Hey. I have a football question

Question
Hey Coach. My name is Mike. I am 13 years old. I currently play football for my middle school team.I start at Offensive Guard and Defensive Tackle. Yes I know you say you don't know much about defense, but you coached so you have to know more than I do. As the season nears the end I am beginning to wonder about next year. Can you please send me some tips and info about playing both positions next year in my first year of High School. Also How big should I be to play at these positions next year in 9th grade. I am currently 13 years old, 5 ft 6 inches tall and weigh 148 lbs.
Thank You for your help,
Mike

Answer
Mike -

Thanks for the question, Mike!  Although I do spend most of my time on the offensive side of the ball, I do have a substantial amount of knowledge about defensive issues, and am sure I can help you out with both sides of the ball.  

OK, well, let's tackle this one step at a time.  

Offensive Guard:  The guard is a very important position in an offensive unit.  As an ex-quarterback, I can say this from first hand knowledge.  In most offenses the guard has to be the most athletic of the 3 positions (center, guard, and tackle) because he will be asked to things the other players won't.  Not only must he perform standard run and pass blocking like the others, but in most O's he will have to also "pull" behind the line for traps, counters and sweeps, pull out for "boots" / play action rollouts, and even cross behind and outside of the tackle to pick up any players blitzing from the outside.  None of these are easy to do, and require a nice balance of speed and power with special attention to footwork.

To improve, first thing is to make sure and find out what offense your team will be running next year.  It will help you design your off-season exercise routine.  If it is more of a straight ahead power offense, more time needs to be spent on size and raw strength.  If you play more of a misdirectional offense, an offense with a zone blocking scheme, or maybe a mostly passing offense, speed and agility might be more important.  Although you will need all of these traits to be a complete player no matter the offense, it will help you get a priority list going for your improvements.

Once you get that onfo, start an exercise routine that will assist you in acheiving your goals.  Ask your coaches what they want out of their guards.  Ask what they think you need to do to play next year.  Then, get their ideas about a routine for you, and get on it.  Also, there are numerous books, DVDS, and articles / sites on the internet for getting the appropriate routine.  DO some research and get one that will fit what you need.  But no matter what you do, make sure and begin working on your footwork now!  Drills that have you making quick changes in directions, forward and back, side-to-side.  I am sure you have done them before.  Around cones, zig-zagging blocking bags, you know what I am talking about.  Those drill are available on the net also, or I am sure your coach would be happy to get you a list.  Those are going to be key.

Defensive Line:  The steps are really going to be the same as for playing guard.  Find out what defense you run, and what the particular position you want to play is responsible for in your defense.  Some will have you taking up space and offensive lineman so the LBs can penetrate the holes, and others will want you to be the one penetrating the holes.  Again, different schemes will require different style players.  SO get that info. My guess is that you should be doing a balanced routine that incorporates all of the above mentioned: strength, speed, and size.  SO try and pick one that has it all.  But once again, footwork will be the deciding factor.

AS far as your height and weight, you should always be looking to get bigger and stronger as any type of lineman - ASSUMING YOU CAN STILL MOVE QUICKLY ENOUGH TO STAY IN PLAYS!  But from what you have said, you seem to be on the right track.  There isn't really any appropriate sizes for either, just remember that the lineman are the biggest and strongest players on the field.  That means the players you will be lining up against on a weekly basis will be that team's big / strong guys.  SO you will have to worry about that factor.  I would say to just try and stay up to the average of what you have seen.  If the other lineman you have played against are a certain size, try and keep up.  But whatever you do, get that footwork down.  Size and strength mean nothing if you don't know how to use them!

I hope this helped you out Mike.  Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you!  Good luck and work hard!

Coach Perl