I can’t fix a broken showerhead.
Or change a doorknob, or hang a curtain rod.
My wife is the handy one. She does all the repairs around the house.
But I have skills too. I’m taller, so I can reach things up on the top shelf.
And spiders.
I can kill spiders.
So bottom line, she’s good at some things and I’m good at some things. We play to our strengths.
This is important in a marriage, and also important in on a football team.
Skill Sets
The first step is learning the skill sets of our players.
Physical skill sets are easy. We can time a 40-yard dash or measure a broad jump.
But some of the softer skills are a little tougher to evaluate.
Are they good under pressure? Can they execute dynamic assignments? Are they better in wide open spaces or in close quarters?
Finding out these types of things will give you a truer sense of the athlete.
Positional Labels
The next broad step is slotting each player into a position.
Maybe a certain player is a Defensive Back, for example. You must then decide if they are a Corner, or a Half, or a Free Safety.
You likely have a broad definition for what your Free Safety, for example, will be asked to do.
Every Free Safety on your Defence should be working on those skills and getting reps at those techniques.
Subtle Tweaks
This is where the magic lies.
A high level of understanding of all your players will help you create your game plan and call plays on game day.
Perhaps your starting Free Safety, to keep with the example, is great in the Run Game. You might want to call some Blitzes that roll the Free Safety down into the Box.
If your backup Free Safety is a pure Coverage player, however, you might stay away from those calls if they get into the game.
It’s not always easy to match up the 12 players on the field with the perfect call to fit the situation, but it’s important that we try.
Final Thoughts
I’m talking football here, but there are some broad themes that can carry over to any field.
The first step is a deep dive into the skill sets of your team members.
Next, for organizational purposes, sort your team members into large buckets. (Positions, roles, job titles, etc.)
Finally, most importantly, tailor the plan to best utilize each specific skill set in each role.
This is the secret ingredient.
All the best,
Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
IG: @jonsvecx
Twitter: @jonsvecx
To read more check out the Canadian Football Chalk Talk e-books series, which includes: Defensive Basics, Linebacker Toolbox, and Modern Pressures.