Heads Up at Riggs Premier Football

Have you heard about Heads Up Football (HUF) and the "better, safer game" for youth football programs? The NFL has been promoting the program since last fall, youth leagues around the nation are adopting HUF techniques, and Coach Riggs has written several blog posts about it, most recently 'Heads Up: Coaching for Change". The culture of football is changing to become more proactive with injury prevention, and HUF seeks to introduce that philosophy to every level of the game, starting with our youngest athletes.

Changing the culture of football requires change at every level and in every part of the country.  

Teaching Heads Up tackling

Athletes in the Sioux Falls area are fortunate to be on the forefront of that culture change, and we want parents, athletes and coaches to understand what this development in the sport means for them. Many people and organizations have been involved in bringing HUF to SD athletes. Coach Riggs has asked each of those involved in the HUF transition to explain their part in bringing the program to South Dakota and to help parents and athletes understand how the changes affect them. Coach Riggs will share his interviews with representatives from SD Junior Football and USA Football, NFL Ambassador Brian Hansen, and Dr. Thayne Munce from Sanford Orthopedics/National Institute for Athletic Health and Performance. While their roles in bringing HUF to SD vary, they are all firmly behind this important movement to improve safety standards in youth football.

Coach Hermanson teaching tackling

RPF is also on board and focusing on fundamentals for all ages in July! We have our Think Football QB Clinic July 26th and an all ages 7 on 7 Tournament July 19-20, and we are also working to get athletes specifically trained in HUF techniques before the 2013 season! The SDJRFB camp July 10-13 for 2nd-8th graders, our Tackling Clinic July 16-17 for all ages, and a Non-contact camp for K-5th graders July 29-31 are designed to specifically train area athletes on proper fundamentals the HUF way. No matter which events athletes choose in July, they are guaranteed careful emphasis on fundamentals and technique. We believe that is an essential component of teaching the sport to promote the changing culture.


There are many benefits to be realized from training and certifying coaches, increasing awareness of injury prevention, and improving athletic performance without affecting the competitive spirit of football. It is exciting to see this collective effort to improve safety in the sport, and we are proud to be part of that effort in South Dakota. Stay tuned for more on HUF during the month of June, and join us for our July camps and clinics to get a Heads Up on the 2013 season!

Think Football: Roundtable with the Kick/Punt/Snap Coach

We are following the OLine/DLine Challenge and Skills Clinics with a Kicking, Punting and Snapping Clinic on May 28-29.  Former All-American kicker from SDSU, Parker Douglass, is leading the clinic for Riggs Premier Football. Parker is one of the rare kickers that has been able to kick successfully at all levels. Parker had a successful career at SDSU, then was able to kick in the IFL, UFL and NFL. Certain kickers have the unique ability to get the ball in the air quickly off the foot, kick with distance, and kick with accuracy. Parker is definitely one of the those kickers! Over the years, Parker has worked very hard to perfect his craft, and he spends countless hours trying to make sure that he is prepared for all situations! Kids are very lucky to have the opportunity to receive coaching from this great Jackrabbit Alum!

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

Some of the most important qualities of a kicking specialist include: a strong work ethic, desire to be the best, being coachable, and belief or confidence in one’s self.

What advice would you give to a young athlete who someday wants to be a kicking specialist?

Work hard and take advantage of your opportunities to get coaching and advice from someone who has had success at your position. I did not begin kicking until I was in high school, and I did not have any professional coaching until after college. I wish I had pursued professional coaching since high school because I believe I would have performed better.

What’s your favorite part about being a kicking specialist?

Being there for my team. The kicking game can provide a big advantage. Your team depends on you, and I enjoy doing everything I can to put points on the board and help put the team in a position to succeed.

Why should athletes attend this Kick/Snap/Punt camp?

I believe it would be a great advantage to any kicking specialist who attends this camp. As I stated earlier, I did not receive professional coaching until after I was done with college. I had to coach myself and learn from watching the NFL. There is only so much you can learn from watching, and I truly believe I would have performed much better in high school and college had I received more training.

We are looking forward to working with athletes who are focused on improving their skills as kicking specialists!  And stay tuned for our blog series leading up to our July camps and clinics.  Heads up! It's time to focus on tackling!

Think Football: Roundtable with the Skills Position Coaches

This Think Football summer is designed to give athletes an unprecedented opportunity to focus on their athletic development and off season training. Our position clinics provide athletes the chance to work closely with position coaches on the fundamentals of playing their position and technique development to improve their play. We focused on the lineman position with our OLine/DLine coaches to help athletes gear up for the Challenge Clinic, so now it is time for our Skill Position coaches to offer a few thoughts about attending their Skills Camp on May 22-24!

What do skill players need to focus on? Running routes, breaks, cutting, and tackling are just a few of the skills that are required to perform at a high level on the football field. As with any sport, athletes have success by repeating movements and techniques to train their body and mind to correctly perform fundamental skills at a high level. The Skills Clinic is a great opportunity to maximize reps and work on the "little things" that will improve your game. Football movements are unique, so we have to put ourselves in these positions in the off season to keep our skills sharp!

Josh Siegfried and Blake Wilson are two of our coaches who will be working to assist athletes at the Skills Clinic. Josh has an extensive background coaching and playing, and he will be working the defensive side of the ball to teach athletes the essentials of defensive skill positions. Blake Wilson had a very successful career at Southwest Minnesota State at wide receiver, and he is continuing his career playing with the Sioux Falls Storm and coaching with RPF. Blake's career has continued because of his work ethic and his ability to work on the "little things" required to play receiver. Blake does an excellent job setting up routes, blocking, understanding the defense and thinking like a quarterback. Both of these coaches are excited to work on skill development at their clinic!

Blake Wilson

What advice would you give to a young athlete who someday wants to play at a skill position?

Josh:  Deep Practice! There are a lot of good players out there, but if you want to separate yourself from the crowd, you must put in the time and effort to become great! You must focus on your deficits as a player and then practice those at a high level to train your body and mind to react in a way that improves your game and the success of the team.

Blake: Work, work, and more work! If you want to be the best at any position you play you have to be willing to put in the sweat and time.

What is your favorite part about playing/coaching at your position?

Josh: Defense is all about doing your job as part of the scheme. It’s really all about team, chemistry, and trust. When everyone does their job, the success is very rewarding. Defense is PASSION...getting excited about successes as a unit!

Blake: The satisfaction you get from the joy of your teammates when you pick up a key third down conversion or score a game winning touchdown. That is the best part of playing receiver!

Josh Siegfried

Why should athletes go to this special position clinic?

Josh: You must become an expert at your position and understand what is happening around you to help your team win! You need to keep these skills sharp in the off season to allow you to show growth year in and year out. These are not all movements and reads that you do on a consistent basis, and skills clinic will allow you to get a step up on your competition. Practicing these movements also gives you confidence, and when you combine ability to play faster with confidence, you will develop a football player that performs at a high level.

Blake: As a receiver you must know your strengths and advantages. Whether you are faster, quicker, or maybe just bigger than your defender, you need to utilize that advantage. This clinic gives athletes a opportunity to develop their strengths and learn details about the position that will give them a step up on their competition. They will learn from coaches that have been where they are and know what it takes to raise their game to another level.

We are looking forward to the Skills Clinic next week! Stay tuned for more discussions with our coaches. Next up is Coach Riggs’ conversation with kicking coach, Parker Douglass.

Think Football: Roundtable with the OLine Coaches

The OLine/DLine Challenge Clinic will be held May 20-21 at the Fieldhouse. In the last blog post, I invited the Defensive Line coaches to share their thoughts on their upcoming Think Football Challenge Clinic, and now it is the Offensive Line coaches’ turn to say a few words.

Shawn Flanagan played college football at the University of Oregon, then Eastern Oregon, and finished his collegiate career winning a national title at the University of Sioux Falls. After college, Shawn was signed by the New Orleans Saints. He currently coaches football and track at Colman, and coaches offensive linemen with RPF.

Charlie Sanders won two national titles at Valdosta State and then played for the Billings Outlaws. Charlie now anchors the offensive line with the Sioux Falls Storm. During his three years with the Storm, Charlie has been voted first team all-league and helped lead the team to back-to-back titles. He also coaches centers and other offensive linemen with RPF.

What are the most important qualities in an offensive lineman, and how do you display those?

Shawn: Work ethic, ability to change direction, strength, explosive hips, quick feet, and knowledge and ability to lower hips, stay square, drive through contact, hand and head placement, and understanding blocking angles. You display these by always being in a position to execute your assignment from snap to whistle with power and control of your opponent.

Shawn Flanagan

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

Charlie: I do lots of footwork drills. As linemen, we are not required to run long distances but we have to be quick on our feet to put ourselves in the best possible situation on every play.




What advice would you give to a young athlete who someday wants to play at your position?

Shawn: Be involved in a long term strength program, work on specific football skills such as pass sets, and drive blocking. It’s important to do this because it takes an average of 10,000 reps of doing something before you can master a certain skill and not have to think. The more you think the slower you play!

Charlie: Don’t ever forget that the snap is the most important thing! The snap of the football starts every single play, and it can make or break every single play.

Why should athletes go to this special OLine/DLine Challenge Clinic?

Charlie Sanders

Shawn: These coaches have played or are still playing at a high level, and there is no one better that understands what correlates to football in terms of drills and knowledge.

Charlie: There is so much focus on the skills positions when it comes to specialized training, and it can leave offensive linemen behind the curve. Why should linemen be punished?

The OLine/DLine Challenge Clinic will allow specific focus on the techniques of playing on the line. There are not many opportunities for specialized instruction and coaching for linemen, so athletes will really benefit from the careful attention to fundamentals and skills at these positions. We hope to see a great group of linemen who are up for this challenge! And stay tuned next for advice from the skill position coaches on their upcoming Skills Clinic.

Think Football: Roundtable with the DLine Coaches

The Sanford POWER Football Academy is getting ready to kick off its Think Football summer with a series of position clinics, and two 7 on 7 tournaments. As we run our clinics this summer, we are asking some of our position coaches to share their perspectives on the game, training, and learning fundamental skills to play at each position. Our first clinic is the OLine/DLine Challenge Clinic, so we invited two of our Defensive Line coaches to share their thoughts.

Cory Johnsen is a local athlete from Aberdeen, SD, who went on to play in college at St. Cloud State University. He has been a dominant force at the Nose Guard position for many years with the Sioux Falls Storm. Cory coaches with RPF, and he has coached at Augustana College, working with their defensive line.

Rachman Crable brings college and pro-experience from many different levels. Rachman played D1 football at Ball State, then bounced around with NFL teams and Arena Football teams. He has played with the Sioux Falls Storm for five years. He has tremendous football ability and intelligence, and having Rachman playing is like having another coach on the field. Rachman coaches with RPF and also assisted Augustana's staff last year with the defensive line. Both coaches are well-loved and respected by the athletes they train at RPF!

What are the most important qualities in a defensive lineman?

Cory Johnsen

Rachman: Having a good attitude. Wanting to work hard and listening. Athletes display those by showing up ready to improve and work hard each session and by knowing their coaches only want the best for them.

Cory: Work Ethic! ‘Want To’! Toughness! Athletes display those by working their butt off during drills and practice, so during the game it comes easy and natural.



What advice would you give a young athlete who someday wants to play at your position?

Rachman: Pay attention to people playing your position, either on your team or another. Always be a willing learner and a resilient worker.

Cory: The key to being a successful defensive lineman is first, work ethic, then combine that with a good base set of DLine skills, and implement some special skills to complement the fundamentals, and you will have success!

Why should athletes come to the OLine/DLine Challenge Clinic?

Rachman Crable

Rachman: I feel it gives kids a great head start on bettering their skills and mentality. They will be getting great one-on-one coaching and interaction with trainers/coaches that have ‘been there and done that’ and want to see young athletes succeed.

Cory: Athletes should come to this clinic to learn the small key features and skills of being a defensive lineman. We will help athletes learn the key components to the position that a regular coach just does not have the time to implement.

Riggs Premier Football is offering the position clinics to give athletes the chance to do focused work on the fundamentals of every position. It is difficult during the regular season to do one-on-one work with athletes during regular practices, so the clinics will allow for specialized coaching and careful attention to fundamentals and skill development. It is a great opportunity for athletes to build their abilities and confidence before the season. Be sure to stay tuned for the next round of advice from our OLine coaches!

Work Those Skills! The Advantages of the 7 on 7 for Athletic Development

One of the most important concepts that coaches preach to their players is "maximum repetition." With limited practice time, coaches need their players to get as many reps as possible in a short amount of time. A regular football practice is often limited in the number of reps that skill players can get, and teams wanting to hone their skills in the off-season have found very few available options.

Those limitations resulted in the creation of  7 on 7 passing leagues. In a 7 on 7, we take away the Offensive/Defensive Linemen and allow the skilled positions to work on refining the passing game without the physical contact and pounding up front. QB's and WR's are given the opportunity to get the many extra reps that are not possible in a short practice. DB's and LB's are able to work their pass drops and strengthen their communication as they learn to improve their coverages.  It is a tremendous format for individual athletes to hone their skill sets and for teams to work together to enhance their technique and passing game.

The 7 on 7 leagues have been a big deal in the South and other parts of the country, both from the standpoint of improving athletic skill and giving recruiters the ability to see "best of" skilled positions playing at the same time.  In our area, 7 on 7's have been attempted in the past, but without an available year-round facility to house the competition, no one has ever been able to make it work long term.  The Sanford Fieldhouse changes that, and Riggs Premier Football is inviting athletes of all ages to get involved in these fun and competitive events this summer.

There are several options available for area athletes:

1)  Elementary/Middle School Tournaments - We have tourneys coming up on May 24th and July 19-20.  These tournaments give young athletes a chance to excel at the parts of the game that are difficult to duplicate in the regular season setting.  Offensive/Defensive linemen have the edge at this age, so the 7 on 7 format allows athletes to develop their position skills and complete plays to the satisfaction of a coach.

2)  High School Tournaments - We are hosting the 1st Annual Rise Above the Region Tournament on June 1-2, and a tournament for local athletes on July 19-20.  For the June tournament, there are over 400 invited coaches from the five-state area.  It will be a great opportunity to see how athletes and teams match up against each other in the region and for athletes to experience many different offensive/defensive looks.  The July tournament will allow athletes to fine tune their timing and continue to refine their skills before the regular season begins in August.

3)  Premier Passing - We are inviting area teams to bring players to the Fieldhouse on Sunday evenings now through July for a controlled 7 on 7 experience.  This is not a competitive tournament setup, but rather a chance for players to work their individual skills in the fast-paced 7 on 7 style under the direction of RPF coaches.  Athletes will develop their speed, agility and timing through the one-on-one play this format allows.  The focus of Premier Passing is on fine tuning the athletes' passing, catching, and defensive skills, and it presents a great opportunity for players and teams to improve their football aptitude in the off-season.

All of the 7 on 7 options are non-contact.  If individual athletes are interested, let us know and we can put together teams.  If a tournament team doesn't have a coach, let us know and we will provide one.  Athletes in the area have never before had the opportunity to focus on this level of skill development and competition in the off-season. We are looking forward to working with athletes and teams to build a consistent and successful 7 on 7 tradition in South Dakota! 

Heads Up: Coaching for Change

American Football Monthly recently ran an article entitled Safety First--Culture Shift: Changing the culture of football to reduce violent injuries. You can read it here. It is an excellent and timely reminder about the improved safety efforts being made at the highest levels of the sport. We are seeing a shift in football culture to be more about preventing injuries than just treating them.  Whether we are parents, coaches, fans, or athletes, we all bear responsibility to do what we can to reduce the risk of serious injuries to our players.

Changing the culture of football requires change at every level. As a result, the NFL has partnered with USA Football to place extra emphasis on the importance of teaching fundamentals to young athletes and concussion awareness to coaches through their Heads Up Football Program. USA Football is training coaches nationwide how to teach kids proper tackling technique and fundamentals, and they are working with the NFL to ensure that kids see and recognize those proper techniques and fundamentals when they watch their favorite NFL athletes. It is a comprehensive plan to emphasize proper form and safer play at every level of the sport, starting with our youngest athletes. They released this tackling video last fall to demonstrate the Heads Up Tackling technique:

The coaches at Riggs Premier Football stand solidly behind the efforts of Heads Up Football. The tackling techniques are intuitive and well explained, and kids learn fundamentals that will make them better overall players and reduce their risk of serious head injuries. Our coaching staff discussed what we could do to help promote changing the culture of football in our region, and we came up with several responses:

1) Coach Siegfried and I went through the certification process with USA Football to ensure that Riggs Premier Football’s instruction is in line with USA Football’s recommendations;

2) We are partnering with SD Junior Football to offer their summer camps, and for the first time in program history, the camps will be full pads. That will give our coaches the opportunity to do focused training for young athletes in proper tackling technique and fundamentals;

3) We are assisting SD Junior Football with their culture change of requiring all coaches to be USA Football certified. I, and several of my staff, will serve as Player Safety Coaches for the region and assist in training and certifying Junior Football coaches;

4) We launched our Think Football program with a full series of camps, clinics, and tournaments for athletes of all ages during Summer, 2013. Through this range of offerings, athletes can learn and develop proper fundamentals at every position, participate in a focused tackling clinic, or participate in camp or tournament style settings which promote safe play along with the competitive atmosphere. With Think Football, we are focused on athletic development, mental aspects of the game, and gaining understanding of how to improve individual and team performance. No matter which events athletes choose from this program, they are guaranteed careful emphasis on fundamentals and technique. We believe that is an essential component of teaching the sport to promote the changing culture.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been speaking around the country about the efforts to develop a safer game for players. In a speech to the University of North Carolina last month Goodell said, “There is a national conversation taking place about football. We welcome it. That’s how we approach our jobs every day: Looking at changes to the game not as something to be feared, but as something we need to do as if the future of the game relies on it. Because it does. The risk of injury in football is well known, but throughout history, football has evolved and become safer and better.” 

I agree with Commissioner Goodell that there is no way to completely eliminate the risks of injury in such a physical sport, but improving player knowledge and increasing concussion awareness will help reduce the risks without being detrimental to the sport. Riggs Premier Football is proud to be part of that changing culture in South Dakota.