Coaching

2021 Clinic Finder

Clinics, Coaching

new year, new knowledge

One of the most humbling things about 2020 was seeing how I could serve other coaches. Using social media and my own passion to learn, I sourced more than 100 clinic opportunities in the inaugural edition of this list.

In 2020, I was fortunate to attend clinics with the Minority Coaches Association of Alabama and Glazier in Atlanta. At both, I made new friends, ran into a former coach I haven’t seen for years, and reconnected with a few old colleagues. From those I saw, I have to specifically call out Coach Caralla (Georgia Tech) for his passion, intensity and unique ideas; fandom in seeing Coach Foster (Iowa) presenting zone; and new ideas I took from Coach Fountain (Arkansas) on special teams.

I’m so thankful to the coaches who first introduced me to AFCA and going to coaching clinics a few years ago. One of the most powerful things about their invitation (beyond growing my thirst for knowledge and network), was the camaraderie I felt in having bonding time outside of work, especially since I’ve been a community coach. It was also nice to sometimes walk into a room with people I already knew and be introduced to their friends. I now try to go to as many clinics as I can, which sometimes means I’m solo and I’ve always appreciated coaches who make an effort to network outside their own groups. Hopefully we can all do that for each other when we get back to gatherings and travel.

In the mean time, I hope this second annual list helps you find new mentors and knowledge in 2021. With virtual meetings being more the norm moving into the new year, I expect many more opportunities to be added. I’ll update as much as possible as we go into the spring, but wanted to get this out with a few great January events planned.

Please let me know if I’m missing anything you’ve seen or shoot me a note at @CoachSmith67 on Twitter … and thanks ahead for sharing this tool with your networks.

Here’s to a great new year!

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JANUARY

Jan. 7-9: Florida FACA Winter Football Clinic – In-person, Daytona, Florida (free to members, $70/nonmembers)

Jan. 12-14: American Football Coaches Association Annual Convention – Virtual (AFCA membership required)

Jan. 14-17: Virginia-Carolina Coaches Clinic – Virtual ($10)

Jan. 14-17: Lauren’s First and Goal Coaches Clinic – proceeds benefit pediatric brain tumor research, Virtual ($49 and donations)

Jan. 14-16: Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Winners Circle Annual Football Clinic – Virtual ($90)

Jan. 20-23: Wings & Things Online Clinic – Virtual ($25-60)

Jan. 23-24: Head Coaches Academy – Virtual ($29)

January 28-29: Southeast Texas Coaches Association 23rd Annual Golden Triangle Coaches Clinic – In-person, Beaumont, Texas ($40)

Jan. 29: Alabama Football Association Coaches Clinic – Virtual – ($25, free to members)

Jan. 29-31: 23rd annual Dallas-Fort Worth Coaches Clinic – In-person, Dallas, Texas ($80, refundable if cancelled)

Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Kansas Football Coaches Association (KFBCA) Clinic – Virtual ($5)

FEBRUARY

Feb. 2-5: New York State High School Football Coaches Association Clinic – Virtual ($50 before Jan. 11)

Feb. 5-6: Quad Cities Coaches Kickoff Clinic – In-person, Bettendorf, Iowa ($100)

Feb. 18-21: Texas Alliance for Black School Educators Conference & Leadership Institute: Delivering on the promise, equity, social justice and restorative practices – Virtual (fees vary)

Feb. 21-27: Nike Virtual Clinic – $125 before Jan. 31

Feb. 23-24: Harding University Football Coaches Clinic – In-person, Conway, Arkansas ($75 before Feb. 1)

Feb. 22: Texas High School Coaches Association Leadership Summit – In-person, Arlington, Texas ($89 in advance)

Feb. 26-27: Piney Woods Football Clinic – In-person, Longview, Texas ($60 before Jan. 6)

Feb. 27: Bring that Hammer Clinic – In-person, Quitman, GA (register online – questions to @_coachevans or @CoachJoshMack on Twitter)

MARCH

March 6: Western Nebraska Powered Up Clinic – In-person, Ogallala, Nebraska ($45 pre-registered)

APRIL

April TBD: Minority Coaches Association of Georgia Coaches Academy – apply by March 10, 2021 for consideration

April 8-10: Minnesota Football Coaches Association Clinic – TBD, date posted only

April 16-17: Southeast Iowa Coaches Clinic – In-person, Moravia, Iowa ($60 before April 1)

MAY

May 14-15: The Annual Offensive Line Clinic – In-person, Cincinnati, Ohio ($95)

JULY

July 19-22: North Carolina Coaches Association Football Clinic – In-person, Greensboro, North Carolina ($45 before deadline)

2020 Football Clinic Finder

Coaching

AFCA.jpg

I’ve had the great opportunity to start the last three years with my high school colleagues at AFCA’s (American Football Coaches Association) national convention.  It’s an incredible opportunity to learn, share and connect with other coaches – totally recommend making this specific trip … even if you have to travel.  I’ve always been motivated to do more and be more as a coach in every aspect.

I caught another clinic last spring by chance thanks to social media and I’ve attended the Glazier Clinic in Atlanta, but I decided for the 2020 season I’d try to help the coaching community by cultivating as comprehensive of a list for other football coaches as I could.

Here’s what I’ve got so far … please comment or message me with others that should be added… Any clinic for football coaches to learn can be included!

NFL / College Events

BY STATE:

BY DATE:

JANUARY

Jan. 9-11: Florida FACA Winter Football Clinic – Daytona, Florida

Jan. 11:

Jan. 12-14: American Football Coaches Association Annual Convention – Nashville, Tennessee

Jan. 16-18: Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Winners Circle Annual Football Clinic – Lansing, Michigan

Jan. 17-18: Piney Woods Football Clinic – Longview, Texas

Jan. 19:  Hilltop Clinic – 555 Claire Avenue, Chula Vista, California (free)

Jan. 20: West Jefferson Football Coaches Clinic– West Jefferson, Ohio

Jan. 23-24: Southeast Texas Coaches Association 22nd Annual Golden Triangle Coaches Clinic – Beaumont, Texas

Jan. 23-25: Nike Clinics – Atlanta, Georgia

Jan. 24-25:

Jan. 24-26:

Jan. 25:

Jan. 29: North Central Ohio Football Coaches Association Clinic – Bucyrus, Ohio

Jan. 30 – Feb. 1: Kansas City High School Coaches Clinic– Kansas City, Missouri

Jan. 31-Feb. 2:

FEBRUARY

Feb. 6-8:

Feb. 7-8:

Feb 7-9:

Feb. 12: First North Texas Football Coaches Association – North Richland, Texas (Birdville)

Feb. 12-14:

Feb. 12-17: FCA Football Family Cruise Coaching Clinic – Royal Caribbean cruise departing from Galveston, Texas

Feb. 13-15:

Feb. 14-15:

Feb. 15:

Feb. 19: Second North Texas Football Coaches Association – Fort Worth (TCU)

Feb. 20-22:

Feb. 20-21:

Feb. 21-22:

Feb. 21-23:

Feb. 22:

Feb. 24: Texas High School Coaches Association Leadership Summit – Arlington, Texas

Feb. 26: Third North Texas Football Coaches Association – Dallas area (UNT)

Feb. 27-29: Nike Clinics – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and New England (Windsor, Connecticut)

Feb. 28: Northwest Ohio Football Coaches Association Clinic – Findlay, Ohio –

Feb. 28-29:

Feb. 28-March 1: Nike Clinics – Portland, Oregon; Orlando, Florida

Feb. 29:

MARCH

March 4: Fourth North Texas Football Coaches Association – Dallas (SMU)

March 5-7: Nike Clinics – Dallas, Texas

March 5-6: Minority Coaches Association of Alabama Coaches Clinic– Birmingham, Alabama

March 6-7:

March 6-8: Glazier Clinics, 150, Coordinator School, Specialty Clinic and Head Coach Academy – Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Seattle, Washington; Northern Virginia & Washington D.C.

March 12: Night of Football Coaches Clinic – Cherry Hill, New Jersey

March 12-14: Indiana Football Coaches Association Clinic – Indianapolis, Indiana

March 13-14: West High School More with 4 System – Knoxville, Tennessee

March 13-15: Glazier Clinics, Specialty Clinics – Charlotte, North Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio; New York / New Jersey

March 13-14:

March 20-21:

March 21:

March 26-27:

March 26-28:

March 27-28: University of Louisville Football Clinic– Louisville, Tennessee (second date)

March 27-28: Kentucky Football Coaches Association / University of Kentucky Football Clinic – Lexington, Kentucky

March 28: Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Spring Clinic– University of Cincinnati – Cincinnati, Ohio – register 

March 28-30: Notre Dame Coaches Clinic – South Bend, Indiana

March 28-29: 2nd Annual Split Back Veer / Option Football Clinic – Lakeview, Michigan (free)

March 29-30: University of Iowa Coaches Clinic– Iowa City, Iowa

APRIL

April 2-4: Army Football Coaches Clinic – West Point, New York

April 3-4: Nike Clinics – Southern California / Los Angeles, California

April 4: Ashland University Football Clinic –  Ashland, Ohio

April 9-11: 89th annual Ohio State University Coaches Clinic – Columbus, Ohio

April 12-13: North Dakota State Coaches Clinic– Fargo, North Dakota

April 17-18: Southeast Iowa Coaches Clinic – Moravia, Iowa

MAY

May 2: Minority Coaches Association of Georgia HBCU Football Coaches Clinic – Atlanta, Georgia

May 8-9: Air Raid Clinic by the Hal Mumme Air Raid System – Fayetteville, North Carolina

May 15-16: The Annual Offensive Line Clinic – Cincinnati, Ohio

May 30: Faith, Family & Football Coaches Clinic– Helena, Alabama

May 29-31: Cascade Coaching Association Clinic – Spokane, Washington more 

JULY

July 20-23: North Carolina Coaches Association Football Clinic – Greensboro, North Carolina

Assume Nothing

Coaching

Monday nights are for #HogFBChat Twitter meetings.

A big group of Offensive Line coaches sit around and share ideas. It’s fun to see other coaches I’ve worked with contributing, and hundreds I’ve never met … discussing how to get better.

Tonight, I joined a few coaches in a conversation I’m passionate about: teaching.

Rewind: I think about my high school football coach a lot, even almost 20 years later.

Coach Flynn helped me LEARN the game.

It helped that there were zero expectations – no one in my family ever played.

Outside of me, I’m sure no one thought I would really make it through the season, let alone go on to play on the USA Football national team 10 years later.

Being a girl learning the game also worked in my favor, because in addition to the lack of expectations and pressures most players face, I had no ego. I found out day one that I didn’t know any of the things I thought I knew …. so I asked a million questions.

I literally was in the coaches’ office most days after practice and looking back on it now, Coach Flynn deserved an extra stipend just for answering my questions.

Spending time with players teaching is a huge investment in their development … especially since you have approximately one million things to do at all times as a coach.

What Coach Flynn, my teammates, and coaches over the years did for me was communicate all the details. I’m now firmly in the camp of people who believe life (and football) is conquering the small things.

Tonight I commented on the thread below during #HogFBChat … and I feel very strongly that my inexperience early on is now an asset as a coach. I don’t assume or expect the kids to walk in the door with the football IQ we want. I just want to make sure they leave us with one.

My best advice for coaching younger players:

  • Never assume your players know what you say, or what you want. You’ll both always be frustrated. Show them, tell them, repeat.
  • Never talk down to your players or assume that the JV / freshmen / 8th graders shouldn’t learn something because it’s “for the varsity.” Those kids are your future varsity … and you might need them sooner than either of you thinks.
  • If you show players how knowing more will directly help them improve or prepare to be more successful … they might want to be better students of the game.
  • Get sub-varsity kids access to film. Grade it, scout it, teach them how to watch it. This pays dividends in the long run. Hudl makes it so easy.
  • Keep the teaching (and you talking) short and focused. Pick the most important keys and build on them as you go along.
  • Create an environment where curiosity is valued. Young players hate looking stupid and will rarely ask questions. Lots of times, they might not even be sure where to start.
  • If you don’t know an answer … find out. Never guess.

Here’s to us all being better coaches, mentors and teachers every day.

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