It is that time of year again...

[michigancat]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

[kso_FAN]

Make sure you do a service to your kids and teach them all how to play. Its too easy at that age to have one slightly more mature kid and build your team around him (toss right, toss left) while everyone else is a spectator and doesn't learn much about how to play.

I love how you say the same thing as me so much more directly and nice at the same time. Really! I can learn from you!

Every kid should get a shot at QB. They're kids!

By the way, I agree with John Madden that little kids don't need to be playing tackle football. Middle school is plenty early for kids to tackle, before that flag is enough for them to learn the game, how to compete, and still have fun.

[Brock Landers]

Youth league football wouldn't be much fun to coach, imo, because you just don't have enough practice time. Baseball is pretty much the only youth league sport that I think I could do a good job with.

If you start coaching soccer with kids that are really young and aren't a complete dummy it's easy to be pretty awesome and figure it out as they get older.

I should publish my youth soccer coaching guide for people who don't want to be complete dummies.

[Fedor]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

You can let them try in practice but in games possessions are too precious, you are only going to have a few.  Also in youth football maybe a quarter of your team are made up of what are called "hiders" who will never make a tackle if they played one hundred games.  They are just scared of contact and will stand and watch the ball carrier run right by them.  So have to work around them and still give them playing time somewhere they wont kill you.  Crazy times I am telling you!

[Rage Against the McKee]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

You can let them try in practice but in games possessions are too precious, you are only going to have a few.  Also in youth football maybe a quarter of your team are made up of what are called "hiders" who will never make a tackle if they played one hundred games.  They are just scared of contact and will stand and watch the ball carrier run right by them.  So have to work around them and still give them playing time somewhere they wont kill you.  Crazy times I am telling you!

Did you try asking their parents why they are forcing their kids to play football when they clearly have no interest?

[Fedor]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

You can let them try in practice but in games possessions are too precious, you are only going to have a few.  Also in youth football maybe a quarter of your team are made up of what are called "hiders" who will never make a tackle if they played one hundred games.  They are just scared of contact and will stand and watch the ball carrier run right by them.  So have to work around them and still give them playing time somewhere they wont kill you.  Crazy times I am telling you!

Did you try asking their parents why they are forcing their kids to play football when they clearly have no interest?

What would that accomplish?  You just try to make them better and bring them out of the shell.

[michigancat]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

You can let them try in practice but in games possessions are too precious, you are only going to have a few.  Also in youth football maybe a quarter of your team are made up of what are called "hiders" who will never make a tackle if they played one hundred games.  They are just scared of contact and will stand and watch the ball carrier run right by them.  So have to work around them and still give them playing time somewhere they wont kill you.  Crazy times I am telling you!

It's almost like you didn't read my post.

You also sound like you could use some work as a coach - how on earth does hiding a timid player help those kids?

[Rage Against the McKee]

I remember from playing little league baseball that just about every team would have 2 or 3 players who would never swing at any pitch no matter what. Our peewee football was flag football so we didn't have kids who wouldn't try to tackle, but I'm sure they exist, and I'm not sure what the coach can do about it. Those kids don't want to be there. Their parents are making them play.

[Fedor]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

You can let them try in practice but in games possessions are too precious, you are only going to have a few.  Also in youth football maybe a quarter of your team are made up of what are called "hiders" who will never make a tackle if they played one hundred games.  They are just scared of contact and will stand and watch the ball carrier run right by them.  So have to work around them and still give them playing time somewhere they wont kill you.  Crazy times I am telling you!

It's almost like you didn't read my post.

You also sound like you could use some work as a coach - how on earth does hiding a timid player help those kids?

Are you qualified to ask this question?

[Rage Against the McKee]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

You can let them try in practice but in games possessions are too precious, you are only going to have a few.  Also in youth football maybe a quarter of your team are made up of what are called "hiders" who will never make a tackle if they played one hundred games.  They are just scared of contact and will stand and watch the ball carrier run right by them.  So have to work around them and still give them playing time somewhere they wont kill you.  Crazy times I am telling you!

Did you try asking their parents why they are forcing their kids to play football when they clearly have no interest?

What would that accomplish?  You just try to make them better and bring them out of the shell.

Maybe you could at least convince the parents to try to stop living vicariously through their children.

Just seems like risking injury on a football field the kid doesn't even want to be on is not in his best interest.

[Fedor]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

You can let them try in practice but in games possessions are too precious, you are only going to have a few.  Also in youth football maybe a quarter of your team are made up of what are called "hiders" who will never make a tackle if they played one hundred games.  They are just scared of contact and will stand and watch the ball carrier run right by them.  So have to work around them and still give them playing time somewhere they wont kill you.  Crazy times I am telling you!

Did you try asking their parents why they are forcing their kids to play football when they clearly have no interest?

What would that accomplish?  You just try to make them better and bring them out of the shell.

Maybe you could at least convince the parents to try to stop living vicariously through their children.

Just seems like risking injury on a football field the kid doesn't even want to be on is not in his best interest.

I was not there to solve parenting issues, bruh.  All kids are timid at first, some come out of it and others never do.

[AppleJack]

What does everyone think of this defense I just designed

                                  X              X
                     X          X        X         X           X
                                     X  X  X  X

[michigancat]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

You can let them try in practice but in games possessions are too precious, you are only going to have a few.  Also in youth football maybe a quarter of your team are made up of what are called "hiders" who will never make a tackle if they played one hundred games.  They are just scared of contact and will stand and watch the ball carrier run right by them.  So have to work around them and still give them playing time somewhere they wont kill you.  Crazy times I am telling you!

It's almost like you didn't read my post.

You also sound like you could use some work as a coach - how on earth does hiding a timid player help those kids?

Are you qualified to ask this question?

yes

Regarding letting everyone have a shot at skill positions - I think you, (or perhaps more accurately the youth football culture you are wrapped up in) places too much value in winning and not enough on making kids better athletes. Who cares if you have a few more turnovers giving every kid a chance at QB?

[Fedor]

What does everyone think of this defense I just designed

                                  X              X
                     X          X        X         X           X
                                     X  X  X  X

I don't like it.  Sorry, friend.

[Fedor]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

You can let them try in practice but in games possessions are too precious, you are only going to have a few.  Also in youth football maybe a quarter of your team are made up of what are called "hiders" who will never make a tackle if they played one hundred games.  They are just scared of contact and will stand and watch the ball carrier run right by them.  So have to work around them and still give them playing time somewhere they wont kill you.  Crazy times I am telling you!

It's almost like you didn't read my post.

You also sound like you could use some work as a coach - how on earth does hiding a timid player help those kids?

Are you qualified to ask this question?

yes

Regarding letting everyone have a shot at skill positions - I think you, (or perhaps more accurately the youth football culture you are wrapped up in) places too much value in winning and not enough on making kids better athletes. Who cares if you have a few more turnovers giving every kid a chance at QB?

The fact that you asked the question gives me a pretty good idea that you are not.  Go think about it and let me know what you come up with.

[AppleJack]

If I were a youth football coach I would design the worm safety blitz.

Some 9 year old does the worm straight through the line if scrimmage. BAM! sack. -9 yards.

[Fedor]

If I were a youth football coach I would design the worm safety blitz.

Some 9 year old does the worm straight through the line if scrimmage. BAM! sack. -9 yards.

One year we had a tiny little guy who was mean as hell.  He lined up at noseguard and was in the backfield every play.

[Fedor]

I wanted to have at least three kids work at QB but they would have all been better than the coach's kid so we couldn't have that.

[ben ji]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

There is very little passing/catching in youth football, like maybe 5-10 attempts a game at most.

ben ji played center instead of WR from 5-8th grade because of this. The plus side of that is I CAN LONGSNAP!!!

[michigancat]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

There is very little passing/catching in youth football, like maybe 5-10 attempts a game at most.

well, yeah. the coaches are mostly concerned with winning and not developing athletes. (see: this thread)

And you could develop a hybrid version of 7 on 7 that involves some sort of running game and no tackling/hitting that would be more appropriate for youth.

[Fedor]

And I agree youth football would be ridiculously difficult to coach. It should be 7 on 7 (or 6 on 6) until at least junior high, and probably high school. Let every kid take turns at every skill position, it would be better for everyone.

There is very little passing/catching in youth football, like maybe 5-10 attempts a game at most.

well, yeah. the coaches are mostly concerned with winning and not developing athletes. (see: this thread)

And you could develop a hybrid version of 7 on 7 that involves some sort of running game and no tackling/hitting that would be more appropriate for youth.

They already have that it is called flag football.  Different strokes for different folks, ya know.  Live and let live, why does there have to be one right answer? 
Also, do you have a guess as to why your question was so stupid that it caused me to question if you had the basic knowledge to even be in this conversation?

[star seed 7]

From 7th grade to 12th grade I played every position on the field except offensive line. Was fun getting to see/learn different aspects of the game

[Rage Against the McKee]

When you work out every kid at QB, then you also have to work every kid out at all of the other positions if you are going to field a team. I don't think most teams practice more than a few hours per week. It would be incredibly hard to teach kids blocking assignments, handoffs, routes, passing mechanics, tackling techniques, pass coverage techniques, etc. with that amount of practice time. It really only would work under a 7 on 7 scenario.

[Fedor]

When you work out every kid at QB, then you also have to work every kid out at all of the other positions if you are going to field a team. I don't think most teams practice more than a few hours per week. It would be incredibly hard to teach kids blocking assignments, handoffs, routes, passing mechanics, tackling techniques, pass coverage techniques, etc. with that amount of practice time. It really only would work under a 7 on 7 scenario.

Yes, we all know it is a dumb assertion and mich knows it too, but he is GEing his little heart out.

[meow meow]

eff coaching my kids, when little meow meow is old enough to play, i'm gonna be Tim McGraw up in the stands drinking a beer.