Probably one of the most un-practiced parts of the football game that we neglect as football coaches is the kicking game. As we prepare to play an opponent and prepare our football systems we tend to put the kicking game on the back burner until the last practice, line them up, kick a half a dozen or more field goals and point afters and then send the players home.
Then, with the game on the line and we need the extra point to tie or a field goal to win we send our kicking team out there, cross our fingers, and hope that they mange to convert a kick with little practice time.
Arghh!
In a lot of youth football leagues across the country they now reward 2 points for a convert and 4 points for a field goal in order to create more emphasis on the kicking game. With that many points now available to youth football coaches, your beginning to see more practice time resulting in more kick attempts during the game. Youth football players are being taught at an early age the importance of a field goal as well as a point after in a football game.
The end result is that we develop solid kicking fundamentals at the youth football level early and this carries on to the higher levels. We all know that in a close football game that a good kicker can decide the outcome. Just make sure that you practice it as part of your football systems and be confident to run it during the football game.
Perhaps investing this practice time into your kicking game will pay off and you will win that big game!
Cheers!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Football Tackling Fundamentals and Tackling Drills
One of the most frustrating things I see as a youth coach in football is poor tackling fundamentals. Watching a player come up and grab the jersey of the ball carrier and then turn and try and throw the player to the ground is definitely not good tackling. If any of your players do this in youth football its time to work on their tackling fundamentals.
The key to good tackling and football tackling drills is to teach them to have good body position. Good body position puts their body in the right position to make a proper football tackle. Now when we talk about having good body position we're talking about having a good football stance, with knees bent, butt down, flat back, neck bulled, and the head is always back with the arms slightly back, The body is now coiled and in position to make a proper tackle. By being in a coiled position the player is now in position to explode up and through the ball carrier, wrap him up with his arms, head back, neck bulled, and on contact we talk to our players about hip explosion and driving the arms up and around the torso, looking for chest to chest contact with head always back, never down.
One of the pre-season tackling drills we do to emphasize this in youth football is to get the players to partner up. We instruct them to get on their knees face to face with about ten inches between their knees. One of the players is instructed to sit up on their knees with arms extended out to their side. The other player, the tackler, is instructed to sit back with his butt on his legs; head back, neck bulled, and arms straight out behind the back. On command the player is to explode off his back legs with his hips with head back, drive the arms up under the armpits of the other player, get a good chest to chest contact, with head back, and wrap up and hold. Understand now that neither player ever leaves their knees. The coach will refer to hip explosion, head back, neck bulled, and chest to chest contact while driving the arms up and through the defender. The next step is to have the ball carrier stand straight up with arms extended out to the sides with the tackler kneeling this time on one knee with one leg up, sitting back once again, on his heel, with arms back, neck bulled and head back. On the coach's command, the kneeling player will explode up once again, drive his arms up and through the arm-pits of the player, wrap up, get a chest to chest contact, with head back, and neck bulled. Now we'll separate them about 5 yards apart, both standing, the ball carrier will once again have his arms extended out to the side. On the coaches command the ball carrier with arms extended will walk straight up toward the tackler, the tackler will step, drop to one knee, and then drive up through the ball carrier , chest to chest contact, with head back, neck bulled, wrap up and walk him back several steps.
We find that this is a good drill that emphasizes how we want our players to set up their bodies in order to make a proper tackle. We emphasize hip explosion, with head back, neck bulled, chest to chest contact, driving up through, and wrapping up. By starting them on the knees we are able to isolate and talk about their body position and specific things they need to work on to be a good tackler and progress to where they are both standing. This tackling drill slows things down to a controlled speed and emphasizes solid tackling fundamentals.
Cheers!
The key to good tackling and football tackling drills is to teach them to have good body position. Good body position puts their body in the right position to make a proper football tackle. Now when we talk about having good body position we're talking about having a good football stance, with knees bent, butt down, flat back, neck bulled, and the head is always back with the arms slightly back, The body is now coiled and in position to make a proper tackle. By being in a coiled position the player is now in position to explode up and through the ball carrier, wrap him up with his arms, head back, neck bulled, and on contact we talk to our players about hip explosion and driving the arms up and around the torso, looking for chest to chest contact with head always back, never down.
One of the pre-season tackling drills we do to emphasize this in youth football is to get the players to partner up. We instruct them to get on their knees face to face with about ten inches between their knees. One of the players is instructed to sit up on their knees with arms extended out to their side. The other player, the tackler, is instructed to sit back with his butt on his legs; head back, neck bulled, and arms straight out behind the back. On command the player is to explode off his back legs with his hips with head back, drive the arms up under the armpits of the other player, get a good chest to chest contact, with head back, and wrap up and hold. Understand now that neither player ever leaves their knees. The coach will refer to hip explosion, head back, neck bulled, and chest to chest contact while driving the arms up and through the defender. The next step is to have the ball carrier stand straight up with arms extended out to the sides with the tackler kneeling this time on one knee with one leg up, sitting back once again, on his heel, with arms back, neck bulled and head back. On the coach's command, the kneeling player will explode up once again, drive his arms up and through the arm-pits of the player, wrap up, get a chest to chest contact, with head back, and neck bulled. Now we'll separate them about 5 yards apart, both standing, the ball carrier will once again have his arms extended out to the side. On the coaches command the ball carrier with arms extended will walk straight up toward the tackler, the tackler will step, drop to one knee, and then drive up through the ball carrier , chest to chest contact, with head back, neck bulled, wrap up and walk him back several steps.
We find that this is a good drill that emphasizes how we want our players to set up their bodies in order to make a proper tackle. We emphasize hip explosion, with head back, neck bulled, chest to chest contact, driving up through, and wrapping up. By starting them on the knees we are able to isolate and talk about their body position and specific things they need to work on to be a good tackler and progress to where they are both standing. This tackling drill slows things down to a controlled speed and emphasizes solid tackling fundamentals.
Cheers!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
P90X Work-out for Football Training
If you're looking for a solid work-out to get yourself into football shape then P90X is a great product to invest into. Like you I watched all the testimonies on television and I must admit that I was somewhat a sceptic, that is until I ordered the product myself and went through the program.
What you get is a series of DVD's along with a very nice book illustrating the various work-outs and tips as well as diets to follow that will get you the maximum results. The book is very informative with great pictures and explains each and every work-out. As you watch and participate, the trainer Tony Horton is exceptional in bringing you along at your own pace. The DVD is filmed in his gym and there is always several participants work-out with him in the video, in a way it's just like being at the gym.
One thing for sure, it will challenge you! At 45 years old I found it tough going in the early part of the program, but I hung in there and found it got easier each week and the results were great. I noticed the inches going down before the weight, probably because I was building muscle. I like it because I was able to do it in the comfort of my own home, and press the pause button when I needed to, in fact they recommend it.
As far as a work-out for football and being a football coach and former player myself I though it did a good job on covering all of the major core muscle groups. In fact there's even a few football type exercises included. Basically, all you need is some free weights, a chair, some exercise bands, and a pull up bar if you can get one, if not the bands will do the trick!
It's been a few months since I finished the program and as the weight creeps back on I am motivated to do the program once again. Give it a try, I recommend it for any football players or coaches!
Cheers!
What you get is a series of DVD's along with a very nice book illustrating the various work-outs and tips as well as diets to follow that will get you the maximum results. The book is very informative with great pictures and explains each and every work-out. As you watch and participate, the trainer Tony Horton is exceptional in bringing you along at your own pace. The DVD is filmed in his gym and there is always several participants work-out with him in the video, in a way it's just like being at the gym.
One thing for sure, it will challenge you! At 45 years old I found it tough going in the early part of the program, but I hung in there and found it got easier each week and the results were great. I noticed the inches going down before the weight, probably because I was building muscle. I like it because I was able to do it in the comfort of my own home, and press the pause button when I needed to, in fact they recommend it.
As far as a work-out for football and being a football coach and former player myself I though it did a good job on covering all of the major core muscle groups. In fact there's even a few football type exercises included. Basically, all you need is some free weights, a chair, some exercise bands, and a pull up bar if you can get one, if not the bands will do the trick!
It's been a few months since I finished the program and as the weight creeps back on I am motivated to do the program once again. Give it a try, I recommend it for any football players or coaches!
Cheers!
Football Team Goals
Now that you have your football systems in place, its time to set up some team goals with your players. Team goals are basically minimum standards that you set as the football coach in order to challenge your players to play and compete at a high level at all times.
Team goals could be the number of receptions you have,or the number turn-overs you give up during the game. It could be the number of penalties, the number of yards gained per run or given up or even the percentage of third down conversions that you capitalize on in your games. It could be the percentage of points scored from inside the red zone or even the number of wins you need to make the play-offs or to secure first place overall.
Whatever it is, they are set by you as the football coach and set the bar as far as how you want your team to compete each and every game.
For the most part, if you meet your team goals every game, chances are that you have had a good day. As well, team goals can be motivation for your players and a great coaching tool. It can keep them focused and motivated to play within the system and not take plays "off" which can happen frequently at the youth football level.
It builds a sense of pride within the team to meet the challenge of the team goals. The main thing is not to set the standards too high or unrealistic, otherwise it can back-fire on you.
In other words don't ask your players to do something that their not capable of doing!
Cheers!
Team goals could be the number of receptions you have,or the number turn-overs you give up during the game. It could be the number of penalties, the number of yards gained per run or given up or even the percentage of third down conversions that you capitalize on in your games. It could be the percentage of points scored from inside the red zone or even the number of wins you need to make the play-offs or to secure first place overall.
Whatever it is, they are set by you as the football coach and set the bar as far as how you want your team to compete each and every game.
For the most part, if you meet your team goals every game, chances are that you have had a good day. As well, team goals can be motivation for your players and a great coaching tool. It can keep them focused and motivated to play within the system and not take plays "off" which can happen frequently at the youth football level.
It builds a sense of pride within the team to meet the challenge of the team goals. The main thing is not to set the standards too high or unrealistic, otherwise it can back-fire on you.
In other words don't ask your players to do something that their not capable of doing!
Cheers!
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