When I'm coaching youth football I like to focus on skill development and sportsmanship. This philosophy worked with a 5-man non-contact [no blocking] coed flag football team but the principles apply to all youth football.
Here is one of the youth football conditioning drills we have to improve punch power and add some competitive fun into practice. Good inside gym exercise in the winter/rain days as well. We call this drill "Smash Ball".
These youth football drills are good for young kids who play in the same weight class. The drill will produce big hits and you will find out what type of players you have. I find it's a get motivator for the team.
If you're coaching youth football you know that all kids, it seems, want to play a position other than the one they’re assigned by their coaches.
If you're looking for ideas for youth football drills, this football drill is one we call Tunnel Football and it gives you an overall perspective of all your players. It is excellent to use at the beginning of the season to search out hidden talent!
If you're a youth football coach, (8-10 years olds especially) I'm sure you are aware that they tend to lose focus easy-especially on hot days. I noticed that when we ran sprints most of them were struggling, and they were not giving me 110%.
If you're coaching youth football, you know that it's important for kids that age to do conditioning work. But, they hate just running sprints. We started doing goofy relay races at the end of football practice - and the kids loved them!
While I was a youth football coach and we would onside kick a lot, especially the younger teams. An effective, high repetition football drill that the kids loved was our "Onside Kick – King of the Hill Drill".
Here's a youth football coaching tip for end of the season football practice. You can also turn this around and use it at the beginning of the season, record the results and repeat at the end! Use this to show how far the team came during the season.
After coaching flag football for a few years now, I've noticed that one of the things a lot of kids do in the beginning is once they get touched, they stop running regardless, even if their flags are still on them. I came up with these flag football drills to address this.
While coaching youth football, I've noticed that many of the football coaches will decide very early on in the season where each child will play (often before games even start) and not revisit the idea during the entire football season.
If you're coaching a youth football team, I'm sure you're always searching for new fun football drills. Here are two football drills that are great ideas to end practice or to end your season!
I recently coached a youth flag football team for the first time! The kids were 5 and 6 year olds and quite a challenge! In our league, blocking is done by just guarding, as in basketball. The kids weren't really getting it.
We had many youth football drills that we practiced with our tiny mite football team, but if I had to pick one that works on almost everything, it would be the "Tornado". Don't forget, this football drill is for the younger age group.
I coach a youth flag football team. Every football practice I emphasize flag pulling drills. We go through several different flag football drills each practice. Here are two drills that the kids seem to enjoy the most.
When coaching at the youth level--4th,5th, and 6th grade, this is one of the youth football drills I use each and every year. The kids absolutely love it and beg to do it--the "circle drill".
This is one of the football coaching exercises that can turn your youth football players into knockout linebackers. Give this a try for immediate results.
If you are coaching youth football, I know you are continuously searching for drills and tips to keep your practices fresh. Here are two football drills that work well for me. Give them a try and let me know how they work for you.