Combining RPO's and Tempo to Create a Dominating Offense!

I am on my way to talk RPO's and Tempo, and I thought this was a great time to share some thoughts! 

Football is an ever evolving game, with coaches at all levels trying to gain an advantage. Coaches attend clinics, visit other staffs, and communicate via social media to share thoughts on how to best attack their opponents. Over the last ten to fifteen years we have seen huge innovations that have led to explosions in offensive football. The two biggest elements affecting this are RPO's and Tempo. Teams that use either of these are increasing their explosive plays and scoring more points. But the schools that are really blowing circuits on the scoreboard... are the teams combining these two elements together!

Not since the forward pass have we seen an innovation that will change the game for generations. Offenses that have the ability to change tempos and play very fast put enormous pressure on the defense. When you combine this with Run-Pass Options, the defense is in a serious bind. Offenses aren't running new plays to score more points, they are simply running tried and true concepts faster than ever before.

Let's start by introducing a simple RPO concept. RPO's are simply run pass options. What we have done, in a nutshell, is built in a pass concept with every single run we have. If we call a run, someone is running a pass route of some sort. We build them into our calls, and a one word call says it all. 

My favorite base run concept is the inside zone read. The inside zone read attacks the inside gaps of the defense, while allowing the quarterback to "read" a defender. Typically this will be the backside C gap defender after the snap. The reason we say "after" the snap, is because the player in the C gap presnap may not be the C gap player post snap. 

With our inside zone read concept the offensive line is going to use covered/uncovered rules. A covered frontside lineman is going to work in combination with an adjacent uncovered lineman to account for the down lineman and linebacker. It is a two tracking two concept. Below is a diagram showing this principle. 

In the figure on the left the defense ran a gap exchange stunt. We coach the offensive lineman to read color. If color comes to me I block color. If color goes away I help secure the down guy and climb to backer. In the figure on the right, the defense plays their base gaps. Before climbing to the backer the center helps to secure the down guy. We have two simple rules. Secure the down guy first, and don't chase backers. Their landmark is the playside jersey number of the down defender. We want to dent the line of scrimmage and get movement. This pairs well with outside zone because the defensive line doesn't know initially if you are trying to lock the box or get vertical.

Inside zone read in itself is a great concept, but when you build a pass concept into it, it becomes much more difficult to defend. We are going to build in a quick game concept to both sides of our inside zone read. From a 2x2 set we are going to build in what we call quick. Many call this Smoke or Now. The #1 WR is going to show fast feet and fast hands and step back behind the LOS. The #2 WR is going to take a flat angle of departure and read the MDM or Most Dangerous Man. Below is a diagram of the Inside Zone Read RPO concept from a 2x2 set vs. a 4-4 defense. 

The quarterback is going to make a very quick presnap read. If we have leverage on the edge we are going to throw the quick. If we don't, we are going to execute the run. If he feels like we have leverage to either side, he is going to catch and throw. He doesn't have to say anything to anyone. The offensive line is going to block the run. They assume we are going to run the ball every play. The receivers to both sides assume we are going to throw the quick every play. This can be called with one word. You do not need to tag the quick game concept. 

Before we married our run and pass concepts, we hated to see a loaded box. Teams would leave the boundary receiver uncovered and get an extra player in the box. Below is an illustration of what teams would do to get another defender in the box. 

We were not going to be able to account for the 7th defender in the box if we ran the ball. But with our RPO concepts, we immediately can snap the ball and take advantage of the perimeter advantage we have. It becomes very difficult for the defense to have enough players in the box while still defending our skill players. 

What really takes this concept to another level, however, is the ability to use tempo. We use six basic tempos in our offense. One of those tempos is what we call Nascar. Like a lot of you, when we go Nascar we are going to go as fast as we can. As soon as the play ends our players are hustling to the ball while looking at the sideline. As they get the signal for our Inside Zone Read at Nascar Tempo, they are going to sprint to the line and execute the play. The defense has to decipher the formation, make their strength calls and communicate coverage, and get their hand down and get ready to play. Our goal is to snap the ball with 32 seconds on the play clock. We want to snap the ball as soon as the ref's hand is out of the way.

The defense now has to defend 6 gaps. They have to have a dive and a quarterback player, and they have to account for 2 receivers to each side. That in itself is difficult. But when we go at Nascar Tempo, that is a game changer. This is why so many defensive coaches hate the game being played fast. 

Each time you run your inside zone read RPO the play is going to be different. We once ran this 7 times in a rowing a game. The first time we threw to the right. The second time we threw to the left. The third time we threw right. The fourth time we executed the run. The fifth time the defense had 13 men on the field because they were trying to substitute. The next play we threw to the left. The smallest gain was 8 yards. Below is a diagram of our first down play.

The outside backers were hipped, so our QB threw the quick concept. The outside receiver made the catch and got vertical, working back to the sideline. This was a 10 yard gain. After giving up big yards on the quick, the backers lined up wide. We ran the zone read. The read player squatted to play the quarterback and the pistol back gained big yards. This is illustrated below.

It is very difficult to defend the inside zone read with 5 players. The more tackles the safeties made, the better. Every tackle they made was in the secondary. Because we played fast, the defense could not get a new call into the game, nor could they make an adjustment. They were chaotically trying to get their linebackers and secondary to change alignments, but no matter what they did, we had an advantage somewhere. 

Here is a video clip of the Inside Zone Read Concept being used at Nascar Tempo. The clips shows two plays. In the second clip you can see the defense trying to run a 12th player off the field. They are frantically trying to get a timeout. The crazy thing was this was not nearly as fast as we can play. That was our first game installing this! The amount of pressure you put on the defense is enormous! And, we don't have to guess whether we should call a run or a pass. We make a call and let the quarterback choose the best place to go! 

The greatest part of this is how simple it is to communicate. We can use one word calls that tell everyone the formation, play, and pass routes. You can use any word you want. Today's generation uses acronyms and processes things in shorter bursts. The days of having 9 word calls that told everyone what to do are long gone. We need to give them bits of information in short bursts. This allows them to play faster, and it allows your offense to play at a  pace so fast the defense cannot catch up. 

People ask me about whether their quarterback can do this. I tell them nearly every quarterback is capable of running this concept. We are throwing a pass we complete at about 98 percent to a good athlete in space. The quarterback simply needs to be trained on what he is looking for. They will make some mistakes early, but with experience they will be able to make these reads in their sleep.

A big key to our success is knowing what the defense is going to do!

Using AI to Supercharge Your Offensive Game Plan!

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Back to RPO's

This is just one of the many concepts you can use to build RPO's into your offense and play with great tempo. If you want to learn more, I have written two new books. I wrote a book RPO's and a book on Tempo. I want these books to be accessible without worrying about $$$. They are available as an apple iBook and on Amazon. The iBook version contains embedded video! These two books will revolutionize your offense! 

In my RPO book I describe in detail a systematic process to install RPO's. I go over first level, second level, third level, and multi-level reads. I show you how to scaffold the install and build a system that will fit what you are already doing. 

Here is a picture of the cover with some quotes from other coaches on the book:

Here is a link to the iBook version of my RPO book: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1078061959

If you have an iPad or iPhone, buy the ibooks version! If you don't have an apple device, you can order the paperback version! It is available on Amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520447485

Also, I have a Kindle version for sale on Amazon. Here is a link to that version: Kindle Version of Coach Vint's RPO Book on Amazon. The kindle version has everything but the video.

The other part of this equation is adding Tempo. A lot of coaches ask me to help them install different elements of tempo into their offense. The book I wrote will take you through a detailed, systematic process of building tempo into your existing offense. Here is a picture of what coaches are saying: 

The iBook version for the iPad, iPhone, and Mac contains over an hour of embedded video! I give you a systematic process to build tempo into your offense. I show you multiple ways to communicate your concepts, including sign boards! Here is a link to the iBooks version: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1075902270

It is also available on Amazon if you have an Android or Windows device. You can find it here: Coach Vint's Book on Tempo on Amazon

Combining Tempo with RPO concepts will change the game of football for generations. Any offensive system can adapt these principles without changing the structure of you offense. The biggest issue many schools face is simply thinking they can only use RPO's part of the time. You never have to call a run again that isn't protected by a pass concept. 

I hope you have found something of value in this post! I wish you the best as you prepare for your season! 

 Last year I got hooked up with CoachTube, and put together three courses for offensive football coaches. I put together two courses on RPO's, and a course on Building An Elite System of Communication. All of these courses will help you to score more points! 

https://coachtube.com/users/coachvint

All three of these courses are detailed, with everything you need to be more explosive and to score more points. 

The course on communication gives you a detailed approach to your gameday communication. I give you a system and a process to improve the quality of conversations, leading to improved play calling on game day. This course has received outstanding reviews from coaches at all level of football. A coach with multiple state titles told me this course helped them to be much more efficient and explosive this season. 

My two RPO courses take you through a systematic process of installing RPO's into your offensive system. RPO's put the defense in conflict, forcing them to defend all 53 yards of width and all 6 skill players every single play. I not only give you a system, but I teach you the methods to develop your own RPO concepts. 

https://coachtube.com/users/coachvint

Social Media: The Power To Build and Power To Destroy

The advent of social media has changed our society forever. Nothing today is going to be done anonymously. Everything will have a digital footprint. If someone takes a picture at a party and you are there, chances are you are in the picture. They might be taking a picture with you in the background. But with facial recognition software, you may end up being the star of the picture.

Social Media is not all bad. Used correctly it can be a powerful tool that can be used many different ways. Nearly everyone can find a positive use for social media. Unfortunately, one bad tweet, post, or snapchat can be the downfall of the young and old.

For student-athletes, social media can be an outstanding way to build your brand. You may not realize this, but if you are on any social media platform you are building your brand. However, if you don't build your brand with intent, you may be giving people the wrong picture of you.

If misused, social media can be a very powerful tool of destruction. One negative tweet can result in the loss of a job or a scholarship. One negative tweet can destroy a friendship. One bad Facebook post can give people a negative perception of you, and perception to many becomes reality.

Every winter we hear the stories of a school dropping a recruit because of something they do or say on social media. College coaches do not want to recruit headaches. They want to recruit great athletes who will represent their program with class. They will monitor your Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat accounts. One negative tweet or retweet, and you are no longer on the board.

One the other side, you can use Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to build a brand that a school will be proud to have in their program. You can show your community service, your leadership, your ability to build people up, and of course, your athletic ability. I am not talking about bragging about your talent and your stats. Your play on the field takes care of itself. I am talking about a tweet to a classmate who may be having a bad day. Or, sending an inspirational picture on Instagram and tagging a teammate who might need to lifted up. Used appropriately, people can see the greatness you have inside of you.

Social media doesn't lie. It will distort, but it won't lie. The thing is, everything you post is a choice. It is a choice to post something positive or negative. Before you post, like, or retweet something, ask yourself these questions:

1. How will the coaches recruiting me see me if I post this?

2. Will this help me get recruited, or will this hurt me?

3. Is this tweet going to make me look like a liability to a school recruiting me?

4. What will my teammates, parents, coaches, and future coaches think of me?

5. Would I want to be teammates with someone doing this?

If you aren't sure if the post will help or hurt you, then don't post it. It probably isn't good. If it is negative, don't post it.

If you are new to social media, here are a couple of ways to build your brand:
1. Post a link to your highlight film. This is a way to get it viewed. One post will not get it viewed. Post it a couple of times a week.

2. Post positive messages for your teammates and classmates. This goes a long way to build good will and shows potential coaches you care about others.

3. Post pictures of you doing good things. If you are doing a service project, post a picture. If you get an award or honor, post a picture. Make sure you thank others in the picture. It is bigger than you.

4. Tag coaches in your positive posts. If you get an award, tag a college coach recruiting you.

5. Retweet Uplifting messages: If you see something uplifting, retweet or share it. If a classmate or teammate does something great, share it or tweet about it. If someone is down, tweet something that might lift them up.

The ultimate question is, how do you want people to see you? How do you want college coaches to see you? You can't use twitter to impress the wrong people and the right people at the same time. You can't use Instagram and Facebook to impress the wrong people and right people at the same time. You have to make the right choices when it comes to social media. Remember, everything is retrievable. If you say something stupid, it will be screen captured and archived. It will never disappear.

If you make positive choices, social media can be great for building your brand. If you make negative choices, social media destroy opportunities. Don't let 140 characters ruin an opportunity for you.

Recently I made my recruiting webinar available online for parents and prospects. This has hours of valuable information that will help you with the entire recruiting process. It has everything you need to navigate the recruiting process. For less than the cost of attending a college camp, you can learn everything you need to know to increase your chances of earning a college athletic scholarship! Click the link below to take advantage! I have put this on sale for a limited time! Click HERE To Get This Course Now!

Here are the downloadable resources that are included in this program!

Click the link to order today! Use the coupon code Schol$$ to save an extra 25%!

Shameless plug: I wrote two iBooks that can help your program with X's and O's. The first is on Installing RPO's into any offense. Here is a link to the iBooks version: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1078061959. The ibooks version includes explanations, diagrams, and video clips on multiple RPO Concepts. It will give you a simple process for implementing them into your offense. 

If you don't have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can order the Amazon version for the Kindle. It has everything except the embedded video. You can order it here: http://www.amazon.com/Installing-Explosive-Concepts-Into-Offense-ebook/dp/B01B12YSCG/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Implementing RPO Concepts

Back about 15 years ago we started to experiment with RPO concepts. RPO stands simply for Run-Pass-Option. We were talking about how we would call a run and the defense would load the box. The corner over our single WR, however, was playing 8 yards off the ball with no underneath help. I really wish we had called a stop route.

Fast forward a couple of years and we were playing a team that was crowding the box again when we were in 2x2 sets. They were playing cover 3, with the OLB's playing 1x1 on our tackles. Below is a diagram that shows the defensive alignment.

We built in some uncovered rules, and told the QB to alert "BOZO" if the defense showed this alignment. We would rise up and throw to the #2 WR. Regardless of what the play call was, if the defense showed this look we would check BOZO. This worked well, and eventually the defense adjusted and started to cover our #2 receivers. 

During our off-season meetings we started to talk about building quick game concepts into the call. We began to tag our run concepts with a quick game concept. Once we saw the defense was not honoring our perimeter skill players, we would tag the quick game concept. If we tagged it, we were telling the quarterback to throw it. The QB would fake the run and throw the quick. This was great until we added the tag and the defense lined up to take the quick game concept away. Below shows the defense aligned to take away the bubble.

We told our quarterback, if we tag it, you throw it. Our bubble screen got hit in the mouth. This was not very good. At some point we saw a coach at a clinic mention they were having their quarterback make a pre-snap determination of whether he would throw or run based on defensive alignment. This, to me, was very intelligent. From here, our RPO system was born.

We would build in pass concepts to our runs, and if the defense lined up to take the run, we would throw the pass. If the defense lined up to take the pass away, run the ball. There is nothing magical about this approach. It was sound in principal and in practice. 

When we implemented this initially there were some growing pains. We learned we had to have specific criteria of when to throw and when to run. We had to determine how we would communicate our concepts. We had to train our quarterbacks to be able to make a good pre-snap determination. We also had to make sure we had the "right" guy at quarterback. We couldn't have a guy who was selfish. We had to have someone who would be able to make the right read because it was the right read.

Below is an example of a simple RPO concept off our inside zone read. 

Over the last few years we have greatly expanded our RPO package. Every run now has a pass. When we call the run we are calling the pass. This has greatly helped our offense to be more explosive and more balanced. It has forced the defense to defend the entire width of the field while having to remain gap sound. 

Perhaps the biggest benefit was the fact that we could get our skill players the ball in open space. The touches for our X and Z receivers increased tremendously. Below is an example of our inside zone read concept before we implemented our RPO concepts.

If our QB got a pull read we had to hope our #2 WR was able to block the OLB. If the OLB blitzed from depth or walked up late, our QB basically had to give the ball regardless of what the defensive end did. Our quarterback got hit in the mouth more than once. 

Once we added our RPO concept, if the OLB did not honor our #2 WR, we simply threw the tagged quick game concept. This allowed us to have a high percentage throw the protect the run. Below is a diagram of the same concept with the built in RPO.

If the outside linebacker aligned over our #2 WR, we would execute the run. If the OLB aligned inside our #2 WR, we would throw the quick concept. The QB would catch and throw. If we executed the run and got a pull read, we still had to deal with the backer. The QB would replace the read and get his eyes on the OLB. If the OLB widened, the QB would keep. If the OLB attacked him, he would throw the ball to the #1 WR, illustrated in the diagram below.

Essentially we were playing triple option football, just with a twist. And if you consider our pre-snap process, we would playing quadruple option football. The quarterback could throw the quick game pre-snap based on alignment. If you look to the tight end side, our Z WR is running a stop route. If the defense gave us the stop route, the QB could throw that as well based on pre-snap alignment.

This is just one example simple quick game concept that can be built into a base run play to give you a manageable RPO. You can implement this in a couple of days of practice time, and it will lead to some explosive plays. We now have a multitude of RPO concepts in our offense. 

A couple of questions I get are: Do we have lineman downfield? At times we do, but this is a concept thrown just behind the LOS, so we can have lineman downfield. Does our QB ever mess up the read? They do, but more often than not they are conservative on throwing the quick concept pre-snap. 

We complete this concept at a 98% completion rate, and we average over 6.8 yards every time we throw it. It is essentially a toss sweep to a good athlete. It has helped greatly to improve our run game as well.

 Last year I got hooked up with CoachTube, and put together three courses for offensive football coaches. I put together two courses on RPO's, and a course on Building An Elite System of Communication. All of these courses will help you to score more points! 

https://coachtube.com/users/coachvint

All three of these courses are detailed, with everything you need to be more explosive and to score more points. 

The course on communication gives you a detailed approach to your gameday communication. I give you a system and a process to improve the quality of conversations, leading to improved play calling on game day. This course has received outstanding reviews from coaches at all level of football. A coach with multiple state titles told me this course helped them to be much more efficient and explosive this season. 

My two RPO courses take you through a systematic process of installing RPO's into your offensive system. RPO's put the defense in conflict, forcing them to defend all 53 yards of width and all 6 skill players every single play. I not only give you a system, but I teach you the methods to develop your own RPO concepts. 

https://coachtube.com/users/coachvint

After speaking at clinics on RPO concepts for several years, and helping several schools install RPO concepts into their offenses, I decided to write a book. It is available on both ibooks and on Windows and Android based systems through the Kindle App.

The book covers everything you need to implement RPO's into your offense. Whether you want to add RPO concepts to your entire run game, or you want to start with one or two simple concepts, this book will show you how to do so with confidence. I cover everything from pre-snap to 2nd and 3rd level post snap concepts and reads. The book is written with a very systematic process to installing RPO's. Regardless of your system, this book will give you a method and a plan.

The apple version on ibooks has video embedded. Their are clips of all of our RPO concepts. The Kindle version has everything but the video clips. Both books are chalk full of diagrams and explanation. The biggest thing is that this book is a manual with a very systematic process of installing RPO's into your system. 

Here is a link to the ibooks version: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1078061959 These iBooks are truly innovative as the video brings the concept to life. If you have an iPad or iPhone, or a Mac, this is the way to go. 

If you don't have an apple device, you can order the paperback version! It is available on Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520447485

Here is a link to the Kindle version for all Android and Windows devices: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B12YSCG?keywords=james%20vint&qid=1453738070&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

Using Tempo to Create Explosive Plays!

Offensive coordinators are always striving for new ways to gain an advantage over the defense. We go to clinics and visit coaching staffs trying to find new ways to gain more yards and score more points. One very important area that has helped the evolution of football is tempo. Over the last ten years we have seen a significant increase in the number of teams who use elements of tempo in their offense.

Back about 15 years ago I began my own experiment with tempo. We were getting ready to play a team that had us physically overmatched. They were better than us up front. They were faster than us in the secondary. They had dominated everyone they played. We decided to play at Nascar Tempo for entire drives. We were in the I Formation for the most part, and we were option based. We did jump in the gun to run our zone read concepts, but our identity was being in the I and running the ball.

In the first quarter we ran 30 plays and racked up over 180 yards on the ground. We had two drives that started inside our own 10 yardline. We were able to consistently move the football. As soon as the play ended we were sprinting to the line and getting set. We were going as fast as we could and the defense was lost. They couldn't communicate their fronts and coverages. They couldn't get lined up properly. Despite being overmatched we were able to consistently move the ball. Our tempo system was born.

"We ran 30 plays in the first quarter and racked up over 180 yards on the ground!"

The second tempo we added was our Freeze or Look tempo. We are going to make it look like we are going to run a play at Nascar Tempo. We would sprint to the line and the quarterback would say, "ready go." If the defense jumps we snap the ball and run verticals. We essentially get a free play. If the defense doesn't jump the quarterback says, "easy-easy look-look." The offense looks over and we signal to them the play we are going to run. When we use the freeze/look mode I have a chance to look at the defense and call a play based on how they are lined up. I found I called a better game when I could see how the defense lined up each play.

We then added four more tempos to our offense. Playing fast is great, we like to do it, but the defense will adapt to whatever speed you play. If you play fast, the defense will get acclimated and play fast. If you play slow, the defense will get acclimated. But if you change tempos the defense will not be able to settle into a comfort zone. Each tempo we added had a specific purpose, and the defense never knew when we were going to run a specific tempo. We are able to change speeds from one play to the next. Because we can play fast every snap if we want to, the defense must prepare that way. They must get their call in immediately, regardless of what speed we actually go.

Adding an element of tempo has helped us to become much more explosive on offense. When we change speeds we have more explosive plays than when we play one speed. The biggest mistake I have made is slowing down when we had injuries and trying to shorten the game. When we did this we sacrificed effectiveness on offense. We eliminated what might have been the most dynamic part of our offensive system.

Coaches ask me about tempo and how we implement it into our system, and I decided to write a book about it. There really wasn't a book that gave a systematic approach to building a multiple tempo system into an offense. This book I wrote talks about how to incorporate tempo into any offense. It gives you a process that can easily be adapted to anything you might do. What is special abut this book is that it contains video! It is built on Apple's Ibooks platform. The downside is that it can only be viewed on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. I also have version for the Kindle with text and pictures! There is no video on the Kindle version.

I shared the book with a few close friends in coaching, and they believe this is one of the best pieces of information available on tempo! It takes you through a simple process for each of our tempos, and how you can fit them into your system. Whether you are running a wing-t system and huddling, or you are an Air Raid team, you can benefit from what I talk about in the book.

One very important aspect of the book is the price. I wanted it to be affordable to coaches. There may not be a better value out there!

Here are a couple of screenshots from the book:


The book includes over an over of video clips so you can see each tempo in action! I include practice footage as well, so you can see how we teach and install each tempo! And, I show you how you can build picture boards as one method of communication! I also take you through a simple communication system you can use to implement tempo into your offense!

If you are looking to learn more about tempo, this is a book you NEED to purchase! Here is a link to the book:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1075902270

Here is a link to the Amazon Kindle Version: http://www.amazon.com/Using-Multiple-Tempos-Create-Explosive-ebook/dp/B01ATOL46A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1453231742&sr=8-3&keywords=james+vint

This book will give you something you can use with you program!

One of the keys to our success was tremendous preparation!The key to  preparation was our outstanding group of documents we used for all three phases. If you are looking for fully editable and customizable documents that you can tailor to your program, I have made mine available. 

Here is a link to my offensive game planning documents: https://sellfy.com/p/AndN/

It includes everything from a scouting report template, to practice plans, to a two-sided color call sheet, and more! Each of the nine documents are fully editable and customizable! Order today for under $15 and download them tonight!

Here is a link to the defensive game planning documents. It includes 12 fully editable and customizable documents. https://sellfy.com/p/AY1u/

And finally, I put together a special teams resource. This has everything you need, included drill tape, practice tape, and game footage. It includes teaching presentations and scouting forms just for special teams! https://sellfy.com/p/tJwz/

Improving Our Craft

One of the things I like most about the winter is having the opportunity to research innovative ways to improve our program. Regardless of whether we went 16-0 or 5-5, or 0-10, we want to find ways to do things better. This time of year is vital to improving our programs.

There are three things every coach can do to improve this off-season. There are actually about 3,000, but we will focus on three. First, attend at least one clinic each year. Whether you are in your first year as a coach or in your 40th, there are areas you can improve. At each clinic I attend I try to find at least 5 things that I can use with our players and our program. It may be a small coaching point, or a way to communicate something in a way our kids will understand. It may be tweaking a blocking scheme, or a new route combination. The key is finding things that can practically be applied.

The first high school coordinator job I held was for David Diaz at Columbus High School. Coach Diaz took us to the Megaclinic in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where we heard some tremendous speakers. As a young coach it was overwhelming to hear some of the top high school and college coaches in the country giving clinic talks. Coach Diaz had our staff divide up where we would go so we would get the most out of the clinic for our program. Megalinics actually bought out Frank Glazier and adopted the Glazier name.

It was in Atlantic City that we met Jerry Campbell, who was the offensive coordinator at Westwood High School in Round Rock, Texas. Coach Campbell took time to talk me through an overview of the option game. We flew him up to visit our staff and coach our kids and coaches up on the midline, load, and veer options. Coach Campbell became a great mentor and role model to me, and is one of the great men in this business. If you haven't met him yet, you need to!

In addition to attending clinics, we would visit college staffs in the spring. Typically we would visit one or two local staffs. Our goal was to learn what other people were doing that worked, and figure out the best things to incorporate into our program. You can never think you have it figured out. You have to always be trying to improve and get better.

Third, talk ball with guys who come to visit your school recruiting. When coaches came through the door recruiting our guys, we were going to ask questions. It may be scheme related, or it may be about practice organization. Mike Simpson, who was the defensive coordinator at The University of Albany when I was coaching in the Bronx, was very helpful to talk to. As we watched film of a player I would ask him technique questions. How could we play this better? What could this kid of done better to take on this block? What drill do you have that could help our defensive lineman spill the trap? Most coaches want to help, but you have to be willing to ask.

At the time I didn't realize how lucky we were, but New Hampshire's offensive coordinator walked through our door to recruit a running back. We watched film and he noticed were were running some zone read concepts from the gun. This was back in 2001. The coach was Chip Kelly, and he got on the board and talked us through some things they were doing. He talked to us about tempo and how they were snapping ball fast without huddling. We all were amazed at his passion and knowledge. I wish I had taken the time to ask him more questions. You never know where that guy coming through your door is going to end up. Take time to pick their brain and learn something new.

Make sure you don't get caught in the trap that you already know everything. I have never understood coaches who say they never get anything out of clinics. They aren't looking very hard. There is always something you can pick up. I once worked with a guy who said, "we do what we do, and none of these guys are going to share anything valuable anyway." I may not be very smart, but to me that is a bull crap excuse to not go to a clinic.

Here are a couple of thoughts for younger coaches figuring out how to get better...

1. Listen to small college and high school speakers
   These guys tend to have material that is most applicable to high school coaching. They tend to have a lot of knowledge, but they face a lot of the same battles high school coaches face. When they talk scheme it often can be applied to the high school level.

2. Listen to Division I position coaches
   It is very cool to listen to big time head coaches talk, but they are not going to give you a lot schematically. The guys who you can take the most from are position coaches that are talking technique. James Franklin was a tremendous speaker on receiver play when he was at Maryland. It was easy to see that he would one day lead a major program.

3. Get a card from the speaker
   The card will most likely have their school email address which cannot be found on many staff directories. This can help you when you have a player that you would like them to look at, or when you have a question.

4. Here are some NFL speakers you need to hear
   Jim McNally, Alex Gibbs, and Pat Ruel. These are three guys that are offensive line gurus that know their football!

5. Join XandO Labs! These guys do a tremendous job of putting together a variety of clinic reports and research projects. Their website is xandolabs.com. For just $49 a year you get access to information from some of the top coaches at the high school, college, and NFL levels.  xandolabs.com

6. Buy DVD's and Books
  Books and DVD's are great resources for you to get more information and have it available to review at your convenience. There are books and DVD's for just about every title available. Often you can save 50% on DVD's at clinics. Keep your eye out for sales around the holidays as well. If you are looking for pistol resources check out my website at www.coachjamesvint.com

7. Check out footballscoop.com every day. In addition to reporting on coaching changes in college football, football scoop has insightful articles about programs from NAIA and D3 up through the top BCS programs. I have picked up a ton of program building tidbits from them over the last couple of years.  www.footballscoop.com

8. Talk to coaches who are successful
   I am constantly in contact with guys who have information I think can be beneficial. Be on the lookout for guys who do things really well. If I am looking for information on screen game I call DJ Mann @Thamannjr at Crosby High School in Texas. If I want to talk about program building I am going to reach out to someone like Randy Jackson @Coach_RJackson at Grapevine High School, or Joey McGuire @Coach_McGuire50 at Cedar Hill. If I want information on getting my athletes the ball in space I am going to call Will Compton @CoachWCompton. Create a database of guys who do certain things well so you can contact them.
9. Use social media
   Social Media has really taken off and has become a great place to share information. Not everything on social media is trustworthy, but there are several Facebook Groups and Twitter Chats where coaches share information. #txhsfootballchat on twitter Wednesday nights is a great place to start.

10. Visit Coach Huey! www.coachhuey.com is a great place to find information. Coaches from all over the country and even internationally share information.

The biggest deal is to take time to research and improve. It is vital that we work hard to improve as coaches in the winter and spring. We must always be on a  quest to be our best! Use the resources that are available to continually improve as a coach and as a person. Our kids deserve nothing less!

I wrote two new iBooks that can help your program with X's and O's. The first is on Installing RPO's into any offense. Here is a link to the iBooks version: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1078061959. The ibooks version includes explanations, diagrams, and video clips on multiple RPO Concepts. It will give you a simple process for implementing them into your offense. 

If you don't have an apple device, you can order the paperback version! It is available on Amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520447485

I also have a Kindle version for Windows and Android devices. It has everything except the embedded video. You can order it here: http://www.amazon.com/Installing-Explosive-Concepts-Into-Offense-ebook/dp/B01B12YSCG/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Building Champions Through Mental Toughness

The winter, spring, and summer is a great time of year for football coaches and players. This is the time of year when you have the opportunity to begin anew. This is when you can build the mental toughness your team lacked in the fall. This is the time when you can change, enhance, or grow the culture of your program. By the time August rolls around your culture will have been built. What you do between now and then to build the culture you desire is completely under your control.

There is no magic pill for building mental toughness. There is no quick fix. Building mental toughness and creating a culture that embraces the pillars of success is a process. It is also a choice. You choose to build mental toughness. You choose to build a culture. I do not buy the argument that "this group just wasn't mentally tough." What did you do to develop their mental toughness? Like anything, you teach mental toughness with intent.

Mental Toughness won't build itself. It takes a lot time and effort, as well as complete buy-in from your coaching staff. If one member of your staff fails to hold your athletes to your standard, you will lose trust from your athletes.

You must first clearly define MENTAL TOUGHNESS...

Mental Toughness is the ability to face adversity, failure, and negative events,  without a loss of effort, attitude, and enthusiasm. 

Building Mental Toughness is composed o four key components:
1. Clear Definition of Mental Toughness
2. Setting Clearly Defined Standards of Performance
3. Accountability: Reminders and Rewards
4. Exceeding Self-Imposed Limitations

Standard of Performance
Your standard of performance is the level to which you expect your athletes to perform. These must be clearly defined, and you need standards of performance for every aspect of your program. Your athletes must know what is acceptable and what isn't. Don't just tell them to get to parallel when you squat. Demonstrate parallel to them, then have them get to parallel with no weight on the bar. Don't add weight until they can meet the standard without weight.

Once you set your standards, then you must hold your athletes accountable. This is a HUGE part of building mental toughness. It might mean you do the same drill or exercise 30 times. You do it until they meet the standard. You cannot let them do less than the standard. If they all are suppose to count each rep, then hold them accountable. If they don't do it, you have a reminder exercises. You then reteach and have them perform the exercise again.

One example of this is when our athletes are suppose to clap during a drill. If they don't clap, we stop the drill and give them a reminder. We then reteach our standard and repeat the drill. If it is done appropriately, we move on. The reminder does not have to be long, grueling or painful. It needs to be short and quick, allowing the group to get back to the task at hand.

Learning to Work Through Adversity and Discomfort
This is perhaps the most important aspect of building mental toughness. Most athletes will use about 50% of their capacity. However, they think they are at 100%. They believe they are at their peak level of performance and the tank is empty. This is the point when most athletes will shut it down. This is the most important point in the process of building mental toughness. Great competitors are able to push themselves to use 100% of their capacity.

A great exercise to teach mental toughness is ab work. Put your athletes on their back with their hands under their ups or at their side. Have them straighten their legs and extend them out, lifting their heels six inches off the ground. Have them hold this position for just ten seconds. This will be easy for them to do. Then, have them hold it and don't tell them how long. After about 15 seconds they will begin to twist and turn. They may even moan and grown. Some will let their feet hit the ground, taking pressure off their mid section. This is the point at which you begin training mental toughness.

Explain to them the expectation and standard is that everyone will keep their legs straight and their heels at 6 inches. If they bend their knees or put their feet down, the clock will stop. Tell them no negative noise is allowed. What is allowed is positive encouragement to the man next to you. You tell them the clock will start at 30 seconds. Have a coach with a timer and have them start the time when everyone has their heels at 6 inches in the appropriate posture. When someone loses posture or drops their feet, the clock stops.

The first time we did this guys gave up very quickly. Depending on the state of your program this could take an entire day. While this is going on, coaches need to be encouraging the athletes. Remind them they can do more than they think they can. Tell them you believe in them, and they have to be willing to trust themselves to get through this.

Over the course of the spring you increase the amount of time they must be able to hold the 6 inch position. Constantly reinforce the exercise is about being able to push through. Another variation is to have an athlete who loses the position stand up. The first time you do it you will have several standing. Repeat the exercise and tell them the goal is to have no one standing. For every player standing, you have a reminder exercise. But the kicker is, you have the guys that completed it properly to the reminder. This conditions them that when they make a mistake, it affects everyone.

Forty 40's
Another great exercise is called forty 40's. We did this back about 15 years ago as a rite of passage for our guys. We told them they were going to run 40 perfect 40's. We wanted them to learn to keep the same posture and focus with the 40th rep as they did with the first rep. We wanted them to have the same attitude and effort when they were dog tired as they did when we began. The key for this exercise was the fact that the rep only counts if it is perfect. We defined perfect as perfect stance, perfect start, perfect effort, fast finish. If they didn't meet our standard, the rep did not count.

The first time we did this it took us nearly 90 Reps to get forty perfect reps. It was a real test of mental toughness, but what our guys learned was they were capable of so much more than they initially thought.

The first time we did this we actually did it on a hill we named "San Juan Hill." It was a steep incline that was about 25 yards to climb. We had them sprint up that hill for what seemed like hours. None of them thought they could do it. We knew they could, and we constantly reminded them.

Self-Imposed Limitations
This is all part of getting them to push through their self-imposed limitations. Most athletes mentally limit themselves before they begin. Heck, many coaches do the same thing. We start this negative talk and pretty soon we have talked ourselves out of something special because it might be a little bit tough.

Reminders and Rewards
Reminders and Rewards are simply how you give immediate feedback on whether the standards are being met. If the standard is being met, you provide a reward to you athletes. If they don't meet the standard of performance, you have a reminder. Your reminders should start small and progress. Updowns are a great reminder. They are also a great way to teach mental toughness.

1. Set clearly defined expectations and standards of performance
2. Give Immediate Feedback
3. Immediate Rewards and Reminders
4. Reinforce Positive Behaviors
5. Continually Reinforce Your Standards

Hold Them To The Standard
The danger here is letting things go. If you let a kid deviate from the standard without correction, you might as well eliminate the standard. The reason is that kids will then think some standards don't matter. They will pick and choose what standards are important to meet. Clearly explain to them the importance of everyone meeting every standard. Then, coach them on the details. Do not let anything go. If they don't do it right, correct them. This is hard to do. It often means you don't get through as much as you would like each day. However, by holding them accountable in the weight room in January, the more accountable they will be in November.

Building Confidence
As your athletes learn to increase their capacity, they will grow in confidence. They will begin to believe in themselves and their teammates. Our role as coaches is to continually remind them of the greatness they have inside, and that we are merely trying to pull that greatness out. The exercises themselves will break them down mentally. We have to make sure we are constantly reinforce that they can do it. We have to reinforce that have more in the tank than what they think they have. Keep telling them you believe in them. This will help to build that confidence that will certainly carry over to in-season competition.

Recap
Before your players can win on the field, they must win in the weight room, in the mat room, and on the track. Mental Toughness is not built during the season. It is built in the winter, spring, and summer. It is built by doing things others aren't willing to do. It is built with intent. You won't ever "happen" to have mental toughness. You have total control over how well you develop mental toughness in your athletes.

A few months back I published a couple of iBooks that can help your program with X's and O's. The first is on Installing RPO's into any offense. Here is a link to the iBooks version: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1078061959. The ibooks version includes explanations, diagrams, and video clips on multiple RPO Concepts. It will give you a simple process for implementing them into your offense. 

If you don't have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you can order the Amazon version for the Kindle. It has everything except the embedded video. You can order it here: http://www.amazon.com/Installing-Explosive-Concepts-Into-Offense-ebook/dp/B01B12YSCG/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

I also wrote a book on Tempo. It will greatly help you build a multiple tempo system with simple communication that will allow your kids to play with confidence. It also had over an hour of video clips! You can order the ibooks version here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1075902270.

Order the Amazon Kindle version here:

http://www.amazon.com/Using-Multiple-Tempos-Create-Explosive-ebook/dp/B01ATOL46A/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Coach Vint has authored several books and instructional DVD's with Coaches Choice. His book 101 Pistol Option Plays is actually available now as a 2 volume interactive ibook for the iPad! It is similar to a traditional book, but it contains several hours of video as well!
Order Part 1 Here: 101 Pistol Option Plays Part 1- Traditional Option Concepts
Order Part 2 Here: 101 Pistol Option Plays Part 2- Spread Concepts

One of the keys to our success was tremendous preparation!The key to  preparation was our outstanding group of documents we used for all three phases. If you are looking for fully editable and customizable documents that you can tailor to your program, I have made mine available. 

Here is a link to my offensive game planning documents: https://sellfy.com/p/AndN/

It includes everything from a scouting report template, to practice plans, to a two-sided color call sheet, and more! Each of the nine documents are fully editable and customizable! Order today for under $15 and download them tonight!

Here is a link to the defensive game planning documents. It includes 12 fully editable and customizable documents. https://sellfy.com/p/AY1u/

And finally, I put together a special teams resource. This has everything you need, included drill tape, practice tape, and game footage. It includes teaching presentations and scouting forms just for special teams! https://sellfy.com/p/tJwz/