Coaching youth football special teams is probably not very exciting. But oh man, it should be a main practice focus in youth football. I have seen so many youth football games determined by Special Teams its amazing that so many coaches do not spend time practicing special teams. We average close to one onside kick recovery per game. That is a great advantage both for offense and defense.
If you are just throwing lineman on the front line of your kick off receiving team, you better not be playing my kick off unit. I will find your lineman and kick right to him and recover the kick. Do you have your best tacklers on your kick off team? Have you practice punting in game situations? Do you kick extra points or just run plays.
We normally do not punt in games unless we are inside our ten yard line. This season in a tough playoff game we had to punt from our 2 yard line. Thank God we had been practicing punting and snapping all season. We got the snap off and a 25 yard rugby squib punt out of bounds. There was just a minute left and the score was 14-7. Our opponent could have easily blocked the punt or caused a disruption if we had not practice all season for this one play. Our defense held and we wound up winning the 2012 KYA Fall Junior Super Bowl with an undefeated record. I still thank the long snapper on that punt for our wins.
Just because other coaches do not spen a ton of time on Special Teams influence your decision to master special teams. Why give another team the opportunity to take advantage of your weaknesses. Youre only as good as your weakest link. If you Special Teams suck then well?
Good luck this season,
Coach Parker
Keller, TX / Fort Worth Texas
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