| Why Use the Single Wing Offense? | | | | action. Ask them to form their own decision for |
| The Single Wing has had unparalleled success | | | | themselves, as they say pictures are worth a |
| across the country from Alaska to Florida. There | | | | thousand words. Ask them why your past teams |
| is still a small group of very successful High School | | | | haven't won championships? If the answer is you |
| coaches still running the Single Wing from Florida | | | | don't have the kids or the kids didn't want it bad |
| to California. In 2006 alone, three Single Wing | | | | enough, how is that going to change? Are you |
| teams played in the Virginia High School State | | | | just going to wait until a Barry Sanders-like kid or |
| Finals, with two winning Titles. Even a number of | | | | a Joe Montana suddenly drops in on your |
| college teams today run Single Wing plays and | | | | doorstep? Every year that was my excuse, we |
| formations, like Florida, Boise State, West Virginia, | | | | just need a QB, we need bigger kids, our kids |
| Utah, Missouri, Texas, Nevada, Texas A&M and | | | | aren't motivated, the kids aren't very bright, I just |
| Arkansas to name a few. In today's lingo many | | | | need one big Tailback, every year it was a |
| call it a multiple shotgun offense, but it's still the | | | | different excuse. The real answers are that very |
| Single Wing. | | | | good youth coaches across the country win |
| We think the Single Wing Offense makes sense | | | | every year regardless of talent levels. |
| for a variety of reasons: | | | | My only regret is that we did not do this from |
| Many youth teams never adjust to the | | | | the start, I am 100% confident those 4-6 and 2-8 |
| unbalanced formation. Most teams give us | | | | teams could have been championship teams or at |
| numbers advantages before the play even starts. | | | | least 8-2, or 9-1 teams. Even if we didn't win a |
| The snap is much safer, if we fumble the snap | | | | championship, the kids would have learned more |
| we have more room to recover. The ability to | | | | and had more fun with this system. I even |
| snap to 3 different backs is incredibly deceptive. | | | | thought about how my "I" formation QB would |
| The spin series is the most deceptive and least | | | | have made a great Wing, my Wing would have |
| seen series in football. The defenses are not used | | | | been a great Blocking Back, my Tailback would |
| to seeing this offense. Scout teams have a hard | | | | still be at Tailback and my Fullback would have |
| time emulating this offense. It's easy to pass out | | | | been unstoppable as a wedge runner and spinning |
| of with the offset fullback and tailback. Fewer | | | | Fullback. |
| handoffs that often cause fumbles. No pitch | | | | Clinics |
| sweeps required to get outside, hence no pitches | | | | You may want to consider putting together a |
| on the ground. Ball control means less time for | | | | coaches clinic of your own and rep the plays and |
| your defense on the field. ? Excellent "cult" | | | | drills with your coaches. Share your enthusiasm |
| support system. ? Overwhelm your opponent at | | | | and confidence in this system, it's contagious. Just |
| the point of attack. No requirement to have a | | | | watch a Steve Calande Clinic DVD and tell me the |
| stud quarterback or big feature back. All the kids | | | | coaches in attendance are not ready to take on |
| get involved in the offense, it's team football at | | | | the world on with his offense. Our first year |
| its finest. It's fun for the kids and the coaches. It | | | | running this system went much easier than we |
| doesn't require lots of big linemen. ? It's flexible. It | | | | anticipated. We have no restrictions on practice |
| maximizes the talent you do have. It has | | | | time in our city league so I took a small group of |
| unmatched power. No quarterback under the | | | | six returning players and experimented with the |
| center for our pulling linemen to run into. Easy to | | | | plays one month before practice started. We met |
| put anyone in to carry the ball during blowouts. | | | | one day per week for four weeks, which really |
| Selling the Single Wing | | | | helped to prepare me for the first day of |
| For the uninformed, there may be a bit of a | | | | practice. We had most of the glitches worked out |
| selling job required to buy into the Single Wing | | | | and now we had a group of kids trained so our |
| concept. We were sold on it by viewing film of | | | | other kids would have someone they could copy. |
| several very average skilled and sized teams just | | | | I wish I would have had a DVD or clinic video, but |
| crush every opponent they faced. Watching Eric | | | | we just had four pages of scribbled notes and a |
| Strutz and his State Line Comets or a Todd | | | | season of game film to work from. Prior to the |
| Bross team score on every possession with | | | | season starting, we had a two-hour whiteboard |
| average kids sold us on the offense. There is | | | | clinic for the coaches and we watched some tape |
| plenty of this type of film available through us or | | | | of Eric Strutz's State Line Comets youth team. |
| other sources. The records of the youth and High | | | | On defense, we had a complete package that |
| School teams that run Single Wing speak for | | | | consisted of 4 pages of notes and our special |
| themselves, it's not just the Screaming Eagles | | | | teams were just one page. You guys have it all, |
| that are doing well with this system. Nearly every | | | | the benefit of the combined experience of my |
| youth team we know that is using this offense | | | | aggregated 70 teams playing over the last five |
| has done very well with it. The teams that have | | | | years (over 800 games) and the leveraged |
| combined this great offense with a sound practice | | | | knowledge of over 100 of my coaches. You also |
| methodology and a solid defense, have done | | | | get the leveraged knowledge of the fine group of |
| great. | | | | very successful coaches from all over the |
| To get your coaches to buy in, give them DVDs | | | | country that have helped me with the material. |
| and videos of great youth Single wing teams in | | | | |