The Ultimate Guide to American Football for Kids: Building Skills, Confidence, and Teamwork

A long time ago, Americans used to say that baseball was “America’s favorite pastime.” In those bygone days, such a colloquialism might have been accurate. Going to a baseball game was the highlight of a person’s whole month for some, and an excuse to spend time together rooting for a favorite team with family and friends. It wasn’t until the 1970s, that football finally started pushing baseball out of the top spot. According to some polls, 37 percent of Americans watch football today and 41 percent consider it their favorite sport. Meanwhile, baseball only has 10 percent of folks declaring it their favorite.

The is all equates to one major fact that makes American football one of the most popular sports for kids in the United States. It’s exciting, challenging, fun to play, and extremely popular, making it a great choice for young athlete. Parents who want their kids to build athletic skills, develop confidence, and make new friends, would do well to have them join the football team.

Some parents might be thinking, “hey, football might be too complicated for a young child to learn,” but that isn’t necessarily true. With some solid guidance and enough practice, football can be pretty easy to pick up. In this guide, we will provide all the information kids and parents might need in order to grasp the basics of football. We will give them the tools to learn key skills and become confident in their ability to play at any level. Whether you and your child are new to the game or if they are already on a team, you should both find plenty of tips to help child athletes grow as football players and teammates.

Why Kids Should Play American Football

American football has a lot to offer young athletes. It’s a fast-paced sport that builds both physical and mental strength. There are also a host of reasons to play football that can be found below:

Improves Physical Fitness: Football is a sport that involves running, jumping, throwing, and catching. These physical movements help kids to build speed, strength, and agility.

Builds Confidence: Playing any new sport can help children learn new skills, achieve their goals, and understand the importance of working with a team. Such benefits can boost a child’s confidence in a number of ways.

Encourages Teamwork: Because football is a team sport, it teaches young athletes all about the importance of working together and supporting one other on and off the field.

Develops Discipline and Focus: Football can be pretty fast-paced and it often requires players to pay close attention and follow specific plays, which improves a child’s mental focus and discipline.

Teaches Resilience: Like most sports, football can be challenging. This isn’t a bad thing for young athletes, however, as with each practice and game, players learn to bounce back and improve their skills.

With these many benefits in mind, our next step is to delve into the basics of American football and how to get started!

Understanding the Basics of American Football

There seems to be a prevailing opinion in other countries that American football can be confusing at times. Many Americans don’t understand this opinion and seem to have no trouble following on a weekly basis. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t something of a learning curve for peewee athletes. This process is made much easier by teaching kids a few key concepts . The basics are as follows:

• Teams: Football teams begin with 11 players on the field, divided into offensive and defensive positions.
• Objective: The game’s objective is to score points by getting the ball into the opposing team’s end zone, either by running with it or throwing it to a teammate.
• Field: The field is 100 yards long, and end zones are located on either side. Scoring happens when players get the all into these end zones.
• Four Downs: The offense has four chances, or “downs,” to move the ball 10 yards. Anyone who has ever watched a football game knows that this is easier said than done, as players will throw their whole body at the opponent to stop their descent down the field. If the offense succeeds, they get another four downs. If they don’t, the ball is turned over to the other team.
• Scoring: Players score points in different ways. Touchdowns are worth six points, field goals are worth three points, and an extra point after a touchdown is worth one or two points.

With these basics in place, it’s time to go over the different positions in football that your child might end up playing. Each position has its own unique role on the team and it’s own way to help the team succeed.

Positions in Football

Football positions are divided into three different categories: offense, defense, and special teams. Each role can be broken down as follows:

Offense

• Quarterback (QB): The quarterback is the de-facto leader of the offense. Their role is to throw passes and make key decisions.
• Running Back (RB): A running back runs the ball and catches short passes.
• Wide Receiver (WR): The wide receiver catches passes from the quarterback and runs routes to get open.
• Tight End (TE): The tight end is a versatile player in that they can both block and catch passes.
• Offensive Linemen (OL): There are generally a few offensive linemen on the field who are responsible with blocking the defense and protecting the quarterback in order to make space for runners.

Defense

• Defensive Linemen (DL): The job of the defensive linemen is to rush the quarterback and stop the running game.
• Linebackers (LB): Linebackers defend against the opposing team’s run and the pass and often tackle opponents.
• Cornerbacks (CB): The cornerback’s role is to cover wide receivers and prevent them from catching passes.
• Safeties (S): Safeties represent the literal the last line of defense, covering the field and helping to stop big plays.

Special Teams

• Kicker (K): The kicker, as you might have already assumed, kicks field goals and extra points.
• Punter (P): The punter also kicks, only this player kicks the ball to the opposing team when they have to give up possession.
• Kick Returner: The player who catches kickoffs and punts and tries to run them back for a score is called, appropriately, the kick runner.

Say what you will about the simplicity of the naming conventions, it’s hard to argue the efficacy of having different positions with the game of football that require different skills and strengths. This variety is the spice of football and what makes it such an interesting, diverse sport for young players. But how do kids succeed in their respective roles on the field?

Essential Skills for Football

As with most sports, football requires a mix of physical skills, mental focus, and teamwork. Children who want to succeed should focus on developing skills in a few key areas in order to succeed.

Speed and Agility

Many might argue that football players are most renowned for their brawn, but speed is actually much more important than strength when it comes to getting the ball into the opponents end zone. Speed helps young players move quickly down the field, while agility allows them to change directions rapidly. Practicing sprints, agility drills, and ladder exercises can help children improve both speed and agility.

Strength and Conditioning

That all said, strength is essential for many of the more offensive football roles, specifically those positions that involve blocking and tackling. Kids can get stronger by doing push-ups, squats, and core exercises that can be used to help build strength, while endurance drills like running laps or jump rope will improve their overall conditioning.

Catching and Throwing

Football is something of a misnomer here, something which countless other countries are constantly telling us. As it happens, catching and throwing are vital skills for young football players, specifically those who play roles as quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends. Kids can practicing throwing back and forth with a parent or partners, which works on hand-eye coordination. For drills, try to mix it up and attempt practicing different throws to help build these skills.

Tackling and Blocking

Tackling and blocking are essential skills for defensive players and offensive linemen. However, children should learn the correct way to tackle or block with a dummy or device before attempting it with other players. Blocking and tackling incorrectly can cause serious injuries to the kid in question and their opponent. This is why football practice is so essential for safety, in order to prevent injuries.

Strategic Thinking

Football isn’t just for “jocks” or “meatheads” it’s a complex game of strategy that coincides with raw physicality. Young players need to understand plays and formations in order to play well. Teach your kids to pay attention to coaches, study plays, and work on memorizing routes and positioning.

Communication and Teamwork

There’s no “I” in football. At it’s heart, football is a team sport, where players need to communicate well and work together to reach a common goal. Children should learn to listen to their teammates, support each other, and, above all else, stay positive—even when things get tough.

Building Confidence on the Field

Confidence is key to success in any sport and football is no different. Here are some tips for building self-confidence as you improve your skills:

Set Small Goals: Kids should focus on small goals, like making a successful catch or running a fast route. Achieving these goals will help children build confidence over time.

Practice Regularly: The more your child practices, the better they will get—and the more confident they’ll feel.

Learn from Mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes, especially when learning something new. Parents and coaches should reframe mistakes as learning experiences in order to get their kids to improve.

Stay Positive: Football can be challenging, but keeping a positive attitude helps kids stay motivated and resilient. The more positive you can be for your kid, the better they will play and the better they will play.

Staying Safe on the Football Field

Safety is of supreme importance in a highly physical sport like football. Parents, coaches, and other adults should make safety a priority, especially for young players. Here are some tips to help kids stay safe:

Wear Proper Gear: No matter how young or old, kids should always wear a helmet, mouthguard, pads, and any other required equipment. Proper gear protects players against injury.

Warm Up and Cool Down: Players should stretch and warm up before practice or games to prevent injuries, and cool down afterward to help muscles recover.

Learn Proper Techniques: Coaches can teach safe tackling, blocking, and other techniques to reduce the risk of injury, and parents should let these professionals take over this portion of their child’s football education.

Stay Hydrated: Remember to hydrate! Kids should drink water throughout the day and during practice to stay hydrated, especially in hot weather. Parents, do your best to remind them of this and drink enough yourself!

Listen to Coaches and Referees: Coaches and referees are there to help keep your kids safe. Teach children to listen to their instructions, and if they get hurt, make sure they know to let an adult know.

Getting Started with Football: Joining a Team or Practicing at Home

For kids interested in playing football, there are several ways parents can introduce them and get the ball rolling…so to speak:

Join a Local Team: Many towns, school systems, and local, communities offer youth football leagues where kids can join teams, meet friends, and learn the game under the guidance of experienced coaches. Look into these options in your neck of the woods.

Practice with Friends: Even if you’re kid isn’t on a team yet, you can still help them practice! Invite friends over to play in a park or backyard. Families can play with with their kids too but make sure to play safe! Instead of tackling, work on passing, catching, and running drills together.

Work on Skills at Home: Simplest is often best. Parents can help kids practice individual skills like throwing, catching, and agility drills at home with minimal equipment.

Attend Football Camps: Football camps offer intense training over a short period and are a great way to improve skills quickly, though they tend to be a bit more costly. Ot all depends how much you and your kid want to invest in their football career.

Cultured Athlete Says…

The most important thing to remember is that kids should have fun when learning or playing the game. Football is a rewarding sport with immense growth and friendship opportunities, but none of that matters if they aren’t having fun. Help your kid to learn the basics and introduce them to the sport while watching professionals, you never know. they may end up becoming one of the 41 percent of this country that loves American Football too!