Keeping Busy During the Off-season

The off-season is here for most of the youth football teams across the country. Most kids will play multiple sports throughout the year and keep busy. For those who don’t, here are some tips for keeping  busy during the off-season:

• Develop an off-season workout schedule with him. If your child is slow, concentrate on a speed and agility program.  If he lacks strength, introduce light weights along with the pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups he was doing during the season.
• Flag leagues.  Many towns have rec. flag football leagues. This probably one of the best things a youth football players can do during the offseason. Flag football will be an excellent way to keep the player in shape. It will also develop his coordination, catching, running, and throwing skills.
• Winter Leagues. Some towns actually offer indoor football leagues during the winter months. They are usually 7 v 7 of 8 v 8. I know that the American Youth Football League has a spring league.
• Take your kid to NFL or Collegiate games. Just because the youth football season is over, doesn’t mean you have to forget about football.  Keep your child motivated and excited about the game, attend football games.  I feel one of greatest forms of entertainment is a college football game.  You have the student body that is always fanatical, the passion of the players, coaches all doing it for their school (it’s not about the money).  Marching bands, cheerleaders all add to the grandeur of the moment.  Let your child see this, he’ll surely appreciate it.
• Watch film.  We’re all about improvement.  Improve during and after the season.  If you’d like to see your child have a standout year next year, we recommend watching youth football film in the off-season.  Teach him to be analytical and realize his mistakes, it’ll only further his development as a youth football player and it won’t hurt him to learn to analyze.
• Engage him in another sport.  Karate classes, basketball, hockey and many other winter sports are out there. Ideally, the kids on the team will all play another sport together.  It’s a new commitment but it will keep your kid busy.
• Let him be a kid. While we’re not completely against playing xbox (must be done in moderation), we do agree it’s part of being a kid.  We all played video games growing up, it’s those who played a little too much that are probably overweight & under motivated.  Encourage your child to be a kid and enjoy his youth, after all he’s just had a tough season of youth football.