Written by James Ryan “Football is a game in which two opposing teams of twelve players each defend goals at opposite ends of a 100-yard rectangular field, points being scored by carrying an inflated oval ball across the opponent’s goal line or by kicking this ball over the crossbar between the posts of the opponent’s goal.” Piece of cake, right? Football (not to be confused with soccer) is without a doubt, one of the most complex and difficult sports for anybody to learn (let alone to actually be good at playing). In order to be successful in football, one requires a rare combination of...

Generally, I would not make it a habit to pass judgment on others or condemn people for the personal choices that they make in this life. After all, everyone makes mistakes and nobody is perfect (especially yours truly). Far be it for me to stand high upon my soap box, casting stones at the masses. It wouldn’t take very long for someone to throw one right back and knock me off as well (it’s happened). But with that being said, I do have one small issue that has recently been giving me a lot of trouble and concern: The use of anabolic steroids in athletic competition and the message that...

As a youth football coach and the father of two young, impressionable athletes, I find the entire topic of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs (PED’s) to be absolutely appalling. There is just something about steroids and the permanent place that they now seem to have in our society (and our favourite sporting events) that simply rubs me the wrong way. Then again, prior to coaching and fatherhood, I had always been a very strong advocate against the use of PED’s, whether it be in sport or in life. Back in 1987 when I was 14-years old, I was fortunate enough to gain employment at a...

Hi All, I didn’t create this, but I felt that it should be shared. Enjoy! Coach James . . . . . Almonds and other Nuts Super Powers: Builds Muscle, Fights Cravings Secret Weapons: Protein, Monounsaturated Fats, Vitamin E Fights Against: Obesity, Heart Disease, Muscle Loss, Cancer, High Blood Pressure Imposters: Salted or Smoked Nuts Beans and Legumes Super Powers: Builds Muscle, Helps Burn Fat, Regulates Digestion Secret Weapons: Fiber, Protein, Iron, Folate Fights Against: Obesity, Colon Cancer, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure Imposters: Refried or Baked Beans Spinach and other Green...

One of my biggest fears in coaching is NOT that I will be subject to intense scrutiny and/or criticism by my players’ parents. That just comes with the territory and I accept that as a part of the coaching role. It is human nature that parents would want what is best for their child and they have every right to question a Coach’s actions, instructional techniques and communication style. If a parent ever has a question or a concern about how I, or my assistants, coach; I would absolutely welcome the opportunity to speak with them about it, to hopefully strengthen the lines of communication...

“Well?” I asked assertively, “what have you managed to come up with? What is your answer?” Several enthusiastic hands shot up at once and so I nodded my head in the direction of our Quarterback. “We need better blocking”, he said. “Good start” I proclaimed, “that certainly identifies one of the more obvious problems”. “Now then, how do we accomplish this?” I then asked. The unanimous answer was “work harder during practices and focus more during the games”. Okay – not a bad summary. Nobody it seemed was directly blaming anyone else and collectively, they all...

The only words that I can think of that would best describe the conflicted and distressed feelings that I was experiencing leading all the way into Mondays practice, would have to be “lost” and “confused”. Our team had just won three straight games and we were really starting to build on our momentum. Then, without reason, we collapsed (such is the beauty of football). Our timing suddenly fell apart and our blocking ceased to exist. The challenge then became; how do we fix a problem of this magnitude so late in the season without truly understanding ‘why’ it was...

As the season was slowly coming to an end, I decided that it would be a good idea to sit down with all of my players prior to the start of the playoffs in order to remind them all of the significant effect that a positive attitude and upbeat enthusiasm can have on a football team (and in life). In the week previous, everyone started off feeling really good about themselves and their chances for victory, however, it was quite apparent after only moments into the game that many of the players had become quite despondent after the opposing team had immediately scored two touchdowns. By the end...

The world is full of harsh realities for children who are not prepared for the future. The very first thing that I ask myself when I think about setting priorities in youth football is: what will be best for my players in helping them to set the tone for the rest of their lives? Football season only lasts a few months and when I prioritize the needs of my players, I have to consider that I only have a very short time to either make a major, positive influence on their lives, or no impact at all. Or worse yet, a negative impact. If you ask some players, “why do you want to play football?”,...

Success can sometimes be measured in a variety of ways. ‘Coach A’ may look at his season and only think that it has been successful if he has won every single game – including the Championships. ‘Coach B’ might not care about the wins and losses as much, so long as his team has made the playoffs and competed hard in each game. ‘Coach C’ on the other hand, might not care much about winning at all, so long as all of his players had fun and improved their athletic skills. And ‘Coach D’ might just want his team to win ONE game, so that his players too, can know the excitement...