Bullfrog 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2006 Quick and to the point!I am a new coach needing advice. This year our league is having trouble finding a head football coach for my sons team. I am stepping up to the plate to take on this great task. I have never coached football and as far as playing I never left the back yard. I have coached baseball for the last 5 years though. What I know about football I have learned from watching it and playing it with my son on the playstation. He knows more than I do about plays by playing NCAA footbal on the playstation. I have been doing the web searches and have been coming up with some stuff, but am unsure of what I am looking at. Is it right for this age group, what to work on first, practice drills, etc..... I am pretty good with the offensive line positions, and know very little about the defense. I do not understand the number 2, 3, 4 whole terminology. Just saw it used on a web site. I am eager to learn as much as I can within the next few weeks by doing my homework and speaking to other coaches.My question is this. Does anyone know of a book or web site that would help me to become familiar with the basics for 4, 5, & 6 year olds. I forgot to mention that it is tackle. Any advice on what may have worked goods for you I have found to be the best advice.Thank You in advance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mlbryant 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2006 Our league starts at 6-7 year olds. Last year, I was the head coach for that level, called "E" team. Before the seaon began, I looked for resources and found some, but a lot was geared for kids older than 8. I built my own system and implemented it. We had a really great season; going 10-0.One of the things I did was to make the offensive and defensive responsibilities as easy as possible. I only installed a couple of plays at a time and we worked over them repeptitously until the kids knew them cold. Only after we could run all the existing plays cold and erorr free, did we install any extra.My advice is to start with a single offensive formation, a very small play book that allows each back one (or maybe two) running plays, and a simplified blocking scheme.As far as numbering backs. The way they are numbered changes from coach to coach, but generally, the QB is back number 1. All the holes are numbered. Right side of the center are even numbers; left side of center are odd numbers. Here is the common numbering for the holes (#-Position-#- etc.)9--LE--7--LT--5--LG--3--C--2--RG--4--RT--6--RE--8A play is called by giving the backnumber in the tens place and the hole number in the ones place, so 13 Dive is the QB (back #1) taking the ball through the 3 hole (the gap between the left guard and the center).I have lots of information, if you'd like more help. Please conact me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullfrog 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2006 Our league starts at 6-7 year olds. Last year, I was the head coach for that level, called "E" team. Before the seaon began, I looked for resources and found some, but a lot was geared for kids older than 8. I built my own system and implemented it. We had a really great season; going 10-0.One of the things I did was to make the offensive and defensive responsibilities as easy as possible. I only installed a couple of plays at a time and we worked over them repeptitously until the kids knew them cold. Only after we could run all the existing plays cold and erorr free, did we install any extra.My advice is to start with a single offensive formation, a very small play book that allows each back one (or maybe two) running plays, and a simplified blocking scheme.As far as numbering backs. The way they are numbered changes from coach to coach, but generally, the QB is back number 1. All the holes are numbered. Right side of the center are even numbers; left side of center are odd numbers. Here is the common numbering for the holes (#-Position-#- etc.)9--LE--7--LT--5--LG--3--C--2--RG--4--RT--6--RE--8A play is called by giving the backnumber in the tens place and the hole number in the ones place, so 13 Dive is the QB (back #1) taking the ball through the 3 hole (the gap between the left guard and the center).I have lots of information, if you'd like more help. Please conact me.Thank you very much for the info. The numbering of the holes and backs helps me tremendously. I will have someone helping me with the defense so I am going to spend much of my time working on our offense. We will be working close together to make sure we understand each other of course. What I am thinking is that we are going to start with a I formation and mix it up a little. What do you think? I know the kids that are coming back this year and that we should be able to teach it to them pretty quick. My thought is this. The I formation will allow our kids to lineup the same way everytime, and allow us to mix it up. Maybe a bootleg and a naked bootleg with a fake pitch. Thats what I have in sight for the first plays to work on. Once we start practice we will have only 3 weeks to prepare for the first game. Besides working on some running plays I am thinking for the first few practices of coming up with ways of learning each childs abilities like speed, agility, strength, etc.... I want to make it fun for the kids and competitive. My goals are to teach them FUN, TEAM, DISCIPLINE, and RESPECT and do it in a way that is not forcing it down them. My theory is this. Have fun, learn to work as a team and the discipline and respect will follow. If we have fun we can't be beat even if we lose. Like I said in my previous post I am new to coaching football so I am not yet set in my game plan so if my thinking is wrong about my choice of plays to start off with please let me know. I have been preparing my practice plans so that I know what I am doing. From warm ups to having a water boy/girl and rapping it up at the end. If I am not organized then I can't expect the kids to be either. Some more ideas I have is to have trivia questions for them about the game. If our league will allow me I want to use the stickers like the colleges do. I want the kids to have something to work towards and be proud of. Most of the kids don't uderstand that ultimately all week you are working on winning on Saturday which doesn't give them much to work towards during the week. I want to keep them excited at practice and at the games. However because one of my main goals is TEAM I am thinking I can acheive this with the kids help by letting them help to pick out the kid that stood out during that practice/game. I do believe in rewarding the kids that strive to do better, and not do it because it may upset another one. I have so much running through my head that I can't get it written down quick enough to remember later.Thanks again for your advice. I also plan on checking out some of the free playbooks to see what other running plays are out there we could work on adding at a later time as you suggested.Thanks again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach G of BT 0 Report post Posted August 1, 2006 Our league starts at 6-7 year olds. Last year, I was the head coach for that level, called "E" team. Before the seaon began, I looked for resources and found some, but a lot was geared for kids older than 8. I built my own system and implemented it. We had a really great season; going 10-0.One of the things I did was to make the offensive and defensive responsibilities as easy as possible. I only installed a couple of plays at a time and we worked over them repeptitously until the kids knew them cold. Only after we could run all the existing plays cold and erorr free, did we install any extra.My advice is to start with a single offensive formation, a very small play book that allows each back one (or maybe two) running plays, and a simplified blocking scheme.As far as numbering backs. The way they are numbered changes from coach to coach, but generally, the QB is back number 1. All the holes are numbered. Right side of the center are even numbers; left side of center are odd numbers. Here is the common numbering for the holes (#-Position-#- etc.)9--LE--7--LT--5--LG--3--C--2--RG--4--RT--6--RE--8A play is called by giving the backnumber in the tens place and the hole number in the ones place, so 13 Dive is the QB (back #1) taking the ball through the 3 hole (the gap between the left guard and the center).I have lots of information, if you'd like more help. Please conact me.Thank you very much for the info. The numbering of the holes and backs helps me tremendously. I will have someone helping me with the defense so I am going to spend much of my time working on our offense. We will be working close together to make sure we understand each other of course. What I am thinking is that we are going to start with a I formation and mix it up a little. What do you think? I know the kids that are coming back this year and that we should be able to teach it to them pretty quick. My thought is this. The I formation will allow our kids to lineup the same way everytime, and allow us to mix it up. Maybe a bootleg and a naked bootleg with a fake pitch. Thats what I have in sight for the first plays to work on. Once we start practice we will have only 3 weeks to prepare for the first game. Besides working on some running plays I am thinking for the first few practices of coming up with ways of learning each childs abilities like speed, agility, strength, etc.... I want to make it fun for the kids and competitive. My goals are to teach them FUN, TEAM, DISCIPLINE, and RESPECT and do it in a way that is not forcing it down them. My theory is this. Have fun, learn to work as a team and the discipline and respect will follow. If we have fun we can't be beat even if we lose. Like I said in my previous post I am new to coaching football so I am not yet set in my game plan so if my thinking is wrong about my choice of plays to start off with please let me know. I have been preparing my practice plans so that I know what I am doing. From warm ups to having a water boy/girl and rapping it up at the end. If I am not organized then I can't expect the kids to be either. Some more ideas I have is to have trivia questions for them about the game. If our league will allow me I want to use the stickers like the colleges do. I want the kids to have something to work towards and be proud of. Most of the kids don't uderstand that ultimately all week you are working on winning on Saturday which doesn't give them much to work towards during the week. I want to keep them excited at practice and at the games. However because one of my main goals is TEAM I am thinking I can acheive this with the kids help by letting them help to pick out the kid that stood out during that practice/game. I do believe in rewarding the kids that strive to do better, and not do it because it may upset another one. I have so much running through my head that I can't get it written down quick enough to remember later.Thanks again for your advice. I also plan on checking out some of the free playbooks to see what other running plays are out there we could work on adding at a later time as you suggested.Thanks again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach G of BT 0 Report post Posted August 1, 2006 I Coach 5,6,and 7 year olds. I use both a number for the holes and Backs as well as designating as name for each hole. Some of the kids at this age have problems with numbers. So giving them both prepares them for upper divisions but lets them know where the ball is going now. One problem is making sure they know their left from right. This is how we number and call our holes:Full House Offensive set 7----End----5----Tackle----3----Guard----1----Center----2----Guard----4----Tackle----6----End-----8 Sweep------Power-----------Slam-----------Dive------------Dive-----------Slam----------Power--------Sweep Quarterback (#1) Left Halfback (# 4)-----Fullback (#3)------Right Halfback (#2) Using names and numbers helps those kids who have problems with numbers recognize the holes. Hope it helps. Coach G Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites