Many parents have lofty football aspirations for their children. However, people need to be real about what will be required to make their child exceptional on the football field. The reality is that, no kid is born with the hands of Jerry Rice … not even Jerry Rice. It takes lots of relentless work. That being said, there will be times when your kid may not be up to getting in that practice that makes him stand out from the rest. As a parent, you need to understand how to push your kid without killing his desire to enjoy and play the game.

• Make sure that whatever little league or pop warner organization your kid belongs to has a productive practice where kids aren’t just standing around. In these situations, kids begin to feel unwanted by the team and even bored. They may start to rationalize (and with good reason) that, “maybe this isn’t the sport for me.”
• Do drills with your kid. So, if your little player is a running back, show him how to tuck the ball without fumbling or run to daylight. Let him try his jukes and moves on you to see how good he is and correct things that he may be doing wrong.
• Teach your kid how to lift weights properly because, once kids become familiar with football, they will understand that exercise is a big part of preparing to play the sport at the highest levels. However, because they are young, they can be susceptible to injury without the proper guidance in the weight room.
• Keep drilling times consistent but short because, young children have a short attention span. Hour long practice times of learning how to catch or hit can wear down a child mentally. 20 minute drilling practices are adequate for any kid. If done every day you will see progress.
• Give him positive reinforcement. When he does something good, shower him with praise, because he deserves it. Make no mistake about it, just stepping on to a football field full of strangers takes courage. Add to that, the self-imposed pressure to perform can make playing football very stressful for a child.

Remember consistent training that doesn’t burn them out or make them hate the sport is going to pay dividends in the long run, especially if the child has talent and potential.

Until next time …

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