bighit65
Junior Member
Make a statement without saying a word.
Posts: 397
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Post by bighit65 on Jul 16, 2018 10:40:37 GMT -6
I have been coaching at the high school level for about 10 years now. My 9 year son is going to be playing for the first time this season. We have a good group of energetic positive kids who all enjoy hanging with each other. They did not win a game last year but we took the team and signed then up for winter indoor soccer just to keep them competing together. They ended up winning a house league title despite only 3 of the 14 ever having played soccer. A large reason was the way that they communicated and encouraged each other throughout. With that being said I will be the only dad with extensive coaching experience. I have signed up as an assistant due to time constraints but would love to hear tips for bringing the staff together as well as the kids have done for themselves. It's a great group and as far as I can tell, the dads seem alright also. So, what are must haves for an inexperienced youth staff that seems willing to learn?
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Post by coachs21 on Jul 19, 2018 6:02:55 GMT -6
Best thing to do is teach what you know. The better you understand it the easier time you'll have teaching it. Now because of the age group differences you may need adjust some things to make it work.
What did you run before?
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bighit65
Junior Member
Make a statement without saying a word.
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Post by bighit65 on Jul 19, 2018 6:09:45 GMT -6
That's the thing. On O, we are a spread air raid that includes the QB run game when we have a capable guy. On D, we are a 4 front with quarters coverage. Not exactly what I envision when I think youth ball with kids this young. I have already started to whittle down concepts that can be successfully, and more importantly simply, while still having a commonality with what I know. As the season nears, I am starting to get those familiar pre-season bursts of anticipation. I just need to get to know all of the coaches better so that we can have a good communicative environment.
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bighit65
Junior Member
Make a statement without saying a word.
Posts: 397
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Post by bighit65 on Jul 19, 2018 6:13:07 GMT -6
On O, we ran an air raid with QB run game when we had the guy to do it. So I know that that aspect can help at this age. On D, an even front with quarters coverage. We were pretty multiple so I am not so concerned with this side of the ball. I know it well enough that I can teach and adjust it without a problem. I guess the real work is going to be getting to know the coaches better at this point.
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Post by coachs21 on Jul 19, 2018 9:11:26 GMT -6
Air raid can be a little tougher to translate to the youth game since it's usually so pass focused while the youth game is mostly running. You're probably going to have to limit your passing concepts to what your qb has the ability to throw. You're also going to need an answer for the inevitable press cover 0 you will face.
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Post by coachd5085 on Jul 19, 2018 10:58:54 GMT -6
I have been coaching at the high school level for about 10 years now. My 9 year son is going to be playing for the first time this season. We have a good group of energetic positive kids who all enjoy hanging with each other. They did not win a game last year but we took the team and signed then up for winter indoor soccer just to keep them competing together. They ended up winning a house league title despite only 3 of the 14 ever having played soccer. A large reason was the way that they communicated and encouraged each other throughout. With that being said I will be the only dad with extensive coaching experience. I have signed up as an assistant due to time constraints but would love to hear tips for bringing the staff together as well as the kids have done for themselves. It's a great group and as far as I can tell, the dads seem alright also. So, what are must haves for an inexperienced youth staff that seems willing to learn? I am not sure if you are familiar with the name Dave Cisar but just look into him, introduce that name to the HC and other guys, and just follow that path. |
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Post by seabass on Jul 19, 2018 15:48:11 GMT -6
I know Dave, he's a good dude, despite being a SW nut. You could learn a lot about coaching a youth team from Dave's stuff, even if you don't use his offense or defense. He has some great systems!
I coached youth football for 6 seasons. I had a blast doing it.
With a bunch of inexperienced coaches you will likely have to coach them first. Plan out what you want to do (keep it simple) and then figure out ways that the AC's can contribute.
I wouldn't let an inexperienced AC touch blocking or tackling...if it were me.
At 9 y/o football you will beat a lot of teams on the defensive side by simply stopping sweep. Conversely, you will score a lot of points if you can do something more than run sweep.
One of the great challenges of coaching with dad's is getting the right players into their correct positions. Way too many youth coaching staff's have their own kids playing positions they have no business playing. Those are hard conversations to have with another dad but if you don't have them early, it can get pretty miserable pretty quick.
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Post by davecisar on Jul 19, 2018 17:19:50 GMT -6
Make it fun
Be CONCISE
Show dont tell
Teach in Progressions
Use one word coaching points for each progression
BE ORGANIZED
Do the ordinary extraordinarily well- blocking, tackling, ball protection
Get lots of reps
DONT wasted time on set aside conditioning, cals, agilities etc
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Post by coachd5085 on Jul 19, 2018 18:24:19 GMT -6
Make it fun Be CONCISE Show dont tell Teach in Progressions Use one word coaching points for each progression BE ORGANIZED Do the ordinary extraordinarily well- blocking, tackling, ball protection Get lots of reps DONT wasted time on set aside conditioning, cals, agilities etc This guy! |
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Post by bobgoodman on Jul 19, 2018 20:50:05 GMT -6
I know Dave, he's a good dude, despite being a SW nut. You could learn a lot about coaching a youth team from Dave's stuff, even if you don't use his offense or defense. He'll tell you that himself -- that although he's very enamored of them, they're not the chief selling point of his materials. His teachings on organization and methods are. If you can just consistently hold them to a 25-yard gain when they get the ball wide by any means, that gets you into at least the middle tier of success in most leagues. A slight edge in recovering loose balls goes a long way too. Consistency making and completing snaps can also get you about a win per season, if you're in a circuit where the defensive rush on the snapper is unrestricted or only lightly so. |
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bighit65
Junior Member
Make a statement without saying a word.
Posts: 397
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Post by bighit65 on Jul 26, 2018 12:41:59 GMT -6
All great info, fellas. I appreciate it. I love that this game can still present fresh challenges after being involved for almost 30 years now.
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Post by bobgoodman on Jul 26, 2018 19:43:20 GMT -6
Clark Wilkins says you need to give your 2nd- & 3rd-level defenders some particular places to look at their opponents before and just at the snap. Even if where you tell them to look 1st doesn't give them an optimal read, he thinks it's bound to give them a better read than if they themselves decide where to look -- that is, inexperienced players' intuition will be wrong more than right.
Speaking of 2nd & 3rd level, this bit of advice for coaching children's offenses is controversial, but even though I've done drills to train this, I don't think it pays to have man assignments for downfield blocking. In other words, don't spend time on who should block whom in the open field when it comes to lead blocking, and drilling keeping them in sight (which is a hard skill for blockers who have to move a good distance sideways with a crowd in their line of sight), but have the runner follow the blockers while they "run for a TD" themselves or protect the inside or outside of the runner's lane.
There will also be decisions on emphasis to make. There are things you can spend time on to beat the 10% of teams that might make a difference against, or you can focus on what it takes to beat 80% or even 50% of them. You'll adjust that emphasis as you re-evaluate your team over the season.
Also, don't spend time on skills or development you won't make use of & aren't fun. In-season conditioning for endurance per se produces little in the way of results, is hardly ever a competitive factor at that age, and is boring. They'll get some conditioning just by means of your not wasting their time in practice, arranging drills so as to get them lots of reps in minimum time. Per se agility training with cone obstacle courses or rope ladders are also a waste once they put on pads for the season. I think a lot of coaches resort to them because they can't think of anything else to do. These things can be somewhat productive off season -- preferably while they're practicing another sport! ;-)
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Colonel Perry
Sophomore Member
Random Thought: Parents who call plays from the stands should join my staff.
Posts: 142
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Post by Colonel Perry on Jan 30, 2019 1:23:33 GMT -6
Clark Wilkins says you need to give your 2nd- & 3rd-level defenders some particular places to look at their opponents before and just at the snap. Even if where you tell them to look 1st doesn't give them an optimal read, he thinks it's bound to give them a better read than if they themselves decide where to look -- that is, inexperienced players' intuition will be wrong more than right. Speaking of 2nd & 3rd level, this bit of advice for coaching children's offenses is controversial, but even though I've done drills to train this, I don't think it pays to have man assignments for downfield blocking. In other words, don't spend time on who should block whom in the open field when it comes to lead blocking, and drilling keeping them in sight (which is a hard skill for blockers who have to move a good distance sideways with a crowd in their line of sight), but have the runner follow the blockers while they "run for a TD" themselves or protect the inside or outside of the runner's lane. There will also be decisions on emphasis to make. There are things you can spend time on to beat the 10% of teams that might make a difference against, or you can focus on what it takes to beat 80% or even 50% of them. You'll adjust that emphasis as you re-evaluate your team over the season. Also, don't spend time on skills or development you won't make use of & aren't fun. In-season conditioning for endurance per se produces little in the way of results, is hardly ever a competitive factor at that age, and is boring. They'll get some conditioning just by means of your not wasting their time in practice, arranging drills so as to get them lots of reps in minimum time. Per se agility training with cone obstacle courses or rope ladders are also a waste once they put on pads for the season. I think a lot of coaches resort to them because they can't think of anything else to do. These things can be somewhat productive off season -- preferably while they're practicing another sport! ;-) I know this was written not to long ago but good advice has no expiration date!! |
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Post by bobgoodman on Jan 30, 2019 13:02:09 GMT -6
Want more? I think it was Dave Potter who worded it this way: that when it comes to blocking, learning why, who, and when to block should take priority over how to block.
How are you going to teach "why"? I suppose you could try chalk talks, but I don't recommend them for most players that age. This is where Dave Cisar's advice to show rather than tell comes in. Do some live & "freeze" team blocking drills with players from the OL in position to carry the ball. Then they'll see where the hole needs to open, & when & how long it needs to be open. They'll also get an idea of how much control they need over the opponent to keep him from making the tackle or diverting the runner.
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