COACHES CORNER

Basic Practice Philosophy

Implement what you as a coach believe in. Make sure all of your coaches, players, and parents 
buy  into your system. Stay true to what you feel is best for your football players. Believe in 
your offense, defense, and special teams philosophies.  Stay true to yourself and always be 
genuine with your players, assistant coaches, and parents. Listen to other coaches. Value their 
opinions and always work together. Remember, coaching youth football is not just about 
winning- It is all about creating positive experiences for the kids.  Every youth football coach 
has his own scheme and practice plan, but there is a universal philosophy that all coaches 
must adhere to- never to put the children in an unfair or unsafe situation. All practices should 
be operated safely, and in accordance to the rules. Never win at the expense of the children. Be 
organized, upbeat, and enthusiastic.

Practice Tips
Coaching Beyond the X's and O's

Successful coaching in youth football is all about teaching the basics or fundamentals of the 
game. You must be a good teacher. Practices should be focused entirely on playing with the 
proper technique. Playing with proper technique will not only give your team success, it will 
help keep your players safe from major injuries. It is vital to have proper technique when 
blocking, block shedding, and tackling.  Players must always keep their heads up! Again, 
playing with the proper football fundamentals will help deter most injuries.

Management  

If you cannot manage the players and the coaches that surround you, then you will not have a 
very successful year. Great management comes with great organization. In order to have 
productive practices coaches must have scripted practices. All coaches on the coaching staff 
should have practice plans and all coaches should be on the same page.  It is vital to keep 
youth football players busy in practice, no kids should be aimlessly standing around. When 
managing practices, make sure they are up tempo and enthusiastic. Coaches need to be able 
to manage multiple players at once. You must be able to coordinate with parents, players, and 
other coaches flawlessly. Good managers are able to handle  pressure, have confidence, and 
stay true to their beliefs at all times. Football teams with bad management will lose. Head 
coaches must be able to manage everything from the parents- to games and everything in 
between.

USA Football Links
Playbook

USA Football Development Model

FAQ on Football Safety for Coaches