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Kevin O’Keefe Gives Expert Advice on Youth Football Coaching

by Kevin O on July 7th, 2010

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As a youth football coach who won five championships in six years, I noticed a couple things along the way that helped create my winning team.

The excitement for football usually starts the first warm day and Baseball is still in the middle of its season. It continues through summer vacation and starts boiling over once a date has been set.

When I talk about setting the tone, I mean how the practices are going to be run, what are the expectations of every person on that field including the head coach and his staff. Every person is accountable for their actions.

You will tell your players that this is a team and when we are on the field it is full speed from drill to drill, line to line and most importantly done TOGETHER.

As the coaching staff, it is your responsibility to show the players high energy and excitement to be there. The younger kids respond to having fun. Energy to them equals fun. Also, you should have day to day goals as well as weekly goals and season goals.

EVERYTHING IS POSITIVE FROM HERE ON OUT….. KIDS LOVE THAT.

Winning and getting them to perform at a VERY HIGH level…no matter
how talented they are follows this strategy and many more that I will be
revealing to you.

Make it a Great Day!
Kevin

PS: You can get more information about my 49 CORE secrets to
Coaching and Winning Youth Football (the right way)…
at: http://youthfootballcoachingsecrets.com/newsletter

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    Does running back Know how to run?

    by Kevin O on August 24th, 2010

    Most running backs in youth football dream of running 80 yards down the sideline for the winning touchdown, the crowd cheering and they are the hero. That is a great story but very few running backs actually get that chance. When youth football players get a chance to run their run usually consist of 5 or 10 or 15 yard bursts in several different directions.

    Dave Cisar, who is a successful youth coach, http://www.winningyouthfootball.com/wp-blog/?p=1955 does drills that change direction all the time by learning how to cut. In order for a player to be successful he must “ the player must lower his center of gravity.” By dropping your hips to keep the speed you are currently going.

    All running backs, like any tackler musst learn to drop their hips and lower their center of gravity to make the most precision cuts without losing their speed.

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    Communication is key to coaching style

    by Kevin O on August 5th, 2010

    What type of communication coach are you? As a youth football coach all of us know that if communication is not understood there will be break downs in getting the correct actions down.  Obviously the better the communication is, the better the relationship is.

    Are you a command style coach? This is a coach who is definitely in charge and is always right.  THis style of coach can be described as OLD SCHOOL, one who has yet to change with the times.  Are you a submissive coach who lets others speak over you or are you a cooperative coach who will engage with others and give them mutual respect and take initiative. Whatever you are, youth football coaches should encourage two way communication.

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    Weight class issues are causing a stir…

    by Kevin O on July 30th, 2010

    As any coach of youth football knows, There are some serious concerns every year about the proper class a certain athelete should play in. Should they play up or should they cut weight. Other concerns also come from parents about adjusting the weight either up or down. I have to tell you that I coach in a league where we have stripers that are larger than 100lbs and the peewee level and 140lbs at the varsity level. Stripers can not carry the ball or even stand up for that matter, but does the safety come into play with size of some of these atheletes at these age group.

    A recent article at http://www.sadlersports.com/blog/index.php/2008/12/12/debate-on-weight-limits-in-youth-tackle-football// stated “My main point was that the existing scientific evidence in a Mayo Clinic study indicates that age groupings and NOT weight groupings are the primary indicator of injury levels. Furthermore, “weighted” classes may actually result in increased risk levels for younger / heavier players moving up and for players trying to cut weight.”

    At any level safety is a HUGE issue. PLease make sure you take that into effect when you ask a kid to play up or cut his weight.

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    How many roles does a youth football coach have?

    by Kevin O on July 17th, 2010

    When a person takes on the role of a youth football coach at any given time they may be asked to educate, may be asked to be a psychologist, you should be a role model and most important be realistic on how to treat your athletes. Screaming at your kids to fire off or stay low or run faster are all expressions that you may hear but is it a successful means of getting the most out of your players who probably don’t understand how to do those instructions. It is imperative that coaches show your youth players the correct way rather than yell at them. A good youth football coach will always be hands on and direct on which directions that you should follow.

    Dave Cisar, a Nebraska youth coach of more than 20 years who speaks at coaching clinics across the country, believes coaches don’t invest any time to get better. Just because you played doesn’t mean you’re a good teacher,”

    Coaching youth football is like anything else, If you don’t take time to educate yourself and prepare yourself the only people who will suffer are the kids. Take time to get better.

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    Varsity programs rely on a Good youth football base

    by Kevin O on July 15th, 2010

    When you look at the most successful varsity High School programs across your state I bet you see an extremely efficient run youth program as their feeder. There is no doubt that youth programs are instructed to implement the base of the varsity programs. This in turn puts a player in a system for several years before actually being taught the entire system that a varsity entails.

    Now, is it your responsibility as a youth football coach to run the same system as the local varsity programs? Some may agree and some disagree but with youth programs struggling for money and players to fill a full roster and when local schools supply the facilities for your program, I would suggest that you consider changing your style to accommodate the varsity program.

     Johnathan Warlick E-E Sports Reporter wrote athttp://www.allfitnews.com/fitness-health/examiner-enterprise/   there is one big factor in the Bruins’ rise that may be easy to overlook: Youth football.“without a good youth program, we’re not going to be a competitive team in 6A,”

    THis is becoming the norm for both varsity programs to be succesful and youth football programs to stay afloat.

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    Are concussions becoming a part of the youth football game

    by Kevin O on July 12th, 2010

    IN every sport that has contact there has become an increased amount of concussions and this fact has definitely put manufacturers of top notch equipment for youth atheletes through the pro ranks on notice. All of them have done numerous amounts of studies that continue to say that playing the sport will not harm you in this way. Recently USA football and Meril Hoge, the former NFL workhorse, has joined sides to get the message out of the concussions and what should be done to make the game safer.

    In a recent article from Dallas Jackson,  Meril says http://fourthandgoalunites.com/2010/07/12/hoge-usa-football-take-concussions-head-on/ ”The youth need proper training, proper instruction, and proper treatment,” he said. “The last of those three is the most important.”

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    Are youth Athletes training too hard?

    by Kevin O on June 29th, 2010

    Summertime is here and so is the time to turn up the heat for training. youth football players, Basketball players and all upcoming seasons have used summer to become a training ground for the the elite athlete at any age. From youth to High school, kids are pushing themselves to become the best with no regard to injuries.
    Any injury that is suffered before the youth athletes and beyond actually reach their full growth puts them at risk for arthritis and many more injuries or long term effects that are not determined at this point.
    Doctors may be able to fix injuries that occur to get them back playing; but is it safe to risk their livelyhood for a winning football program, basketball greatness or just the average pop warner league? PLease be careful and become educated on what is the proper way to train these young athletes

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