Coach Aaron Ocampo's philosophy on Football

Football is a contact (collision) sport that is commonly referred to as the “ultimate team game”. No other sport requires eleven people to execute together, with precision, against an opponent, in a violent manner. Although the game can be barbaric in nature, I believe it can be a great tool to prepare its participants for “life”. Lou Holtz says, “We live in a world filled with selfish people that are undisciplined. Football is great because it requires the up most discipline and unselfishness.” These intrinsic values can be used a variety of ways to create a more successful future.

The violent nature of the game of football makes trust, commitment and care, the building blocks of a successful team. My primary coaching goal is not to win games. Our objective is to get young people to take pride in making a “whole greater than the sum of its individual parts”. Players must commit (to each other) to improve individually in the classroom, in the weight room and on the field, because each one of their teammates is counting on them to do so. Success on the football field is a bi product of this commitment.

Football is known as a very physical game, but on the contrary, it also requires a great deal of intelligence. Many coaches throughout the years have said the game is 10% physical and 90% mental. The best football players must be quick thinkers and quite often problem solvers. The nature of the game calls for an ultimate physical effort with maximum mental focus. Usually these attributes contradict each other but, in the case of football, they are needed simultaneously.

Every aspect of our approach to the game will be made toward the goal of victory over the next opponent. But, my approach to the game is very “process” oriented. Our focus will be geared toward the steps getting us to a victory rather than the final outcome. Coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning isn't everything, but making the effort to is.” We are organized and detail oriented in our effort to win on Friday nights.

These attributes make Football a great tool to prepare our student athletes for the challenges that they will be presented with in the future. At times the lessons learned on the playing fields can be as valuable as the ones taught in the classroom. Having the right leadership is vital to the development of our student athletes, when it comes to football or any other extracurricular activity.
 
 
Personal Football Philosophy

Football is broken down into three basic actions: which are running, blocking and tackling. Every successful football team has one thing in common: they are fundamentally sound. The particular scheme chosen on offense, defense and special teams should vary to accommodate the type of athletes that “walk the halls” of the school. High school coaches do not have the luxury of recruiting athletes to fit a particular scheme or system. So it is imperative that high school football coaches be flexible in their personal philosophy, while focusing on perfecting the fundamentals of the game.

Offensively, the attack must be balanced between the run and the pass. This will keep the defensive team on their heels, reacting to the next move. Our offense will employ a variety of formations using different combinations of tight ends, receivers and running backs. We will attempt to create mismatches with the defense, through our varied sets. A mixture of the power running game, play action pass and drop back pass, in combination with screens draws and gadget plays make this scheme diverse enough to keep the defensive guessing.

My defensive approach to the game is very simple. Don’t beat yourself: make your opponent beat you by executing flawlessly. Unsound defense can be very susceptible to the big play. Our defense will thrive on knowing the offenses tendencies to the point where our players can call the play before it happens. Multiple fronts with a few base coverages will be used to confuse the offense. Blitzing and stunting will be used to attack perceived weaknesses but most of the focus, defensively will be put on alignment, assignment and tackling.

Special teams will be an integral component to our game plan from week to week. Special team’s plays account for 1/5 of all of the plays of a football game. The kicking game will be practiced on a daily basis to enhance our execution. Throughout the course of the week we will devise strategies to gain field position or turnovers with our special teams. We will be very aggressive and wide open in our special teams. Trick plays and gadgets will be used to confuse our opponents. The kicking game can be a great equalizer between teams with varying talent. We will prepare to win the special teams battle in every contest.

Quite possibly, the most important aspect of any successful football program is the commitment made to an off-season strength and conditioning program. The strength and speed gains made in the off-season will greatly enhance the play of our athletes during the season. But, the psychological advantage gained from an increase in speed and strength can be far more valuable. A gain in confidence can be the catalyst to any team’s success story.
 

Four essentials to being #1

1.     Commitment to Excellence: As a team we must have a burning desire to be the best.

2.     Complete Attention to Detail: No job or assignment is insignificant. We will make a priority out of doing the little things right so the big things take care of themselves.

3.     Perfection of Fundamentals: We will build our success on a firm foundation. Our team will not get tired of perfecting the basic fundamentals of football.

4.     Discipline: Discipline is the intangible that can separate the talented teams from the great teams. Our team will live by this motto:

Do what has to be done
When it has to be done
As well as it can be done
And do it that way all of the time.

MONARCH FOOTBALL

Expect to Win