Northern Vermont Youth Football League: Flag Football
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Flag football for 1st to 4th grades. See your local nvyfl team to see if they are participating in the program. As always volunteers are needed, officals, coaches.
Coaching Tips: For Parents & Referees
General Principles for Parents
Athletes and coaches will not be able to perform at their best if parents do not have a clear understanding of the philosophies of the youth football program. The following is a suggested guideline for parents:
1 Understand the daily pressures a child faces. Football should be an outlet and place for a player to have fun. Encourage your child and allow him or her to have a good time.
2 Remember that your child learns more from your actions than your words. Practice good sportsmanship by being respectful to players, parents, and coaches on both teams.
3 Parents should appreciate the efforts made by both teams. There is nothing wrong with applauding a good play made by the opponents.
4 Parents should support the coach, as long as the coach follows proper coaching guidelines. Parents should understand that most coaches are volunteers. It is inappropriate for a parent to coach a player who is on the field. Not only does it devalue the coach, it also confuses the player.
5 Parents should not embarrass their child by calling attention to themselves through loud or rude behavior.
6 Don't be a coachbe a parent. Offer encouragement and positive reinforcement. A sure way to dampen your child's enthusiasm is with constant criticism.
7 Parents should encourage discipline by having their children arrive on time for practices and games.
8 Parents should help their children realize that belonging to a team requires commitment. Regular attendance and being prepared are necessary for the team to function smoothly.
9 Parents should volunteer their services when-ever possible. This shows the participants the value of being a team player.
10 Parents should respect the officials and their calls. It is okay to disagree, but inappropriate to disparage.
The Referees' Responsibilities
1 On the youth level, referees always should be aware that the participants are new to the game. Often, it is their first experience with organized sports.
2 Be familiar with rule modifications and their implementation.
3 A referee can act as a teacher by explaining a rule or call that is made.
4 Make calls consistent with the level of play.
5 Insist that the playing field and equipment are safe for the children. Use good judgement in assessing weather conditions (e.g. cancel games immediately in the event of lightning).
6 Promote good sportsmanship through respectful behavior to both coaches and teams.
Coaching Tips: Principles & Guidelines
General Youth Coaching Principles
Coaching is an extremely important responsibility. A good coach always places the best interests of a player before winning.
The players and their parents have placed you in a position of leadership, and you have a responsibility to give them your best effort. Additionally, this football experience will play a significant factor in determining whether the players continue participating in football in the future.
Coaching youth sports is a difficult job because parents expect professional results from people who mostly are volunteers. High school, college, and pro coaches start as assistants and work their way up through years of intense professional training.
If you follow the coaching guidelines and general principles below, the players and their parents will be better served.
Ten Coaching Guidelines
1 A coach should be enthusiastic without being intimidating. He or she should be sensitive to the children's feelings and genuinely enjoy spending time with them. He or she should be dedicated to serving children and understand that football provides physical and emotional growth for its participants.
2 A coach needs to realize that he or she is a teacher, not a drill sergeant. He or she should help children learn and work to improve their skills. Personal gains are never a consideration. The job does not depend on winning. The best interest of the child transforms into the best interests of the game.
3 The safety and welfare of the children never can be compromised. A coach will consider these factors above all others.
4 A coach needs a tremendous amount of patience. Don't push children beyond limits in regards to practice. Children have many daily pressures and the football experience should not be one of them. Playing football is supposed to be fun.
5 A coach should care more about the players as people than as athletes. The youth football program is a means to an end, not an end to itself.
6 A coach should encourage his players to dream and set lofty goals. It is important to remain positive and refrain from discouraging remarks. Negative comments are remembered far more often than positive affirmations.
7 A coach needs to remember that the rules of the game are designed to protect the participants, as well as to set a standard for competition. He or she never should circumvent or take advantage of the rules by teaching deliberate misconduct. A coach who puts his or her opponents' team at risk should not be involved with children.
8 A coach should be the first person to demonstrate good sportsmanship. He or she should take a low profile during the game and allow the kids to be the center of attention.
9 Parents and players place a lot of trust and confidence in the coach. The coach has an important role in molding the athletic experience of the child.
10 A coach can measure success by the respect he gets from his or her players, regardless of victories or defeats. Children who mature socially and physically while participating in sports are the best indication of good coaching.
Coaching a Flag Team
As a Flag coach, your main goal should be to create a fun and safe learning environment for your players. Whether you are an experienced coach or a novice taking the reins of your first team, there are several things to keep in mind as you begin your Flag season.
Not all of these things are just as an NFL coach would do, but then, this isn't the NFL. However, one of the fun parts of Flag is that the skills your players will practice and play with are just like those of their NFL heroes: passing, catching, defending, etc. This connection to the real-life game they see every week is one you should feel free to emphasize.
Everybody Plays
Flag games were designed specifically to make it easier for every player to have a role in a team's success. While size and skill certainly will come into play when the action starts, your coaching should emphasize the ³working together² aspect of the games.
Tackle Tackling Early
Don't let your practices dissolve into a giant pile of rambunctious kids. For both their safety and your sanity, make sure to discourage any tackling or roughness early on. Remind them that they won't help their team in a game by tackling or being rough.
Sportsmanship Rules!
Help your players be good sports. After a game, shake hands with or do a cheer for the other team. Applaud good play by both sides. Treat officials with respect. While imitating you, your team won't even know it's being taught a good lesson.
Let Them Play Football!
The temptation to be another Don Shula or Bill Walsh will have to wait. This is Flag. While teaching football skills and strategies is important, keep your lessons as simple as possible. As your team grasps the basics, move on to more advanced ideas. Overloading young players with too much information too early can cause them only confusion...and you headaches.
Have Fun!
We thank you for your volunteer service. Flag couldn't happen without you. But remember, this is fun for you, too.
Flag rules can be found on the Handouts page of this website.
Handout: 2009 Flag Schedule