Book - Coaching Football and the Split T Formation

Just received the book Coaching Football and the Split T Formation by James M Tatum and Warren K. Giese published in 1953.  I really love these old football books.  I read the first few chapters which are related to the history of football, coach's responsibilities and common injuries with taping instructions.  I am about to start the Chapter on the Single Wing.

I will post a full review in a couple of weeks.  I know I am going to love this new football book, because these old books have many gems for running game strategies which are perfect for youth football.

Thanks,
Coach Parker
Keller, Texas / DFW / Ft. Worth TX

John McKay USC Football on Defense

"It is not where you line up, it is where you wind up." John McKay USC Football Coach in his book Football Coaching talking about defense alignment. 

Football is a game of Legs

I've been reading USC's Coach John McKay's book, Football Coaching.  He says that he believes that football is a game of legs and the primary excercise should be running.  I tend to agreee.  If you have strong legs and a strong base then football is easier for that player.  This off-season my youngest son is playing soccer and he is already getting faster and quicker for this fall.  

Twitter Tweet Coaching Youth Football

Twitter and Tweet yourself and find some cool information about coaching youth football.  Plus you will learn like minded football coaches on Twitter.  Twitter is nothing more than a real time headline / subject feed from real people.  Its a great source of niche information on your interest subject matter.  And for youth football coaches, there is a ton of good info.

Ok, so I am an Internet Marketer in my real life, but to be honest I finally really using Twitter September 2010 after reading The Twitter Book by Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein.

The biggest mistake I was making was trying to use Twiiter like Facebook.  They are two different animals.  On Twitter try to find everyone in your niche interest group and follow them.  You can follow me here http://twitter.com/#!/coachparker_org and find a ton of football coaches, sportswriters and players from my following list.  This is how I got started.  I found a several youth football coaches and started following them and their follow lists.  Soon I was following close to 300 people.  It sounds like a ton but it is not.

Increase the people you follow was the main point the book taught me.  Follow more than just your freinds and professional acquaintances.  Choose credible people to follow by looking:

1. Who is following them
2. How many tweets
3. Subject of Tweets
4. Recent activity of Tweets (at least that week)
5. How many people are following them
6. Are they listed and how many

Try to follow at least 200 people to get a feel of what is going on.  You can always add, delete and change your follows.  Don't be scared.  Jump in and get started.  You will be glad you did.  I am so happy I started tweeting because I have picked up some very good information.  

I highly recommend The Twitter Book.

Handbook of Winning Football by Coach George Allen

Last night I finished reading Handbook of Winning Football by Hall of Fame Coach George Allen.  About 450 pages of football wisdom.  It was published in 1975 but once you read it, you will realize why Coach Allen is a Hall of Fame football coach.  Also if you are a Washington Redskins fan from that era you will love all the pictures.

For all new youth football coaches that think they may not be good football coaches because they lack football knowledge, "Organization is the foundation of all successful football coaching.  This is just as true in the handling of high school and college teams as it is in coaching play for pay professional squads.  Organization is the basis for the whole game."  Get your self organized find some good assistant coaches and have fun coaching youth football.

Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!

Bear Bryant Autobiography - Greatest College Football Coach

I just finished reading Bear: the Hard Life and Good Times of Alabama's Coach Bryant, the autobiography of one of the greatest college football coaches of all time.  I enjoyed the book.  Bear is pretty cocky but his southern charm come through.  He is definitely old school and from a different generation.

It was interesting to learn he coached Joe Namath at Alabama and actually suspended Namath. He also was one of the first coaches to embrace Darrell Royal's Wishbone.

Ok, I recommend Bear: the Hard Life and Good Times of Alabama's Coach Bryant if your wanting to read great coach's autobiographies otherwise I preferred Tom Landry's book. 

Gentleman This is Football Book

Gentlemen, This Is a Football: Football's Best Quotes and Quips is a great little bathroom book and or gift for your football fan.  This has some great one liners from some of the best football players and football coaches to use on your youth football team and parents.  Or just increase your football wisdom.

When you win say nothing. When you lose say less.  Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns Coach.

A good coach needs a patient wife, a loyal dog and a great quarterback, but not necessarily in that order.  Minnesota Vikings Coach Bud Grant.

I highly recommend Gentlemen, This Is a Football: Football's Best Quotes and Quips for any football lover.

Joe Paterno DVD Linebackers- Defense football video

I watched Successful Coaching Football Instructional Joe Paterno: Linebackers DVD and its was great.  The Linebacker video should be called Jerry Sandusky Linebackers because Coach Sandusky conducts the training on the video.  But do not let this fool you, this is one of the best coaching videos I've watched, especially on defensive linebacker drills.

I rented the football video from Netflix and after watching the DVD put it on my 2010 Christmas wish list.  I would like to get the whole DVD set.  I have watch most of the DVDs and all are pretty good.  The running back and o-line DVDs are really good too; Successful Coaching American Football: Offensive Line and Frank Solich: Running Backs Successful Football Coaching.

I highly recommend the Successful Coaching American Football: Linebackers DVD.

Fritz Shurmur - Eagle Five-Linebacker Defense Football Book

I just started reading Frtitz Shurmer's The Eagle Five-Linebacker Defense.  This is a must have book simply for the description of outside linebacker / defensive end play.  The play of the outside linebacker "starts with a good take off, or explosion, across the line of scrimmage on the snap." They must "sprint across the line of scrimmage and reacting on the run rather than sitting on the line of scrimmage reading."

Too many time the DE or OLB sit and wait and there is no pass rush or the running back has already gotten a head of steam and its over for contain.  

I hope you enjoy The Eagle Five-Linebacker Defense.

Complete Guide to Special Teams by Frank Beamer

Another great addition to your youth football coaching library is Frank Beamers Complete Guide to Special Teams (American Football Coaches Ass).  This is a great book on special teams.  My copy is worn, highlighted and notes in different colors along the page edges.

I spend a good amount of time on Special Teams in practice, because Special Teams is an easy way to gain an edge in youth football .  Even Coach Vince Lombardi knew that an error on Special Teams was usually the difference in close games.

I highly recommend this book, Complete Guide to Special Teams (American Football Coaches Ass).  Remember to play for fun and winning is funner.  EMJ69USHHT46

Complete Guide to Installing 44 Split Defense by Joe Roman

One of the many defensive books in my youth football coaching library is Complete Guide to Installing the 44 Split Defense (Art & Science of Coaching)  I am not big on the 44 defense but this book has some very good general defensive coaching information, coverage explanations, communication, linebacker play and a pretty good chapter on the kicking game from a defensive perspective.

I recommend this book.  Its not a favorite of mine but a good addition to any coaching library.

Remember, Play for Fun and Winning is Funner.  Coach Parker, Keller TX

Vince Lombardi On Football

Yesterday, I  received my copy of Vince Lombardi on Football and read the first 25 pages this morning.  Absolutely amazing.  Coach Lombardi goes into great detail about the Green Bay Packer Sweep by position.  I can hear him speaking to me through the pages.  Can't wait to read more.

Here's a video so you can hear Coach.

Complete Book of Drills for Winning Football Book by Koehler

One of my top books I use to help organize my youth football practices is the Complete Book of Drills for Winning Football by Micheal D. Koehler.  It has over 350 football drills in offense, defense and special teams; agility, quarterback, running back, receiver, offensive lineman, d-lineman, linebacker, tackling, defensive backs, and team drills.

It has great diagrams of the drills, with coaching points, purpose and detailed explanations of the football drills.  I highly recommend Complete Book of Drills for Winning Football.

Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!

Single Wing Offense DVD Youth Football Dave Cisar

I am a fan of the Single Wing Offense.  I like to run the Single Wing and Beast formations on short yardage situations in a multi formation offensive scheme.  A couple of years ago, Coach Cisar ask me to review his book and a few of his videos on my blog at CoachParker.org. Coach Cisar's books and videos are great for the youth football coach.

Even if you do not use the Single Wing, the information is Coach Cisar's books and videos will be useful to you in coaching your youth football team and players.  Coach Cisar's media is highly recommended.

Helmet Safety article NYT

NORMAN, Okla. — Moments after her son finished practicing with his fifth-grade tackle football team, Beth Sparks examined his scuffed and battered helmet for what she admitted was the first time. She looked at the polycarbonate shell and felt the foam inside before noticing a small emblem on the back that read, “MEETS NOCSAE STANDARD.”


See more 
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/sports/football/21helmets.html?_r=1

Play Football the NFL Way by Tom Bass

Here's another book that I bought back in the 1990's when I first started coaching youth football for Plano Sports Authority just North of Dallas Texas.  My copy of this book is worn out.  A ton of good pics and Bass is a great author. You can probably find a good used copy for a bargain.

The book outlines the main position areas in football, like QB, RB, LB, etc and explains their techniques in detail and describes practice drills.  You can hit the Amazon link on the left and search inside the book for more details.

I hope you enjoy the book!

Football Coach's Survival Guide Coaching Book

I bought the Football Coach's Survival Guide back in 1992 when I first starting coaching.  You can pick up a used copy pretty cheap.  Its not the greatest book but it does have some good information in it for football coaches.  It a guide for High School coaches and has good practical applications for youth coaches.  I am partial to this book since it was one of the first books in my football coaching library.  I hope you enjoy it.

Coaching Youth Football by Coach Reed

If you are a youth football coach or thinking about coaching a team, you must purchase Coach John T Reeds Coaching Youth Football book.  This is a must have book for your youth football coaching library.  Coach Reed is a little gruff and gritty, but his common sense no-nonsense approach is great.  I personally loved this book, and I know some do not like him.  If you are old school and or a very disciplined focused individual, you will love Coach Reeds books.  I highly recommend this book to youth football coaches.

Footballs secrets in The Official Lombardi Playbook

I am currently reading The Official Vince Lombardi Playbook by Phil Barber.  This is a great book about one of football's Hall of Fame coaches, that includes actual hand written plays and notes from Lombardi along with interviews from some of Lombardi's top players.

For youth football coaches, Lombardi emphasized perfection, drills and repetition.  One of the main points of success for Lombardi's Packer Sweep was the endless repetition; 30 minutes sweep time per practice and at least 30 reps weekly in practice on just the sweep play.  Lombardi focused on the sweep to set up other plays, like the off-tackle trap and full back cut back.  Remember youth football coaches, your play calling should not be random offensive plays but a series of plays to set up the next play, like a chess game.

Lombardi liked to keep things simple.  Lombardi once said "Football is two things.  Its blocking and tackling.  I don't care anything about formations or new offenses or tricks on defense.  You block and tackle better than the team you are playing, you win."

Test email post blogger - youth football coaching blog

Testing 123 coaching youth football tips @ coach parker keller texas.  This is a test of this youth football coaching websites email post feature.

Since you stopped by....

You must act like a winner before you can become a Winner.  The best football players are the smartest and the most physical, so work out your body and don't forget your mind.  Make good grades and become an honor roll athlete!

thanks
coach parker
keller texas


Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T