subject: Pee Wee Football - Learning How To Block [print this page] Blocking and tackling equals Football successBlocking and tackling equals Football success. Period, end of story. This holds true at every level of football, but especially the youth level. The most successful teams are the teams that block and tackle better than their opponent. Blocking is 99% attitude at the pee wee football level. Any player who listens, and has the desire, can become an effective blocker at the youth football level. All players will need this skill since at some point during a game, they will need to perform an effective block against the opposition. It may come on a special team or an interception return, but all players will need to know how to block.
I know in my heart, that each child that wears a football helmet and straps on a pair of shoulder pads can be taught how to successfully block. Each player may not succeed at executing every different style, or type of block, but each player can execute at the minimum, the really introductory blocks. Each kid can be coached on how to properly assist during a double team block.
The only children I have witnessed who could not execute any kind of block were the kids who did not put in any effort. Get used to it at the pee wee level as many kids are forced to play by their parents and have no desire to play football. If you are coaching a "B" level team this may be the case with many of the players on your team. It is common for me to ask certain parents why they have registered their son to play football when the child clearly has no desire to play. The players tell me straight to my face that they do not want to play and their parents are making them. I usually talk to the parents and try to put it in perspective explaining that basketball is a contact sport, while football is a collision sport.
In over 20 years of youth football coaching, I have yet to hear even one valid reason from a parent on why they make their son participate in a sport the child has no desire to play. The standard, or canned, response is they do not want their kid sitting around the house watching TV or playing video games. That is what soccer is for. Let them run crazy with no chance of collision contact.
In any case, off my soapbox, let me correct my statement to all willing players can be coached to block. The most satisfying part of coaching blocking, at the pee wee football level, is that with proper form and using their brains any player can have success. The above principles are keys to coaching kids on how to block.
It does not matter how potent or mighty the block is at the pop warner level. Starting at the high school level, the blocks need to be more powerful and sustained for a longer period of time. At the youth football level, blocking is basically running interference on the defenders. Usually you need your line to just slow down the defenders by getting in their way while the backs get running. The quicker your ball carrier is, the less time your offensive linemen will have to run interference (block).
In conclusion, your job as a teacher, is to instruct the correct blocking techniques and provide the participants the suitable schemes to have success.
