Awesome Qb But A Bad Coach

[Ebutts 0]

I have a unique situation that I'm sure all you great coaches would love to have.

I've had this kid since he was 8 and now he's 11.

Let start with his deficiencies:

He's not a fan of football, slow footing, no real knowledge of the game - he's only 11, he gets nervous a lot. Sometimes throws side arm.

Now his plus side:

Despite being nervous he will do exactly as you tell him. Very accurate. His arm strength every since he was 8 is as strong as a grown man. Rarely fumbles a snap. Quick release like Dan Marino and power like Elway.

Now the problem is me his coach. I can't seem to utilize his talents. He rarely has great receivers. And when he does I can't find ways to get his receivers open. Trust me when they open he will hit them.

And of course when he has poor receivers forget it. Because he's slow footed they blitz us a lot. And because I can't come up with good pass plays to get kids wide open he doesn't have success.

What would you do with this gift and dilemma?

[Coach Rob 26]

You already know this, but the QB role has a lot more facets than just being able to throw an accurate pass. Even though he's not a big fan of football (he's only 11, so that could easily change in the next few years), I'd let him know he has the potential to be a good QB and see if he's willing to work on a few things like footwork and agility drills. Do you have other potential QB's in the making?

My best QB's were the ones that knew what to do on the field at any given moment. They were quick on their feet and could make decisions if things weren't going as planned. I honestly wasn't as concerned with the accuracy of their throws as much as their field smarts during a game. It has to be painful to watch this kid's accuracy and know that if you tweaked a few things, he could be really good.

In the end, all you can do is offer to work with him on the side and keep encouraging. You could talk with his folks and tell them you see huge upside, you're just looking for some motivation from him.

Keep in mind we're talking 11 yr olds and flag football. I know some folks take this stuff pretty seriously, but most of the kids just enjoy getting outside and playing with their friends.