Introduction

[coachjd 2]

Hi, I'm Coach JD. I'm new to this site, but not coaching. I live in Texas and have been coaching youth sports for 7+ years. My personal experiences in sports are broad. I grew up playing a wide variety of sports - basketball, football, baseball, golf, racquetball, soccer, and most at a high level.

I dove right into coaching when my first child was old enough to play. The first sport I coached was tball (4-5) year olds. I knew immediately that being head coach was challenging but very rewarding. Teaching kids a new game, improving their fundamentals, along with other aspects of sports, is a fun challenge. I have 3 kids - 2 boys and 1 girl. I've been privileged to get the opportunity to coach all of their teams. And when scheduling interferes with being head coach I make sure I'm an active assistant. I’ve spent the past 5 years as a head coach for flag football in the NFL league (mainly 5 on 5) – ages 4-12. Other coaching experiences include – football, baseball, soccer, basketball, and golf.

My style of coaching is simple - I expect the kids to try their best, to be respectful and to have fun. I understand that all players are not of equal talent, and I make sure each kid gets the opportunity to learn the sport regardless of talent. I put teaching fundamentals a head of winning, as I know winning and losing is part of the learning process. Over the years I’ve formulated practice plans, drills and plays that allow me to adapt to various skill levels and talent. We've had many winning seasons along with championships - and against more talented teams. I look forward to learning more from the experienced and inexperienced coaches/dads/moms that visit this website to share their stories and successes, along with sharing mine.

[coachkimball 0]

Hey Guys,

I am about to start coaching my sons 4-5 yr old flag football team, I was a jock growing up, football, baseball, ice hockey - you name it.

I am excited to start coaching, I had some great coaches growing up and I've always thought it would be a rewarding experience to do the same when my kids were ready to play.

I am going to thank everyone in advance for the info I will use from this forum.

CoachK

Suburbs north of Dallas Texas

[vegascoach 0]

Hey everyone. I am new to coaching although I have been one of those parents that comes on the practice field (with the coaches encouragement) to help out occasionally. I am assistant coaching (defense) for my sons 7-9 y.o. flag football NFL sanctioned team in Las Vegas. No pitching, QB can't run. I'd like to get some ideas about different defenses. I will start a thread requesting that input. I'd like to say thanks to the owners of this forum. I was searching the net for some input and am really happy to have found this forum.

[the.snowman 0]

Hello everyone this is also my first year as a assistant coach. I will basically be handling the defense in a 5 on 5 11-12 youth football league. I just wanted to say thank you for all the great posts, plays and defensive strategies. I haven't even had to ask a question as of yet because so far everything i have wondered about has already been answered thus far. Anyway looking for a very fun spring flag football season. Can't wait to get some more tips!!

[whiskey.alpha 5]

Hi Gents. New to the forum. Enjoying the discussions here. Looking forward to learning how other coaches do it. As for me, I've coached 6 seasons of flag football. Two seasons pee-wee, four seasons 6-9 year olds. We play in Central Texas.

[NotAndyReid 0]

I am a rookie flag football 6 year old coach. I played HS ball and coached softball/baseball, but this is my first time coaching at this age. We had double the amount of kids for 1 coach and they were going to drop 12 kids from the team so I decided to take on the task and start a new team. Now....I need help. HAHA. I've been doing my best to go online and gather some easy drills, plays to keep the kids motivated and trying to the ability levels. I have kids who are shy, not talkative to kids who are active and hands on.

[coachjoe99 0]

This is only my second year coaching ages 11-13, five on five. My son has played flag for 5 years and it is his favorite game, with lacrosse and baseball close runners-up.

Last year my team was too large to manage and giving fair playing time was tough. We didn't win but played good "D" and were in every game.

I'm interested in all input from the experienced coaches, play running and especially making the practices work. I'll have 9 boys instead of 12 this year which will help, but I have heard a strong practice is critical. I want to keep the kids interested and yet have good control over the practice.

If I have to sacrifice a little fairness to increase the winning I'll do it and I'm hoping all the great input here helps me accomplish all that.

Thanks.

[caneincgfl 0]

I'm a rookie coach in Coral Gables, FL (a suburb of Miami). My son has played two seasons of 5 on 5 flag and I helped out the coaches. He signed up for a new league and it is 7 on 7. They needed help with the 8-9 year olds so I volunteered to coach.

I played football in high school and flag when I was a kid.

I'm trying to get up to speed quickly so the kids have a good experience and we mix in some winning with the learning.

I like the sportsmanship and ideas I see on this forum. Thanks.

[GeorgeC 1]

I introduced myself on the 30-page flag football thread (I spent two weeks during lunches reading that thread!), but I'll re-introduce myself here.

I found this thread like most people did, while digging for drills and plays. I started coaching basketball last year for my then 7-year old son when there were about 10 kids who wanted to play, but needed a team. So we made a team. I was clueless what I was doing, and we went 4 of 5. Google was my friend when it came to drills and working with the boys. Now, I'm an assistant coach on a flag football YMCA team in Dallas. 6/6 3rd grade boy's flag, 1 rusher 8 yards out, kid QB, no-run zones, 3 downs to get a 1st. About 15 teams in the uber-competitive league. Min 7 kids on a team, max 9. Somehow, we ended up with 11 though. No sports background whatsoever. I research to learn what I'm doing, and learn how to translate it to elementary age kids.

George

[plmqwk 0]

Hey there coaches,

First off let me just say thank you for the wealth of info on this sight. This is my first year coaching football at 44 yrs old. My son is 10 and just getting into sports. Been waiting all my life for this as an avid sports fan of all sports. Played football pop warner thru 9th grade, then cross country and wrestling. My size and ability limited my football playing although it is by far my favorite sport. Same goes for my son, heck of a soccer player though. We played our first 5 on 5 flag game yesterday and won 30-12!! My son thru for two TD's!! 3rd thru 5th graders on team. This is the first year for the program so the kids have only backyard game experience. I plan on giving each player an opportunity to play each position. Introduced 3-2 zone defense just prior to the game and it produced two interceptions for us with one defensive TD. Think we'll stick with that. Looking for a few mis-direction run plays for two point conversions. We must tell them whether or not we are going to run from (7 yds out -2pts) or pass from (5 yds out -1pt). All input appreciated!! Great site guys!!!

Plmqwk

LG, Wisconsin

[coachballer 0]

Hi everyone,

I'm Tim Ballaret. I've been coaching for 6 years now. I have coached football (flag), basketball (boys and girls), and volleyball (boys and girls). I'm the athletic director at my elementary school as well as the junior high math teacher. I've been playing sports since I was old enough to hold a ball in my hand. My favorite sport is basketball and I still play for a league now. I love teaching and coaching and there is nothing like the joy of winning. I have many flag football plays (7 on 7) and run many types of offenses for basketball so if you have any questions, feel free to ask. This board is great and I look forward to contributing and getting advice from all of you.

[hollad6636 0]

CoachBaller,

Welcome aboard. I see you have already posted some of your 7 on 7 plays in the youth flag football plays section. There will be a few coaches very happy to see those.

Thank you for your timely contribution.

[coachballer 0]

CoachBaller,

Welcome aboard. I see you have already posted some of your 7 on 7 plays in the youth flag football plays section. There will be a few coaches very happy to see those.

Thank you for your timely contribution.

Thanks. I'm glad I was able to find this forum. It is a great resource and I am always happy to share.

[Atrain 0]

Hello and thank you,

I have started browsing the site and I am glad to see so much information and knowledge! I have been coaching baseball, basketball and football since I left college. I started with high school sports and now I am coaching my son's age group, currently seven. My passion is football and I "helped" out with my sons youth league recently. I plan on starting a team in the coming months. I look forward to reading and contributing in the future.

Aaron

Phoenix, AZ

[delvis 0]

I was raised outside KC, KS and I played tackle Football in Junior HS, and HS. Then spent 10 years of playing Flag Football while in the US Army. (1976 to 1986)

Like a few others I am in Texas now, and in the out skirts of Austin. I am 53 as of this writing and coaching Girls 8-11 yrs old NFL 5x5 Flag.

In the Fall of 2009 our youngest daughter (out of 7 kids) wanted to play Flag Football in our area thanks to all the wonderful signs scattered around the main roadways.

The girls team she was on had a Head offensive coach, and a defensive coach. Each also had multiple boys teams they coached. They needed a parent "Coach" to help out since each would miss a few games that were being played at the same time between the various boys teams.

So I learned the defense and offense for 5x5, plus the important other skills, like flag belt sizing, laying out the practice field, team warm ups ect. I helped run the offense and defense in practice and was defensive coach for 3 of our games that season.

In Spring 2010 did this again on my daughters team and again was the third man, but stepped up as called upon.

Fall 2010 I had some of the parents asking if I was going to have my own team since neither of the previous coaches was going to coach a girls team. They both had given up on the girls and went back to focusing on their boys teams. I stepped up and took 4 of these players plus 6 new kids that had never played before and just completed our first season together.

I now plan to coach year around between everything else. Winter Flag starts up soon and I am already returning 5 of my 10 girls and looking to build on this.

[ACoach 0]

Fellow coaches,

My name is Jim and I live in SC. I played the main three sports: football, basketball, and baseball in elementary school, and a couple of years of football during HS. Then switched over to Swimming in which I continued on briefly in college.

I started coaching summer league swimming during HS and for a couple years in college. I didnt coach again until a bad season with my youngest son's soccer team when the coach went abstentia on us and I helped marshal the U4 herd. I coached the next season and have been at it since, now going on 2 1/2 years (U7 now). I also expanded my repertoire of sports: Flag football and baseball. I AC'd as an OC for my older son's 6-7 yr. flag football team which I really enjoyed. I then accepted the post of HC for my younger son's 6-7 yr flag football team the following year. While the kids were no problem, for some reason didnt enjoy it as much as the previous year ACing, but the kids had a good time, learned a few things, lost most of our games, and everyone got a chance running the ball. I dont think we passed at all that season. This year I was just planning on being an AC for my younger son's 6-7 yr old team with a friend as HC, and a helper coach for my older's son team. But, there was no coach for my older son's 8-9 yr old team, so I stepped up, on condition that I could still AC my younger son's team and that the games wouldnt conflict.

Despite most of my HCing jobs as last-minute appointments, including the baseball one, I think I rapidly get up to speed thanks to my soccer coaching experience. Especially in regards to running a practice, and creating a learning environment thanks to the information available on the web, and forums like this, on creating an age-appropriate and enjoyable sports experience for these kids. A good quote from a coach that I read somewhere stating basically: "that my responsibility is not to the kids or parents but to the sport I am coaching." It is my job to make sure [choose sport] is presented to the kids in a fun and enjoyable way, to teach the fundamentals to ensure success, and that they will want to keep playing the sport. So far I think I've done a good job and am always looking to improve my coaching style and methods. Thanks.

[coach44 0]

Hey everyone my name is Joe Crespi I am from Boise Idaho. I grew up in a very athletic family my brother was an all american in wrestling so the standards were set high for me as the youngest child I lettered in three sports wrestling, track, and football. Although football is my love of all three. I was an All State runningback 1st Team SIC and a State Champion Pole Vaulter I played some JC collage football but nothing futher than that. I have four kids and my oldest is 9 years old this is his fourth season of flag. Last year was my first year coaching football and on the first day I was hooked I knew from there on out this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

My first year coaching we won the championship for the 7-8 year olds sophmore group it was amazing. This year I decided to be a head coach and I am so excited I can't sit still. I am coaching 9-10 year olds so the rules are a little different you all know you can rush at this age group. I found this forum a couple of weeks ago and its awesome I check it every day and found tons of ideas, I look forward to chatting with all of you about everything and your teams for the seasons ahead.

[Coach Marty 0]

Hello Everyone,

Just signed up. What a great site. Tons of information and I plan on putting it to use as soon as this Saturday. My second season coaching a 7-8 year old 5 on5 league and I think I'm more excited than the kids.

Thanks for all the plays, drills and advise. Your experience (ups and downs) is going to be a tremendous help. Keep up the good work.

[Coach_Steve 0]

Hi,

My name is Steve and live in NYC. This is my first season of coaching any type of sport. I was asked to coach an 8-10 yr old 5x5 flag football team. I was able to scout the team yesterday playing in a different league and have a pretty good idea how the kids will fit in. My first objective is to develop a practice plan. I was thinking a 1 hour practice that all the parents have committed to.

I have played football throughout my teens and 20's. In my 30's I started playing flag football with the 20+ yr olds until I tore my hip, and realized its time to hang up the cleats.

The only coaching experience that I have is coaching my 10 yr old son in football and baseball and will try to apply the same principles at a larger scale.

There are 7 kids on the team and I was thinking of running 5-10 minute drills for 45-50 minutes and try to do some type of 10 minute scrimmage. I've been scouring the message boards for tips and ideas which has been extremely helpful. All feedback/comments are welcome.

[Coach Rob 26]

My name is Steve and live in NYC. This is my first season of coaching any type of sport. All feedback/comments are welcome.

Welcome to the forum, lots of good stuff here. I will shoot you a message.

[Coach J Hemi 2]

Flag football is a great way for young children to burn some energy, while learn about physical education and football. Flag football is always fun to play at all ages. Flag is non-contact which is good for parents that think there child will get hurt playing contact (even though that is incorrect).

Coach Jeff

[RoyalFlush18 6]

Flag is non-contact which is good for parents that think there child will get hurt playing contact (even though that is incorrect).

Coach Jeff

After 3 seasons of flag football, I consider myself lucky we have not had a significant injury on the field. The kids play hard, often taking awkward falls and collisions due to the fact they are not braced for impact since it is "Flag" and all. I'm always worried about a knee to the head or a head bouncing off the turf.

[Frazier50 0]

Hi everyone,

My name is Joe and I live in Michigan. Along with alot of other people here I did play alot of football growing up, even started to play the Dlll level in college, but soon found college was hard enough with out football too.

I started coaching 6-8th grade kids about 7 years ago, but had to put it on hold when my first son was born. I just started back up coaching flag football this fall. I have the k-1 team ......tons of fun!

Thanks for all you... and the information your willing to pass along.

Joe Frazier

[hollad6636 0]

Hey Coach,

Welcome to the forums. It sounds like you have a lot of experience so I am looking forward to seeing your input. Good luck with your season.

[emoore613 0]

Greetings Everyone. My name is Ed from a suburb of Kansas City. I have coached soccer for my now 7 yr old for the past 3 years & am now coaching soccer for my 4 yr old. I am also coaching 1st/2nd grade flag f-ball. I played Football in HS & excited to be coaching. this is a great site with lots of useful info.

Thanks