Last Game of the Regular Season

YES!! We Run Through A Banner!!!

So tomorrow is the last game of the regular season.  If we win, we will finish the season 4-4.  If by some self implosion, we lose, we will be 3-5 & be the 3rd seed in the playoffs.  However, I didn't train or coach my kids to lose, so I don't see us leaving the field with anything but a WIN!  


This is a big game for us.  I realize that 2 games have passed since I last posted.  Unreal.  We had an awesome win against the 4th seed & a really good game against the #1 team in our league.  We didn't win that game but we did play really good.  They just played better because they scored. It's tough for me to sit here and admit that we lost and that the other team played better.  It really doesn't matter too much.  My team has been really good all season long.  We would actually be 5-3 right now if we had not gotten a bad whistle blown back in the first game of the season.  


Regardless of how the season ultimately turns out I know that I can go into the off season with my head held high.  I've already gotten a commitment from all 3 of my assistant coaches to come back for one more season and I will have the best QB & best Linebacker in the league.  I guess I should mention that my son was named Captain of the Defense by the coaches & that he was so proud to see a C on the front of his uniform that it made me realize what a great decision it was for me to coach him this season.


He has come a long way since last year.  He's faster, stronger, smarter and so much more alert out there.  I guess he just needed a better coach.  *I make myself smile...  


One of the biggest highlights of the season was that other than parents asking me if their child was going to play in a game, one after just a few plays into the 2nd quarter, which I let go because it was a big game, I haven't had any complaints and mostly really good compliments from the parents.  We have 12 players on this team.  That's more than any other team out there.  It's a challenge to rotate them all out all the time, but I know that tomorrow I will do it. 


I have 2 weeks to prepare for the playoff game that we HAVE to win in order to get to the Super Bowl. Again, I know that this is only Flag Football, but if I don't teach my son & my team that WINNING is important, they will suffer in the future thinking that mediocre is okay.  I don't mind if we lose, as long as we give 100%.  That's all I have asked of them & that's what I expect tomorrow.

Who's ready for some football!?  I AM!!!

Coach

We WON as a Team!!!

(Stepping back to pass & yeah, there's no pressure)

Great teams find a way to win even when it's not pretty.  Great teams come back & show that they may bend but will not break.  Well, my flag football team did just that today. I am very proud of how well we performed several different facets of the game.  Our offensive line blocked much better.  Our smallest player caught a crucial 1st down pass.  My son who always wants to run, even if he's not the fastest back on the field squeaked out 5 yards for another critical first down. However, I know we  weren't perfect.  Nope! We were far from it. But we got the win on the last play of the game... which was - A Hail Mary! 

For the first time this season I felt alone on the sideline.  My assistant coaches were not happy with my play selection & they let me know by keeping their distance.  I wasn't upset about it. I mean, in the end, we won and hindsight is always 20/20 so it all worked out for the best.  

The one thing that we all agree on is that the league knows we can pass the ball and they know we can do it well.  I posted the picture of what happens when 2 linemen have no one to block because the defense has all dropped back into coverage.  Fortunately, he didn't pass the ball he scrambled and got yards on the ground. 

So, now I get to draw up some new plays and some new plans for the next couple of weeks.  I met with two of my coaches yesterday at a birthday party, and yes, we talked football as most men tend to do.  We discussed ideas and how they understand that I have to take off the hat of "nice coach" and start focusing on "Winning coach".  

The playoffs are coming up soon and I want my team to be at their best.  We've added a second day of practice from now till the end of the season. We
are "going back to the old drawing board" and getting back to some basics. 

I have the support of my coaches 100%! They made that clear. They just want to see us get a much more comfortable lead before I start calling trick plays and pass plays that could result in dropped passes that stop the clock.  I get that.  I have received enough praise from most of the parents to know that no one feels like their child isn't receiving enough playing time. So... now it's time to buckle up that imaginary chin strap and plan, plan, plan! 


-Coach

Time to Reboot & Prepare

Well, It was a tough loss but sometimes you learn a lot about a team's character from the way they handle a loss.  I guess when you get the other team's coach stirred up and upset, it can either be a very good thing or in our case last week; not a good thing. 

I am still wondering how we are going to beat this Gold team.  They are so fast & they work very well together that I can really see why they are the only undefeated team in the league. So, my team is 1-3.  We have 2 very important games this week that I feel we MUST win in order to stay in the hunt.  We lost our first game due to lack of experience and a fundamental error on my part and that was to try to make a kid feel good and touch the ball in a high pressure situation.  I can't blame a bad call for the loss, because those are going to happen in almost every game.  I've got to admit that the blown call didn't help our cause, but we shouldn't have allowed that other team to stop us. 

We played well this last week, but they played better.  We did something that to my knowledge, has NEVER been done before in SVFL history, we ran "The Statue of Liberty" play *(which worked to perfection) & a flea flicker in the same game... THAT made me VERY HAPPY!!!

 

So, now we prepare to meet up with the Twisters once again, and we seem to be a much more prepared team.  We have a new player who is very eager to get out there and make a difference. We have more understanding of how to contain the game to our style of football. So, this week we worked on blocking and basics & I really hope the kids come prepared to play on Saturday.  

I want to be 2-3 by the end of the weekend and 3-3 by the end of next week with a full head of steam going into the middle of October... I can't do it all. I just need to remember that the coaches can only teach the kids & they have to find it within them to really play hard!!!

Till next time...

-Coach

Getting Ready for The Rematch

The Lightning striking against us

OK. Well, we've had plenty of time to regroup after getting beat by the Lightning in week 2 of the season and now my team is ready for the rematch that will really be a gauge for us.  I know my team is way better than just a 1-2 team, especially since we didn't allow a TD in that first game.  All I know is that I have been really behind in my blogging but not in my planning.  

I am really hoping that tomorrow the weather will be as nice as it has been today.  My coaches have been working very hard on teaching more fundamentals of defense and making sure that our defensive backs can match the defensive line's aggressiveness.  I found myself watching practice from a different point of view.  I was actually scouting the other teams around me to see if I could pick up drills or tips on how to make our team better.  Something that I found was that several teams were working on passing.  This is ironic since I was told that "passing is too difficult to do at this level".  I didn't believe it then and I still don't believe it now.  

My team's offense is really coming together. I feel that they know the plays, their assignments and how to execute them correctly without me having to remind them about every little detail.  This is important because it is my experience that kids can't handle THAT many details all at once.  I always tell them to work on 1 thing at a time; 1 skill per week.  Quarterbacks - learn to lead your team and make that other team fear you.  Defensive Line - Make them fear you every play by constantly being in their face. Defensive Backs- DON'T GET BEAT OUTSIDE.  Coaches - Make sure the kids have fun and learn something.

We are playing the late game tomorrow so I will be scheming and thinking about ways to catch the other team off guard all day long until we get out on the field.  I just want to make sure that we play our game and do what we do best...  Play like a Champion.  I am going to close with this simplest little aspect of practice that has made me most proud the last 2 weeks... When the team breaks the huddle; they are loud and together.  That's one of the most important building blocks of any team. Working Together!

-Coach

First Win of the Season

 

T. running towards the end zone! Like people are chasing him!

Time to report in...

So, I just realized that it's been 3 full days since my team's big game and I still hadn't reported on it. What is going on here!? Oh yeah... I was exhausted from being out on the field all day Saturday and then Sunday and Monday were back to back NFL days and work, etc... 

So, here is the report: We WON! Well, we did more than win, but I am not one to brag.  My kids went out there and played as well as could be.  We committed 0 penalties and scored on our first 4 possessions.  We threw the ball and we scored through the air.  The really neat part of it all was that I called the plays in the huddle and didn't have to make any adjustments. The kids knew their assignments.  My QB's were able to correct any little things that they felt they needed to.  I was a very happy camper.

We were down one receiver but we still pulled off the passing attack that seems to be rubbing off since i saw another team in our division practicing some passes while they warmed up.  Hmm?? It has been said that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".  So, yeah, I am aware that it's out there and now need to work on my team being ready to protect the pass.  I will say this; we had a "Pick 6" this weekend too so, I was even more thrilled than before about my defensive team's development.

The really nice thing about this week's game was watching my team break the huddle as a team.  They were LOUD & ENTHUSIASTIC! They were pumped. Obviously it's easier to be excited when you're winning then when you're down by 2 scores with less than a minute to play, but that's just the way it is.  I am also very happy to report that the parents were very supportive and were cheering for the team and not being negative which can happen sometimes.  I have the most kids on one team and 90% of them have never played together on a team so this has been a really good experience for me.  I don't have parents getting upset because their child doesn't play every down.  I get to rotate them as best as I can and it seems to be working.

The only negative aspect of this week's game was that my wife couldn't be there to watch her son play.  She had to work an event and that sometimes is the case.  I know it was hard for her to make that desicion and to also to look at the pictures from the game and know that she couldn't be out there cheering for her son, but she WILL be there next game ready to rock & roll.

Overall this first victory was very sweet to me as a coach because I could tell that the kids really felt like winners after time expired.  We have a week off until the next game  but there is no rest for champions.  We are having 2 practices this week and next week in preparation for our rematch against the "Lightning" or as we call them the Gold Team *Jersey color.  You know what they say; "Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice"... This time, we will be ready to shock them. 

-Coach

The Best 0-2 Team I've Coached

Well, good morning from the world of hindsight where everything is 20/20.   I am happy to report that Mother Nature was kind to us yesterday and overall, the overcast weather was good enough to play football and allow my Aftershock team to play it's make-up game.  We played the YELLOW Team, AKA- The Lightning...

I am happy to report that my game plan on keeping their strongest and most explosive defensive player out of our backfield worked.  I am very happy to report that we caused 2 false starts and a couple of dead ball calls in the backfield yesterday. I am happy to report that my strategy to Blitz until their offensive line had no choice but to try to make adjustments worked too. All these things made me very happy yesterday as a coach.

Good start: We won the coin toss & took the first offensive series to them.  I am also happy to report that we scored our first Touchdown of the season  *(2 games) on a run that was NOT a QB sneak, but just a straight up the middle run by a player that is not a starting running back but a really good offensive lineman, or lineperson to be all PC about it.  Yes, I am happy to report that my team did a lot of things right yesterday.  We passed the ball and made first downs on the passing game.  We came out fast and furious and moved the ball down the field really well and for all that I was a very happy camper yesterday.

Now, there's the other side of the game.  I knew we were playing the quickest team in our division yesterday and I made it a point to explain to the defense that they are very fast to the outside and that it would be very important for the DB's to watch for the outside runs.  However, and believe me this is not a knock on my kids because I know that they played their hearts out, sometimes no matter how much a coach tells his players something, until they actually see it for themselves, they can't grasp what you're telling them.

Just like the game that I watched this team play on Saturday, they took their very first offensive play and took it to the outside and scored.   Advantage: Them! HOWEVER... We had already eaten up most of the first quarter with our offensive series. Advantage: TIED!  They went for 2 points - We stopped them! Advantage: US!

A couple of punts and another stop from them, another score and it was 13-7 going into the last minuntes of the first half.  Then they went outside again... and scored.  20-7 at the half.  Were we out of it?  NOPE! Halftime came and a little pep talk and my defense was ready to start the second half.  Our blitzing worked.  We pushed them back and just when they were ready to break... they ran outside. AGAIN! Yikes!

Now, the really good news:  My team didn't quit. We ran for first downs, we threw for first downs.  We almost picked off their only 2 passes of the season.  We blitzed and blitzed and broke down their front line. We made them rethink their game plan.  It was a really good game.   One of my coaches gave me some new plays that I am going to implement ASAP!   Oh yeah, I almost forgot - Thank you very much Coach Jeff & Jeffrey for leading our defense and allowing me to step back on the sidelines to see things from a coaches eye and evaluate the little things we need to work on.

In the end though, it was too much.  They didn't score again but neither did we.  We got close on two deep passes and we did run a good offensive game but it was just a little bit too late.  However...  It was a great game and we are the first team to score against them and I was very happy when their coaches and my coaches came up to me after the game and said we ran a good game. 

So, in my humble opinion, we are the best 0-2 team in the league at this point.  We have a long weekend to rest and for me to regroup as a coach and prepare. Next week we play the RED Team. I don't know their team name, but it doesn't matter... The Aftershock are going to be ready to Rock n' Roll... Man I love coaching!

- Coach Carlos

PS – Pictures coming soon!

Make-Up Game

Well, it's about that time!!! Time to make up for our rained out game from week 1.  With only 4 days of rest in between and just enough time for an impromptu practice I am getting my team ready for what is sure to be the game of the week! 
We are playing a very quick and very physical team this Wednesday night and the game plan is simple.  Control the tempo of the game and no matter what... Do NOT let their runners get to the outside!  My team has some pretty quick players and I don't doubt that we can score on this team.  The issue is going to be getting those 1st year gitters out of my players heads in time.  I just need to explain to them that all they have to do is attack and as the cheerleaders say, Be Aggressive!! Be Be Aggressive!!  If we can do that, we will have a really good shot at winning.

I don't have time to teach any NEW plays or Trick plays so we will have to rely on what worked for us in game 1 and make sure that the defense is on point. I mean, really that's all I can ask.  Especially since this was a last minute decision to have the game on such short notice.

That's okay though.  I am not worried.  My team is full of great kids that want to win and are learning the basics of the game while having fun doing it.  I guess... No. I know that there is a part of me that doesn't want to be 0-2 going into a bye week, so it's going to be pretty important that I motivate my players tonight at practice and tomorrow during our pre-game warm up to PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY!

I am NOT a Notre Dame fan, but Coach Lou Holtz is a great motivator... Even for a Miami fan I have to say that the man could coach... So, my inspiration today comes from him -

Coach Holtz said,
“I’m going to put it in the same place [as it used to be] and everybody is going to hit it on the way out to the field to remind them of all the sacrifices they have made, their families have made and other people have made for them to be there.”

Now, I just need to get my team to believe in it and perform like it!

Go Aftershock!

-Coach Carlos

Game 1 is in the books

The Defensive attack led by my T-Rex

Well here I am a good 24 hours removed from our first football game of the season and can now sit down and put into words what I got out of our first full game.  Let me start by saying that I am so proud of my team for going out there and pushing themselves to the limit and even though Mother Nature ALMOST took away another week of preparation away from us, she decided that we would be happier campers for the rest of the weekend if we got out and got that first game out of the way.

When a coach thinks of all the things that they have to plan for in a game they don't usually plan for a bad call even though there is always going to be a bad call per game in someone's eyes.  My team did very well and I was very impressed with a lot of things that the kids did right.  We did something that from what I gather a lot of teams don't do.  We passed the ball.  I was actually told later that it's just not something that they, (the kids) can do at this level - I DO NOT AGREE... I had a game plan and for the most part we stuck to it.  We were fighting the wind and the fact that over 70% of my team have never played football on a team together.  I think that their nerves might have gotten to them at first, then there is the mere speed of the game.  When we practice they can kinda take it easy - even though I make them run a lot, they was still some heavy breathing going on out there.  

We weren't clicking as well as I had hoped for but in fact my team did do a lot of things right.  We had an interception, we forced a couple of false starts and we did not allow a single touchdown.  Even when the other team was on the goal line, we stopped them.  

Now, the moment several people have been waiting for - Did we win?  No, we did not.  How can that be if we didn't let them score?  Well... because unfortunately, there was a bad call, well... really there was just a whistle that was called before a play actually ended and our TD was called back.  Was I mad?  No. Not really.  Disappointed?  Yeah. I know how hard it can be to score a touchdown so yeah I felt for the kid who ran his heart out to get that score, but I know the referee did not mean to blow the whistle and the rule is you play till the whistle...  We didn't lose because of that.  It didn't help, but that wasn't what got us.

So, now we have 2 weeks to plan, practice & prepare.  I know that we will be better prepared for our next game.   I know the little things that we need to work on.  I know that I need to be off the field for defense & allow the other coaches to get out there & motivate the team.  I'll run the offense, they can run the defense & coach from the sidelines.

As a parent, I was extremely proud of how well my son played.  He was the defensive star of the game and I am not saying that because he's mine.  He loves to play defense & does it very well.  I think he pulled 6 or 7 flags.  He disrupted plays in the back field.  He was in the QB's face a lot.  That's what I love to see him do.  I even let him do something that he had been wanting to do since he started playing and that was let him run on offense.  He took the first snap and got us our first 4 yards of offense. (Yes, I was very proud)

We have practice this week and no game this Holiday weekend, so we have plenty of time to really work as a team and start building towards our next game.  I am not ready to guarantee a win yet.  Not because I doubt my team and their abilities.  I just don't want to get ahead of myself.

So, there it is.  First game is in the books.  Now it's time start writing chapter 2.

- Coach Carlos

Things are Starting to Click

If only the rest of the world could be this easy!!

OK - First of all. I will say this once again.  I LOVE COACHING! There... I got that out of my system.  Now, having said that let me say that when you start to see the pieces of a puzzle come together and form a beautiful picture; the feeling is great.  We had practice yesterday and welcomed our newest member to our team. I don't use names because I like to respect the kids and parents privacy, but this kid was there for his first time and did GREAT!  We were down a lineman and we were able to teach him some basics and plug him into both the Offensive and Defensive lines without too much hassle.  That's a great thing.  Kids are truly amazing.  They can pick up so much information so quickly.

I had a great moment yesterday when one of the Assistant Coaches came up to me after a couple of my "Boise State/NCAA Video Game" Plays and said, "Hey Coach, that's a great play. I like that!"  That's a great feeling for me because I have been a parent on the sideline and helped with other coaches and there is nothing worse than seeing a coach run the same plays over and over and over and .... well, you get the point.

I am  hoping that Mother Nature allows us the same kind of weather this weekend that she gave us yesterday because my kids are ready to play some football! 

I am confident but not cocky. I am eager but not desperate.  I am ready to go out there and play some Aftershock football!  I like our team name.  Because that's exactly what we plan on doing to our opponents.  Leaving them in a state of shock!  Saturday's game time is 3:15 pm.  I can't think of any other way to spend my Saturday then with my son and my team...

I'll ask this again; Are you ready for some football!?  I know I am!

-Coach Carlos

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." - Vince Lombardi

First Game - Postponed due to inclement weather

Well, where should I begin this blog entry today?  Let me think... I was supposed to tell you about how great a game my team played on Saturday and how proud I am that they did so with just 1 FULL week of practice and 2 other practices without everyone present.  However, Mother nature sometimes has her own agenda & that is where I will begin todays post. 

Saturday morning came and I was up and ready by 6:30 am.  My offensive playbook was laminated and I had my wits about me.  I was ready to go out there and spend the day out in the heat with my children.  My first son's game was at 10 am and that meant, HEAT!  HUMIDITY... and MORE HEAT!  It was in fact relentless heat that surrounded  the field was really not as bad as it has been in the past, but still when you are out there with your nerves a wreck in aniticipation of your kids first game of the season, it was bad enough.
Being able to sit back and just cheer for your child is awesome.  Even if the coach in me was giving helpful hints & scouting tips to his coach about the other team and certain players, coaching styles etc, I was mostly there just to enjoy my sons playing.  He didn't disappoint.  He scored 3 times and played a great game.  I was so proud of him.  It was fantastic.  All I needed to complete my day was to get a "W" from my team and enjoy the rest of my Saturday.  However, like I said earlier; Mother Nature is going to do what she wants to do no matter what!

So the rain came & poured over the field.  By the time my teams game was set to start we were told that there was a 75% chance that it would be postponed due to weather.  Now here's the great part.  My whole team was there, under a tent ready to go even in the rain. The kids were ready with their uniforms on & eye black smeared to their faces.  We tossed the ball around in the rain & they weren't complaining.  Sometimes, you just have to remember that it's all a game.  They called the game & I had to tell the team that our first game would be played at a later date. 

Even though they were disappointed, they understood that it was for their safety and that this unfortunate event would give us more time to prepare.  I walked back to my car across the swamp like mess that was our field and realized that even the gray clouds couldn't make me feel any less proud of my team.  THEY were ready! THEY were pumped up! THEY WANTED to play and that makes a world of difference. 

So... I await this upcoming weekend and hope that this Tropical Storm or Hurricane that's out in the Atlantic goes away so my kids can get out there and play some football.

The good news is that our first "W" is still out there waiting for us! I say that because it is ours! We know what time it is... GAME TIME!!!

-Coach Carlos

(My "Lil Bear" running for 1 of his 3 scores) - I'm still a parent so I AM VERY Proud!