On today’s USA Football Coach and Coordinator podcast, we continue the “Your Call” series, allowing coaches and professionals to respond on social media and air their thoughts and opinions on various matters. This time, we look at how technology plays a factor in teaching players the game plan in the install phase. When it comes to having your players learn in the offseason, delivering that message in the right way is everything. Three professionals in football technology contributed to our conversation on social media and join today’s show.

Rob Everett – defensive coordinator at Bridgewater College (Virginia) – Twitter: @NineintheBox

Everett is in his third season as the defensive coordinator at Bridgewater. He coached four all-conference players and the state defensive rookie of the year last season. Before coming to Bridgewater, Everett coached five seasons in the same role at Westfield High School (Virginia). Westfield won the 6A state championship in 2015 and his defense held teams to 7.9 points per game. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Robert E. Lee High School (Virginia) from 2006-10. Everett also was an advisor at HigherEchelon and helped develop the GoArmy Edge Football App.

Austin Barone – Founder/CEO at Just Play Sports Solutions (justplaysolutions.com) – Twitter: @austin_barone

Barone founded Just Play Sports Solutions in 2014. Just Play helps coaches with delivering playbooks and teaching tools to their players in a way they can understand best. He came up with the idea while he was a football player at the University of Kansas from 2012-15. Barone co-founded Just Play with Andy Wachter, a former college basketball player at Wichita State University and Pittsburg State University. Barone developed the beta version of the Just Play system in his last season at Kansas, while he learned how coaches worked and interacted in the press box.

Mike Rolih – Co-Founder/CEO at GoRout (gorout.com) – Twitter: @mikerolih

Rolih founded GoRout in 2014. It is a wearable technology that allows players to digitally retrieve plays being called from coaches on the sidelines. This technology can be fitted as a wristband as well as in the player’s helmet visor. The technology makes calling plays and having players understand them seamless for coaches. Rolih is a former high school football coach and all-state quarterback.

In today’s show, host Keith Grabowski talks with three guests about their technological improvements to installing game plan in the offseason.

Show Notes

2:02 Rob Everett talks about the best method for installation

4:55 RE: Keeping players engaged during install

7:01 RE: Being efficient with practice/classroom time

8:30 RE: Using GoArmy Edge for install

12:51 RE: Making it easy on the players to consume the information

16:02 RE: Using Google Forms to quiz players before practice

22:22 Austin Barone discusses how Just Play Solutions helps install sessions

24:50 AB: Coaches able to hold players accountable

27:33 AB: Types of quizzes in the Just Play Solutions playbooks

29:48 AB: Tips for preseason install

32:02 AB: How coaches are using the Just Play Solutions technology

35:38 AB: Creating a realistic environment without being in-season

37:52 Mike Rolih explains how GoRout technology improves install

41:59 MR: Accompanying to learning in the digital age

44:33 MR: Technology promoting memorization in players

47:54 MR: Linking learning in the classroom to applying on the field

50:49 MR: Installing within the flow of practice

53:25 MR: Catering game plan notes to each player

55:03 MR: Technology integrating the coaching staff in the install

59:34 MR: Adapting teaching styles to the change in technology