Another youth question -how can I help my 12 year old develop skills over the summer?
May 10, 2005 23:58:24 GMT
Post by CHD on May 10, 2005 23:58:24 GMT
Coaches, I am most grateful for the time you spent in replying to my other message. Your love for the game and collective knowledge was obvious. Now, if I may, I'd like to solicit suggestions as to what conditioning and skill developing drills I may be able to use in June and July to help my son improve for the coming season.
Here's some background information:
He's only played for one season, serving mostly as a backup linebacker, rarely getting any playing time. He seems to enjoy going to practice, but mostly for the interaction with the other kids. He has not shown a passion for the game itself, but I think he may have been somewhat discouraged by not getting any PT last year. I'm not sure he understands what 100% effort is, because he sincerely believes he gives it but he appears sluggish on the field to me.
He's 12 3/4 years old, weighs 115 and stands about 5'2". His speed is slightly above average. Not exceptionally gifted as far as general coordination, but I think that is partially because we have gotten a late start in playing. I'm hoping coordination will come with repetition.
I started him on a daily push-up/sit-up regimen back in January. He went from 20 pushups and 40 or so situps to 60 pushups and 140 situps by mid-April. The definition in his torso increased accordingly. His legs are big and not well-defined. He has size 10 feet, which is big for his size.
Last year, I watched him in practice mature from arm tackling to real hitting, and I think he's beginning to grasp the concept. He doesn't seem afraid to hit. He does seem slow to react on the field. I think he may lack quickness, even though his 40 time is above average. I suspect his first 10 yards are slow. I also had him running up the stairs in our home 10 times daily, in an attempt to increase his first-step quickness.
Finally, and I know 12 is young for weightlifting, I had him doing three sets of 5 reps on bench and squat machines for the last couple of months. He and I go to the YMCA and play basketball, then he does his sets whle I work out with weights. Hopefully that's not a bad thing.
Anyway, I had hoped the increased strength would help him at LB this Spring, but the coaches already had him pencilled in for the DL when drills began. He's a bit small for DL, but I was hoping he'd be able to shed blocks. I talked to him about avoiding the OL and trying to use quickness to get around him, explaining that if he gets caught up in a one-on-one wrestling match with an OL he's been taken out of the play. However, he showed little ability to shed blocks in practice, and I don;t know how to teach him to. He may be better suited for OL, but he's not a big guy. My biggest dream is for him to play through high school, although I will not force him to play if he does not want to play any more after the upcoming season. He knows we will love him whether he keeps plaqying or not, and I have explained to him that we hope he plays HS football because football players tend to be more popular and have lasting memories and friendships that are to be envied. I've also told him that the exercise regimen is for his general health and fitness, and that we will expect him to continue it whether or not he stays in sports. Thus, I don't think the exercies we have him doing are giving him any sort of sour feelings about football.
I expect him to be about 6'0 and 185-200 lb in high school, so he'd be a smallish lineman. I see his best chance as a LB or FB or maybe a DE, if he learns to shed blocks. TE is possible, but his hands are not that good, although I think that may be a product of his late start in athletics that can be fixed with increased activities.
I think his biggest shortcomings right now are as follows:
slow first step
slow pursuit, even though he thinks he's going 100%
easily juked by a back when he has a chance to make a tackle
maybe not aggressive enough physically, but not because of fear, just a lack of understanding
On offense, I've not seen enough to evaluate him.
I think he is quite strong, but he's the only 12 year old I tangle with so I have no frame of reference. Also, I'm not sure if aggressiveness can be learned or if he would have had to be born with it. He has the big legs of a lineman and the small tight torso of a safety or receiver.
I want to help him get better. I don't think his confidence is an issue. Can anyone offer suggestions of some drills we might do this summer to help his overall fitness/coordination/quickness, and to help him learn to play more aggressively and pursue quicker? I'm hoping that some hard work will pay dividends during the season, and he will then appreciate the efforts. If I work him out and he gets no better, it could backfire on me.
We have the YMCA available for fitness equipment, and I have a weight vest that I've considered using here at home to help developquickness. He has about 8 weeks until evaluations for the rec league, which I suspect may be timed runs, etc.
Also, any position suggestions based on my assessment above? I just want him to settle in somewhere and find a love for the game, if possible.
Here's some background information:
He's only played for one season, serving mostly as a backup linebacker, rarely getting any playing time. He seems to enjoy going to practice, but mostly for the interaction with the other kids. He has not shown a passion for the game itself, but I think he may have been somewhat discouraged by not getting any PT last year. I'm not sure he understands what 100% effort is, because he sincerely believes he gives it but he appears sluggish on the field to me.
He's 12 3/4 years old, weighs 115 and stands about 5'2". His speed is slightly above average. Not exceptionally gifted as far as general coordination, but I think that is partially because we have gotten a late start in playing. I'm hoping coordination will come with repetition.
I started him on a daily push-up/sit-up regimen back in January. He went from 20 pushups and 40 or so situps to 60 pushups and 140 situps by mid-April. The definition in his torso increased accordingly. His legs are big and not well-defined. He has size 10 feet, which is big for his size.
Last year, I watched him in practice mature from arm tackling to real hitting, and I think he's beginning to grasp the concept. He doesn't seem afraid to hit. He does seem slow to react on the field. I think he may lack quickness, even though his 40 time is above average. I suspect his first 10 yards are slow. I also had him running up the stairs in our home 10 times daily, in an attempt to increase his first-step quickness.
Finally, and I know 12 is young for weightlifting, I had him doing three sets of 5 reps on bench and squat machines for the last couple of months. He and I go to the YMCA and play basketball, then he does his sets whle I work out with weights. Hopefully that's not a bad thing.
Anyway, I had hoped the increased strength would help him at LB this Spring, but the coaches already had him pencilled in for the DL when drills began. He's a bit small for DL, but I was hoping he'd be able to shed blocks. I talked to him about avoiding the OL and trying to use quickness to get around him, explaining that if he gets caught up in a one-on-one wrestling match with an OL he's been taken out of the play. However, he showed little ability to shed blocks in practice, and I don;t know how to teach him to. He may be better suited for OL, but he's not a big guy. My biggest dream is for him to play through high school, although I will not force him to play if he does not want to play any more after the upcoming season. He knows we will love him whether he keeps plaqying or not, and I have explained to him that we hope he plays HS football because football players tend to be more popular and have lasting memories and friendships that are to be envied. I've also told him that the exercise regimen is for his general health and fitness, and that we will expect him to continue it whether or not he stays in sports. Thus, I don't think the exercies we have him doing are giving him any sort of sour feelings about football.
I expect him to be about 6'0 and 185-200 lb in high school, so he'd be a smallish lineman. I see his best chance as a LB or FB or maybe a DE, if he learns to shed blocks. TE is possible, but his hands are not that good, although I think that may be a product of his late start in athletics that can be fixed with increased activities.
I think his biggest shortcomings right now are as follows:
slow first step
slow pursuit, even though he thinks he's going 100%
easily juked by a back when he has a chance to make a tackle
maybe not aggressive enough physically, but not because of fear, just a lack of understanding
On offense, I've not seen enough to evaluate him.
I think he is quite strong, but he's the only 12 year old I tangle with so I have no frame of reference. Also, I'm not sure if aggressiveness can be learned or if he would have had to be born with it. He has the big legs of a lineman and the small tight torso of a safety or receiver.
I want to help him get better. I don't think his confidence is an issue. Can anyone offer suggestions of some drills we might do this summer to help his overall fitness/coordination/quickness, and to help him learn to play more aggressively and pursue quicker? I'm hoping that some hard work will pay dividends during the season, and he will then appreciate the efforts. If I work him out and he gets no better, it could backfire on me.
We have the YMCA available for fitness equipment, and I have a weight vest that I've considered using here at home to help developquickness. He has about 8 weeks until evaluations for the rec league, which I suspect may be timed runs, etc.
Also, any position suggestions based on my assessment above? I just want him to settle in somewhere and find a love for the game, if possible.
