Coaching Football For Dummies E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 615

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Few experiences are more rewarding than coaching a youth football team. Your journey through the season will be packed with moments that make you smile and that you and your players will remember for the rest of your lives. But what if you've never coached before? No worries! Coaching Football For Dummies is the fun and easy way to tackle the basics of coaching youth football. This friendly guide shows you how to teach your players effectively, regardless of their age or skill level, and lead your team to victory--even if you're a first-time coach. You'll discover how to: * Develop a coaching philosophy * Teach football fundamentals * Encourage good sportsmanship * Improve your team's skills * Ensure safety on the field * Communicate effectively with parents Packed with valuable information on preparing your game plan before you even step on the field, this hands-on resource gives you expert guidance in building your coaching skills, from evaluating your players and running enjoyable, productive practices to working with all types of kids--uncoordinated, shy, highly talented--at once. You'll find a variety of fun-filled drills for teaching everything from tackling and blocking to running and catching, as well as advanced drills to take your players' skills up a notch. You'll also see how to: * Conduct a preseason parents' meeting--an often overlooked aspect of coaching * Gather the necessary gear and fit the equipment to your players * Raise the level of play on offense, defense, and special teams * Take steps to avoid injuries * Deal with discipline issues and problem parents * Make critical half-time adjustments * Transition to coaching an All-Star Team Complete with tips for working with parents, keeping your players healthy, and leading your team effectively on game days, Coaching Football For Dummies is all you need--besides a whistle and a clipboard--to navigate your players through a safe, fun, rewarding season!

Leseprobe

Coaching Football For Dummies®

by National Alliance For Youth Sportswith Greg Bach

Coaching Football For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax [phone]. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Some of the exercises and dietary suggestions contained in this work may not be appropriate for all individuals, and readers should consult with a physician before commencing any exercise or dietary program.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2006925955

ISBN-13: 978-0-471-79331-1

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

1O/SR/QW/QW/IN

About the Authors

The National Alliance For Youth Sports has been America’s leading advocate for positive and safe sports for children for the past 25 years. It serves volunteer coaches, parents with children involved in organized sports, game officials, youth sports administrators, league directors, and the youngsters who participate in organized sports. The Alliance’s programs are utilized in more than 3,000 communities nationwide by parks and recreation departments, Boys & Girls Clubs, Police Athletic Leagues, YMCAs/YWCAs, and various independent youth service groups, as well as on military installations worldwide. For more information on the Alliance’s programs, which are listed below, visit www.nays.org.

National Youth Sports Coaches Association — More than 2 million volunteer coaches have been trained through NYSCA, which provides training, support, and continuing education.

Parents Association for Youth Sports — Parents gain a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in youth sports through this sportsmanship training program, which is used in more than 500 communities nationwide.

Academy for Youth Sports Administrators — More than 2,000 administrators worldwide have gone through the Academy, which is a 20-hour certification program that raises the professionalism of those delivering youth sport services. A professional faculty presents the information, and participants earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

National Youth Sports Administrators Association — This program provides training, information, and resources for volunteer administrators responsible for the planning and implementation of out-of-school sports programs.

National Youth Sports Officials Association — Officials who go through this certification program gain valuable knowledge on skills, fundamentals, and the characteristics that every good official must possess.

Start Smart Sports Development Program — This proven instructional program prepares children for the world of organized sports without the threat of competition or the fear of getting hurt through an innovative approach that promotes parent-child bonding.

Hook A Kid On Golf — Thousands of children of all ages and skill levels tee it up every year in the nation’s most comprehensive junior golf development program, which features an array of instructional clinics and tournaments to choose from.

Game On! Youth Sports — This worldwide effort introduces children to actual game experience by giving them the freedom to create and play on their own.

Greg Bach is the communications director for the National Alliance For Youth Sports, a position he has held since 1993. Before joining NAYS, he worked as the sports editor of the Huron Daily Tribune in Bad Axe, Michigan, where he captured numerous writing awards from the Associated Press, Michigan Press Association, and the Hearst Corporation. He has a journalism degree from Michigan State University, which he earned in 1989. He’s an avid sports fan and has coached a variety of youth sports. He also wrote Coaching Soccer For Dummies.

Dedication

From National Alliance For Youth Sports: This book is dedicated to all the volunteer football coaches who give up countless hours of their free time to work with children and ensure that they have positive, safe, and rewarding experiences. We applaud their efforts and commend them for making a difference in the lives of youngsters everywhere.

From Greg Bach: This one’s for Kayla and Evan, my two favorite football fans.

Authors’ Acknowledgments

A successful youth football program doesn’t just happen. It takes a real commitment not only from dedicated volunteer coaches but also from parents who understand their roles and responsibilities and league directors and administrators who know what it takes to ensure that every child who steps on the football field in their community has a safe, fun, and rewarding experience. Football plays an important role in the lives of millions of children and provides them with the opportunity to learn the skills of the game, as well as the chance to develop both emotionally and physically as individuals. The National Alliance For Youth Sports extends a heartfelt thank-you to every person who makes a positive difference through football in the life of a child.

This book is the result of a lot of hours of hard work from a lot of great people, and a huge thank-you goes out to the incredibly talented staff at Wiley. First, to Stacy Kennedy, the acquisitions editor, whose efforts behind the scenes in working with the National Alliance For Youth Sports has resulted in this being the second book in a series for youth coaches; Chrissy Guthrie and Danielle Voirol, the project editor and copy editor, whose editing touches, ideas, and insight made a tremendous difference in the quality of every chapter; the fabulous effort of the illustrators — Shelley Norris, Jake Mansfield, Joni Burns, and Karl Brandt — whose work will be great references as you teach your team all sorts of football skills; and Robert Patchett, who was a terrific asset with all of his valuable knowledge about every aspect of the game.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Christina Guthrie

Acquisitions Editor: Stacy Kennedy

Copy Editor: Danielle Voirol

Editorial Program Coordinator: Hanna K. Scott

Technical Editor: Robert J. Patchett, Jr.

Editorial Manager: Christine Meloy Beck

Media Development Manager: Laura VanWinkle

Editorial Assistants: Erin Calligan, Nadine Bell, David Lutton

Cover Photos: © Yellow Dog Productions/ Getty Images

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Michael Kruzil

Layout and Graphics: Karl Brandt, Jonelle Burns, Carl Byers, Andrea Dahl, Joyce Haughey, Clint Lahnen, Jake Mansfield, Shelley Norris, Barry Offringa, Lynsey Osborn, Alicia South

Proofreaders: Leeann Harney, Aptara

Indexer: Aptara

Special Help

Corbin Collins

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Ensley Eikenburg, Associate and Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : Kids’ Play: Getting Started Coaching Football

Chapter 1: Teaching Football to Children

Gearing Up

Taking the Field

Coaching Your Own Child

Chapter 2: Preparing for a Fun and Successful Season

Developing a Coaching Philosophy

Understanding Your League

Focusing on Equipment

Chapter 3: Tackling the Football Basics

Going inside the Lines

Taking Positions

Ready, Set, Hut: Understanding the Absolute Basics of Football

Chapter 4: Meet the Parents

Let Me Introduce Myself: Tips for a Productive Preseason Meeting

Explaining Your Coaching Philosophy

Putting Together the Paperwork

Covering Equipment

Assembling Your Parent Posse

Meeting Players’ Special Needs

Follow-Up Q&A

Part II : Building Your Football Coaching Skills

Chapter 5: Evaluating Your Team

The Art of Evaluation

Lining ’Em Up

Understanding and Interacting with All Kinds of Kids

Chapter 6: Running a Great Practice

Coming to Practice Prepared

Creating a Practice Plan

First Practice: Kicking Off the Season

Putting Smiles on Their Faces

Making Practice Time Beneficial

Ending on a Positive Note

Chapter 7: Game Day

Pre-Game Responsibilities

Pre-Game Team Meeting and Warm-Up

Game Time! Opening Kickoff and First Half

The Halftime Speech

Winning and Losing Graciously

Giving the Post-Game Talk

Chapter 8: Refining Your Coaching Strategies

The Midseason Review

Dealing with Shifting Team Dynamics

Chatting with the Parents

Part III : Working with Beginning and Intermediate Players

Chapter 9: Offensive Fundamentals

Focusing Your Approach for the First-Timers

Quarterback

Running Back

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen

Helping Kids Who Just Don’t Get It

Chapter 10: Defensive and Special Teams Fundamentals

Defensive Linemen

Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

Chapter 11: Fundamental Warm-Ups and Drills for Beginners

Warming Up Right

Offensive Exercises

Defensive Exercises

Special Teams Drills

Putting It All Together: A Sample Practice Session

Chapter 12: Coaching Football Offense 101

Putting Offensive Skills to Use

Different Types of Offenses You Can Run

Chapter 13: Coaching Football Defense 101

Getting Defensive

Defensive Formations You Can Run

Playing Strong Red Zone Defense

Defending the No-Huddle Offense

Chapter 14: Taking Your Drills to the Next Level

Offensive Drills

Defensive Drills

Special Teams Drills

Putting It All Together: A Sample Practice Session

Part IV : Advanced Football Strategies

Chapter 15: Coaching Offense 201

Effective Offensive Strategies

At the Line of Scrimmage

Chapter 16: Coaching Defense 201

Daunting Defensive Approaches

At the Line of Scrimmage

Chapter 17: Coaching Special Teams

Defending and Returning Kickoffs

Extra Points and Field Goals

Punting

Chapter 18: Implementing Advanced Drills

Offensive Drills

Defensive Drills

Conditioning Your Players

Part V : The Extra Points

Chapter 19: Keeping Your Players Healthy

Following a Healthy Diet

Building Strength and Endurance

An Ounce of Prevention: Avoiding Injuries

A Pound of Cure: Treating Injuries

Watching the Weather

Chapter 20: Challenges Every Coach Faces

Coping with Problem Parents

Dealing with Problem Coaches

Addressing Discipline Problems on Your Own Team

Chapter 21: Coaching an All-Star Team

What Is an All-Star Team?

Assembling Your All-Star Team

Surviving the Season: How to Keep Kids Safe and Motivated

Part VI : The Part of Tens

Chapter 22: (Almost) Ten Ways to Make the Season Memorable

Challenge-the-Coach Day

Guest Speakers

Contest Day

Team Votes

Team Captain for the Day

The Name Game

Midseason Grades

Coach Review

Trick Plays

Chapter 23: Ten Fun Ways to End the Season on a High Note

Team Awards

Team Videos

Individual Highlight Videos

Team Trading Cards

Team Photo Album

Football Photo

Team Memento

Team Newsletter

One-on-One Meeting

Crazy Practice

Introduction

Welcome to Coaching Football For Dummies, a book dedicated to all the wonderful volunteer coaches everywhere who work with kids in this magnificent sport. We hope you find it informative, entertaining, and — most important of all — useful in helping ensure that every child on your team has a fun, safe, and rewarding experience. After all, that’s what coaching’s really all about.

About This Book

We wrote this book for first-time volunteer football coaches looking for some guidance before they step on the field, as well as those coaches who’ve been on the sidelines for a season or two and are interested in gaining more insight on specific areas of the game. If you’re new to the sport, you may be somewhat nervous about what you’ve gotten yourself into. You can take comfort in knowing that this book can help you shove those concerns aside and put you at ease as you head into the season. It’ll be your handy companion as you embark down the path toward guiding the kids to a fun-filled, stress-free season.

Each chapter is filled with all sorts of useful and straightforward information. The more chapters you knock off, the more knowledgeable you’ll be about this great game and how to teach it, and the smiles on the kids’ faces — as well as all the learning and skill development that take place — will be your payoff. We also include plenty of information for those of you who are veterans of the post-season pizza parties and have spent countless evenings at your local football field. We cover everything from drills you can use to raise players’ skills a notch or two to details on offensive and defensive formations and how to coach special teams, among many other areas.

One of the really cool things about this book is that you can jump in anywhere. If you’re a rookie coach, you probably have questions on everything from how to plan an effective practice to what to say to the team after a loss. Just check out the Table of Contents or the Index for the topic you want to find out more about, and then flip right there to get the scoop. Each chapter is divided into sections, and each section contains information on a specific topic concerning coaching youth football.

Conventions Used in This Book

To help you navigate through this book, we use the following conventions:

Italics is used for emphasis and to highlight new words and terms defined in the text.

Boldfaced text indicates keywords in bulleted lists or the action parts of numbered steps.

Monofont is used for Web addresses. If you happen to find that a specific address in this book has changed, try scaling it back by going to the main site — the part of the address that ends in .com, .org, or .edu.

Sidebars are shaded gray boxes that contain text that’s interesting to know but not critical to your understanding of the chapter or topic.

In many cases, girls have the legal right to play football, but because the boys in youth football outnumber the girls by so much, this book refers to players as though they were all male. However, most information in this book applies to girls as well.

We’ve also packed this book full of diagrams of practice drills that you can work on with your team. The following chart is the key to understanding all the hieroglyphics.

What You’re Not to Read

Hey, if it were us, we’d read this book from front to back in just a couple days. That’s how good — and informative — we think it is. If you’re short on time, though, we’ll let you in on a little secret: You don’t have to read every single word, because this is a reference book. To help you get through the book a little more quickly, when you see sidebars, feel free to jump right over them like a running back hurdling a would-be tackler. You don’t need that text to understand what it takes to be a top-quality football coach. So sit back, relax and — excuse the pun — tackle these chapters at your own pace. If you have time, between your soon-to-be busy schedule of practices and games, we’d love to know what you think of the book.

Foolish Assumptions

Here are some things that we’ve assumed about you:

You know that football is a contact sport played with lots of equipment.

You have a child who’s interested in strapping on a helmet this year, but you’re a little unsure how to teach the game.

You’re a novice youth football coach and you need to get your coaching skills up to speed.

You don’t have aspirations of climbing the coaching ladder and pacing the sidelines as a high school football coach in the near future.

You just want the basics on topics like what to do during the first practice of the season, how to determine who plays where, and how to teach youngsters the safe way to tackle.

You’re coaching an older and more advanced team for the first time and need some good drills to challenge the kids to help elevate their skills.

The kids on your team have lots of football experience and you’re unsure how to go about upgrading the offense, defense, and special teams.

If any of these descriptions hit the mark, you’ve come to the right place.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into parts, each one pertaining to a specific aspect of coaching a youth football team. Parts contain related chapters. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can find in each part of this book.

Part I: Kids’ Play: Getting Started Coaching Football

Coaching youth football can be a real challenge, and what you do before you and your team ever step on the field can make the difference between a fun-drenched, problem-free season and one that crumbles amid chaos and confusion. In this part, you get the lowdown on constructing a coaching philosophy that you’re comfortable with, one that your players and their parents will accept rather than turn their backs on. You also find out what all those lines and numbers on the field mean and get a crash course on offside, illegal motion, and the other penalties and rules of the game.

Part II: Building Your Football Coaching Skills

This is where the real fun — and actual coaching — begin. Before you actually step on the field, though, this section provides valuable information on how to conduct a preseason parents meeting, an often overlooked aspect of coaching youth football that’s crucial for opening the lines of communication, reducing the chances of misunderstandings and hurt feelings, and keeping your sanity. This part also answers questions such as

How do I figure out who plays where?

How do I conduct practices that the kids look forward to?

How do I work with the uncoordinated, shy, and talented kids all at once?

How do I assess my team at midseason and ensure it’s headed in the right direction?

Plus, we show you the game-day ropes, touching on everything from your pre-game and post-game talks to conducting an efficient warm-up and making those critical halftime adjustments.

Part III: Working with Beginning and Intermediate Players

Teaching kids the basics of the game — from tackling and blocking to running and catching — is crucial for their long-term enjoyment of the sport. This section shares how you can do that by providing a variety of fun-filled drills that are highly effective for teaching skills. Also, when your team has a pretty good handle on some of the basics, check out the chapter devoted to kicking those skills up another notch or two.

Part IV: Advanced Football Strategies

When your players have a pretty good grasp of the basics of the game, they’re hungry to learn more-advanced skills and continue their development. This section does the trick. The pages are filled with in-depth techniques for raising the level of play on offense, defense, and special teams. There’s also an assortment of drills that you can use to help your players maximize their development.

Part V: The Extra Points

This section is a smorgasbord of information on several topics that we hope you won’t face much this season, such as recognizing injuries, confronting problem parents, and dealing with discipline problems on your team. You also find valuable information on pre- and post-game nutrition that you can share with your team to help boost their performance. And for those of you with your eye on coaching an All-Star team, you find all the information you need to help make your transition to a more competitive level of football a smooth one.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

A For Dummies book just wouldn’t be complete without this section. Here you find all sorts of precious information that you can put to use to boost the fun and enjoyment your team has playing for you this season. We include information on how to make the season memorable and fun ways to end on a high note and keep ’em coming back next year.

Icons Used in This Book

This icon signals valuable tips that can save you time and frustration and really enhance your coaching skills. If you’re scanning a chapter, take a moment to read these tips when you come across them, and then put them to work. You — and your players — will be glad you did.

A lot goes into coaching youth football. This icon alerts you to key information that’s worth revisiting. You want to remember this info even after you close the book.

Watch out! This icon lets you know about situations that can be dangerous.

Where to Go from Here

If this season is your first on the sidelines as a volunteer youth football coach, you may be most comfortable digging in with Chapter 1 and moving forward from there. Please note, though, that the book is structured so that you can easily move around from chapter to chapter at your convenience. So if you need answers to some of your most pressing early-season questions, you can scan the Table of Contents or Index for those topics and jump right to those chapters. Otherwise, start from the beginning and use the information you gather along the way to help ensure that your youth football team has a fun, safe, and memorable season.

Part I

Kids’ Play: Getting Started Coaching Football

In this part . . .

B efore taking the field with your team for the first time, you can follow several steps to lay the groundwork for a smoothly running season. Defining your coaching philosophy, knowing your league’s rules and regulations, having a handle on the basic rules of football, and gathering the parents for a preseason meeting can get your season headed in the right direction. You can find all that information, and more, right here.

Chapter 1

Teaching Football to Children

In This Chapter

Pre-season preparation

Planning for practices and games

Finding a parent-coach balance

Few experiences are more rewarding than coaching a youth football team, so congratulations for taking on such a special role. Your journey through the season will be packed with moments that make you smile and that you and your players — regardless of their age, skill level, or experience playing the game — will remember for the rest of your lives.

Before you step on the field, please be aware that you’re taking on a position that can have far-reaching implications on your players for years to come. How you approach the season and how you interact with your players during practices and games impact how they feel about themselves, the sport of football, and you. The methods you employ for handling all the responsibilities that come with the job can either help them develop an unquenchable passion for the game or bury their interest in ever putting on a helmet again.

But don’t worry. All you need — besides a whistle and clipboard — is some quality information on all the different aspects of the game. In these pages, we give you everything you need to navigate your players through a safe, fun, and rewarding season.

Gearing Up

You may have volunteered to coach this season because you want to spend a little more time with your child and help introduce him to the exciting world of youth football. Maybe the league has a shortage of coaches and you’re willing to step forward to help out. Or perhaps you love working with kids and want to give coaching football a shot. Whatever your reasons, you’re accepting an enormous responsibility. Before any youngster puts on the shoulder pads and buckles his chin strap, you have lots of work to do behind the scenes to ensure that the season gets off to a smooth start.

Getting parents on your side

The overwhelming majority of parents with children in organized youth football programs are wonderful, supportive, and caring, and they only want the best for their kids. Of course, some of the parents in the minority can end up being a source of season-long aggravation that has you reaching for the aspirin.

Be prepared to deal with these situations quickly and efficiently so they don’t become a distraction and detract from the kids’ enjoyment of the season. You can sidestep a lot of potential problems by gathering the parents together before you start to work with their kids, laying the ground rules on what you expect in terms of behavior during games, and outlining the parents’ roles and responsibilities.

As you work with your players, you’ll stress the importance of teamwork all season long; your interaction with parents is really no different. When coaches and parents find ways to work together — the adult form of teamwork — you have a really special formula that produces tremendous benefits for the youngsters. On the other hand, coaches and parents who clash over playing time issues, bicker about who gets to play specific positions, and even argue over whether the team should use more passing plays spoil the experience for everyone involved. These types of disagreements cast a shadow over the entire team and can turn practices and games into activities the children no longer look forward to.

Parents play big roles in youth football programs. Keep the following advice in mind to help make your dealings with parents go smoothly:

Be proactive with parents. Outline your expectations for them and their kids. Explain your coaching methods. Detail what you want everyone to take away from the experience before the first practice. Painting a clear picture leaves little room for those dreaded misunderstandings to occur, and parents who’ve never had a child involved in organized football before will especially appreciate the information.

Telling parents firsthand that you’re committed to skill development over winning or that you adhere to the league’s equal playing time rule can prevent petty squabbles. If you don’t clarify these issues for parents well in advance, you’ll invite more problems than you can imagine — and you’ll get them, too. Chapter 2 helps you develop that all-important coaching philosophy and become knowledgeable about all your league’s policies and rules so you can clearly communicate this information to the parents.

Involve them. Parents invest a lot of time and money in their child’s football experience. That experience can be much more enjoyable for them and their youngsters if you find ways to include Mom and Dad on your season-long journey — and that’s a wonderful gesture. Parents can do so much more than bring snacks and drinks to games, too. Find ways to involve them at your practices, and recruit the right ones to assist on game day. You can make the season memorable and rewarding for everyone involved. In Chapter 4, you can find a variety of tips on boosting parental involvement.

Communicate with parents. Besides conducting a preseason parents meeting (covered in Chapter 4), you have to keep those communication lines open all season long. Talk to parents about their children’s progress; share your thoughts on areas of the game where the kids are really making improvements; offer suggestions for things parents can do to help their youngsters develop in other areas; and check in from time to time to make sure the kids are having fun when they play for you. Including parents in all facets of the season is the right thing to do, the smart thing to do, and the only way to ensure that the children have a positive experience.

Despite everything you do to include the parents and make them feel a valuable part of the season, problems may still arise. You should remain calm and in control of your emotions and never allow situations to escalate. In Chapter 19, we run down some of the more common problems that coaches have to address, and we offer the best approaches for solving them before they can impact the season.

Figuring out the rules and lingo

To be an effective coach, you need a really good handle on the basics of the game. Most importantly, you have to be able to explain rules, introduce terminology, and teach strategies to your young players. That’s not as complicated as it may seem, but becoming comfortable with some of the quirkier rules that you’re not completely familiar with — such as what types of blocks are allowed on kickoffs and punts — and new terms, such as illegal motion and false start, takes some time and effort.

We present the rule book and help you get a handle on everything from terminology to penalties in Chapter 3. Throughout Parts II, III, and IV of this book, we give you a detailed rundown of the skills, techniques, and strategies that you need to pass along to your players. And we’ve got you covered if you need a refresher on some of the fundamental skills to teach a beginning team or if you need more-detailed information for an older, more football-savvy squad.

Knowing any special rules that are in place in your league is important. Quite often, the rules that leagues utilize vary depending on the age and experience level of the players — everything from the size of the field to which rules are enforced change from community to community. Knowing these rules — and being able to share them with your players — make a tremendous difference in their enjoyment of the sport.

Taking the Field

The kids’ smiles, the excitement in their eyes, and their enthusiasm to play and learn from you is what coaching youth football is all about. What you say — and how you say it — from day one and throughout the season make a significant difference. The kids may become passionate about the game and play it for years to come. Or they may walk away disappointed in their experience and will look to other sports in the future. Plan ahead, and you can keep interest levels soaring.

Practice planning

How you design your practices and the drills you choose to teach impact the kids’ enjoyment of playing for you. Practices that kids look forward to can send the learning and skill development skyrocketing. Practices that you put together while sitting in your car five minutes before the players arrive tend to smother learning and fun.

While working with your team, keep the following thoughts in mind to help squeeze the most out of every practice:

Be more than a coach. Sure, you’ll teach kids the basics of football, but your impact on their lives can extend far beyond how to properly run a slant pattern or make a tackle. Your position as coach gives you a special opportunity to make a significant difference in a lot of other areas. For example, while the kids are warming up, you can briefly talk to them about the importance of doing well in school or speak about staying away from tobacco and drugs. The words you deliver may stick with a child for the rest of his life.

Create a positive atmosphere. Make your practices stress-free sessions where youngsters can make mistakes without the fear of criticism or embarrassment. Let the kids know from the first practice of the season that mistakes are a part of the game and that all you ask is that they listen to your instructions and give their all. Kids who know they can make mistakes without unpleasant repercussions will be much more relaxed and will perform better.

When choosing practice drills, opt for those that keep kids moving and are challenging enough to hold their interest. Using drills that force kids to stand in line awaiting turns are boring and cut into how much time each child actually gets to work on that particular skill. The array of drills for offense, defense, and special teams in Chapters 11, 14, and 18 can challenge and excite beginning, intermediate, and advanced players.

Game day

Coaching youth football requires constantly adapting to ever-changing conditions. This is especially true on game day, when you’re challenged to make all sorts of decisions with little time and lots of distractions. You have playing time to monitor, plays to call, formations to adjust, and pre-game, halftime, and post-game talks to deliver. Yes, game day brings a lengthy list of responsibilities, but don’t go reaching for the antacid tablets just yet. In Chapter 7, you can find all you need to help your game day go smoothly.

Besides giving kids the chance to use their skills against opponents, game days provide some great teachable moments. Reinforce what you brought up during practice, such as the importance of working together as a team, displaying good sportsmanship toward the opponents and officials, abiding by the rules, doing their best at all times — and having fun, regardless of what the scoreboard reads.

Coaching Your Own Child

Climbing Mount Everest is hard. So are winning a Nobel Peace Prize, running a marathon — and coaching your own child in football. Most of you already know that being a parent presents daily challenges and is enormously difficult at times. Well, that doesn’t stop after you step on the football field with your youngster and dozens of other kids. A number of parent-child issues can arise during the season. Most of these challenges are as minor as getting your child to go to bed on time so he gets plenty of rest for tomorrow’s game. But problems that you never dreamed of when you volunteered to coach this season can appear. Don’t panic!

Yes, the job of coaching your own child can be complex and confusing, but when you handle it properly, it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have. Sure, chances are pretty good that there’ll be the occasional bump along the way, but by being aware of the potential problem areas and working together, you can enjoy some very special memories that you and your child will savor for a lifetime.

Kicking around the coaching decision with your kid

Before you decide to grab the clipboard and assume the role of football coach, sit down with your child and gauge how he feels about your coaching the team this season. The decision isn’t about fulfilling your dream of coaching a football team. It’s about ensuring that your child will be comfortable with your instructing him and his teammates all season long. If you don’t ask him how he feels, you’ll never know. Many kids are thrilled to have their parent as coach, and if you see that grin on your child’s face and the sparkle in his eyes when you bring up the subject, that makes all the time and effort you’ll be putting into the season well worth it.

On the other hand, some children — for whatever reasons — don’t feel comfortable with the idea and would prefer that their parent didn’t coach the team. Take their wishes into account before deciding to step forward.

Here are a few tips to help you reach the right decision on whether you and your child are ready for you to start diagramming plays, teaching tackling techniques, and giving pre-game pep talks:

With your child’s help, put together a list of all the positives and negatives about being the coach. On the positive side, you may list that the two of you can spend more time together than before and that as the coach, you’ll ensure that your child and the rest of the team have fun as they learn new skills. Resolve the negatives by working with your child to develop solutions. For instance, your child may automatically expect that he’ll play the position of his favorite professional player simply because you’re his parent. Explain ahead of time that you must be fair to everyone and can’t show favoritism and that your child and his teammates will have an equal chance to play different positions.

Examine your own motivations. Don’t take on the task of coaching your son if your goal is to make him a star. You have to be willing to do whatever is best for your child’s overall development, and harboring thoughts of college scholarships and athletic stardom is simply a blueprint for trouble.

Explain to your child that being the coach is a great honor. The fact that he’ll be “sharing” you with the other kids during games and practice sessions doesn’t mean you love him any less. Explain to him that your responsibility is to help all the players on the team. Taking the time to explain your role to your child helps promote better understanding and reduces the chance of problems arising after the season gets underway.

After the two of you have talked things through, take your child’s thoughts seriously. If he still isn’t comfortable with the idea, push your coaching aspirations to the side for the time being. Plenty of seasons are left in his future, and you can revisit the subject with him the following year to measure his feelings again. Just because he isn’t ready this season doesn’t mean he won’t want you guiding his team next season or at some point in the future. The last thing you want to do is turn your child off from the sport and make him uncomfortable. So embrace your role as a supportive parent. Be a positive influence in the stands. At home, help your child work on skills his coach is teaching him, and your youngster may well be open to the idea of playing for you sooner than you think.

Acting as both parent and coach

If you and your child agree that coaching his team is a good idea, keep these tips in mind as you navigate through the season to help ensure that everything runs smoothly:

Remember that you’re still the parent. Whether the team wins or loses, you have to put down your playbook and keep in mind that you’re a parent first and foremost — and that means asking your son whether he had fun and piling on the praise.

Keep talking. To effectively monitor how the season is going, you want your child to understand that he can come to you with a concern or problem at any time. Just because you’re the coach doesn’t mean that certain topics are now off-limits.

Don’t force extra practice at home. If your child has a rough or somewhat unproductive practice, you may be tempted to continue working on a skill with him as soon as you get home. Refrain from pushing your child in this direction. It’s okay in casual conversation to ask him whether he’d like to spend some time working on a certain skill at home if you sense he’s really interested. If he is, that’s great, but if not, let it go. Pushing your child to perform extra repetitions can drain his interest in the sport.

Never compare siblings. Let your child develop at his own rate. He should never feel burdened by your expectations to match the skills or abilities of his older (or younger) brothers who play football, too. These types of comparisons can crush self-esteem, destroy confidence, and chase him away from playing football in the future.

Praise, praise, praise! Be sure to praise your child’s willingness, understanding, and cooperation in this special venture.

As a parent, you naturally want your child to excel on the football field or in any activity he’s involved in. Just don’t allow yourself to view your coaching position as an opportunity to control your child’s destiny. When this happens, you push him harder than the other kids, demand more from him, and criticize him when he’s unable to fulfill your unfair expectations. If you lose sight of the point of youth football, you’ll encounter problems that impact your child’s emotional well-being and his interest in football.

The multitude of parent-coaches

If you’re coaching your kid, you may be interested to know that you’re not alone in this endeavor. Roughly 85 percent of volunteer football coaches have their own child on the team, so you’ve ventured into common parenting territory that countless other parents have successfully negotiated and reaped the rewards of. Other parents who’ve coached their own child can be great sources of advice. Check with your local recreation director for names of some parents who’d be good contacts.

Chapter 2

Preparing for a Fun and Successful Season

In This Chapter

Setting standards

Knowing your league

Fitting equipment

Coaching a youth football team in which everyone develops skills, has fun, and wants to play for you again next season requires plenty of preparation before you ever reach the field. Sure, you may feel you’re ready to get started if you have your whistle and clipboard, a minivan full of footballs, and enough orange cones to start your own construction project. You also probably have some thoughts on drills you’d like to use during practices or plays you’re anxious to run on game day. But don’t neglect other all-important areas that can make or break a season.

We’re talking about how you’ll motivate players, what type of team atmosphere you’ll create, what you hope to accomplish with the kids, and what approach you’ll take to help them reach those goals. If you haven’t put much thought into those areas, don’t worry. This chapter offers all sorts of useful advice on dealing with those aspects of coaching — and others. Take some time to carefully review the following pages, and by the time your first practice rolls around, you’ll hit the field running.

Developing a Coaching Philosophy

Creating a coaching philosophy for yourself is fairly simple; living up to it game after game is the tricky part. You’re probably already wondering what philosophy has to do with blocking and tackling. Don’t worry — we’re not dredging up your old high school philosophy class days or expecting you to know the works of Aristotle. But you do need to know how a good philosophy is important to your coaching.

Basically, a coaching philosophy reflects the standards you set for yourself and your team, and it’s the foundation of your coaching values and beliefs. A well thought-out philosophy keeps you on the right track as you negotiate your way through the season. (And explaining your coaching philosophy to the parents before the season gets underway, which we discuss in Chapter 4, can help you steer clear of many potential headaches.) Your coaching philosophy will speak volumes about you — not just as a coach but as a person. So take the time to put some real thought into it. In this section, we introduce the various components to consider when developing a philosophy that stresses respect, sportsmanship, skill development, safety, and fun.

Building on the Coaches’ Code of Ethics

Many recreation departments have mission statements, as well as policies explaining their stances on sportsmanship, skill development, and parental behavior. These can serve as a great starting point for building your philosophy.

Volunteer coaches who receive training through the National Youth Sports Coaches Association sign the Coaches’ Code of Ethics, pledging to meet the best interests of kids. When creating your coaching philosophy, we recommend having it cover the Ethics, which follow:

I will place the emotional and physical well-being of my players ahead of a personal desire to win.

I will treat each player as an individual, remembering the large range of emotional and physical development for the same age group.

I will do my best to provide a safe playing situation for my players.

I will promise to review and practice basic first aid principles needed to treat injuries of my players.

I will do my best to organize practices that are fun and challenging for all my players.

I will lead by example in demonstrating fair play and sportsmanship to all my players.

I will provide a sports environment for my team that is free of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol, and I will refrain from their use at all youth sports events.

I will be knowledgeable in the rules of each sport that I coach, and I will teach these rules to my players.

I will use those coaching techniques appropriate for all of the skills that I teach.

I will remember that I am a youth sports coach, and that the game is for children and not adults.

Tailoring your goals to your age group

Every child on your team is different in so many ways. Some are gifted runners, others can make dazzling catches, and some struggle simply to grasp the basic techniques of the game. Regardless of the strengths and weaknesses of the kids, which may be all over the map, youngsters possess general characteristics that are influenced by age. Children are continually growing and evolving, and part of your coaching responsibility is knowing and understanding what to expect — both physically and emotionally — from youngsters at various age levels.

Being fully aware of the general age-related differences we cover in the following sections can enhance your coaching skills and your ability to relate to your team. It can also ensure that you don’t favor the players who are more mature and skilled at the expense of players whose skills are less developed. The following are some general characteristics that apply to specific age ranges.

Ages 6 and under

Children in this age bracket have probably never played football before, and this season may very well be their first experience in an organized team setting. Your job is simply to introduce them to some of football’s most basic elements and whet their appetite for future participation. (We cover the fundamentals that you can focus on with this age group in Chapters 9 and 10.)

Children at this age generally aren’t concerned about how their football skills compare to those of others on the team. These kids are primarily interested in being with friends and having fun learning and playing the sport.

Ages 7–9

Youngsters at this age become interested in mastering some of the basics of the sport. (Check out Chapters 9 and 10 for some fundamentals you can concentrate on.) They crave feedback from coaches and parents on how they perform certain skills and how they’re progressing with new ones. They begin noticing their teammates’ abilities and skill levels. When coaches verbally recognize one of their peers for properly executing a skill, they want to earn that same feedback.

The desire to compete carries much more prominence for some youngsters in this age range than for others. Children who have older siblings may be particularly competitive, because they’ve watched their brothers compete in football or other sports, and the younger siblings are finally getting their turn to display their skills.

Ages 10–12

More than likely, these children have had some experience playing football in the past and are continuing because it’s piqued their interest. Keep the positive momentum going by adding to their foundation of skills. Fuel their desire to continue playing by conducting practices that are both challenging and fun.

Quite often, sports take on added importance at this juncture in kids’ lives, and some of them really want to do well. (For more on skills and drills suitable for this age group, see Chapters 11 through 13.) As children hit this age range, many become more competitive. They begin embracing the challenge of putting their skills to the test and enjoy competing against others their age. When they’re able to help the team prevail, these players feel immense satisfaction accompanied by a unique feeling of accomplishment that’s specific to the wonderful world of football.

Ages 13–14

Welcome to the challenging world of the teenager! These kids have already developed many of the basic skills needed to play the sport and now want to improve them. (In Part IV, we cover more-advanced offensive and defensive techniques for older kids and provide an assortment of challenging drills.)

Be aware that children at this age are typically searching for their personal identity, so try getting to know them on a personal level by asking who their favorite football players or football teams are. Of course, this tip is great for building special coach-player bonds with kids of all ages.

Ages 15 and above

Gaining the respect of your players is always important to your coaching success, and that’s particularly true when coaching kids ages 15 and older. These teens have developed a real passion for the sport. They attend football camps, perhaps lift weights year-round in preparation for the season, and in some cases, may actually be more knowledgeable in some areas of the sport than you are.

If you volunteer or get recruited to coach this age group, don’t panic! Instead, welcome the chance to enhance your coaching abilities and embrace the opportunity to coach these kids, who have a deep-rooted love for the game. Be sure to let them know that you value their opinions, suggestions, and input regarding the team. A youngster’s passion for football is wonderful, and that enthusiasm actually helps make your job easier.

Emphasizing teamwork

Football is the ultimate team game. Although the sport allows individuals in some positions (such as quarterbacks, who can elude defenders and scramble downfield) to create plays on their own, you and your team are much better off if you can get everyone to work together as a cohesive unit on the field. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

Finding a surefire route to teaching the essence of teamwork among your players is difficult. Try getting the players to begin seeing the enormous benefits that accompany working as a team (rather than as a bunch of individuals) with the following pointers:

Praise team efforts in practices and after the game. Recognize the efforts of the team whenever possible. For example, if you’re conducting a passing drill and the offensive unit scores a touchdown, you may tend to acknowledge the youngster who caught the touchdown pass or the quarterback who delivered the ball. But what about the other players involved? How about the blocking by the offensive line? How about the wide receiver on the other side of the field who ran such a good pattern that he lured the safety over to cover him, providing an easier target for the quarterback on the other side?

At the end of a game, the kids who scored the touchdowns don’t need additional praise because their trip to the end zone generated cheers and applause from the spectators. How about giving out post-game accolades to the player who delivered the block that opened the hole for the running back? When you spread your praise among all the players who play a role in scoring, players begin to understand that each of them plays a very important role on the team.

Get the kids to praise one another. Encourage the kids who score touchdowns to acknowledge the teammates who helped get them to the end zone. Getting kids in the habit of giving one another high-fives or telling each other “great pass” or “nice block” forges bonds and strengthens team unity.

Promote sideline support. Encourage players who aren’t in the game to stay involved by cheering and supporting their teammates. This role keeps them involved in the action instead of glancing over to see what their parents are doing or what kind of food their friends are buying at the concession stand. Hearing teammates’ cheers also provides extra encouragement for the players on the field.

Allow individual freedom — at times. Although you should sometimes give players individual freedom to create plays on their own, you need to do so within the team setting. At some point during the game, you may want to give your quarterback a chance to run the ball after dropping back to pass, and calling these types of plays are part of the game. But when that player ignores an open teammate he could have passed to because he wants to run, he threatens team chemistry. Remind that player that he has teammates for a reason and to be sure to look out for them. (Dealing with these types of players is covered in Chapters 5 and 20.)

Avoid the captain syndrome. Continually relying on two or three players to serve as team captains throughout the season elevates them above the rest of the squad, but giving every player the opportunity to lead warm-ups in practice or head a drill infuses the team with the sense that everyone’s equal. In most youth football programs, “official” team captains usually aren’t required until around the age of 14 or on All-Star teams (see Chapter 21), when the competition becomes more intense and the players are more experienced. At the younger levels, captains aren’t necessary. Naming temporary captains is just another tool you can use to build kids’ self-esteem and make them feel like valued team members.

Motivating players

Regardless of a youngster’s age or how much experience he has playing football, every kid arrives at the field with vastly different motivations for playing the game. Some players are there to try something new, some are there because they love the game, and some come because Mom and Dad think football’s the perfect sport for their child. Some of these kids will be strongly motivated individuals — you know, the type who’ll push themselves to succeed and be awfully hard on themselves when they don’t fulfill their own lofty expectations — while others will rely on your words of encouragement in order to improve and excel.

Some players will respond positively to your challenges, such as seeing whether they can catch a dozen passes in a row. For others, that task may turn out to be too much pressure to deal with and may actually detract from their motivation to participate. You have to discover for yourself what works for each child to help get the best out of him as both a football player and person.

Here are a few general tips you can employ to help spur your players on to become the best they can be after they buckle the chin straps:

Love what you’re doing. If you have a sincere passion for football and for teaching it to children, your excitement and enthusiasm will rub off on the team, and they’ll respond accordingly.

Set attainable goals for youngsters. Forget about trying to win every game or having the league’s highest-scoring offense. Those aren’t realistic goals for kids, some of whom are just learning how to properly put on all the safety equipment. Having reasonable expectations for the kids you’re coaching and setting goals that are within their reach stimulates them to keep working. (See Chapter 8 for info on setting midseason goals.)

If a child senses that your expectations are far-fetched, he wonders what’s the point of even trying, and his play on the field suffers. This negatively impacts the entire team. You want players knowing that the essence of participating is always putting forth their best effort. Instilling that habit in kids now carries over to how they approach everyday life.

Recognize the good things happening on the field. Stop practice to point out when a player does something really well, not just when a player makes a mistake. Being positive is simply one of the best motivational tools around. If you halt practice for a moment to applaud the block the right guard delivered, you’ve made that youngster’s day. Just watch, too, because he’ll play that position with pride and continue giving you his best effort on every snap to get that recognition again.

Don’t motivate through fear or threats. Making a child run a lap for failing to perform at an expected level has no place in youth football. Kids are there to learn and to learn from their mistakes, not be humiliated or punished for them. This type of coaching approach handcuffs a youngster’s ability to perform because he’s now afraid of messing up again. Plus, this motivation-through-fear tactic is likely to chase members of your team away from the sport in the years to come. Instead, take a closer look at how you’re teaching the child. If he’s giving everything he’s got and it’s just not clicking for some reason, find another method or take a different approach to teach the skill.

Fostering a positive atmosphere

Creating a team environment in which children are comfortable and genuinely feel that they’re valued and contributing members is imperative for any learning and skill development to take place. Building team bonds also ensures that the kids have fun and give you their best effort all season long.

Here are a couple ways you can help carve out an atmosphere that promotes team spirit, encourages participation, and rewards the ideal of doing your best at all times. You can find more ideas in Chapter 23.

Come up with a team cheer. Work with everyone to come up with a clever team cheer that can be used before games to help remind players that they’re taking the field as a team and working together as one. Something as basic as “One . . . two . . . three . . . team!” or “One . . . two . . . three . . . together!” is a positive reminder to play together and support one another.

Cheer players on when they make mistakes. Yes, cheer even when a child makes a mistake or fails to perform a particular skill the way you demonstrated it — that’s a part of playing football, and kids need to be reminded of that. Praising a player’s effort rather than criticizing the result frees the child to keep trying until he gets it.

Of course, even though you’re applauding effort, don’t forget to provide that key instruction to correct the mistake. Serious mistakes — such as leading with the helmet while making a tackle — put that youngster and others at risk. Clearly explain what he did incorrectly so it doesn’t happen again.

Keeping communication lines open