Coach Dollar
Welcome to 8th grade football. I am Rod Dollar and I will be your Head Coach this year. This is my 16th year of coaching in the GFL. All of your coaches are experienced and ready to help you succeed. Our teams have been very successful in the past and our expectations will be high this year. Our practices will be organized and intense. We will teach and play a physical and aggressive style of football. It will be important to win every drill, every play, every series, and every game. Great effort will be expected and demanded. There will be more expected and demanded of you than ever before. You will be coached in a positive and enthusiastic manner. When it's over you will have had a fun and rewarding experience. You will have developed as a football player and be ready to excel at Mill Creek High School.
Rod DollarRod@graphicdies.com
Team Philosophy
To run an effective and conservative form of offense and defense. To win through execution and strong coaching. To place boys in the proper positions - that most help the team. To be positive, yet demand proper technique, and back it up with consequences. To have fun and instill a love of the game. To win championships!
How is 8th Grade Different?
One team - one coaching staff
Team divided into division 1 and division 2, but practicing as one team
Division 1 games played on Saturday, Division 2 games played on Tuesday
Run the High School system
Longer practice times - 2 hours
No minimum play rule - playing time can be as little as one play every other week
Much harder hitting and physical game
What is the difference between Division 1 and Division 2?
Skill level and size is the biggest difference. Division 1 will consist of more experienced and more physically developed kids. 8th Grade Football is very physical and hard hitting. Especially at the Division 1 level.
Division 2 will consist of less experienced kids and kids who may not have hit their growth spurt. Division 2 is an opportunity for more playing time and growth as a football player. It is certainly not indicative of future success. Kids progress quicker at this level.
We will coach both divisions as one team. We will have an offensive staff and a defensive staff. While Division 1 is working on offense, Division 2 will be working on defense. Every boy will receive maximum attention and maximum repetitions during practice.
How Will We Select Teams?
We are bringing 4 teams together as one team. Although your son may have been a starter last year, he will be competing with 4 times as many boys this year. After one week of evaluations, we will split into Division 1 and Division 2. We will still make adjustments up until the Wednesday after Jamboree. At this time, our splits will be final. We are forced to make quick decisions and will make every effort to make the right decisions for the team and your son.
We will set up an offense for Division 1 and Division 2. The most accomplished boys will be on D1. The next 40 or so will be placed on D2 teams. The remaining kids will be divided between D1 and D2. If a boy can contribute on D2 but will not play on D1, he will be placed on D2. Boys will be placed where they can best help the TEAM. What is best for the TEAM will rule our decisions. Our goal is to win championships at the D1 and D2 levels. We will not sacrifice one for the other.
