assist football coaching advice

i'm wanting to coach this year, i've never done it...my neighbor's kid plays for his school and they're looking for some assistants...they're about 9-10 year olds and it should be pretty fun...it's a christian private school up in huntersville

i'm excited

 

You will have a great time.

 

i coached for 6 years, 4 as a head coach and here is my take; smart players will beat stupid players 90% of the time (this is your responsibility as a coach.) make sure your kids are paying attention when you're speaking to them at all times, if they're cutting up or day dreaming it will show up on game day at the worst possible time. if you can avoid stupid penalties (especially at this age group) you'll have a huge advantage. false starts, off sides and clipping :banginghe are the "big three" drives killers. i avoided trying to be too cute when devising an offensive scheme. run a handful of plays and run them well. teach your kids to TACKLE. we ran tackling drills every day and it pays off big time. mommy may not like it but you cant escape toughness once the game begins. you can control things in practice but Big Johnny from the other team will not care if Little Jimmy is a wuss. i prefer speed/tackling ability on defense over anything unless your facing a bruising off-tackle offense (my worst nightmare). extra points deserve major attention during practice. they may be the deciding factor on game day. they seem easy but you would be surprised how many youth teams struggle making that short yardage play after a score. and last but not least, get them into shape. the last thing you want is gassed players at the end of the game when you need a stop or a drive. they'll hate running sprints but there is no other way. pay attention to every detail and good luck.

it never hurts to have a game breaker either. sometimes they can cover up for other lackings.

damn i forgot, buy about 900 extra mouth guards and keep them with you at all times. carry extra chin straps, ear pads, thigh pads, you name it. a helmet, shoulder pads, game jerseys and pants, cover all the bases. it pays off. keep rosters in numerical order for the press box.