Hornet Special Forces

Establishing a dominant Special Teams Climate with organization and planning

John FordSpecial Teams CoordinatorRoswell (Ga.) High SchoolFordjo@fultonschools.org

Gratitudes/Coaching Influences•Bruce Cobleigh•Leo Barker

Roswell Special Forces• MAKE IT MATTER --- HOW?

• PASSION – if you want it, give it• Put kids in a position to be successful• Have a year long plan for kicker development • Always have a plan for grooming young kickers (JV, 9th, assist jr. programs, etc)

• Awards – the only individual season award we give is our “Special Forces Assassin.”

• Teach as few skills as possible – create carryover everywhere possible, and use as many clichés as possible --

Roswell Special Forces• Climate Establishment

• “I AM THE WARLORD, THE WRATHFUL GOD OF COMBAT, I SHALL LEAD FROM THE FRONT NOT THE REAR.”

• Punt = Bomb Squad• KOR = Score Team• Punt Return = Stealth Squad• Kickoff = Hit Squad• PAT/FG = Money Team• Hands Team = Good Hands People

Roswell Special ForcesYear Round Development

January -- April• Kickers – Workout with rest of team all off-season and summer.

• Once a week work with LS/H/K• “QB mentality” with punter/kick off guy (‘get your guys.’)

• Develop relationship with soccer programApril – May (spring ball)

• Punt and kick off at minimum – 10 min a day• Give Ks practice schedule/routine

Hapkido Stretches – From Coach McCabeYou must increase strength of kicker, but you cannot

sacrifice flexibility/mobility!

•These stretches are done 4 times a week.

•Band routine is another great way to increase leg strength-Attach band to stationary object – bench, wall, rack etc. -Work follow throughs of punts and kick offs. -Increases leg velocity and strength throughout total range of motion

Kickers/Punters are to do this workout 2-4 times a week.

Strength, Power and Explosiveness combined with functional flexibility and confidence are the keys to a great kicker. Develop a “quiet swagger”

Bomb Squad Stealth Team Hit Squad Score Team Money Team

John Ford (STC)

Upbacks Returners Kicker#4s

HEADReturners

HEADGs, Ts

DanielBrunner

Long Snappers HEADFrontline

HEAD Frontline(w/Tim )

Snappers, holders

Zach Fields HEADProtection

LBs Hitters Ends, FBs TE/Wing

Andy Schultz Gunners R1, L1, Muggers 1s, 2s, 3s Wedge(on influence return, will assist Zach with Es, FBs)

Gs, Ts (other side of line from Ford)

SPECIAL TEAMS DUTY ROSTER

Coaches Responsibilities• Personnel decisions (though final call is mine and head coaches)

• Scout cards• Any relevant info to Coaches running scout team

• Working with elements of their team during pre-practice

• Monday – bomb/hit• Tuesday – score/stealth• Wednesday – bomb/money/force• Thursday – walk through “get your minds right!”

WHAT SPECIAL FORCES PRACTICE IS NOT….

• Special Forces Practice is not 1 coach talking or yelling for 3 minute intervals while 11-22 kids may or may not hear a word you say.

• Those that do the work, learn. Explain as much as possible on the board, in pre-practice, after practice. Reps are gold to us.

MONDAY • Bomb Squad– 10 minutes

• First 5 minutes – half line, 2 snappers• Error correction, twists, loopers. • Gunners working attacking double teams, blocks, tracking ball. Use JV punt team as rushers so they are ‘hear’ coaching.

• 2nd 5 minutes – live rush vs. scout team• Cover 10 yards• 2-3 live reps to cover

LS LS

PP

P

G G

PP

P

DR

coach coach

coach

DR

MONDAY

Monday cont.

KICK-OFF -10 minutes• 5 minutes – Shield Drill – tell your kids this day

whether you will escape kickside or buttside this week. Rep it. PRACTICE FAST – REPS, REPS, REPS

MONDAY Cont• Hit Squad – 10 minutes

• 1st 5 minutes work butt and press drill. Through film study you should know how you want to escape blocks – cut to the butt or escape kick side. Coach this a lot.

• 2nd 5 minutes work get offs – cover 10-15 yards and check spacing. Do this on air. Monitor hitters, make sure they are squeezing the line

• Any left over time – bonzais, surprise middle

BUTT AND PRESS DRILL (5 MIN)

THE KEY HERE IS GETTING AS MANY REPS AS POSSIBLE. YOU WILL HAVE INJURIES AND HAVE TO RUN KIDS IN HERE. WE TRY AND WORK OUR JV KO TEAM IN HERE AT TIMES AND HOPE TO GROOM GUYS TO STEP INTO SPOTS AS THE SEASON GOES ON AND FRONTLINE GUYS ARE BANGED UP.

WORK GET OFFS (5 MIN)

Tuesday• Punt Return/Block (10 minutes)

Have opponent operation times by now. Have punter

distance, angle, spin, etc ready to share with Return guys

• One Coach working with CBs if opponent has gunners, another working get offs, block schemes, another working with return men.

• 2 punters are great – get a lot of catches

Tuesday• Score team (10 minutes)

• 5-7 minutes – work 2 on 2 drill, and then go live return on air.

• 3-5 minutes work live returns vs. Scout team to thud.

• Every Tuesday I throw somewhere in the practice 1-2 surprise squibs, sky kicks, pooch kicks, kick offs after safety or 15 yard penalty on opponent

Wednesday• Bomb Squad (10 minutes)• Work through live rush vs. JV punt team• Cover to landmarks• Work live rush and live cover (to thud)• Work every fake you may want to run.• Rep punt safety if you use this• Punt from -45 to work on kills• Punt from -5 to work on pressure kicks (1 step)• Get as creative as you can situationally

• Here above all else BE PERFECT

Wednesday• Money Team – 10 minutes

• Always start after a TD…OL must stay, others have to be alert.

• Create as much heat on your K as possible. Make him uncomfortable. Freeze him with Timeouts

• Move ball around. Make your longsnapper snap a wet ball.

• Situations – clock running no time outs/ball spiked no timeouts/ball centered up with called time out/long completion into long field goal attempt. Overtime kicks

Wednesday• FG Block – Force Team – do not pay it lip service!

• Won us critical region game to make us 8-0 and clinch a playoff birth in 09

• Work for 5-10 minutes at end of practice• We work 2 blocks only. Middle push with jumper and edge block

• Know who the weak sister is on this team always. If you had to get a block, know who the weak link is.

Thursday • Dress Rehearsal from 4:00 – 4:40 are mine• Everything is off the sideline• Everything is crisp • We work every situation we can imagine• Everything is dialed in and focused.

• After all special forces have repped, we have special teams roll call on sidelines.

• Challenge to win the game with Special Forces is issued. BE THE DIFFERENCE

Friday• If Home Game – go through roll call/final reminders/walk throughs in Gym somewhere between 4:30 and 5:00.

• If away game –get what I can get.

• Pre-game routine – always the same• 6:05 – kickers on field getting loose – not kicking!!!!!

• 6:15 – snappers, holders, returners • 6:15-6:25 -- #1 kicker works PAT. #2 punts. #3 (jv) Kicks off.

• 6:25-6:35 – Rotate through• 6:40 – team warm up• 7:00 – finish with Field Goals – everybody in!

Always have a plan to work your kickers and keep them accountable.

Do not leave their routine to chance or to what they “feel” like doing

Make sure they simulate every situation they could find themselves in Friday night.

A game winning FG, a punt out of the back of the end zone, a horrible snap, chaos around them, should all have been repped during the week.

Malcom Gladwell “Thinking without thinking”

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger

Kicker Weekly Routines

Monday

PUNT 5-10 directional punts 10 high snaps 10 low snaps 10 distraction punts Walk through fakes Punt safety

PAT/FG Run on cold kick (:15) Kick from chart (on back) Tiger Fake (w/holder) Speed Fake (w/holder) Fire

Tuesday

KICK OFF “Closest to pin”

competition 10 Bonzai right 10 Bonzai left 10 surprise middles Kick and punt after

safety Kick after 15 yard

penalty

PAT/FG Run on cold kick (:15) Kick from chart (on

back) Tiger Fake (w/holder) Speed Fake (w/holder)

Fire

Weds.

Punt 5 directionals 5 coffin kicks 2 high snap 2 low snap Overhead

snap Safety Walk through

all fakes

PAT/FG Run on cold to

kick (:15) Hashes PAT after

penalty Fakes Fire Run on and kick

after spike Walk on after

time out Have other

kicker ice you

Kick Off 5 directionals 5 bonzais 5 obvious onsides 2 “kick away

from” CJ Spiller

*This is our standard week of practice for the kicker, but is fluid and subject to change if we feel like there is something we will utilize that week (Bonzai, Surprise Middle, Fake Punt, Fake FG, etc)

• Thursday – Game Preparation

• Kickers go through 45 minute situational/walk through. This is their last kicking of the day.

• They ice bath, stretch, and go home.

• Legs must be fresh on Friday nights.

• “Hay is in the barn” mentality – trust your preparation physically and get ready mentally

Date:

Name

Kickers,

Kick 2 balls from each X.

Approach each kick like it is a game.

1. Have helmet on2. Have holder3. Come from sideline4. Do this for each kick5. Go through physical and mental progression like it is Friday night and we need this kick to win.

6. Record hit or miss with check mark or circle next to each kick.

7. Answer the questions below.

8. Always be ready to be the difference maker!!!

Kicks you missed:

Where did you miss them? (Short/long/right etc)

Monday/Wednesday Kicker Chart

•1st score vs scout ko ret.•1st def. -20•1st punt block vs scout punt -20•1st off. -30•Fake punt vs scout punt 4rd and 4 -35•1st off. +40•1st punt vs scout punt block +40•1st def. -10•1st punt block vs scout punt -10•1st off. +30 TD•1 PAT vs scout def.•1st kickoff vs scout kick ret.•1st def. +20•1st FG block vs scout FG +20•1st kick ret. Vs scout kickoff•1st off. -20•1st punt vs scout punt block -20•1st Def. +40•1st punt block vs scout punt +40

•1st off. +40•1st FG vs scout block +22•1st kickoff (onsides) vs scout ret.•1st def. +45 TD•PAT block vs scout PAT•Kick return vs scout kickoff•1st off. +35•1st FG vs scout block•1st def. -28•FG block vs scout FG -25•1st kick return vs scout kickoff

SPECIAL TEAMS SCRIMMAGE-During Pre-season once and bye week