7 on 7, Of Course

7 on 7, Of Course

As stated on my previous blog, summer time means many things to high school football players these days, including 7 on 7 passing games. For teams that throw the heck out of the ball, it’s perfect. But what about teams that run the ball? And I mean RUN the ball. They pass rarely, not always because they can’t, they don’t need to. Some coaches feel 7 on 7 is a waste of time. Not only that, but if you lose some of those games, the kids might lose confidence, and who needs that? It’s tough enough to keep confidence levels high without going out and losing meaningless 7 on 7 games. Those are good points, but let’s take a look at the positives and how we can neutralize those negatives.

First of all, 7 on 7 is just plain fun for the kids and for most coaches. Summer time can be a lot of work for the kids but there are no games. Let’s face it, the kids are out to play football on Friday nights and passing games are about as close as we can get without actually playing. 7 on 7 can give them something to look forward to.
Second, it gives you a chance to play defense. We all have to play defense and there’s a good chance many of your opponents during the regular season will be throwing the ball. It’s a great opportunity to work on coverages and adjustments to different formations, motions and shifts. Tons of coaching can be done during these games.
Third, it gives coaches a chance to see what players can do in game type situations.
Some players will really shine and may surprise you. We found a few receivers and defensive backs that we hadn’t counted on until we saw them take over in passing games. I remember one kid in particular who played for us in the mid 90’s that really used the summer passing games as a springboard for the season. As a junior, he was in our wide receiver rotation and was our backup safety, becoming our starter in game 7 when our senior safety broke his ankle. We were looking forward to having him back and knew he would be a solid starter for us on both sides of the ball. As we began playing a few 7 on 7 games it quickly became apparent that he had the ability to take a game over. Not only was he making great catches, but he was a playmaker after the catch, zig zagging through opponents making one big play after another. Defensively, he was leading our secondary in coverage and interceptions. Our eyes were opened to the extraordinary abilities this player possessed and how much he had matured in the last year. I am convinced it also helped his confidence level and helped him realize what he was capable of. When the regular season started our head coach emphasized some plays in our package to take advantage of his skills. He ended up leading us in scoring, touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards and interceptions. He was a unanimous all conference pick and was named to the all area team. Now, I know he would have had a great season anyway, but 7 on 7 sure didn’t hurt.
Finally, playing 7 on 7 helps keep the legs in shape with all the running that is required. It’s not uncommon to play two to four games in a day and that’s a lot of running. Great for the legs!
As far as winning and losing and possibly losing confidence, don’t focus on winning and losing, but on how well you play, and working on the fundamentals. Don’t even keep score sometimes, just play a series of 10 plays back and forth and don’t worry about keeping score. Be creative and have fun.

Receivers get to catch, quarterbacks throw, everyone runs, and we all have fun. So I say, “7 on 7, of course!”

Summertime Means Football

The barbells are banging and the weights are being thrown around the weightroom. The air is full of footballs as 7 on 7 games are being played at local high schools. Football coaches are running drills for speed, agility, and technique. It's a high energy atmosphere as football camps are rolling throughout Illinois and across the country. We're just beginning summer but already football is in full swing. High school association rules allow for much more contact with the athletes than several years ago and the importance of weight training can't be disputed. There is no question that players are bigger, faster, stronger, in better shape, better coached and more prepared than at any time I can remember.
I'm dating myself, but I can recall when I started high school football in 1965, there was basically nothing going on in the summer at our school in Illinois. We weren't very good, and maybe that's part of the reason why. But I suspect that we were not the only ones that had no summer football program. Oh, starting my sophomore year in '66 a new coach was hired and he had seniors lead workouts 2 weeks before the first official practice. It was low key and not well attended or taken seriously by the players. The coach was no where to be seen, I assume because it was against the rules, so there was no coaching. Basically, the season started on the first day of practice around the third week in August. It truly was "hell week" because we were so out of shape. The coaches had 3 weeks to get us physically and mentally ready for the first game in the middle of September. Offenses and defenses weren't as sophisticated and most teams ran the football at least ninety per cent of the time. Passes were thrown now and then to make our opponents think we actually had a passing game. What a difference from today! Programs now resemble effecient college programs.
Whether you agree with the more intense approach or not, that's the way it is now. To be competitive in todays world of high school football, coaches must do what they can to keep getting better. Let's not forget one key ingredient; through it all - HAVE FUN!