Youth Football offseason training?

[JoeyNorthlandoKCMO]

I know there is another category covering this, but no one has posted in there since September.

Okay, for youth under 13, my question is this...I have kids doing:

1) Sprint drills with speed and agility drills as well.
2) Push ups and weightless squats.
3) Lineman specific drills -- Stance and explosion from stance.
4) Basketball - on a team (2 days a week.)
5) Football passing and playing -- goofing around.

Anything else I could have them do for fun, or keep their interest going?

 

[Stevedangos]

have them chase chickens

 

[JoeyNorthlandoKCMO]

or pigs? Good one. And corn cob chicken coup tossing. Put one in there horizontal and see which chicken lifts their head up to get hit.

This post was edited on 1/14 3:41 PM by JoeyNorthlandoKCMO

 

[Stevedangos]

Hey it was good enough for Rocky

 

[sbdude]

Get them in wrestling in the offseason. There is a huge translation of skills from wrestling to football, especially for lineman and linebackers.

In wrestling I must move someone against their will, just like in football. Wrestling skills involve balance, footwork, stance, understanding and applying leverage, hand-fighting, explosive movement. These all translate directly to football. Wrestlers are usually very good tacklers - they know how to get people on the ground. Plus you get that toughness that comes from a one-on-one combat sport.

Last statistic I saw was that 68% of all NFL lineman were also wrestlers.

 

[shoot90draw]

Punch giant slabs of beef?

 

[7-step-drop]

My only suggestion would be to leave them alone. Maybe take their phone and video games away from them for awhile and quit hovering. Let them roam around the neighborhood a little bit.

 

[blue and white pride]

As a former youth football coach my advice is to teach them to love the game. Work on fundamental skills and don't over do it with too much junk. From my experience about the time you feel as a youth coach they are finally starting to figure it all out they head off to 8th grade ball. Most of the guys I had the pleasure of coaching that I see now always say how much fun youth ball was and how much more work HS football is. But that they developed a love of the game that drives them to keep playing even though it is more work.

This post was edited on 1/14 5:33 PM by blue and white pride