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Post by wingt74 on Aug 14, 2007 7:04:08 GMT -6
For two years, I had the same group of kids. Hard hitting, good lineman, QB who can throw...but very limited speed / explosiveness.
New kid out for the team this season. I've been blessed and cursed at the same time. Good size kid, excellent speed.
In a walkthrough, he hits the hole FAST with good pad level. In tackling drills, he is very tough to bring down.
We ran our first intrasquad scrim last night. Oh boy...Barry Sanders syndrome. Dance dance dance dance. After 3 or 4 carries, my assistants pulled him from the scrim and worked with him 1 on 1.
No help, he loves to dance around.
If this kid runs the way he is capable, makes 1!! just 1 cut, and then finishes a run, he is going to be deadly.
Any thoughts here on how to coach this kid? A good drill or two?
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Post by dacoachmo on Aug 14, 2007 7:19:41 GMT -6
line up three agile pads.
have him start 5 yards from the middle pad.
run at the middle pad then cut to the hole and in the "shoot"
REPS,REPS,REPS
remind him of one cut only.
remember it takes 21 days to build a habit...
also do you have a toss/jet sweep play for him???
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Post by lochness on Aug 14, 2007 10:54:59 GMT -6
In addition to the suggestions already out here...
Show him film about where seams develop in your blocking scheme and how important it is to hit them hard. Sometimes kids need "visual proof" too.
OR
Put him at FB where he doesn't have to time or space to "dance" very much.
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Post by ajreaper on Aug 14, 2007 12:51:56 GMT -6
I'd start him off at FB as lochness suggested. It's a position that requires little decision making early in the run.
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Post by wingt74 on Aug 14, 2007 13:26:08 GMT -6
Thanks for the replies. Good idea on moving to FB for the switch. Two probs is he is learning the HB position, and I have two very solid FBs.
Good ideas on the videos and the drill. Also, I think he just needs to feel what a good, solid, 5 yard gain on a Lead feels like.
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Post by tye2021 on Aug 14, 2007 14:34:24 GMT -6
You could threaten him the way my coach did me. He told me if I started dancing before I got to the whole he was going to kick my as I began to see things his way I saw the positive of it all. Yes this was an old school coach.
On the real tell him to run straight no dancing. For everytime he starts to dance especially before he hits the hole he owes you something. After a few suicides he stop.
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Post by groundchuck on Aug 14, 2007 18:39:51 GMT -6
One thing I do during team O period if I have a dancer at TB is stand just outside the hole (if it is off tackle) and he must run it up through the hole or he will hit me. I tell him if he hits me he is done playing TB. Once they are through the hole and past the LOS we tell them they get one cut then they must be headed north-south. Good backs will find a way to make defenders miss in the open field.
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Post by phantom on Aug 14, 2007 18:55:32 GMT -6
Consider this- don't waste too much time trying to make him into a TB. IMO, TBs are born, not made. Either they have the "feel" or they don't. By all means, keep working with him for now. He seems to have the potential to be worth it. Don't spend the whole season trying to make him something he's not, though. There are numerous ways that he can contribute: FB, WR, TE, defense. If you do have to move him certainly you can try him again next year. The light may turn on. Of course, by then he may be too valuable in his new role to experiment.
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Post by lochness on Aug 15, 2007 4:36:22 GMT -6
Sometimes it just takes a little "wake up" speech, too...
"MEN don't run the ball like that. That's what children and old ladies who are afraid do. MEN hit the frigging hole called and if someone is in their way, they run their a$$ over. We don't play children or old ladies on this team...we only play MEN. So, you need to decide what you are going to be. If you are going to run afraid and undicsiplined, it's not going to be RB."
Something to that effect should awaken him to your style of thinking.
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Post by wingt74 on Aug 15, 2007 6:58:58 GMT -6
Great replies. Speech time tonight as I've officially demoted him to 2nd team HB. And the kid that is 1st team doesn't have 1/2 the natural ability.
I'll give him a chance again tonight...still 3 1/2 weeks before our first game but we have a scrim saturday
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Post by wingt74 on Aug 21, 2007 7:43:21 GMT -6
I've had it with this kid. He now seems to have a back problem that creeps up when it's convienient. He dogged conditioning last night because he was complaining of his back. After practice, I see him running full speed catching a pass from a friend.
He has the most talent on the team too...but little to no desire to play. Two practices ago during a water break he was messing chatting with some girls.
I have no idea what to do with him except for put him on the bench. But it seems he won't care. Is there anything wrong with calling his parents (13 yr old we're talking about) and getting them to help?
(By the way - In the scrimmage, we ran a pitch to him which he dropped on the ground...then picked it up, stopped, ran back the other way for a 20 yard gain.)
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Post by dacoachmo on Aug 21, 2007 7:50:35 GMT -6
put him in the "doghouse" talk to the parents...my asst talked to the parents of one of my WRS about not being a good blocker...ever since he is knocking people around!!!
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