The Spread Offense For Youth Football? Not If You Are Coaching Non-Select Kids

Make Sure Your Data is Real World When Deciding on an Offensive Direction

I attended a "youth football" session at a coaches clinic in the last 3 months that still troubles me. We won't go into where the clinic was or who the speaker was, that isn't important, what is important is the issue of how we as coaches interpret data presented to us. At this clinic, the data was totally bogus and flawed, which made the speakers premise that "ALL" youth football teams could run his system incorrect.

There are many very talented youth football coaches out there that know their stuff. They may have coached youth ball for decades and clearly understand what average kids can and can't do. They understand that even with the best coaching in the planet and even 4-5 days a week practice, there are certain things most average skilled kids just can't do.

Decisions, Decisions

On the other hand there are also plenty of dads that get pressed into coaching youth football that are uncertain what they should be able to get out of the typical grouping of non-select football players. Some of this group sell the kids short and don't get as advanced as they should, but many others think their kids are mini NFL players and put them into schemes and techniques that the average player has very little chance of succeeding with. The good coaches with all the experience usually sit right in the middle of these two extremes and put their kids in a system that is the right "fit".

Clinic Sales Job

Now back to the coaches clinic, the speaker seemed to be a very articulate, well educated, well meaning person who knew the game well. He played Division I football and had a fairly well organized presentation, he had credibility. His topic was the spread passing game for youth football. His premise was that anyone could run a spread passing game down to 9 years old and be successful with it, all it took was a commitment and lots of practice. He was preachin it and the first time 9 year old head coach sitting in front of me was nodding his "amens" and buying it hook line and sinker.

The presenter demonstrated some well thought out fundamentals for youth quarterbacks and even had some nice film of an impressive 10 year old passer. The coach did admit that he had coached this player since he was 7 years old including extensive individual off site training in the off-season. Now I don't know about your teams, but I just don't have year round access to my players or the time to individually coach my kids aggressively year-round.

Here's Where it Gets Tricky

The presenter also showed extensive team film clips that not only showed some very well executed spread passing plays, but some very nice zone blocking runs as well. The unusual thing about these clips were that every player had a different colored helmet on.

Not a Fair Comparison

When I politely asked him why the helmets were different colored, he said because this was an all-star team and each player used his own teams helmet. They were also clips of 13-14 year olds. Come to find out, the players on this all- star team had been chosen from a cast of thousands.

He didn't have any minimum play players to find playing time for, he had the very best player from 40+ teams. Imagine what you could do if YOU had the best player from every team in your area. Or imagine if you could clone your best player and make 40 more of him. What could you run then? What 13-14 year olds can do is also a bit different than what 9 year old rookies can do

The Real World Not Fantasy Lan

Not only does the average youth coach have to find some playing time for every player on our teams, but we probably have to start several kids on our offensive line that would best be described as minimum play players. In zone blocking one of the key premises is for your offensive linemen to get movement on a double team, come off the double team and block the near linebacker in space.

Now I don't know about your league, but in the 6 that I've coached in the other teams best, fastest and most athletic kids are playing linebacker. In zone blocking my minimum play player ( least athletic player on the team) offensive lineman is going to block the other teams best player, in space, on the move after getting movement on a double team? Really, in real life, not in an imaginary well intentioned parallel universe? Not on your typical non-select youth football team on planet earth. Do we have kids that can make that block? Sure, but not very many that can do it consistently and zero of my even most aggressively coached minimum play players.

Be Careful

Be careful what data you use to determine what you should and shouldn't be running in youth football. Don't be enamored with clips of some football plays being run well by a bunch of hand picked "studs". All-star teams selected from casts of thousands are not the example most of youth coaches can learn from. I've only coached "select" football one year, in 2003, it is a different animal, but even then we only chose from about 150 kids, not thousands.

Almost anyone can put together a string of highlights if they coach long enough. That's why we sell complete season DVDs of my teams. Non- select kids, every snap of every game for the season so you can see for yourself what average kids ( and minimum play players) with average amounts of practice time can do over the course of an entire season.

Let me say I don't think this coach is evil or meant to intentionally misguide coaches into doing something that had little chance of succeeding, he just doesn't clearly understand the boat most of us are in. Please don't misquote me, I'm a big believer in the pass, my teams have often led the league in passing touchdowns. Heck my age 7-9 team threw for 11 touchdowns last season in just 9 games. What I'm saying is it is extremely rare for non-select youth teams to move the ball consistently using zone blocking and spread passing without a "freak" grouping of players.

Dave Cisar-

Dave is a Nike "Coach of the Year" Designate and speaks nationwide at Coaches Clinics. His book "Winning Youth Football a Step by Step Plan" was endorsed by Tom Osborne and Dave Rimington. His personal teams using this system to date have won 94% of their games in 5 Different Leagues.

To Sign up for his free tips and drills newsletter or to view 425 free youth football coaching tips go to: Football Plays

A Video Taste of Dave's teams: Youth Football

Be a Superstar in a Sports Costume

A Sports costume is easy to put together and wear. Here are some popular sports costumes that you can try out for yourself.

Basketball Costume

Dressing up like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, LeBron James or any other hard-court hero is easy. You can get a basketball jersey with matching shorts from any sporting goods store or costume store. Wear it with your favorite white rubber shoes. You can style your hair in the same manner as your favorite basketball superstar - you can dye your hair in different colors like Dennis Rodman or sport dreads like Allen Iverson. Finally, don't forget the ball to complete your look.

Baseball Costume

Are you a Yankee fanatic? Dress up like Alex Rodriguez and his gang with a baseball costume. The basic white baseball top with white tights makes up the baseball ensemble. Add a baseball cap with your favorite team's logo. Carry around a baseball bat, ball and mitts for an even more realistic effect!

Tennis Costume

Whether it's Andy Roddick or Maria Sharapova you're rooting for, you can easily copy them with tennis costumes. Just put on a white top and pair it with white shorts or a white skirt. Bring a tennis ball and a racket with you and you're all set!

Football Costume

The NFL is home to some of the most interesting people in sports. Dress up like Al Davis or Mike Dikta by wearing an over-sized padded football jersey over a white long-sleeved top and matching tights. Don't forget the football and the helmet. You may even want to throw in a plastic guard for your teeth and some handy Gatorade to give that extra oomph to your football costume.

Golf Costume

If you're looking for something more fashionable, try wearing a golf outfit. Be Tiger Woods in an all-white ensemble, topped with a cap. Carry around a golf club and some golf balls. Make it more realistic by driving around a golf cart and having your caddy with you!

Swimming Sports Costume

With Michael Phelps' performance in the last Olympics, swimming has become one of the most talked about sports in the world. If you're up for the challenge and you have the right body, donning a swimming costume may just be for you. Get yourself some Speedo trunks, a swimming cap and a pair of goggles. You can also wear a United States sports jacket for added flair. Don't forget to hang 8 gold medals around your neck!

Wrestling Costume

If you're looking for something different, consider donning wrestling attire. Wrestlers are one of the flashiest and most exciting people to watch in the world of sports entertainment. Hulk Hogan's yellow Real American outfit is still a big hit at parties, especially when you start tearing the shirt apart. Don't forget to do his classic poses!

Sports Costume - Coaches, Referees and Commentators

Dressing up in sports costumes does not have to be limited to those who play the sport. You can also dress up as the coach of your favorite team, as a referee or as one of the commentators. Go for the classic, like Phil Jackson, or the more controversial ones, like referee Tim Donaghy. For girls, men will surely appreciate you dressing up like one of their favorite cheerleaders, complete with a short skirt and pom-poms. You can even choose to wear your favorite team's mascot costume!

So what are you waiting for? Gather your friends and dress up like your favorite sports teams!

Sports Costumes.

Dress up and play like the best in a Sports Halloween Costume from Adult Costume Shop.

Sports Bedding is a Winning Choice For Your Baby Boy

Parents who choose a gender specific nursery for their son may plunge enthusiastically into shopping for baby gear only to discover that the sheer volume of styles and designs make settling on one particular color or theme far more difficult than they had initially anticipated. Online shoppers are routinely bombarded with endless pictures of cute linen sets, which can leave many unable to decide on just one.

If you find yourself in this position, you are hardly alone, since those shopping for items for a son's nursery often feel a little overwhelmed at first. Before reentering the fray, many weary parents resolve to focus on a specific theme for their little one's room. A sports motif is a popular choice among decorators, since the market offers a beautiful selection of sports baby bedding.

A sports-themed nursery for a boy offers many advantages, including the fact that mothers and fathers are free to create a space that is lightheartedly masculine and quite whimsical as well, thus injecting the space with a sense of very bright energy. Baby boy bedding that uses images of sport can range from lively multiple-sport treatments to very focused linen sets dedicated to a single team.

Those parents with an allegiance to a particular sport might choose linens that include images of baseball diamonds and bats and colorful caps, or bright yellow goal posts and realistically rendered helmets. Hardcore fans of one team or another understandably choose specific colors and logos associated with that organization, since this is a great way to enfold a brand new son into his family's long tradition of loyal fandom.

Once the decision has been made to create a sports-themed nursery, parents are free to turn their full attention to the search for quality crib bedding. Sports bedding is often sold in sets that incorporate matching accessories, which help to reinforce the theme of sport throughout the room. In addition to all essential linens, crib sets include very practical decorative items like window coverings and diaper stackers.

Several excellent examples of multi-sport bedding sets are available online, such as the All Star Sports nine piece crib set by JoJo Designs, which features repeating appliques of footballs, baseballs, and soccer balls. NFL/AFL fans might choose Trend Lab's Football Set, which includes crib linens emblazoned with appliques of helmets and stars. Whatever sports bedding you eventually choose is sure to create an interesting and truly exciting space for your future little star.

Fenella McPherson is a writer for Baby Bedding Zone, an online retailer of baby bedding, including a wide selection of sports baby bedding.