Keep It Simple And Don’t Out-Cute Yourself.


By FirstDown PlayBook on Jul 26, 2021

“Coach, I think we have a chance to line up and kick people’s asses this year if we can just keep it simple.” I literally just heard that on the phone this afternoon from a high school coach on the east coast.

He was asking me about some of our wristband technology that we normally recommend for flag football. At first I was not really sure we could help him out with what he was trying to do, but more on that later.

The conversation got me thinking about all of the information that is out there on the internet and otherwise. It can be helpful but it can also wreck your football season if you are not careful. Young coaches, I am talking to you.

This was a veteran football coach who has already looked at his team and understands them. He knows that the only thing he is going to do by being the smartest coach in the room is screw them up.

Instead of looking at what new scheme he could impress people with, he was looking for a better way to get his coaching across to them. He understands that the way he teaches is as important if not more important than what he teaches.

FirstDown PlayBook Changes Everything For A High School or College Staff

The offseason is fun. It’s a great time to create interest with unique schemes for all three phases. Come August, it is a different story. You can’t just stick it up on the internet with the one good clip you have running it. You have to consistently run it and as our coach said “kick other folk’s asses with it.

So as you get closer to real bullets and we leave the keyboard behind, remember a few things. First remember that no one ever won a championship on Facebook or Twitter. Half the folks on there never coached.

Secondly, try to find a few fundamental things your kids can do and get good at that. Keep it simple. You will be glad you did and so will they.