How do you make Freshman care? Create a good look on scout?

Encourage them to embarrass the starters by making plays and praise/reward them for doing so.

That was what we used to do, but over time, as players got in better shape, and as they realized it didn't influence playing time, they would simply accept the down-ups and treated it just like a regular drill.

Our program's approach is that if you don't care, you won't put in the effort, and you won't play.  We really do not do much in terms of motivational speaking.  We just tell our kids what they need to do if they want to succeed.  If they choose to be lazy, then they will not succeed.  Same goes for the program as a whole.  We encourage them to adopt the program, as it is just as much their program as it is for us coaches.  Again, if you want to be lazy, fine.  If you don't want to put in the effort, fine...but we won't win.  We tell them it is their choice.

This laid back and "simple reminder," approach has payed off really well for us.  What we are seeing now, is that the starters who have gotten comfortable feeling that their starting spot is locked up, have been getting lazy/getting and ego, and now, are getting replaced by younger/less athletic guys who are simply out-working the starters.  We have about four or five players that hardly ever saw the field last year, and now have worked their ways into potential starting roles over their own classmates that started over them.

Fortunately, many of our starters have answered that threat to their playing time with working harder as well.  We still aren't as strong as we want to be, but we are definitely getting better each year.

I'm sure they care, but like rudyrude9 alluded to, there is no way a 9th grade lineman should be able to go toe to toe with a 12th grade lineman. The "lack of caring" may very well be their defense mechanism.

Can your varsity DL just fit in to their gaps and not go full go? That may help give your OL incentive to go faster and try a little more, it's no fun getting your butt handed to you physically then getting told you don't care.

In an ideal situation you do want freshman to have an independent practice. Unfortunately at my school we do not have enough freshman number to do this. During team, 7 on 7, and inside run/interior, the Varsity are together and the Frosh/Sophs are together. As the head JV coach I decided that during summer camp (July) I create two teams with Frosh/Soph mixed so that each team is basically equal at each position. I always reiterate that this is competition for 1st team in August. Then come our first practice in August I create the depth chart and there are always 1 or 2 freshman that start on our JV Squad.

During the season the freshman get better week to week and by about week 3 they give the sophs a great look. I think this is mostly in part to the fact that they know they are 1 play away from being that starter due to being mixed in the summer.

Each week we award a t-shirt to the offensive scout team player, the defensive scout team player, and the special teams scout team players of the week. These shirts are awarded at the end of practice on the game field at the end of our pre-game practice and is done in front of the entire team.

Do you have to use the freshmen team as a scout team?  In my experience, you are not getting a quality look for the varsity.  In most cases, the varsity will develop a false of confidence going against lower level skill kids in practice. 

However, I do understand that some situations dictate that you must use them as scout team for the varsity.  I would limit their use to the following specific situations:

OFFENSE

scout defense holds shields so that varsity offense can run/review plays against them
7 vs. 7 skeleton

DEFENSE

scout defense utilized for formation recognition (opposing team)
7 vs. 7 skeleton

In my experience, these scenarios present the best use of freshmen on the scout team.  I would reward them with some form of recognition (stickers, shirt, etc...) for outstanding effort.  Ask yourself if you would want to spend a majority of your time being a practice dummy for somebody else?

MCRSA75

I'm really not sure why I bother to ask questions on this board.

CV13 there seems to be some confusion as to whether you actually use freshman as a varsity scout team? From what you have described, you call plays for the freshman, but you work with the varsity WR. I would say you have been put in a difficult role as a coach. I would be curious to know what the ratio is of instructional time with the freshman compared to the varsity? I am the head freshman coach at my high school with absolutely no varsity responsibilities at all. It gives me an opportunity to work with only freshman and they get to know me as a person. I relate coaching to teaching, and if the student or in this case the athlete trusts you and you have created a relationship with that kid, then they will put in that effort for you. I try to get over to the middle school on thursday after practice to watch the 7th and 8th grade practice. I get to know these kids and start to build a relationship with them before I actually get to coach them.