Triple option in youth football

JP,

Although I've never coached 8 or 9 year olds, I agree with Coach Kelly and Coach Mountjoy that it's most likely too early to begin teaching any real option at that point to the vast majority of youth QBs. I have, however, run some midline and inside veer from under center and outside veer from the gun with 10-12 year olds. Two out of my team's last four QBs (6th graders) were quite capable of making the reads and running option successfully and two were definitely not ready at that age. Coach Campbell convinced me to begin with installing the midline several years ago (with a QB who's a soph. in HS this year) and the kid I had under center caught on immediately. Not that he wasn't able to turn some incorrect reads into big plays! After every play or series, it is especially important to provide feedback to a young player regardless of the outcome of the play. They need to learn to differentiate between great decision and great athleticism on the field and that sometimes the wrong decision results in a big play due solely to their ability and heart. The kid I mentioned above was just a special kind of player at that age and has the potential to be one at the high school level as well.

Although I'd like to think I've become pretty good at teaching some option game to kids at this level, I know that I'd be lying if I said I could teach any young QB to be proficient at running it, because I certainly haven't been able to do that up to this point! If you have kids capable of running it, it will certainly give your offense a tremendous advantage, especially at the youth level where it is rarely seen or executed properly.

Best of luck with your kids coach.

Dave Hartman
CYFL Coach