PAT NARDUZZI- CLINIC NOTES/OVER COVER 4

PAT NARDUZZI

I have been going to clinics for a long time now, and enjoy all of them that I go to, feeling that I am always learning something.  The AC Nike Clinic at the beginning of February proved to be the best one yet, for the simple fact that Coach Narduzzi is the single best clinic speaker I have seen to this point.
I think the ultimate compliment is this.....me and a few of my coaching brothers looked at each other as soon as it was finished and the resounding statements was, "Damn, I wish I could go back and play for that guy".   There are very few people I have seen, and as you can see from past posts I have seen alot, that left me feeling this way.

It is widely known that he keeps the scheme and adjustment simple, so that his players can play fast...but what really stuck out to me was his emphasis on technique.  For a long time now I have believed that technique trumps scheme a lot of the time, especially as a high school coach, and to hear his emphasis on it made me feel like I was doing something right.
Below are the notes I took, with a few other things mixed in.  I would love to start a conversation about it, so feel free to comment below.

Spartan’s Identity

·      SPARTAN DAWGS

·      “A focused group of vicious brothers, forever bonded together, to wreak havoc upon all oponents”

·      Core Values: Big Plays, Relentlessness, Swarming

·      Force Turnovers, Be Hungary, Have SWAG

**This is created by the players for their identity

Spartan DAWGS 2011 (I believe)

Defensive Philosophy

Defending the Run Game- Defensive Philosophy

·      Stop the Run- Build A Wall

o   Make offense one dimensional

o   Defend Opponents favorite runs in practice

·      FUNDYs

o   Coach the Little Things

·      SPEED

o   Evolution of the 4-3 Defense

·      KISS

o   So they play fast

o   No thinking

o   BONE HITS- Chart Big Hits

·      Disguise

o   Always look the same pre-snap

·      Zone-Blitz vs Man Blitz

o   Zone blitzing is safer and easier

BASE DEFENSE vs. 2x2 (OVER CVR 4)

PRINCIPLES OF BASE DEFENSE

·      Alignment Rules

o   Allow for easy adjustments

·      Nine Men in the Box

·      Bounce Inside Runs Out (Spill and Chase)

·      Make Outside Runs Cutback (Force)

·      DL

o   Attack and React

o   Get a great takeoff and work from there

·      LB

o   Key Read and Run

o   Read the “Guys that don’t lie”- Uncovered Players

·      Safeties

o   Read Key

o   Play Run to Pass

·      CBs

o   Press

o   Play great technique

WHY COVER 4?

·      Gets 9 Men in the BOX

·      Allows LBs to RUN

·      GREAT against Shotgun/QB Run

·      GREAT for Screens

·      Takes away all underneath throws

o   Forces LOW % throws

·      Easier to predict the release in WR routes

REASON FOR CB PRESS TECHNIQUE

·      Attacking Mentality

·      Forces a bubble in the WR release

·      Keeps the WR off safeties

o   Safeties are generally the force players

o   The inside press tech of the CB keeps WR from having clean crack on $ on their way down to play run

·      Forces throws to the opponents secondary WR

·      Easier to Coach

·      PLAYERS LOVE IT

·      Restricts the routes that a WR can run

o   WR can only run 5 routes against an inside technique press Corner

CORNER PLAY

·      Press the #1 WR

·      Align to the Inside Eye of WR

·      Shadow Tech

o   Shadow first step with inside foot

o   Give a little ground

o   Once WR breaks cushion, offhand JAM

·      Gives the Illusion of FULL PRESS

·      Routes CB will see

o   Fade

o   Hitch

o   Post/ Post Corner

o   Corner

·      Play Run Support 2^nd

Safety Play

·      9x2 of #2

o   Outside alignment if TE

o   Inside alignment if removed

·      Stick Feet (Flat foot read)

·      Read QB to #2 to #1

·      Vs. Trips play YO-YO  (trips side safety rock down, away safety MOF)

·      Beat the CRACK BLOCK

o   Read MUST be fast

·      Key the QB- “Key the guy that throws picks”

LB Play

·      Heels at 5

·      3 match LB (ILB) plays Out to Vertical

·      2 match LB (OLB) plays Out to Vertical to In

LBs/Safeties

·      LBs can run in the run game.  Attack read. Safeties have force and BCR/Windback

·      In PASS game, Safeties get help from LBs rerouting WR

vs. TRIPS

All-22 Michigan St. vs Illinois- 2013

TCU Blitz Package

TCU Blitz Package

This season we are working on on transitioning to a 4-2-5 defense. For a few years now we have been a 3-4 and it has served us well, however, as often happens in high school, our personnel for the near feature dictates that we no longer can run the 3-4

Personnel 

I am a big proponent of fitting a system to a kid and not a kid into a system. Its hard enough to be a high school kid, nevermind a high school football player, so why not put more on myself to fit the system to them, then making them do something that makes it harder to create success.  

We have seen a move to more hybrid kids at our school. We no longer have a big 300 lb nose tackle, but we do have 6 250 lb kids that can do a little work on the line. We dont have the 235 lb LBs anymore, but we do have faster, 22lb kids that can play either MLB or W/s/$ in this system.

4-2-5 

When transferring defenses, I believe in always starting to learn from the best, and recent history tells us its this guy....

2014 AFCA Coach of the Year, Gary Patterson.  You cannot read anything on the internet about the 425 without immediately being directed to him. I have read a lot of information so far, and it is all clear and concise in his system. It has been about as much of a smooth transition as one could hope for up to this point, and that is a credit to Patterson's simpleness, and me gaining the information by way of Brophy and Coach Hoover.   

Blitz Package

The easiest thing I have been able to install is the blitz package due to an excellent film I found.  

The Blitz Package

Coverage and Philosophy

Bullets

Bullets are inside linebacker blitzes.  

Smokes

Smokes are Safety Blitzes. Lions are Smokes but with an exchange with the End.

DOGS

Dogs combine the Safety and the Inside LB to the same side. 

Bullets Thunder

Bullets Thunder brings both ILB and a Safety. The Safety must make a COP call to tell his DE that he has the DE in coverage. 

ALL PLAYBOOK PAGES COURTESY OF JIM LIGHT FOOTBALL, CHECK OUT HIS INCREDIBLE SITE. 

Hopefully this helps you have half the success of Gary Patterson. Any questions, as always, leave in the comment sections, Ill always answer as best I can. 

Pigskin Prep- The Definitive Youth Football Training Program

PIGSKIN PREP

THE DEFINITIVE YOUTH FOOTBALL TRAINING PROGRAM The ultimate guide to injury prevention, speed development, and strength training for the “14 and under” youth football athlete

REVIEW by COACH BIRD

Sweat. Smiles.
Cheers. Tears.
Dirty faces. Dirtier uniforms.
Red cheeks. Black and blue bruises.
The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat.
These are all part of what make youth sports such a tremendously unique life experience. 

Within the first 37 words of his book, you get that Coach Ryan Burgess is a coach that "gets it" As a high school football coach, and someone who has spent years around coaches of all levels, you know there are the ones that "get it" and the ones that don't. 

Coach Burgess and his partner in writing the book, Coach King, have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to training, and they have put together a CONCISE, INTERACTIVE, WELL THOUGHT OUT, COMPREHENSIVE training manual. 

For the authors/book's website, click here

A little bit about the authors:

Coach Ryan Burgess is the Director of Football Development at Fitness
Quest 10 in San Diego, California. A highly respected physical preparation
coach, Ryan has been a key figure in the growth of FQ10 since beginning
as an intern in 2006. Recently named one of the “Top 10 Training Facilities”
in the country by Men’s Health, Fitness Quest 10 continues to deliver
on its first class reputation. Under the leadership of gym owner Todd Durkin
and Coach Burgess, Fitness Quest 10 now has athletes represented on more
than half of the teams in the NFL, over 30 different college and junior college
programs, and countless high school and Pop Warner teams throughout San Diego County. Coach Burgess’ true passion is in developing athletes over the long haul, having taken multiple athletes from High School to the college level and beyond. Prior to his arrival in San Diego, Ryan studied at Colorado Sate University, earning a Bachelors of Science Degree with a concentration in Health Promotion, a specialized program that blends traditional classroom courses with internships and hands-on programs. In addition to earning his degree, Coach Burgess was an offensive lineman on the CSU football team under the leadership of legendary coach Sonny Lubick. When not coaching others, Coach Burgess continues to push the envelope in his own quest for high performance, competing in both Strongman and Powerlifting competitions since the fall of 2010. 

Coach Jeff King has been in the fitness profession for over 10 years. With a
bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of California-
Davis, and a graduate degree in Exercise Physiology from San Diego
State University, Coach King has a very strong scholastic background which
has allowed him to publish his research on “Plyometric Training for the High
School Population” in the National Strength & Conditioning Association’s
Journal of Strength and Conditioning; findings from his work are often
requested by researchers from around the world. In addition to his scholastic
accomplishments, Jeff has accumulated thousands of hours of practical experience training pre and post adolescent children as well as designing comprehensive programs for sporting coaches in multiple disciplines. For the past three years Coach King has utilized his personal and professional experiences in directing the Summer Camps at Fitness Quest 10, overseeing the training for youth athletes in multiple sports ranging in age from 8 to 18. Jeff’s passion is not just improving the athletic ability of young athletes but in sharing valuable lessons that will aid their life development outside the athletic arena. Above all Coach King believes in a systematic approach in training youth athletes resulting in long term success and is committed to helping every child he has the opportunity to lead. 

I have known Coach Burgess for a long time, and long respected what he has personally accomplished as well as the various endeavors he has put forth, most notably coachburgess.com as well as his year long "Humanity WOD" endeavor, where he gives tips not only on physical achievement and success, but success as a human being (something all us coaches hope to inspire in our players). 

I have also used some of his training videos for my own blog, as well as workout programs for the offseason, as well as clinics and camps. I highlighted his work on my post about Combine Prep. 


ABOUT THE BOOK:

This is the first time I have seen an endeavor put forth such as this and here are a few reasons why....

1) You are getting a YOUTH FOOTBALL based training program from start to finish
2) The program includes both written and video demonstrations of the exercises to be completed
3) It includes simple, easy to follow training tips, nutrition information, program and training philosophy
4) It is all put into format by esteemed trainers who train NFL PLAYERS on a regular basis but felt the need to transition this to the youth football enthusiast. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE INFO AND PURCHASE THE PROGRAM

To me, when I see youth football, I still see the old adages of toughening kids up, of running gassers or bear crawls until kids are ready to cry. Maybe this is from misinformation, or maybe it is from a lack of knowledge, or who knows, maybe there are even some sadistic youth coaches out there...but this is the opposite...This is a full program, from start to finish, to make your youth players the best on the field, to "toughen them up" while accomplishing something. This program is not a cakewalk, but it serves a purpose. And I cannot stress this enough.....

IT IS ALREADY COMPLETELY DESIGNED....you have to do no work but make it happen. 


THIS IS A SAMPLE PAGE...THE EXERCISES (once purchased) ARE LINKED AND TAKE YOU TO VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS........
This sample does not even begin to show the vastness of this work, there are 3 categories of kids, 9 and under, 10-13, and 13+, all with their own training schedule and exercises. 

13 AND UP TRAINING TEMPLATE WEEK 4, DAY 2

Day 2	Exercise	Sets	Reps/Distance	Time
Dynamic Warm-Up and Cooperative-Based Game	60’s Rock & Roll Stretch Windshield Wipers Sit to Stand Torso Twists Arm Circles Hangdowns Balance Reach Line Drills	1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1	60 5 10 3 each side 5 each side 10 big 10 little 15 seconds 5 each side 15 seconds	4 min
Integrated Flexibility and Movement Prep	Dirty Dogs Hip Circles Mountain Climbers Inchworms Forward/Reverse Bear Crawls Orangutang’s 3D Skips 3D High Knees Lateral Shuffles	1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1	5 each side 5 each side 20 seconds 10 yards 10 yards 10 yards 10 yard round trip 10 yard round trip 10 yards each side	10 min
Speed, Agility, and Quickness	Deceleration: Linear Deceleration: Reverse Deceleration: Lateral Cone Drills	4 4 4 1	5 yards 5 yards 5 yards 2 drills	2 min 2 min 2 min 4 min
Jump Training	Single Leg Broad Jump and Stick	1 1 2 2	5 jumps per leg 5 jumps per leg 2 triple jumps 2 triple jumps	1 min 1 min 2 min 2 min
	Single Leg Lateral Jump and Stick Triple Broad Jump Triple Lateral Jump
Strength Training Circuit (2 times through)	Squat with Toss and Sprint Deadlift McGill Sit-Ups Stationary Lateral Lunges Loaded Carries	2 2 2 2 2	Variable; based on time	2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min
Energy System Development	Position Based Sprints	1	12	10 min
Cool Down and Stretch	Core 4 Stretches	1	N/A	5 min

I have said it a few times and it bears repeating, this is completely comprehensive. There is no work to be done other than put it in action and watch your kids do this work.  

I know I will work closely to the nearest youth football program to put this into effect, and even try to carry it on in our offseason workouts with the high school team. 

BUY THE PROGRAM HERE