Coaching Flag Football

[AZRaiderH8r]

Have any of you coached youth flag football before? I am taking on my first coaching assignment for my son's flag football team, made up entirely of 7 and 8 year olds. So far I've been told that it's going to be like herding cats, but I'm looking for some more helpful advice. Any suggestions on what the first practices should cover? We are in a league that is all about encouragement and the kids having fun, but I want them to be able to learn about the game too. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions; thanks!

[Creighton Duke]

Co-coached a sorority intramural team a couple of years in college, but I assume that your intentions are probably a bit different than what ours were....

[ColoradoHusk]

Coaching any sport at that age is a big challenge. I would think flag football probably has more kids who are "interested" in the sport, rather than just something their parents made them do (like soccer or baseball). With any youth sport, practices are best done with "stations" of drills, lasting 10-15 minutes. That way, the kids have less time standing around and don't get bored doing the same thing for 1-2 hours.

 

I think flag football is a great entry into the sport of football. I would have my kid play flag football until junior high or high school. IMO, pee wee tackle football is a complete joke.

[BigRedBuster]

I've done it and quite honestly, I would rather try to herd cats. Boys minds at that age go from concentration to complete wackiness in .06 seconds.

 

You have got to have multiple coaches. In a perfect world, that would be at least 3 to 4 so (as mentioned before) get them into smaller groups and keep them busy.

 

Funny thing, I would rather coach girls at that age. I did quite a bit of little girls softball before I went to flag football with my son. With a girl, if you tell her to stand at shortstop, she is going to do it. Now, a ball might go 5 feet from her and she won't get it because you told her to stand at that spot but at least she is there. I can work with that.

 

With boys, you tell that kid to stand at the WR spot, turn your back and 3 second later he is likely to be on the completely opposite side of the field digging up an earth worm.

 

Be patient and have lots of help from guys you get along with.

[AZRaiderH8r]

Great suggestions, thanks all! Fortunately the team only has 9 kids (one of which is my son), so I can break them into groups of three for drills if necessary. Several parents have offered to assist, plus my older son will be helping when his football season in high school wraps up. The nice thing about this league is that it requires that all kids play the same amount of plays, so I don't have to worry about parents saying that little Johnny isn't getting playing time.

[huKSer]

Use Oregon's "recruiting service"

 

With stations - 1 min per year of age, so 7-8 minutes.

 

Put your fastest players at DE

 

Start with 4 plays run right, run left, throw right, throw left (or run this way - toward your side line, run that way - away from your side line, etc)