Last week, I mentioned my lifelong friend and high school teammate, Todd Zimmerman, who coaches the offensive line at perennial powerhouse Atlantic High School in South Florida. Coach Zimmerman has been instrumental in helping me run many OLine Clinics in New Jersey before making his transition to the Sunshine State. His innovative thinking is what led to our game-changing decision to shift from traditional station rotations to brief individual sessions at our clinics—a format that has proven far more efficient in our teaching process.
After flying home from our West Orange OLine Clinic last week, Todd didn’t just take those “Techniques for the Trenches” and file them away. Instead, he immediately gathered local South Florida offensive linemen to share what we had covered, extending the reach of our clinic’s impact far beyond the original participants.
This exemplifies something I’ve written about before: when two coaches meet and exchange a penny, they each walk away with one penny. But when those same two coaches exchange ideas, they both walk away with two ideas. Ideas multiply when shared, unlike material goods which simply divide.
When Todd shared our OLine Skills techniques with his South Florida athletes, he wasn’t just passing along information—he was modeling the collaborative spirit that makes our entire coaching community stronger. Those young men will benefit from techniques developed through years of collective wisdom, not just one coach’s limited perspective.
The ripple effects of this collaboration extend far beyond the X’s and O’s. When we share freely with fellow coaches, we demonstrate to our players the power of teamwork, humility, and continuous learning. We show them that even their coaches are always growing, always willing to learn from others, and always committed to bringing the best possible instruction to their athletes.
So while a penny shared is merely a simple transaction, an idea shared becomes a transformation—for the giver, the receiver, and ultimately for every young athlete who benefits from that enhanced knowledge. In that light, exchanging ideas isn’t just twice as good as keeping them to yourself—it’s infinitely better.
This Sunday, I’ll be heading to our Vermont OLine Clinic with this same spirit of collaboration and exchange. I’m excited not just to share what we’ve learned, but to discover what new insights emerge when coaches come together with open minds and generous hearts. After all, the best “Techniques for the Trenches” aren’t just about blocking and tackling—they’re about building a community of coaches committed to developing champions both on the field and in life.
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
O Line Skills 