Football Practice - Pee Wee Coaching Practice Plan

When pee wee football leagues were first developed, coaches made players' physical training the top priority of football practice. Their thinking was that young player needed to be in top condition in order to play well in the future. While being adequately fit to play the game is still important, coaches have now shifted their priority to making sure beginners have a basic understanding of the game. By successfully training young players in the fundamentals when practicing football, coaches can know that they will continue on with a solid foundation in the sport.

Conditioning Warm-Up

Start practice with conditioning drills to get players warmed-up for the game. If practicing with equipment, this is good time for the kids to get used to the extra padding and weight. Start with push-ups and agility exercises. The tire drill is an effective agility exercise to emphasize the importance of high knees.

Next, have players do running drills. This is a good time to explain the layout of the football field. Set up running drills so that players will have to accurately read yard markers.

Coaching the Fundamentals

When first coaching, it is important to start with the basics. Remember that this might be the kids' first exposure to any organized sport, so explaining each aspect of the game is vital for the players' understanding.

• Tackling: The first priority when coaching tackling is the safety of the players. Use tackling dummies to demonstrate how to properly tackle, emphasizing using the shoulder pads to lead into the tackle and the arms to wrap around the opponent. Beginners need to understand that serious injuries can occur from leading the tackle with the head, even with the helmet on. Improper tackling technique is never acceptable.


• Blocking: After tackling, coach beginners on the basics of blocking and how to utilize proper blocking technique. Players should learn to keep their hands inside the shoulder frame and make contact with the upper body, but never head. Again, even with the helmet, serious head and neck injuries are possible.


• Plays: Coaches should take extra time to explain the basics of football plays. Understanding plays is one of the biggest challenges of youth football, but it is very important for the players' development. Use visuals to show players how a play looks on paper compared to how it is executed on the field. Each player should learn how his position will be determined by different plays. This is an opportune time to reinforce the differences between offense and defense and the different roles they perform in each play.

Wrapping it Up

Close practice by going over what was learned that day, and give players the opportunity to ask questions. They need to understand your role as coach and know that they can come to you when needed. Practice should be over only when everyone has a basic understanding of the skills covered that day.

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