Photo: BAFA / Dik Ng
Building a successful Youth Programme in British American Football requires strategic planning, effective leadership, and a commitment to player development. In the community of Britball, for guidance on how to do it well, you must look no further than the London Blitz under 19s, led by their Head Coach Jason Henry.
Inside Britball had the pleasure of sitting down with Jason where we explored the key principles and strategies for creating a successful programme, drawing insights from his experiences. From establishing a vision to nurturing talent and helping young people transition into adulthood. Jason offers valuable lessons for coaches and organisations striving for excellence on and off the field.
Let’s look at the numbers: The London Blitz under 19 teams have been the team to beat since 2011 and heading into the 2024 season they are looking at a 6-in-row and their 10th National Championship (in 14 years!).
This is what we learned.
Establish a vision
Every successful programme begins with a clear vision that guides its mission and objectives. For Jason Henry, the vision for the London Blitz Youth programme was more than just about winning championships – it was about creating a nurturing environment where young athletes could thrive and grow, both as individuals and as athletes. Here are some key steps that we learnt when talking to Jason about establishing a vision for your programme:
Define Your Purpose: Clearly articulate the purpose and goals of your programme, focusing on both athletic achievement and personal development.
Engage Stakeholders: Involved players, coaches, parents, and the community in the visioning process to ensure alignment and buy-in.
Set Long-Term Goals: Develop a roadmap for success with measurable goals and milestones that reflect your programme’s vision and values.
Jason restarted the youth programme at London Blitz in 2007 with a 5-year plan where he decided they were going to do it differently. They were going to simplify everything, focus on all coaches and players’ “why” for being part of the London Blitz and then ensure they never forfeited a game. Guess what happened in year 5 – their first national championship. Jason isn’t suggesting this is guaranteed but he’s sure that if you focus on the “why” getting to the root of what drives that player or coach and ensuring that everyone gets to participate in some capacity then word will spread. You will grow as a player, a coach, and a programme.
He pays particular thanks to Adrian Klemens who has supported the journey and the support he has received from the London Blitz organisation. Interestingly he explains that he tells the adult team not to expect his youth players until they’re 23/24 years old if/when they return home after university!
Photo: BAFA / Dik Ng
Building a Strong Foundation
A successful programme is built on a foundation of strong leadership, community support, and effective infrastructure. Having been involved with the London Blitz for several years before taking the mantle of heading up the youth programme Jason knew he had to start somewhere and was able to take influences from his time playing, fellow coaches like Damon Kirby and his mum who was a youth worker. Here’s what we learnt:
Develop Leadership: Cultivate a culture of leadership among players and coaches, empowering them to take ownership of their roles and responsibilities.
Foster Community Engagement: Build strong relationships with local schools, youth organisations, and community leaders to garner support and resources for your programme.
Invest in Infrastructure: Ensure access to facilities, equipment, and resources to support player development and program operations.
Focussing on the players’ “why” for being at the London Blitz and/or playing American football provides a strong foundation to get players bought into the programme. Ensuring they participate in some way also allows them to trust they will be involved and enjoy the playing for their organisation. One way in which Jason helps players buy into the programme is by getting them involved in coaching younger ages as soon as allowed.
Player Development
Player development is at the heart of any successful programme, and it requires a holistic approach that addresses both athletic and personal growth. Jason highlighted this as being at the forefront of everything he does, and this is what we learnt:
Individualised Coaching: Provide personalised coaching and feedback to help players improve their skills and reach their full potential.
Focus on Fundamentals: Emphasise the importance of fundamentals and technique in player development, laying a strong foundation for success on the field.
Promote Character Development: Instil values such as discipline, teamwork, and resilience through football, preparing players for success both on and off the field.
Jason emphasises preparation, making sure that when it comes to game time the focus is on the game. He explains that he no longer has half-time team talks as he explains that all should have been said in training. He ensured the playbook was as simple as possible when he took over, he moved away from using the adult team’s playbook and ensured they focussed on “the how” rather than “the why”. Interestingly Jason explained how they don’t participate in contact tackling drills and instead ensure there is an emphasis on movement towards to the contact point and the fundamentals in the tackle instead. All of this points towards a coach completely in tune with the needs of his players and ensuring the fundamentals are mastered before advancing further.
Photo: BAFA / Dik Ng
Creating a Winning Culture
When talking with Jason he rarely mentions the championships. Sure, he is proud of them but in his mind, if you take care of everything mentioned above then championships are a by-product. Maintaining the championship streak they are on means there must be a winning culture and we have highlighted what we learnt from Jason during our time with him:
Lead by Example: Set high standards for yourself and your coaching staff, modelling the behaviour and attitudes you expect from your players.
Celebrate success: Recognise and celebrate achievements, both big and small, both on and off the field, to reinforce positive behaviours and attitudes within the program.
Embrace Adversity: Teach players to embrace adversity as an opportunity for growth, resilience, and character development.
Jason is very proud of their track record of not forfeiting any games due to a lack of players. It is an objective that drives him and his programme forward. He ensures that anyone who does attend is held to a standard, such as making sure there is no swearing whilst at practice or on the sideline, explaining that in his opinion doing such is wasted energy and results in a lack of focus on the job at hand. But when talking to Jason about what he’s most proud of, it’s not the National Championships, it’s the number of players he has seen graduate at university.
Building a winning Youth Football programme is a challenging yet rewarding endeavour that requires vision, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. Jason’s inspiring experiences and insights show you one way of doing it. Jason himself will tell you that you must adapt to your programme, but he has shown everyone in our community that you can create a programme that not only achieves success on the field but also makes a lasting impact on the lives of your players and the community. Jason’s lasting message to all is that as you embark on your journey, remember that the true measure of success lies not in the championships won, but in the positive influence you have on the young athletes under your guidance.
London Blitz u19s play their first game on 5th May at home against Ipswich Cardinals.