My son has been a soccer/lacrosse player until this point. He's a big (5'4", 120 lb), fast kid for his age who has won the RB job, along w/ kicker/punter.
Thus far, maybe as one might expect from a 1st year kid in football, he's been much more successful outside (in space, with a couple of long runs) than inside (in traffic). He runs high posture wise, so my 1st question is a request for tips to get him lower until he gets into space. I ask this from a safety and success standpoint. He doesn't shy away from contact, but his body position leaves him as more of a nail than a hammer and I obviously want to do what I can to reduce the size of his "bulls eye".
I did get him a high quality helmet as opposed to the crap (town issued) helmet. Any advise on a mouthpiece that has gotten good reviews re: reducing concussion risk?
I just want to do what I can to keep being proactive about protecting him, but certainly understand there are no guarantees.
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.
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If you're facing each other you want to see his shoulder pads and his eyes, and get the rest behind his shoulder pads.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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