Think Football: Roundtable with the Coaches

We are very excited to be bringing the Dale Moss Wide Receiver Camp to athletes in the Sioux Falls area. When I started Riggs Premier Football, I knew that the combination of exceptional area talent, a state-of-the-art Fieldhouse, and athletes with a strong desire to work their skills year-round would combine to create an entirely new way of thinking about football training in the region. Dale was one of the first athletes who trained with us, he continues to train and coach with us, and he exemplifies the combination of athletic talent and an unparalleled work ethic in a way that we think athletes should learn from. He has committed to putting on this camp for area athletes on an annual basis, and we are looking forward to continuing our work with him when he has time off from his NFL career.

We are fortunate to have extremely talented WR coaches, Will Powell and Korey Williams, working with our athletes as well. Each of these athletes brings veteran knowledge of the WR position, remarkable athletic talent, and a strong desire to work with young athletes. Dale and Will are from the area and know the opportunities kids have in our region and the struggles they will face. All three of our WR coaches are men who will always go the extra mile to make themselves and our Academy athletes better. These three coaches are very much shaping the way area athletes think about the position and the game of football. We are very lucky to have them on board, and I asked them to share some of their thoughts and advice on playing WR as we prepare for this clinic.

What are the most important qualities in a WR, and how do you display those?

Will: The best receivers are smart, physical, and efficient in their route running. Playing fast, but under control is crucial to being successful at WR. Obviously, a great receiver needs to have exceptional hands as well.

Dale Moss

Dale: I feel the top qualities in a WR are consistency, confidence, and attention to detail. You are heavily relied on to make plays for your team and to protect your quarterback, which is why it's so important to be confident that anything thrown is your ball. The timing between you and your quarterback is crucial, and you have to pay attention to all the small details (route depth, steps) so you and your QB are on the same page. Finally, consistency is what allows you to be deceptive in your route running and getting separation. If you make everything look the same, the defender never knows what route you are about to run.

What kind of workouts do you do, and how does it make you a better WR?

Korey:  I never stick to one thing because the game is always changing, but the fundamentals don't! I do cone drills to keep my breaking points crisp, ladder drills to keep my feet fast, route running on air to get my steps down for timing, and most importantly, watch video to see what I can add to my game to give me the edge on the defender.

Dale:  I do a lot of footwork drills as well as change of direction-type training. The better your footwork, the easier it is to get in and out of cuts. I also focus on the change of direction so I can control my body when breaking down and changing directions, which allows me to keep my routes consistent and all looking the same.

What advice would you give a young athlete who wants to play WR?

Will Powell

Will: Practice, practice, practice! Have fun! Wide receivers have more fun than anyone on else on the field! The more that receivers can perfect their routes and ball skills, the easier it will be to score touchdowns during the season. Nothing is more beneficial than running routes and catching balls from a QB!

Korey:  Get your parents to buy you a ladder! Practice on your own outside of school practice, that is what separates receivers. Keep your grades up so that you can get into any school that you want, and remember, football is just the beginning. There is a lot more to life than football, and you will need knowledge to crack into it.

Korey Williams

Why should athletes go to this special WR Clinic?

Will:  Athletes should go to this clinic because they will learn what it takes to be a successful WR at any level. I wish I had the opportunity to attend a clinic like this when I was younger, because I really I didn't understand what it took to run great routes until I was in college. We are going to teach athletes how to improve their footwork and ball skills, as well as helping them become efficient route runners.

Dale:  It's a great opportunity to learn things that I've been taught from some of the best coaches/players in the game. There haven't been many opportunities for kids in this area to receive a lot of individual attention on the basic skills of being a WR, and these are things that can really take your game to another level! We have a great staff that cares and wants to see kids from SD continue to develop and succeed!

We hope to see you at the Fieldhouse for this tremendous opportunity to work with our premier coaching staff and focus on the skills you need to play wide receiver! --Coach Riggs

Listen Up, Sports Parents!

I recently had a colleague tell me about the article that is circulating in social media from the The PostGame entitled, "What Makes A Nightmare Sports Parent -- And What Makes A Great One."  As I read this article, I could not help but reflect how many times parents would be deemed the “bad parent." Sometimes it takes an outside source and some self-reflection to realize that as much as we are trying to help our kids, sometimes we actually can make things worse.

In the article, Reporter Steve Henson shares the beliefs of Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller of Proactive Coaching, LLC, who are devoted to helping athletes, coaches and parents. As much as we all hope that we fit the “Five Signs of an Ideal Sports Parent,” there are going to be times that we fall into the “Nightmare” category. We are fiercely loyal and protective of our kids, and we have strong opinions about what is best for them and how they will achieve their potential. Nobody understands them better than we do, right? And parents never intend to make things worse for their children. In fact, the intentions are completely opposite. We always want what is best for our children, but sometimes the way we go about achieving that goal overshadows the overall purpose of athletics.

 Kids who compete know when they have done something great and when they have done something that took away from their performance. Athletes are usually the toughest critics on themselves, and the last thing they want is someone pointing out the mistakes that they are already dwelling on. This totally goes against what parents want, which is the opportunity to teach and correct. Athletes, especially children, are not going to take their parents' dissection of their mistakes as a learning opportunity. As the article states, the worst memory of athletics was, “The ride home from games with my parents.” And I will admit right now that I have been that parent. Countless times, I have tried to point things out from an athletic event that could be easily corrected. Countless times, it has led to a disagreement. I thought to myself, “I am a coach, I can give advice on these things," when in fact, I should have been taking the role of a dad that is fully supportive of my child. There is a time and a place for the learning to occur, but in those times after a tough game, the most important thing we can teach them is that we are their biggest fans, no matter what.

After reading the article, parents have to wonder if they can ever be defined as the “Ideal Sports Parent”? I think any time children have the chance to compete at anything, then parents have a chance to redeem themselves. Just as our kids are learning their sport, we can stand beside them and learn to provide better support. Brown and Miller recommend these ideas for becoming the “Ideal Sports Parent”:

1. Cheer for everybody on the team, not just your child.
2. Model appropriate behavior.
3. Know what is suitable to discuss with the coach.
4. Know your role.
5. Be a good listener and a great encourager.

These are simple tips that we could all bear in mind as we cheer for our favorite athletes. I hope that parents, coaches and athletes will take the time to read the article and think about ways to improve. The reward for our efforts is a solid and supportive relationship with our kids, win or lose, and that is a goal worth shooting for!