Posts tagged coaching youth football

Offensive Line Run Blocking Progression

Aug07
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

My coaches and I put our offensive linemen through a run blocking drill progression.

Phase 1: Stance and Splits

Credit Photo: dickssportinggoods.com

We will put our players into two separate lines. We will then make them get into the huddle, then break the huddle get their splits and get right into their stance. Once they get their splits and are set we will fire out on our cadence. We will have the kids sprint 10 yards after they fire out of their stance.

Phase 2: Leverage and Power Step

After we put the players through the stance and splits drill, we will take them down to the two man sled. We will put all the linemen in one line and make them fire out of their stance on the cadence. As the players fire out, they will step and deliver a blow into the sled. It is vital that all the offensive linemen fire out and jolt the sled with proper run blocking technique. Once the players hit the first sled dummy, they then slide over and gets back into the three point stance and hit the second sled dummy on the cadence. Coaches need to keep the drill moving, keep it up beat and intense.

Phase 3: Drive

Credit Photo: missouri.edu

Once we go through the stance/splits and leverage/power step drills we put it all together in our run blocking drive drill. This drill you will have your offensive linemen get into their stance, fire out on the snap count and drive a coach holding the blocking shield back. Coaches need to make sure all players have proper run blocking form: wide base, head up, hands inside with thumbs up, arms extending up, and feet pumping. Sink the hips, sky the eyes! Coaches can have the players hit blocking shields, the sled, or go live with player on player blocking. The first week we do not practice with pads, so we hit blocking shields and the sled.

Posted in Coaching Offense, Offensive Linemen - Tagged run blocking drills, run blocking techniques, youth football offensive linemen

Preseason Practice Report # 2

Jul24
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

This past weekend we held our second preseason practice. The objective of this practice was to develop fluency with our base plays. Our base running plays are- rocket sweep, power, trap, counter, and gut. We were able to get a good amount of reps in the hour we had to practice. The kids are really starting to grasp this series. The motion timing was twenty times better than the last preseason practice. We were able to run these plays with both first and second teams.

Credit Photo:sub.gmnews.com

The rocket sweep is starting to look real good. The QBs are executing great pitches and the running backs are doing really well with the motion timing, foot work, and catching the pitch. It is tremendously important that the rocket sweep is executed flawlessly. Every play in this rocket wing t series is coming off of rocket motion. We will rep rocket sweep and rocket motion timing over and over until the kids execute it perfectly.

My coaching staff and I spent some time working on our passing game. We worked on our post/corner and post/ wheel passing plays. Both QBs at practice threw the ball really well. They were able to read the defense and make the correct throw, I was pretty impressed. We also worked on our slant and fade routes. The slant was thrown well for the most part, but our deep throws could have been a bit more consistent.

Post/Corner Wing T Offense

All in all I am happy with the progress, but we still have a ways to go before our offense is clicking on all cylinders. We have one more preseason practice before the season starts.

Posted in Coaching Offense, Youth Football Camps - Tagged wing t offense, youth football plays

Youth Football Drills for Offensive Linemen

Jul19
2012 1 Comment Written by Coach Jeff

The game of football is won at the line of scrimmage. If you control the line of scrimmage you control the game. With that said, it is vital that proper blocking techniques are practiced often.

Drill # 1 Fire Out

Objective: Practice lining up in the huddle, getting line splits, and firing out on snap counts.

Credit: NFL.com

Have the players get into the huddle. Give them a snap count and have them break the huddle and lineup. Once the offensive linemen get out of the huddle they must get their splits (starting from the center-out) and get right into their 3 point stance. The offensive line coach will yell out the cadence and the offensive line will fire out on the snap count. Once the linemen fire out they will sprint 10 yards. Make sure you mix up the snap counts.

Coaching Point-Make sure the players are lined up in a good huddle. Players need to have a good break out of the huddle. Make sure all the players run to the line of scrimmage and fire out on the snap count.

Drill # 2 Blocking Sled

Objective: Develop leg strength, attitude about blocking, and overall blocking fundamentals.

Credit: NFL.com

All linemen go down to the sled-hit and drive it. Have the linemen get into their 3 point stance and fire out on your cadence.

Run Blocking Coaching Points

Explode forward through target, shooting hands inside with thumbs up-aiming point is the numbers of the defender.
Helmet underneath your defenders helmet, keep head up-do not lead with the helmet.
Feet shoulder width apart-short choppy steps while engaged.
Drive! Sink the hips and sky the eyes-short choppy steps, block until whistle is blown.

Drill # 3 One on One

Live one on one blocking. Put two pads or cones down 5 yards apart and have the players’ line up between them. On the whistle have both linemen fire out and drive each other. Make it a competition; break up the linemen up in two groups.

Work on run blocking first and then work on some pass blocking techniques.

Pass Blocking Coaching Points

Inside gap responsibility first. Wide base, good arm extension.
Guard them like guarding in basketball.
Short choppy steps- step into defender.
Nice wide base when engaged.
Hands inside-jolt defender, full arm extension.

Check out Youth Football Online All Star Selection Isreal Araiza doing offensive linemen drills!

Posted in Coaching Offense, Offensive Linemen, Youth Football Drills - Tagged offensive linemen drills, pass blocking, run blocking, youth football offensive linemen

Preseason Coaches Meeting # 1

Jul09
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

Yesterday we had our first coaching staff meeting of the season, it went really well. I have a few great additions to my coaching staff. I also have all my core coaches that have been with me for a long time coming back. We are all excited and ready to rock and roll this season.

Topic # 1 Overall Team Philosophy

This upcoming season will present many challenges for my coaching staff and I. This new team I am coaching this year did not win a single game last season-we have our work cut out for us. The biggest thing we want to change this year is the overall attitude of the players. Here is our philosophies- We want to develop more excitement, enthusiasm, toughness, speed, and pride within the team. We want to create a “Team First” environment. We want to EAT every time we step on the field- every time we step on the football field we will play with great Effort, Attitude and Toughness. We want to do everything fast and with enthusiasm. We want to be a fast team in every aspect, from the practices to the games. No players will walk on the football field! If they do it is push up time! We have a great group of coaches and a coaching philosophy that wins football games. We are all well prepared and ready to shock the league!

Topic # 2 Offense

We spent some time on the basics of the offense. We talked about our formation, huddle, line splits, snap counts, motion timing and positions/hole numbering system. We talked about the overall philosophy of our Rocket Wing T Offense. We also talked about our blocking scheme and how we will block certain defensive fronts that gave us a little bit of a problem last season. I also assigned all my coaches to a position. I then sat down with all the position coaches separately. I talked to each position coach about our practice plan for our individual position practice sessions. We discussed crucial coaching points and vital techniques for each position. All the coaches received our practice plans and our offensive playbook.

Topic # 3 Special Teams

We did not spend as much time as I would have liked on special teams, but we did get some good discussions in. We talked about our punt return team in great detail. We had great success with our punt return last season (a couple returns we took for 6 points). We talked about our kick return team a little bit as well. We had good production with it overall, but we didn’t return any for 6 points last season- which was a bit of a disappointment. We then talked about our onside kick, long snapping, and a little bit about our punting game. I am very lucky because my special teams coordinator is one of the best in the country, yes I would bet on that!

Topic # 3 Practice Rule Change

I coach in the Pop Warner Youth Football League. This season they have implemented some new practice restrictions. The amount of time you can operate contact drills each practice has been greatly reduced. They have also set some rules regarding the contact drills themselves. I went over these practice rule changes in great detail with my staff. Check out Pop Warner’s New Practice Rule Changes.

Good Luck!

Posted in Coaching Offense, General Coaching Tips - Tagged pop warner football, pop warner practice rule changes, Rocket Wing T

Preseason Practice Report # 1

Jul02
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

This afternoon I held my first preseason practice. I had a few parents that were willing to take their kids and meet up with me for a preseason walk through practice. We did not do any contact, conditioning, or any strenuous football drills. The objective of this practice session was to introduce my Rocket Wing T Playbook that I will be implementing this upcoming football season. We committed this entire practice to coaching the offense.

Coaching Youth Football We first started teaching the formation and position/hole numbering system. I went over each formation and where each position has to line up. We also spent some time teaching the gap numbers between each offensive linemen. I then went ahead and implemented our huddle alignment. After we implemented all the basics, we made the players get into the huddle and then come out of the huddle and line up in the called formation. We repeated this a few times until the player’s lined up properly. Teaching the basics can be quite boring for the kids, so I made sure I coached with great enthusiasm and made it pretty fun at the same time.

Once the kids got down the basics I then implemented the snap count and motion timing. This is the phase of the Rocket Offense that takes the most time and also requires the most reps. We committed a large amount of practice time on our motion timing and snap counts. Once the players did it a few times it started to look real fast and fluent. We then installed our first play-Heavy Right 38 Rocket and Heavy Left 47 Rocket. After a few times the play started to look real sharp, the kids caught on quickly. I will say it is a long way from being executed to its full potential, but it was a heck of a start.

I worked a lot with one of my projected quarterbacks. We spent quite a bit of time working on our quarterback and center exchange. We then worked on his foot work, which needed some tweaking. We also went through all our core passing routes and combinations. I also brought copies of my Rocket Playbook Bundle. Here are the playbooks that are included in this playbook bundle- the Rocket Wing T Offense, Swarming 53 Defense, and a Special Teams Playbook. We will have our second preseason practice this Thursday, so stay tuned for my second preseason practice report!

Posted in Coaching Offense, General Coaching Tips, Youth Football Training - Tagged football practice, rocket wing t offense, wing t offense, youth football offense, youth football quarterback dills

Preseason Coaching Meetings

Jun29
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

Each pre-season I hold a few important meetings with my assistant coaches. It is imperative that all coaches are on the same page once the season starts. I am the Head Coach & Offensive Coordinator of my team and here are the topics I cover during my coaching meetings. We usually have three meetings before the season starts.

Meetings Topics

Installing the Offense and Issuing Playbook. Each coach will receive the offensive playbook. Each position coach will meet with me. We will talk about key coaching points, offensive philosophies, and playbook vocabulary. I will develop the individual position practice schedule and go over it with each position coach.
Install Philosophies and Goals for the Season. We will talk about what our keys to victory are and what we want our team’s overall identity to be. We will discuss our team’s philosophy and what is expected from the players and the coaches. We do not really talk too much about our general goal which is to win the league championship-we will talk about our daily goals more so. Before each practice we will set a goal, which is to “get better today“. After practice we want to be able to say we improved as a team, we worked hard, we improved as football players both physically and mentally, and most importantly we want to say we handled ourselves with class and great character today. Youth Football is not all about the X’s & O’s or Wins/Losses, it is about the positive development of children.
Practice Schedule and Operation. I will summit a practice script for the first day of practice. The first day of practice is all about setting the tone and introducing how practices will be operated on a daily basis. I will make an overall practice blueprint and give them to the coaches. I will make practice plans for each practice. The general structure and pace of practice stays the same each day, but may change slightly day to day depending on what we need to commit more time to. Example, if I feel we need to improve more on our run blocking, we will commit more time to it in practice. It is important that all coaches know what they are required to do so that practices are flowing smoothly and are productive. A good coaching staff is organized and operates practices safely and effectively. Remember, championships are won in practice.
Defense. Each coach will be given a defensive playbook. Each position coach will meet with my defensive coordinator and discuss key coaching points, defensive philosophies, and playbook vocabulary. The DC will develop the individual position practice schedule and go over them with each position coach.
Special Teams. All the coaches will receive a special team playbook from my special teams coordinator. We will go over our ST philosophy and the implementation of our entire kicking game. We practice special teams mainly as a team, which means no individual position work. We will have the kickers, long snappers, and holders practice before practice starts- otherwise we practice specials teams as a team.
Safety. I will make sure all my coaches understand Pop Warner’s new national rule changes, regarding practices. We will go over all contact drills and how we will operate them safely. As a coaching staff we will operate all football drills and conditioning drills safely. We will be informed and prepared for anything.

Good Luck!

Posted in Coaching Defense, Coaching Offense, General Coaching Tips, Special Teams, Youth Football Benefits - Tagged coaching tips, pop warner, Pop Warner national rule change, youth football coaching tips, youth football practice blueprint, youth football safety

Coach Jeff’s Keys to Victory

Jun12
2012 3 Comments Written by Coach Jeff

My coaching staff and I set these four keys to victory for every game, regardless of opponent. If you practice and pride your team on these four goals you will win football games.

Win turnover battle. We pride ourselves on winning the turnover battle each game. Offensively we do not want to turn the ball over. So in practice we rep ball security with all the skilled positions. We install the philosophy that we will not fumble or throw interceptions. As far as defense goes, we want to get some turnovers. Creating a turnover on defense can really give our team momentum, as well as another offensive possession. We make a big deal when our defense creates a turnover. We practice stripping the ball as well as creating interceptions. The team that creates the most turnovers in a game has a 78% winning percentage. With that said, we want to win the turnover battle.

Youth Football Online All-Star Jelani McCall

Win special teams. I think my staff and I spend more time working special teams than any other youth football team. We PRIDE ourselves on winning the special teams battle. This includes, having solid kickoff and punt coverage. We do not want the opposing team to gain positive yardage on kick and punt returns. We practice coverage and directional kicking/punting (kick/punt the ball away from their best return players) often. We also work heavily on our kick return. We understand the benefits of creating a big play with our punt and kick return teams. Our goal each game is to score or set up at least 2 scores with our return game. We want to pop some big plays on special teams and create some positive momentum for our team.

Win tough situations (sudden change). When things are at its worst, that’s when winners perform their best. Handling sudden change, having resilience is what football is all about. Teams that overcome and can handle adversity will win big games. When things are not going well in games or in practices we have a motto it states- “RELOAD”, we will move on and get it back the next play. Remember, kids will take things hard so it is imperative that the coaches do not let the negatives linger on the kids and influence the next play of the game. Having consistent success requires consistent resiliency. Winning coaches perform their best in tough and crucial situations. Resilience is the most beneficial trait that is developed from playing youth football (in my opinion). Resilience is needed in everyday life. Like football, life is full of adversity and obstacles, how you face these obstacles will define your character. No other sport develops resilience like football does.

Win the conditioning battle. Who wants it the most for four full quarters? The team that is better conditioned will take control of the game, especially in the latter minutes of the game. We pride our team on playing at the same pace for an entire game. We execute our no huddle offense with relentless tempo. We will play fast and hard every single play. We will outlast our opponents; we will make them play at our pace. Everything we do in practice is at a fast pace. We do not spend too much time doing team conditioning drills, our entire practice is like a conditioning drill (no player walks on the field). We do position oriented conditioning drills during our individual position session and sprints at the end of practice. Having a well condition team will help deter injuries and help keep the kids aware and focused during the game. When kids are fatigued that is when kids get hurt or mistakes or made on the football field.

Good Luck!

Posted in From the Gut, General Coaching Tips - Tagged special teams, youth football

Selecting the Right Youth Football System

May26
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

In order to have a winning youth football season you have to employ the right system.

employing a youth football system

Offensive System

A successful youth football offense is an offense that offers deception and speed. Misdirection is the best way to attack defenses in youth football. Having a deceptive offense will make the defense have to look instead of just attacking. Plays that have no misdirection will allow the defense to pin their ears back and attack. The idea of misdirection is to take advantage of over aggressive defenses. It also makes the defense play disciplined, which will slow down their pursuit to the ball carrier.

There is only one way to put this, speed kills. Implementing an offensive system that utilizes the no huddle and uses motion will really take your team to the next level. Many defenses are not accustomed to the playing an up-tempo no huddle offense. Having a great no huddle tempo and system will take control of the game and the defense. Using motion is another great way to add speed and misdirection to your offense. Running plays like rocket sweep and jet sweep will allow your running backs to get outside fast, even if they aren’t your fastest players. Then once defenses start over playing the motion you can run plays that come off of the motion.

Defensive System

Playing defense is all about tackling. If your defense tackles well, you will be in good shape. Good tackling teams do not give up many big plays. If you tackle well any defensive scheme will work. When deciding on a defensive system make sure it is easy to implement. Leave all the scheming to offenses. Defenses have to focus solely on fundamentals like: tackling well, pursuit to the football, getting off blocks, proper alignment against offenses, containing plays inside, creating turnovers, and not give up the big play. Those are the basic fundamentals of youth football defense. Select a defense that has a good balance of safe blitzes and stunts. You should have blitzes to stop inside hitting plays and outside blitzes to stop outside hitting plays. Be careful when blitzing, if you live by the blitz, you will die by the blitz. Blitz strategically.

Defense is all about attitude and swarming to the football. Good defenses have relentless pursuit to the ball carrier. Defense is about having fun and playing aggressive. When you are working on drills for your defense make sure you do it with great energy and enthusiasm.

Special Teams

Special teams is probably the most unappreciated and under practiced phase of youth football. Success on special teams can really boost your team towards victory. When selecting a special teams system make sure it is youth football friendly. It has to be easy to install. It is important that the kickoff and punt coverage is good. You must make sure your players stay in their lanes, get off blocks, and tackle well. Take pride in having a strong return game, which can help win the field position battle, set up a scoring opportunity, or even score a touchdown.

Need an explosive offense that is fast hitting and deceptive? Want a swarming defense that can demoralize opposing offenses? Or how about some more production out of your special teams?

The Rocket Bundle Playbook Package is a perfect solution. Included in this bundle- Rocket Wing T Offense, The Swarming 53 Defense, and a Special Teams playbook.

Posted in Coaching Offense, General Coaching Tips, Wing T - Tagged 53 swarming defense, defense, jet sweep, offense, rocket sweep, special teams, Wing T, winning youth football season, youth football schemes

3 Keys To Coaching Youth Football Successfully

May07
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

When coaching youth football there are 3 main areas of emphasis:

Philosophy

Implement what you as a coach believe in, and make sure all of your coaches, players and parents believe in your system as well. Stay true to what you feel is best for your football players. Believe in your offense, defense, and special teams philosophies. Stay true to yourself and always be genuine with your players, assistant coaches, and parents. Remember, coaching youth football is not just about winning- It is all about creating positive experiences for the children with the understanding that not all kids will be football all-stars. Every youth football coach has his own scheme and practice plan, but there is a universal philosophy that all coaches must adhere to- never to put the children in an unfair or unsafe situation. All practices should be operated safely, in accordance to rules. Also, never win at the expense of the children.

Teach Proper Techniques and Fundamentals

teaching proper football technique

Successful coaching in youth football is all about teaching the basics or fundamentals of the game. You must be a good teacher. Practices should be focused entirely on playing with the proper technique. Playing with proper technique will not only give your team success, it will keep the players safe from most injuries. It is vital to have proper technique when blocking, block shedding, and tackling. Players must always keep their heads up! Playing with the proper football fundamentals will help deter most injuries.

Management

If you cannot manage the players and coaches that surround you, then you will not win. Great management comes with great organization. In order to have productive practices coaches must have scripted practices. All coaches on the coaching staff should have practice plans and all coaches should be on the same page. It is vital to keep youth football players busy in practice, no kids should be aimlessly standing around. When managing practices make sure they are up tempo and enthusiastic. Coaches need to be able to manage multiple players at once. You must be able to coordinate with parents, players, and other coaches flawlessly. Good managers are able to work successfully under pressure, have confidence, and stay true to their beliefs at all times. Football is just like a businesses or company. A business with bad management will not make any money. Football teams with bad management will lose. Head coaches must be able to manage everything from parents to games and everything in between.

Good Luck!

Posted in General Coaching Tips - Tagged coaching football, practice management, team management, youth football, youth football coaching tips

Youth Football Coaching Fundamentals (Beyond X’s And O’s)

Apr23
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

Honesty- Be honest with all youth football players, assistant coaches, and parents. I have a saying: “real, recognizes real”. When you are honest and genuine your players will know it. The parents will also know it and it will ultimately lead to an overall positive football environment.

Loyalty- Be loyal to all your players, parents, and fellow coaches. I tell my coaches every year that we must be loyal to each other. We must also be loyal to the players, and loyal to the parents. We must always put the team first; always stick together as a team throughout both positive and negative occurrences.

Lead by Example- As coaches, it is our responsibility to model the kind of behavior we as coaches expect from our players. Lead by positive example. Coaches need to look the part, be professional and always be humble throughout victory and defeat.

Stay Positive- “If you do not have anything positive to say- keep your mouth closed”. Youth football is not just about winning, it is about encouragement. As youth football coaches it is our job to encourage and be positive with all players and coaching colleagues. This means working with and encouraging players that need it. Football is about building confidence in the children while developing their physical conditioning. Be positive and encourage every player, coach, and parent on the team. Take the time and work with those players that need the extra work. When things aren’t going your team’s way, true character will reveal itself. Pride yourself on coaching your best when things are at their worst. Goals: every player gets better every day.

Organized- As a youth football coach you need to be organized. When practices aren’t organized and are slow moving they will not be productive. Have a practice plan for the day and executed it with enthusiasm. All coaches need to be on the same page. Disorganization looks really bad; the parents and players will notice it.

Youth Football Safety Matters- Be informed about the importance of proper hydration and nutrition. Regardless of age- the human body only runs as good as the food you put into it. Also, if your players are not hydrated they will dehydrate, overheat, get sick, cramp, and their overall body function will be weak. Inform your players, coaches and parents about the importance of hydration and nutrition. Hydration should occur-before, during, and after any physical activities. Most importantly look for kids that are hurt or getting banged up. Also, concussion prevention and discovery should be a top priority. The entire coaching staff must be educated and able to notice any kind of injury. If there is any doubt then sit the kid out.

Children- A main objective of every coach should be to develop his players into fine young football players. It is about the implementation of safe and proper youth football drills. It is about teaching the players the importance of team work. Coaches need to encourage their players to communicate with each other. It is about making a team first environment. Football is a competitive game; the goal is always play to win. Good coaches get their players to compete during all practices and games. Condition those kids! Football is a physically demanding game; these kids need to be ready for four quarters of contact and cardiovascular exercise. Always have their well being first. Always develop and implement the positive portion of youth football. Play to win, but never try to win at the expense of the children.

Posted in From the Gut, General Coaching Tips - Tagged coaching tips, conditioning drills, practice plans, teamwork in youth football, youth football parents, youth football safety

Youth Football 52 Defense

Mar28
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

The 52 defense features 5 defensive linemen, 2 middle linebackers, and 4 defensive backs. There is 1 nose guard, 2 defensive tackles, and 2 defensive ends. There are 2 middle linebackers, a strong safety (also known as a “monster backer”), 2 corners and a free safety.

The 52 generally uses the monster backer (Strong Safety) as the strong side player. This defense will use the monster backer to adjust to any unbalanced offensive formations.

The 52 defense requires disciplined athletes that can follow their keys precisely, and not get tricked by misdirection plays. The pass coverage is usually cover 3 zone-based. This defense also can have success using man to man coverage. When the opposing offense is in a balanced formation the monster backer becomes an outside linebacker. The defense then turns into a 53.

This youth football defense helps protect the strong side of the field. The 52 defense is effective when defending speed teams that love attacking the wide side of the field with sweeps.

Posted in Coaching Defense, Defense 52, Youth Football Free Plays - Tagged 52 defense, 52 monster defense, cover 3 zone defense, defense, man to man coverage, winning youth football defense

The Right Coaching Staff For Your Youth Football Team

Mar16
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

Selecting the right youth football coaching staff should not be overlooked. The season can turn into one big headache if you’re a head coach stuck with bad coaches. In most youth football leagues the head coach is permitted to choose his own staff, so when you are selecting your coaches make sure you pick the right ones for your team. There are a couple things you as the head coach should think about when selecting coaches.

selecting your coaching staff

Does this coach want to coach because his child is on the team? Having a bunch of coaches that have relatives on the team isn’t a good idea. More times than not a coach with a child on the team will be biased towards his child. With biased behavior comes favoritism, a major issue in youth football. Many coaches will play favorites- playing certain players more than others. Players should be coached equally in all practices and games; no child should be overlooked. Having parents that are coaches will create “drama” with the other parents. If you have coaches that coach their relatives it is the responsibility of the head coach to make sure there are no favorites.

Have they had experience playing or coaching football before? I started coaching youth football when I was 15 years old. At that time, I was playing high school football with no prior experience coaching kids. I came into coaching thinking it was going to be easy, a young know-it-all. Come the first day of practice I realized that I knew football, but I wasn’t as good as a teacher that I needed to be. Knowing X’s and O’s is important, knowing how to be a good teacher and how to keep kids focused is the key to success. You have to keep practices upbeat and fun or else you will lose the kids’ football focus.

Credit: sbnation.com

Posted in General Coaching Tips - Tagged selecting youth football coaches

Youth Football Coaching New Year Resolutions

Dec29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

With the new year right around the corner everyone is getting pumped up for the opportunity of a fresh start. Living is all about getting better every day- same goes for coaching youth football. 2012 is closing in- so let’s set some goals. First do an assessment. Reflect on the past season, pinpoint your weaknesses and make them strengths! Here are some on my goals for this upcoming football year.

Do not give up as many big plays on defense. Our youth football defense has given
up a couple big plays to opposing offenses this past season. Much of that issue can be credited to the lack of “athletes” and inexperienced players we had to work with. We prided ourselves on getting off blocks, swarming to the ball, and securing the tackle. After watching the film on each game played, there was a few inconsistencies with that. Each week there was great improvement but there were still a couple of broken plays. Although I feel the pursuit to the ball was satisfactory, sometimes how we got there (angles to the ball) wasn’t very good. We also struggled at times at the line of scrimmage. As a remedy for that- we blitzed and stunted more than usual. Once in a while we would stunt or blitz ourselves out of the play. Although we scouted each opponent heavily sometimes opponents added new plays and made good adjustments during the game.

Goal # 1- use more practice time on eliminating the “Big Play” against our defense. Good pursuit and solid tackling will help deter big plays from occurring.

Swarm to the ball, lets get it!

Practice Organization. My practices are always operated at a fast tempo and are always productive. Each year I will research even attend other teams’ practices to see if I can get some fresh ideas. Getting some new practice ideas will help optimize and make my practice time more productive. I noticed that every coach tends to do things differently so it is good to observe different youth and high school football practices.

Goal #2- Find ways to optimize and make practice time even more productive- remember, there is always room for improvement.

Find 2 new youth football coaches. Sadly, 2 coaches that I have been working with for many seasons will not be coaching this year. It is a big blow because these guys were good and knew what I expected of them as the head coach. The new men must understand my philosophies and they must understand the responsibility of a youth football coach. It is a big blow to my coaching staff; I only have 3 coaches right now. But, the selection process must go forward. Although, knowledge of football is important I am looking for a coach that understands what youth football is about. It is about the positive progression of the kids, nothing else. I will not take any coaches that have a relative on the team as there is potential for unfair bias. I am looking for a coach that will be committed, be ready to go the extra mile. The coach will also need to be professional at all time, through thick and thin. The scary thing is true colors do not come out until adversity presents itself. I have a few candidates in mind – but we will see.

Goal #3- find 2 more high character youth football coaches that the kids will benefit from- both with football and life.

Let’s get even better this year!

Posted in General Coaching Tips - Tagged pop warner, youth football

Creating a Successful Youth Football Environment

Nov23
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

Hard Working Committed Coaches

Surround yourself with a committed and loyal coaching staff. Having a staff of coaches that are committed is the most important aspect of a successful youth football team. Since coaching youth football requires incredible amounts of time and energy it is vitally important that all the coaches stay committed. All coaches need to perform a job and need to be on the same page. They need to do their assigned job with great effort. Coaches want their players to “play hard”, but if they themselves do not coach hard youth football players will often times not respond. Coach with passion, it will rub off on the players.

Organized Youth Football Practices

It is important that coaches have organized and well planned practices. If the practices aren’t upbeat the kids will not respond. Having a scripted practice will optimize the small amount of time coaches have to prepare players for game day. Practice time is limited, so it is important that time is not wasted because of disorganization. Have a plan for each practice and make sure all coaches know the plan and are able to execute it. Want a productive practice? Keep all the football players busy and keep practices moving.

Make it Fun

Youth Football is all about having fun. It is good to throw in a fun activity once or twice a week. What we do is a relay race-the losing team does pushups! It lets the kids have fun while getting a workout in. The funny thing is the kids do not even realize how good of a workout it is. It is hitting two birds with one stone- kids are getting a work out while having fun. It is hard to create a successful youth football environment when the kids aren’t having fun.

Posted in From the Gut, General Coaching Tips - Tagged youth football coaches, youth football practices

Youth Football Leagues and Academics

Oct14
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

Youth football is more than just “playing football”- it’s about teaching these children the importance of education. Coaches and youth football organizations must make sure they push their players hard work on the field and in the class room. Check out how the Hemet-San Jacinto Saints Football League is making education a priority, even over football.

Remember, football isn’t forever; getting an education is. There are many great high school and college football players that do not succeed because they lack good grades. Youth football programs need to focus on making sure kids understand the importance of education. Coaches should consistently be preaching and talking up the importance of a good education.

A great youth football coach can teach much more than just football techniques and Xs and Os. These are the coaches that make a difference in child’s life. Coaches need to be positive examples at all times. Youth football will also introduce physical education, communication skills, teamwork skills, and commitment. It will also keep them busy in a controlled and safe environment off of the streets.

Doing well in school and remaining socially and physically active by participating in youth sports is the best thing a child can do.

Good Luck!

Posted in From the Gut, News - Tagged youth football leagues

Preparing for a Dominate Youth Football Opponent

Sep28
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

In youth football the team with the most “athletes” will win more than they lose, regardless of coaching. But on the other hand, good coaching can win many games regardless of talent. Here are preparation tips for the practice week leading up to the big game:

Scouting! Knowing what your opponent does offensively, defensively, and in the special teams phase is vital. Knowing what they are going to do will help you practice against it in practice. It will help your kids tremendously when they are practicing against what they are going to see. Having film on your opponent will allow you to find tendencies in their play calling. There are many tells, you just need to know what to look for. For more information on scouting, check out our blog on scouting your opponent in youth football.

Have a solid week of practice. If your team has a solid week of practice, it will carry over into game day. Have the kids practicing hard, put those kids to work. In moderation though, do not beat up or overwork your players. Practice must be fluent, smooth, organized, passionate, and productive.

Attitude! Football is all about attitude; tell the kids it is a big game. Get all the players and coaches excited. Coaches and football players should live for the big game!

Develop your player’s confidence and Belief. Have your team practicing with confidence. If you talk about good things and work hard for it, good things tend to happen. There is an old saying, “the harder I work, the luckier I seem to get”. You will be surprised how well your kids will play when they are confident. Develop confidence and belief with your players that they will win this game.

Each week we have the “word of the week”. The word of the week should be a word that represents what your team needs to improve on. For example, the second week we lost a game and we didn’t play well so the word of the week was “resilience”. We would first off explain what resilience means and talk about being resilient, bouncing back with a great effort in practice all week long. It is a cool idea, which works. The word of the week should be talked and practiced throughout practice all week.

Remember, the team with the best athletes will win more than they will lose. But, having a well coached team that is prepared can upset many so called dominate teams. Always remember in win or defeat- if your kids played hard, that is all that matters.

Good Luck!

Posted in From the Gut, General Coaching Tips - Tagged scouting in youth football, youth football

Handling Sudden Change; Having Resilience

Sep08
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

When something goes wrong, do you tend to bounce back or fall apart? When you have resilience, you harness inner strengths and rebound rapidly from a setback or challenge.

Coaching youth football requires strong resilience. As a youth football coach you must be able to handle adversity and keep your team focused through any kind of troubles or negative plays. Youth football coaches must preach resilience and how to handle sudden change. Sudden change is a turning point in the game in which the game goes from positive to negative for your team. For example, your offense throws an interception and the defense returns it for a touchdown. How your team responds after sudden change will show the level of resiliency your team and coaching staff have.

Youth football coaches must make sure their kids have a so called “short memory” when sudden change transpires. Coaches need to be an example for their kids. So always have a positive attitude in any kind of adversity or sudden change occurrences. Coaches need to preach to their players from day one-have resilience and handle sudden change. What I do with my team is anytime in practice or in a game something happens negatively (like giving up a touchdown, dropped pass or a bad penalty ) the word we use is “reload”. This means will we get over the negatives and move on to the next play, short memory. In sudden change situations youth coaches need to coach even harder to keep their team focused and positive. It is imperative as a coach that you do not let the negatives linger and influence the rest of the game. The play is over, you cannot change it, focus on what you can control and that is the next play!

Resilience is not just needed to be successful in youth sports, it’s needed to thrive in life. Resilience is a trait needed in our social society, work places, sports, and all levels of education. You must be able to fight through any kind of struggles or adversity that life will throw at you. Youth coaches need to lead by positive example- handle sudden change situations and preach having resilience, not just in football but in life! Never let your kids or coaches quit. Always keep fighting regardless what happens in the game. If a negative play gets your team down “reload” and get back after it again! Everyday preach that to your kids.

“I’ve never known anybody to achieve anything without overcoming adversity.” -Lou Holtz

Posted in From the Gut, General Coaching Tips - Tagged youth football, youth football coaching tips

Quick Answers for Scrambling Coaches

Jul21
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

Scrambling to get an explosive offense together?

Answer: Youth Football Offensive Playbooks

Haven’t planned a practice schedule yet?

Answer: Check out our Winning Youth Football Practice Routine

Having problems finding players?

Answer: Advertise/recruit in local parks and malls. Social media is also a great way to get your team known.

Need coaching equipment? Stopwatches, wrist coaches, cones, pads, mouths pieces and things of that sort?

Answer: Check out Youth Football Online’s Store

In the August heat is tough on players and coaches. It is important that coaches gather information on hydration and proper nutrition, as well as a safety plan.

Answer: Proper Hydration and Safety Tips

Posted in General Coaching Tips - Tagged practice equitment, youth football, youth football equitment, youth football playbooks

Whatever Happened To Professional Athletes Acting Professional ?

Jul11
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

Every week I seem to see and hear about professional athletes getting in trouble with the law. It is becoming a little bit ridiculous. Being a professional athlete comes with many responsibilities. Athletes need to carry themselves with professionalism. Staying out of trouble with the law and excessively showboating seems to be the main issues.

These athletes are icons for a lot of children. What these players wear, children will want to wear. How these players showboat, children will want to showboat. How these players act, children will act the same. They just do not realize-what they do will be mimicked by children. The issue isn’t just with one sport- there are professional athletes from every professional sport that are getting into trouble. There needs to be harsher penalities to deter these athletes from being stupid.

Professional athletes need to:

• Lead by positive example

• Give back to the community: camps, visit schools, fundraiser, donations, things of that sort

• Play hard always

Remember, children are always watching!

Posted in From the Gut - Tagged professionalism in sports, showboating in sports, youth football

Youth Football is About the Children – Building Great Character

Jul09
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Coach Jeff

With the youth football season less than one month away, it is good to remind ourselves that we’re involved in this sport for the sake of kids. Teaching physical education, social skills, teamwork, commitment, hard work, self confidence and of course having fun is what it is about.

Here are some coaching tips that can keep it about the children:

• Explain your philosophy to parents. Make a letter to parents explaining what they can expect from the coaches and what the coaches expect from parents and players. Remember, youth football is about the children- but parents and players need to understand that this is volunteer based. The hard work and commitment needs to be mutual.
• Definition of success-it is not all about winning, it is about improvement. Getting better each day. “We don’t talk about winning all that much. We talk about improving. If you talk about perfection and winning only, that can lead to frustration. If you can talk about improvement, you can get better every day.” -Allan Trimble Head Coach Jenks High School Oklahoma
• Get to know each player. Remember, every kid is different and learns in different ways. You need to figure out how to motivate each child. Football isn’t always won with X’s and O’s, it is about getting the maximum effort from each player.
• Build your players self-confidence. Enhances mental toughness. They will stay in sports longer, and it will increase the player’s enjoyment.

Keep this in your mind!

Good Luck

Posted in From the Gut, General Coaching Tips - Tagged coaching football, coaching tips, youth football