General Youth Coaching Principles
*All coaches must submit to a Background Investigation to be administered by a local, State, or Federal Law Enforcement Agency.
Unless scheduled or approved in writing by the league, any practices or events are prohibited and will automatically result in a forfeit. Scouting or recording another teams practice, games, or events is strictly prohibited. Doing so will result in a forfeit and possible suspension. Coaching is an extremely important responsibility. A good coach always places the best interests of a player before winning. Coaching youth sports is a difficult job because parents expect professional results from people who are mostly volunteers. High school, college and pro coaches start as assistants and work their way up through years of intense professional training. The players and their parents have placed you in a position of leadership, and you have a responsibility to give them your best effort. Additionally, this football experience will play a significant factor in determining whether the players continue participating in football. If you follow the coaching guidelines and general principles below, you, the players and their parents will be better served.
Stand-ins
All games must start on time. Therefore, in the unfortunate event that the Head Referee does not arrive on time for the start of the game, the Head Coaches from both the Home team, and the Guest team must stand in as Referees. While serving as referees, head coaches are not allowed to give instructions to their teams. Only the Assistant coaches will be responsible for their teams and player rotations.
Coaching Tips
Whether you are an experienced coach or a novice taking the reins of your first team, your main goal should be to create a fun and safe learning environment for your players. Many of the skills your players will practice and play with are just like those of their NFL heroes. Feel free to emphasize this connection to the real-life game! Most of all, know and teach all the rules of the league.
Everybody Plays
Sports at the youth level should be an inclusive experience. It is never fun at any level of play to sit and watch others participate, anticipating the opportunity to play if the situation arises. The youth level of sports should be an equal learning experience for everyone, whether it’s a game or a practice. Every player will receive equal game and practice time.
How often have you either experienced or witnessed a practice where several players are being instructed and drilled while a group of teammates stand around and watch, never receiving the same attention? Most often the group standing around has been deemed by their coach to be not as skilled or talented, therefore, the attention is paid to the so-called "stars" of the team.
A coach is a teacher. A teacher/coach’s job is to raise the level of learning and skills of not only the most talented, but for everyone on the team, starting with the least talented. The Trinity philosophy eliminates first, second, and third strings in both games and at practice. It is expected that players get to scheduled practices, however, if they don't, those players will still have equal playing time.
Eliminate Tackling Early
Don't let your practices dissolve into a giant pile of rambunctious kids. For both their safety and your sanity, make sure to discourage any tackling or roughness early on. Remind them that they won't help their team in a game by tackling or being rough. That will actually lead to them being ejected and possibly banned.
Sportsmanship Rules!
Help your players be good sports. After a game, respectfully shake hands with the other team. Applaud good play by both sides. Treat officials with respect. Do not argue, touch, or tell the referee or officials how to do their job. Doing so will result in a coaches ejection and suspension. Do not teach or encourage dirty or unfair tactics. You will be held accountable. While imitating you, your team won't even recognize the good lesson they’re learning.
Let Them Play!
The temptation to be another Don Shula or Bill Belichick will have to wait. This is FLAG FOOTBALL. While teaching football skills and strategies is important, keep your lessons as simple as possible. As your team grasps the basics, move on to more advanced ideas. Overloading young players with too much information too early can cause confusion for them and headaches for you.
Have Fun!
We thank you for your volunteer service. Youth Sports couldn't happen without you, but remember to let the players have fun too! This is the primary objective and cornerstone of the entire philosophy. Regardless of whether it’s a game or a practice, sports at the youth level should always be fun. This requires a little creativity on the part of the parent/coach to offer and adopt fun methods throughout all aspects of their program. Incorporate games and low-key competitions to teach fundamentals rather than running traditional drills.
Limit Standing Around
This is a common problem with youth sports that ultimately turns kids off. Whether it’s a game, practice, clinic, or camp, we have designed all of our programs to engage every participant consistently. Kids don’t attend practice to watch others play. Kids enjoy practices when they have fun and they experience an improvement in their overall skills. Many professional coaches put a major emphasis on fast paced and interactive practices that eliminate downtime. You will see your team’s attention and energy levels improve immediately when you engage the entire team in drills of short duration.
Multiple Positions
Don’t pigeonhole kids in one particular position because of their physical size and/or ability. In order to provide each participant a full experience and appreciation for the game that will last a lifetime, we encourage all programs to teach everyone every position. As we all know, kids grow at various rates. A smaller child may develop late and become much larger than his/her present size indicates and vice versa. For example, how many athletes has football lost throughout the years because of coaches taking the largest kids and making them play the line? These kids often experienced an entire football season without touching the football. Kids should have the opportunity to experience every position.
A youth coach’s job is to introduce and teach every position to every kid. Never make judgments based on someone’s size alone; teach every participant every position and they will naturally find the position they belong in, and you will be in a better position to guide them.
Emphasize The Fundamentals
Build a foundation that will never crack by properly teaching the basics. Learning the fundamentals and perfecting the same basics at every level of play is essential to having any chance of success.
Warning: Do not attempt to replicate plays you see in the college or pro level! Every scheme that is attempted in a college or pro game is supported by years of training in the fundamentals of the game. If one player does not execute the fundamentals of his position correctly, the most sophisticated scheme in the world will not work. It is unfair and not fun to focus on running plays that will fail 9 out of 10 times. Youth programs that focus on scheming plays over executing fundamentals are cheating every participant out of the chance to learn the game properly.
Incorporate A Progression Of Skill Development
Regardless of a player’s skill level, it is your responsibility as a youth coach to teach every kid on your team. It is no secret that if kids experience improvement in their skills, no matter what their athletic ability may be, they will continue to participate and return to learn more.
Yell Encouragement, Whisper Constructive Criticism
Keep it positive. As a youth coach you should never tolerate negative comments from your players, parents, coaching staff, and especially yourself towards players. Kids realize when they have made mistakes. What they don’t need is to have that mistake compounded by negative feedback and comments. What they do need is feedback on how to correct the mistake supported by positive encouragement. Keep the encouragement verbal only. DO NOT TOUCH ANY PLAYERS. In the event of equipment malfunction that the players can’t fix themselves, have their parent/guardian make the proper adjustments. Again, DO NOT TOUCH OR BE LEFT ALONE WITH ANY PLAYERS.
Coaching Guidelines
A coach should be enthusiastic without being intimidating. They should be sensitive to the children's feelings and genuinely enjoy spending time with them. A coach should be dedicated to serving children and understand that football provides physical and emotional growth for its participants. Remember, flag football is for the children.
A coach needs to realize that they are a teacher, not a drill sergeant. They should help children learn and work to improve their skills. Personal gains are never a consideration. The job does not depend on winning. The best interest of the child transforms into the best interests of the game. The safety and welfare of the children never can be compromised. A coach will consider these factors above all others. Be patient. Don't push children beyond limits in regards to practice or games. Children have many daily pressures, the football experience should not be one of them. Playing football should be fun. Care more about the players as people than as athletes. The youth football program is a means to an end, not an end in itself.A coach should encourage players to dream and set lofty goals. It is important to remain positive and refrain from discouraging remarks. Negative comments are remembered far more often than positive affirmations.Remember that the rules of the game are designed to protect the participants, as well as to set a standard for competition. Never circumvent or take advantage of the rules by teaching deliberate misconduct. A coach who puts his or her opponents' team at risk should not be involved with children. Be the first person to demonstrate good sportsmanship. Take a low profile during the game and allow the kids to be the center of attention. Parents and players place a lot of trust and confidence in the coach. The coach has an important role in molding the athletic experience of the child. A coach can measure success by the respect he gets from his or her players, regardless of victories or defeats. Children who mature socially and physically while participating in sports are the best indication of good coaching. Never touch or be left alone with any players. In the event of equipment malfunctions that the players can’t fix themselves, have their parents/guardians make the necessary adjustments. If you are not a trained or certified medic, do not attempt to administer first aid. Field Layout. The field layout can be found on the Referee's page. It illustrates the Endzones, and the Automatic First Down lines.
In the past, we have encouraged the use of wrist coaches for players since Coaches are NOT allowed on the fields. It's a fast and efficient way to get plays into your team on the field. Let the parents know they usually cost around 7 dollars and can be found at any local sporting goods store. Below is a sample of a wrist coach and plays.
Wrist Coach
Sample Offense 7 vs 7
Sample Defense 7 vs 7
