the eyes with the feet, from the feet we work proper fit. Mirror drill is a must, can layer and build all we need. #swarmfbchat
A1 I use D-Line Agilitites, some EDD's that work position specific movement drills with an intensity for conditioning purposes, all w/"bullcrap" cadences to try to get them to react to movement, not to sound. I use the "D-LINE DOG", a homemade ball on a string... #swarmfbchat
A1. Physicality. Leverage. Power. Footwork. Hip work. High point the football every pass. Don’t let the WR in the picture. Eliminate him from the play from the get go. Remove him from the play and make the QB make a tough and wrong decision. #swarmfbchat
A1) as DC pursuit to ball- we start every defensive practice with a pursuit drill
9/5/90
For the game we want 9 players within 5 yards of the ball at the whistle 90% of the time
As safety coach- we preach force and fitting the ball
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A2: for my corners a good stance HAS TO BE LOW. I want their chest above the knees and their hands out in front to attack. Safeties can be a bit higher. Focus on the stance in EVERY SINGLE DRILL #swarmfbchat
A1: DL. Physicality at the LOS. Every drill we do stresses physicality. If you’re physical, I can teach you technique & reads. Otherwise, you can’t play DL. #swarmfbchat
Relax. Don't be heavy. We want nose over toes, weight on front foot and all those things, but I have found that if they are tense, the will be in bad position in two steps getting back to comfortable. We start slow and get them comfortable in a good stance. #swarmfbchat
A2) LBs, Wide stance, wide enough you can’t crossovers if you wanted to, weight on balls of feet thru their big toe. High hips, low chest. Please do not show your numbers like the stupid sled OLines hit everyday. #swarmfbchat
A2: DL - start heel toe, man hand down, man foot back, creep into stance (not balanced as much as OL), go 4pt for balance if wanted, toes in heels out. Every day in chute drills for get offs. #swarmfbchat
A2: when I was 12 I sent an email to Randy Shannon because I thought I was going to the U. He told me for linebackers “feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, on the balls of your feet is great linebacker position!” This is in every single drill. #swarmfbchat
A2: The only things I ask for in a good stance are shoulder width feet, weight on hands, and low hips. Every rep in every drill we begin from our 4 point stance. #swarmfbchat
DL- takeoff. Weight on hand. Relax and explode. LBs relaxed bend in hips balanced. CBs anything that allows change of direction. Relaxed and comfortable. Safeties- flat foot read little more upright than LBs. #swarmfbchat
Q3: With smaller numbers, how do you get the most out of team time OR even sessions like Inside Run or 7-on-7? What are the drills to focus on technique when practicing with smaller numbers? #swarmfbchat
A1: Physicality at the LOS. Every drill we do focuses on physicality & a violent get off. My EDD is Train Drill - A violent get off where they punch a Pop Up using the correct technique. Comfortable stance, violent get off & physicality with their punch. #swarmfbchat
A1: It all start with great stance and alignment for me! If you’re not in a great stance your not ready to play ball. In every drill we do I always look for my guys to be in a great stance. If not, it’s corrected. #swarmfbchat
A3: We use our JV team for team. Allows us to get our full starters on O and D against a full squad. We also have a 1-way play system so not many issues getting a full 11-11 or 7-7 for a session. Also use EDDs that focus on technique #swarmfbchat
A3 we will sometimes eliminate our d tacks from team so they can be on scout team. Will run 2 scout teams so coaches can coach scouts before each play they run.
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#swarmfbchat A2: I know I have changed this, but currently I teach "close hand down, close foot back" for DL. (i.e., if in a 5 tech, foot and hand closest to the OL are back/down.) If they aren't comfortable in a "left handed" stance, 4 pt stance, but the foot MUST be correct
We 7/7 and IR at the same time. We will have 1 backers with one group and 2 backers with the other then flip the backers after 7-8 minutes. That way D line/DB's gets their focus points and mix in backers to both with two sets of scout kids. #swarmfbchat
A3. During team, we have our 1D vs Scout O and vise versa on 1 side of field. JV D vs Scout D. Same with Offense on other side of field. Gets everyone on the field. Off the sideline. Out of trouble and allows them to learn more and earn their Rels for Friday. #swarmfbchat
A3) everyone has to help with scout team. Starters get the first reps and when they're subbed they go to scout team. The few 1 way players we have are on scout the whole time. This allows them to get coaches up on technique then as well #swarmfbchat
A3: with smaller numbers I think a great drill to do is half line. It can be run or pass. It gives the kids a break so you’re not killing them and you get to do a lot of coaching #swarmfbchat
Q3: With smaller numbers, how do you get the most out of team time OR even sessions like Inside Run or 7-on-7? What are the drills to focus on technique when practicing with smaller numbers? #swarmfbchat
A3) Tough one, I think I have always and limited numbers. If you got thin soup, that’s your supper. I am not a fan of half line, I’d run full segments but maybe I’d put the 1s on a side against 1s and the JV on the other side, for better work? #swarmfbchat
A2: I give my DBs a little freedom in their stance but main thing is a good pad level/knee bend and relaxed upper body. I want them to feel comfortable. #swarmfbchat
Q4: Just wondering, what is some of the better equipment you utilize during your position drills? What is the focus and how do you use it during your drill time? #swarmfbchat
A3: Instituted Pods to eliminate 11v11 team time with a JV scout team that doesn't give us a realistic look. Always trying to reduce the time correcting in between every play to increase reps. #swarmfbchat
A4: we don’t use much equipment. One of our go to pieces though are the tackling wheels. Allows the player to see a moving target and forces them to read, react, and get the outside leverage. #swarmfbchat
A2: Being in a comfortable stance so they can have a violent get off. Feet shoulder width apart, feet staggered toe-to-mid foot, balance on the instep of their feet, weight going forward, flat back, eyes keying their Visual Key. Flexibility is also HUGE in a stance. #swarmfbchat
A4 Don’t use much equipment but we use the bodies. Tackle circuit every day. Track the hips. Eyes on Thighs. Wrap and Squeeze. Drive for Five! #HawkTackling#swarmfbchat
A4: I am a two man sled fiend. We angle tackle on the two man sled every single day. Rapid fire, keeps kids from hitting each other, and it’s extremely easy to tell who’s not working because the sled spinsssss. #swarmfbchat
Q4: Just wondering, what is some of the better equipment you utilize during your position drills? What is the focus and how do you use it during your drill time? #swarmfbchat
A4: We use the tackle wheels a lot for DB's. To start the season, I will paint dots on our practice field to get kids used to lining up at correct depths and leverages. As they get better each week, I can stretch the distance they are covering. Paint is cheap! #swarmfbchat
DBs: balance and forward-readiness. Must always be ready to get out your break. The focus is always on balance and explosiveness w/ no lost time/steps. Weight never on heels. #swarmfbchat
30 minutes sure does fly by - but we tried an hour and lost coaches/responses after 30-35 minutes. Keep answering out there and remember to go to https://t.co/qdy2isUCYk for archived #swarmfbchat
A3: We certainly have small numbers, so our Js get reps verses 1s & 2s & ones get reps verses 2. Just have to suck it up at the small school level. Inside we do half line reps to get good on good. #swarmfbchat
Stance is SUCH an interesting topic every kid is built different and moves different. Identifying how a kid moves best is so important to how he plays. Once u get kid to feel better moving he really improves. Really love fixing stances with the front both o and d. #swarmfbchat
A3: We do Half Line during Inside Run. We’ll script plays & run them both play side & backside. This is a huge benefit come Team Period. More coaching, more reps & it allows the game to slow down for the kids. Play FAST = Be Successful! #swarmfbchat
#swarmfbchat A4 I would use my "D-LINE DOG" (ball on a string with stick) in EVERYTHING. I also live on the 5 man sled, the 2 man sled (both LevSleds), the Chutes, but I never found a BIG ASS HILL that I didn't like, either LOL!!!
A4: Got some tackling wheels last year put them to use a lot. My favorite with it is 1on1 block destruct and finish with hawk tackle on the wheel. #swarmfbchat
Pop Ups & Hoops for our EDD’s on Get Offs, Train Drill, Redirection & Pass Rush. “Trapezoids” for our Tackling Drills in Indy & Tackling Circuits. Gator Roll. #swarmfbchat
A2: lbs on toes with feet in a stance they can run out of. Ready hands not resting bit ready to strike. Eyes on read. Start every practice with stance and step drill. #swarmfbchat
A3: 1/2 field is always a great low numbe still . Also work with different defensive triangles . Ie olb SS CB / ILB NT DE etc many combinations -#swarmfbchat
A4: Pop Ups & Hoops for our EDD’s on Get Offs, Train Drill, Redirection & Pass Rush. “Trapezoids” for our Tackling Drills in Indy & Tackling Circuits. Gator Roll. #swarmfbchat
A4 for tackle/takeaway like the shadow man , tackle wheel use old balls with a string tied to for rip punch drills . Also use a crash pad for profile tackle . Love 1 man sled for drive for 5 . Obviously we use the Seahawks progression . I don’t have original ideas #swarmfbchat
I also teach left and right handed stances. I should have the hand closet to my post down. This helps take the right step, and fight pressure more effectively. #swarmfbchat
Love barrels ! Don’t waste money on the Rogers kind go to Home Depot and buy the trash containers throw a helmet logo and now your Alabama #swarmfbchat
