 I apologize at the outset for the use of the words “we, us, our”...the words “I, me, my”, except where necessary seem inappropriate. The article is intended to provide a microscopic version of one chapter contained in a 5 chapter book, the “Affective Domain of Learning”. The intent is to provide you with a glimpse into the nature and notion of “leadership” and its relationship to performance. My hope is that what you have in your hand will ignite your interest, whether you are a coach or a player, to investigate the subject(s) in more detail and not simply rely on what is written in this article and/or what you hear or have heard.
I wish to begin by providing you with a description of the general overall approach we use to teach our quarterbacks.
The general aspects of the Affective Domain will follow.
Regardless of the level of play, we all attempt to “teach” our quarterbacks “something”. If how and what they learn is a matter of the extrapolation and appropriate application of objective general “scientific” principles complimented by “art”, then it would seem that reliance on subjective hearsay/tradition alone has practical and philosophical consequences. From a practical standpoint, incorrect drills and/or techniques will generate little if any improvement, that leads to frustration fueling a philosophical position that asserts, “QBs are born”, “forget that science stuff”, generating an “approach” that suggests “let him do it his way”.
The methodology presented is a marriage of science and art. The science acknowledges that QB skills are specific, learned, and taught in a specific detailed manner. For guidance, management, and evaluation we separate the skills into four domains of learning, each associated with corresponding academic/scientific disciplines. The art acknowledges that QBs may require individual prescriptions despite their similar problems or gifts in each domain and that we apply the principles in a way that demonstrates sensitivity to the QB’s operational environment. This methodology generates tremendous benefits: it expands the pool of potential QBs; enables the coach to creatively develop QB drills to solve specific individual problems and elevates his ability to evaluate the merits of drills/techniques presented at clinics, et cetera; the objective evaluation of each QB is guaranteed; accelerates the QB’s learning curve of the requisite skills; insures the development of consistent, effective and efficient QBs on a continual basis; increases confidence in the QB and the pass offense resulting in a sustained and stabilized offensive system that enhances the possibility to score and thus increases the chance to win the game.
The need for the approach was a result of answers to a host of questions. All but one lays outside the scope of this paper and, in my view, marks the appropriate starting place for this article...what is the essence of the job of the QB? Consequently, we turn our attention to the Affective Domain of learning.
Affective Domain
This domain identifies the requisite skills not associated with movement. How and/or why they should be taught is typically driven by one’s philosophy or theology. Our ability to formulate of a coherent and functionally simple position with regards to these topics is critical as it impacts the psychology of our QBs.
Few would argue with the view that the essence of the QB’s job is similar to any person in an analogous position...“to lead”...the polite veil of power. That they do so irrespective of their personality is indisputable in light of the fact that no QB has ever led solely by his mouth or quiet demeanor. A QB who chooses to be the fiery “vocal type” but can’t perform is a windbag and a QB who chooses to be the silent and “lead by example” type but can’t perform is an impossible empty example. If in either case the vocal or quiet QB is a consistent, effective and efficient performer, then they are so by what they do and NOT by what they say or don’t say. In this sense performance is leadership and leadership is performance...vocal or silent leadership requires performance but performance does not require vocal or silent leadership.
QBs abuse their position of power (leadership) when they are allowed to become selfish and self-centered by their capitulation to an evaluation distorted by a misguided perception exemplified by the cliché, “QBs get too much blame for losing and too much credit for winning”. They are allowed to confuse “position importance” and its relationship to their responsibility with that of “position importance” and its relationship to their function in winning. To prevent our QBs from falling into this attractive abyss we must eliminate the tensions between the realities of their elevated stature, manifested by disproportionate awards-money-media attention-et cetera, and this great team game where there is no supposed “I in team” without sounding like a hypocrite.
Without an extended discussion of John Rawls Theory of Justice, our QBs are taught that their elevated stature is a result of their inherent added responsibilities and is justified only because this arrangement works to the benefit of the “least advantaged members” of the team. They are taught that winning is a team effort...every player and unit must function in order for us to win. Consequently, our QBs learn that position importance can’t be decided by function...without our teammates we alone can’t beat 33...it is functionally impossible and acknowledge that we are but cogs in the wheel of success or failure. Ultimately we tell them to, “shut-up and play – do YOUR job – and when you have something to say don’t embarrass your teammates with your mouth, hand gestures, and/or body posture before, during, or after a play/practice/game”.
Affective Skills
*Leadership and Loyalty: Football Program (on the field, weight room, locker room), family, community, school, organization.
*Respect: Game, rules, and opponents.
*Relationships: Administration, Staff, Support Staff, QB-Offensive-Defensive Units, Service Personnel, Professors, Media.
What then is the essence of the goal when coaching QBs? Based on the previous discussion, the answer is to teach our QBs how to rapidly acquire and/or maintain power. The acquisition of power is the secret subconscious desire of every QB...power veiled by leadership determined by performance. Once experienced, QBs will do whatever it takes to acquire more and/or maintain that which they’ve accumulated.
How then do we teach our QBs to be consistent, effective and efficient performers? We must illuminate their will to survive in order to remove it. We ask with contemptuous skepticism, “what does this have to do with coaching quarterbacks?” Understand that during a pass play we ask our QBs to maintain their focus into the secondary to choose the correct response while a number of defenders work feverishly to “rip his head off”. The defense (coordinator and players) is aware that pressure, hits, or sacks have the potential to shift his focus from the secondary to the pass rush due to fear deteriorating the QB’s performance and ego. Consequently, the QB succumbs to two forces psychologists suggest are hard-wired into our brains for survival...to avoid death (fear) and embarrassment (ego). We illuminate this natural response of an ill-prepared QB to remove it. To remove our QB’s will to survive and thus maintain a strong ego we utilize a teaching methodology in order to play with “no fear-no ego”.
The Psychomotor Domain is related to the specific skills we employ…for example, passing the football from a stationary position and passing from on the move, drop back mechanics, et cetera, and we employ the sciences of Motor Behavior and Biomechanics for guidance. The Cognitive Domain is related to the information in the playbook. For example, keys and reads as well as situation and contingency offense. We utilize the study of Cognitive Psychology to guide our efforts in this domain of learning. The Physical Domain concerns our approach for the improvement of strength, speed, aerobic/anaerobic fitness, flexibility, and so on. Our (University of Northern Iowa) strength Coach Jed Smith and his assistant Nick Davis oversee a large portion of our efforts. However, the specific quarterback throwing workouts are generated from my office. These workouts detail the specific drills, the number of passes, as well as the intensity of the passes and drops backs performed. The dominant academic discipline employed for guidance in this area is Exercise Physiology.
Reprinted by permission.
Mario Verduzco is UNI’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. His prize pupil, former Rutgers quarterback Mike McMahon, quarterbacked the Detroit Lions. He has coached four quarterbacks who have gone on to play in the NFL.
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