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
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