Just an update...
The Zak Attack has been switched to MLB and FB - because he likes to hammer people, and bring the lumber.
He had two carries for 12 yards (ran right out of both his spikes on one play) and had three extra point rushes out of three attempts on Sunday in a 29-0 victory.
He's got to work on his defense. Not aggressive enough. Too busy moving backwards and sideways for my taste.
Good to hear!At his age on defense being confused is more common than not being aggressive.
I doubt the coach would make him both a FB and a MLB if he didn't think he was aggressive. To help him, you have to teach him to read keys. The easiest key is run vs pass. Offenses at that level are pretty basic when it comes to the center position so the center is not going to pull, trap ect... He's either going to snap the ball and chop his feet, (Pass) or he's going to run straight at your son or block either of the 2 DT's. The first thing to teach him is to chop his feet when the ball is snapped. Too many kids at that age stand flat footed while their trying to figure out the play. That makes them easy to take out with a block from a direction their not expecting. Next he needs to look at the Center's feet. If they are chopping, he needs to assume pass and go to his responsibility. Ask him what he's supposed to do if it's a pass. Believe it or not, he may not know. Coaches do not explain things at that level enough for kids to understand sometimes. Everything you teach him should be "If you see this key, then do this as fast as possible"
But, you have to know what the coach expects, so if he can't tell you, then ask the coach. Next, explain to him that he can tell what the center is going to do in his first 2 steps on a running play. If he's 3 yards behind the the line of scrimmage, it will probably take the center at least 4 steps to get to him. If he thinks the center is coming after him he needs to get lower than the center and pop him putting his hands right in the center of his chest. After the initial pop his hands should spread to the center's shoulders and he should be looking for the ball. If the ball is more than 2 yards to his right, he should disengage and run right. Reverse it if the ball is more than 2 yards to his left. Either way, you should show him how easy it is to control the center by his shoulders once he establishes position. If he reads the center blocking to the right or left he should have the same responsibility in just about every offense that I know of at that level. He should immediately run to the spot that the center vacated and look for a guy in the backfield trying to block him. If he sees that coming, he needs to get low again and hit him in the center of the chest. This time though. rather than steer the blocker to the left or the right, he should be trying to knock him on his ### or push him 10 yards backwards. The only time he disengages the blocker is if the ball is close enough to tackle the ball carrier. Then he should steer the blocker away from the ball carrier. If there is no one coming from the backfield, he's gonna get a block from the guard farthest away from the center. If the center went to his left, the guard to his right will hit him. If the center went to his right the opposite will happen, and the guard from the left will hit him. This is hard for young MLB's because it's their second read and guards have the advantage of surprise. You should emphasis that if he doesn't see a blocker in the backfield, he should look away from the center. Even if he makes a bad read, if his feet are chopping, he has a good chance. Also if, he gets to the spot where the center was standing quick enough, there is a pretty good chance the guard will overshoot. If he can master those reads, I can give you a ton more, but those are the basics at his position and you should make sure he masters those before you go further. Also, no matter how good or bad he did on the field, when he asks you how he did, you tell him "Wow! you did great!!!! now all we have to work on is..." I can't stress enough how important it is for a dad to be supportive and involved at that stage. If he thinks he sucks at anything, he'll quit before he can see the fruit of his labor.
