i got asked to coach defense for my sons pop warner team

[freebyrd]

I was a really involved parent with my sons league last year its not actually pop warner, its called valley elite here in central california but its full contact helmets and pads,

now i love football, and have watched it for years and played sand lot games and what not but i have never actually coached or even played organized team sports before, my sons squad is the jrs or 10 and 11 year old team and thats about the age when kids start to recognize when you're full of sh*t so i am kind of nervous about it and i want to do a good job, so are there any resources i can tap into or suggestions where i can get a crash course in coaching 101?
any help at all would be appreciated

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Just make sure you re-sign Dockette!

 

[Metcalf Rules]

That's awesome. You'll be an NFL defensive coordinator in no time.

 

[BigRedRage]

I'm sure there is stuff online if you Google it. Good luck, should be fun. A 4-3 is pretty basic, you could install a man and zone scheme and run/pass scheme and really just have a few plays with certain signals for blitzes

 

[Mitch]

I'd be happy to help, if you want. I think that for a Pop Warner team the best defense is a 5-3-3 with Cover 3 and Cover 1 options. Plus, if teams are running at will on you---my suggestion is to go into a Gap 8. If you want to PM me, I will outline it all for you.

This is very exciting, freebyrd! There is nothing like watching young kids develop into a team. Just keep the other parents off your back---that's the biggest obstacle.

 

[freebyrd]

I'm sure there is stuff online if you Google it. Good luck, should be fun. A 4-3 is pretty basic, you could install a man and zone scheme and run/pass scheme and really just have a few plays with certain signals for blitzes

cool thanks for the help

 

[freebyrd]

I'd be happy to help, if you want. I think that for a Pop Warner team the best defense is a 5-3-3 with Cover 3 and Cover 1 options. Plus, if teams are running at will on you---my suggestion is to go into a Gap 8. If you want to PM me, I will outline it all for you.

This is very exciting, freebyrd! There is nothing like watching young kids develop into a team. Just keep the other parents off your back---that's the biggest obstacle.

that would be awesome mitch i will be in touch

 

[freebyrd]

Just make sure you re-sign Dockette!

thats doable since i failed to sign fitz away from the cards, good thinkin'

 

[Jetstream Green]

Go Cardinals baby, multi use positions and bring the house

 

[Jim Otis]

Just don't forget the part where you put a bounty on the opponents best players on offence . J/K freebyrd
Don't worry about looking like Todd Bowles out there , just do your on thing and enjoy it.

 

[Covert Rain]

Congrats. Coaching youth sports is a blast. Just remember these are kids. I had a pop Warner coach who couldn't get that through his head one year. There are a couple books that might be helpful. One is Youth Football Skills and Drills and the other I think is called Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Football or something like that.

I would just send you mine but I have the in my garage buried in a box full of books.

 

[Snakester]

At that age there is a lot of running the ball. Mitch is right about 8 man fronts and the 5-3-3. Keep a safety back just in case someone breaks through. It's like 8 runs to every pass and 90 percent of passes are within ten yards. There are tapes u can buy on line just google. Guys up front teach containment. Your fastest big guy play him at Outside linebacker and let him roam. Biggest thing is teach them how to tackle. Always wrap up and keep their heads up and eyes open for the tackle and drive through the opponent.

 

[Brian]

At that age there is a lot of running the ball. Mitch is right about 8 man fronts and the 5-3-3. Keep a safety back just in case someone breaks through. It's like 8 runs to every pass and 90 percent of passes are within ten yards. There are tapes u can buy on line just google. Guys up front teach containment. Your fastest big guy play him at Outside linebacker and let him roam. Biggest thing is teach them how to tackle. Always wrap up and keep their heads up and eyes open for the tackle and drive through the opponent.

This and more this. At that age all of the runs bounce to the outside. You need speed and containment on the outside. Your defensive ends and linebackers have to play their outside shoulder wider than the widest guy on offense to force things back inside. Emphasize gang tackling. Too often at that age you will have one or two studs and a bunch of kids that play with fear or a lack of confidence. Those other kids tend to fall into a trap of watching the better kids do their thing rather than help out.

Always remember these are kids, but they will sniff out bs in a minute. If they ask you a question and you don't know, tell them you don't know but will find out. Better to do that than make something up and lose them for the season.

Now for the bad part. Enjoy dealing with the parents. Some of them can be a nightmare. I have coached a ton of teams in 4 different sports. Some of the teams went very far in state tournaments and such. Even with that success it was usually tainted by some ******* parents. Sorry, but that's usually the case.

 

[Darkside]

Teach fundamentals at that level. Blocking, tackling, especially tackling, and on offense keeping your eyes down field when passing. But honestly, there are books you can download on the subject to help you install very basic schemes. There are also cheap download able books you can get on coaching youth football.

Despite all that, most of it is going to be learning on the fly and what you want to get out of it and what you want them to get out of it.

The most important thing you can do is to keep it fun and happy. Don't underestimate that. Make them want to come back and enjoy it more than anything else in their lives.

 

[40yearfan]

I thought one of the more important moves for the defensive linemen is the swim move where they push the offensive lineman away with one arm while using the other arm in a swimming motion to push through the line and get to the QB. I helped to coach defense on my son's Pop Warner team and we had some very knowledgeable people as coaches.

 

[Solar7]

Make sure to teach them stunt blitzes, with a Tampa Cover 2 defense.

 

[Zobaczcie suki]

Thinking back to my Pop Warner days, I think one of the biggest things is to teach "containment" on the ends. Make sure someone is assigned with "containment" on each side and that they "stay home". Every game, sooner or later, someone is going to run a reverse with their fastest player. And if no one stays home, it usually results in a touchdown.

Most of all, have fun, make sure the kids have fun, dish out tons of praise, and find a place for everyone, even the kids that may not be the best.

 

[freebyrd]

Thinking back to my Pop Warner days, I think one of the biggest things is to teach "containment" on the ends. Make sure someone is assigned with "containment" on each side and that they "stay home". Every game, sooner or later, someone is going to run a reverse with their fastest player. And if no one stays home, it usually results in a touchdown.

Most of all, have fun, make sure the kids have fun, dish out tons of praise, and find a place for everyone, even the kids that may not be the best.

yeah the way it worked out last year which was my son and i's first year in team football he's 10 btw, but anyhow one of the head dudes in the league owned two teams the kings, which is the team we ended the season with and the knights the team we started with, the guy tried to field two teams because there;s more money in it but the knights junior team only had 12 players so it was iron man football both ways for these kids, we ended up losing our first two games and had to forfeit our third right before halftime because of injuries to two players,
the league forced him to combine the teams after that so the knights went to the more established kings and after that only a few of our kids cracked the starting lineup because they were already set, injuries finally forced there hand and my son had to go in and play guard for the rest of the season, and they eventually found a place in rotation for everyone, so yeah thats very important.
anyway that owner is out of the league this year because he is kind of a scheister that nobody liked,
apparently to my surprise there is money in this, not a lot to where you can quit your job, but some teams coaches made a little extra cash for christmas and what not,
i know as a parent who donated my time to both teams as a trainer last year because i am a medical tech i sure put out a lot of money..for travel and trophies pictures and a banquet at the end of the season with an awards ceremony, all that adds up
but thanks to everyone so far for there suggestions

 

[40yearfan]

[/B]
yeah the way it worked out last year which was my son and i's first year in team football he's 10 btw, but anyhow one of the head dudes in the league owned two teams the kings, which is the team we ended the season with and the knights the team we started with, the guy tried to field two teams because there;s more money in it but the knights junior team only had 12 players so it was iron man football both ways for these kids, we ended up losing our first two games and had to forfeit our third right before halftime because of injuries to two players,
the league forced him to combine the teams after that so the knights went to the more established kings and after that only a few of our kids cracked the starting lineup because they were already set, injuries finally forced there hand and my son had to go in and play guard for the rest of the season, and they eventually found a place in rotation for everyone, so yeah thats very important.
anyway that owner is out of the league this year because he is kind of a scheister that nobody liked,
apparently to my surprise there is money in this, not a lot to where you can quit your job, but some teams coaches made a little extra cash for christmas and what not,
i know as a parent who donated my time to both teams as a trainer last year because i am a medical tech i sure put out a lot of money..for travel and trophies pictures and a banquet at the end of the season with an awards ceremony, all that adds up
but thanks to everyone so far for there suggestions

Unless Pop Warner has completely changed over the past 25 years, the coaches and administrators don't make a dime from Pop Warner. Every dime goes back into the kitty for equipment and sponsorships for kids who can't afford to pay. I can say this with complete knowledge as I ran the McClintock Pop Warner program for a period of 3 years.

 

[MrYeahBut]

I never actually coached, but I ran the chain gang so I was right there on the line of scrimmage all the time. Points made by others about contain on the outside is one of the most important things. The other one is to have a fearless kid to play safety, if you've got one like that. Someone who can run and isn't afraid to hit.

As others have also said, these are 11 year old kids. Some of them are just there to play grab-ass, have with their buddies, aren't focused and are over it in 5 min when they lose. Coach will call 21 power sweep right and some of them will block left, lol. Can't fault them, it's just the way it is.

Keep them hydrated!!

Edit to add: I'm sure you've seen the game threads here and know what they're like. Some parents are the same way... they go crazy no matter what you do.... be open to suggestion, but don't take their criticism personally and above all don't second guess yourself.


.

 

[ARZCardinals]

As a coach I can say
Coaching takes A TON of time and work....500X's what you think. Parents have no idea the time put into it.
Your problem isn't going to be the kids...it's the parents. Showing up late to practice..missing practices...some missing games...it throws a loop in everything.

If you have the time, patience, money (yes you will buy a bunch of equipment on your own dime) and ability go for it. If not, I'd pass...it's a ton of work for no money and honestly not much respect.


You have to really want to help kids to do it.

Don't feel pressured into it...you are much better off passing than taking it on and losing face. I've seen enough coaches go into it only to have big problems later because of parents yelling, kids crying or them being reported to heads of the league and being scolded for a job they aren't even paid for.

Think long and hard before taking it on.

You'll have kids from varied abilities and varied interest - how you get them to work together is key.

You'll have kids that have little interest in focussing and you are trying to teach a drill...if you think "Come on guys lets focus" is going to work with kids....you are in for a long season.

My advice is not to take on the D coordinator position and say that you'd like to assist with a position or just be an assistant. That way you can get a season under you of actually having hands on work with kids that aren't yours and making practice schedules for one area rather than an entire defense....and you won't be under the scrutiny of someone who is running the entire defense.

 

[Phrazbit]

Bounties.

An extra otter pop to anyone who can make the opposing QB cry.

 

[Covert Rain]

I agree with the above that Parents can make your life miserable. All the years I played youth football and coached...some parents just don't get it.

We had a parent that was so upset over his son's performance..DURING PRACTICE...he in front of the team cussed out his son and completely berated him into tears. He had to get banned from coming to practice.

 

[cardpa]

Get together with the other coaches and come up with a set of guidelines and rules for the team and the parents. Be up front with both sets. If kids miss too many practices make sure parents and kids know what the consequences are before you even have a first practice. Have a pre season meeting with the parents and give them handouts so they can't say they didn't know about team rules and expectations.

You noticed I focused on the parents a lot. Have an open door policy with the parents however the coaches need to set the time and place where a parent can approach you to have a discussion. Never let them do it right after a game. Keep it to after a practice and if you are going to set an expectation of parents picking their kid up when practice ends say at 6PM make sure you are finished with practice at 6PM promptly.

I coached soccer at club, middle school and high school levels and our state games for over 20 years. In that time I learned that you have to set the parameters up front and put it down on paper so their is no room for interpretation. Trust me it will minimize headaches down the road. Make sure some of the practices are fun. Run a defense that fits to the talent you have. Explain why you have them do certain drills especially if they don't like them. Kids are not dumb.

 

[cardpa]

I agree with the above that Parents can make your life miserable. All the years I played youth football and coached...some parents just don't get it.

We had a parent that was so upset over his son's performance..DURING PRACTICE...he in front of the team cussed out his son and completely berated him into tears. He had to get banned from coming to practice.

I had a player in middle school who would not go onto the field because she would be on the same side of the field as the parents and she didn't want to hear her father. Tell parents coaching is not allowed by them during a game and what I told parents is if you do it anyway and your child is listening to you and not doing what I asked them to do then you as a parent is causing your child to lose playing time because now I would have to pull them off to talk to them as reinforce what I want them to do.

Make sure every kid plays. I have seen my step grandson's team have kids suited up and never play a down in a game. Did not matter if they were losing 40-0 or winning 40 -0. That is just wrong. Remember you are there to help develop players and winning takes a back seat to development. You also have an impact on building every players confidence in themselves which carries over to their off field life.