When to Get Hard on the Youth Football Players

There will come a time at some point while

When to Get Hard on the Youth Football Players

coaching your youth football team's season where it feels like the inmates are starting to run the asylum. This is especially true at the younger ages where the majority of the players have the attention span of an earthworm.

I am always balancing fun versus work during my youth football practices. You want to teach the kids and give them the best football experience you can, but you also want the players to have fun. It never seems to fail, but each year the team will have on practice where they start to stray. I believe that coaching is an extension of parenting and at times, we need to show some "tough love".

I have long been a believer that if the team starts to get out of control and stops listening then "hell night" as I call it is in order. I do not believe in excessive conditioning of your youth football players, on a regular basis but when you need to "reel them in" nothing works as good as some old fashion conditioning.

I have found that once the kids believe your threats, they will listen. I do not believe in making idol threats. Every youth football team I have ever coached has listened well because they understood the consequences if they did not. There is no reason to be dictator or run your team as a military unit,but you must maintain some kind of control over the team.

Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great success for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.