Teaching a nine-year-old to tackle safely is a completely different job than coaching a high schooler. Bodies are still developing, attention spans are short, and one bad habit learned early — like ducking the head into contact — can take a whole season to unwind. The good news is that youth tackling doesn’t have to … [Read More…]
Every offensive line coach eventually gets a kid who has never lined up in a stance in his life — doesn’t know what “down” means, doesn’t know where his hands go, and looks lost the second the ball is snapped. That’s normal, not a red flag. Offensive line is one of the most technical positions … [Read More…]
Every coach and parent hits the same moment: your best pitcher is cruising through the fifth inning, the count is close, and someone asks “how many pitches has he thrown?” Guessing wrong here isn’t a technicality — it’s how kids end up with elbow and shoulder injuries that follow them into high school. This guide … [Read More…]
Nothing stalls a youth volleyball practice faster than a line of kids who can’t get the ball over the net. It’s not a strength problem in most cases — it’s a setup problem. Move the athlete too far from the net, add too many technical cues at once, or skip the toss fundamentals, and even … [Read More…]
Not every team gets a turf field with two sets of goals waiting at practice time. If your group is stuck in a gym, a parking lot, a half-field shared with soccer, or someone’s backyard, you can still run a practice that builds real stick skills, decision-making, and conditioning. This guide walks through how to … [Read More…]
If a young lacrosse player only has time for one thing between practices, it should be wall ball. A rebounding wall turns every throw into an instant, honest repetition — no teammate needed, no field required, just a stick, a ball, and a solid wall. This guide lays out a practical wall ball routine you … [Read More…]
Coaching a team of first-year U10 players is less about strategy and more about reps, fun, and keeping every kid moving with a stick in their hands. At this age, USA Lacrosse’s youth model prioritizes skill development over winning, which means your practice plan should look very different from a high school session. This guide … [Read More…]
Handing a brand-new player a lacrosse stick for the first time can feel like handing them a foreign object — the ball rolls out of the pocket the second they move, and their instinct is to grip the shaft in a death clamp. Cradling is the skill that turns that awkward stick into an extension … [Read More…]
Every flag football coach eventually runs into the same math problem at practice: 13 kids show up, or 11, or 9 — never a clean multiple of 5 or 7. You don’t want to bench someone just because the numbers don’t divide evenly, and you don’t want a scrimmage that feels lopsided or confusing. The … [Read More…]
If you’ve ever called “run a slant” and watched a seven-year-old sprint straight into the parking lot, you already know: young kids don’t think in routes. They think in shapes, colors, and “run to that thing.” Trying to teach a route tree the way a high school coach would is a fast way to lose … [Read More…]
Every flag football coach hits this wall in week one: a defender sprints in, panics, and grabs a fistful of jersey instead of the flag. It’s not defiance, it’s instinct — grabbing cloth feels more certain than snatching a thin strip of fabric off a moving hip. The fix isn’t yelling “no grabbing” louder, it’s … [Read More…]
Coaching flag football players who are 5 or 6 years old is a different job than coaching any other age group. Most of these kids have never worn a flag belt, don’t know what a snap is, and will lose interest fast if a drill runs too long. The good news is you don’t need … [Read More…]
A parent walking onto the field to fix their kid’s grip, shout a base-running tip, or grab a stray ball can derail a practice faster than any equipment problem. It’s rarely malicious — most parents just want to help or don’t realize where the line is. But once one parent steps onto the grass, others … [Read More…]
Rainy days, shared facilities, a driveway, and a bucket of tennis balls — that’s all it takes to run a productive fielding session with young players. Coaches often feel stuck without a full diamond, but many of the skills that matter most in youth baseball (soft hands, proper footwork, short-hop reads, and communication) can be … [Read More…]
Watching a young kid heave a ball with their elbow down, chest wide open, and all-arm effort is completely normal — and completely fixable. Around age seven, children are developmentally ready to absorb basic throwing instruction and start building a motion they can refine for years. The good news: the fundamentals are simple, and a … [Read More…]
Recovery and sleep for young athletes is the single most underrated performance variable in youth sports. Kids who sleep 9-10 hours per night and recover properly between practices outperform kids with more talent but worse habits. The science is clear: muscles repair, hormones reset, and skills consolidate during sleep. The recovery habits below are easy … [Read More…]
You’ve got 15 five-to-eight-year-olds, a bag of baseballs, and exactly one of you. Coach-pitch practice with a full roster and no assistants sounds like chaos — but with the right structure, it’s completely manageable and genuinely fun for the kids. The secret is stations. Instead of running kids through one long line while most of … [Read More…]
Hockey skating drills for young players are the foundation of every other skill on the ice. A kid with great hands and bad feet won’t make a peewee A team; a kid with great feet and average hands will. Skating is what separates competitive hockey players from rec-leaguers, and it’s the most coachable skill at … [Read More…]
Not every coach gets a pristine full court for every practice. Whether you’re sharing a cramped gym, working at an outdoor park with a single hoop, or simply short on space, a limited area does not have to mean a limited practice. Some of the most skill-dense sessions happen in tight quarters because players get … [Read More…]
Footwork drills every young athlete needs transfer across every sport, from basketball to soccer to tennis to football. Great footwork is the difference between a kid who looks athletic and one who looks awkward — and unlike size or speed, footwork is 100% trainable. The drills below build first-step quickness, change-of-direction ability, balance, and coordination … [Read More…]
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