Football in the Age of Enlightenment
Web Based Resources Volume 1
Robert Pomazak
Head Football Coach
St. Charles North High School
Web Based Program
As we enter 2020 and firmly entrench ourselves in the next generation of the sporting experience,the digital age has taken over. Clunky processing and coding has been replaced by sleek, lightning fast algorithms and metrics. Data has taken over and on any given Sunday, you can see how fast a player ran on a touchdown or the available catch radius of a particular throw. Teams are spending millions on social media, web design and IT infrastructure. Like anything,this philosophy has matriculated down to the collegiate level, as well as, the high school game. Why? Simply because the return on investment is worth it. The ability to connect, analyze and increase program efficiency is a valued commodity in all facets of the business world. It is for this reason that applying it into a sports management model makes so much sense. In the coming paragraphs,we will discuss how to integrate web-based resources into your football program. The goal of this article is not X’s and O’s, it is about how to create a program that can potentially reach the 21st century tech native coach, parent and student athlete.
- Google Sites
At St. Charles North,we have been able to build a program that can work both online and offline. As the head coach of a large high school football program,the struggle is real when trying to balance family, football, teaching and your own personal well being. Hours are hard to come by and time management must be at a premium. I am a firm believer in a work / life balance, while I do not think that there will ever be an even split. I do believe in creating a program that will support our players and staff having time away from the office. One way we have been able to do this is by creating a staff Google site.
Google Ssites is a website building platform from Google. Think of it like a WwordPpress but design for web-based teams that use the Google G suite including Google Sheets,Slides, Docs, Classroom, etc. With the use of Google sites we have been able to easily build a staff only website resource that allows our coaches to have a one stop shop for all systems related to our program. Below is a list of drop down pages that we have built into the Google Site with a brief description of its function within our program.
- Google Site Program Page
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PROGRAM PHILOSOPHIES
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Includes presentations that highlight the programs mission, vision and purpose. This allows our coaches to review and remediate their own development within our culture. It also provides a great resource to our new |
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Staff Calendar |
We have 1 staff calendar through google calendar that all staff can add events to. This is available 24/7 and protected for our viewing. |
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Coaches Development Plan
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Our staff is driven by a growth mindset mentality. Each year I will create an off-season development plan for each coach. This is done through google sheets. As a live document our staff can review, add comments and it provides a communication access point without meeting face to face. |
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Online Resources
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We are fortunate that there are literally hundreds of web-based resources for coaches to grow professionally. This page houses links to all with passwords housed in a google sheet. |
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Coordinators Page
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Coordinators each have their own page to build as they see fit. Terminology, video resources and install calendars are just a few examples of what it can be used for. |
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Recruiting |
Holds all recruiting materials from college handout, interest survey and Hudl link documents. I have found this page to be extremely time |
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Player Personnel |
Depth charts, team photos, individual player photos and player metrics allow coaches to review player development. Shared comments can be made allowing for satellite personnel meetings without meeting face to face. With so many coaches out of the building, it is essential that our coaches can review player development at the drop of a hat. I strongly encourage adding both team photos and individual photos. I want every coach in my program to know the face and name of every player. That is |
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Practice Planning/ Programming |
Shared practice planning via Google S |
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Technical/ Tactical Philosophy |
Tackling, takeaways, block destruction and ball security all have separate pages that include program philosophy PowerPoints, cut ups, scaffolded curriculum and video teach tapes. Again, a fantastic resource for newly hired coaches. |
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Offensive/Defensive / Special Teams Philosophy pages |
Each phase of the ball has a page dedicated to it. Terminology, philosophy PowerPoints, scheme install calendars and Screencastify videos allow our coordinators to build their scheme and have a secured place for all coaches to learn from. Disciplinary literacy is essential to program development. We must be able to speak the same language. Our coaches are asked to create this dictionary and post it so we can all review it, learn it and speak it. When we all speak the same language, we gain a tactical advantage in my opinion |
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Strength & Conditioning |
Strength training in our program is an entire program on its own. It is imperative that our staff understand the philosophy progression and periodization we will use. This page provides a link to our online program. Additionally, I will use it to provide video examples of new lifts and |
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Positional Pages
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Each positional coach has their own page. Within this page, they will equip it with a position philosophy, terminology and everyday drill progression. This has helped to align and scaffold our program. Coaches can resource off each other and post videos, comment etc. I ask our varsity coaches to be the head coach of their position. If my freshman O-Line coach is not speaking the same language as my varsity O-Line, then they must remediate the process. The use of the |
- Program application
In my opinion,the uses are limitless when it comes to Google sites. Regardless of the platform being used,the ability to create an online staff resource is essential. From a youth level the google suite can be a program training tool that will allow the program board to create and scaffolded a curriculum that all coaches must learn from. In essence it could be your program handbook complete with presentations, video clips and Google Fform assessments. By controlling the content, you can put only what you feel is important but also introduce new items with frequency and ease. This web resource has replaced the program handbook because it affords us the opportunity to create a more fluid open format. I learned how to create this page with little to no prior knowledge. Monthly,I will do a self-audit of the material and add or subtract as needed. Finally, whenever would like to interview, the Google Site web page can be used as a great interview tool. A simple sharing of a link will open your entire program up to a potential interview committee. They will be able to learn about your program in the luxury of their own home, at their own pace, focusing on what is important to them. I highly encourage you to look into this formatting to simplify your program systems and connect your program 24/7 without adding to the in-office workload.
GROWING YOUTH FOOTBALL
Youth football organizations that implement the Football Development Model are committed to improving the game for their athletes. Learn how you can bring the model to your community.