O Line Skills

“Don’t judge someone until you walk a mile in their shoes” is a proverb that advises against making judgments about someone until you have experienced what they have, or have developed an understanding of their circumstances and perspectives. The maxim emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding before forming opinions or criticisms. By metaphorically walking in someone else’s shoes, one gains a deeper appreciation for their challenges, motivations, and reasons behind their actions. 

For most football coaches, regardless of level, we have walked in many shoes.  We understand what it is like to strap on those pads and feel the physical contact of the sport, but most women interested in coaching football have rarely been afforded such opportunities.  Three years ago, that was the situation for Vermont’s first female high school football coach, St Johnsbury Academy assistant coach Julia Kearney, who will be entering her third season coaching the Hilltoppers.  But it is not anymore, because she just completed her first season playing women’s tackle football for the New Hampshire Rebellion, in the Women’s Football Alliance. 

When asked why she decided to play, she said that “she wanted more street cred with her players.”  She just earned it along with a better perspective of what her players are going through by walking a mile in their shoes.

Shared experiences matter… There’s quite a difference between thinking one can endure adversity and having actually endured it. Vince Lombardi is famously quoted as saying “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Such a sentiment becomes oh so real when one has stared such a beast in the eye and overcome it. When Julia tells a player contending with a similar situation, “I know how you feel… and I know you can overcome the self-doubt,” they know she speaks from a place of truth where battles have been won.

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! 

Sunday’s rainy weather may have kept the Vermont Alercio OLine Clinic in our indoor facility but it did not dampen the spirits of the 50 participants from all over the Green Mountain State.  

The Vermont clinic brings an unusual situation that some might perceive as a conflict of interest but I look at as an opportunity.  When I am hosting the Vermont Clinic I get to coach players from all over the state which includes those who we will be playing against in the Fall.  Three of the teams on our schedule sent players on Sunday.  

At the conclusion of every clinic, I share with the players that the work they did that day made them better offensive linemen which in turn makes their offensive lines better and ultimately their teams better.  So why would I want to help make 3 of our opponents better?  Zig Ziglar provides the answer.  While attending an American Football Coaches Association Conference, I had the pleasure of hearing motivational speaker Zig Ziglar present.  A quote he shared has lived with me since that day. “You will get everything you want in life, if you will help enough other people get what they want.”  

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! 

Our summer training opportunities begin this weekend with the Vermont Alercio OLine Clinic and are followed with 3x/week OTAs (Organized Team Activities) beginning on Monday.  This time of year players will often establish goals.  S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym used as a mnemonic device to establish criteria for effective goal setting.  SMART Goals stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.  The problem with goal-setting is that it is so often heavily outcome-oriented when it should more appropriately be process-oriented.  

Process-oriented goals focus on the actions and behaviors you need to execute to achieve your desired outcomes.  Unlike outcome oriented goals, which are centered on the end result, process oriented goals emphasize the journey and the steps required to get there. 

If you want to be the best Offensive Lineman on your team or be a Lineman on an all-star team, plan to attend an offensive line clinic teaching the techniques necessary to achieve that goal. If you want to bench 300lbs or run a 4.5 second 40yd dash, your goal should be to attend all summer workouts and give your best effort each session.  If you want to be a captain, set a goal to be the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. Alongside best effort and excellence, personal example is the best leadership tool in a student-athlete’s kit.

Whether goals are big or small, short-term or long-term, focusing on the process rather than just the outcome allows you to create a sustainable path toward your goals and ultimately long-term success.  

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! 

Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor U.S. military personnel who died while serving their country. It’s a time for mourning and reflection, and since Congress passed a law in 1971, Memorial Day has been observed on the last Monday of May. Many honor Memorial Day with visits to cemeteries and memorials. Others honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice with their own acts of service, kindness, or meditations on gratefulness for the country and culture we enjoy.

In an effort to preserve the memory and legacy of one special Navy SEAL who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, I (an many others) did the “Murph Challenge” this past  Memorial Day weekend.  The Murph is a fitness challenge consisting of a 1 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, and a 1 mile run wearing a 20lbs vest done for time.  It serves as the official annual fundraiser of the LT. Michael P Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.  Since its inception, the Murphy family has raised over $2 Million to support the educational needs of children.  LT Murphy’s favorite saying was “Education will set you free.”

As teachers and coaches, we hold the keys to freedom through the transformative and liberating power of knowledge.  The education we provide in the classroom, on the field, or in the gym breaks down barriers, opens up opportunities, and empowers children to lead fulfilling lives. There may be little any one of us may encounter that compares to the adversity Mike Murphy endured, but our investment in others has the potential to pay the same kinds of dividends that emerged from the investments of time, attention, care, and learning Mike poured so generously into those who knew him. 

When we invest our time and effort into a scholarship fundraiser or into the education of the youth in our communities, we follow the example of Service Members like Lt Michael Murphy, and invest in a brighter and more equitable future for all.

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! 

I have often heard Nick Saban talk about his opening speech to players each year in Training Camp when he shares “if you want to be happy for an hour, eat a steak.  If you want to be happy for a day, go play golf, If you want to be happy for a week, go on a cruise.”  Then he goes on to say, “if you want to be happy in life, ask yourself one question, would it matter if I didn’t show up?”  

Coach is talking about a sense of purpose, being someone who can improve the lives of others, and being a part of something bigger than just yourself.  That is how I feel every time I drive away after the conclusion of one of my OLine Clinics.  This past Sunday I was blessed to be able to have what I hope was a small positive impact on the lives of 60 kids.  As I drove off the campus of West Orange High School in New Jersey for the 5.5 hour drive home, I did so with a profound feeling of personal fulfillment. The same feeling I had last month after coaching nearly 200 kids at the Hun School of Princeton NJ.  The same feeling I have had for over 20 years and 5,000 kids.  I had invested in these student-athletes… poured into them the way my coaches poured into me… That feeling never gets old, and I hope those older coaches who invested in me and are looking down from heaven, do so with a sense of satisfaction that their legacies continue in the works of others. 

Jackie Robinson is quoted as saying, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”  I like to eat a good steak, play a round of golf, and would enjoy a cruise; but those transient pleasures do not come close to the joy derived from positively impacting the lives of others, having a purpose, and being a part of something bigger than myself.

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! 

In preparation for this Sunday’s (May 19^th) bonus Alercio OLine Clinic at West Orange High School in West Orange, NJ, I’d like to share a letter Coach Jim Meert sent following April’s OLine Clinic at the Hun School in Princeton, NJ.  Coach Meert’s sentiments perfectly encapsulate what makes offensive linemen and OLine coaches so special:

“Coach, Once again I wish to thank you and congratulate you on a most successful O-Line Clinic.  It is one of my most anticipated events each year.  Our guys always benefit.  It is most helpful to me by giving me an early opportunity to evaluate our upcoming line candidates.  To see how quickly and effectively they take to coaching.  I have learned a lot about our kids by watching how they do at the clinic.  Most importantly they come away from your clinic with confidence that they have the tools and techniques needed to win.  

Use this QR Code to register for Sunday’s Clinic in West Orange NJ!

I was coached by Joe Moore (the namesake of the award given annually to the best college Offensive Line) when I was in college and he was the head coach at Upper St Clair in Pittsburgh.  He is one of my mentors and I often visited with him when he was at Pitt and later at Notre Dame.  I asked him what separated him from all others coaching the offensive line.  He told me ‘Because I can watch a kid’s feet for 3 hours and never get bored.’  

There are only a few line coaches who have this capacity.  You are certainly one of them.  I’d like to believe I am another.  Coach Moore also taught me the greatest joy that can be achieved in life is, ‘moving an opponent from point A to point B against his will!’ I have found that to be true.” 

Coincidentally, 40 years and 40 lbs ago, I had a photo of Coach Moore and his Pitt OLine, which included my favorite, Bill Fralic, hanging in my home gym.  It served as inspiration for what I wanted to be then and now.

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! 

The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. They bring a rich culture and a long legacy of family, and kinship. The Māori have a saying: “The way the sapling is shaped determines how the tree grows”.  In my blogs, I often reflect on how my mentors have shaped my life and my path, but as we go into this weekend let us reflect and show thanks for our very first mentors in life…our mothers. 

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and a wonderful opportunity to honor and show appreciation for the love, guidance, and sacrifices the mothers (and mother figures) in our lives so freely give.  It is a day honoring the important role mothers play and the positive impacts they have in shaping our lives. I am who I am today because of the mother I was blessed to have, and my sons are who they are because of their mother.  

Think of all our mothers are asked to do/endure… They are asked to carry us as we develop, give birth to us, and give care during infancy while late guiding and directing us as toddlers, children, and young adults. All the while, they know the end goal of all this effort is to turn us loose into what can be a cold cruel world where we have to fend for ourselves. Though they may rather keep us close and safe, they bet on us to have benefitted from all the love and care they’ve shared over the first two decades, to sustain us over the six (if we’re lucky) that will likely follow.

It’s an incredible ask… and one only our mothers answer and sacrifice to deliver.

Let this be your reminder to mail a card, send a gift, make a call, schedule an outing, or just plan to spend some time together with your first mentor in life.  How do you plan to celebrate Mother’s Day this year?

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! 

While attending the Atlantic City Glazier Clinic this Winter, a coach from Western New York came up and introduced himself saying he saw me speak several years ago and has followed my blog since.  He went on to say that the one he most enjoyed is the blog describing how we draft our own team every year around the same time as the NFL draft. He and his staff implemented the practice and look forward to the annual event.  

This week our coaches are given an alphabetical list of every eligible returning player on our team.  They are then tasked to play Mel Kiper and return the list to me with each player listed in their order of “Best Available Player.”  No other criteria is provided. Coaches are free to use whichever parameters they value to generate their list.  If I have done a good job in clearly defining the shared values of our culture, the lists should not differ drastically.  But coaches are human and they always seem to favor their position players.   

The NFL draft is a crucial part of the building of NFL teams.  It allows them to replenish their rosters with new talent and address areas of need.  For us it allows us to create a “Best 11” list which in turn helps us to determine possible personnel packages on offense as well as fronts and coverages on defense.  

We also address any outliers.  When most of the staff has a player listed within one or two slots of the others but another coach has that player considerably higher or lower, conversations must follow to see why that coach listed the player where they did.  This can clear up or identify any issues with players or staff members with ample time before Training Camp to address and rectify them.   

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! 

I was recently contacted by Darnell Grant, the highly successful Head Football Coach at West Orange HS in New Jersey.  When Coach Grant was the head coach at Shabazz HS in Newark, he and his players regularly attended the Alercio OLine Clinics at Kean University.  He wanted to know what it would take to get me to come down to West Orange to clinic his players.  After discussing some details, he asked if his brother Barris, the equally successful head coach of Hillside HS, and his players could also attend.   He went on to say that there are a lot of other coaches who would love to attend so we decided to host another New Jersey Alercio OLine Clinic.  I will be heading back to the Garden State and West Orange HS on Sunday 19 May for another iteration of the Alercio OLine Clinic.  

Coach Grant who is a Trustee of the New Jersey Minority Coaches Association will be promoting our clinic date at the NJMCA 3rd Annual Coaches Clinic he is hosting this Saturday 27 April from 9am-1pm on the campus of West Orange HS.  To show my appreciation for all the good work Coach Grant does, a percentage of every player’s registration fee at our 19 May clinic will be donated to the NJMCA.   More on the NJMCA Clinic here:

Before we close this week’s post, I’d like to offer a special thanks to my wife, Kim, for giving us the green light on this special Clinic. Kim works the registration desk at our OLine Clinics and is also our staff photographer.  The West Orange Clinic weekend is our anniversary, but she said “Go do what you do best, and I will help you do it.” How lucky am I to have such a loving and supportive “Teammate” for a wife? As I often note about teammates and the kind of culture we hope to create, my Teammate, Kim and I are far stronger together than either of us could be alone.

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!