Los Angeles Rams Give High School Football Coaches Inside Look at NFL Training Camp

For a few days this summer, 45 Southern California high school football and youth coaches traded their usual practice fields for a pretty impressive classroom: Los Angeles Rams training camp.

Through the Rams' High School Coaches Shadow Program, the coaches were given a firsthand look at how an NFL team structures practices, develops players and maximizes every minute on the field. They returned to their own programs with drills, ideas and leadership lessons they can put to use this fall.

Now in its fifth year, the program included coaches from boys tackle and girls flag football programs during nine Rams training camp practices at Loyola Marymount University.

Now in its fifth year, the shadow program was designed to give local coaches an up-close view of everything from practice organization and player development to communication and team culture. This year’s participants included coaches from boys tackle and girls flag football programs.

High School Coaches Get Inside Look at NFL Practice

The program gives high school and youth coaches access to coaches and practices at football's highest level, with the goal of helping them become better teachers.

Kekoa Alana, the Rams’ Youth and High School Football Coordinator, said the goal goes well beyond simply giving participants a cool day at training camp.

“The purpose is really to give them an opportunity to see NFL practices, the efficiencies, the drills, how coaches are communicating,” Alana said. “We want our coaches to be well equipped when we're trying to give back to the youth.”

According to Alana, 45 coaches participated over nine training camp practice days, representing programs throughout Southern California. The Rams made a deliberate effort to include boys tackle, girls flag and youth football coaches.

One of the first things the visiting coaches noticed was the pace of an NFL practice.

Luis Zuniga, head coach and offensive coordinator at East Valley High School in North Hollywood, coaches eight-man tackle football and immediately noticed the precision.

“One of the things that I love about, you know, this is just seeing how timely everything is,” Zuniga said. “Coaches don't have, uh, they don't waste a second. They're in and out, in and out.”

For Zuniga, getting an up-close look at Sean McVay’s offense carried a little extra appeal.

“Coach McVay being one of the greatest offensive minds in the game today,” he said. “I'm the head coach for my team. But I'm also the offensive coordinator. So I'm constantly watching Rams film.”

Asked to name his favorite Rams player, Zuniga didn't hesitate: Puka Nacua. Watching him practice in person only reinforced the choice.

“Insane,” Zuniga said. “It's insane. Absolutely insane.”

Rams' Practice Tempo Makes an Impression

Zuniga wasn’t alone in noticing the Rams’ pace.

San Jacinto Valley Academy coach Diego Falcon zeroed in on how quickly the Rams installed plays and transitioned through practice.

“The pros have a really quick tempo,” Falcon said. “It looks like they're very professional about organizing their practices.”

His biggest takeaway was something any high school coach can use regardless of roster size or resources: finish every rep and keep moving.

“The tempo of it all is something I'm looking forward to,” Falcon said of what he planned to bring back to his team.

Girls flag coaches noticed the same thing.

Stephanie Machado, who coaches girls flag football at Whitney High School, was particularly interested in maximizing limited practice time while her players balance athletics and academics.

“It's a matter of how can I use the time that we do have most effectively,” Machado said.

She watched Rams quarterbacks combine throwing and footwork instead of treating each skill as an isolated drill — exactly the kind of multitasking that can make a high school practice more productive.

“It's not just a throwing drill,” Machado said. “They're using throwing with their footwork and kind of like bringing things together to accomplish more at the same time.”

Girls Flag Football Coaches See a Sport Evolving

The shadow program also offered a glimpse into another rapidly changing part of the sport: girls flag football.

Portola High School coach Julie Primero has watched that transformation happen in real time.

“From year one to now is, is really special,” Primero said. “Every year...the girls come in with a higher football IQ with more athleticism.”

The difference is becoming noticeable before players ever reach high school.

“At first it was like, okay, we have soccer players, we have basketball players, we have softball players,” Primero said. “But now we have flag football players and this is their main sport.”

Machado sees another important development: girls are beginning to understand that the sport can create opportunities beyond high school.

“I try to tell my girls, like you can get scholarships for this and a lot of them are very unaware,” she said. “They're like, what do you mean?.. I can do this in college?”

For Damaris Rodriguez, who has played flag football for 17 years and coaches girls through San Diego State Flag QB Academy and Hilltop High School, seeing those opportunities emerge is particularly meaningful.

“We honestly just played for the love of it,” she said. “And I don't know, to watch it take off has been amazing.”

Her day at Rams camp produced plenty of material to take home.

“Oh my God. I got like 20 pages of notes,” she said.

The biggest lesson?

“There's no wasted time. Everybody's going from drill to drill. You know, everybody has high effort. It's amazing to watch.”

Rams Coach Ron Gould Stresses Investing in Players

The Rams weren't only teaching drills, formations and practice organization.

Rams running backs coach Ron Gould delivered perhaps the program's most important message: football is ultimately about people.

“The most important thing I said is invest in people,” Gould said. “And I said that when you lose sight of people, you lose sight of the very purpose of leadership.”

Gould said he was struck by how engaged the visiting high school coaches were and by their desire to improve for the athletes they serve.

“Just seeing how involved they are and how much they want to pour into these young people, I thought it was extraordinary,” he said.

That idea resonated with Zuniga, whose own football journey eventually brought him back to coaching.

“Football changed so many things in my life,” he said. “There's so many lessons that kids can take away that are bigger than just football.”

Coaches Take Rams' Lessons Back to Their Programs

That's ultimately what makes the Rams' shadow program more significant than a behind-the-scenes tour of an NFL training camp.

The coaches don't leave with Matthew Stafford's arm, Puka Nacua's hands or Sean McVay's playbook tucked under their arms. They leave with ideas — from quarterback drills and practice organization to ways of getting more out of limited practice time.

But Gould hopes they also leave with something more fundamental: a reminder of the influence a coach can have on a young athlete.

“If you don't invest in them, then who is?” he said of young athletes. “The more that they see people investing in them, you'll see the creativity and you'll see how they can grow and excel not just in athletics, but in academics and in life.”

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