Program Overview

Mission Statement

Our football program will develop the total student athlete by building habits and characteristics for long-term success as a football player, student, and contributing member of this community.  Our ultimate goal and vision is to build an elite football program that provides our students with a life-changing experience that prepares them for both athletic and educational opportunities beyond high school.

Program Goals

  1. Graduate ALL of our players

  2. Build the best person possible

  3. Build community involvement and pride in our program

  4. Build an elite football program 

  5. Win the State Championship

Year-Around Program Plan

High school football has evolved into a year-round commitment. Success on the field now depends on far more than what happens during the fall season. The demands of competition, player development, strength and conditioning, and administrative responsibilities have expanded so much that effective programs must operate with a 12-month plan.

  • January – Foundation & Offseason Planning

    Focus: Program organization, staffing, player development planning

    • Conduct end-of-season staff evaluations and meetings

    • Review previous season’s film, stats, and player evaluations

    • Finalize coaching staff (rehires, new hires, role adjustments)

    • Develop offseason strength & conditioning plan (coordinate with strength coach)

    • Meet with administration about next year’s budget, schedule, and goals

    • Continue academic monitoring and grade checks for players

    • Order offseason gear (workout shirts, shorts, etc.)

    • Begin winter weight training and speed development program

    • Finalize equipment inventory and reconditioning orders

    February – Strength & Team Building

    Focus: Player development and culture building

    • Continue structured strength & conditioning sessions

    • Begin leadership council meetings

    • Continue 7th–8th grade outreach

    • Review and update playbooks, terminology, and install plans

    • Attend coaching clinics (Glazier, college visits)

    • Meet with boosters about spring and summer fundraising plans

    • Begin preliminary spring football staff meetings

    • Begin position meetings before or after school.

    March – Pre-Spring Prep & Recruiting Support

    Focus: Spring planning and player exposure

    • Continue strength/speed program

    • Continue academic progress reporting

    • Develop and finalize spring practice schedule

    • Review special teams structure and responsibilities

    • Start film cut-ups for install (offense, defense, special teams)

    • Continue recruiting focus: film editing, transcripts, communication with college coaches

    • Organize and promote spring fundraiser(s)

  • April – Spring Organization & Community Engagement

    Focus: Final prep for spring practice, program promotion

    • Hold parent/player spring info meeting

    • Send summer calendar and expectations to families

    • Coordinate with middle school staff about feeder program alignment

    • Set up media/branding (team social media, photo day prep, website updates)

    • Continue leadership meetings and culture development

    • Finish spring game logistics (officials, field prep, promotion)

    May – Spring Football Season

    Focus: On-field evaluation and team installation

    • Conduct GHSA-approved 10 spring practice days

    • Hold team cookout, family night, or scrimmage after spring game

    • Evaluate players and create depth charts heading into summer

    • Meet with coaching staff post-spring for evaluations and adjustments

    • Plan and finalize summer 7-on-7 and camp schedule

    • Continue weight program for non-spring sport athletes

    • Evaluate final grades for players.

    • Evaluate goal-setting sheets with each player.

  • June

    Focus: Conditioning, competition, and team chemistry

    • Begin summer workouts

    • Participate in 7-on-7 tournaments and padded camps

    • Conduct team-building activities (community service, leadership retreats)

    • Track player attendance and effort; address commitment issues early

    • Attend booster club meetings for fall event planning (media day, concessions, sponsorships)

    • Begin uniform checks and locker assignments

    • Ensure all players are physically cleared for July workouts

    July

    Focus: Conditioning, accountability, final details

    • Continue summer workouts after dead week

    • Conduct team camp or intersquad scrimmage (within GHSA guidelines)

    • Issue equipment, finalize roster and eligibility paperwork

    • Conduct parent/player mandatory meeting before official practice

    • Submit GHSA physicals, rosters, and compliance documents

    • Finalize game-day operations plan (sideline setup, staff assignments, communication systems)

  • August – Season Begins

    Focus: Official practice, scrimmages, and first games

    • Begin official fall practice 

    • Begin school

    • Conduct acclimatization period per GHSA rules

    • Hold preseason scrimmage(s)

    • Finalize depth charts

    • Begin academic checks

    • Communicate weekly with parents, media, and boosters

    • Prepare for first regular-season game

    September – Regular Season

    Focus: Compete, evaluate, and sustain

    • Weekly: film breakdown, scouting, game planning, and practice scripting

    • Monitor player health and academics

    • Continue weekly staff meetings and leadership council check-ins

    • Maintain booster club support for concessions, events, and travel

    • Track JV/freshman development and rotations

    • Manage community relations and game promotions (Homecoming, Senior Night planning)

    October – Playoff Push & Program Promotion

    Focus: Late-season execution and future planning

    • Continue weekly film and game plan cycle

    • Keep morale high and maintain energy in practices

    • Begin postseason and banquet planning

    • Identify underclassmen ready for varsity reps

    • Start next season’s scheduling and non-region opponent negotiations

    • Evaluate assistant coaches’ effectiveness

    • Maintain college recruiting support for seniors

    November – Playoffs & Program Reflection

    Focus: Finish strong and prepare for transition

    • Compete in state playoffs or complete final regular-season games

    • Conduct end-of-season staff and player meetings

    • Gather and evaluate game film and statistics

    • Turn in postseason reports and inventory all equipment

    • Begin offseason strength testing and body assessments

    • Celebrate seniors and promote underclassmen leadership transition

    December – Reflection & Reset

    Focus: Program evaluation and next-year planning

    • Conduct detailed program self-audit: culture, staff, player development, academics

    • Meet with administration for program review

    • Hold team banquet and awards night

    • Prepare offseason strength program updates

    • Begin player goal-setting meetings

    • Recognize academic all-stars and community contributors

    • Rest, recharge, and network professionally

First Three Months Plan

  • Objective: Learn, listen, and set the tone for the program.

    1. Program Evaluation

    • Meet with the athletic director and school administration to understand expectations, resources, and vision.

    • Meet with the booster club president to review program finances.

    • Conduct staff interviews (assistants, strength coaches, trainers, etc.) to assess roles, philosophies, and future plans.

    • Evaluate equipment, facilities, uniforms, and weight room needs.

    • Evaluate current Junior Varsity schedule.

    • Meet with youth football director and evaluate our feeder youth program

    2. Culture & Communication

    • Hold an introductory team meeting

    • Outline our vision, values, and standards (effort, discipline, academics, community). Communicate your philosophy 

    • Meet with middle school coaches within our program.

    • Begin building trust and relationships with teachers, administration, and community.

    • Establish open lines of communication for teachers, staff, and administration with the football program.

    • Introduction to feeder middle school principles.

    3. Offseason Organization

    • Review and/or create an offseason strength & conditioning plan.

    • Set attendance and accountability expectations for offseason workouts.

    • Evaluate current offensive, defensive, and special teams systems — begin planning alignment with our philosophy.

    4. Administrative Setup

    • Establish communication channels (Remind, Hudl, Team Stack App, etc.).

    • Establish academic standards with players and parents.

    • Review the budget and begin identifying booster club needs and fundraising opportunities.

  • Objective: Begin transforming the culture and implementing our systems.

    1. Culture & Standards

    • Reinforce core values daily: accountability, toughness, teamwork, academics.

    • Bi-Weekly grade checks.

    • Celebrate small wins — recognize effort, improvement, and academic achievement.

    2. Staff & Player Development

    • Finalize staff roles and responsibilities (position coaches, coordinators, special teams).

    • Begin staff meetings weekly to review progress and align on philosophy and language.

    • Conduct spring/summer practice installs (introduce playbook terminology, base plays).

    • Plan Spring practice

    • Continue strength and conditioning — measure progress and attendance.

    3. Program Infrastructure

    • Start building recruiting and college profiles for returning players.

    • Launch fundraising initiatives (spirit wear sales, camps, sponsorships).

    • Finalize and communicate summer workouts calendar.

    • Begin planning summer camp schedules, 7-on-7 competitions, and team events.

    • Work with AD to address equipment/facility upgrades.

    • Finalize Junior Varsity and Varsity schedules.

    4. Community & Public Relations

    • Meet with parents and booster club to communicate needs and vision.

    • Attend school and community events to build visibility.

    • Promote our program on social media (Twitter, Instagram, etc.) for program updates and culture promotion.

    • Hold Pre-Spring parent meeting to discuss program standards, Spring and Summer expectations, and recruiting information.

    • Hold interest meeting with rising 9th graders from feeder middle schools.

  • Objective: Solidify systems, deepen relationships, and prepare for competition.

    1. On-Field Preparation

    • Conduct Spring practice and Spring game;.

    • Evaluate player performance after Spring and set preliminary depth charts.

    2. Leadership & Accountability

    • Establish Leadership Council after Spring practice.

    • Continue emphasizing academic eligibility and classroom discipline.

    • Reinforce team standards — ensure buy-in and accountability.

    3. Program & Community Growth

    • Host a “Meet the Team Night” or community cookout before the season.

    • Finalize media day, team pictures, and website updates.

    • Present a clear vision for in-season expectations (practice attendance, nutrition, academics, behavior).

    • Review and adjust coaching staff communication and responsibilities for game week operations.

    • Finalize referees for home game (JV and Varsity)

    • Finalize busses for away games (JV and Varsity)

    4. Long-Term Planning

    • Establish goal setting for the upcoming school year with players. (Players complete goal setting sheet)

    • Finalize and share fall practice schedule calendar.

Our goal is to use the game of football as a vehicle to teach life-long lessons and work ethic that will produce productive members of society many years after they leave our halls.

Academic Plan

It is vital to the overall success of our football program and student athletes that students' grades be monitored throughout the entire school year by the football staff.  This provides the coaches and players the ability to intervene and create a plan of action for academic success before a player’s grades fall to a level that is mathematically impossible to overcome.  If a player continues to perform poorly in the classroom, after intervention from our coaching staff, the player may be subject to suspension from practice and/or games in order to better focus on their school work.

To ensure our students are performing well in the classroom, we will hold bi-weekly grade checks and quarterly teacher reports about each player. This approach allows us to support our student athletes and identify deficits and struggles they are having in class and seek or provide targeted intervention to improve our student-athletes grades. Along with grade check, we will establish a weekly study hall where our players can complete homework and receive additional support from coaches and teachers during this study hall.

The purpose of our weekly study hall is to provide our players with a block of time each week strictly designed for academic progress. We will reach out to teachers in our building to volunteer a short amount of their time to provide specific support in their respective disciplines.


Student-Athlete Progress Monitoring

Strength and Conditioning

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This plan is designed to develop strength, speed, and power throughout the year while supporting player safety and performance on the field.

All players train the same core lifts, scaled to their ability. Lifts are based on percentages of the athlete’s three-rep max (3RM). Players will be divided into rack groups of 5–6 based upon their present levels of performance and rotate through stations efficiently. We will assess student achievement and growth in our strength and conditioning program multiple times through the year.

  • Goal: Build strength, size, and explosive power.
    Schedule: 4 lifting days per week (Monday–Thursday)

    • Mon: Lower Body (Heavy)

    • Tue: Upper Body (Heavy)

    • Wed: Recovery / Speed

    • Thu: Lower Body (Dynamic)

    • Fri: Upper Body (Dynamic or Hypertrophy)

    December – Foundation Phase

    Focus: Re-teach technique, improve mobility, establish a base.

    • Back Squat – 4x8 @ 60–70%

    • Bench Press – 4x8 @ 60–70%

    • Power Clean – 5x3 (light, form emphasis)

    • Deadlift – 3x8

    • Accessory Work: DB Rows, Lunges, Pull-Ups, Core Circuits

    January – Base Strength

    Focus: Build volume and work capacity.

    • Back Squat – 5x5 @ 70–75%

    • Bench Press – 5x5 @ 70–75%

    • Power Clean – 5x3

    • Front Squat – 4x6

    • Accessory Work: RDLs, Incline DB Press, Step-Ups, Face Pulls, Core

    February – Strength Phase I

    Focus: Max strength and stability.

    • Squat – 5x5 @ 75–80%

    • Bench – 5x5 @ 75–80%

    • Power Clean – 6x2 @ 70–80%

    • Push Press – 5x3 @ 70%

    • Accessory Work: Barbell Rows, Dips, Lunges, Pull-Ups, Core

    March – Strength Phase II

    Focus: Peak strength, prepare for spring football.

    • Squat – 5x4 @ 80–85%

    • Bench – 5x4 @ 80–85%

    • Power Clean – 6x2 @ 75–85%

    • Front Squat – 4x4

    • Accessory Work: RDLs, DB Bench, DB Rows, Core

    • Week 4: Deload week (reduce weight by 10–15%)

    April – Power Phase

    Focus: Transition strength into speed and explosiveness.

    • Power Clean – 5x3 @ 65–75%

    • Front Squat – 3x5 @ 70%

    • Push Press – 5x3 @ 70%

    • Trap Bar Deadlift – 4x4

    • Accessory Work: Step-Ups, Med Ball Throws, Chin-Ups, Core

    • Conditioning: Short sprints, sled pulls, jumps

    May – Transition & Speed

    Focus: Lighten load, increase mobility and conditioning before summer.

    • Squat – 3x5 @ 65%

    • Bench – 3x5 @ 65%

    • Power Clean – 5x2 @ 60%

    • Accessory Work: DB Rows, Lunges, RDLs, Core

    • Conditioning: Tempo runs, ladders, agility work

  • Goal: Maintain strength and power while limiting fatigue.
    Schedule: 2–3 days per week (Monday/Wednesday optional Friday)

    June – Summer

    Focus: Maintain strength and speed foundation.

    • Squat – 3x5 @ 70–80%

    • Bench – 3x5 @ 70–80%

    • Power Clean – 4x2 @ 65–75%

    • Accessory Work: Rows, Step-Ups, Core

    • Conditioning: Speed work and position drills

    July – Summer

    Focus: Keep strength, improve bar speed.

    • Power Clean – 5x2 @ 65–75%

    • Front Squat – 3x3 @ 70%

    • Push Press – 3x3 @ 70%

    • Accessory Work: RDLs, DB Bench, Pull-Ups, Core

    • Conditioning: Explosive jumps, sled work, med ball throws

    August – Camp / Preseason

    Focus: Maintain strength, reduce volume, and keep players healthy.

    • Squat – 3x5 @ 60–70%

    • Bench – 3x5 @ 60–70%

    • Power Clean – 4x2 @ 60–70%

    • Accessory Work: Lunges, Rows, Core

    • Conditioning: Done on field during practice

    September – October (In-Season)

    Focus: Maintain strength and stability.

    • Squat – 3x3 @ 65–75%

    • Bench – 3x3 @ 65–75%

    • Power Clean – 3x2 @ 65–75%

    • Accessory Work: Step-Ups, Pull-Ups, Core Stability

    • Bye Week: Optional heavier lift (75–80%)

    November – Playoffs & Recovery

    Focus: Stay fresh, avoid overtraining.

    • Squat – 2x5 @ 50–60%

    • Bench – 2x5 @ 50–60%

    • Power Clean – 3x2 @ 60%

    • Accessory Work: Bodyweight circuits, mobility work, light core

Community Involvement

Feeder Systems

A. Youth and Middle School Football Involvement

1. Open door policy for all coaches

2. Varsity coaches and players will be present during feeder program games

3. Youth Night and Middle School Night at home games (On field recognition) 

4. Youth Camp  

B. Community service for high school players

          1. Toys for Tots 

          2. Volunteer to serve at school functions

     

Involvement with School Community

A. Teacher Appreciation Letters

B. Scout team Player of the Week

C. Alumni players invited to return and share their experiences with current team members

D. Visit feeder elementary schools (Reading, car rider line welcome, field day assistance)

F. Work with school school programs such as our Leadership classes and A/V program to get more students involved in our program outside of playing on the team.

Character Development

A. Community leaders speak to team

B. FCA speaker for pregame meals

C. Pre-Season Goal Setting

D. Youth Camp

Parental Involvement

A. Two parent meetings per year

             1. Discuss goals and expectations

             2. Review football calendar  

           3. Discuss college options  

            4. Organize volunteers  

B. Communication through TeamReach/Team Stack App

Build Team Chemistry

A. Player Leadership Council

B. Connection Sessions

C. Team meals in offseason to build leadership

D. Player/Coach position meetings