Gap-Air-Mirror Defense for Youth Football front matter
John T. Reed’s
Gap- Air-Mirror Defense
For Youth Football
Copyright 2000, 2009, 2013 John T. Reed
All rights reserved.
Published by John T. Reed
342 Bryan Drive
Alamo, CA 94507
925-820-7262
Manufactured in the United States of America
Other material by John T. Reed
Visit www.johntreed.com
About the author
John T. Reed has coached six high school football teams: four freshman, one junior varsity, and one varsity. He also coached nine youth football teams. He coached at three different high schools. One had 1,000 students; one 1,500, and the other 2,500. All were in California and the divisions were 2A for two schools and 4A, the largest, for the other.
Two of the teams on which Reed was a coach won their league championship—a result for which Reed claims little or no credit. He notes their success here only as evidence that he has observed successful coaches and teams up close. Reed is also a father of three sons, all of whom played football.
Reed is the author of seven other books on football coaching. He is a West Point graduate and a Harvard MBA.
Thanks to…
My sons, Daniel, Steven, and Mike for agreeing to my recommendation that they try football for a year before deciding whether they wanted to play soccer or football…my wife for being a football widow to an extent during coaches meetings, scouting trips, practice, and games…the San Ramon Bears for taking my oldest son in after he was cut by another team and for giving me the opportunity to coach…Pat Elliott…Steve Noon…Jim Monroe for his expert advice…Kathryn Steele, Bears trainer, and Shannon Pablo, Miramonte trainer, for their counsel on injury prevention and treatment…my fellow coaches for putting up with my faults…our cameramen without whose videotaping of games we coaches wouldn’t know what the heck happened out there…my players, who also put up with my faults and foibles as we struggled together through their early years as players and my early years as coach…Miramonte High School coaches Richard Blaisdell, Floyd Burnsed, Paul Yriberri, Vince Dell’Aquilla and Granada High School coaches Aaron Gingery, Bob Turnbeaugh, Ken Nelson, Brad Morosoli, Hank Stephens, T.J. Thomas, John Glover, and Doug Pederson for their instruction and encouragement…Roger Theder, NFL and college coach, for his advice and encouragement…Dana Bible, Stanford offensive coordinator for sharing his thoughts and experiences with me…Holly Newman, referee for reading the book and straightening me out on high school rules…Ace Cacchiotti of NFL Films for his generous assistance…NFL team public relations men: Bob Moore of the Chiefs, Harvey Greene and Neal Gulkis of the Dolphins, Frank Ramos of the Jets, Greg Gladysiewski of the Cardinals, Rich Dalrymple of the Cowboys, Lee Remmel of the Packers, Pat Hanlon of the Giants, Todd Starowitz of the Eagles…John Aldrich, Erv Hatzenbuhler, Ken Keuffel, and Ed Racely for consulting with me and helping me design my single-wing offense…Hugh Wyatt for helping me design my double-wing offense…Bruce Burroughs for helping me become a flag coach…Barry Terranova for hiring me as clock-management columnist for American Football Coach magazine and a member of the American Football Quarterly University “faculty”…Dan Johnson, Jim Ahern, Dr. John Ward, Casey Lewis, Stephen Ragsdale for their help on the single wing