Alright y’all, buckle up ’cause I’m gonna walk you through exactly how our football coaching strategy session went down today. This wasn’t some fancy lecture – this was real dirt-on-the-cleats work with the Washburn High squad.
Getting Started – The Morning Grind
Hit the field crazy early, like 6 AM early. Coffee tasted like mud but needed it bad. First thing was tackling fundamentals. Sounds boring, right? Trust me, it ain’t. Gathered the defensive players together. Didn’t just yell “get low!” like some coaches do. Nah.
- Had every single player get on their knees.
- Made ’em practice shooting their hands up and driving forward – felt the power comin’ from their hips and legs, not just floppin’ arms everywhere.
- Stressed locking out the arms on contact. Saw one kid, Bob, totally get it – his eyes lit up like “Oh! That’s what coach meant!”
You could actually hear the thud sound better after that. Felt good.
The Midday Hustle – Offense Gets Twisted
Sun was cookin’ by 10. Water breaks felt like heaven. Moved to offensive drills, specifically the slot receivers running slant routes. Noticed a big problem last game: corners were jumpin’ our routes easy.
Made a simple tweak:
- Had receivers start their routes like usual.
- But right before they cut inside, I yelled “JAB STEP!”.
- Told ’em to fake an outside step – just a tiny shoulder dip and foot fake.
- THEN explode inside on the slant.
Worked like magic. Our QB, Mike, started connecting almost every time. Saw the DBs hesitating for just a split second. That’s all ya need! Had to re-run it ’til it wasn’t clumsy though. Felt awkward at first for most.
Afternoon Scrimmage – Putting it Together (Sorta)
Post-lunch scrimmage was messy. Always is. Energy lagged, mistakes piled up. But that’s why we scrimmage!
- Saw Bob use that knee-drive tackle perfectly on a running back – stopped ’em dead. Hollered his name loud enough to scare crows.
- Watched the slot receiver (Sarah) try the jab step. First time? Totally telegraphed it. Looked like she was tap dancing. Stopped the play, walked her through it slower.
- Second try? Smooth operator. DB bit hard on the fake, left her wide open. Whole offense cheered.
Still plenty of sloppy footwork and wrong reads. Gotta remind myself: progress, not perfection. Noticed fatigue setting in hard – calls got slow, execution got lazy.
Wrap-Up & Takeaways
Called ’em in dusty and sweaty after about three hours total. Kept it real short.
- Highlighted the good: Bob’s new tackle form, Sarah finally nailing that jab step slant.
- Called out the bad: Secondary still getting lost on complex routes, o-line communication broke down twice.
- Biggest thing today? It’s the TINY movements. That knee drive. That half-second jab step. That’s where wins happen, not the big highlight plays. Players gotta drill this stuff ’til it’s automatic, even when their lungs are burnin’.
Gonna be sore tomorrow. They’ll be sore too. But saw that lightbulb flicker on a few times today. That’s the good stuff right there. Until next practice.