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Post by griffintd on Aug 24, 2016 19:18:32 GMT -6
Coaches
I need some help/advice. I am a middle school football coach in a 8 man league that has to play 6 man due to only having 7 kids.
Of those seven, four have never played tackle football(2 7th and 2 8th graders).
What are some things you have had success with dealing with kids that are afraid of contact? They do the drills good but live ball is a mess.
Thanks
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Post by coachdude on Aug 25, 2016 9:11:28 GMT -6
I find it is confidence in doing what they are suppose to be doing. Eliminating the thinking aspect in execution to where the player just plays his assignment and uses the proper technique, and believes in his ability to do this, will eliminate the fear. There are of course the natural hitters and the natural quitters, but for the average guy I found this to be the best way.
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Post by tiger46 on Aug 26, 2016 11:58:35 GMT -6
They do what specific drills well? And, what methods/drills do you use to teach tackling progression?
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Post by coachdude on Aug 27, 2016 11:19:20 GMT -6
I like to use a three yard and then a seven yard angle tackle drill. This drill allowed me to see clearly who was and wasn't afraid of contact. Then I teach to focus on the footwork and keeping the eyes on the near hip/foot. Through this my players were recognizing their mistakes as they made them and for the guys that were afraid of contact it gave them something else to think about and wasn't as big of a hurdle for them mentally because of the short distance. Plus whenever a guy would shy away from a hit I made sure he was paired up with one of the bigger hitters on the team so that some pain could help them see the errors of their ways. But once they realize that the proper technique is the less painful way, they adapt.
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Post by jrk5150 on Aug 29, 2016 6:38:22 GMT -6
I like to use a three yard and then a seven yard angle tackle drill. This drill allowed me to see clearly who was and wasn't afraid of contact. Then I teach to focus on the footwork and keeping the eyes on the near hip/foot. Through this my players were recognizing their mistakes as they made them and for the guys that were afraid of contact it gave them something else to think about and wasn't as big of a hurdle for them mentally because of the short distance. Plus whenever a guy would shy away from a hit I made sure he was paired up with one of the bigger hitters on the team so that some pain could help them see the errors of their ways. But once they realize that the proper technique is the less painful way, they adapt. I'm finding it hard to respond to this without being an as*hole. This: "Plus whenever a guy would shy away from a hit I made sure he was paired up with one of the bigger hitters on the team so that some pain could help them see the errors of their ways." is exactly why the HS guys on here hate us. Don't do that. Never do that. Don't even think about doing that. I pretty much disagree with everything after the words "three yard" in this post. The idea is to build confidence, not punish through fear. |
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Post by coachdude on Aug 29, 2016 6:39:51 GMT -6
I'm sorry, I didn't notice this was in the youth football board till now. I did this with college aged kids
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Post by jrk5150 on Aug 29, 2016 6:41:30 GMT -6
I'm sorry, I didn't notice this was in the youth football board till now. I did this with college aged kids Yeah, that would make a difference for sure. Cool. Had me doing a double take... I think some of the close quarters and building confidence concepts are the same, though. As is a focus on footwork. |
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Post by seabass on Aug 29, 2016 21:19:14 GMT -6
I'm lost....you came to a youth board to ask about 7th/8th grade football and forgot you were visiting a youth board?
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Post by jrk5150 on Aug 30, 2016 7:29:37 GMT -6
? - different guys? griffintd was the OP, coachdude just responded and didn't realize it was the youth board. Happens all the time if you just work from the unread posts view and not the individual sections.
To griffintd - all you can do is continue to work them through the progression - controlled one on one, close quarters one on one, close quarters small groups (Oklahoma type drill in confined space), then working up to team. Start them simple as you work up. Start as a lineman hitting the guy across from them before you work space into the equation. When you add space, do it first under controlled conditions (angle tackling for instance). You want to avoid the big hits until they have the hang of it.
It's all about confidence.
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Post by seabass on Aug 30, 2016 15:14:42 GMT -6
I took mostly special ED classes in school.
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Post by griffintd on Aug 30, 2016 21:21:27 GMT -6
Thanks guys for your help.
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Post by M4 on Aug 31, 2016 12:31:32 GMT -6
If you can get access to a crash mat, it helps doing contact drills with the hittee holding a round bag falling into the crash mat, so both the hitter and hittee don't fear the contact / ground
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Post by Chris Clement on Sept 11, 2016 22:58:13 GMT -6
Have the hittee stand three or so yards in front of the mat, forcing the hitter to drive THROUGH the contact, stops a lot of the diving.
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Post by bigjbuck04 on Jun 9, 2017 13:36:38 GMT -6
Are you familiar with the Head's Up program. If you look into that they have different levels of contact that are perfect for getting kids used to collision. I would look into something like that, that uses progression in order to combat any un easiness of hitting another individual. There are only a few rare players that can put on some plastic and then right away go run and crash into someone as hard as they can right away.
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Post by 53 on Jun 9, 2017 20:18:00 GMT -6
Splatter drill and try to ability group them the best that you can.
Some will never like contact but try to do it in steps. Don't get amusement from your big hitters knocking the {censored} out of a kid that doesn't have confidence.
They will shut down faster than anything.
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