Our local flag football team made it through 2 games this weekend to move into the next round of play-offs next week.
Our first game went really well we got off to a 19-0 start and ultimately ended winning 19-15 after giving up a late score in the last 5 minutes. The good thing about this is, it was a very tough team that we had previous had lost to.
Our second game was a sloppy affair and we managed to win 25-19 despite mistake riddled play. Historically my teams have all played incredibly poorly on late Sunday afternoons for some reason. In fact our last loss was way back in September, and it was a Sunday aftertnoon game that was scheduled as make up game due to the fields flooding during a rain storm on the previous Wednesday.
I decided not to dwelll on it, after-all win is a win. We will practice this week, and correct our mistakes and come out next Saturday and play great football.
If you want to see the drills and plays we use Youth Flag Football HQ is a great resource.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Coaches' Playbook: Trips End Around
Youth Flag Football HQ has posted my newest youth flag football play writeup.
The Trips End Around is a really useful play but requires a good amount of practice to get it right. Our team has scored many touch downs and first downs off this play with both running or throwing. Make sure the runner executing the end around has some decent throwing ability too. Once my players are comfortable with this play I let the receiver make the read to throw a pass or run. Often the defense will move forward to pull the runners flag leaving the deep sideline uncovered.
The Trips End Around is a really useful play but requires a good amount of practice to get it right. Our team has scored many touch downs and first downs off this play with both running or throwing. Make sure the runner executing the end around has some decent throwing ability too. Once my players are comfortable with this play I let the receiver make the read to throw a pass or run. Often the defense will move forward to pull the runners flag leaving the deep sideline uncovered.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The Culture of Snacks - Part 2
In my previous post I discussed whether or not it was necessary to offer snacks to children in youth sports. Assuming we all agree for the moment that there is no harm to offering our kids a snack at the end of play, then this begs the question of what kind of snacks should we offer?
One parent, who has a background in nutrition and athletic training, suggested avoiding sugary and processed foods in favor of healthy snacks. This parent was particularly concerned about the link between processed foods and the rates of obesity, cancer, and other diseases.
I felt a bit remiss as a parent and a coach that I had never thought of this before. It also made me wonder why the concept was not more prevalent in youth sports? I was also surprised when the idea was met with disinterest and in one case out right resistance.
Obesity is a rising crisis in the country. The USA now has one of the highest rates of obesity among all developed nations. Childhood obesity in particular is something we as parents and coaches should be concerned with. Information of the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website states that:
"Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States - triple the rate from just one generation ago."
The CDC also makes the following suggestions for parents to help fight childhood obesity:
One parent, who has a background in nutrition and athletic training, suggested avoiding sugary and processed foods in favor of healthy snacks. This parent was particularly concerned about the link between processed foods and the rates of obesity, cancer, and other diseases.
I felt a bit remiss as a parent and a coach that I had never thought of this before. It also made me wonder why the concept was not more prevalent in youth sports? I was also surprised when the idea was met with disinterest and in one case out right resistance.
Obesity is a rising crisis in the country. The USA now has one of the highest rates of obesity among all developed nations. Childhood obesity in particular is something we as parents and coaches should be concerned with. Information of the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website states that:
"Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States - triple the rate from just one generation ago."
The CDC also makes the following suggestions for parents to help fight childhood obesity:
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Coach's Playbook: Trips Receiver Screen
"Trips Receiver Screen" is run out of the Trips flag football formation just like my previous 2 flag football plays, "Trips Center Screen" and "Trips Swing Pass"
The 3 wide receivers (A, B, D) line up to the far right near the sideline and close together (this is the same for all "Trips" formations). The quarterback (Q) is under center (C) and the running back (R) is lined up on the opposite side from where the wide outs are lined up, 3-4 yards deep.
At the snap of the ball the 2 wide receivers on the inside both run deep post patterns. The center (C) will run a deep flag pattern. These are the decoys. The running back (R) short out pattern just beyond the line of scrimmage. Receiver A take a small studder step forward and turns to face the quarterback. The quarterback (Q) should pump fake toward one of the deep receivers (B, C or D) then turn quickly and throw the ball to receiver A. Depending on the rules of your league it may be necessary for A to step forward over the line of scrimmage before the pass is thrown.
The play is designed to catch the defender back pedaling to cover D & B as they start to pass by or moving out of position on the pump fake. If the corner back is getting aggressive and moving up to cover A, or trying to jump the route to intercept the ball, then you can have A run a stop&go instead. In this case the quarterback should pump hard to A and as the defender moves up, A should sprint past and down the side line.
For more flag football plays & drills go to Youth Flag Football HQ
The 3 wide receivers (A, B, D) line up to the far right near the sideline and close together (this is the same for all "Trips" formations). The quarterback (Q) is under center (C) and the running back (R) is lined up on the opposite side from where the wide outs are lined up, 3-4 yards deep.
The play is designed to catch the defender back pedaling to cover D & B as they start to pass by or moving out of position on the pump fake. If the corner back is getting aggressive and moving up to cover A, or trying to jump the route to intercept the ball, then you can have A run a stop&go instead. In this case the quarterback should pump hard to A and as the defender moves up, A should sprint past and down the side line.
You can also use this play to set up several other options from this same formation:
- A fast hand-off to the running back (R)
- Faking a hand-off to the running back then throwing deep to one of the wide outs - D, C, or B.
- Fake to A then throw deep to D, C or B
For more flag football plays & drills go to Youth Flag Football HQ
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Culture of Snacks - Part 1
A recent debate broke out between the parents of my 5 year old's soccer team. As the debate raged on one voice reached me clearly above the din and it asked pointedly "Why do we need to give the kids snacks anyway?". Although its intent was to be facetious, it made me stop for a moment and think about this culture of snacks in youth sports.
After I engaged this fellow and asked him what he meant, he recalled to me his childhood bereft of snacks. "We were lucky to have water and orange slices" So why is it ours kids require a snack after a 1 hour game?
I thought about my own 2 children, my 5 year who gets a snack after every game and my 9 year who has since left the snack culture behind. I realized I had lost track of when my older child stopped getting snacks at the end of a game and it peeked my curiosity as to what others thought might be the appropriate age to forgo the post game snack or if snacks were need at all.
If we do indeed give snacks out after games, what is the benefit if any? What about the drawbacks? Are we pre-conditioning our children in someway to bad eating habits?
Please tell me what you think, do our kid's need snacks after games? If so why and at what age do you think this no longer applies?
After I engaged this fellow and asked him what he meant, he recalled to me his childhood bereft of snacks. "We were lucky to have water and orange slices" So why is it ours kids require a snack after a 1 hour game?
I thought about my own 2 children, my 5 year who gets a snack after every game and my 9 year who has since left the snack culture behind. I realized I had lost track of when my older child stopped getting snacks at the end of a game and it peeked my curiosity as to what others thought might be the appropriate age to forgo the post game snack or if snacks were need at all.
If we do indeed give snacks out after games, what is the benefit if any? What about the drawbacks? Are we pre-conditioning our children in someway to bad eating habits?
Please tell me what you think, do our kid's need snacks after games? If so why and at what age do you think this no longer applies?
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Coach's Playbook: Trips Swing Pass
"Trips Swing Pass" is very similar to my previous flag football play "Trips Center Screen" conceptually except the rolls of the center and running back are reversed.
The 3 wide receivers (A, B, D) line up to the far right near the sideline and close together (this is the same for all "Trips" formations). The quarterback (Q) is under center (C) and the running back (R) is lined up on the opposite side from where the wide outs are lined up, 3-4 yards deep.
At the snap of the ball the 3 wide receivers all run deep post patterns. These are the decoys. The center (C) will hesitate for a second then run a short slant toward the opposite sideline. The running back (R) comes behind the quarterback running parallel to the line of scrimmage. As the running back nears the sideline, in the area that the wide receivers (A, B, D) have vacated, he should turn up field. The quarterback (Q) should them be able to pass the ball aiming in front of the running back so that he is able to catch the pass on the run. It takes some practice but once executed correctly the "swing pass" is a very effective toss that gets your running back outside with the ball.
If the running back does not get open, the center (C) is the short dump off option.
After we call this play a few times, I like to confuse the defense by lining in the same football formation as if we are running the same play and then using one of these 2 options instead:
The 3 wide receivers (A, B, D) line up to the far right near the sideline and close together (this is the same for all "Trips" formations). The quarterback (Q) is under center (C) and the running back (R) is lined up on the opposite side from where the wide outs are lined up, 3-4 yards deep.
If the running back does not get open, the center (C) is the short dump off option.
- A fast hand-off to the running back (R)
- Faking a hand-off to the running back then throwing deep to one of the wide outs - D, B, or A.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Pitfalls to avoid as parent coaches
Here are 5 tips to help parent coaches be a better parent.
1. Do not show favoritism to your child
This is one of the more common pitfall's that I encounter as a youth sports coach. The best advice I can give is to create team rules and enforce team rules equally for all players. Favoring one child above another can cause resentment and harm him or her socially.
2. Likewise do not be overly hard on your child.
As a parent-coach it is easy to fall in to the trap of over-compensating for perceived favoritism by being too critical of your child. Unnecessarily pressuring any child can result in negative outcomes, and hurt your parent-child relationship.
3. Do not hold you child to a higher standard then the other players
This is much like being to hard on your child, but for a different reason. Here the coaching parent may feel that their own child is some how a representation of his or her coaching abilities. As a result you demand perfection while forgetting that your child is just that, a child.
That leads us to the next tip.
4. Leave it on the field
Try not to bring the game home with you. Coaching critiques belong in practices and games, not the dinner table. If your child wants to discuss something about the game, try to discuss it as his/her parent not as the coach.
5. Understand your child is not you.
You child is playing, not you. The glory days of travel soccer, HS football or state championship swimming are well behind you. Simply put, do not be disappointed if your child does not excel in the same way you did. Keep the focus on the child doing his or her personal best and having FUN, rather than how the child measures up to your abilities.
1. Do not show favoritism to your child
This is one of the more common pitfall's that I encounter as a youth sports coach. The best advice I can give is to create team rules and enforce team rules equally for all players. Favoring one child above another can cause resentment and harm him or her socially.
2. Likewise do not be overly hard on your child.
As a parent-coach it is easy to fall in to the trap of over-compensating for perceived favoritism by being too critical of your child. Unnecessarily pressuring any child can result in negative outcomes, and hurt your parent-child relationship.
3. Do not hold you child to a higher standard then the other players
This is much like being to hard on your child, but for a different reason. Here the coaching parent may feel that their own child is some how a representation of his or her coaching abilities. As a result you demand perfection while forgetting that your child is just that, a child.
That leads us to the next tip.
4. Leave it on the field
Try not to bring the game home with you. Coaching critiques belong in practices and games, not the dinner table. If your child wants to discuss something about the game, try to discuss it as his/her parent not as the coach.
5. Understand your child is not you.
You child is playing, not you. The glory days of travel soccer, HS football or state championship swimming are well behind you. Simply put, do not be disappointed if your child does not excel in the same way you did. Keep the focus on the child doing his or her personal best and having FUN, rather than how the child measures up to your abilities.
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