Ideas on Coaching Football – Conditioning, Leadership, Mental Toughness

These ideas on coaching football are really for older players, like high school and up.   This is a combination football conditioning drill but also a drill that develops leadership on your team and mental toughness.

Begin by running maybe 4 40’s–then divide your team into two or more groups–usually linemen and backs. You begin running 40’s again but this time whoever finishes LAST sits out.   If one or more players tie at the last position, neither sits out.   At first the players that sit out first try to figure out the reason I was doing it that way.   They soon realize that players that are more motivated will bust their hump to stay in and not be last.

You don’t want to criticize the players that go out first, that’s not the purpose — you are only praising the ones that are still running.   You will soon be down to two or three players and the ones that are out are encouraging them on.   You don’t have to make a big deal our of being the last one in, just the process will make a great impact with your team.

The next time you run this football drill, say to the players that if you ran 5 sprints before you went out last time, maybe this time you can run 8 or 10 maybe before you go out.   You will start seeing your team working harder to not be last and trying to all be winners.   That’s the purpose!!