What Makes a "Strong/Good" Youth Program?

[kuruguru]

What Makes a "Strong/Good" Youth Program?

One often hears it said that "having a good youth program" is the key to success at the high school level.

Most areas have opportunities for kids to start playing young -- as early as third grade. What do the "good" youth programs do that the others don't?

[JustPlayBasketball12]

Coaches that knows the fundamentals of the game and not just getting a parent who wants to be involved to showcase their child.

[Orange and Brown]

It is not the key to success for a successful high school program......



They key to a strong and successful youth program starts and ends with solid coaching and fundamentals

Youth programs can actually hurt the development of kids. Most youth programs put their best athlete at tailback or QB and rely on that athlete to carry the team. Often times that young man doesn't develop into a high school Rb or QB and he has to learn to play another position because he was never moved around to play Wr or safety, or TE ect.....


A good youth program should teach the basics, get all the kids involved, and teach the kids to play the game with class, pride, and respect.

I think youth sports are very important to the development of our young people but to often our young people are hurt by bad coaching, the desire to win over coaching "all" of the kids, and parents with expectations that are set way to high for a young kid.

[formerfcfan]

Central Catholic League feeder schools, I think there's 16-20, all have youth programs ranging from 4th grade to 8th grade. The principle isn't all about winning, its about teaching kids how to play football, how to be a team player and be adjustable if coach needs you at another position, and it also makes football fun for the kids (yes, they keep score). Not exactly an intended consequence, but this means your CCL schools in each freshmen class gets roughly 30 to 40 boys (give/take a few that go to other schools) with football playing experience (think 13 kids on a roster times three) and experience at whatever position they mostly played in middle school. Creates good competition in practice that in turn builds a foundation many coaches would dream of having.

[Omega]

"It is not the key to success for a successful high school program......
They key to a strong and successful youth program starts and ends with solid coaching and fundamentals
Youth programs can actually hurt the development of kids."



Great comments Mr. O & B. Byrnes High School near Greer SC is a perennial contender for big school championships in the Palmetto State and often garner national recognition. They play flag football in their youth program and do not allow contact football until the 7th grade. The end
result is that they do not burn out the players or their parents, one of the big problems facing many schools in Southeast Ohio.

[wobycat]

Making sure dad stays at home.

[wagner97]

Having kids play flag football and enjoying the game, rather than being subjected to "coaches" who run the program like it's the NFL. Nothing wrong with starting tackle football in 7th grade.

[Tigercannon71]

One think I think that makes a good program is consistency in coaches. When I played in Ironton we had 6 teams and each year you knew who the coach was going to be. They werent there to let their sons play they were there to teach fundamentals of the game and teach and instill a love of the game in the kids. Now days in a lot of programs you dont know who the coach will be from year to year. A guy might stick around for 2 or 3 years then he is gone and the next guy steps in. You have to have a consistency with coaches in order to have a good youth league program.

[alabama mike]

Strong leadership
Fundamental coaching
Mandatory play rules for everyone, as the kids move up playing time is earned

[zone6]

Have to agree with Orange and Brown 100%. I played for the SVC and SOC through school, granted at Wheelersburg we played each other in grade school not until JH did we play other schools, but it seemed when I went to ZT we couldn't lose when we played other schools from peewee all the way till JH, once High School hit we couldn't beat teams as well and lost a lot. Mainly because our star player got the ball and made big plays, but in high school they would shut the star down and no one else knew how to make plays. But at burg everyone learns how to play a fundamental game leading to results at the Varsity level.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

having coached youth sports for years in the rock hill school district . the first thing that pops into mind is FUNDAMENTALS. I got taught football fundamentals by the winningest coach in the state of ohio, bob lutz. anso my dad tom Osborne, sr. was quite a decorated high school lineman as well in the 50's at ironton. and Charlie kautz was his high school coach. and I had 2 uncles that were great football players bill and joe Osborne. so I was constantly around it.i just kept hammering proper form and fundamentals. and it started taking care of itself. and especially if you inherit a team that was mired in losing. you have to instill a trust/brotherhood and a desire to win. and the confidence they get winning breeds success and growth. you need a good staff to work with. and one of the most important things for me was praying with the kids before and after practice.because you may be the only male role model that a lot of these young men ever have in their life.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

and something else I forgot. I took the same philosophy that coach lutz did. if you can play you will. I couldn't give a rat's rear end who your daddy/mommy was. the best players on my team started. because we were building a winner. when we got a lead we subbed, when we were too far behind we subbed. so they were getting actual game experience. but in very tight games that were in jeopardy till the end only the starters played. and it caused a lot of turmoil parent wise. but in at least my feable mind it was the way I was taught.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

It is not the key to success for a successful high school program......



They key to a strong and successful youth program starts and ends with solid coaching and fundamentals

Youth programs can actually hurt the development of kids. Most youth programs put their best athlete at tailback or QB and rely on that athlete to carry the team. Often times that young man doesn't develop into a high school Rb or QB and he has to learn to play another position because he was never moved around to play Wr or safety, or TE ect.....


A good youth program should teach the basics, get all the kids involved, and teach the kids to play the game with class, pride, and respect.

I think youth sports are very important to the development of our young people but to often our young people are hurt by bad coaching, the desire to win over coaching "all" of the kids, and parents with expectations that are set way to high for a young kid.

man that's a great post full of wisdom, I didn't read any of them before I posted mine. sounds like a lot of wisdom and experience from the posts I am now going back and reading.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

One think I think that makes a good program is consistency in coaches. When I played in Ironton we had 6 teams and each year you knew who the coach was going to be. They werent there to let their sons play they were there to teach fundamentals of the game and teach and instill a love of the game in the kids. Now days in a lot of programs you dont know who the coach will be from year to year. A guy might stick around for 2 or 3 years then he is gone and the next guy steps in. You have to have a consistency with coaches in order to have a good youth league program.

great post cannon.and very true. and now I kinda feel guilty and I kinda don't. I always taught all the kids. I never put more effort into a starter than a non starter. they were taught the same thing across the board. however the ones that excelled played. the wants that didn't subbed. what it bred was a desire to win and get better by the kids. we subbed lineman more than anything. we subbed all the time during games. but I never made wholesale changes of a unit unless we were leading comfortably, or too far behind. I'm sure I had a lot to learn as a coach. I'm just being honest with you how we did it.

[Spamoony]

http://highschoolsports.cleveland.com/n ... letically/

try this out

[Orange and Brown]

One think I think that makes a good program is consistency in coaches. When I played in Ironton we had 6 teams and each year you knew who the coach was going to be. They werent there to let their sons play they were there to teach fundamentals of the game and teach and instill a love of the game in the kids. Now days in a lot of programs you dont know who the coach will be from year to year. A guy might stick around for 2 or 3 years then he is gone and the next guy steps in. You have to have a consistency with coaches in order to have a good youth league program.

great post cannon.and very true. and now I kinda feel guilty and I kinda don't. I always taught all the kids. I never put more effort into a starter than a non starter. they were taught the same thing across the board. however the ones that excelled played. the wants that didn't subbed. what it bred was a desire to win and get better by the kids. we subbed lineman more than anything. we subbed all the time during games. but I never made wholesale changes of a unit unless we were leading comfortably, or too far behind. I'm sure I had a lot to learn as a coach. I'm just being honest with you how we did it.

I think subbing kids in and out individually is better than wholesale substitution. You learn more playing with the first team offense/defense than playing with the second team against a second team.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

that's the way I did most of the time.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

if I brought a whole unit in we were comfortably ahead and wanted everybody to get in. otherwise we subbed a couple at a time.

[Tigercannon71]

I think a good youth program isn't focused as much on winning as it is teaching the game and teaching proper fundamentals. Also you gotta run your high schools playbook. I hate saying this, but back when I played al the teams used the Ironton playbook. Some coaches threw in a few trick plays or different formations, but 90% of the offense was straight out of the Ironton playbook. That way when you got to junior high you had been running the meat of the playbook for like 3 or 4 years as you progressed from pee wee to junior high to high school you just added plays, but you had the basics down pat.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

I think a good youth program isn't focused as much on winning as it is teaching the game and teaching proper fundamentals. Also you gotta run your high schools playbook. I hate saying this, but back when I played al the teams used the Ironton playbook. Some coaches threw in a few trick plays or different formations, but 90% of the offense was straight out of the Ironton playbook. That way when you got to junior high you had been running the meat of the playbook for like 3 or 4 years as you progressed from pee wee to junior high to high school you just added plays, but you had the basics down pat.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I DID. I EVEN HAD AN IRONTON PLAYBOOK.I RAN ACROSS IT OF ALL PLACES AT A YARD SALE IN FRANKLIN FURNACE MANY YEARS AGO. WHEN I SOLD INSURANCE.JMHO BUT YOU CAN TEACH SOUND FUNDAMENTALS AND CONCENTRATE ON WINNING AT THE SAME TIME. VINCE LOMBARDI SAID, IF IT'S JUST A GAME. THEN WHY ARE THEIR SCOREBOARDS?=============MADE DANG GOOD SENSE TO ME. SO BUILD A WINNING TEAM EARLY. AND AFTER LOSSES FOCUS ON FIXING WHAT WHEN WRONG N MOVE ON.