Youth football practice drill -- is this appropriate?
Check out this youth football practice drill -- is this appropriate? Someone mentioned in the comments they are 8 years old.
For clarification, when I say "appropriate" I'm not talking about contract in general. I'm referring to what appears to be the complete lack of coaching and technique here. But I could be wrong.
I would say based upon the reactions alone - by the adults - is that this is the type of thing that causes parents to pull their kids and rightfully so. There is an obvious size/ability gap between the two players, the coaches quite clearly are not using this to teach technique (at all). It is purely a "manhood" exercise.
These are the ways kids rack up CTE/concussion injuries in a completely unneeded fashion. If it was my kid, it would take a lot NOT to knock the adults the fuck out who were responsible for and running this practice.
Absolutely not appropriate for a multitude of reasons. I don't think full pads football is even appropriate until middle school at minimum, but doing a drill like this with two completely different sized kids and allowing terrible form on tackles is fucked up
Coaches set this up, because they recorded it. They set about getting an inexperienced kid killed because they could. This is a controlled environment a d they made it happen.
There’s no technique being taught here, for either player. Just bad all around.
They may have wanted the kid to quit or his parents to pull him. That is a big part of what happened to my son as I wrote below. Some youth sports coaches get their purpose really, really wrong.
Fuck no it's not appropriate. There needs to be some significant remedial action by that league; if this drill is found to be a regular occurrence, he should be removed.
Greatly increasing the chances of an 8 year old incurring a traumatic brain injury in practice is unbelievably stupid, considering what we've learned about head injuries in the past 10-15 years.
Drill is fine to me, but the coaches are at a big time fault here. Dont turn your back and laugh when the hit happens...jump in there right away and tell that kid to NEVER lead with his head.
That is a crap coaching job and they should feel bad
Kids that young probably shouldn't be playing tackle regardless.
And yeah, those coaches (and probably parents) are at fault here.
There are not many good reasons for kids that young playing tackle. As a longtime high school coach myself, I have seen a lot of kids who have played since youth have some of the worst technique around. Around 7th grade I would say is a fine starting age for tackle.
Also, many of youth football coaches I’ve unfortunately encountered are alcoholic assholes. The language they hurl at these kids is absurd. Also, very little teaching I’ve seen as well. Some of these youth coaches just let the biggest kids bully the rest on the field and by the time everyone catches up, they haven’t learned the proper technique.
What “adults” will do to win a 10 and under championship is quite mind-blowing
The drill is not only done incorrectly and inappropriately it is totally unsafe. There’s no breakdown by the tackler, no proper positioning of the head, body, feet, or the arms to make the tackle.
Very disturbing and dangerous.
I’ve coached for many years at all levels through high school and this is maddening to watch. Exactly opposite of what USA Football is promoting.
well the one kid plays for the Titans, so.....
Probably not, but do we really need a thread about it? I mean what are we going to do about it? Is this your kid? Is this happening in your youth football program? If it's just some random clip you saw in a place far away with people you don't know it's seems unnecessary.
It’s OT season, so sure? Also, there are plenty of HS and youth coaches here who can be expected to have a reasonable take on this based on their own experiences.
Also, there are plenty of HS and youth coaches here who can be expected to have a reasonable take on this based on their own experiences.
If it's not the OP's kid or his local youth program I don't see the point. He never said he was a coach and was looking to make sure he's making the right coaching decisions. It just sounds like he's judging some random coach which sounds kinda like bitching for the sake of bitching to me. Don't get me wrong, we bitch about a lot of UM stuff all the time, but I personally get enough negativity already and don't really want to see more if it's not specific to UM sports.
Probably not, but do we really need a thread about it?
Do we really need a thread about 90% of the stuff that gets posted on MGoBlog? Probably not.
I mean what are we going to do about it?
The same thing we do about all the threads on MGoBlog. Comment or ignore.
Is this your kid?
No. It isn't. Are your kids in Palestine? No? Then why care right?
Is this happening in your youth football program?
It could be. Thus bringing this to light makes sense.
If it's just some random clip you saw in a place far away with people you don't know it's seems unnecessary.
Yea, sure ... why care about kids getting hurt by shitty actions of adults if they aren't yours right? Why care about sex trafficking ... not your kids right? Why care about a kid getting set up for injury for the entertainment of adults?
You kinda suck as a human dude.
I was in the process of doing that same exercise...but you beat me to it. I won't go as far as to think he sucks as a human, but it is a pretty depressing take.
Do we really need a thread about 90% of the stuff that gets posted on MGoBlog? Probably not.
So, you agree the post is unnecessary?
The same thing we do about all the threads on MGoBlog. Comment or ignore.
I'm pretty sure I commented. Aren't we commenting to each other? Is this the matrix?
No. It isn't. Are your kids in Palestine? No? Then why care right?
I would be more understanding if the OP was frustrated about his kid or his local youth program doing this. But, this kinda seems like a bitch session. This is a place for UM sports, not random kids in random places.
It could be. Thus bringing this to light makes sense.
I think there are better ways to bring it to light than a UM sports blog. This is not the place for that IMO.
Yea, sure ... why care about kids getting hurt by shitty actions of adults if they aren't yours right? Why care about sex trafficking ... not your kids right? Why care about a kid getting set up for injury for the entertainment of adults?
This is a sports blog, not a human rights blog. Now you're veering well past OT and into topics we have rules about avoiding.
You kinda suck as a human dude.
I'll leave that one alone because this topic seems like a trigger for you that likely has more to do with you and your personal history than me. Cheers
It's astounding just how willing people are to double down on their awful takes.
Keep posting your shit takes we can keep negging you
You could have left the last part out. Pretty harsh... You got your point across.
So I shouldn't discuss anything that doesn't affect me personally? I mean, Steve Clinkscale isn't recruiting my kid, Dr. Robert Anderson never examined me, nor does Juwan Howard consult me for advice, but I still like to chime in now and again.
NOTE: This is meant as a reply to MGoStrength:
If I confined my life to the things which personally affect myself or my family, quite honestly I would be and would expect to be judged as a rather awful, self-absorbed human being. Fortunately, I am nosy little bastard (by MGoStrength's figuring, of course) and I do in fact have an opinion about elementary-aged children being taught a sport I enjoy in a fashion that I see as other than appropriate. Indeed, not only inappropriate for them, but given the way it unfolded, inappropriate generally frankly.
That opinion? This shouldn't be occurring, and those allowing it to occur should be removed from their position. Teaching them to hand out traumatic injuries like bottled water at a community event is not just bad football, it's simply bad. If I were the parent of the child who was tackled, lawyers would be probing potential liability by now and I would expect an apology at minimum.
As for needing a thread, that's a clown question on this blog, man. Have we seen OT Season around here?
NOTE: This is meant as a reply to MGoStrength:
This shouldn't be occurring, and those allowing it to occur should be removed from their position. Teaching them to hand out traumatic injuries like bottled water at a community event is not just bad football, it's simply bad.
I agree with all that and agree the drill sucks. I just don't want to hear about it on a sports blog, so agree to disagree. The larger question is, are we allowed to disagree with the majority opinion without being attacked? It feels like we are not.
As for needing a thread, that's a clown question on this blog, man. Have we seen OT Season around here?
My understanding of OT is we still have taboo topics, particularly around politics, and social issues generally trigger political discussions, which this seems like. Obviously social issues specific to UM sports, ie Anderson, will be discussed, but generally not social issues outside of UM sports. For my opinion to prompt such contempt and for others to feel the need to tell me I "suck as a human" seems a bit much. The blog is essentially communicating if you don't conform to the majority opinion you're a terrible human, even if you agree on the point and simply disagree on if this is right platform for the discussion. That doesn't feel right to me.
Was I called?
Didn’t RichRod bring that kid in as a safety out of Youngstown?
[no, I don’t care that the joke is built around a kid that ended up in the nfl.]
Calling something a joke doesn't make it a joke.
What is this even a reference to?! And how as a joke would it even pertain to this?
This drill used to be common practice. It is no longer acceptable.
I don’t think tackle football should even be a thing until middle school, but what do I know.
I agree 100%
Good lord...is there any answer other than HELL NO.
i think some of these coaches bout to get fired, and that would be a good thing. setting up little kids to get hurt is psychopathic
Anybody who thinks this drill in conception or execution is sensible or appropriate for kids this age is a goddamned idiot who has no business being anywhere near young children.
No. Everyone laughing in the background and whoever the coaches are should be ashamed of themselves.
I don't see an issue with the drill. In football, there are many times that the defender has to give up momentum and adjust to many situations. I don't think it was set up the best for angle tackling (I assume knowing the consequences if I'm wrong), but it is still can be an effective drill.
Not that I need to qualify myself, but I've coached at high school and little league levels for about 15 years. The main issue that I see with this clip is that you have an players that are suited up, and it doesn't seem as though they went through the mandatory learning period without pads. If the young man did go through that period, then the coaches didn't do a good enough job of making sure he was prepared for contact.
Furthermore, when coaching, the size of the players matters, but not as much as the experience level. We can all nitpick the poor technique in this clip by both players, but what is criminal is that the tackler who may have developed a love for the game over time may have had that taken from him because his coach decided to pair an absolute novice with someone who obviously more experienced with contact. On a yearly basis, coaches are expected to take continuing education on technique and concussion protocols. I hope that all coaches involved in this video have gone through their training, because this will garner a fair amount of attention.
The kid that got blasted looks way younger than 8 years old.
And teaching takle football to 8 year olds aint right, either. Teaching them recklessly should warrant you not being a coach at any level anymore.
Those coaches need to be let go from their coaching responsibilities ASAP. They sound like meatheads and I'd never want my kid coached by someone like that. Can you imagine if that was your kid that got trucked and you were nearby and heard the coaches laugh like that? I'd have to be restrained. And this is from somebody who played HS football and was involved in some really nasty collisions. But this is out of bounds for 8 year olds.
How bout...... no, Scott? Okay?
At that age their bodies are still so small and the helmets are so big that it seems like every hit is helmet-to-helmet. They probably shouldn't run drills like that.
I think the drill is appropriate because often as the defender you don't have leverage or momentum against the ball carrier. But I would teach this at a walk-thru pace and build up to a thud-level of contact. I'd avoid the full-speed/full-contact level completely.
I try to keep the full-speed, to the ground tackling to a minimum because it doesn't really seem to teach the kids how to tackle. When they're this young, you have to go so slow with these things to get them to understand wrapping up, head placement, bringing your feet, and rolling with the ball carrier.
Yep tackling instruction is so much about building the correct base, just off of a selective clip I am guessing that didn't happen.
Great point on tackling angel and running the drill at a walk through pace. For the record, that doesn’t excuse the gross negligence of the coaches and age appropriateness of the drill.
what should be taught is how to pursue correctly to redirect the ball carrier to the inside of the field to have your teammates clean up. This drill is one of the reasons why you see so many players going for the big hit but not understanding assignment football.
No concussion protocol performed = "You're good!"
Uh - not in today's world.
Meaning today's world where we understand a lot more about the long term effects of head trauma and should expect youth football coaches to minimize such trauma? Or do you mean something else?
When we ban or substantially change tackle football in its current form, which I expect will happen in the next ten years given the substantial amount of CTE-related evidence, this clip will be the introduction.
Brings back some bad memories from my son’s short lived 6th grade team.
Classic youth sports situation. We moved to a new town. My son played football since Kindergarten as a lineman. He was always big and strong (still is). He knew the right technique.
The kids and parents in this new town had been together for years and didn’t really like newcomers who might be better than some of them and could legitimately earn more playing time. It was interesting to observe how the parents treated us and their kids did the same to my son.
Week 2 of practice they did a similar drill but even more speed built up for the collision. Coaches line up the best player on the team against my son. This kid was fast. His Dad was on the staff of the Lions in some position. This kid knew right from wrong. Full head of steam and sticks the crown of his helmet under my son’s chin. Knocked his ass out. Everyone got their chuckles. My son never played football again. He didn’t want to go back and never looked back with any remorse. It is legitimately a good thing I wasn’t at the practice.
I reported it to the governing organization but no one gave a shit. At least they gave us our money back. Same asshole coaches are still coaching youth football though. When my son is lifting at the high school for track, the head football coach tells him he should play football. My son is way more level headed than me so he just says no thanks.
I still remember my second year of coaching we got blasted something like 35 to 0. My best player was my QB but he had a terrible game so about midway through the 3rd quarter I pulled him and gave the back up and then the 3rd string QB some snaps. Both were markedly worse than the starter but the game was over from a competitve standpoint so I figured I get the other kids some playing time they didnt usually get.
Immediately after the game the starting QBs dad came over and started ripping me for pulling his son. Said the other QBs were terrible (he wasnt wrong) but when I told him why I did it he turned a deaf ear and yelled some more about taking his son out of the game.
Not two seconds after he left the back up QB's dad approached me and started ripping me for leaving the starter in the game as long as I did. He could not understand why I didnt put his son in sooner given the game was out of hand and the starter was having an off day.
It was at that moment that I realized that parents look at one kid and one kid only during games and dont give two shits about anybody else's but their own. And no matter what you do as a coach some parent is going to pissed off about it.
QB parents can be a nightmare.
I am sorry that happened to your son. Youth football coaches have a lot more influence on the future of of game than I think a lot of them realize. Until a kid is suiting up for a varsity contest, the #1 goal of a coach should be to make sure as many kids play football next year as possible. Tough guy coaches who try to make a point of how tough they were and how tough kids should be only turn kids away from the sport we love
The drill itself is fine, it's setting up a defender getting into a tackling position while tracking to a ball carrier and I've used it several times with my sons team.
Everything else about it sucks. The little kid clearly has NO idea what he's doing and got put up against a kid it would be nearly impossible for him to tackle even if he did know what he was doing.
It was a bad matchup set up for kids who weren't ready to execute on the drill yet. The fact that they were leading with their heads without clear and immediate coaching to not do that drives me nuts.