In today's sports world, "old school" and "new school" coaching philosophies often clash.

The modern age of Twitter, Facebook, and all other types of social media have made the life of a coach very difficult in some instances.Now, that isn't to say that some coaches take advantage of social media. Jim Thorpe track and field coach Frank Miller and Panther Valley head basketball coach Pat Crampsie both use social medial to update people on things that are going on with their programs. Whether it be reporting a score, siting an inspirational quote, or just posting practice times, social media, when used the right way can be very useful.Perhaps, maybe the biggest example of the old school and new school meshing, but not clashing, was this past weekend at the Lehigh Valley Nike Football Coaching Clinic.Spearheading the clinic, are former Northern Lehigh head coach Jim Tkach and current Marian head coach Stan Dakosty. It's pretty safe to say, that both Tkach and Dakosty are considered old school with over 60 years of coaching high school football between them.That being said, a new school approach to this year's Nike Coaching Clinic, according to director Jim Tkach helped them have their most successful clinic in its 11 year history. Tkach also expressed that the use of social media brought in more exhibitors than they've ever had before."My son Ty Tkach was very instrumental this year using Twitter," said Jim Tkach. "He got most of our exhibitors from social media and it was a great tool for getting the word out on the clinic. We packed the hallway area leading to the seminars with exhibitors and it's just a cool feeling to have so many people interacting. Also, almost every coach registered through email or the Nike website. I think we had three people call to register out of 400. That's really a drastic difference from our first year where everybody either called or mailed in their registration."The clinic surely welcomed the new school structure this year, but there's no doubt it still has an old school feel. The Lehigh Valley Nike Coaching Clinic is a rarity in that it's a "no thrills" clinic. Meaning, the clinic is about football and that's about it. It's not held at a casino or entertainment type area, it's simply in a hotel, where coaches can come, eat, and learn about the game."This a "no thrills" football clinic and that's something we're extremely proud of," said Stan Dakosty. "You can come here, socialize with other area coaches, eat some good meals, and most importantly learn more about the game of football. I've been doing this a long time and I'm always taking notes when I sit in on a seminar. It's just a great set up that we have here and you can tell by the turnout that area coaches really enjoy attending."The regular attendance for the Lehigh Valley Clinic is around 400 coaches. Tkach also mentioned that speakers have told him that at the Lehigh Valley Clinic the attendance in the seminars are better than a lot of other clinics across the country."The fact that this is a "football" clinic means you have guys here that want to learn," said Tkach. "I have nothing against the other clinics that are held at casinos or anything like that, but I've been told by some of our speakers that we have strong attendance numbers in the seminars. That's what we want. We want the seats to be filled when a coach is speaking. It just creates a much better atmosphere."The Lehigh Valley Clinic has also brought in some pretty impressive speakers over the years, which has aided in bringing in coaches. Big time coaches such as; Bobby Bowden, Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel, Larry Coker, Joe Tiller, Dabo Swinney, Bill O'Brien, Jimbo Fisher, and James Franklin have all been speakers at the clinic."We give a wish list and then Nike supplies us with four or five speakers," said Dakosty. "After that what I try and do is find guys with local ties who have been successful. I also like incorporate some high school coaches that either went to the state championship or have built a successful program. I also try to get speakers that can relate to different coaches. I try to get an offensive guy, a defensive guy, and then a guy that can talk about the line as well. You want to try and reach everybody the best you can."The Lehigh Valley Nike Coaching Clinic proves that the old school and new school can work together, but it has to be done right. Using social media in a positive way works wonders for any sports program or event. Just remember what former NFL head coach and current NFL analyst Herm Edwards always says about social media. "Don't push send."If you think it's something that can get you in trouble, then it's probably something that can get you in trouble. Take a lesson from the Lehigh Valley Nike Coaching Clinic and use new school tactics like social media to promote, inspire, and organize.