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Post by banditgsk on Aug 15, 2006 7:54:28 GMT -6
What techniques can you recommend to bring out more aggressiveness in players? I realize this is not a subject everyone thinks is politically correct, but we have some young players that are really borderline sissies, if you know what I mean (youth age 13-15). (After reading this before sending it, perhaps I should define sissies...what I mean is a general lack of assertiveness, always finding a little ache that makes them want to stay out of a drill, and general loafing between drills.)
I recently used the Sumo drill for the linemen, and began to see a little more assertiveness, but not to the degree that is necessary in football. The HC has continually told the team that football is not for everyone, and those not performing need to step up. However, I think it is the coaching staffs' responsibility to try to develop the skills needed to be successful, and the skill that is needed is more aggressiveness. After warm-ups, we start everyday off with blocking one-on-one followed by Oklahoma drill, and we try to pair up kids of similar talent and size to prevent injuries. Sometimes the drill looks more like a love-fest with hugs being exchanges rather than good football contact.
Thanks for your advice as I know there are lots of coaches with far more years experience than I and you most likely have encountered this before.
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Post by brophy on Aug 15, 2006 8:18:13 GMT -6
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Post by chiefscoach on Aug 15, 2006 8:23:30 GMT -6
Yeah alot of coaches beat up thier players in drills to make them tougher but I dont not necessarily agree. I coach linebackers and as scary as it sounds I sometimes have kids who are not very tough. So what I do is be patient with them. I have them do all the tackling drills and emphasize proper tackling technique. We also have a tackling sled that has really been great for us because we can work Technique on it without the Bag hitting back. I had two guys in just 3 weeks have gone from wondering if they wanted to still be linebackers lol to really becoming sound tacklers. I also always remind them that when they tackle correctly it dosent hurt nearly as bad.
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Post by brophy on Aug 15, 2006 8:26:41 GMT -6
There is a high-estrogen level in our water supply or something....because every time we've tried to crash-bang-wham the guys into "toughness", rather than nuture the aggression, we end up getting guys who HATE to hit and shy away from contact.
The more we go over stuff and keep things simple, the more these guys take it and run with it...AND MAKE IT THEIR OWN.
Have you ever had a coach going spastic on the sidelines telling you to "KILL HIM!!" Rip his head off! MURDERIZE him!".....clearly the guy was frustrated...and this frustration was projected on to you, the player. Did that actually help you in your assignment? Did that clearly define what you should and should not do? I think we fail to comprehend how ignorant some of these kids are in basic fundamentals and that either you're going to bite or not, a coach can't MAKE you do what you don't believe you can do in the first place. However, if I can get you to believe you KNOW how to do something, the faith in yourself and your abilities increases.
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Post by coachjd on Aug 15, 2006 13:42:22 GMT -6
Next monday when we can start to hit other bodies we will start practice off with a drill that we call the "MUST DRILL" Basically it is the oklahoma 1 on 1 drill, but we do it by positions for 5 min. a day just to set the tone. Each guy is getting 2-3 reps, but it is the entire team. We will even set up some match ups once or twice a year and call the 3 or 4 matchups that we feel the entire team needs to see and set the tone for the day.
We tell the kids that blocking and play physical is a MUST. We MUST play physical to win. The kids love this drill and it usally sets the tone for the entire week. Once the season starts we only do the drill on Tuesday and Wednesdays.
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Post by fbdoc on Aug 17, 2006 10:21:59 GMT -6
I would say that aggressiveness is different from wanting to hit (tackle) someone. We will do our Oklahomas in a talent/size setup where our best go against each other and our backups or younger kids cand do the same so they develop the confidence to get the job done.
One drill we use specifically for aggressiveness is Dummy Pull (the kids call it Gladiator). Match 2 kids up with a long hand hold Tackling/Blocking dummy. They each wrap their arms around their end - they cannot hold onto the "handles" and on the whistle they try to take the dummy away from the other guy. Running, ramming (shoulder pads), anything but helmet butting is allowed. First man to lose balance or lost his hold, loses. Winners advance (we generally have 5 or 6 groups of kids going until we have the final two winnners. It's good for all levels - often times a backup will just be wirey enough to leverage a win and raise his status on the team.
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easternkycoach
Freshmen Member
Just a squirrel tryin' to get a nut!
Posts: 92
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Post by easternkycoach on Aug 22, 2006 4:05:51 GMT -6
We play a game called keeper of the nest. One attacker vs. two defenders. We use a towel as the object to be protected. Create a box 5 yards wide and 10 yards long with cones at the corners. Place the towel at the back of the box on the ground, pull it up in the center to get it to stand up several inches. Allow the defenders to align themselves in the box, between the attacker and the towel. They will find that one in front, one behind gives them the best chance to defend. On the whistle the attacker attempts to grab the towel (he must grab, not just touch). The attacker must stay in bounds and can use any football technique, rip, push pull, swim, bear crawl, he can. The defenders can do any legal blocking, even double team but cannot hold, tackle, or hit the attacker in the back. If the defender lands on the attacker he must let him up but the other defender can get reset in the meantime. The attacker has 5 seconds to get to the towel. You would not believe some of the athletic moves the attackers will come up with and will be suprised at the teamwork the defenders will come up with. It is a great unity and aggressiveness builder and it is a lot of fun. The loser gets to do 5 push-ups or 10 sit-ups also! Have fun!
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