NYO Flag Football 2026
Team Moms: Cindy Stevens & Malinda Hlavenka
Sassy Practice Siblings: Harper & Ella
See schedule below and when Brad/Jim will be available/traveling.
NYO Emails
1. Padded headband or full soft helmet • 2. Mouthpiece • 3. Molded cleats (no replaceable/screw-in metal cleats)
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jun 28, 2026Sunday8:00 PM |
K/1 Flag Coaches Meeting + Zoom Call
K/1 Flag Coaches
General overview of the coaching process, key dates, and Q&A for first-time coaches. Brief ~15 min Zoom call to lay out what to expect.
✓ Completed
|
| Jul 31 – Aug 3, 2026Friday - Monday |
NYO Shopping Days @ Dick's Sporting Goods
Parents
Special discounts for NYO families at Dick's Sporting Goods. Great time to pick up required equipment (padded headband/soft helmet, mouthpiece, molded cleats).
|
| Aug 2, 2026Sunday1:30 - 3:00 PM (Players)3:30 - 5:00 PM (Flag Coaches)4:30 - 6:00 PM (Tackle Coaches) |
Player Training Camp + Coaches Clinics
All PlayersFlag CoachesTackle Coaches
Players: Training Camp/Clinic 1:30p–3:00p at NYO Fanning Field. Arrive by 1:10p for field setup. All K, 1G, and 2G players attend. Led by NYO coaches with stations (flag pulling, zig zag, throwing) rotating every 10-15 min. K/1 on one half of field, 2nd on other half.
Coaches: After player camp, drive to Sutton Middle School (~3 min away). Flag coaches clinic 3:30p–5p (Q&A, demonstrations, best practices). Tackle clinic 4:30p–6p. Joint 30-min session on positive coaching & character development.
⚠ Coaches: Bring a pee wee football if you signed up for flag pulling, zig zag, or throwing stations. Budget ~4 hours total for the day.
|
| Aug 4-6, 2026Tuesday - Thursday5:00 - 7:00 PM |
Training Camp
Tackle Only
Player safety instruction, proper techniques, light conditioning, and heat acclimation before tryouts. Flag players do not attend.
|
| Aug 8, 2026SaturdayStarting @ 8:30 AM |
Tryouts / Player Evaluations
1st Grade & 2nd Grade ONLY
1st and 2nd graders only. Kindergartners are assigned to rosters after 1G draft (no tryout needed). Overall tryouts start at 8:30 AM at NYO. Full details on tryout numbers coming via email.
|
| Aug 11, 2026Tuesday5:00 PM |
Make-Up Tryouts
All Players
For players unable to attend Aug 8. Attendance at one of the two tryout dates is mandatory for draft eligibility and season participation.
Jim out of town
|
| Aug 16, 2026Sunday |
K/1st & 2G Team Drafts
Coaches Only
Starting with 1st grade, players assigned to teams via draft. Only coaches attend. 1st graders drafted based on tryout evaluations. Kindergartners assigned via parent/coach requests. Parents notified by drafting coach with practice plans.
|
| Aug 17, 2026Monday |
Preseason Practices Begin
All Teams
Practices start immediately after draft. K/1G: up to 2 practices per week. 2G: up to 3 practices per week. Coaches will advise on specific practice schedules. 1 practice/week = 1 hour.
|
| TBD— |
Team Leadership Meeting
Team Moms & Dads
Meeting for Team Moms and Team Dads. Date to be announced.
|
| Aug 28-29, 2026Friday - Saturday |
Games Begin - Flag
Game DayK/1st Grade Flag
First games of the season for kindergarten and 1st grade flag divisions. New for 2026: season starts the week before Labor Day.
|
| Aug 31, 2026Monday |
Games Begin - Tackle & Upper Flag
Game Day2nd - 6th Grade
Regular season games begin for 2nd through 6th grade divisions. No games scheduled on Labor Day weekend.
Jim out of town (Aug 30 - Sep 5)
|
| Sep 4–7, 2026Friday - Monday |
Labor Day Weekend — No Games
All Leagues
No games scheduled over Labor Day weekend.
|
| On/After Oct 30, 2026Friday |
Playoffs Begin
Playoffs
Single elimination playoff bracket. Teams seeded by coaches poll (regular season does not keep score in K/1). Commissioner averages all coaches' rankings plus his own observations.
|
| Nov 16, 2026Monday |
Championship Games
Playoffs
Championship Monday. All leagues have a championship game between the two remaining teams in their respective playoff brackets.
|
| Nov 19, 2026Thursday |
Peach Bowl (All-Star Games)
All-Stars
All-star competition for 3rd grade and above participants.
|
| Date | Event / Notes | Brad | Jim |
|---|
- Coaches set the tone. If coaches stay calm, assistant coaches fall in line, then parents follow.
- If you see a parent acting up on your sideline, tell them to cut it out.
- Avoid the cascade: assistant coach barks, then parents bark, then it's chaos.
- Mission statement: Create a good experience for the boys and parents so everybody comes back next year.
- Standing rule: "The ref is always right, even when they're wrong."
- K1 refs are often new/training refs. Have grace ... they'll make mistakes and call things inconsistently.
- DO NOT yell at the ref during the game. Talk to Commissioner Ernie afterwards.
- Chain of command: Coach → Ernie (Commissioner) → Russell → Rodney
- Refs only make $50/game. Yelling at them usually doesn't end well for the coach.
- Commissioner Ernie is an ex-GHSA football referee himself, so he takes the officiating standards seriously.
- Pre-season meeting planned with refs to review rules. Email Ernie with any issues from last season to add to the agenda.
- K1 does NOT keep score during regular season.
- End-of-season coaches poll ranks teams for playoffs. Commissioner averages all coaches' rankings plus his own observations.
- Playoff bracket seeded from this poll. Last year, 24 teams with almost no upsets through the first two rounds ... coaches' evaluations were spot on.
- Every touchdown counts as 1 point only, regardless of extra point conversion.
- USE extra points to get bench players, late-round draft picks, and kindergartners their moment. They don't know the difference between an extra point and a touchdown.
- A rising 8th grader still talks about a TD Ernie got him from the half-yard line in 5th grade. That's what kept him coming back year after year.
- For many of these kids, this may be the only touchdown they ever score. Make it count.
- 1st graders go through tryouts and a coach draft process. Tryouts are the main opportunity to evaluate players before the draft.
- Kindergartners are randomly assigned to teams. Coaches can also recruit kindergartners directly.
- Before training camp, coaches had no chance to evaluate kindergartners at all and could only see 1st graders at tryouts (or remember them from last year).
- Training camp (new this year) gives coaches their first real look at the kids before tryouts.
- Player Evaluations/Tryouts: August 8
- Make-Up Tryouts: August 11 (5:00 PM)
- Draft Day 1: August 16
- Draft Day 2: August 17
- If flag certified last year, you're good to go. No need to recertify.
- If only tackle certified, you must take the flag certification.
- New coaches must complete certification via link in Commissioner's first email.
- Certification applies to head coach AND all assistant coaches on field/at practice.
- Covers: CPR, heat exhaustion, flag-specific rules.
- Deadline: Mid-July.
- Headgear is REQUIRED ... either soft helmet or padded headband.
- The clumsy/uncoordinated kids need it most. They're the ones who can't stop and cause collisions, not the athletic kids.
- Commissioner's son preferred the headband because the helmet got too hot.
- K1: 1 practice/week + 1 game. No exceptions.
- 2nd grade: 2 practices/week + 1 game.
- Schedule ALL practices on GameChanger so everything is transparent and accountable.
- Commissioner is working to get GameChanger access to monitor practice counts.
- Use ONLY allocated NYO practice fields. Don't find private practice space ... creates ill will.
- Double-duty coaches (K1 + 2nd grade) get scheduling priority. Can stack practices back-to-back or spread across different days.
- K1 games: Fridays and Saturdays
- 2nd grade games: Monday through Thursday
- NEW for 2026: Season starts the week before Labor Day
- First K1 games: August 28-29
- First 2nd grade games: August 31 - September 3
- No games on Labor Day weekend
- 5th/6th grade starts the traditional week of Labor Day
- This gives 9 weeks for an 8-game regular season ... buffer for rainouts and fall break.
- 2 weeks of preparation before first game.
- Goal: every team plays all 8 regular season games.
- Proposed open makeup slot: 4:15-5:15 PM on Fanning around fall break week.
- For K1 missed games: not a big deal since no score. Better to have a 4v4 or 5v5 friendly scrimmage than stress over rescheduling.
- If you don't have a full squad, don't count that game toward the coaches poll.
- Halloween falls on Saturday this year.
- No games on Halloween.
- If it's the only makeup slot two coaches agree on, 9 AM is OK ... but anything late morning or afternoon is trouble.
- New this year. Sunday August 2 at ~1:30 PM (coaches meeting at 3:30 PM).
- Location: Fanning field, split half for 2nd grade, half for K1.
- Purpose: First chance for coaches to lay eyes on kids before tryouts. Previously coaches had zero visibility on kindergartners and only saw 1st graders at tryouts.
- Station 1: Running/Speed ... Heats of 5-6 kids. Winner of each heat sits out, remaining kids re-heat. Winners race each other at the end. Also work in a Simon Says snap drill: coach snaps the ball and kids can only go when they hear "hike." Half the battle of flag is going when the ball moves and stopping at the whistle.
- Station 2: Flag Pull Cone Drill ... 2 kids at a time, start facing each other, run around a cone 3.5 yards away, then through a small tunnel of cones where one pulls the flag. For K1, run two groups simultaneously to minimize standing around. Max 7 yards apart (matches game defense distance). Keep kindergartners safe from collisions.
- Station 3: Zigzag Cone Drill + Catch ... Zigzag through cones, catch a pass from the coach, throw it back. This is exactly what they'll do at tryouts ... pre-exposure here speeds up the actual tryout day significantly.
- Station 4: Blocking/Agility (King of the Hill) ... Cone 3 yards behind the offensive player. Blocker shuffles feet to keep defender off the cone. Hands inside or behind back. Can run multiple groups at once if you have enough coaches. Same drill used in 3rd grade tackle tryouts.
- Station 5: Throwing/Receiving ... Everyone throws once to a coach. Then everyone runs a 7-yard button hook and catches it (make sure they run the ball back to keep the line moving). Last 5 min: pull a few standout kids from each group to throw to kids running the button hooks.
- Head coaches run the stations. Assistant coaches roam and take notes.
- Pair similar skill levels together. Don't match the athletic kid with the one who has trouble walking.
- SignUpGenius coming for station assignments.
- Staffing: 3-4 head coaches per station. Groups of ~40 for K1 (10 kids per station with 4 coaches), ~25 for 2nd grade.
- T-shirts for every kid at training camp.
- Proposed: Both teams' coaches on far sideline, like basketball.
- Coaches box: 5-10 yards from end zone to 5 yards from midfield, both sides.
- One coach on field at all times (doing majority of coaching). Four subs.
- Physical barriers (trash cans) to enforce boundaries.
- Benefits: Away from parent distractions, can focus purely on coaching.
- Risk: Need cooperation so coaches don't chirp at each other across field.
- NOT an official rule yet. Under discussion for 2026.
- More flag players than tackle players league-wide.
- ~70-75 kids couldn't be accommodated this year due to field and coach limitations.
- 4 more K1 coaches still needed. Referral fee: Commissioner buys you a beer.
- Additional field space being secured (Windsor Parkway location in discussions). More space than last year. Hilltop status TBD. Josh handling field logistics.
Useful Links
- NYO Football 2026 Season Info →Official NYO website with full season details
- 2025 Tryout Details →Reference from last year's tryout process
- 2025 Tryout Drills →Video of tryout drills from last year (Facebook)
Ideas
No ideas yet
Got a play idea, practice thought, or strategy? Drop it here.
Add Iron Eagles to Your Home Screen
Save this app to your iPhone home screen for one-tap access. It works just like a real app, no download needed.
Open this page in Safari (not Chrome or other browsers).
Tap the share icon at the bottom of Safari.
Scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen."
Tap "Add" in the top-right corner to confirm.
Iron Eagles is now on your home screen like a real app!
Tip: This must be done in Safari on iPhone. Chrome and other browsers don't support "Add to Home Screen." Once added, it opens full-screen without browser bars.
Paste a reel or video link and we'll grab the title and thumbnail
No drills saved yet
Paste a video link above to save your first drill
USA Football Coach Course
Sharpen your skills to effectively instruct and support your players, and manage practices, games, and logistics.
The purpose of this module is to aide you in sharpening your skills to effectively instruct and support your players as well as manage practices, games, and logistics.
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand and differentiate between multiple approaches to teaching athletes.
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of effectively teaching and facilitating skills and activities.
- Acquire the knowledge necessary to manage teams effectively in practices and games.
- Identify the roles and responsibilities of personnel.
For more information on the Football Development Model, visit fdm.usafootball.com.
Note: Throughout the module, you must interact with each part of the lesson before moving on to the next lesson.
When practice begins, multiple things tend to happen at the same time: reviewing the practice plan, setting up the field, and players getting dropped off.
A great way to help facilitate the beginning of practice is to utilize structured free play. One coach can monitor and check in with players while the other coach completes setup for the first activity of the skill circuit portion of practice.
If you do not have multiple coaches available, you can ask a parent/guardian volunteer to help with field set up or to help monitor and facilitate free play.
Coaching Fundamentals
Different tools in your coaching toolbox to effectively teach skills and concepts to players in ways they understand.
A great way to help players work on skills with lots of opportunities for repetition, fun, competition, and creativity is to use games for learning (also known as the tactical games approach).
After playing a game in a fun, competitive way to work on skills, it can still be helpful to break down the skills to smaller parts to help players fine-tune their techniques.
7 Teaching Techniques
Whole-Part-Whole: Players work on the "big picture" concept (whole), work on the smaller skills within the concept (part), and then put it all back together (whole).
Part-Part-Whole: Players work on one small aspect (part) and another small aspect (part) before putting it all together (whole) as a skill sequence.
Whole-Part-Part: Players start with the "big picture" concept (whole) and then break down into two smaller specific skills (part-part).
Adjusting coaching methods and practice activities based on individual needs and progress. Flexible training that targets specific weaknesses or enhances emerging strengths without following a predetermined progression.
Using game-like elements to teach specific skills or concepts. Instead of only using partner passing, players can play Keep Away with multiple footballs for constant movement, decision-making, and passing/catching on the move.
Using demonstrations and modeling as a primary teaching tool. Coaches demonstrate a skill, and players mimic or "mirror" the actions to visualize and understand correct techniques.
Gradually increasing complexity or difficulty. Start with basic skills and progressively add layers of challenges. Coaches can also decrease difficulty if the next layer presents too much challenge.
Limitations or specific conditions placed on training to encourage certain behaviors or skill development:
- Space: Field size (smaller or bigger), positional constraints
- Time: Time to perform a task, task complexity, rule/scenarios
- Number of People: Amount of players in a drill or game
- Level of Contact: No contact, limited contact, full contact
Push Instruction: Coach takes a directive role, providing clear instructions. Best for introducing new skills, beginners, and structured drills.
Pull Instruction: Encourages players to take an active role in learning through open-ended questions and self-assessment. Best for experienced players, game simulations, and developing decision-making.
Most coaches use a combination of both, adapting their style to specific needs and skill levels.
Error Detection and Correction
Error Detection
Error Correction
Types of Activities
Drills with predetermined conditions and limited possible outcomes. Highly structured and controlled. Examples: passing drills with players in set positions, running through stationary defenders. Valuable for reinforcing fundamentals in a controlled environment.
Game-like scenarios where players face unpredictable situations. Examples: small group games, full-field scrimmage, tactical drills with active defenders. Develops adaptability, creativity, and game intelligence.
Fewer players on each team compared to full-sided (1v1 to 7v7). Benefits:
- More fun and mini-competitions
- Higher frequency of repetitions
- More opportunities for learning
- Less standing and watching
- Promotes technical skills, quick thinking, creativity
- Close resemblance to game-like situations
Establishing Routines
A systematic approach to managing schedules, equipment, player records, and admin tasks. When coaches are organized, it instills confidence in players, parents, and staff.
A structured outline of what will be covered. Includes drills, exercises, objectives, and time allocations. Download the USA Football Coach Planner App for planning resources.
Defining clear goals, setting expectations, and following consistent routines. Provides a framework so players understand what's expected, reduces confusion, and fosters discipline.
Player roles that promote ownership:
- Leading the team chant for the day
- Game day captain
- Helping clean up after practice
- Leading the warm up game and/or routine
Keys to Teaching
- Explain it in 1-2 sentences like a caption for a picture. Only 1-5 cues at a time.
- Speak on their level. Make eye contact, even if it means kneeling down.
- Demonstrate from multiple angles with athlete volunteers.
- Give exploration time to go through it slowly.
- Repeat with increasing speed/intensity toward game-like scenarios.
- Have a visual graphic on hand as a support tool.
- Provide quick, consistent real-time feedback. Walk around actively.
- Give one feedback/cue at a time, then circle back.
- Make time for questions and clarifications.
- "Gamify" whenever possible. Use games for learning and mini-competitions.
Staying Organized
Selecting Age-Appropriate Activities
Know their age and developmental level. A 5-year-old is developing basic hand-eye coordination while a 12-year-old is refining it. Know how long they've played football and other sports.
Too easy = boredom. Too hard = frustration. Break into small groups by skill level to find the right level.
Ask players which games, activities, and drills they like. Find a balance between what they need to do (your plans) and what they enjoy.
Team Management
Team management, practice and game management, and logistics for running a successful program.
Target Selection (5-Step Process)
- Observe Practices and Games: Use observation notes to select the next day's training targets.
- Select the Games and Drills: Choose activities that fit your practice plan structure based on training targets.
- Select Teaching Techniques: Determine which techniques suit each situation (e.g., progression + constraint for one drill, mirrored learning for another).
- Facilitate the Activity: Put your plan into action. Kneel to make eye contact, give real-time feedback, use coaching cues, manage behavior.
- Continued Evaluation: Shift targets as players master skills. Have both team targets and individual player targets.
Performance Reflection
- Think About What Should Be Accomplished: "What skills or tactics does this team or player need work on?"
- Envision Peak Performance: The summit goal (the perfect block or tackle).
- Base Camp: Evaluate current performance. The path forward is different based on current abilities.
- Current Performance Evaluation: Select drills that stretch learning but aren't too hard. Too easy fails to develop; too hard ruins confidence.
The Critical Breakdown Factor
Every skill is made up of multiple elements. Identifying the correct element that broke down is key. Example: In catching, coaches often focus on the hands (the "final act"). But deeper analysis may reveal the feet were mispositioned, causing an awkward reach. Fix the feet, and the hands often fix themselves.
Age Group Development
Focus: Basic Fundamental Movement Skills, confidence, desire to play.
- Need games, stories, and imagination for engagement
- Learning self-regulation and sharing
- Need fun, constant active engagement
- Frequent changes of activity within predictable routines
- Lots of praise and reinforcement
Focus: Fundamental Athletic Skills, Fundamental Technical Skills, confidence.
- Foundation of athletic skills, can begin football-specific skills
- Developing self-awareness and independence
- Environment must be fun, inclusive, and engaging
- Focus on trying their best and growth mindset
Focus: Reinforcing Technical Skills, learning tactical aspects.
- Can consistently apply football skills to general athletic skills
- Stronger self-awareness, better teamwork
- Reward improvement and effort over outcomes
- Reinforce through small-sided games and competitions
Focus: Honing Technical and Tactical Skills for competition.
- Ready to perform skills under pressure
- Re-learning their bodies due to puberty
- Can imagine/understand game situations
- Strong need to belong while developing personal identity
Focus: Technical and tactical development, position-specific skills.
- Able to perform under pressure
- Balancing individual and team success
- Supported through healthy peer and mentor relationships
Player Management Techniques
Build Relationships and Team Culture:
- Get to know athletes' likes/dislikes, family, etc.
- Follow up on things they shared (e.g., how did the test go?)
- Incorporate their favorite shows/games into drills and play names
- High fives and fist bumps
- Be mindful of facial expressions and body language
- Talk with parents, even when you're not in need of something
- Clearly communicate expectations
- Be as consistent as possible
Managing Behavior
Have cues that don't rely on a whistle or yelling (call and response, music to cue station rotation, clap + phrase, etc.).
Team shout-outs/celebrations (from coaches and athletes), stickers, sport-related collectible cards, etc.
Warning system established early. Separating players if needed. Side conversations (still in view of others). Assigning jobs to players.
Game Day
Practice and game management, logistics, roles, and key takeaways for running a successful program.
Coaches' Roles
- Practice plan design, overall team strategy
- Game-time decisions (subs, tactical adjustments)
- Lead team discussions and pre-game prep
- Main point of contact for players and parents
- Oversee/delegate equipment and field needs
- Assist in planning and conducting practices
- Focus on specific aspects (defense or offense)
- Provide additional feedback and support
- Help manage substitutions
- Assist with game warm-ups and cool downs
Players' Roles
- Captain(s): On-field leaders, liaisons between players and coaches, set positive examples
- Team Leaders: Support captains, help enforce team rules, encourage teammates
- Equipment Managers: Set up, maintain, collect, and return equipment
- Hydration Coordinator(s): Distribute water, monitor player safety
- Field Inspector(s): Check for hazards before, during, and after practices/games
- Substitute/Sideline Support: Stay engaged, be ready, warm up, provide encouragement
Player roles may rotate throughout the season.
Parents'/Guardians' Roles
- Support: Encourage fun and learning over winning. Attend when possible.
- Respect: Respect coaches and officials. Avoid sideline criticism.
- Communication: Maintain open lines with coaches. Discuss concerns respectfully.
- Positive Reinforcement: Celebrate successes, help learn from setbacks.
- Logistics: Equipment, transportation, nutrition/sleep, snacks, carpools.
Practice Preparation
- Create, share, and review the practice plan with co-coaches
- Review the Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
- Inventory and replace equipment, First Aid supplies, locate nearest AED
- Inspect the field
- Set up the field (cooling tub, water station, activity setup)
- Remain at the field until all players have been picked up by a trusted guardian
Game Day Preparation
- Share logistical info (and changes) to co-coaches, players, parents, and officials
- Review the Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
- Inventory equipment, First Aid supplies, locate nearest AED
- Inspect the field and uniforms (be prepared with extras)
- Set up cooling tub, water station, activity areas
- Remain at the field until all players have been picked up
Understanding a variety of teaching techniques and types of activities allows you to find different fun and engaging ways to help your players learn football skills.
Understanding your athletes allows you to select and effectively facilitate activities and drills, and provide effective feedback.
It is important to build relationships and a foundational team culture.
It is important to understand and designate roles between coaches, players, and parents/guardians to better manage both practices and games.
Quick Reference
All 7 coaching demonstration videos and flashcard review from the course.
Video Library
1. Start of Practice
Coach Andy demonstrates structured free play at the beginning of practice, greeting athletes, and running a warm-up circle with name/question exercises.
2. First Game of Practice (Keep Away)
Coach Caroline and Coach Andy introduce Keep Away with multiple footballs, teaching rules (5 steps, 5 seconds, interceptions OK, no stripping). Demonstrates overhand-only and pitch-only progressions.
3. Skill Session 1: Throwing
Detailed QB mechanics: grip (fingers on laces, off the palm), step (lead foot to target), follow-through. Partner passing drills with progressions adding hurdles and footwork. Both overhand throws and pitches covered.
4. Putting It All Together
Players return to Keep Away after skill work. Coaches expect improved fundamentals. Overhand round followed by pitch-only round, then water break.
5. Skill Session 2: Catching and Receiving
Catching drills with passes in front and behind the receiver. Monkey in the Middle progressions: stationary, moving, plant-cut, full routes. Hand positioning and framing technique.
6. Skill Sessions Debrief
Mid-practice debrief using pull instruction. Coaches ask players to connect what they've worked on with 1-5 key focus points.
7. Skill Circuit Recap
Coach reviews the day's skill circuit: QB mechanics (step, grip, follow-through), pitch technique (step, push), receiver cuts (get your head around on the cut). Transitions to 5v5 team play.
Flashcard Review
Error Detection
Error Correction
Organization
Player Evaluation
1G Iron Eagles Tryouts