To develop explosive youth football running backs you need to put them through explosive running back drills.
Here is how I do it:
Youth football practices are short, for that reason, it’s beneficial that your youth football drills are upbeat and productive. My goal heading into every practice is to get the most out of the time spent with the kids. We will do conditioning drills with the running backs when we break into our individual position practice session. We will conduct drills that teach multiple techniques at one time. Each position coach is responsible for the operation of their position oriented conditioning drills.
Running Back Drill # 1 Speed Circuit
Objective: Practice ball security, delivering blows, running with attitude, speed, and agility. 
All the running backs must go around the cones with short choppy steps. After the backs go through the cones they will sprint full speed and hit off of a coach holding a blocking shield pad (securing the ball high and tight). It’s a sprint finish to the end.
Coaching Point- We want our backs to engage in contact by lowering their shoulders- while stepping with same foot. Same shoulder same foot, deliver a rising blow. Work both left & right shoulders. Coaches make sure your players hit with their shoulder pads, not with their heads.
Running Back Drill # 2, The 3 Cone Drill
Objective: Develop speed, explosiveness, and agility. Also work on ball security, running with attitude, and juking.
The youth RBs run and touch the top cone then come down and touch the bottom cone then they sprint around the top cone, then they go around the outside 
cone and finish the drill with a juke move and a full speed sprint.
Coaching Point: Make sure your players keep their feet under them-short juke step one way and explode the other way past the coach holding the pad. RBs need to keep the ball high and tight at all times!
Check out YFO All Star Running Back Jelani McCall as he runs with speed, agility, attitude, effort, and toughness.
Check back with us tomorrow for Coach Jeff’s 3 linemen drills that will get your offensive linemen ready to move some defenders!
