Every coach has been trying to figure out just what's going to happen with the 2020 football season. From state to state there seems to be just as much uncertainty today as there was 3 months ago.
This week's episode of The Football Coaching Podcast takes a look at the questions your coaching staff needs to address to get ready. This is not about what's going to happen. None of us really know what is going to happen with COVID-19. It's actually about preparing your football program for what could happen this season.
There are multiple possibilities. Things could turn out pretty good (at least from a football standpoint). It could turn out very bad. This is not about any scientific or political beliefs you hold personally. It's about being prepared for very real possibilities.
From state to state, we will all be dealing with different situations. We've already seen different plans within the same state, like California and Texas. To keep track of what's happening around the country, there's a state-by-state look here.
Many states are still on track to start on time, or within a week to two weeks of the planned starting time. None of that is official until teams actually start stepping onto the field. But even for those coaches that are getting back to practice as expected, there are a lot of issues to plan for. This episode addresses the issues you need to expect in the 2020 football season even when starting on time.
Then there are states with a longer delay planned. Anywhere from one to two months. Several of those plans include shortened seasons. You're already dealing with a shortened off-season as well. How much do you need to simplify your playbooks?
Other states have looked at flipping some spring sports with the fall season sports, or moving football entirely to the spring this year. Those longer delays can open up a whole new can of worms - like totally flipping the weather dynamic. Is it better to play in 100 degree weather when you're just starting, or fatigued from the season? I don't know that answer.
And then there's the elephant in the room. What about a situation where you don't even have a 2020 football season? Not in 2020. Not in Spring 2021. Not at all. Scary, but a very real situation. One that Spring 2020 sports already had to face.
There's a lot of questions. This episode doesn't even touch on all the possible questions that could be asked. I'll be working with our JDFB Coaching Systems clients to get better insight on the big issues each scenario causes through the next 6 months or more.
One thing is sure. Teams that are prepared for the adversity of the 2020 football season are going to fare better than the teams that are not. There are opportunities for your program to get ahead despite all the uncertainty that has been caused by COVID-19 this year. Check out this episode for some of the steps your program can take to find those opportunities.