The Southeast Polk High School football program completed a USA Football Contact System private team clinic for players and the coaching staff Thursday at the Pleasant Hill, Iowa, school.

Contact System master trainer and Phoenix Central High School (Arizona) coach Jon Clanton spent the day with the program, first in a three-hour classroom session with the entire coaching staff.

Jon Clanton (left) demonstrates USA Football Contact System techniques.

RELATED CONTENT: New Season, New System: How USA Football Contact System and Focus 3 can take your program to the next level

Clanton then guided Rams coaches as they worked on-field with their players. The focus of the day could be heard all across the field from the staff: "Power comes from the hips. The hips lead the hands."

 

The leverage-based, all-position Contact System addresses posture and body movement for skill development and transformation. The system teaches proper use of the hands and hips, which reduces helmet contact through exceptional technique.

"[This system] is so detailed I don't think anyone has seen anything like it before; that's what we hear from every coach we work with," said former NFL lineman Scott Peters, who created the system and has taught it to more than 50 college and professional teams.

RELATED CONTENT: [PODCAST] Scott Peters talks about USA Football's Contact System

Long familiar with USA Football's extensive coaching resources, Southeast Polk head coach Brad Zelenovich learned about the system at USAFootball.com. The system is available in private clinics (three hours for coaches only, five hours for full team), public clinics and in an online learning program.

"Power comes from the hips. The hips lead the hands." 💪@SEPolkRams players using USA Football Contact System techniques to move @TheDLguy

Learn more: https://t.co/z3Ye04pKV5
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— USA Football (@usafootball) June 7, 2018

"This (the in-person clinic) is the best way to do it, especially with the players," said Zelenovich, whose program has made the state playoffs in 11 of the past 12 seasons. "It's all about, 'Can we get better?' Both as coaches and as players, that's why we're here. It's not what you do, it's how you do it.

"This system changes the way coaches think. It's a better way to do things. It starts small, then builds upon itself and you can see how it all comes together. It's simple, it's systematic, it's progressive. We got better today."

Jon Clanton (left) and Brad Zelenovich after Thursday's clinic.

Clanton said, "The energy from the players was outstanding. You want everyone to be all-in, and they absolutely were. Same with the coaches."

Clanton told the team at the end of the clinic, "Football is all about the little things – the hands, the hips, the movements. Little things can lead to big advantages. That's what this was all about."

 

This post was updated on 12/6/18.