Thought for the Day

"Champions are champions not because they do anything extraordinary, but because they do ordinary things better than anyone else." Chuck Noll

Are you ready for some football?!!

I visited Washington University in Seattle this week. It's great to see the resurgence of the team under the direction of the new Coaching Staff!

Its old home week in Pueblo Colorado. Tonight we'll be at the CSU-Pueblo Thunderwolves game to cheer on Coach John Wristen and Co. Its great to reconnect with former colleagues and players!

Fight On!

This past weekend, there were a lot of great games and great performances. Several of these were great to witness. For one, the "Never Say Die" attitude of the Cincinnati Bengals who rallied around their Defensive Coordinator whose wife had just passed away. Another was the enthusiasm of Josh McDaniels and a new fire lighting up the Denver Broncos! Yet another was the apology of the 49ers player for making it "all about him". It just shows the importance of Coaches leading the way to establish a winners culture. These situations must be created, they do no just happen!

Click here to see Bengals Highlights

Fight on All!

The "Eye of the Tiger"

During my Football Coaching days for The Colorado College Tigers, I used this song during my motivational pre-game talks. I gave each of my players a Tigers Eye marble at the end of the speech to carry around with them to remind them to keep their "Eye of the Tiger" and keep their focus on and off the field. Click here to see the video from Survivor. An oldie but a goodie!

New Video Featuring the "Godfather of Strength and Conditioning" Boyd Epley

New Video Featuring Boyd Epley of the Nebraska Cornhuskers

"Coaching is Teaching at it's Best." This is an old Bo Schembechler slogan! If you're having trouble getting something across to your players approach teaching from all angles:

1ST VIDEO- Make sure they've seen video of themselves doing a task (yes we do that! - check out our videos on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO1qV6yfea4) For example do you take video in the weightroom? Squatting, Cardio, Etc.

2ND VISUAL-Make sure you check what they are watching when they are doing their task! A lot of players (young particularly) watch too many things and see nothing. Be specific in their visual sequence, what to do 1st, 2nd, 3rd. This also will speed them up because they will anticipate what each step will show. For example:watch contraction of the thigh inner-outer-etc.

3RD FEEL- This is extremely important. Make them go through it in slow motion forward and backwards plus backwards and forwards. For example, on the Hammer Strength Jammer, have the player start from a coiled position and then go to full extension. Then, start a full extension and go to starting position , going slowly both ways.

NUMBER ONE WAY TO LEARN IS VISUAL

Weeks Travel

Travel this past week included stops at: 1.WVU – Got to check out Defensive weight workout impressively run by Coach Michael Joseph and his Staff. A.KEYS EVERYONE WORKING NO TALKING NO STANDING NO RESTING B. COACHING KEY POINTS OF TECHNIQUE MOVING FROM PLAYER TO PLAYER COACHES EYES CONSTANTLY CHECKING THEM OUT 2.CAL PA CAL UNI BROTHER MIKE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND NEPHEW MIKE DEF LINE COACH PRE SCRIMMAGE WORK OUT A.WELL ORGANIZE PLAYERS ON THE MOVE COACHES AGAIN TALKING THRU DRILLS NOT JUST RUNNING DRILLS B.NOTICEABLE SINCE IT WAS A NON PAD PRACTICE THERE WAS A LOT OF THROWING GOING ON / HOWEVER THE BALL WAS NOT ON THE GROUND C.KEY – COACHES HAVE TAUGHT THE RECEIVERS TO LOOK THE BALL INTO THE TUCK AWAY AND PAD IT DOWN MOST PASSES AND JOB ASSIGNMENTS IN GENERAL DO NOT GET ACCOMPLISH BECAUSE PLAYERS DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR EYES AND IF THEY DO THEY DO NOT DO IT D.KEY COACH THE EYES AT ALL TIME BLANTON COLLIER ONE OF THE BEST COACHES OF ALL TIME WAS A MASTER OF THE COACHING OF THE EYES 3.OSU – QUICK STOP IN TO CHECK WITH COACH LICHTER THE HEAD FB STRENGTH COACH LOOKING FOR BETTER MORE DURABLE SIDELINE PC FOR IN JURED PALYERS -CYCLES ARE DURABLE BUT THE SEATS ARE AND ISSUE PARTICULARLY FOR THE BIG GUYS STILL LOOKING!

*NEW - Bill Jacobs Power Company Premium Quality T-shirts $20 includes shipping & handling

Front Image

Back Image

Available in M-4XL

email bill@coachbilljacobs.com or call 513.277.1938 to order

Recommended Reading : War As They Knew It

I just finished reading a great book covering the Woody and Bo years of conflicts called War As They Knew It by Michael Rosenberg. Good friend and long time great coach Rob Oviat was kind enough to recommend it. The ultimate tribute made by all about both men was that they were great teachers. Coaching is teaching at its best!

Mike Arthur - Nebraska Strength

I had a great talk with Mike Arthur, a stalwart of the Nebraska Strength program for many years. He had some great tips on dealing with the shoulder area. He has dealt with injuries as well as with prehab and rehab of the baseball players he has been working with. Mike is a great resource!

Loyola Clinic

The Loyola Strength Clinic in Baltimore last week had a lot of coaching nuggets for all.

Coach Al Johnson of West Virginia University and The Ohio State University, is now working with an old buddy to establish a holistic center for those in and around Parkersburg, West Virginia. More to come on that...

Coach Will Hicks had some great coaching points and a video which we will have available soon on our website www.coachbilljacobs.com.

We will also have a video coming soon from University of Southern California's Coach Carlisle.

Break a Table - Dick Hartzell / Jump Stretch Bands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGQ9tutDhDU Click on the Link to Watch Jump Stretch's Dick Hartzell Break a Table

Back from NSCA

We attended the NSCA(National Strength Coaches Association) conference in Vegas last week. We had the opportunity to talk to Hall of Fame Strength Coach Boyd Epley. He is finishing up a great article on the History of the NSCA. Keep an eye out for it on his site www.boydepley.com. It is always inspiring to talk to the one that had a vision on the role of the modern day Strength Coach.

Happy 4th of July!

A big thanks going out to all those in the U.S. Military and their families!

Woodway Speedboard

Check out the new Woodway Speedboard - Totally Green Treadmill that uses Human Power. Click for more info

NSCA, Las Vegas, July 8 -11

Stop by our booth #216 at the NSCA conference in Las Vegas, July 8-11, 2009. http://www.nsca-lift.org/Calendar/