OT: Calling all coaches on the board
I could use some advice. I assistant-coach a 10-12 year old youth football team. We were 0-3 with two tough losses going into yesterday, and got PMITA Prison'ed 27-0. How bad was it? Try this on for size:
-They ran 42 plays, we ran 13 and got one first down, on our very last drive.
-The opposition onside-kicked to start the second half, our tight end on the KOR team just watched it bounce in front of him as they recovered.
-They converted lots of 3rd and 4th downs from long range (8+ yards).
-We had arm tackling and standing around on D.
-Our safeties never ever were the deepest men, even though that's their primary job on defense, and our LBs never covered the flat.
-Our opponent is historically terrible and played with no hustle or attention to detail. There was no unstoppable player; they got 5 yards on every play if not less than that.
We're not really sure what the answers are. Unlike previous games, our guys played with absolutely no urgency or desire. They gave us a lot of blank stares on the sideline and weren't focused when in the game.
We got beat pretty bad last weekend by a good team, which was understandable; but everything changed when our QB threw a pick-six to open the second half of that game. Is it possible the team just packed it in at that point? We changed around some schemes this week but nothing too radical and the basic blocking and tackling principles have stayed the same.
In any event, I could use some thoughts on how to approach practice, how to adjust and how to get the kids motivated because a lot of them just don't seem to care. I coach in a tony suburb that has a deserved reputation for soft kids and lots of our players have come from sport environments where full-team accountability doesn't exist (i.e. soccer) and, basically, failure is tolerated. I don't care about winning the game per se, but lame-ass performances build bad life habits and I'm not going to let the kids think that's OK.
October 11th, 2009 at 1:20 PM ^
Whenever I coach kids under the age of 14 (high schoolers) I try to take the emphasis sometimes off tactics and what they perceive as boring practice and do something that builds teamwork and competitiveness. In the past I have done everything from putt putt golf to actually taking the kids to a Michigan game. Kids need a break from the every day practice and most importantly they need something that makes them competitive. It's different for every kid and every team, thats why you're the coach. You know your team the best.
October 11th, 2009 at 1:20 PM ^
Mr. Coach Klein? I was wondering if you could use the services of an experienced w-w-waterboy?
October 11th, 2009 at 1:21 PM ^
You have to remember the kids are 10-12 years old. I coached kids 8-9 at a YMCA for 2 years. And while you would always like to win, the most important thing you can do is make sure the kids are having fun playing. Make sure everyone gets into the game. I dont know how you run your practices but I would try to find fun drills that the kids can get into, rather than working them to death. Not saying thats what you do by the way.
October 11th, 2009 at 1:43 PM ^
"You have to remember the kids are 10-12 years old."
We remind ourselves of this a lot when kids screw around or show up late, and we let them be kids for the most part. On the other hand, even at this age football is a sport that doesn't work like soccer, basketball or baseball - everyone is involved on every play, and we emphasize that they are playing a different kind of game that depends on everyone's contribution.
"Make sure everyone gets into the game."
We have a strict minimum-play rule, which I support, that says no kid can sit out two consecutive series (we have 18 kids). So everyone plays at least half the ballgame. But it's a double-edged sword. The fallback football incentive - if you don't work, we'll replace you with someone who will - doesn't really exist. The ones who are at defensive tackle and want to play running back are just lazy players with delusions of grandeur*, so we can't move them in when the starting FB isn't going full speed.
"I dont know how you run your practices but I would try to find fun drills that the kids can get into, rather than working them to death. Not saying thats what you do by the way."
We try to give them lots of simple hit-and-run drills like the 3 on 3/Oklahoma/West Point drill to get them used to speed, contact and competition.
*The kids from bad home environments whose parents won't get them to practice on time are kids I really try to be positive with. They need expectations, because they don't get them at home, but also the feeling they are appreciated and believed in. The suburban kids who have never wanted for anything, and whose parents take them out to practice to shuttle them to some other activity, don't have an excuse in my mind and I am less forgiving when they do things they know not to do.
October 11th, 2009 at 1:24 PM ^
But have you read "Bo's Lasting Lessons," co-written with John Bacon?
The book does a good job of explaining how the same things Bo did do demand success out of his players every day can be applied to any type of leadership position.
But the special case of a meltdown by a young football squad is pretty tricky--from what you say it sounds like these guys don't particularly care about winning for the head coach, or for the game of football, or their teammates, or themselves. I think the last three can all be implemented if you're pretty clever--a team bonding night in the middle of the week honestly may help. Maybe you host all the kids to watch NFL games on Sunday or Monday, where they can have fun, get psyched about football, and you can take the opportunity to teach them some football stuff.
As far as dealing with a player one-on-one, an excellent resource if you're not going to read Bo's book overnight might be the best school teacher you can find--they've taken in courses in child psychology and have worked at trying to get even unmotivated kids to read and such.
October 11th, 2009 at 1:41 PM ^
beat your TE for just looking at the ball, then do what the guy above me says.
October 11th, 2009 at 4:15 PM ^
Don't pass with 10-12 year olds/
October 11th, 2009 at 5:15 PM ^
JV football and I applaude anyone for coaching lower than that. I get pissed at our kids for general lack of life skills and couldn't possibly imagine having to do it with younger kids. That said, general softness doesn't get solved in 1 year. Its a process. It takes multiple years of different people making sure they understand what is expected of them.
Now game things. With kids that young, you really dont need to pass. With kids that young, just find a way to get your best player the ball. At that age, 1 player can dominate the game. Also, make sure your yelling out to kids reminding them what they are supposed to do. My kids aren't smart enough to remember what they are supposed to be doing at times.
Just enjoy it. Try to teach them as many fundamentals and life skills as you can. You also might want to contact your high school head coach and see what offense he runs and try to scheme around that. It will help them in the future.