Bobby Maffei

ATHC 494

Youth Sports Practicum Essay

This past summer, I was the head coach for Trumbull High School’s 7 on 7

football team. This team participated in a passing league, which included numerous

schools from the region. In addition to this, the Trumbull Eagles also participated in

the Grip It and Rip It 7 on 7 Tournament hosted by New Canaan High School. The

passing league and tournaments were for the skill position players on my dad’s

football team. I had access to Trumbull High School’s turf football field. The passing

league was located at Masuk High School in Monroe, CT and the Grip It and Rip It

Tournament was at New Canaan High School.

I had many responsibilities as the head coach of the Trumbull High School 7

on 7 team. At the beginning of the summer, I created a practice schedule that we

would follow until I returned to Nebraska. In addition to this, I was responsible for

contacting my players is there were any changes to the practice schedule. During

the passing league and the 7 on 7 tournament, I assumed the role of Offensive

Coordinator. This meant that I was the individual responsible for calling all of our

offensive plays. As the Offensive Coordinator, I was also responsible for installing

new passing concepts and teaching them to the skill players. This included teaching

the Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, and Running Backs the proper route technique and

the Quarterbacks their movement key, progression, and footwork. At times, I also

needed to call the defense.

 There were many positive aspects during my time as the head coach for

Trumbull High’s 7 on 7 team. The most gratifying moment was when we won the

Grip It and Rip It Tournament for the second summer in a row. This summer, I led

the Eagles to a perfect 7-0 record and we defeated every team by at least 3

touchdowns. I was extremely proud of my players because we played against some

of the best teams in the region. This required a lot of concentration on my part

because I needed to understand what the defenses were doing and what plays

would work best against them. It always seemed like I was able to put my players in

the best position to succeed on the field. Another positive aspect of my experience

with the Trumbull High 7 on 7 team was working with the players. I was able to

coach them like a college coach thanks to my experience here at Nebraska. The

players all accepted my coaching and it showed on the field, as they were dominant

all summer. I have never been around more dedicated individuals in all of my years

around football. The only negative aspect of my time coaching this summer is that I

didn’t have more time.

If I were to coach Trumbull’s 7 on 7 team next summer, there would be some

changes that I would make. The first one is that I would have my dad register his

team for more 7 on 7 tournaments. In addition to this, I wish I could have installed

more passing concepts that my dad could have used during the season. This would

allow them to take better advantage of what his opponents do on defense and to

take better advantage of his offensive personnel.