With the 2010 season now behind us, the off-season and preparation for the spring become priorities. What are the most critical elements that need to be addressed during the winter months? What about player and staff evaluations? What is needed – both physically and mentally – to prepare your team for the 2011 season?
In this issue of GS, retired head coach Bruce Reynolds dissects the subject – ‘End of Season Evaluation: 10 Musts for Program Improvement.’ A legendary high school coach in Delaware, Reynolds was the head coach of William Penn High School in New Castle for 25 years, winning seven state Division l Championships and was a two-time Delaware High School Coach of the Year. Among the topics Coach Reynolds addresses are a detailed player and staff evaluation, determining the status of your equipment, a complete review of your playbook, updating the academic status of your athletes and a review of your team’s penalties. In Reynolds’ view, ‘penalties are one of the most neglected areas of play.’
Also, in this issue, Coach Jared Van Acker (Grafton High School, VA) illustrates how to blend the best of two offenses – the wing-t and the spread formation – in his article, ‘The Spread-Wing-T Offense.’ A head coach at two Virginia high schools, Van Acker’s offense combines the power and misdirection of the wing-t with the wide-open potential of the spread. Diagrams are included of four basic wing-t plays – the trap, buck sweep, power, and waggle – with adjustments made for the spread.
Articles on offense, defense, special teams play and strength and conditioning are a part of this issue of GS. An excerpt of Ron Vanderlinden’s book – Eagle and Stack Defenses – is also included. Coach Vanderlinden is the linebackers coach at Penn State.
We welcome your input and hope you enjoy this issue of Gridiron Strategies.
Respectfully,
Rex Lardner
Managing Editor