PROGRESSIVE COACHING

1

• PROGRESSIVE COACHING
• Dave Potter
• Head Coach
• DURHAM WAR EAGLES

2

• POP WARNER YOUTH FOOTBALL
• DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
• COACHING YOUTH FOOTBALL
• 11 YEARS WITH THE
• DURHAM EAGLES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

3

• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE MITEY-MITE DIVISION
• (AGES 7 9)

4

• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE MITEY-MITE DIVISION
• (AGES 7 9)
• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE JUNIOR PEEWEE DIVISION
• (AGES 8 11)

5

• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE MITEY-MITE DIVISION
• (AGES 7 9)
• 5 YEARS COACHING AT THE JUNIOR PEEWEE DIVISION
• (AGES 8 11)
• 1 YEAR COACHING AT THE PEEWEE DIVISION
• (AGES 9 - 12)

6

• 2006
• OFFENSIVE LINE COACH
• ROGERS - HERR MIDDLE SCHOOL
• DOUBLE WING

7

• 2006
• OFFENSIVE LINE COACH
• ROGERS - HERR MIDDLE SCHOOL
• DOUBLE WING
• 2007
• OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
• LOWES GROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL
• DOUBLE WING

8

• DURHAM EAGLES
• 68 2 IN THE C.F.F. DATING BACK TO 1999.
• SEVEN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
• 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006,
  2007
• SIX UNDEFEATED SEASONS
• 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007

9

• PROGRESSIVE COACHING
• PART 1
• On the Field Approach for
• Building a Winning Program
• Our approach to aggression,
• ball awareness and being fundamentally sound.

10

• PROGRESSIVE COACHING
• PART 2
• Off the Field Approach for
• Building a Winning Program
• How we deal with coaches, parents and players.
• Eliminating problems and getting everyone on the
  same page.

11

• Success Continuity
• The hallmark of any dynasty is
• continuity.

12

• Continuity
• New York Yankees 1920s-1960s
• Boston Celtics 1950s-1980s
• Green Bay Packers 1960s
• Pittsburgh Steelers 1970s
• San Francisco 49ers 1980s

13

• Continuity
• No surprises.
• Attention to detail.
• Travel directions, charting plays, coaching
  staff.

14

• Continuity
• Average length of stay
• of a youth football coach is
• 3 years.

15

• Continuity
• Same staff from 2001-2004 and 2005-2007
• Head Coach My 12th year
• Defensive Coordinator 7th year with me
• Special Teams Coordinator 4th year with me
• Both of these coaches had kids who originally
  played
• for us, and the coaches stayed when their child
  moved up.

16

• How do you get your coaches?
• 1. Some come to your team with their child.
• 2. Some dont have a child but want to coach.
• 3. Some are recruited.

17

• If they leave, where do they go?
• 1. Some move up with their child.
• 2. Some go back in the pool.
• 3. Some quit.

18

• Dealing with New Coaches
• Problems?
• Are you taking the proper precautions?

19

• Hiring A New Coach
• Identifying and keeping the good coach
• (Not groundbreaking or innovative)
• Ideas of common sense

20

• Hiring A New Coach
• Without taking precaution,
• you are courting disaster.
• If he turns out to be a jerk,
• you could be held liable.

21

• Hiring A New Coach
• Thorough Interview
• I want to know everything about him.
• I want him to know everything about me.
• Do you have a coaching contract?
• Can he abide by your rules?

22

• Hiring A New Coach
• NFL and NCAA
• interview can take an entire weekend.

23

• Hiring A New Coach
• Have Him Work Your Football Camps
• Pair him with one of your coaches.

24

• Hiring A New Coach
• Have Him Work Your Conditioning Camp
• Let him run drills.

25

• Hiring A New Coach
• Communicate During the Off-Season
• CC him on every e-mail.

26

• Hiring A New Coach
• Familiarize Him With Your Scheme
• Give him a copy of last years highlight DVD
• or game videos.

27

• Dealing With the New Coach
• Problems?
• Did you interview them thoroughly?
• Do not be liable for their mistakes.
• What we dont correct, we encourage.

28

• Dealing With the New Coach
• Problems?
• Did you meet with them
• throughout the pre-season?
• Are they attending the meetings?

29

• Dealing With the New Coach
• What if a prospective coach shows up
• one week before the season
• and theres no time to prepare him?

30

• Dealing With the New Coach
• Give him responsibility.
• Do NOT give him the junk jobs,
• i.e. bottle washer, play counter, snacks.
• Let your coaches coach.

31

• Dealing With the New Coach
• Give him responsibility.
• Dont drop him in the deep end,
• and do NOT give him carte blanche.

32

• Keeping the New Coach

33

• Keeping the New Coach
• Relationship

34

• Keeping the New Coach
• Team Success

35

• Keeping the New Coach
• Game DVDs

36

• Keeping the New Coach
• Bag

37

• Keeping the New Coach
• Plaque

38

• Keeping the New Coach
• T-Shirts

39

• Keeping the New Coach
• Highlights DVD

40

• Keeping the New Coach
• Give him responsibilities
• Build a relationship
• Team success
• Game DVDs
• Bag
• Plaque
• T-Shirts
• Highlight DVD

41

• Hiring New Coaches
• Thorough interview
• Meet often
• Communicate (Keep them informed)
• Work the camps
• Last years highlight DVD or game videos

42

• Player-Agents Dealing with Parents
• Greatest Advocate
• Or
• Your Worst Nightmare?

43

• Player-Agents Dealing with Parents
• Greatest Advocate
• Or
• Your Worst Nightmare?
• YOUR CHOICE

44

• Dealing with Parents
• Parents Meetings
• How many did you have BEFORE the season?
• More investment reaps more benefits.

45

• Dealing with Parents
• MAKE NO MISTAKE
• WE ARE ALL ABOUT WINNING!

46

• Dealing with Parents
• Our demands are to
• Win in the classroom
• Win at home
• Win on the football field

47

• Dealing with Parents
• I dont determine your sons playing time.
• Your son determines his playing time.

48

• Dealing with Parents
• At this age group, there is no decision
• that I make regarding his position
• or his playing time that will affect
• his ability to get a D1 scholarship.

49

• Dealing with Parents
• Be willing to explain (not defend) your
• actions and decisions.
• NFL NCAA coaches have to explain themselves
• in the post-game press conference, the mid-week
  press conference
• and on the coaches show.

50

• Dealing with Parents
• Arguments?
• Do YOU have to WIN?

51

• Dealing with Parents
• How is your body language?

52

• Dealing with Parents
• Parents Card
• (You never know.)

53

• Dealing with Parents
• Availability?
• Are you available?

54

• Dealing with Parents
• Business Cards Refrigerator Magnets
• Name
• Home Phone
• Cell Phone
• E-Mail Address
• Website Address
• Available 24 / 7

55

• Dealing with Parents
• If you set up too many ground rules
• regarding when you are available,
• all they see are the times that you arent.

56

• Dealing with Parents
• Parents Meetings
• During the season?
• During practice?

57

• Dealing with Parents
• Go to the fence.

58

• Dealing with Parents
• PRE-SEASON
• DVD
• History of success
• Play at a high level
• Play aggressively
• Their childs academic social welfare at stake

59

• Dealing with Your Players
• They will be successful in the classroom or they
  will not play for us.
• We have not signed an academic waiver since 2003.
• Fuel their kids competitive desire Musical
  chairs.

60

• Dealing with Your Players
• Academic Program

61

• Dealing with Your Players
• The Tuesday night phone call.

62

• Dealing with Your Players
• Academic
• Good News
• at the end of every practice.

63

• Dealing with Your Players
• A-B Honor Roll
• Framed
• Academic Honors Certificate

64

• Dealing with Your Players
• Straight As
• Framed
• Academic Hall of Fame Certificate

65

• Dealing with Your Players
• Straight As
• Academic Hall of Fame Trophy
• With Classroom Presentation

66

• Dealing with Your Players
• Academic Hall of Fame DVD

67

• Dealing with Your Players
• Teachers Packet that explains the
• Durham War Eagles Academic Program
• and the Pop Warner Academic All-American Program

68

• Dealing with Your Players
• Pop Warner
• Academic All-Americans
• You do the work.
• Well do the rest.

69

• Dealing with Your Players
• 2007 28 players
• 9 players nominated as Pop Warner Academic
  All-Americans
• 9 players received Durham War Eagles Academic
  Honors
• 3 players made B-Honor Roll.
• No player received an F in any subject.

70

• Dealing with Your Players
• Meet Greet Drill.

71
M     I     S     S     I     O     N           
S     T     A     T     E     M     E     N    
TDiscipline     Dedication      
DeterminationThe Durham War Eagles are
dedicated tocreating an environment of
discipline, self-respect and successto aid in
the academic, athletic and social success of our
student-athletes.
72
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
73
Most Commonly Heard Goals Our goal is for
the kids to learn the fundamentals and to have
fun.
74
Teaching them the fundamentals shouldnt be a
GOAL. That should be a GIVEN.
75
Goals are what you aspire to achieve. They are
not the lowest common denominator.
76

• What is your vision?

77

• Are you coaching a team
• or building a program?

78

• It doesnt matter if you are the best.
• What matters is that you are working to be.
• --Chuck Priefer, Detroit Lions Assistant Coach

79

• Please share your ideas
• and Good News with me.

80

• Dave Potter
• dmpotter_at_nc.rr.com