Youth Football Online

The Promotion & Instruction of Youth Football
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Youth Football Online

The Promotion & Instruction of Youth Football
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Youth Football Online

5 Tip Youth Football Coach’s Guide for the Season

Here is a 5 tip youth football coach’s guide for the season.

 

Selecting Coaches

All head coaches need to start building their coaching staff, if you haven’t already. Head coaches need to start figuring out coordinators and position coaches.  Also, all coordinators will need to have complete playbooks. Copies should also be made for both the other coaches and players. It is vital that coaching staffs set up some meetings to help get everyone on the same page. Coaches need to know what their job is going to be and know how to execute it.  All coaches need to do their job and keep busy. Youth Football Coaches should always be coaching, not standing around. Also, make sure your staff understands that there is more to youth football than winning and losing.  Here is a video on what youth football is really about:

Selecting Playbooks

Picking the right playbook for offense, defense, and special teams is imperative! It is important that you select a scheme that is well balanced and fits all types of players. This season I will be using the rocket wing t, 53 swarming defense, and a basic special teams playbook.  The rocket wing t will allow me to attack the edge of the defense with speed, even if we aren’t a fast team.  If you have a fast team this series is even more explosive. It is vital that you are able to get outside, even with slow players. Using rocket motion will allow your running backs to get the ball while running full speed. Once the defense starts to over play the motion (which will happen) we will hit them inside. The 53 swarming defense is an aggressive defense that will attack offenses. Special teams is basic, but very effective. Do you need a playbook for the upcoming season? It is important that you figure out what offense, defense, and special team playbook you want to use so that you can get your coaches on the same page. Selecting the right playbook is one of the most crucial tips on this 5 tip youth football coach’s guide.

Preseason Practices

Every year we will get our skilled position players out for some preseason practices. We will install our base offensive plays and go over our formation. I suggest getting your quarterbacks and centers out as soon as possible. It is not only important that the QB learns the plays, but it is crucial that the QBS get used to taking snaps from the center.  Learning the core plays now, will allow you to save time come August. Get these players out early and get a jump start on the season!  It will be a good idea to start getting your kickers/extra point specialist out early as well. My team is already working on our snap, hold and extra point kicking. In my league kicking after you score is worth two points, rather than one.

Practice Routine 

One of the biggest mistakes that youth football coaches make is not having practice plans. You do not want to just wing it every practice. Head coaches should be responsible for practice scripts. Even though my coaches understand how I want to do things and they have a good sense of what we will do on an everyday basis, I still make practice scripts for every practice. It is an excellent idea to print these scripts out and give them to the coaches. When practices are not well planned, they will not only be non –productive, but the parents will notice the disorganization as well. Be prepared before every practice, have a plan and execute it.  One more thing! Do not overlook special teams and the entire kicking game. Make sure you fit special teams into your plans where ever you can. If you decide to print this 5 tip youth football coach’s guide, you need to highlight this tip! Having well planned and productive practices is vital!  If I had to pick the most important tip from this youth football coach’s guide this would be it!

Parents Meeting

There is a very successful coach in my league that has a parents meeting every single year. He will invite the parents to the field house for a “meet the coaches” gathering.  After hearing about the success he had with it, I was instantly sold on the idea. We will hold our third annual “meet the coaches night” one week before the season.  We will order pizza or get some kind of food and our coaches will be introduced.  Here are the topics covered in this meeting:

  • Safety!  We will talk about how we will teach the fundamentals that will help our players play the game safely and effectively. We will talk about things parents can do at home and before practice to make their players ready to compete and practice safely.  We will also do an equipment demonstration.  We show the parents how to adjust their child’s pads and how to fit their child for equipment.
  • Hydration and nutrition! We talk to the parents about proper hydration and nutrition. We will talk about how important it is to hydrate before, during, and after practice.   It is vital that parents understand that they need to hydrate and feed their children quality foods to ensure safe and optimal performance.
  • Team Goals and Philosophy. We talk about our team goals for the upcoming season. We will discuss what these parents can expect from our coaching staff. We will also discuss what our coaching staff expects from the players and parents.  We will discuss our offense, defense, and special teams philosophy a little bit as well. The coaches will be introduced. I will also talk about our team rules and practice attendance. We will talk about the importance of having the common courtesy of calling the head coach or team mom  if your child cannot make practice.  We will talk about how my coaching staff and I do not have a child or relatives on the team, and that playing time is earned by coming to practice.  If a players comes to practice and works hard they will get additional playing time, regardless of football abilities.
  • Handouts.  We also hand out hydration and nutrition pamphlets, game schedule, and preseason practice schedules.

I hope this 5 tip youth football guide for the 2013 season is helpful.

 

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