Teaching Football to a Child

Question
Hi Coach Perl,  I recently entered my Girlfriends 8yr old son (Jesus)into flag football.  I thought that it would be helpful for him to learn football from his coaches.  But I'm from Chicago and the weather has not been that good, so most of their practices get cancelled.  So when it's game time (Every Sat. and Sun.) he really doesn't know what he's doing out there.  He doesn't know what a kickoff is or what he should be doing on Offense or Defense.  What can I do to teach him to understand the basics and the rules, and for him to try harder and not just stand there get pushed around?  Any Info is greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Dan.

Answer
Dan -

Just wanted to check in and see how things went with your girlfriend's son.  I enjoyed your comments, and appreciated them.  If you get a moment, write me back and let me know how it all went!

Thanks

Coach Perl
www.allexperts.com, football instruction

Dan -

Thank you for writing. Well buddy, believe it or not, this is actually a very common question.  And I do have some answers for you, although, part of my response might not be exactly what you are looking for.  So please, go ahead and read on, and let me go over a few things about this situation you have described.

Now, before I get into my response, please understand that I am not a psychologist or anything.  I have learned what I know by playing and coaching for numerous years, and working with players from pee-wees to professionals.  SO when I read your question, I wanted to make sure I was clear on a few key points BEFORE we got into the football discussion.

First off, trust me when I tell you that at age 8, he is no worse off than any other kid his age.  Most 8 year olds have no idea what they are doing while playing sports.  Basically, for the most part, they are told to go out and stand there, which they do.  After that, they sort of just go with the flow of the game, without any real understanding of what they are doing or why they are doing it.  Think of a tee-ball game, when they are all lined up in their correct positions.  The ball is hit, and everyone runs after it.  The 3rd baseman runs into right field to try and get the ball, right? This is where this young man is at right now.  This is that age! Parents say to go out there, and not wanting to disappoint, they do.  But quite often, actually, more often then parents would like, the child is not as interested in the sport as the parent would like them to be.  So the first thing you need to ask yourself is if you are sure that your girlfriend's child is even interested in playing flag football.  The reason I ask is that in a lot of cases, parents mistake a lack of INTEREST for a lack of talent, skill, and that certain "go get 'em" attitude athletes have.  So make sure that the reason he is getting pushed around, and / or just standing around is a lack of understanding, as opposed to a lack of interest in the sport.  Kids, as I am sure you already fully realize, in most cases take a HUGE interest in the things they like.  This could be a good example.  You have enrolled him in football, and he has started playing.  Has he showed any interest in watching it on TV?  Has he asked you anything about it?  Has he asked you to explain the game to him, or any other question about football that an 8 year old would ask?  Those are just some things to look for to make sure he is interested in it but doesn't understand it, as opposed to not being interested in it at all.

OK, Dan, now let's assume he DOES enjoy playing but just doesn't understand what is going on.  I would like to add that this is a VERY BIG POSSIBILITY!  ALL I wrote above is just something I think you need to make sure of before you go through all of the effort to teach him something he doesn't care to know. Hey, I would have been a soccer player if I hadn't told my dad no, I am playing football from now on!  Thank god!  So the first thing is to definitely introduce him to the sport in general.  Pick a good game on TV in the near future.  The BEARS would be a great choice this year!! They look pretty darn good most of the time! Make some popcorn and order a pizza. Sit down with him and watch.  Make it a big deal, Dan!  As the game starts, explain it to him!  "OK, (don't know his name), here is how the game starts.  It is called a kickoff."  Always remember that he is 8.  You will have to literally spell these things out for him.  Even when you tell him what these things are, he wont understand them, he will just know "kickoff".  SO do your best to try and put these things in a way or terms he can understand.  DO this for the entire game.  See if he is interested at all.  IF he cant stand watching it, he probably wont wanna play it either.  REMEMBER - IF THIS IS THE CASE, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT HE NEVER WILL WANT TO PLAY IT, IT JUST MEANS RIGHT NOW HE DOESN'T.  But go through it with him, teach him offense, defense, what is a pass, a run, a touchdown.. ALL of the basic basics of the basics.  Keep it simple, Dan - VERY SIMPLE.

IF he shows an interest, you have got something here.  If that is the case, now start the process of teaching him how to play.  Now he has seen it, likes it, and like any other child on earth, will want to act it out or imitate it.  After the game, get a football, a pair of socks, and get in a yard somewhere.  Make it fun for him. Start from the beginning.  "OK, kickoff", and kick it to him, allowing him to run it back. Then you get the ball - "Come get me (as you run the ball).... Put those socks in the waist line of your pants and let him grab them out to make the tackle.  He will enjoy that, and it will help him learn what he is supposed to do on the real field.  

Once he gets into that, start putting him into make believe situations with just you two.  "OK, I am the other teams player, and I have the ball, what are you gonna do?"  Let him answer "get your flags".  Tell him "Right!  Ready, Go!!!"  And run at him.  Again, let him get the flags!  After you do that a while, reverse the game.  Let him run the ball, and you chase him.  Guide him. "When you have the ball, DO NOT let me get your flags!"  And go with it a while.  

Remember, do not worry about the specifics!!  Downs, distances, blah blah blah.. He wont get it.. Just get him going.  As he plays more, loves it, and gets a little older, that all comes naturally.  Also, if he does like it, he will watch more, and learn from watching it.  

One more EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THING!  Keep in mind that sometimes, actually, most of the time, coaches get a little too concerned with winning rather than teaching.  I am sure you know what I am speaking about.  You hear about it all of the time these days.  Even at 8 years old, coaches have a terrible tendency to try too hard to win and do not instruct.  Unfortunately, kids like your girlfriend's who aren't as knowledgeable about the game miss out on learning what they should learn at that age.  So be careful on relying on the coaches to teach them. I am not saying this is the case, just keep an eye out for this.  

Basically Dan, what I want to get across is that YOU need to get this info to this young man.  Find out if he even likes it first.  If he does, show him the sport.  Talk to him about it.  Then, get out there and make it fun!  Make him want to know everything he can about it.  You will be SHOCKED at how fast he picks this up, and maybe, even more shocked at how good he is at it!

Hey, I am very interested in how it goes with him, so do me a favor.  Go ahead and give this a try, give it a little time, then WRITE ME BACK and let me know how it goes!  IF he is into it, and things go well, I would be MORE THAN HAPPY to go into this even further with you.  We can get you more in-depth things for him to learn and enjoy about football.  Please keep me informed as to his progress.

One more thing. You should be proud of yourself for taking the time and effort to get this young man into something, football or anything else.  That is the most important thing of all, and he will never forget you spending the time with him.... NEVER... Trust me, I have been there!

Best wishes friend

Coach Perl