Coach Boris' Coaching Web site

Meeting your Team

The Youth League I coached in is The Garden State Youth Football League.
Their rules prohibit the use of Equipment (Everything excluding helmets)
prior to August 15th. This is a good rule as it gives your young players a
chance to get used to wearing a helmet, become accustomed to your practice
schedule and also get some technique drills in before the contact starts.
I feel strongly about these two weeks of development. It is also a good
time to get a lot of the administrative things accomplished that pertain
to your organization. Team pictures, town collections, parent player
nights. You will find it hard for yourself to stay on task during this
time because like the kids you are itching for the contact, the sound of
the pads but it will pay off in the long run if you persist to this time
table If your league doesn't prescribe to this it doesn't mean you can't
unless time prohibits. The key to remember is that this may be the first
encounter with football for some or most of your players.

The First Week

I have found that keeping practice to a scheduled time will pay off with
accomplishing everything you need to do and also put you on the good side
of the parents. I hate it when a function is to wrap up at a predetermined
time and only to end up waiting. Schedule your practices and stick to the
schedule. The first day or two you should cover your practice schedule
with the players and let them know the starting and ending times. Also let
them know the consequences if they show up late.

Warm up and Stretching

A lot of coaches like to run their camp like a boot camp. I have watched
guys run their warm ups like a forced march. In all of my clinics I have
attended the key has been on stretching and warming up of the muscles.
Your players are young and most are more agile than you. You should have
them warm up with some light aerobic , jumping jacks are good since they
also bring in coordination. After that some stretching exercises. This can
be done in a sequence that ends up with the player on the ground. The
sequence could be some arm stretches, calf stretches, butterflies, hurdler
stretch and then onto their back for a few sit ups. There are two
exercises I avoid, Neck Bridges and leg raises. I rather have the players
pair up for neck resistance. I have heard too many conflicting reports for
leg raises that I found it better to drop that exercise. The neck
resistance I feel is better because most youths cannot get their head up
onto their helmet.

Circuit Training

The use of circuits has always intrigued me. You can accomplish a lot of
technique in fifteen minutes and the players get up for the practice if
you keep it up tempo. This also allows for your staff to get to the field
because you don't need a full staff to run these drill after the first
week. During the first two week stake extra time to get the circuit drills
down. Allow the players to finish the drill and emphasis execution instead
of a race. Most players tend to speed through the drill and you have to
stay on task and remind them to do the drill not rush it. Here are a few
of the circuits I have done:

• Kareoke Stress the eyes straight ahead and hips down


• The Backpeddle, shuffle and sprint. Set up four cones in a 10 yard
  square. The intent on this drill is to keep the hips down, fast footwork
  and eyes straight ahead. The player starts out facing the coach and
  Backpeddle to the first cone, he then shuffles across the back to the
  next cone while still watching the coach, at the next cone he sprints
  forward the the next cone and then shuffles to the next cone.


• The W drill. Set up a few cones (5 or more). The cones are five yards
  apart in the shape of a W. The player sprints toward the first cone on
  the angle and does a fire step (choppy) to stop at the cone, without
  turning his body he sprints to the next cone all the while keeping his
  hips low and looking straight ahead.


• Stumble into the end zone. This drill is done five yards from the end
  zone or a line. The group lines up more than arms length apart and
  stumbles into the endzone touching their hand on the ground every few
  steps. They walk back out of the endzone. Then they do a whirlybird,
  this is done by jogging halfway putting their hand on the ground and
  spinning, they get upright and after a few steps put the other hand down
  and spin. They walk out of the end zone. Lastly have them pair off and
  one hangs onto the back of the other and then they are dragged into the
  endzone.


• Right-Left-short choppy. Line up at least three players (no more than
  five) about arms length apart. The players get a good break down
  position , hips low, hands in front feet moving. As you shout "Right",
  "Left", "Left" etc. The players turn 90 degrees to
  that side. This is a fun drill as they anticipate and go the wrong way.
  After a few turns yell go and they sprint past you (approximately five
  yards)

All of these circuits should be accomplished in about five minutes each.
This time isn't etched in stone but the players should get to do the drill
at least twice. Remember stress completion of the drill and not to hurry.
As the season progresses you will see them pick up the pace and be able to
handle the drill quicker. When breaking into these circuit groups you may
want to chose the groups to keep everything as even as possible.

KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) and Keeping to the basics

This is as easy as it gets. I think that some of the problems that the
Pros and Colleges have is they get too complicated. So keep it in the
front of your mind that these players haven't been following the game like
you and for as long as you. Today's players don't play street ball like we
did and when they watch a game on TV they are looking for the big run the
big dance after the TD. The Basics of football is stay low, have quick
feet know the play and your assignment. Many coaches sluff off the stance,
posture and explaining to the player the object of the play. Wether they
are a lineman, end or running back they have to learn to get a good
football position keep their hips low and get in a comfortable stance. Set
aside at least twenty (20) minutes of your practice for these parts of the
game. No matter what age group you coach at or what level set aside a time
of practice to go over your buzz words of the game. Show the formations,
whole or gap labeling and any other jargon you use. Even after all of my
years coaching I hear new names for a weak side line backer or
abbreviations for the three down defensive linemen.

Positional Drills

Lineman

After the basics you then half to break into Lineman, Backs, receivers
and QBs. This session should be about fifteen (15) minutes. Use the KISS
method here as well. Keep the blocking assignments as uncomplicated as
possible. Even a seven year old can be taught how to pull and when to do
it. One thing I want you to notice is I didn't call the backs receivers
and QBs as skill players. This label gets in my crawl. A lineman
(Offensive or Defensive) have more to learn than a back. They have to know
where the back is going, what defense they are against, which defensive
player is being optioned and the list goes on. He also has to stay low and
have quick feet. That said take this time to go over more and more of the
assignments. The line drills should stress the position of the hips (low
and squatted), their feet should stay shoulder width apart throughout the
block. A good drill is to use a board that the players have to straddle.
If they touch the board with their feet they have to start over. Another
drill for lineman incorporates a rope or some device that the player will
hit with their helmet if they stand upright.

Backs

Receivers

QBs