My son (11) playing football for the 1st time, QUESTIONS

will sound like a broken record before it finally sinks in.

Or maybe not, but that has been my experience with kids.

I would get a better helmet if you can afford it.

Maybe even video him to show him his 'highlights' -keep it positive! Then see if he picks up anything from it. Often what we think we are doing, and what we are doing are two different things.

guy is apparently #1 in the business of mouthpieces/concussion reduction
Link - ( New Window )

I got him a xenith helmet (x2) after some research

The first thing I was ever taught on the football field was that the low man ALWAYS wins. If you have a swingset or something, tie a rope to it at about waist level for him and have him practice running underneath it while holding a ball. It sounds stupid, but it will help him get comfortable with the posture. After that, make sure he keeps his legs moving until the whistle blows. 120 is pretty big for a kid who's 5'4", so I'm sure if he does these things, he'll be going forward on most runs.

Always keep his head up. Sprained necks suck.

from leaping over defenders!

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and Head up.

If you're facing each other you want to see his shoulder pads and his eyes, and get the rest behind his shoulder pads.

Hold a long branch or stick parallel and have him run under it (with his helmet on. Key is to make sure he doesn't just duck under the stick, but that the height is such that he can run "lower" and get under it. This can be a fun thing, as you can have him run a toss to the outside, make cuts, etc. He just has to run under you, sort of like playing limbo.

that advise about tying a string to get him in the habit of running low is a good one, thx for that

Have him stand up tall, or close to tall, like he has been running. If you just tap him in the shoulder, he is more likely to move as his base is less strong. Have him get in a lower stance and do the same thing, and he will see the power.

Basically, young kids need to realize that there legs, their quads, are very strong and running low generates tons of power.

Have him look at a picture of Maurice Jones-Drew. Guy is short, but his upper legs are insanely large and that is what generates a ton of his power.

I'm trying to find out how to get one on the site but I cant find anything, which I'm guessing means they aren't cheap

from his testicles to his face guard while he is in the proper running position. After a few poor technique runs he will get the message.....of course I am just kidding but it would probably work

you have to come up with something that he has to stay low while running. start in the down position, take the handoff and run through a tunnel of sorts for 10 or so feet. its hard to explain. muscle memory, he has to do it in practice to ever do it in a game. also has to keep head and eye's up

Nice comments on the mouthpiece always look for that first.
and always stretch as much as possible before, during, and afterwards.

Make sure his equipment fits well and correctly. Many leagues are limited and baggy pants, or worn shoulder pads or oversized event balance. Which leads to how the helmet fits over at the baseneck of the shoulder pads too. To big a helmet also makes one adjust the chin strap a little funky.

Worn pads in pants at knees can be easily replaced.

Understanding how to move his feet and balance when running and taking on weight is helpful. Nothing wrong with going down or out of bounds when making sure you are safe. Sometimes its better to give a hit than take one. Closer you canmove theb come back to a hit is easier than taking one head on. Never bow your head always try to watch a hit coming where possible.

Shoes, most all are made this way, but in the heal make sure they spikes arr rounded facing in a circle releases easier in thick grass or mud.

Usually a lot of leagues have weight classes but it does not hurt to keep an eye out for a ringer, as some coaches are more concerned about winning then the other teams players, sad but true.

running low is actually a bit more difficult for our body, especially in the lower extremities muscle-wise. On top of all of the great advices given already regarding teaching him the right form, make sure to help him strengthen his legs and core so that it's not as straining whenever he's running low.

if its Pop Warner they do weigh ins before every game. If they are out of the weight limits they don't play...

a driving/tackling sled prepares your body to be in a lower position and teaches some muscle memory to take full advantage of the strongest part of your body, your legs. I'll never forget my HS coach instilling the word "drive!" when we used the sled, regardless of what position we played because driving your legs is paramount in most any position. He will no doubt play other positions as he progresses and it will be useful. But nothing reminds you to stay low more than getting your rear end handed to you because you were too upright!

out of PVC piping and measure it so that he has to be hunched over to get under it....Give him some cone drills that start and finish with him going under the hurdle. Make multiple of them if you really want to ingrain it in him. We used to use these for lineman drills, but they work for backs too at the right height. You definitely want him to get the feel of the natural crouch when making cuts, but more importantly, once hes goes under the hurdle, have a pad ready to hit him. This will definitely build the muscle memory for the explosive position of lowering your center of gravity and exploding into contact.

Also, get him a flap jacket. Its not just for QB at this age, protect his ribs and diaphragm. He'll get the wind knocked out of him real fast if you dont protect his mid section.

Lastly, make sure he carries the ball secure with both hands in the open field. This will slow him down, but from my experiences on the field, I always used the ball as a battering ram out in front of me and that helps eat a lot of the blows I took. Just a couple of suggestions. Good Luck, let him get a little beat up out there...it definitely will build his character and make him a good player in the future.

I mean the great feedback, is another example of how great this site is -- thanks to all !

We had this thing that was made out of metal pipes. It was no more than 4 feet 5 inches high. We had to run through it for 2 hours straight during practice on a game day. Taught us to run low.

On turf get molded Nike Vapor Cleats, best cleats out, if on grass get screw ins if the league allows it. And you can get a girdle with hip,thigh, and butt pads all built it, more comfortable and less baggy.

midget league?

My son has been playing football for the first year also..He's 12 at 105 lbs. he plays starting RG..I git him about 4 or 5 mouthpieces because they are going to go throw them alot..make sure you keep him very hydrated before games..

of mouthpieces. Lost count of how many of those things I chewed to bits.

20 yrs. this yr I have the JPW 9-10-11 yrs old....Don't force
the kid in any position, let the coaches work it out and put him or her in in where they will help the team the most. Most kids will know what position suits them best by the 8th and 9th grade due to his skill-set. Sorry to tell you but you can put any kid at runningback but that doesn't mean he a runner....runningbacks are born, you can't teach vision, speed and the natural sense that they have....so when you find one ride em....again no football camp, personal training,special helmets,or drills will make a runningback when he is NOT a natural runner.

he's 5'2" and 107 pounds. They have him at LG on Offense and RT (or what they call RG in JR. Tackle). The kid is a beast and i've had a great time teaching him technique, footwork, hand placement, leverage, etc outside of his practices.

A few things - don't expect volunteer coaches to teach your son a lot in terms of proper technique when it comes to blocking and tackling. They'll know the basics - but be sure to spend time with him teaching him finer points.

Tell your son to only hit what he sees. That way he's keeping his head up and he's not leading with his helmet which is a common mistake and quite prevalent in junior football. Help him chop his steps when blocking off the line - this should help him to stay low.

Help him to keep his pad level down - this can be tough - particularly with a taller kid. It's a butt and legs sport - meaning most of his power will come from proper leverage created by his legs and butt - this is especially important with junior tackle line play. You can use a standard bag and have him straddle and chop out of his 3-point, keeping his butt low while driving with his legs.

Teach him how to "get skinny" on defense by shifting his hips off the snap of the ball and using his inside or outside shoulder to gain leverage on the blocker. At this level the coaches are teaching drive blocking techniques - in other words, straight forward blocking, elbows in, hands under the breastplate, not a ton of footwork involved other than chopping your steps, staying low, and exploding out of your stance. By getting skinny, the defensive player has an advantage by limiting his target for the offensive lineman and it will help foster a quicker first step.

You will notice that most teams do not vary their snap counts at this level - both in cadence and count to snap time. Help him to understand these tendencies to get off the ball quicker to give him an advantage on the defensive side of the ball.

Work with him on keeping his head in between the ball and the man when he's blocking on offense. This should help him keep his body low and drive the defensive player in the right direction.

They're probably using a 2, 4, 6, 8/1, 3, 5, 7 formation play sheet. Try to help him understand his gap responsibility on running plays in relation to the rest of the line play.

There's tons more - but just remember to always encourage him and have a great time.

do yourself and your son a favor and buy the integrated football pants. He'll most likely need to wear his game pants over them during games - but not having to load up the pads before every practice/game is a huge time saver. You can wash the IP with the pads in and take them out if needed. Best football invention in the last 10 years, imo.

visualize your thighs touching you chest it will bring his pad level down, Just make sure the the head is always up.

Many coaches tell their runners to get low but they don't show them HOW to do it. You can keep yelling it, but the results will take much longer, if at all, without some instruction. I tell my players to drop their hips and extend their stride as they lower their shoulders with their head up to take on contact. The defender will see Helmet and shoulders and from the knee down if the runner is in proper position. Keeping the head up is key - for safety - and because it will stop the runner from running himself into the ground. They should stand taller as they come through the contact into the daylight. I also tell them to square their shoulders upfield as running sideways will take away their power and leave them more exposed to injury from a side shot to the hip or knee.

was to always look back INSIDE when running down field cause you might have to make a block or not get lit up..

Low pad level and see what you hit, move your feet and wrap up..

have him jump rope like a 1000 times... it really helps the feet...

when you hit someone, it feels good!

My son used a Cowboy collar for a while, it works but he didn't like it

under armor makes a really cover for his chin strap...cuts down on the sweat and zits


PS your wife is gonna have to get used to washing the worst smelling stuff she ever did smell! enjoy.... the ride is fun, but short

Never, ever lower your head. I tossed a kid out of practice for that.