Rich Alercio – O Line Skills

Automaticity

March 6, 2025March 5, 2025 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

Vermont High School football is allowed six Spring practices between the Winter and Spring sports seasons. We begin ours this week with a focus on reinforcing automaticity. Automaticity in sports refers to the ability of an athlete to perform skills or movements at a nearly instinctive level. It occurs when an action becomes ingrained through extensive practice and repetition, allowing athletes to execute complex tasks quickly and efficiently under pressure.

Driving, walking, and typing on a keyboard are everyday examples of automaticity. We perform these tasks seemingly without conscious thought, even though awareness of our environment is essential. Our goal is to create muscle memory through repeated practice, strengthening neural pathways and making complex movements more natural while requiring little cognitive effort. This instinctive ability leads athletes to react faster by avoiding pauses common to conscious decision-making and maintain consistency while adapting game conditions.

We’ve previously discussed Colonel John Boyd’s OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) and its relevance wherever time-critical decisions determine success. Automaticity enhances each phase of this loop: players with well-developed automaticity observe more efficiently by focusing on relevant cues, orient faster through pattern recognition, make decisions more confidently based on ingrained knowledge, and execute actions with greater precision. By developing automaticity in fundamental skills, our athletes free up mental bandwidth to handle the unpredictable aspects of football. The targeted skills we practice daily aren’t just about repetition—quality repetitions matter more than time spent practicing.

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!

Giving Thanks: Celebrating Family, Friends, & Football

November 28, 2024November 25, 2024 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

The first Thanksgiving after moving our family to Vermont from New Jersey, we hosted dozens of families for the inaugural Turkey Bowl. Parents tailgated in our driveway while our kids and all of their friends played on two fields lined and marked in the yard with pylons. Our first holiday in our new home was made special thanks to Friends, Family, and Football. I was then, and have been very thankful for all of the ways we feel and express gratefulness and thanks for the many blessings we enjoy.

Thanksgiving and football have a long-standing and deeply intertwined tradition. The NFL has hosted Thanksgiving Day games for over 100 years with the Cowboys and Lions being perennial competitors, each hosting the other year after year. Thanksgiving weekend also features college and high school football rivalry games. Cities and towns, large and small celebrate these events with trophies like Keg of Nails (Cincinnati vs Louisville), The Old Brass Spittoon (Indiana vs Michigan State), or the Jeweled Shillelagh (USC vs Notre Dame).

Whether you are hosting your own Turkey Bowl, raising trophies (old or just invented), watching the NFL or college games on TV, or attending your local high school game, I hope this Thanksgiving holiday allows you to celebrate togetherness with Family, Friends, and Football.

Competition & Encouragement

August 4, 2022August 4, 2022 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

Coaches always say that games are won and lost in the trenches but most spend the offseason and summer sending their “skill” players to passing camps and 7v7 tournaments. That is why I started my OLine Clinics over 20 years ago, and why we host a Strongman Competition and OLine Challenge at our annual Northeast Kingdom 7v7 tournament.

The Strongmen compete in the following events:

1. Log Press (Max Reps in 1 Minute)

2. Farmer Carry (Best time)

3. Hexbar Deadlift (Max Reps for 1 minute)

4. Seated Sled Pull (Best time)

Our OLine Challenge has 5-man teams competing in the following events:

1. Standing Slam ball Toss (Total distance)

2. 1-man Sled Drive Relay (Best time)

3. Tire Flip Relay (Best time)

4. Sandbag Carry Relay (Best time)

5. Team Tug-of-War (Seeded Single Elimination)

While I am proud to say that one of our guys was the overall winner in the Strongman competition and our team won the OLine Challenge, I am more proud of how spirited the event was throughout the day. The 7v7 games were very competitive, but the competition at times was contentious. The Strongman and OLine Challenge events were also very competitive but players from different schools were all very supportive of each other. Players wearing a rainbow of colors representing schools from all over Vermont and one from New Hampshire circled around each other and cheered as individuals they may have never met pushed themselves to the limits and beyond in the spirit of competition.

There is truly something special about offensive linemen. Simply stated, they are selfless. That’s not to say others can’t be selfless as well, but as we’ve noted previously, the nature of the roles on the offensive line often rewards selfless interdependence more frequently and more consistently than other positions. Some roles tend to be more “supporting,” while others tend to be more “supported.” It was great to see the OLinemen “supporting” each other throughout the competitions.

Ripples In Time…

May 26, 2022May 23, 2022 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

“We never know how what we say, do, or think today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.” A life-long friend and high school teammate recently shared that quote when I told him about a former player’s recent visit. This player’s four years as a Hilltopper coincided with the most successful stretch in our long and proud football history. We earned our way into three state championship games, winning one of them, and made it to the state semifinals the other year.

However, the young man who visited wasn’t the star quarterback, a team-leading lineman, or dominating linebacker. In fact, he never started a game. He made the most of his opportunity to play late in games when the outcome was often already determined. Yet, he felt something significant about his place on the team, his pride in belonging, and the opportunity to contribute.

After a few minutes of small talk, he said, “Coach, there’s a reason for this visit. There’s something I want to give you.” He reached into his pocket to reveal a patch and two challenge coins. Then proudly shared he had become a United States Marine, and the patch and coins were from his new team; the Helicopter Squadron that flies the President on “Marine One.”

He went on to relay he initially did not want to play football as a freshman, but his mom made him. Despite his reluctance, he found teammates and a culture instilling pride in being part of something special. He felt “strength in numbers,” as the team overcame deficits or rallied to lift the motivation of a struggling teammate. He closed by saying “he owes who he is today to his high school football coaches and teammates who gave him both the courage to become a football player, and the confidence to become a Marine.” I am so very thankful for his visit, for his mom’s understanding that the rewards of the game: the lessons about oneself and one’s team are worthy of the sacrifice whether one plays all 48 minutes or only four.

As my long-time friend went on to say, “In hindsight, we see the incredible impact sports had on our lives and the lives of our teammates. We learn as young men the leadership and mentorship of a good coach is life-changing.” He went on to say, “But we have no idea how many of these stories exist… and in a world so frequently dominated by divisiveness and acrimony, isn’t that potential for good, just incredible?”

It warms my heart to know that there is one story such as this, and I trust there are many more.

Athletic Performance Training Starts the New Year!

January 6, 2022January 5, 2022 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

The first order of business for every new year is the implementation of the athletic performance training program. When our players return to school next week, all those not playing a winter sport are expected to train Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with our athletic performance coach.

The philosophy of our program is that athletes train movements, not muscles. We do not break up our workouts into Legs, Chest & Tris, Back & Bis. We train the entire body at every workout with multi-joint ground-based movements, core stabilizers, squat derivations, hip hinges, vertical or horizontal presses, and vertical or horizontal pulls.

We start with ground-based multi-joint movements: Snatch, Cleans, or Jerks. Because of the complexity of the Snatch, we modify it by using a 1-arm Dumbbell Snatch. We superset each of those Olympic lifts with a core stabilization exercise such as planks, dead-bugs, bird-dogs, Paloff presses, etc.

In our next lifting block, we superset a squat movement (back or front squat, hex-bar deadlift, forward, backward, or walking lunges, Bulgarian split squats, etc) with a vertical or horizontal press (barbell or dumbbell bench, incline or push press).

Our last lifting block is a hip hinge lift (barbell deadlift, 1-leg or 2-leg Romanian deadlifts) coupled with a vertical or horizontal pull (pull-ups, chin-ups, barbell, or dumbbell rows).

We encourage our players to do 30 minutes of cardio on Tuesdays and a sprint workout on Thursdays. All of their workouts are in an app called Train Heroic where they can record their weights, reps, times, and other information pertinent to their training so that we can track their progress through the winter months.

We want to be sure the training our players are doing translates to increased athletic performance on the field and not just to them looking better in the mirror. While there are obvious benefits to training in the off-season, perhaps the best one of all is getting those players who are not on a Winter team back together with their “brothers” and giving them something positive to do after a long Christmas break.

Speaking of returning after Christmas Break, it was five years and nearly 230 blog posts ago (around New Year’s 2017) that we started Olineskills.com. Whether you’re new to the site or have been along for the entire ride, I wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to entertain conversations about the game I love and have dedicated more than 40 years to playing and coaching. I look forward to all 2022 brings to us, and hope you and yours enjoyed the Holidays, and are excited about the New Year, new teams, new challenges, and new victories!

Presents Vs. Presence

December 23, 2021December 21, 2021 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

Both words sound alike to me, but for many, they are drastically different. This year, as you gather with your colleagues, community, friends, and family, try to be thoughtful about these words and their meanings. Instead of focusing all your attention on what “presents” you may give or get, consider giving the gift of your “presence.” Whether the soundtrack for “It’s a Wonderful Life” or the background for the “Ball Drop” on New Year’s Eve, “Auld Lang Syne” reminds us to recall special memories of relationships and occasions we cherish.

Those memories are born from attention and presence. Bring your full self to every conversation, handshake, or hug. Forget about yesterday. Stop thinking about tomorrow. Put your phone away. Know that every day is a gift and enjoy the moment for the moment’s sake. What your family and friends really want for Christmas is YOU.

Your presence is the greatest gift you can give your loved ones. Take in every sight, sound, and smell of Christmas whenever, wherever, and with whomever you gather. You may just find the gift of your presence to those you love, may also be the greatest gift you give to yourself. Merry Christmas.

Changing Seasons…

December 2, 2021 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

One of the things a college football coach quickly learns is the office he occupies, the chair and desk where he spends countless hours… even the locker he hangs his coat in, are not his (or hers). Those resources belong to the school, and you are given the privilege to occupy/employ them as long as the school permits.

As high school football coaches, we also learn the players are not “ours.” When your season is over, they become basketball players, wrestlers, indoor track athletes or pursue other opportunities. Student-Athletes who do not play a winter sport, often shift their focus to preparing for Spring sports like baseball, lacrosse, Track & Field, or other interests.

Just like that office, desk, and chair, the players are not yours either. They (the players) all belong to the school and are led, guided, and directed by others after the football season concludes. While we would like to see them keep up with football-specific strength training programs and know if they did, they would be better prepared for next Fall, we have to leave training up to their in-season coach. If that coach does not understand the value of athletic performance training, speak to your athletic director. It is her/his job to ensure all coaches in the department are doing what is best for the athletes regardless of what sport they play, what season it is, or who their coach is at the time. Do not discourage the football player from being a multisport athlete because you think that is what is best for your program. In fact, as we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, most athletes (and ultimately most teams) benefit from the complementary skills and lessons learned in other sports. As coaches concerned about the overall growth, potential, and wellbeing of those in our charge, it is our obligation to help develop the “whole person.”

Playing other sports allow athletes to develop different muscle groups and movement patterns, avoid burn-out with the intense emphasis on only one sport, develop different skills that can be applied from one sport to the other, and increase socialization by having another peer group and further evolve the elements of character we’ve discussed this Fall. Lastly, go see them play. Encourage their success whether on the court, mat, or track, or in other endeavors like drama, debate, or music. Let them know they are important to you all year, not just in the Fall.

A Leader in Every Locker, Week 14; Endurance

November 18, 2021November 17, 2021 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

The 14th and final leadership trait in our series A Leader in Every Locker is Endurance. Endurance is mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress, adversity, and hardship. This quality allows one to withstand physical and emotional discomfort, pain, and distress while persevering to achieve a goal, objective, or desired outcome.

(Many years ago) When I was a player, coaches often quoted the legendary Vince Lombardi who said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” When I was speaking at a Nike Coach of the Year Football Clinic several years ago, I attended a session presented by a United States Marine Corps Captain who shared a complementary phrase that I have embraced ever since: “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Football is a game of mental and physical adversity and stress. Either can be a lot to bear, but the combination is even more daunting. Hot or cold, tired and sore, bruised and sometimes bloodied, combines with mental and emotional pressures to perform against a determined foe, and an unrelenting clock. This is the type of mental and physical pain players who lead by example, must endure to stay on the field of play and contribute to the good of the team. It must be noted if a player sustains an injury, they must be evaluated by a certified athletic trainer before their status is assessed determining their ability to return to play. We try hard to help our athletes make a distinction between pain and injury and would rather err on the side of caution and safety.

In previous posts, we’ve talked about the ways team sports “inoculate” student-athletes against fear, loss, and adversity. From both my own experience, and from decades of witnessing others encountering circumstances requiring “endurance” and the willingness to push through the “uncomfortableness” of physical, mental, and emotional stress, it’s clear a little “uncomfortableness” now, seeds the ability to endure more later in life. I have a close friend who gave me Alfred Lansing’s book “Endurance, Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage,” which recounts Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Antarctic expedition and their 24 months locked in an ice flow, battered by the Southern Ocean, and yet undaunted, they endured returning to England without any loss of life.

Football is said to be a game of inches. Those inches are earned by the team who finds a way to give one more try, one more ounce of strength, and who (after every possible consideration) admits defeat last. The game is often won by those who persevere one run, block, tackle, or catch longer than their opponents. The game of life requires endurance as well.

A Leader In Every Locker, Week 11; Courage

October 28, 2021October 27, 2021 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

Courage is a mental quality recognizing the fear of physical injury and danger or the emotional fear of criticism and humiliation, yet courage enables one to proceed in the face of danger or concern with calmness and resolve.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the recognition of its existence, and the willingness to take decisive action in spite of it. Note: The Hero and the Coward feel the same feelings, the distinction between the two is the decisions and actions one takes despite the fear.

This past weekend our entire team faced the fear of criticism and perhaps humiliation as we played one of America’s oldest high school football rivalries. The 116th playing of “The Game” between St Johnsbury Academy and Lyndon Institute; a rivalry reaching back to 1894. In the past 6 seasons, the Academy has accumulated a comfortable 388 to 48 scoring margin winning those six games by an average of 55-7. No Academy team wants to be the one to end the winning streak. This year the Vikings brought in a talented team, bigger and stronger than ours, but we were able to come out on top 31-14 in a game actually far closer than the score reflects.

During the game, we had several players returning from injuries having missed the previous game and multiple practices. While they were all medically cleared to play, each faced understandable concerns of being reinjured or whether their performance would be worthy of the trust of their teammates. Despite their fears, they played well and contributed to our victory.

We also had several physical mismatches on the line of scrimmage. Our 176 lbs Sophomore Left Guard, who lives in Lyndon but chose to attend the Academy, faced a 300 lbs Senior Defensive Tackle all game. Knowing the opponent was bigger, stronger, more experienced, and understanding the threat of harm, our Sophomore Guard showed great resolve to do his personal best, utilize the techniques he has been taught, and relied on communication with his fellow offensive linemen to get help when needed.

Undoubtedly we will all face situations in life calling for courage. Sometimes physical, sometimes moral… The physical actions of first responders and our military are often top of mind, but many also show the courage of compassion while helping a friend or colleague in need, or the courage of conviction while taking a stand on moral issues where opinions significantly differ. Athletics offer student-athletes opportunities for small inoculations against fear (physical or moral) and helps prove their resilience, increasing self-confidence, reinforcing the importance of discipline and sacrifice, and ultimately readying them for much of what may lie ahead.

A Leader In Every Locker; Week 4, Initiative

September 9, 2021September 8, 2021 Coach AlercioLeave a comment

In week 4 of our 14 week series of a Leader in Every Locker, we focus on the leadership trait: Initiative.

We define initiative as taking action in the absence of immediate guidance or direction. If we share a common understanding of our goals and objectives, and regularly communicate to share and balance situational awareness, we should be able to make decisions independently and arrive at the collectively desired outcome. Initiative becomes all the more important as time compresses and stress increases.

Once the play is called and the teams align, it falls upon the players to make decisions and appropriate communication to execute the play. There are no coaches on the field on gameday. Initiative is particularly important in the early weeks of the season when we have little or no quality video of our opponents to prepare our players. Offensive linemen will see unexpected fronts causing them to communicate changes to blocking schemes. Receivers will see Safety rotations requiring them to convert routes. Defensive fronts will see unbalanced lines causing them to adjust ensuring all gaps are accounted for. Defensive Backs and Linebackers will see empty sets forcing them to ensure all receivers are covered. And Quarterbacks will see defenders out of position or receivers uncovered and must change and communicate the play. These actions must occur in near real time and with the knowledge opponents are attempting to deceive us (or at least mask their intent).

With only 3 timeouts per half, coaches cannot use one every time an opponent shows something new. Tying in previous traits/themes, we as coaches (as well as teammates on the field) depend (Dependability) on players to assess a situation, make good decisions (Judgement) and to take action in the absence of further guidance or clarification (Initiative).

Life demands the same… Successful people, regardless of role, have a bias for action and are willing to exercise the initiative to seize fleeting opportunities. It’s unlikely every decision or action taken will turn out perfectly, but the old adage, “a good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan executed later” certainly applies.