A Rare Perfect 11-0 Season!!

6 on 6? What is that? Is that real football? That was the question that came up this year when we decided we had to have 6 on 6 (Saskatchewan style) football at the high school.  There was mixed reaction, some lads played and some decided "it wasn't real football".

We played our first games up in Gananoque against two teams and after both games I came to the conclusion, "it is very much REAL FOOTBALL."  I was so proud of our boys we came home with two big wins.

As the season progressed, we learned a lot about the game.  Obviously with only 6 players on the field the game changes.  A running back that we would teach, "if run to the outside, don't go back inside, because that is where all the defence is", now we would say, "hey, if cut back inside you only have one guy to beat."  All year we saw this from our running backs and quarterbacks, many many times they just cut back inside and beat the last defender for a touchdown.

Something unusual started to happen as the season progressed, we were winning all our games! It had been 5 years since we were in the championship at Smiths Falls.  We ended the season 10 and 0.  Our final game was played this past week against a strong North Grenville team.  We knew they would pull out all the stops to beat us.  They showed some plays we did not see during the season, including some amazing passing.  The game was much closer in the first half with a score of 35-18.  In the second have we continued to run away with a final score of 63-30.

I am so proud of our boys for an incredible season, there were some great lessons this year:

1. Even when there is change... just play the game!
We learned this year that 6 on 6 was fun, we know it may change next year but I am very happy for the lads that stepped up and played the game.
2. Do NOT listen to the naysayers!
I bet you there a few lads who wished they would have played this year.  It has been many years since we have had an undefeated season and a championship.
3. When you play as a team anything can happen!
That's the reason why I love coaching football! It is a true team sport and we needed everyone to win!

I will never forget this year.  2016, OV 6 on 6 Junior Redhawks Champions!!

THE GREATEST COMEBACK IN NCAA BOWL HISTORY OR YOU MAY BE DOWN BUT YOUR NOT OUT

Wow, I can't believe it has been over a year since I wrote something in my blog.  It was really interesting the other night, I was watching a bowl game between TCU and Oregon.  After the first half, Oregon was up 31-0, what a sleeper!! I was thinking I could just turn this thing off and go to bed, it looks like there is no chance TCU is going to comeback.

Then things changed...

Oregon lost it's starting quarterback and TCU gained it's "mojo".  TCU started scoring: 3 then 7 then 7 then 7 then... 7. By the end of the game it was all tied up at 31-31.  After 3 overtimes TCU won the game.  I couldn't believe it! I had picked them in my "win a free coffee from your friends" football pool.  Wow, I just experienced the greatest comeback in NCAA bowl history!!

This is one of the reasons why I love football so and especially high school and college ball.

Maybe someone of you have been to a game and thought, "it's time to leave", and then your team started coming back.

Well, it's a New Year! 2016! Only 5 days old.  Maybe you find yourself down, you feel like throwing in the towel.  You feel like you seriously missed something in 2015 and it has followed you to today! I have good news for you... IT'S COMEBACK TIME!! YOU MAY BUT YOUR NOT OUT!!

In the Bible in the book of Hebrews 12: 1, 2 it states that we are to: "lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross..."

Did you know that Jesus wants you to win! To run to win! To play to win! He went to the cross so that we could have forgiveness and a fresh start!! He wants a COMEBACK for Paul Birley and He wants one for you!! Don't give up! Look to Him! Say a little prayer right now and ask Jesus to help you with your situation! The game of life is way more important than the game of football (although there are parallels :)  

ARE YOU READY FOR THE "COMEBACK" IN YOUR LIFE!!

Hard Work Pays Off (and a little luck and Prayers)

Well, it has been a while since I wrote a note.

We just finished our season as the Junior Redhawks.  It was a very interesting season.  After two games we were 0-2.  Now this wasn't totally surprising in that we played two teams we knew would probably make the play-offs.  You see in our league it is very hard to make the play-offs because there are 8 teams (for 4 spots).

Going into the week of our third game, we decided as coaches to make sure we did lots of tackling drills.  Does anyone know what I mean when I say, "Oklahoma".  Those of you who know football know "Oklahoma".  Day after day we worked hard to make sure the lads did lots of tackling and blocking, really the two things that win football games.

After a very hard, physical week of practice we won our third game, and our fourth and fifth and sixth.  So after 6 games we were 4-2.  What an incredible turn around.  We were so proud of the lads and all their hard work.  This is not an easy task for any football team.

In the sixth game against Renfrew we needed a win to get into the play-offs.  After 6 minutes in the first quarter we were down 14-0.  Coach C took a time out and we had a chat with the lads something like, "we have worked way to hard to get here and lose this game".  The boys rallied and we scored 28 points to their 6 in the rest of the game.

Ultimately we lost in the semis to a very strong team from up the road but we played hard and left everything on the field.

I am so very proud of the Junior Redhawks.  What was the lesson I learned this year?
IF YOU WORK HARD AND PRACTICE HARD AND PLAY AS A TEAM, YOU CAN WIN!!
No isn't that the lesson of life.  We don't just show up and we are successful.  We have to work hard.  I just want to encourage you in whatever aspect of life, whether: family, school, work, athletics, music, art, or just trying to get ahead.  We need to do our very best.
Those of you that are parents lets set a good example and show our kids that hard work pays off.

It is a real honour for me to coach and I hope that the life lessons of football affects the lads for many years!
Until next time, one of my favourite sayings: PLAY HARD, PRAY HARD and EAT HARD (lol)
Leave it all on the field, football or life!!
Coach Birley

THE PROUD, THE FEW, THE TYKE RENEGADES!!!

Well, we just finished an incredible season of Tyke football... but let's go back to the beginning of this story...
It started in the gym at SFDCI we always start with some indoor "stuff" while the snow melts.  This year that took a little longer.  We started with only about 10 boys and after some serious recruiting from a friend or two we ended up with 16.  Now for those of you that do not know... Tyke football is 10 a side and so 16 is a really small team.

Well, have you ever heard of: mighty mouse, under dog, David (as in Goliath).  Well we had an incredible season.  The odds were stacked against us.  Most of the teams we played had at least 20 players some 25.  We play our hearts out with most players going two ways for a lot of the season.

One particular games stands out to me.  We were playing the best team in the league in the semi-finals, at half time the score was 31-12 for them.  We were really getting beaten up and it was very hot and we only had 13 boys and one girl for a total of 14 that day.  The referee talked to me at the half and I shared that I wanted to see how we did on the first series in the second half and if we did not do well, it might be good for us to "run the clock".  Well, on the first series we scored!!  The game ended 46-33.  That's right they got 2 more touchdowns and we got 3 more so we won the second half!!! I was so proud of our team! We encouraged them and their parents were amazing cheering on and on in the game!!  Yes, we did lose the game, but not one of those players left the field with their heads hanging low!  The following week we went on to win the Tyke Consolation Championship.

LESSONS LEARNED: So what's the deal.  What did I learn and what can we learn from this incredible Tyke season?  Well, when you are down, don't give up!  When you are smaller keep fighting! When you are few, you are not alone! When you feel like givin' up, don't GIVE UP!!
In life there will be lots of times when you feel like the underdog, that everything is stacked against you, keep going, keep trying you can do it!!

A special thanks this year to a new friend who joined us this year! You know who you are you might own a grocery store some where near Westport.

Until Next Time
See Ya on the Field and God Bless
Coach Birley

Father and son travel to Kenya, come home feeling deeply changed

Father and son travel to Kenya, come home feeling deeply changed

When You Think It Is Over, IT AIN'T OVER!!

Well, it has been quite a while since I have written a post for my blog.

I want to tell you a story, a true story of something that happened that was quite incredible this year.
As many of you know I coach tyke football in our spring program in Smiths Falls.  We started indoor training after the March Break and then our season ran from early May to the end of June.

This year was like many other years, except I we had more players who had never played football before.  Out of our entire team, we had less than a third that had played one year of football.  I was talking to one of my co-coaches and thinking, "Wow, this is going to be a challenging year."

The season began.  We seemed to do well on offence.  We had some players who had played one year and we were able to score some points.  The defence was another story.  Because so many of our players had never played football before, the tackling took us a few weeks.

I want to fast forward to the play-offs.  We end the year in last place out of 4 teams.  Our record for the season was 2-4.  But we won our last game before the play-offs and I had a sense we were going in the right direction.  In the semi-final game we played a team that we beat once and they beat us once.  It was an incredible game with 96 points scored.  Now for those of you who know very little about football, "that's a whole heap of points for one game."  We Won! The boys and girl were ecstatic we were going to the finals and the truth was that in the second half it was our defence that got us there.

Now on to the finals, we were playing a team, the only team that we had lost to twice in the regular season.  I knew we could beat these lads but it was going to be a tough game.  The first half was very challenging, their defence came on strong and we could not run the ball very well.  At the end of the half it was 14-0 for the other team.  In the second half,  I had a sense that if we could just score the kids would get back into the game.  Well, the first play of the game the other team kicked off and one of our lads ran the ball all the way back for a touchdown!! It was 14-6 just like that and the bench was jumping up and down.  All of a sudden our confidence was back on offence.

Our defence went out on the field and shutdown their team not just for that series but for the entire rest of the game!! We scored 3 more touchdowns and won the game 24-14!!

I must say in my 21 coaching seasons I have never had a more exciting end to a season!! Last year we lost on the last play of a game to the same team in the semi-finals.  It was so awesome to see the boys and girl come back from behind and win!

What are the lessons from this season:
1. NEVER EVER THINK YOU CAN'T, WHEN YOU CAN
We started with the majority of players who had never played before and ended up with a 2-4 record and yet we won it all!!
2. WHEN YOU THINK IT'S OVER, IT AIN'T OVER
At the end of the first half of that championship game it just looked like we couldn't get it done.  But one play into the second half there was new life and that was enough to encourage the kids that we could win.
3. UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WIN SOME AND YOU LOSE SOME
Four seasons in a row we lost in the play-offs and never won the big game.  This year we won it all, due to hard work and the kids never giving up.

Maybe you feel like you are in a "losing season".  Don't give up because: YOUR TIME IS COMING!
And when you think it is over - IT AIN'T OVER!!!

ANTICIPATION!!

Are you ready?
Is it coming soon?
Can you wait?
I can't wait! It is gonna be awesome!

Anticipation: "The Act of Looking Forward"
This is a great word! It's also a great feeling!! What is coming, what is next, when will it start, I can't wait.
You see, we could all look back and say, "Wow, I wish that had not happened; why me?; why did things have to fall apart?"
Or,
We could look forward with anticipation and say, "Ok, bring it on! Can't wait! It's gonna be better this year, this season, this week!!"
Our Spring football season is only 3 weeks from starting.  Wow, we have had some awesome seasons, but this year, oh yeah, this year is gonna be awesome!! You see in many ways you get what you speak.
A guy in the Bible by the name of James said, "life and death are in the power of the tongue".  What are you speaking?  What are you hoping for?  What is exuding from your thoughts to your tongue to speak out?

This winter I had a strange encounter.  A gentleman was angry because he had brought his son to our arena to find out that it was not a free skate.  He had read the website wrong, but out of his mouth came the statement, "Figures, Smiths Falls" in other words, "yeah I shouldn't be surprised this is Smiths Falls."  I had to remind the gentleman that he was in my town and that Smiths Falls is awesome!!

Wow, 3 weeks to Spring Ball!! ANTICIPATION!! Can't wait, it is gonna be AWESOME!!
Are ready for some football?
See you on the field and get ready, get ready, get ready! You are what you speak, you are what you do!
Let's make this season the best!
I can't wait!
See ya on the field
Coach Birl