Head Coach Brian Casey, and the ACC Football Coaching Staff, hosted over 65 youth football coaches Saturday, at Aurora Central Catholic for the 4th Annual Youth Football Coaches Clinic. The clinic was attended by coaches from 16 different communities throughout the Chicago suburbs, and covered 7 different youth football organizations.
Attendees had the opportunity to sit in on presentations from some of the area’s top high school coaches on a variety of fundamental topics intended on making youth football coaches more prepared to teach their players this fall.
“I think our clinic is very different than what a lot of the other clinics have to offer,” Casey said. “I want our speakers to talk on fundamentals, and techniques. To many other clinics for youth coaches want to talk about schemes and plays, I want coaches to be more versed in the basics to make their kids safer and more fundamentally sound.”
Casey spoke about “Practice Planning and Organization” during the first breakout session of the morning. Bryan Beerman, Assistant Coach at Fort Zumwalt East High School in St. Charles, Missouri, shared the “Pass Receiving Fundamentals”. The second breakout session featured Jeff Reents of Wilmington and Joe Wardynski of Wheaton North, presenting on “RB Skills and Drills” and “Fundamental Pass Defense” respectively. Arguably the most important topic, “Techniques of Form Tackling”, was presented by Sycamore Head Coach Joe Ryan.
“Each year we have had a great speaker talking about tackling,” Casey said. “Tackling is so important because you are dealing first and foremost with kids safety. We make sure that when youth coaches leave our clinic, they know the safe and proper way to teach it, and have some great fundamental drills to develop it.”
All clinic presenters served on a question and answer panel over lunch. Montini Catholic Head Coach Chris Andriano capped off the event serving as the keynote speaker for the day, speaking about “Developing as a Coach”.
“I look forward to this clinic each year,” Casey said. “It is fun to get everything lined up, but it is great to see all the youth coaches who are committed to waking up on a Saturday in February to improve themselves as coaches. If we can make 100 people better football coaches, we can help make the game of football better.”
