Ice Cream Sandwiches and Motivating Youth Football Players

Who doesn’t like an ice cream sandwich? Exactly, and most  kids love them so ice cream sandwiches are perfect for motivating your youth football players to practice harder and player smarter during pee wee football games.  Plus, ice cream sandwiches always increase the fun factor, and hey at the end of the day, everyone wants to have fun.  Ending a tough week or starting a week of practice and celebrating a tough win from the past weekend is a good reason to pass out some ice cream and let your players know that you care more about them than how they block or tackle.  Of course, we coaches care about blocking and tackling but for a few moments, let your whistle down and have some fun with your youth football players; they are just kids.  And aren’t we all just kids at heart.

Many of you know I use helmet award stickers to motivate my youth football players, and last fall to motivate my defense to play for shut outs, I started awarding them an ice cream sandwich party at our practices the next week. For a few dollars for ice cream our defense held our league to less than 30 points in 10 games.  We were 8 and 10 on shut outs.  In the Spring season we had similar results.  Not only are the ice cream sandwiches a great motivation tool, the atmosphere after practice with the players is relaxed and there is time to joke and around and talk about life outside of football. Plus, the parents join in and the time is a great opportunity to socialize with the parents.

I promise you if you spend a little on ice cream sandwiches and free up a little time after your practices for some fun time, your players will love you for it and play harder for you.

Play for Fun and Winning is Funner, especially with ice cream sandwiches.

Good luck this season,
Coach Parker
Keller, Texas / Ft. Worth / DFW TX

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