I’ve got another youth football drill and it’s called Tee Time. The Tee Time drill is a goal line drill for both your defensive guys and your main running backs. I have to give a shout out to Coach Shawn … Continue reading →

I’ve got another youth football drill and it’s called Tee Time. The Tee Time drill is a goal line drill for both your defensive guys and your main running backs. I have to give a shout out to Coach Shawn Smith. A few years ago, I learned all about Tee Time from him and his staff when I was coaching with his Select teams; the Keller Raiders.

Tee Time is a great toughness drill. It is called Tee Time because you can set up the drill with 3 cones in a Tee Formation but Ive modified my set up a tad. This is a great drill to use on combination with the Fox Chase the Rabbit through the hole drill to get your back powering through the holes instead of stutter stepping, especially when you need tough yardage. You ball carriers will need to run low and hard to get the win. If they run high and do not drive into the defenders they will not get the win.

This is also a great drill for your defenders to learn how to tackle a power running back trying to get a first down or short yardage TD. Defenders must stay low and drive the ball carrier back. If they just hit the power back, the back will run over them for the win.

Tee Time Drill

Purpose: To develop good tackling techniques for your Defense in a competitive drill against your top Offensive running backs so they learn how to run tough and low at goal line protecting the football and falling forward to score.

Set Up: Two lines of Defenders on either side of one running back line. 4 cones in 5×5 yard square or rectangle 3×5 or 5×7 depending on size needed. Tacklers stand up and run around far cones to come back for goal line tackle. RB is on back with feet toward goal line. RB is trying to score at Goal line with tough run.

Coaching Points:

• Determine size of Tee Time box based on speed and size of players.
• This is a toughness drill and should be used a few times a season. Players will get boo boos.
• Make sure tacklers have heads up but are low and driving back ball carrier. Tackles should be at belt buckle not at shoulder pads.
• Make sure running backs are lowering shoulders and punish, driving through the tackle and Defenders.
• RBs should fall forward and protect the football.
• RBs must be quick and get off back.
• Can also have tacklers on back if needed.

For more about the Tee Time drill, check out the drill video

I hope you enjoyed the Tee Time Drill.  Thanks again, to Coach Shawn for this drill.  Let me know if you have a favorite drill and maybe I will highlight it on my social media channels.

Remember to Play for Fun and Winning is Funner,
Coach Parker
Keller, Texas / Fort Worth / DFW

.

A few months back, I did the Bingo Break youth football drill in my KYAFootball.com winter off-season workouts and the players had a blast. It was one of my favorite drills as a High School linebacker and pee wee youth … Continue reading...

A few months back, I did the Bingo Break youth football drill in my KYAFootball.com winter off-season workouts and the players had a blast. It was one of my favorite drills as a High School linebacker and pee wee youth football player. I absolutely love this Bingo Break drill; chop, roll, shuffle, backpedal, open hip lateral runs, drop back pass mirror drill. Both players and coaches loved running this drill at our workouts.  You can run it in shorts and or full pads.  Either way is safe.

I try to use this drill as a warm up sometimes in my youth football practices. And sometimes as a conditioning drill at the end of practice with a little bit more added to the butt rolls. I think this drill and Monkey Rolls are two of my all time football drills as a player.

Bingo Break Youth Football Drill

Purpose: To increase reaction time of Defensive players mirroring the football also develop good quickness, speed, footwork and provide excellent conditioning opportunity in a fun drill.

Set Up: Coach with football and 4 to 6 Defensive players facing the coach at about 5 yards away on a marked line.

Coach pops football to start players chopping feet in position
Coach points football in series of 3 to 5 actions –

1. Straight in front of coach – backpedal
2. Outside R/L – Shuffle R/L
3. Overhead – run forward toward coach
4. Points at Ground R/L – Seat Butt Rolls R/L
5. At 45 degree – Run sideways always facing football
6. Arm up to pass – players read eyes, hips and football
7. Ball passed to a “named” player and others try to intercept and yell Bingo
8. Ball dropped and rolled toward players, then players play fumble drill

Players break to football when Coach throws football
Coach yells at the name of player he will throw to or just throw ball up for grabs
Players try to catch football and yell Bingo on catch / interception
Players sprint back to coach with football and return to lines or move to other drill

Coaching Points:

• Players should always chop feet
• Players must get off the ground quickly.
• When players break at angle they should not be backpedaling but running at angle facing the coach
• Watch for proper hip rotation opening to correct position
• Players should never turn back to coach

For more on this drill, watch the football drill video…..

I hope  you enjoy and love the Bingo Break pee wee football drill as much as I do.  I grew up with this drill and our players love it too.  Sometimes, the old drills are the best.

If you have any drills that you like please leave me feedback in the comments and I’ll try to highlight your favorite drill.

Thanks again, Remember to Play for Fun and Winning is Funner,
Coach Parker
Fort Worth, Texas / Keller TX / DFW

.

Today’s youth football drill is running the Ladder Drill for Running Backs. If you guys are like me I’ve got a lot of backs that for whatever reason when they break through the hole they decide to cut back to … Continue reading...

Today’s youth football drill is running the Ladder Drill for Running Backs. If you guys are like me I’ve got a lot of backs that for whatever reason when they break through the hole they decide to cut back to the inside right into the heart of the defense. Sometimes that works out for them, especially if it’s an aggressive over pursuing defense. But, I see so many backs cut right back into the Mike linebacker, or other inside linebackers and the nine Defensive guys that are the heart of the Defense.  I don’t know how many touchdowns we have missed due to these cut back errors. I just hit myself on the forehead because the back decided to cut back to the inside as soon as he broke through the hole and saw some daylight but then he sees one little small corner back there gets afraid it cuts back into the three linebackers.  Based on these frustrations, I came up with this Ladder Drill.

I’d heard an NFL running back talk about run the ladder; getting down the sidelines for a TD, so I came up with this drill to teach my backs to break to the sidelines and score.  The ladder is the yard hash lines on the sidelines between out of bounds and the numbers painted on the field.  This drill will teach the running backs to break into the open and weave over to the numbers and ladder.

Ladder Drill for Running Backs

Purpose:  To teach running backs that are running outside the B gap to stop cutting back into the inside and heart of the Defense.  They should learn to weave outside to the near sideline and run the ladder 3 yards from sideline to score.

Set Up: Rings or Cones set up to simulate one side of the Offensive Line.  3 coaches / dads / players to hold bags to simulate defense.  1 coach to simulate the block on the contain man.  Coach or Center can snap the football to the running back.

Coaching Points:

• Do not let RBs cut back to the inside on this drill
• The RBs should weave toward the near sideline
• RBs should use stiff arms in open field – attack outside D shoulder
• RBs will read butt of blocker at the contain point cut up or outside
• Football needs to be incorrect position for stiff arms
• All RBs should run through this drill
• 95% of the time try to get to the ladder only a few cases to cut back inside
• Do not get too close to sideline at least one yard away
• Might want to teach RBs the 3/5 yard line cut back to mess with pursuing Defender

For more about the youth football drill; Running the Ladder, watch the video….

Again, this is the Running the Ladder Drill for Running Backs. I hope you guys have enjoyed the video.  This drill has been very effective for our pee wee football ball carriers.

Remember to play for fun and winning is funner!
Coach Parker
Keller, TX / DFW / Fort Worth, Texas
.

Today we’re going to do a youth football drill. This drill was sent in by one of the coaches that purchased my Power Wing Beast Offense Playbook. I also used to coach his oldest son. This past Fall season, his … Continue reading →

Today we’re going to do a youth football drill. This drill was sent in by one of the coaches that purchased my Power Wing Beast Offense Playbook. I also used to coach his oldest son. This past Fall season, his Grapevine Colleyville team started running the PWBO offense and won their leagues Super Bowl over Southlake / Carrol which is a big football powerhouse in our area.

His team ran the Power Wing Beast Offense really well. I watched his Super Bowl and had tears in my eyes from his team was running the Power Wing Beast Offense so well. I was so proud.

I want to thank Coach Steve Mason with Grapevine Colleyville Mustang Panthers for sending this drill into me. If you guys have a drill that you are using with my system please send it over to me. I’ll highlight it on my YouTube channel and blog. Again, thanks to Coach Steve Mason.

He said he developed this drill to help his backs new to the Beast Offense how to run the Beast Tank Power Play. I’ve run something similar in the past but since he developed this Power Point Slide I thought I would share this with you.

Beast Tank Rushing Pod Drill

This purpose of this drill is to teach Beast ball carriers to attack the tank hole and run tight to the offensive line players; Run tight down the line against the blockers pads hitting the tank hole at full speed.

Set Up: Rings are set up to display the O-line. Agility bags are layed down for the back to hug down the line. Volunteer coaches will hold some blocking pads to hit the runner as he gets through the hole and then there’s some coaches that are going to roll tackle wheels at about four or five yards to simulate a linebacker and cornerback kind of blitzing. There’s going to be a cone set up about 10 10 yards away which he’ll cut outside. Usually run with your running backs and Center. You want your Center to get a ton of reps.

For more watch the video…..

Thanks again to Coach Steve Mason for putting that drill together and submitting it to me ready made.  That really helps out.  If you are running the Power Wing Beast Offense then you should check this drill out.

I hope you guys enjoyed the drill.

Remember to Play for Fun and Winning is Funner,
Coach Parker
Keller / Fort Worth / DFW Texas

.

In this first episode of Coaching Youth Football Tips & Talk, Coach Parker discusses Favoritism in Youth Football / Sports.             You can also head over to my Podcast Library at http://coachparker.libsyn.com/website Other Posts on … Continue reading...

In this first episode of Coaching Youth Football Tips & Talk, Coach Parker discusses Favoritism in Youth Football / Sports.

 

You can also head over to my Podcast Library at

http://coachparker.libsyn.com/website

Other Posts on Favoritism

1. https://coachparker.org/2009/08/25/favoritism-in-youth-sports/
2. https://coachparker.org/2008/05/23/the-head-coachs-son-favoritism/
3. https://coachparker.org/2008/05/08/minimum-play-players-favoritism-parents/
4. https://coachparker.org/2014/09/17/how-to-become-the-coachs-favorite/
5. https://coachparker.org/2012/06/17/coaching-your-own-child-in-youth-sports/
6. https://coachparker.org/2011/08/16/so-your-child-is-not-a-starter-oh-no/
7. https://coachparker.org/2017/06/20/coaching-youth-football-to-lose-and-why/

This is the age old argument; Talent vs Coaching.  I just read USA Football’s article In high school football, does good coaching trump talent?  by Stephen Spiewak which got me thinking about talented players in pee wee youth football ages 6 to 12.  … Continue reading...

This is the age old argument; Talent vs Coaching.  I just read USA Football’s article In high school football, does good coaching trump talent?  by Stephen Spiewak which got me thinking about talented players in pee wee youth football ages 6 to 12.  How much does talented skills players mean to a youth football team?  Well, a ton.  I think youth football is very similar to basketball where you can have one or two stud players out of 12 on the basketball team and be a force in you’re league.  I think in youth football if you have 5 to 6 studs or on your youth football team then any coach can look pretty good especially if they have the fastest experienced running back in the age group.

I agree that coaching is very important to have a winning program.  And that is what good coaches can do for any organization from pros to youth sports.  Good coaches can almost on average guarantee winning seasons, positive experiences for the players and that the athlete will learn the sport’s fundamentals.  But, at the end of the day you still need talent to win consistently in the Playoffs and Championships.  I know here in Texas, High School coaches get fired for not winning playoff games even with above average winning percentages.

So I agree with the article that Coaching is very important but I recently read You still need the hosses to win.  Great coaching alone will not win games consistently in youth football / sports because at these young age levels one or two really fast experienced running backs can devastate an age group with even just a little coaching.

If you ask me if I want my son to play for the team that has great coaches but have not won a Super Bowl lately but still have winning seasons or for the team that has won the last 4 Super Bowls because they have they have the one man-child running back that is dominating the league sweeping Left and Right all day long and an average coaching staff, I would put my son on the great coaching staff team.

So yes, I love great coaching.  But can great coaching in youth football over come talent in youth football.  Yes and no.  Good coaching can keep teams very competitive and in the hunt, but a dominating tier 1 tailback in youth football is very hard to stop especially with an above average team around that running back.  And that team with the stud running back, will usually win the big game.

Even though I know I am a good coach, I always try to recruit the top players in my age division.  I never try to leave winning up to lady luck.  And that is great coaching; being able to find and recruit the best talent for your team.  So I am greedy and want both.  LOL

What do you think?  Can great coaching overcome talent in youth football?

Remember to Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!

~ Coach Parker

.