There are some youth football organizations, which require the parents to sign a “Code of Conduct” form. I believe this is the biggest bunch of BS. Do you really believe that the parent who acts like a jerk cares about a piece of paper that he/she signed? How are you going to enforce it? What if they refuse to sign it?
There is also the legal issue. There is no legal reason for them to sign anything regarding behavior. Are you going to sue them if they break a rule? I believe you are looking for trouble if you try this approach. The majority of parents are well behaved and act like adults, so there is no need for them to sign anything. This will make good parents become suspicious and possibly take offense as to why you feel they need to sign something.
Then there is the problem parent who you know is going to not sign any forms and if they do, will break all the rules. You are going to just “fire e’m up” by demanding a signature.
I believe that at your youth football parent meeting set the rules and make sure you follow through if any rules are broke. It is important you understand the league rules so at the parent meeting you can explain all of your league rules, and any over your own personal rules, to the parents.
Coaching youth football is time consuming enough and the last thing you need is an additional potential problem to be concerned with.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Use Your Youth Football League Rules to Your Advantage
I believe you need to have a complete understanding of the rules your youth football league abides by. Every youth football program will have a policy on parents. It may be a Parents Code of Conduct or rules they need to follow during games and practices. It is your job to know these rules inside and out and make sure all of your parents are aware of them.
I would also check with the members on the board to confirm the rules and consequences will be enforced. It is also a good idea to talk to previous coaches and get their opinion on the youth football league’s policies and enforcement.
It does you no good if the administration does not follow through on their rules or worse yet does not back you as a coach. It is your job to ask questions on any of the rules that you may be unclear about. You need to be in control and make sure you have all the rules understood before you meet with the parents.
At the very first parent meeting, hand out a copy of the rules and go over them. Make it clear what will and will not be tolerated. Coaching youth football is challenging enough and you want to do what you can to avoid parent conflicts. Make sure to keep an open door policy allowing the parents to feel comfortable to ask you questions regarding the rules and regulations of the league. Always make sure all playing time questions are stated early and often, so there are no misunderstandings as the year goes on. If your league requires equal playing time, then abide by that rule and explain to the parents how you plan on carrying through on this requirement. Equally, if there is no guaranteed playing time requirement be up front and let the parents know. Over the years, this area has been the biggest problem I have had with parents. Every parent believes their child is the next "Walter Payton" and they will be happy to let you know it if they don't agree with your assessment of their child's ability.
My suggestion is to address the playing time issue at the parents meeting early in the year and let them know that the subject is closed after the meeting. Sure, we know we'll still get questions, or should I say complaints, but I believe this keeps it to a minimum.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
I would also check with the members on the board to confirm the rules and consequences will be enforced. It is also a good idea to talk to previous coaches and get their opinion on the youth football league’s policies and enforcement.
It does you no good if the administration does not follow through on their rules or worse yet does not back you as a coach. It is your job to ask questions on any of the rules that you may be unclear about. You need to be in control and make sure you have all the rules understood before you meet with the parents.
At the very first parent meeting, hand out a copy of the rules and go over them. Make it clear what will and will not be tolerated. Coaching youth football is challenging enough and you want to do what you can to avoid parent conflicts. Make sure to keep an open door policy allowing the parents to feel comfortable to ask you questions regarding the rules and regulations of the league. Always make sure all playing time questions are stated early and often, so there are no misunderstandings as the year goes on. If your league requires equal playing time, then abide by that rule and explain to the parents how you plan on carrying through on this requirement. Equally, if there is no guaranteed playing time requirement be up front and let the parents know. Over the years, this area has been the biggest problem I have had with parents. Every parent believes their child is the next "Walter Payton" and they will be happy to let you know it if they don't agree with your assessment of their child's ability.
My suggestion is to address the playing time issue at the parents meeting early in the year and let them know that the subject is closed after the meeting. Sure, we know we'll still get questions, or should I say complaints, but I believe this keeps it to a minimum.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Avoiding the “Mob Mentality” if the Ship Starts Sinking when Coaching Youth Football
No matter how long you have been coaching youth football, there will come a year when everything seems to go wrong. It may be due to lack of talent, injuries or just bad luck. It never fails that when things go bad, so do some of the parents.
The one observation have made over the years of coaching youth football, is that most “rattlers” look for support. The bad parents will start putting out feelers to the other parents to see if they agree with them. These psychos start to “recruit” other parents so they can come after you in numbers.
I t is sad to say but this does actually happen. It never fails that when you are in the middle of a miserable youth football year there will be some jerk that is there to make it even worse.
I can only tell you that you need to isolate the problem parents and address them head on. Do not play ostrich and stick your head in the sand hoping it will go away. It will not, and the number of complainers will begin to grow.
Do not under any circumstance let a “mob mentality” grow among the parents. Please review the youth football chapter on dealing with the bad parents and make sure you stay on top of it.
I know it sounds crazy, but if you stay paranoid, nothing should creep up on you. While coaching youth football, you need to have your guard up at all times. Good parents can go badly by trying to justify playing time, play calling and any other nonsense they can dream up if the season is going bad.
Most years you do not have to concern yourself with these extreme examples, but if you coach youth football long enough you will.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
The one observation have made over the years of coaching youth football, is that most “rattlers” look for support. The bad parents will start putting out feelers to the other parents to see if they agree with them. These psychos start to “recruit” other parents so they can come after you in numbers.
I t is sad to say but this does actually happen. It never fails that when you are in the middle of a miserable youth football year there will be some jerk that is there to make it even worse.
I can only tell you that you need to isolate the problem parents and address them head on. Do not play ostrich and stick your head in the sand hoping it will go away. It will not, and the number of complainers will begin to grow.
Do not under any circumstance let a “mob mentality” grow among the parents. Please review the youth football chapter on dealing with the bad parents and make sure you stay on top of it.
I know it sounds crazy, but if you stay paranoid, nothing should creep up on you. While coaching youth football, you need to have your guard up at all times. Good parents can go badly by trying to justify playing time, play calling and any other nonsense they can dream up if the season is going bad.
Most years you do not have to concern yourself with these extreme examples, but if you coach youth football long enough you will.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Zero Tolerance Policy - Coaching Youth Football
I believe in adopting a zero tolerance policy for bad behavior for the youth football team you are coaching. I am writing in the parent section of the book so let me explain what I mean be zero tolerance. If you have done what has been suggested, and set the ground rules up front early in the year at the parent meeting, then I do not believe in second chances. There are not a lot of rules and most of them are just common courtesy.
There is no tolerance for any parent to question or complain to you in public. Coaching youth football is a voluntary position and everyone including the parents should respect you.
If a parent has a question make sure, you have a way and a time for them to approach you. In a private manner, it is fine to ask any questions they may have, but not in front of an audience.
Please check with your youth football administration regarding your zero tolerance policy and have their approval before the season starts. Most youth football programs will applaud your efforts to keep things under control.
The penalties I have used for noncompliant parents has ranged from suspending them from games, suspending them from our youth football practices and kicking them out of the league.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
There is no tolerance for any parent to question or complain to you in public. Coaching youth football is a voluntary position and everyone including the parents should respect you.
If a parent has a question make sure, you have a way and a time for them to approach you. In a private manner, it is fine to ask any questions they may have, but not in front of an audience.
Please check with your youth football administration regarding your zero tolerance policy and have their approval before the season starts. Most youth football programs will applaud your efforts to keep things under control.
The penalties I have used for noncompliant parents has ranged from suspending them from games, suspending them from our youth football practices and kicking them out of the league.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Friday, October 23, 2009
How to Deal with Bad Parents on your Youth Football Team
I used to wonder how some people can be jerks all the time. I have concluded there are just bad people in this world. I assume they live miserable lives, have crappy jobs and are “the glass is half empty” kind of people. These people look to make everyone else miserable and you as the coach of the youth football team become a primary target.
Just because some jerk cannot stand his life or job does not give him/her the right to disrespect you, you’re coaching staff or your youth football team. These parents are never satisfied. They are critical of everything, from the offense you run to the way you run a practice. You need to have a game plan in place for when one of these jerks try making trouble for you.
Many times, it has nothing to do with you, but the parents have issues with some other kid’s parents on the team. Conflicts from another sport start to creep into your youth football team.
First, have a zero tolerance policy for all parents. Make sure at the parent’s youth football meeting you set the rules. Let them know what is not allowed at practices and games. Tell them when they can approach you and when it is not a good time. I have had nut jobs make a scene at games or interrupt an entire practice. I always make myself available before and after practice for any questions.
Second, let the parent’s know there will be consequences if they do not listen. Do not make threats just tell them the facts. You have to make sure your youth football’s administration will back you up. My favorite consequence is playing time for their child. Nothing shuts up the big mouth quicker than this. You again need to check with the youth football administration and if it is Ok sit the player down. Unfortunaly, it does come to this with some idiots.
Third, ban them from all youth football events. If the situation goes beyond sitting their kid, ban them. I have had Dad’s watch the youth football game form their car in the parking lot. His choice since he knew he could not bite his tongue.
Fourth, file charges with the local authorities. I have been threatened just one time in 20 plus years but all it takes is one nut job and who knows what will happen. If anyone makes a physical or verbal threat be prepared to involve the authorities.
I know we have covered the really extreme cases but you can expect some parents to challenge you for a variety of reasons. As a head coach of a youth football team, you need to be ready on how to handle this.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Just because some jerk cannot stand his life or job does not give him/her the right to disrespect you, you’re coaching staff or your youth football team. These parents are never satisfied. They are critical of everything, from the offense you run to the way you run a practice. You need to have a game plan in place for when one of these jerks try making trouble for you.
Many times, it has nothing to do with you, but the parents have issues with some other kid’s parents on the team. Conflicts from another sport start to creep into your youth football team.
First, have a zero tolerance policy for all parents. Make sure at the parent’s youth football meeting you set the rules. Let them know what is not allowed at practices and games. Tell them when they can approach you and when it is not a good time. I have had nut jobs make a scene at games or interrupt an entire practice. I always make myself available before and after practice for any questions.
Second, let the parent’s know there will be consequences if they do not listen. Do not make threats just tell them the facts. You have to make sure your youth football’s administration will back you up. My favorite consequence is playing time for their child. Nothing shuts up the big mouth quicker than this. You again need to check with the youth football administration and if it is Ok sit the player down. Unfortunaly, it does come to this with some idiots.
Third, ban them from all youth football events. If the situation goes beyond sitting their kid, ban them. I have had Dad’s watch the youth football game form their car in the parking lot. His choice since he knew he could not bite his tongue.
Fourth, file charges with the local authorities. I have been threatened just one time in 20 plus years but all it takes is one nut job and who knows what will happen. If anyone makes a physical or verbal threat be prepared to involve the authorities.
I know we have covered the really extreme cases but you can expect some parents to challenge you for a variety of reasons. As a head coach of a youth football team, you need to be ready on how to handle this.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Keeping the Good Parents Close, but not too close
Most of the parents are good people. Most of the parents will be good or neutral. The helpful parents you will want to embrace. There are always a handful of parents that will support your effort while coaching the youth football team.
You want to let them be of assistance in every way possible. These parents can also be your ears on the sidelines. If you are having a rough year please ask these parents for their input. You will want to know who is saying what on the sidelines. The good and neutral parents understand and appreciate the time you are volunteering to coach their child’s youth football.
It is quite OK to socialize with the parents, but I would suggest not getting too close. If they think, you are their “buddy” they might start looking for so “perks”.
I remember about 18 years ago getting way too close to a group of parents. It was even worse since we had the same group of players for both our youth football team for two years and our youth basketball team for three years. I will never forget being in a tight game and the one parent blurting aloud, “Hey Jim, How about throwing one of those deep passes to Eric”? In an instant, I knew I had become to close to these parents.
Most parents care about one thing only and that is their kid. They do not care about the team or any other player on the team. They will act like they care, but if you get too close to them, they will give you an earful about their expectations for their kid.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
You want to let them be of assistance in every way possible. These parents can also be your ears on the sidelines. If you are having a rough year please ask these parents for their input. You will want to know who is saying what on the sidelines. The good and neutral parents understand and appreciate the time you are volunteering to coach their child’s youth football.
It is quite OK to socialize with the parents, but I would suggest not getting too close. If they think, you are their “buddy” they might start looking for so “perks”.
I remember about 18 years ago getting way too close to a group of parents. It was even worse since we had the same group of players for both our youth football team for two years and our youth basketball team for three years. I will never forget being in a tight game and the one parent blurting aloud, “Hey Jim, How about throwing one of those deep passes to Eric”? In an instant, I knew I had become to close to these parents.
Most parents care about one thing only and that is their kid. They do not care about the team or any other player on the team. They will act like they care, but if you get too close to them, they will give you an earful about their expectations for their kid.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Scout the Parents of your Youth Football Team
One of the many considerations you must make when coaching youth football is the parents of the players. Problem parents are the reason I stopped coaching after my first 15-year run. Problem parents can ruin a good season and make a bad season unbearable.
There is a wide range of problems from the parents who question everything you do, to the loud mouth at the games or practices. I will explain what I look for going into my youth football tryouts. This is not a foolproof system, but it helps weed out the majority of problems or at least it gives you a heads up.
I have found many different tips you can use as a warning sign. These tips should be used as a general guide. First, talk to the previous youth football coach. He will have some insight as to the demeanor of the parents. Talk to the Head Coach and as many of the assistants as possible. Make sure you know the personalities of each coach so you can put their assessment in the proper context. Second, I would talk to the Board of Directors about any player whom the previous coaches have warned about. I would do this only in the extreme situation where you have heard nothing good about a certain player’s parents. Third, I talk to the other parents. This one can be a little tricky since some parents just do not get a long or are jealous of each other.
This is a good foundation for you to have before the youth football evaluations or tryouts begin. During thee evaluations week I always assign an assistant to “monitor the parents”. By this, I mean I have an assistant watching what is going on and make sure he is available to answer any questions the parents may have. Many times the problem parents just cannot help themselves when there is someone available to complain to. These parents are slitting their own throat and do not even realize it.
Coaching youth football is handling more than just the kids. You need to have complete control over as much as possible. You really want to have NO surprises.
I can guarantee that none of this is fool proof. You will get the occasional parent to slip through the cracks, or their son is such a stud you decide to take the risk. Read on and you will see how I handle this situation while coaching youth football.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
There is a wide range of problems from the parents who question everything you do, to the loud mouth at the games or practices. I will explain what I look for going into my youth football tryouts. This is not a foolproof system, but it helps weed out the majority of problems or at least it gives you a heads up.
I have found many different tips you can use as a warning sign. These tips should be used as a general guide. First, talk to the previous youth football coach. He will have some insight as to the demeanor of the parents. Talk to the Head Coach and as many of the assistants as possible. Make sure you know the personalities of each coach so you can put their assessment in the proper context. Second, I would talk to the Board of Directors about any player whom the previous coaches have warned about. I would do this only in the extreme situation where you have heard nothing good about a certain player’s parents. Third, I talk to the other parents. This one can be a little tricky since some parents just do not get a long or are jealous of each other.
This is a good foundation for you to have before the youth football evaluations or tryouts begin. During thee evaluations week I always assign an assistant to “monitor the parents”. By this, I mean I have an assistant watching what is going on and make sure he is available to answer any questions the parents may have. Many times the problem parents just cannot help themselves when there is someone available to complain to. These parents are slitting their own throat and do not even realize it.
Coaching youth football is handling more than just the kids. You need to have complete control over as much as possible. You really want to have NO surprises.
I can guarantee that none of this is fool proof. You will get the occasional parent to slip through the cracks, or their son is such a stud you decide to take the risk. Read on and you will see how I handle this situation while coaching youth football.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
When to get Hard on the Youth Football Players
There will come a time at some point while coaching your youth football team’s season where it feels like the inmates are starting to run the asylum. This is especially true at the younger ages where the majority of the players have the attention span of an earthworm.
I am always balancing fun versus work during my youth football practices. You want to teach the kids and give them the best football experience you can, but you also want the players to have fun. It never seems to fail, but each year the team will have on practice where they start to stray. I believe that coaching is an extension of parenting and at times, we need to show some “tough love”.
I have long been a believer that if the team starts to get out of control and stops listening then “hell night” as I call it is in order. I do not believe in excessive conditioning of your youth football players, on a regular basis but when you need to “reel them in” nothing works as good as some old fashion conditioning.
I have found that once the kids believe your threats, they will listen. I do not believe in making idol threats. Every youth football team I have ever coached has listened well because they understood the consequences if they did not. There is no reason to be dictator or run your team as a military unit,but you must maintain some kind of control over the team.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
I am always balancing fun versus work during my youth football practices. You want to teach the kids and give them the best football experience you can, but you also want the players to have fun. It never seems to fail, but each year the team will have on practice where they start to stray. I believe that coaching is an extension of parenting and at times, we need to show some “tough love”.
I have long been a believer that if the team starts to get out of control and stops listening then “hell night” as I call it is in order. I do not believe in excessive conditioning of your youth football players, on a regular basis but when you need to “reel them in” nothing works as good as some old fashion conditioning.
I have found that once the kids believe your threats, they will listen. I do not believe in making idol threats. Every youth football team I have ever coached has listened well because they understood the consequences if they did not. There is no reason to be dictator or run your team as a military unit,but you must maintain some kind of control over the team.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Monday, October 19, 2009
Bad Youth Football Practices - Coaching Youth Football
It does not matter how organized you are while coaching your youth football team there are going to be days when everything seems to go wrong.
Sometimes right from the beginning of your youth football practice things will not go as according to plan. One of he sure signs that the practice is not going to be productive is unexcused absents. You may have it scheduled to work on a specific play or scheme and the player you need does not show up. If you are coaching a youth football team with fewer than 20 players it is hard enough to run plays but when a few kids miss your practice options become limited.
There will also be times where it feels like “there is something in the air” and the practice just sucks. You and your coaches are ready to go but the kids just have an off day. I am not talking about an off day because the players are screwing around, I cover how to handle that in the next topic, but just a day where all the players are missing tackles. The players are brain dead as you add a new youth football or a variety of other bad signs.
As long as this is an exception and not the rule, I tend to turn the balance of the practice into a drill or something FUN that the kids will enjoy.
I find when coaching youth football that by turning a bad experience into a fun one the kids respond well and come back strong the next practice.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Sometimes right from the beginning of your youth football practice things will not go as according to plan. One of he sure signs that the practice is not going to be productive is unexcused absents. You may have it scheduled to work on a specific play or scheme and the player you need does not show up. If you are coaching a youth football team with fewer than 20 players it is hard enough to run plays but when a few kids miss your practice options become limited.
There will also be times where it feels like “there is something in the air” and the practice just sucks. You and your coaches are ready to go but the kids just have an off day. I am not talking about an off day because the players are screwing around, I cover how to handle that in the next topic, but just a day where all the players are missing tackles. The players are brain dead as you add a new youth football or a variety of other bad signs.
As long as this is an exception and not the rule, I tend to turn the balance of the practice into a drill or something FUN that the kids will enjoy.
I find when coaching youth football that by turning a bad experience into a fun one the kids respond well and come back strong the next practice.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Communication with the Parents in the Modern Era - Coaching Youth Football
When coaching youth football it is a good idea to have a plan in place for emergency cancellations of practice. Since we are in the computer age, this should be your obvious choice. Our administration has a coaches and team section where each coach can post his own notes. I brainwash my parents to check the web site daily to make sure there are no changes in the practice.
I also send out an email to all parents, or guardians, on the youth football list. I copy and paste the same information from the web site to the email. This is a double protection to make sure no one shows up. I keep a general rule of posting all changes or cancellations of practice by 4pm local time. That is one hour and 15 minutes before I start practice.
As far as when to cancel a youth football practice depends on many factors including
Age of my team Time of the season How well the team is doing Upcoming opponent General safety
There is a general rule we have that is the same as the swimming pool. If there is lightning, we have to suspend youth football practice for 20 minutes. If there is a second bolt of lightning then practice is called off.
I spend a lot of time on youth football practices days looking at weather.com, especially the radar maps. If it looks like heavy rain or lightning, I just cancel the practice.
The other consideration is the field condition. The facility may have a stipulation that if there is standing water you cannot be on the field. Make sure you know the rules to avoid any problems.
Having a plan ahead of time to handle cancellation of practices is one of the jobs you have as a head coach of a youth football team.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
I also send out an email to all parents, or guardians, on the youth football list. I copy and paste the same information from the web site to the email. This is a double protection to make sure no one shows up. I keep a general rule of posting all changes or cancellations of practice by 4pm local time. That is one hour and 15 minutes before I start practice.
As far as when to cancel a youth football practice depends on many factors including
Age of my team Time of the season How well the team is doing Upcoming opponent General safety
There is a general rule we have that is the same as the swimming pool. If there is lightning, we have to suspend youth football practice for 20 minutes. If there is a second bolt of lightning then practice is called off.
I spend a lot of time on youth football practices days looking at weather.com, especially the radar maps. If it looks like heavy rain or lightning, I just cancel the practice.
The other consideration is the field condition. The facility may have a stipulation that if there is standing water you cannot be on the field. Make sure you know the rules to avoid any problems.
Having a plan ahead of time to handle cancellation of practices is one of the jobs you have as a head coach of a youth football team.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Organizing Practice Schedule - Coaching Youth Football
Coaching youth football is all about preparation and organization. I think it is very important to have a consistent schedule for the practice. The days and time should remain the same. The parents can then plan around your schedule. Make sure you know the administration’s rules as far as how many hours and days per week, you are allowed to practice.
In the current league, I am coaching once school starts we can only practice six hours maximum per week.
I set youth football practices when school starts for three times a week but for only 90 minutes. I believe that two hours is just too long and you lose the attention span of the players. I like to go a serious 90 minutes with no down time.
I also believe it is very important to start and end your practices on time. Do not be the coach that starts practice 15 minutes late and runs 30 minutes over. Neither the parents nor the players appreciate this. I have very productive and consistent practices. Every part of the practice has been prepared in advance. My youth football practices are well thought out. The early part of the season is fundamentals and teaching the schemes while later in the season a good portion of the practice goes into the Game Plan.
It is a good idea to get a list of the religious education schedule since that always seems to affect a good number of players on the same night. If you can determine in advance what night it is and how many players it will effect this may change the day you practice.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
In the current league, I am coaching once school starts we can only practice six hours maximum per week.
I set youth football practices when school starts for three times a week but for only 90 minutes. I believe that two hours is just too long and you lose the attention span of the players. I like to go a serious 90 minutes with no down time.
I also believe it is very important to start and end your practices on time. Do not be the coach that starts practice 15 minutes late and runs 30 minutes over. Neither the parents nor the players appreciate this. I have very productive and consistent practices. Every part of the practice has been prepared in advance. My youth football practices are well thought out. The early part of the season is fundamentals and teaching the schemes while later in the season a good portion of the practice goes into the Game Plan.
It is a good idea to get a list of the religious education schedule since that always seems to affect a good number of players on the same night. If you can determine in advance what night it is and how many players it will effect this may change the day you practice.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Friday, October 16, 2009
Are there Politics in Coaching Youth Football? Is a bullfrog waterproof?
All youth football leagues have some degree of politics in their organization. The people that are more involved with the running of the league will get the preferred teams to coach as well they should. There is an enormous amount of time that is volunteered to keep a youth football league in operation. There are many meetings, early set up of the fields, late breakdowns of the field and much more.
The members of the board have to be involved of every decision including where and when to practice. They have to cut all the deals with the local venders if they are providing concessions on game day. There is no doubt that these people should get preferential treatment. Most of them do not want any thing special.
Then there is the self-serving scumbag who uses his position on the board to help his own cause. He could care less about the kids, the program or anyone who gets in his way. This jerk will run the program into the ground as long as it serves to his benefit. He runs the program into the ground, letting his big ego make decisions that make no sense. To top it off this self-serving jerk leaves the program in shambles as soon as it can do him no more good, meaning his kid is no longer involved.
I always avoid any youth football program run by someone like this. I can only recommend that if you feel you are in a program that is unfair, switch to another one.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : http://www.jimoddo.com/
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com/ republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
The members of the board have to be involved of every decision including where and when to practice. They have to cut all the deals with the local venders if they are providing concessions on game day. There is no doubt that these people should get preferential treatment. Most of them do not want any thing special.
Then there is the self-serving scumbag who uses his position on the board to help his own cause. He could care less about the kids, the program or anyone who gets in his way. This jerk will run the program into the ground as long as it serves to his benefit. He runs the program into the ground, letting his big ego make decisions that make no sense. To top it off this self-serving jerk leaves the program in shambles as soon as it can do him no more good, meaning his kid is no longer involved.
I always avoid any youth football program run by someone like this. I can only recommend that if you feel you are in a program that is unfair, switch to another one.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : http://www.jimoddo.com/
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com/ republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Cheerleaders and Pee Wee Football
There is a mixed feeling about the worth of cheerleaders to the youth football program. I personally feel that from a financial point of view cheerleaders are moneymakers. The insurance is cheap and there is no equipment to buy, just uniforms. Some people feel they add ambiance to the whole football day.
As a coach, I feel the cheerleaders can be a pain in the rump. I suggest you check with the league and see what their rules are pertaining to how much cooperation and involvement you need to have with them. If you are required to deal with them make sure you talk to who is in charge of the cheerleading squad for your age level. I have found it best to set the guidelines up front so there is no miscommunication. Make sure you let the cheerleader’s coaches know what you will allow not only for homecoming but also for each game. Make sure the cheerleaders do not go beyond what your league’s rules state. For example if no pyramids are allowed then make sure that is known.
Homecoming and/or Rally night is the big event for the cheerleaders so try to cut them some slack. I usually let my kids run through a banner and share a snack with the girls after the game. If you are having a big feast have Team Mom get the parent’s of the girls involved.
Over the years, the cheerleaders are usually out of the way during the youth football game. They take center stage on the main field when you are at halftime.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
As a coach, I feel the cheerleaders can be a pain in the rump. I suggest you check with the league and see what their rules are pertaining to how much cooperation and involvement you need to have with them. If you are required to deal with them make sure you talk to who is in charge of the cheerleading squad for your age level. I have found it best to set the guidelines up front so there is no miscommunication. Make sure you let the cheerleader’s coaches know what you will allow not only for homecoming but also for each game. Make sure the cheerleaders do not go beyond what your league’s rules state. For example if no pyramids are allowed then make sure that is known.
Homecoming and/or Rally night is the big event for the cheerleaders so try to cut them some slack. I usually let my kids run through a banner and share a snack with the girls after the game. If you are having a big feast have Team Mom get the parent’s of the girls involved.
Over the years, the cheerleaders are usually out of the way during the youth football game. They take center stage on the main field when you are at halftime.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Game Stats for Coaching Youth Football
I have kept game stats for every youth football game I have coached. I must know which of my players are being effective on game day. There always seems to be the ultimate practice player who disappears on game day. The stats serve multi purposes on game day as well as for later.
On game day, you want to be able to track the following things
The success of your first down plays The success of your primary running plays The success of your primary passing plans Your leading rusher Third down conversions Fourth down conversions Leading tacklers Opponent’s leading rusher Opponent’s leading tackler
With the Game Day Stats Sheet I use you can review all of the above quickly. A copy of the actual sheet I use is available on my website (www.jimoddo.com). It is a great simple tool for gathering data as the plays develop. It is a job for a parent who will be at all the games. The benefit for that parent is they get to go up and down the sidelines. In the last few years, I have had other parents help the Stat parent by giving him jersey numbers.
The sheet contains Down, Distance, yard location, run stats area, pass stats area and defensive notes area. It is very easy to use during the actual youth football game.
The other reason for keeping stats is that you can pass out copies at the year-end party. One of my assistants for the last couple of years makes an awesome set of “player cards” for each player. He then adds some of the stats along with a picture of each kid. This has been a big hit with the kids and parents. In past years, I have had a youth football yearbook, which also contained the full year stats.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
On game day, you want to be able to track the following things
The success of your first down plays The success of your primary running plays The success of your primary passing plans Your leading rusher Third down conversions Fourth down conversions Leading tacklers Opponent’s leading rusher Opponent’s leading tackler
With the Game Day Stats Sheet I use you can review all of the above quickly. A copy of the actual sheet I use is available on my website (www.jimoddo.com). It is a great simple tool for gathering data as the plays develop. It is a job for a parent who will be at all the games. The benefit for that parent is they get to go up and down the sidelines. In the last few years, I have had other parents help the Stat parent by giving him jersey numbers.
The sheet contains Down, Distance, yard location, run stats area, pass stats area and defensive notes area. It is very easy to use during the actual youth football game.
The other reason for keeping stats is that you can pass out copies at the year-end party. One of my assistants for the last couple of years makes an awesome set of “player cards” for each player. He then adds some of the stats along with a picture of each kid. This has been a big hit with the kids and parents. In past years, I have had a youth football yearbook, which also contained the full year stats.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Fundraising for Youth Football
Most youth football players will be involved in some kind of fundraising. It may be selling candy, raffle tickets or a walk-a-thon.
Whatever the activity is, I am sure the youth football league will have you as the coach involved. Again, I suggest Team Mom to the rescue. Ask Team Mom to organize and get other parents involved on passing out the information and collecting the funds at the end of the fundraiser. You need updates of what is going on, especially since there is money involved. I just try to stay away for the day-to-day involvement.
I have been lucky since the league I am involved with does not require each individual player to sell anything for youth football fundraising.
Some of the more recent fundraising ideas have been wine tasting for the adults, special dinner engagements with deep discounts given by the restaurant and sponsorships. The sponsorships can come from a variety of sources, but we find that local business's are more than happy to help out if you give them some advertising and keep the request amounts reasonable. In this tight economy we ask for $150 to $500 and will pass out coupons and advertising a few times a year, plus we email our parents with special offers.
I have found that if you just ask, many people will be happy to help and ask any and all business contacts for a donation. By keeping the amount of money requested low, we can expect a larger number of local business's to help us out.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Whatever the activity is, I am sure the youth football league will have you as the coach involved. Again, I suggest Team Mom to the rescue. Ask Team Mom to organize and get other parents involved on passing out the information and collecting the funds at the end of the fundraiser. You need updates of what is going on, especially since there is money involved. I just try to stay away for the day-to-day involvement.
I have been lucky since the league I am involved with does not require each individual player to sell anything for youth football fundraising.
Some of the more recent fundraising ideas have been wine tasting for the adults, special dinner engagements with deep discounts given by the restaurant and sponsorships. The sponsorships can come from a variety of sources, but we find that local business's are more than happy to help out if you give them some advertising and keep the request amounts reasonable. In this tight economy we ask for $150 to $500 and will pass out coupons and advertising a few times a year, plus we email our parents with special offers.
I have found that if you just ask, many people will be happy to help and ask any and all business contacts for a donation. By keeping the amount of money requested low, we can expect a larger number of local business's to help us out.
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great sucess for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Jim has over 200 Free Youth Football Articles at : www.jimoddo.com
Copyright 2009 Jim Oddo, jimoddo.com, Oddo & Oddo, Ltd., Mega Media Depot and http://www.jimoddo.com republishing this article in it's entirety or any parts of it without including this paragraph is copyright infringement
Monday, July 20, 2009
Year End Youth Football Party
It is never too early to plan for the year end party for your youth football team. The Team Mom should be able to help you make the arrangements. I have had parties that have been as simple as a pizza party and as formal as a banquet. It is best to get a read on the team (especially the parents) before you decide how fancy the party will be. The age of the team will also help in your decision.
The one main tip I can give you is to make sure the Team Mom collects the entire amount of money that the party will cost in advance of the event. Make sure all siblings, parents, grandparents and friends are accounted and paid for. Too many times I have seen the party end and someone (me) winds up settling the bill for quite a bit more than was collected.
I also try to see if there is a local place where some of the other youth football teams use annually. Another option is if any of the parents own or have a contact with a restaurant.
The main thing is you want to make sure there is enough room for all who attend.
As fare as the youth football banquet goes we usually start with the meal. When all have finished eating I start the festivities. If you have a parent who likes to video tape or take a lot of pictures and is good with a computer you might be able to have them put together a slide show. I have done this a few times and it is a blast. This is optional and very time consuming but if you decide to have it done make sure you get a lot of help and work on it all year.
The next thing I do is give a small recap on the team. I make sure all is positive. This is the end of the year so there’s no reason to anger anyone.
Next I hand out the individual youth football player awards. You will need to check with your league on what kind of medals or trophies they will be providing. I have made it a long standing rule not to give out any special individual awards for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year or any other type. I usually split the names on the roster up among the coaches and have all of us take turns speaking about the kids. Please keep everything positive. Try to talk about something personal that the player did making his night extra special.
I am not a big fan of the year end party but I do make sure it is a great time for the kids who really love it.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
The one main tip I can give you is to make sure the Team Mom collects the entire amount of money that the party will cost in advance of the event. Make sure all siblings, parents, grandparents and friends are accounted and paid for. Too many times I have seen the party end and someone (me) winds up settling the bill for quite a bit more than was collected.
I also try to see if there is a local place where some of the other youth football teams use annually. Another option is if any of the parents own or have a contact with a restaurant.
The main thing is you want to make sure there is enough room for all who attend.
As fare as the youth football banquet goes we usually start with the meal. When all have finished eating I start the festivities. If you have a parent who likes to video tape or take a lot of pictures and is good with a computer you might be able to have them put together a slide show. I have done this a few times and it is a blast. This is optional and very time consuming but if you decide to have it done make sure you get a lot of help and work on it all year.
The next thing I do is give a small recap on the team. I make sure all is positive. This is the end of the year so there’s no reason to anger anyone.
Next I hand out the individual youth football player awards. You will need to check with your league on what kind of medals or trophies they will be providing. I have made it a long standing rule not to give out any special individual awards for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year or any other type. I usually split the names on the roster up among the coaches and have all of us take turns speaking about the kids. Please keep everything positive. Try to talk about something personal that the player did making his night extra special.
I am not a big fan of the year end party but I do make sure it is a great time for the kids who really love it.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Friday, July 17, 2009
I am a believer in positive influence to get the players to respond to your teachings. I believe in being firm, but fair and I believe the kids appreciate this. I think it is important, especially early in the season, to reward the players for their hard efforts during the month of August. I have found that no matter age level the kids are at, they love PIZZA!
This tradition I have done for 20 years and it has been a big winner. Once you have been working with your youth football team for about three weeks it s time to reward the kids. After 4 weeks of five days a week practice the kids are tired and ready for their first game. I like to have this pizza party after a practice the week before our first game. I usually have this the same day I pass out uniforms.
A parent will usually be able to pick up the pizzas for you and bring them to the field. I serve juice boxes and use paper plates and napkins. I make sure the field is clean after we are done. I like to have the players spend some time together and this is one of the best bonding experiences of the year for the kids.
Don't forget you assistant coaches! Make sure you get enough pizza for them as well as the appropriate beverages. By appropriate I mean NO ALCOHOL, especially on the field near the kids. There is no place for beer or any other alcohol.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
This tradition I have done for 20 years and it has been a big winner. Once you have been working with your youth football team for about three weeks it s time to reward the kids. After 4 weeks of five days a week practice the kids are tired and ready for their first game. I like to have this pizza party after a practice the week before our first game. I usually have this the same day I pass out uniforms.
A parent will usually be able to pick up the pizzas for you and bring them to the field. I serve juice boxes and use paper plates and napkins. I make sure the field is clean after we are done. I like to have the players spend some time together and this is one of the best bonding experiences of the year for the kids.
Don't forget you assistant coaches! Make sure you get enough pizza for them as well as the appropriate beverages. By appropriate I mean NO ALCOHOL, especially on the field near the kids. There is no place for beer or any other alcohol.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Coaching Youth Football Making it Fun
This could easily be the first and last chapter of this book. While coaching youth football you better make it fun for the players and coaches involved. The parents will fall in line if they see that their kids are having fun. Please remember most of these kids will not go on to play high school sports. It is very important that you give them a memorable experience while you're coaching them.
I have seen way too many coaches have the military approach, which we strongly disagree with for youth football. There's a big difference between running a strict disciplined team versus a military operation. Useless conditioning and exercises prove that the coach does not know what he's doing and covers it by running these ridiculous "boot camps." Please remember to keep it light, and have fun.
The same thing goes for your coaches. Coaching youth football needs to be fun for all. You will be dedicating many hours over the course of a season so you should make it fun for all. I am so close to my coaches that we socially get together with the wives on a regular basis. You can take it serious and try to win but do not take a win at all costs approach. The parents, kids and assistant coaches will hate you for it. The league will also be happy if they do not get complaints from parents on you or your staff throughout the youth football season.
I have seen way too many coaches have the military approach, which we strongly disagree with for youth football. There's a big difference between running a strict disciplined team versus a military operation. Useless conditioning and exercises prove that the coach does not know what he's doing and covers it by running these ridiculous "boot camps." Please remember to keep it light, and have fun.
The same thing goes for your coaches. Coaching youth football needs to be fun for all. You will be dedicating many hours over the course of a season so you should make it fun for all. I am so close to my coaches that we socially get together with the wives on a regular basis. You can take it serious and try to win but do not take a win at all costs approach. The parents, kids and assistant coaches will hate you for it. The league will also be happy if they do not get complaints from parents on you or your staff throughout the youth football season.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Attend Clinics and Camps
One of the very best things you can do in the off season is attending the many different youth football clinics and camps. There are the major camps that have huge sponsors like NIKE and a variety of coaches from youth sports to college will be giving lectures. Some of these camps last over a few days and can be expensive but if you look at the itinerary and plan your days you should get a lot of information. Just remember that any of the High School and College information must be modified for the youth football level.If you are not into the big major events the local Community Colleges and High Schools will be running some kind of clinic or camp. If you are on the board for your organization you can probably get one of the local High School coaches to come by and give your league their own private clinic.
A few of the youth football organizations are starting to run their own camps. This can be for the kids as well as the coaches and if do right can be a fundraiser as well.
It is best to check in the local papers for the camps closest to you or the internet if you don’t mind traveling.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
A few of the youth football organizations are starting to run their own camps. This can be for the kids as well as the coaches and if do right can be a fundraiser as well.
It is best to check in the local papers for the camps closest to you or the internet if you don’t mind traveling.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Youth Football - Check out the Monthly League Meetings
It can be extremely valuable to go to your monthly youth football league meeting. If you have the time and desire, volunteer to be on the board. You can gain a lot of knowledge from the veteran coaches. Many coaches and board members have been at this game for many years. The experience of these guys at the different age and skill levels can be a great source of information.
You will feel better by helping out your youth football league with other important issues than coaching. I do not believe in "playing politics” to help you secure the team and level you prefer to coach. If you have a kid you will be coaching or helping with the team is playing on. If you are a non-parent (like me) coaching you may want to consider staying at one level or helping out where the league needs the most help. I prefer to stay at one level for many reasons including
New kids each year keeps things interesting
Your “stuff” doesn’t get old
You become an “expert” at this level
It makes following years easier since you have a template to follow
Just make sure you do not over extend yourself when volunteering your time. Make sure you can complete any job you commit to. The youth football organization can use as much volunteer help as possible.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
You will feel better by helping out your youth football league with other important issues than coaching. I do not believe in "playing politics” to help you secure the team and level you prefer to coach. If you have a kid you will be coaching or helping with the team is playing on. If you are a non-parent (like me) coaching you may want to consider staying at one level or helping out where the league needs the most help. I prefer to stay at one level for many reasons including
New kids each year keeps things interesting
Your “stuff” doesn’t get old
You become an “expert” at this level
It makes following years easier since you have a template to follow
Just make sure you do not over extend yourself when volunteering your time. Make sure you can complete any job you commit to. The youth football organization can use as much volunteer help as possible.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Youth Football Coaching - Increasing your football IQ
Learn, learn and learn some more. One can never have too much knowledge. You'll be amazed at how much information there is regarding youth football.
I have either run or defended many kinds of offenses including Power I, Single Wing, A11, Multiple Pro, Double Wing, Wing T and Run and Shoot. I pride myself on having a complete understanding of the offense and defense I will be running for the current season.
Since scouting is a very important aspect of the youth football coaching year you will want to have an understanding of a variety of offense and defense schemes. It makes it much easier when you are on the field scouting a team if you are familiar with a variety of schemes.
The defense we have started to rely on is a base 3-4. We also use a 10-1 with a variety of zone blitzes. We will mix up man and zone overages in the secondary depending on the scouting report.
It is important to understand that everything you read or watch must be modified for the age group you'll be coaching. There is a big difference in what schemes you can run especially with the younger kids. These are kids and need a basic understanding of what you are trying to teach them. Please do not satisfy your own ego by showing what a great coach you are by running something too hard for your kid’s age group.
Other ways to increase your youth football knowledge is to attend local high school meetings, go to clinics (Nike has a big-time clinic that travels), go to camps and continue to pursue knowledge from every available source, including books and DVDs.
There is even a website (www.jimoddo.com) that covers youth football coaching in great depth. Yes this is a shameful plug but it does get great reviews.
Visit www.jimoddo.com for 200+ FREE articles on coaching as well as daily market commentary, horse and sports selections.
I have either run or defended many kinds of offenses including Power I, Single Wing, A11, Multiple Pro, Double Wing, Wing T and Run and Shoot. I pride myself on having a complete understanding of the offense and defense I will be running for the current season.
Since scouting is a very important aspect of the youth football coaching year you will want to have an understanding of a variety of offense and defense schemes. It makes it much easier when you are on the field scouting a team if you are familiar with a variety of schemes.
The defense we have started to rely on is a base 3-4. We also use a 10-1 with a variety of zone blitzes. We will mix up man and zone overages in the secondary depending on the scouting report.
It is important to understand that everything you read or watch must be modified for the age group you'll be coaching. There is a big difference in what schemes you can run especially with the younger kids. These are kids and need a basic understanding of what you are trying to teach them. Please do not satisfy your own ego by showing what a great coach you are by running something too hard for your kid’s age group.
Other ways to increase your youth football knowledge is to attend local high school meetings, go to clinics (Nike has a big-time clinic that travels), go to camps and continue to pursue knowledge from every available source, including books and DVDs.
There is even a website (www.jimoddo.com) that covers youth football coaching in great depth. Yes this is a shameful plug but it does get great reviews.
Visit www.jimoddo.com for 200+ FREE articles on coaching as well as daily market commentary, horse and sports selections.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Coaching Youth Football - Use Email and the Website to update Practice changes due to weather
When coaching youth football it is a good idea to have a plan in place for emergency cancellations of practice. Since we are in the computer age, this should be your obvious choice. Our administration has a coaches and team section where each coach can post his own notes. I brainwash my parents to check the web site daily to make sure there are no changes in the practice.
I also send out an email to all parents, or guardians, on the youth football list. I copy and paste the same information from the web site to the email. This is a double protection to make sure no one shows up. I keep a general rule of posting all changes or cancellations of practice by 4pm local time. That is one hour and 15 minutes before I start practice.
As far as when to cancel a youth football practice depends on many factors including
I also send out an email to all parents, or guardians, on the youth football list. I copy and paste the same information from the web site to the email. This is a double protection to make sure no one shows up. I keep a general rule of posting all changes or cancellations of practice by 4pm local time. That is one hour and 15 minutes before I start practice.
As far as when to cancel a youth football practice depends on many factors including
- Age of my team
- Time of the season
- How well the team is doing
- Upcoming opponent
- General safety
There is a general rule we have that is the same as the swimming pool. If there is lightning, we have to suspend youth football practice for 20 minutes. If there is a second bolt of lightning then practice is called off.
I spend a lot of time on youth football practices days looking at weather.com, especially the radar maps. If it looks like heavy rain or lightning, I just cancel the practice.
The other consideration is the field condition. The facility may have a stipulation that if there is standing water you cannot be on the field. Make sure you know the rules to avoid any problems.
Having a plan ahead of time to handle cancellation of practices is one of the jobs you have as a head coach of a youth football team.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Practice Schedules when coaching youth football
Coaching youth football is all about preparation and organization. I think it is very important to have a consistent schedule for the practice. The days and time should remain the same. The parents can then plan around your schedule. Make sure you know the administration’s rules as far as how many hours and days per week, you are allowed to practice.
In the current league, I am coaching once school starts we can only practice six hours maximum per week.
I set youth football practices when school starts for three times a week but for only 90 minutes. I believe that two hours is just too long and you lose the attention span of the players. I like to go a serious 90 minutes with no down time.
I also believe it is very important to start and end your practices on time. Do not be the coach that starts practice 15 minutes late and runs 30 minutes over. Neither the parents nor the players appreciate this. I have very productive and consistent practices. Every part of the practice has been prepared in advance. My youth football practices are well thought out. The early part of the season is fundamentals and teaching the schemes while later in the season a good portion of the practice goes into the Game Plan.
It is a good idea to get a list of the religious education schedule since that always seems to affect a good number of players on the same night. If you can determine in advance what night it is and how many players it will effect this may change the day you practice.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
In the current league, I am coaching once school starts we can only practice six hours maximum per week.
I set youth football practices when school starts for three times a week but for only 90 minutes. I believe that two hours is just too long and you lose the attention span of the players. I like to go a serious 90 minutes with no down time.
I also believe it is very important to start and end your practices on time. Do not be the coach that starts practice 15 minutes late and runs 30 minutes over. Neither the parents nor the players appreciate this. I have very productive and consistent practices. Every part of the practice has been prepared in advance. My youth football practices are well thought out. The early part of the season is fundamentals and teaching the schemes while later in the season a good portion of the practice goes into the Game Plan.
It is a good idea to get a list of the religious education schedule since that always seems to affect a good number of players on the same night. If you can determine in advance what night it is and how many players it will effect this may change the day you practice.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Youth Football - The Politics of the Youth Football League
All youth football leagues have some degree of politics in their organization. The people that are more involved with the running of the league will get the preferred teams to coach as well they should. There is an enormous amount of time that is volunteered to keep a youth football league in operation. There are many meetings, early set up of the fields, late breakdowns of the field and much more.
The members of the board have to be involved of every decision including where and when to practice. They have to cut all the deals with the local venders if they are providing concessions on game day. There is no doubt that these people should get preferential treatment. Most of them do not want any thing special.
Then there is the self-serving scumbag who uses his position on the board to help his own cause. He could care less about the kids, the program or anyone who gets in his way. This jerk will run the program into the ground as long as it serves to his benefit. He runs the program into the ground, letting his big ego make decisions that make no sense. To top it off this self-serving jerk leaves the program in shambles as soon as it can do him no more good, meaning his kid is no longer involved.
I always avoid any youth football program run by someone like this. I can only recommend that if you feel you are in a program that is unfair, switch to another one.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
The members of the board have to be involved of every decision including where and when to practice. They have to cut all the deals with the local venders if they are providing concessions on game day. There is no doubt that these people should get preferential treatment. Most of them do not want any thing special.
Then there is the self-serving scumbag who uses his position on the board to help his own cause. He could care less about the kids, the program or anyone who gets in his way. This jerk will run the program into the ground as long as it serves to his benefit. He runs the program into the ground, letting his big ego make decisions that make no sense. To top it off this self-serving jerk leaves the program in shambles as soon as it can do him no more good, meaning his kid is no longer involved.
I always avoid any youth football program run by someone like this. I can only recommend that if you feel you are in a program that is unfair, switch to another one.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Coaching Youth Football - Cheerleaders
There is a mixed feeling about the worth of cheerleaders to the youth football program. I personally feel that from a financial point of view cheerleaders are moneymakers. The insurance is cheap and there is no equipment to buy, just uniforms. Some people feel they add ambiance to the whole football day.
As a coach, I feel the cheerleaders can be a pain in the rump. I suggest you check with the league and see what their rules are pertaining to how much cooperation and involvement you need to have with them. If you are required to deal with them make sure you talk to who is in charge of the cheerleading squad for your age level. I have found it best to set the guidelines up front so there is no miscommunication. Make sure you let the cheerleader’s coaches know what you will allow not only for homecoming but also for each game. Make sure the cheerleaders do not go beyond what your league’s rules state. For example if no pyramids are allowed then make sure that is known.
Homecoming and/or Rally night is the big event for the cheerleaders so try to cut them some slack. I usually let my kids run through a banner and share a snack with the girls after the game. If you are having a big feast have Team Mom get the parent’s of the girls involved.
Over the years, the cheerleaders are usually out of the way during the youth football game. They take center stage on the main field when you are at halftime.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
As a coach, I feel the cheerleaders can be a pain in the rump. I suggest you check with the league and see what their rules are pertaining to how much cooperation and involvement you need to have with them. If you are required to deal with them make sure you talk to who is in charge of the cheerleading squad for your age level. I have found it best to set the guidelines up front so there is no miscommunication. Make sure you let the cheerleader’s coaches know what you will allow not only for homecoming but also for each game. Make sure the cheerleaders do not go beyond what your league’s rules state. For example if no pyramids are allowed then make sure that is known.
Homecoming and/or Rally night is the big event for the cheerleaders so try to cut them some slack. I usually let my kids run through a banner and share a snack with the girls after the game. If you are having a big feast have Team Mom get the parent’s of the girls involved.
Over the years, the cheerleaders are usually out of the way during the youth football game. They take center stage on the main field when you are at halftime.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Game Stats for Coaching Youth Football
I have kept game stats for every youth football game I have coached. I must know which of my players are being effective on game day. There always seems to be the ultimate practice player who disappears on game day. The stats serve multi purposes on game day as well as for later.
On game day, you want to be able to track the following things
The success of your first down plays
The success of your primary running plays
The success of your primary passing plans
Your leading rusher
Third down conversions
Fourth down conversions
Leading tacklers
Opponent’s leading rusher
Opponent’s leading tackler
With the Game Day Stats Sheet I use you can review all of the above quickly. A copy of the actual sheet I use is available on my website (www.jimoddo.com). It is a great simple tool for gathering data as the plays develop. It is a job for a parent who will be at all the games. The benefit for that parent is they get to go up and down the sidelines. In the last few years, I have had other parents help the Stat parent by giving him jersey numbers.
The sheet contains Down, Distance, yard location, run stats area, pass stats area and defensive notes area. It is very easy to use during the actual youth football game.
The other reason for keeping stats is that you can pass out copies at the year-end party. One of my assistants for the last couple of years makes an awesome set of “player cards” for each player. He then adds some of the stats along with a picture of each kid. This has been a big hit with the kids and parents. In past years, I have had a youth football yearbook, which also contained the full year stats.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
On game day, you want to be able to track the following things
The success of your first down plays
The success of your primary running plays
The success of your primary passing plans
Your leading rusher
Third down conversions
Fourth down conversions
Leading tacklers
Opponent’s leading rusher
Opponent’s leading tackler
With the Game Day Stats Sheet I use you can review all of the above quickly. A copy of the actual sheet I use is available on my website (www.jimoddo.com). It is a great simple tool for gathering data as the plays develop. It is a job for a parent who will be at all the games. The benefit for that parent is they get to go up and down the sidelines. In the last few years, I have had other parents help the Stat parent by giving him jersey numbers.
The sheet contains Down, Distance, yard location, run stats area, pass stats area and defensive notes area. It is very easy to use during the actual youth football game.
The other reason for keeping stats is that you can pass out copies at the year-end party. One of my assistants for the last couple of years makes an awesome set of “player cards” for each player. He then adds some of the stats along with a picture of each kid. This has been a big hit with the kids and parents. In past years, I have had a youth football yearbook, which also contained the full year stats.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Fundraising for Youth Football
Most youth football players will be involved in some kind of fundraising. It may be selling candy, raffle tickets or a walk-a-thon.
Whatever the activity is, I am sure the youth football league will have you as the coach involved. Again, I suggest Team Mom to the rescue. Ask Team Mom to organize and get other parents involved on passing out the information and collecting the funds at the end of the fundraiser. You need updates of what is going on, especially since there is money involved. I just try to stay away for the day-to-day involvement.
I have been lucky since the league I am involved with does not require each individual player to sell anything for youth football fundraising.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Whatever the activity is, I am sure the youth football league will have you as the coach involved. Again, I suggest Team Mom to the rescue. Ask Team Mom to organize and get other parents involved on passing out the information and collecting the funds at the end of the fundraiser. You need updates of what is going on, especially since there is money involved. I just try to stay away for the day-to-day involvement.
I have been lucky since the league I am involved with does not require each individual player to sell anything for youth football fundraising.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Coaching Youth Football - Homecoming or Rally Night for Youth Football
I hate homecoming games for youth football. My record with the last five teams I have coached is 1-4. What is the purpose of a “homecoming”? I believe it is for prior players and families to come back and support the team. What a bunch of hogwash! I have never seen any returning players come back to watch a game because it was a homecoming game. The other players will come back if they have a sibling playing on your youth football team.
The truth is the players get completely distracted. They want to screw around, paint their faces and pig out on junk food. Some parents want to have parties before and after the game. A double dose of BS as far as I am concerned.
Once again, we live in a democracy so I need to deal with youth football homecoming. I have found it best to use that Team Mom and depending on how she and the other parents feel about it let them have at it. I ask that the festivities be held after the game. Let Team Mom put together a committee and make homecoming as big as they want. I usually leave after the game to go scout. Some of my assistants have enjoyed hanging out after the game for the social event. I know it is for the kids so I try to keep a low profile regarding homecoming. You will want to check with your league as to what the require you to do. Make sure the Team Mom coordinates with the cheerleaders since they live and die for this day. Some years the cheerleaders have made a banner for the kids to run through. This really keeps the focus in check before the game (joke).
One youth football league I coached for had a rally night. I thought this was a good idea. They had the Youth football Rally Night before the first game. This is brilliant since all teams are undefeated at this point and optimism is at the highest level. All the youth football teams would line up and each player had his name announced. The player would run through a large inflatable helmet. This helmet came from a local high school. Each player gets his moment in the sun by running through this helmet. I believe they even used a fog machine so the players ran through a cloud of smoke. They had one of the families donate hamburgers and hot dogs. All food was cooked and given to the players free. The league bought Gatorade which was given free too the players.
This was well run and fast. There was no youth football game following the event so the kids were able to be as crazy as they wanted to be.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
The truth is the players get completely distracted. They want to screw around, paint their faces and pig out on junk food. Some parents want to have parties before and after the game. A double dose of BS as far as I am concerned.
Once again, we live in a democracy so I need to deal with youth football homecoming. I have found it best to use that Team Mom and depending on how she and the other parents feel about it let them have at it. I ask that the festivities be held after the game. Let Team Mom put together a committee and make homecoming as big as they want. I usually leave after the game to go scout. Some of my assistants have enjoyed hanging out after the game for the social event. I know it is for the kids so I try to keep a low profile regarding homecoming. You will want to check with your league as to what the require you to do. Make sure the Team Mom coordinates with the cheerleaders since they live and die for this day. Some years the cheerleaders have made a banner for the kids to run through. This really keeps the focus in check before the game (joke).
One youth football league I coached for had a rally night. I thought this was a good idea. They had the Youth football Rally Night before the first game. This is brilliant since all teams are undefeated at this point and optimism is at the highest level. All the youth football teams would line up and each player had his name announced. The player would run through a large inflatable helmet. This helmet came from a local high school. Each player gets his moment in the sun by running through this helmet. I believe they even used a fog machine so the players ran through a cloud of smoke. They had one of the families donate hamburgers and hot dogs. All food was cooked and given to the players free. The league bought Gatorade which was given free too the players.
This was well run and fast. There was no youth football game following the event so the kids were able to be as crazy as they wanted to be.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Snack Schedule for your Youth Football Team
This is a tough one especially if you are coaching a younger youth football team. My personal opinion is there is no need for a snack before the game or at half time. I am not even a fan of it after the game since the kids are more concerned about getting their food and not listening to the coaches.
We live in a democracy so plan on the kids getting something. The younger the team is the more likely there will snacks. This is where the Team Mom needs to assign a schedule for the families. I try to keep it to just a beverage, like Gatorade and only for AFTER the game. One year I allowed for oranges at half time since the parents thought it would energize the kids. What a nightmare! The kids used more energy pushing each other over to get to the bag of orange slice. No one listened and the player left orange peels all over the place. Half time was spent cleaning the mess made on the field. I have seen some teams have a “party” at half time with all kinds of cookies and other stuff. No way will I allow snacks at half time. If the individual parent gives you a hard time tell them to bring something for their kid and the parent can feed it to them while you speak to the team at half time.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
We live in a democracy so plan on the kids getting something. The younger the team is the more likely there will snacks. This is where the Team Mom needs to assign a schedule for the families. I try to keep it to just a beverage, like Gatorade and only for AFTER the game. One year I allowed for oranges at half time since the parents thought it would energize the kids. What a nightmare! The kids used more energy pushing each other over to get to the bag of orange slice. No one listened and the player left orange peels all over the place. Half time was spent cleaning the mess made on the field. I have seen some teams have a “party” at half time with all kinds of cookies and other stuff. No way will I allow snacks at half time. If the individual parent gives you a hard time tell them to bring something for their kid and the parent can feed it to them while you speak to the team at half time.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Coaching Youth Football - Selecting the Team Mom
When coaching youth football, an important early decision is picking your Team Mom. Many years you will get lucky and get the mom that volunteer every year. Sometimes you will get no one to step forward. Occasionally you get a few moms that want the job and you have to choose one. Make sure you are compatible with the mom you select. You need a take-charge mom who will keep you informed but not be a pain in the butt.
The many duties of the youth football Team Mom include
Typing and Passing out a roster list with all the players names, numbers, parents names and contact info
Emergency phone numbers lists
Organizing the homecoming of Rally night, which may include assigning things for people to bring.
Help passing out uniforms
Collection of money and delivery of uniforms to local shirt shops to get the names printed on the back
Email updates to the parents
Make and distribute an assignment list for game day duties
Make and distribute a snack list. I am funny about this and have pretty much gotten away from it. A lot of teams do a halftime and end of the game snack. I have eliminated both since I believe they are a distraction. An after game beverage like Gatorade is fine.
Plan and book the year-end banquet. This will include collecting the money from each parent.
Your youth football year will go a lot easier with a good Team Mom. Please make sure to take care of her at the end of the year as well. A nice gift certificate will show your appreciation.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
The many duties of the youth football Team Mom include
Typing and Passing out a roster list with all the players names, numbers, parents names and contact info
Emergency phone numbers lists
Organizing the homecoming of Rally night, which may include assigning things for people to bring.
Help passing out uniforms
Collection of money and delivery of uniforms to local shirt shops to get the names printed on the back
Email updates to the parents
Make and distribute an assignment list for game day duties
Make and distribute a snack list. I am funny about this and have pretty much gotten away from it. A lot of teams do a halftime and end of the game snack. I have eliminated both since I believe they are a distraction. An after game beverage like Gatorade is fine.
Plan and book the year-end banquet. This will include collecting the money from each parent.
Your youth football year will go a lot easier with a good Team Mom. Please make sure to take care of her at the end of the year as well. A nice gift certificate will show your appreciation.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Coaching Youth Football - Youth Football Year End Party
It is never too early to plan for the year end party for your youth football team. The Team Mom should be able to help you make the arrangements. I have had parties that have been as simple as a pizza party and as formal as a banquet. It is best to get a read on the team (especially the parents) before you decide how fancy the party will be. The age of the team will also help in your decision.
The one main tip I can give you is to make sure the Team Mom collects the entire amount of money that the party will cost in advance of the event. Make sure all siblings, parents, grandparents and friends are accounted and paid for. Too many times I have seen the party end and someone (me) winds up settling the bill for quite a bit more than was collected.
I also try to see if there is a local place where some of the other youth football teams use annually. Another option is if any of the parents own or have a contact with a restaurant.
The main thing is you want to make sure there is enough room for all who attend.
As fare as the youth football banquet goes we usually start with the meal. When all have finished eating I start the festivities. If you have a parent who likes to video tape or take a lot of pictures and is good with a computer you might be able to have them put together a slide show. I have done this a few times and it is a blast. This is optional and very time consuming but if you decide to have it done make sure you get a lot of help and work on it all year.
The next thing I do is give a small recap on the team. I make sure all is positive. This is the end of the year so there’s no reason to anger anyone.
Next I hand out the individual youth football player awards. You will need to check with your league on what kind of medals or trophies they will be providing. I have made it a long standing rule not to give out any special individual awards for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year or any other type. I usually split the names on the roster up among the coaches and have all of us take turns speaking about the kids. Please keep everything positive. Try to talk about something personal that the player did making his night extra special.
I am not a big fan of the year end party but I do make sure it is a great time for the kids who really love it.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
The one main tip I can give you is to make sure the Team Mom collects the entire amount of money that the party will cost in advance of the event. Make sure all siblings, parents, grandparents and friends are accounted and paid for. Too many times I have seen the party end and someone (me) winds up settling the bill for quite a bit more than was collected.
I also try to see if there is a local place where some of the other youth football teams use annually. Another option is if any of the parents own or have a contact with a restaurant.
The main thing is you want to make sure there is enough room for all who attend.
As fare as the youth football banquet goes we usually start with the meal. When all have finished eating I start the festivities. If you have a parent who likes to video tape or take a lot of pictures and is good with a computer you might be able to have them put together a slide show. I have done this a few times and it is a blast. This is optional and very time consuming but if you decide to have it done make sure you get a lot of help and work on it all year.
The next thing I do is give a small recap on the team. I make sure all is positive. This is the end of the year so there’s no reason to anger anyone.
Next I hand out the individual youth football player awards. You will need to check with your league on what kind of medals or trophies they will be providing. I have made it a long standing rule not to give out any special individual awards for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year or any other type. I usually split the names on the roster up among the coaches and have all of us take turns speaking about the kids. Please keep everything positive. Try to talk about something personal that the player did making his night extra special.
I am not a big fan of the year end party but I do make sure it is a great time for the kids who really love it.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Coaching Youth Football - Treat the Team Early in the Season
Pizza Party early before 1st game
This tradition I have done for 20 years and it has been a big winner. Once you have been working with your youth football team for about three weeks it s time to reward the kids. After 4 weeks of five days a week practice the kids are tired and ready for their first game. I like to have this pizza party after a practice the week before our first game. I usually have this the same day I pass out uniforms.
A parent will usually be able to pick up the pizzas for you and bring them to the field. I serve juice boxes and use paper plates and napkins. I make sure the field is clean after we are done.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
This tradition I have done for 20 years and it has been a big winner. Once you have been working with your youth football team for about three weeks it s time to reward the kids. After 4 weeks of five days a week practice the kids are tired and ready for their first game. I like to have this pizza party after a practice the week before our first game. I usually have this the same day I pass out uniforms.
A parent will usually be able to pick up the pizzas for you and bring them to the field. I serve juice boxes and use paper plates and napkins. I make sure the field is clean after we are done.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Youth Football - Have enough help for the Youth Football Tryouts
Please make sure that your youth football try outs are organized and run smooth. There's nothing worse than an unorganized time wasting tryout for parents to see. The parents will be standing on the side watching your every move. This will be the first impression for many of the parents so please be organized. It is imperative that you have enough help for every single drill station and event that you plan to use during the youth football tryouts. Make sure you have the entire tryout planned ahead on a schedule and follow that schedule to a tee. You can make adjustments for the next day but sick to the schedule you have set for the day. I write out the entire plan and give copies to all of the parents and coaches that will be helping out. Please make sure they all understand what you are looking for during the evaluations. I use a stop watch for each station of the tryouts and give many water breaks in the hot July heat.
Make sure each and every station or youth football drill has the purpose that will help you evaluate the players. You need to make sure that each and every child gets a fair shake. This will avoid any potential parent problems complaining the tryouts were not fair. I run almost exclusive head on head drills or competitions with the winners and losers each moving to different groups. I like to use the competition in drills versus using a stop watch for many different reasons including
Any “running time” will not be exact since the field may not be set up the same way from day to day. Also you have the issue of start and stopping the watch at the same time for each kid. When John races Joe and beats him John is faster.
Competing Head to Head brings out the best in some kids. Others will fold under the pressure. You want to know this before the first game.
The kids will love it.
The parents will realize that their kid winds up in the group they belong.
I will give the complete list and details of all the things I run the first week of youth football evaluations.
I will leave on one note and that is these are evaluations so try to keep the coaching to a minimum. Each player should be evaluated on his skill level. Make sure all are players are instructed on the proper techniques so there is less risk of injury. Encourage all players to ask as many questions as they need to. The youth football evaluations are a very exciting time since you are getting your first look at this year’s talent.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Make sure each and every station or youth football drill has the purpose that will help you evaluate the players. You need to make sure that each and every child gets a fair shake. This will avoid any potential parent problems complaining the tryouts were not fair. I run almost exclusive head on head drills or competitions with the winners and losers each moving to different groups. I like to use the competition in drills versus using a stop watch for many different reasons including
Any “running time” will not be exact since the field may not be set up the same way from day to day. Also you have the issue of start and stopping the watch at the same time for each kid. When John races Joe and beats him John is faster.
Competing Head to Head brings out the best in some kids. Others will fold under the pressure. You want to know this before the first game.
The kids will love it.
The parents will realize that their kid winds up in the group they belong.
I will give the complete list and details of all the things I run the first week of youth football evaluations.
I will leave on one note and that is these are evaluations so try to keep the coaching to a minimum. Each player should be evaluated on his skill level. Make sure all are players are instructed on the proper techniques so there is less risk of injury. Encourage all players to ask as many questions as they need to. The youth football evaluations are a very exciting time since you are getting your first look at this year’s talent.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Coaching Youth Football Making it Fun
This could easily be the first and last chapter of this book. While coaching youth football you better make it fun for the players and coaches involved. The parents will fall in line if they see that their kids are having fun. Please remember most of these kids will not go on to play high school sports. It is very important that you give them a memorable experience while you're coaching them.
I have seen way too many coaches have the military approach, which we strongly disagree with for youth football. There's a big difference between running a strict disciplined team versus a military operation. Useless conditioning and exercises prove that the coach does not know what he's doing and covers it by running these ridiculous "boot camps." Please remember to keep it light, and have fun.
The same thing goes for your coaches. Coaching youth football needs to be fun for all. You will be dedicating many hours over the course of a season so you should make it fun for all. I am so close to my coaches that we socially get together with the wives on a regular basis. You can take it serious and try to win but do not take a win at all costs approach. The parents, kids and assistant coaches will hate you for it. The league will also be happy if they do not get complaints from parents on you or your staff throughout the youth football season.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
I have seen way too many coaches have the military approach, which we strongly disagree with for youth football. There's a big difference between running a strict disciplined team versus a military operation. Useless conditioning and exercises prove that the coach does not know what he's doing and covers it by running these ridiculous "boot camps." Please remember to keep it light, and have fun.
The same thing goes for your coaches. Coaching youth football needs to be fun for all. You will be dedicating many hours over the course of a season so you should make it fun for all. I am so close to my coaches that we socially get together with the wives on a regular basis. You can take it serious and try to win but do not take a win at all costs approach. The parents, kids and assistant coaches will hate you for it. The league will also be happy if they do not get complaints from parents on you or your staff throughout the youth football season.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Youth Football Coaching - Becoming a Better Coach in the Off-Season By Attending Coaching Clinics and Camps
One of the very best things you can do in the off season is attending the many different youth football clinics and camps. There are the major camps that have huge sponsors like NIKE and a variety of coaches from youth sports to college will be giving lectures. Some of these camps last over a few days and can be expensive but if you look at the itinerary and plan your days you should get a lot of information. Just remember that any of the High School and College information must be modified for the youth football level.If you are not into the big major events the local Community Colleges and High Schools will be running some kind of clinic or camp. If you are on the board for your organization you can probably get one of the local High School coaches to come by and give your league their own private clinic.
A few of the youth football organizations are starting to run their own camps. This can be for the kids as well as the coaches and if do right can be a fundraiser as well.
It is best to check in the local papers for the camps closest to you or the internet if you don’t mind traveling.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
A few of the youth football organizations are starting to run their own camps. This can be for the kids as well as the coaches and if do right can be a fundraiser as well.
It is best to check in the local papers for the camps closest to you or the internet if you don’t mind traveling.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Youth Football Coaching Tips for the Season - Atten the Local Meetings
It can be extremely valuable to go to your monthly youth football league meeting. If you have the time and desire, volunteer to be on the board. You can gain a lot of knowledge from the veteran coaches. Many coaches and board members have been at this game for many years. The experience of these guys at the different age and skill levels can be a great source of information.
You will feel better by helping out your youth football league with other important issues than coaching. I do not believe in "playing politics” to help you secure the team and level you prefer to coach. If you have a kid you will be coaching or helping with the team is playing on. If you are a non-parent (like me) coaching you may want to consider staying at one level or helping out where the league needs the most help. I prefer to stay at one level for many reasons including
New kids each year keeps things interesting
Your “stuff” doesn’t get old
You become an “expert” at this level
It makes following years easier since you have a template to follow
Just make sure you do not over extend yourself when volunteering your time. Make sure you can complete any job you commit to. The youth football organization can use as much volunteer help as possible.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
You will feel better by helping out your youth football league with other important issues than coaching. I do not believe in "playing politics” to help you secure the team and level you prefer to coach. If you have a kid you will be coaching or helping with the team is playing on. If you are a non-parent (like me) coaching you may want to consider staying at one level or helping out where the league needs the most help. I prefer to stay at one level for many reasons including
New kids each year keeps things interesting
Your “stuff” doesn’t get old
You become an “expert” at this level
It makes following years easier since you have a template to follow
Just make sure you do not over extend yourself when volunteering your time. Make sure you can complete any job you commit to. The youth football organization can use as much volunteer help as possible.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
During the Youth Football Offseason Keep Increasing your Football IQ
Learn, learn and learn some more. One can never have too much knowledge. You'll be amazed at how much information there is regarding youth football.
I have either run or defended many kinds of offenses including Power I, Single Wing, A11, Multiple Pro, Double Wing, Wing T and Run and Shoot. I pride myself on having a complete understanding of the offense and defense I will be running for the current season.
Since scouting is a very important aspect of the youth football coaching year you will want to have an understanding of a variety of offense and defense schemes. It makes it much easier when you are on the field scouting a team if you are familiar with a variety of schemes.
The defense we have started to rely on is a base 3-4. We also use a 10-1 with a variety of zone blitzes. We will mix up man and zone overages in the secondary depending on the scouting report.
It is important to understand that everything you read or watch must be modified for the age group you'll be coaching. There is a big difference in what schemes you can run especially with the younger kids. These are kids and need a basic understanding of what you are trying to teach them. Please do not satisfy your own ego by showing what a great coach you are by running something too hard for your kid’s age group.
Other ways to increase your youth football knowledge is to attend local high school meetings, go to clinics (Nike has a big-time clinic that travels), go to camps and continue to pursue knowledge from every available source, including books and DVDs.
There is even a website (www.jimoddo.com) that covers youth football coaching in great depth. Yes this is a shameful plug but it does get great reviews.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!Read more: During the Youth Football Offseason Keep Increasing your Football IQ - jimoddo's posterous - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/during-the-youth-football-offseason-keep-incr#ixzz0CS2chgM9
I have either run or defended many kinds of offenses including Power I, Single Wing, A11, Multiple Pro, Double Wing, Wing T and Run and Shoot. I pride myself on having a complete understanding of the offense and defense I will be running for the current season.
Since scouting is a very important aspect of the youth football coaching year you will want to have an understanding of a variety of offense and defense schemes. It makes it much easier when you are on the field scouting a team if you are familiar with a variety of schemes.
The defense we have started to rely on is a base 3-4. We also use a 10-1 with a variety of zone blitzes. We will mix up man and zone overages in the secondary depending on the scouting report.
It is important to understand that everything you read or watch must be modified for the age group you'll be coaching. There is a big difference in what schemes you can run especially with the younger kids. These are kids and need a basic understanding of what you are trying to teach them. Please do not satisfy your own ego by showing what a great coach you are by running something too hard for your kid’s age group.
Other ways to increase your youth football knowledge is to attend local high school meetings, go to clinics (Nike has a big-time clinic that travels), go to camps and continue to pursue knowledge from every available source, including books and DVDs.
There is even a website (www.jimoddo.com) that covers youth football coaching in great depth. Yes this is a shameful plug but it does get great reviews.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!Read more: During the Youth Football Offseason Keep Increasing your Football IQ - jimoddo's posterous - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/during-the-youth-football-offseason-keep-incr#ixzz0CS2chgM9
Friday, April 10, 2009
Coaching Youth Football - Team Mom and Parent Helpers
Once you have your youth football coaching staff, including the serious parents who commit as assistant coach, you still will need a lot of help to make the season go as smooth as possible.
The team mom can be the most helpful of all parents. Make sure you have the full list of duties for the team mom. I find it best to let them know up front what they are volunteering for. The usual duties always include the following;
Typing and Passing out a roster list with all the players names, numbers, parents names and contact info
Emergency phone numbers lists
Organizing the homecoming of Rally night which may include assigning things for people to bring.
Help passing out uniforms
Collection of money and delivery of uniforms to local shirt shops to get the names printed on the back
Email updates to the parents
Make and distribute an assignment list for game day duties
Make and distribute a snack list. I’m funny about this and have pretty much gotten away from it. A lot of teams do a halftime and end of the game snack. I have eliminated both since I believe they are a distraction. An after game beverage like Gatorade is fine.
Plan and book the year end banquet. This will include collecting the money from each parent.
These are the main things I will have the Team Mom take care of.
I usually get some one to volunteer very early to be Team Mom. I think the earlier in your youth football year the better. You will find that most of the time the same mom volunteers year after year.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!Read more: Coaching Youth Football - Team Mom and Parent Helpers - jimoddo's posterous - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/coaching-youth-football-team-mom-and-parent-h#ixzz0CLPFfQWu
The team mom can be the most helpful of all parents. Make sure you have the full list of duties for the team mom. I find it best to let them know up front what they are volunteering for. The usual duties always include the following;
Typing and Passing out a roster list with all the players names, numbers, parents names and contact info
Emergency phone numbers lists
Organizing the homecoming of Rally night which may include assigning things for people to bring.
Help passing out uniforms
Collection of money and delivery of uniforms to local shirt shops to get the names printed on the back
Email updates to the parents
Make and distribute an assignment list for game day duties
Make and distribute a snack list. I’m funny about this and have pretty much gotten away from it. A lot of teams do a halftime and end of the game snack. I have eliminated both since I believe they are a distraction. An after game beverage like Gatorade is fine.
Plan and book the year end banquet. This will include collecting the money from each parent.
These are the main things I will have the Team Mom take care of.
I usually get some one to volunteer very early to be Team Mom. I think the earlier in your youth football year the better. You will find that most of the time the same mom volunteers year after year.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!Read more: Coaching Youth Football - Team Mom and Parent Helpers - jimoddo's posterous - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/coaching-youth-football-team-mom-and-parent-h#ixzz0CLPFfQWu
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Youth Football Coaching - A Help List of Duties for the Non Coaching Parent
Just because a parent is not a coach does not mean you can not use their help during the youth football season.
On game day alone you will need to have the following:
Pictures of the game (I have come to like still pictures better than video in recent years.)
Video of the game. I may like pictures better but video is still a must.
In game scouting and tendency reports
Statistics during the game.
If the youth football Game is at Home
Security of the fields
Concessions throughout the day
Set up and break down of the fields
Field Manager to answer questions
3 People to work the chains
If you have a parent who like to come to the youth football practices and wants to help you can have them help with the following
Throwing passes to the receivers
Long snapping with the punter
Direct snap monitoring before the practice
Kicking extra points with the kicker before and after practices.
Help set up and take down pads and cones for drills
Always welcome help with open arms. Just make sure that you do not put any person in a position that may make them feel uncomfortable.
Likewise you need to make sure you do not let any parent overstep the boundaries you have set. Each job you want help for should be spelled out completely ahead of time to avoid any potential future problems.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks! Read more: Youth Football Coaching - A Help List of Duties for the Non Coaching Parent - jimoddo's posterous - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/youth-football-coaching-a-help-list-of-duties#ixzz0CFscqERB
On game day alone you will need to have the following:
Pictures of the game (I have come to like still pictures better than video in recent years.)
Video of the game. I may like pictures better but video is still a must.
In game scouting and tendency reports
Statistics during the game.
If the youth football Game is at Home
Security of the fields
Concessions throughout the day
Set up and break down of the fields
Field Manager to answer questions
3 People to work the chains
If you have a parent who like to come to the youth football practices and wants to help you can have them help with the following
Throwing passes to the receivers
Long snapping with the punter
Direct snap monitoring before the practice
Kicking extra points with the kicker before and after practices.
Help set up and take down pads and cones for drills
Always welcome help with open arms. Just make sure that you do not put any person in a position that may make them feel uncomfortable.
Likewise you need to make sure you do not let any parent overstep the boundaries you have set. Each job you want help for should be spelled out completely ahead of time to avoid any potential future problems.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks! Read more: Youth Football Coaching - A Help List of Duties for the Non Coaching Parent - jimoddo's posterous - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/youth-football-coaching-a-help-list-of-duties#ixzz0CFscqERB
Coaching Youth Football - Recruit Long Term Coaches not Dads
My youth football coaching success comes from the coaches that have helped me over the years. I would never have lasted as long if it was not for a few of my good buddies. I can not over state how important it is to have a staff of coaches and not just Dads. Please don’t get me wrong. You will want to have as much help as possible and there are some Dads that can bring some value. I believe you are better off with long term relationships where all coaches are pretty much on the same page.
With long term coaches certain potential problems do not exist. The usual problems of playing time and player positions should never be a point of contention within the staff.
Please understand the point I’m making. It is great to have a coach with a kid on the team as long as the coach is not just looking for a one year gig. I have been coaching with some of the same coaches for 4 years (2 on flag football and 2 on tackle). These are great friends and coaches who I know I will continue to coach with for years to come. You can definitely use the one year Dad /coach but you need a group of long term coaches.
Another advantage of having long-term coaches is that all coaches are usually on the same page. In this helps, not needing to convince or teach your methodology to a parent who is probably only concerned about how much playing time his child will get or what position he will be playing.
You will want to have both permanent coaches and parents. Each will serve a valuable service to you during the upcoming youth football season. The parents can hold the clipboard, take game stats, work with the long snapper, hold the line markers during games, and handle snacks schedules.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
With long term coaches certain potential problems do not exist. The usual problems of playing time and player positions should never be a point of contention within the staff.
Please understand the point I’m making. It is great to have a coach with a kid on the team as long as the coach is not just looking for a one year gig. I have been coaching with some of the same coaches for 4 years (2 on flag football and 2 on tackle). These are great friends and coaches who I know I will continue to coach with for years to come. You can definitely use the one year Dad /coach but you need a group of long term coaches.
Another advantage of having long-term coaches is that all coaches are usually on the same page. In this helps, not needing to convince or teach your methodology to a parent who is probably only concerned about how much playing time his child will get or what position he will be playing.
You will want to have both permanent coaches and parents. Each will serve a valuable service to you during the upcoming youth football season. The parents can hold the clipboard, take game stats, work with the long snapper, hold the line markers during games, and handle snacks schedules.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Coaching Youth Football - Make Sure to Recruit the New Studs
I know it sounds terrible, but it in the off-season make sure you recruits studs. You want to try to get the best basketball, soccer, baseball and hockey players or whatever sport is in the area. One great way of finding these kids is to be involved in coaching other youth sports. You will know which of these kids are aggressive and fast. I have coached youth basketball longer than youth football and this has always been a gold mine for football.
The second way to recruit players is your current players. All kids want to have their friends on the same youth football team. Encourage your current team to spread the word.
You can check with your league to see if there are any boundary limits. If not you may want to check out some kids from the neighboring towns. This is especially effect if the neighboring city does not have a youth football program or plays in a different league.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!Read more: jimoddo's posterous - Home - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/#ixzz0C3r63jQO
The second way to recruit players is your current players. All kids want to have their friends on the same youth football team. Encourage your current team to spread the word.
You can check with your league to see if there are any boundary limits. If not you may want to check out some kids from the neighboring towns. This is especially effect if the neighboring city does not have a youth football program or plays in a different league.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!Read more: jimoddo's posterous - Home - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/#ixzz0C3r63jQO
Coaching Youth Football - Secure the Returning Players
You must secure the returning players from last year's youth football team. Returning players are very important for your upcoming season. You know what you have with a returning player. If they are young or a second year playing returning you will see the biggest improvement in their skills and aggressiveness. You can usually have a fairly good outlook on the upcoming season based on the amount of returning players.
You also need to talk to the coach of the lower level youth football teams that will be feeding into your level. Ask the coach who the upcoming studs are as well as the immediate lower-level. It is good to have some insight on their strengths and weaknesses.
Most of the youth football teams I have coached that were Championship caliber all had many returning players. We have had years where we have many skill players come from the lower level teams. You can expect a great year when you are taking skill athletes who were running backs o previous teams and they are now lineman for you.
I believe that experience is the second most important quality you want in the youth athlete. The most important quality is speed. I’m talking about Greased lighting God Given natural speed.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!Read more: jimoddo's posterous - Home - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/#ixzz0C3qkDuWb
You also need to talk to the coach of the lower level youth football teams that will be feeding into your level. Ask the coach who the upcoming studs are as well as the immediate lower-level. It is good to have some insight on their strengths and weaknesses.
Most of the youth football teams I have coached that were Championship caliber all had many returning players. We have had years where we have many skill players come from the lower level teams. You can expect a great year when you are taking skill athletes who were running backs o previous teams and they are now lineman for you.
I believe that experience is the second most important quality you want in the youth athlete. The most important quality is speed. I’m talking about Greased lighting God Given natural speed.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!Read more: jimoddo's posterous - Home - http://jimoddo.posterous.com/#ixzz0C3qkDuWb
Review the Past Year when coaching youth football
I always spend a good portion of the youth football off-season reviewing the past year. You want to continue to do what works and get rid of what didn’t. If this is the first year running a different offense or defense this is especially true. I remember the first year we ran the Single Wing offense with 8-9 year olds we had such an occurrence. Our Running Back position decided to cut every power play to the outside. The power play is an inside run where you must follow the lead backs to the hole. By trying to cut the run to the outside he was abandoning the blockers and was getting tackled for small or no gains. I learned that when coaching the young kids you really need to make sure they understand the importance of the play being run the way it is shown in practice.
It is best to wait a few months after the youth football season ends to reflect on what actually happened on the previous year. Is important to make sure you can differentiate from what really happened versus what you thought happened. There has been many time when I felt we were doing one thing well by the end of the year and I was dead wrong. By waiting a few months you can clear your mind and review the past year looking for anything that will help you be a better coach in the upcoming year.
Every year you coach a different age or skill level you'll find things that have worked from previous years at previous levels, and things that do not. You must be honest with yourself and realize that not all things work best at all levels. I always keep an entire log with detailed notes of the entire year. It is a wonderful reference for future years. I start each year by grabbing the binder from a previous year that most closely resembles the age and talent level I will be coaching this year.
Beware that each New Year will bring you new talent. What may have succeeded last year may not be appropriate for the upcoming youth football season. Make sure you keep an open mind at the beginning of the season before you make any final decisions.
Please visit www.jimoddo.com for over 200 free articles as well as daily market analysis and free sports picks!
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