Serious question re: big kids

If we`re just talking weight, I had one 128 lb 11yr old who would hit, he wasn`t mean, but he delivered the punishment, but he wasn`t fat, he just happened to have sprouted early, so I don`t think he really counts here. When it comes to chubby kids, we had one who could give bursts, but still wasn`t clobbering kids in open space, he could just drive the O lineman backwards into the backfield action. Had one kid so incapable of contact, we had to start by teaching him to fall down.

My thoughts, too. A lot of them are taught to be careful and be meek because of their size, so they never develop aggressive streaks or mean dispositions.

we have a kid that will be a senior this year that is 6'9" 320 and it took until about halfway through his junior year before he developed a little mean streak. Everyone was afraid he would never make it because he was too timid and soft. Now he will be going to Oklahoma next fall on a scholly!

Many times, your big kids are late bloomers physically. What I mean is they are as clumsy as they are big at a younger age, and often bypassed for the smaller kid who matures earlier and therefore is more coordinated. The problem is those smaller kids never get any bigger and get replaced by the big guys when they finally lose their clumsiness. I can't tell you the number of linemen we've had who never saw the field when they were on the Frosh team who became starters by the time they hit Varsity!
Don't write those kids off early, ESPECIALLY at the youth level.

Madden has a whole chapter devoted to this in his first book....its just how our society is.

Little guys fighting "that's one scrappy kid....he's trying to keep from getting picked on"

Big kids fighting "he doesn't realize how big he is....you need to be docile".

Big kids aren't encouraged to be assertive or physical, because they will be deemed threatening.

The good thing is....big kids play football because that is about all they can do (can't play Baseball, basketball, track, soccer, etc). Football is/will be the only thing that reinforces a positive message to them about their size.
They will identify themselves as a "football player"....they LOOK like a football player. Use this and reinforce to them that they are built to be football players. If they have confidence in their role, they will own their position.

I think it can be a confidence issue to. I have a 6'6 270 gentle giant who I have spent the last 2 years molding in to a pretty decent lineman on our level. The biggest thing I have dealt with is his fear of looking awkward and goofy when he does things. His feet were so big and slow when he started playing that he took a lot of crap from the other kids about how he looked when he was moving around. This made him passive because he thinks too much about what he will look like when he is doing certain things. I struggle just getting him to clear his head and take care of his assignment, running his feet as fast as they will possibly go. I do echo the ideas about them being told not to take advantage of their size at younger ages, but I think a lack of confidence can be a huge problem also.

Lot of coaches making great points here. I think there is some truth to what is being said.

1) Big kids are conditioned from a young age not to be overly aggressive. (I generally think this one is baloney, but there's some truth to it.)

2) Big kids lack confidence. Yahtzee! Everything up to this point in their lives, they haven't had the physical tools. Too big for desks, too slow so their picked last in sports when speed is everything, lack coordination, hell even the girls don't give them the time of day. Instill confidence though drills, teaching proper technique, and in the weightroom goes a long way to defeating this.

3) Conditioning. The same 'aggressive play' by a smaller kid takes a lot more gas out of the bigger kid. And that gas is harder to come by, particularly when you know conditioning is still coming later in practice. In my opinion, heat/conditioning is the biggest factor in this. Football to bigger kids is about self preservation...and going hard always requires more energy than not. Until they're physically strong enough to survive, they'll never be consistently aggressive players.

How are you Coaches positively re-enforcing to these "Big Kids" that its OK to be agressive? You are trying to overcome up to 15years of ingrained attitude with a few hours a week.

I have seen the usual poor practices:

Never have I seen this work. Sure it pi$$es the player off but it doesnt re-enforce that during Football your agression is being fostered.

You cant "make" a Kid tough/mean, you have to teach them. What tips and tricks do you have in your toolbox?

And then someone tells them that it is a good idea to play football.

Lol at this whole thread.
I was big growing up all my life and got picked on for it and heard the same thing "don't fight back, you'll hurt them."
I remember we had Croatian neighbours who i was talking to one afternoon while particularly upset and she(the mum) just told me I should fight back. Next day I cold cut a kid and that was the end of my bullying.

On the field, it still takes me a while to get that aggression going properly. But once my brain switches on that I need to be aggressive to win I stop worrying.
There are two mindsets, I WILL beat this guy no matter what and its just too hard. If the kids have the latter, there isn't much you can do

Appreciate the responses. Keep 'em coming.

A kid in MS doesn't have to be explosive or an athletic specimen to contribute, though

CAN the kid be aggressive (and is just suppressing it)?

Or is he just physically incapable of being aggressive (explosive)?

* if he can't, there's nothing you can do - closed subject.
* if he can, then the coach can chose to engage the player


The majority of cases you'd find are the former.
So, how does the coach allow a player to reach his potential?

Part of it would be understanding the triggers that are shutting down the player from what he could be. How can a coach unleash/unlock/develop the player's contribution?


The puberty years are tough on kids, especially boys as they struggle to find identity. Bigger kids are not going to find many images that reinforce a socially acceptable role, they're just a 'fat kid'. Those fat kids are going to know that the ladies don't want them, that they aren't going to be seen in any positive light, and they know that there really isn't much they can do to 'fit in' in a world where their size isn't reinforced
.....point is, they are going to be receiving messages that they are 'alien' and don't fit in....so they'd better not make waves or they'll face ridicule from their peers. You won't find many teens confident/secure enough in themselves enough to be willing to stand out on an (social) island. You'd better go along - get along.

So, what can a coach do?

Reinforce positive feedback. Let that kid know that he is welcome on the field. Just like you do at HS or college, make the unheralded Oline a special unit for praise. Make them important (even when they may not deserve it). The quicker they can identify their own (social) identity with their position, that football is a place that will give them social affirmation, the quicker they will embrace and own their role (and contributions).

Once they own the mental aspect (see themselves as a football player), you can really get them to buy into dedicating technique. When you have technique - you gain the 'aggressiveness' we're all looking for on the field. These kids are scared to make a mistake, or sticking out.....give them something to take pride in, but they've got to own it first