My 10 year old nephew has come to stay with me for the summer. Next year he will be playing tackle football for the first time. His mother wants me to help with his conditioning and to start teaching him the game. Does anyone have any experience as a peewee football coach or is anyone qualified to outline a workout routine? I dont want to hit the weights too hard im interested more in stretching and footwork exercises and conditioning drills.
thanks
Consider teaching him how to properly catch; block; get into different stances; take an angle; run a few basic patterns; know all of the different positions on the field and basic responsibilities of each and most importantly of all make sure he knows how to tackle a ball carrier. Once he knows all of that with 100% accuracy and or can do each with 100% proficiency consider working on basic...BASIC...aspects of physical conditioning. When I say 100%, I mean the kid can do everything I listed backwards, forwards and without question.
If I had a $1 for every kid that has shown up with kick ### equipment; has been to some sort of speed training offered by a Velocity Sports type of company and is a master of Madden Football but can't catch; tackle or block, I would be retired. Kids get hurt playing tackle football. Kids that do not know how to tackle or play are the kids that get hurt. Those same kids are left on the bench for their own safety.
There is a time and place for weight lifting and it is not for someone that is 10. He should not hit the weights or enter a weight room until he is at or past puberty or the age of 15/16.
If you insist on training, wind sprints...lots of wind sprints...push-ups; pull-ups and sit-ups are all he should be doing. If there is a problem with his weight, which is suggesting he is on the slight side, then visit his doctor.
Protein is extremely high in acid and there is no reason a youngster should be taking any sort of supplement high in protein. A doctor could help come up with a new diet to begin to jump start some growth. An age old solution is peanut butter on apple slices before bedtime. The peanut butter is a decent source of protein and a healthy fat, while the apple is an alkaline that will help negate the acid in the peanut butter.
Buy him a copy of
Football For Dummies. Trust me on this one. You guys read it together.
If you have Madden, consider using it like you would use game film. Kids learn when they are interested or feel like learning. Get on his level. Go to the practice mode on Madden; enter different plays and or defenses and take time to explain to him what is going on in each instance.
You'll be lucky to have 40 minutes of his attention out of every hour. Thus, each learning moment has to be a game or highly interactive. Failing to make it fun will see you will have his attention about 20 minutes or less.
If at any point you lose his attention or he just does not want to do it anymore, then you stop. You start again when he wants to start again.
Lastly, he needs to understand that his is about learning the game; understanding how to work with team mates; having respect for coaches and identifying areas of opportunity for himself. This is
the age when kids begin to quickly distance themselves from the pack in terms of athletic talent, size and prowess.
Many little Johnnies learn for the first time around the ages of 10-11 that they are not the fastest; the biggest; the best and that there is such a thing as winning and losing. Football is the ultimate team sport and that is such a tough age group. Many, many, many life lessons are served over the course of a season.
An ego that young is FRAGILE and the right information and guidance will be the difference between losing the kid or making him understand how to get better through practice; paying attention; hardwork, etc...
I give you credit for helping. Your heart is in the right place. Just make sure you always remember he is still a kid.
Good Call jurb26!!
at 10 most important thing is that he is having fun, and learns respect for himself, his coaches, and his teammates.
