This time of year I divide my time between spring conditioning with the team and phone calls to high school coaches. I am currently talking with approximately 125 high school coaches about LinemenInc. I feel it is important to personally get the word out about what we do. Hence the phone calls.

What I don’t understand, never have and never will are those coaches that feel they have learned enough that neither they nor their players need a camp like LinemenInc. I guess I should first give a brief explanation of just exactly what we do. LinemenInc is a working skills camp for high school players and a working clinic for high school coaches. We teach both, the necessary skills to be successful at their positions. A lot of time has gone into the program we present and I personally think it’s the best available.

That having been said, how can one believe they’ve learned enough? “Coach, I’ve been doing this for 20 year’s and I think I’m doing a pretty good job.”

Yes, 20 year’s is a long time and I’m sure you’ve a ton of knowledge but I am equally sure that something’s have changed with the game in the past 20 year’s requiring a tune up. Surgeons and doctor’s constantly go to seminars to better hone their skills, why not a coach? I spent the weekend at the Cal Coaching Clinic and while I didn’t learn a lot of new things, I did pick up some subtle technique things that I want to be sure to incorporate in my coaching.

As coaches we are only as good as our knowledge. That knowledge needs to be refreshed from time to time and what better way than a working clinic? A clinic that takes you out of the classroom and onto the field where you are a participant, not an observer. If not LinemenInc than find another but stay educated gentlemen.

Why send the players? Several reasons: First, the camp experience itself. These kids get a chance to get away from home and team for a couple of days and feel a bit of independence. Then there is the intensity and the challenge of the camp. These big guys are only going to get challenged so much on their own teams but when you get them with 40 or 50 other big guys that level of competition naturally rises and so does their level of play. How about the skills they will learn under the tutelage of some of the finest college coaches in the country? Finally, it’s an opportunity for them to learn their true worth to the team and realize that although they won’t be getting any headlines in the paper, without them there would be no team and no success. Linemen are the true skills players in my opinion.

Okay, I’m getting off of my soap box. I personally want to be the very best I can be at what I do. To that end I will continue to tap into every opportunity and every person that I can to help better myself. The minute we, players and coaches, stop learning is the moment we start falling behind.