Endorsed by American Youth Football, the largest football organization in the country, Coaching Youth Football is a great introduction to teaching youth the valuable skills they need to play football. From communicating as a coach and providing for your players’ safety to teaching offensive and defensive skills and tactics, the book provides all of the information you need to help 8- to 14-year-olds learn and enjoy the game of football.
As part of ASEP’s long-running Coaching Youth Sport series, this fifth edition features updated information and an enhanced section about players’ safety on the field, including new information on concussion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, this book includes more than 40 new drills, games, and coaching tips to make practices fun and practical throughout the season. Fundamentals of offense, defense, and special teams are covered in depth, supported by a total of more than 70 drills and over 60 photos and illustrations.
Ideal for coaches of players ages 14 and under, this book is also a valuable component of the Coaching Youth Football online course, the official course of AYF offered by the American Sport Education Program. With this book, coaches will create an environment that promotes learning, enjoyment, and motivation so that players will come out for the team year after year.
Welcome to Coaching
Welcome From American Youth Football
Foreword
Key to Diagrams
Drill Finder
Chapter 1 Stepping Into Coaching
Chapter 2 Communicating as a Coach
Chapter 3 Understanding Rules and Equipment
Chapter 4 Providing for Players’ Safety
Chapter 5 Making Practices Fun and Practical
Chapter 6 Teaching and Shaping Skills
Chapter 7 Coaching Offense
Chapter 8 Coaching Defense
Chapter 9 Coaching Special Teams
Chapter 10 Coaching on Game Day
Chapter 11 Developing Season and Practice Plans
A resource for youth football coaches (ages 14 and younger), parents of youth football players, and youth football players.
Joe Galat serves as the president of AYF. He is also employed by FieldTurf Tarkett as vice president of sales and dean of the FieldTurf Sports Science Institute. Joe’s leadership began early as captain of the Harvey High School (Painesville, Ohio) and Miami University (Ohio) football and wrestling teams. At Miami University, he was elected president of the Varsity Letterman’s Club and was named Outstanding Student Athlete in his senior year. Playing honors included selections to the All-Ohio All-Star High School Team and All-Mid-American Conference. Joe’s football experience was honed by some of the game’s greats: Bo Schembechler, Carm Cozza, and John McVay. When Pro Football Hall of Fame coach George Allen was owner of Montreal, he appointed Joe to be his head coach. Joe then went on to become head coach and general manager of the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League. He coached college football at Miami University, Yale University, University of Kentucky, and Youngstown State University. In 1982, Joe was inducted into the Miami University Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Painesville Harvey High School Hall of Fame (along with the NFL's winningest coach, Don Shula). After his coaching days, Joe was national color commentator for CBC-TV Sports. This experience gave him the distinction of having held every position in organized football (player, coach, manager, broadcaster, and youth executive). Joe has participated in youth football clinics in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and throughout Europe and Russia. Joe was also honored as a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Wendell Ford.
“Greater than my experience as one of Joe's Yale players in the early ’70s is the fortune I've enjoyed for more than two decades through my marriage to Kathy Johnson, Olympic medalist in gymnastics. This relationship has reaffirmed for me the paramount lesson imbued by my dear old friend and coach: There is more to be gleaned from sport than mere winning and losing. Joe Galat's focus on fundamentals, team orientation, character development, and, above all, enjoying the process is completely consistent with the elements for enduring success long after the roar of the crowd has dimmed.”
Brian Patrick Clarke--Actor and Former Yale Football Player
“I am proud to say that I have coached youth football for the past several years and have come to the realization that it involves far more than just Xs and Os. Promoting academic achievement, preparing for the season, ordering equipment, getting coaches to share a vision, coaching kids who are new to the game, and dealing with parents—the infrastructure of the organization alone can be a challenge to many rookie coaches. Joe Galat’s Coaching Youth Football provides you with all the essentials to ensure your time spent with your kids and parents will be prime time.”
Deion Sanders--NFL and MLB All-Star
“Coaching Youth Football by Joe Galat is the youth coach’s playbook on the fundamentals of youth coaching. It provides essential information on coaching a youth football team—from the first day of practice to the final game of the season.”
Jim Tressel--Head Football Coach,The Ohio State University
“Joe Galat was my linebackers coach when I was head coach of the New York Giants. Joe’s insight on the basic fundamentals of the game detailed in this book will help everyone who is interested in teaching safe football techniques.”
John McVay--Former NFL Head Coach,Former San Francisco 49ers Vice President of Football Operations;1989 NFL Executive of the Year
“I first met Joe Galat at the age of 14 at the Cape Cod Massachusetts Football Camp. Getting the opportunity to learn the game the right way from Joe at a young age not only increased the chances of me being successful on the field but also increased my chances of staying injury free. Joe went on to coach in the National Football League with the New York Giants and Houston Oilers. Joe coached a number of great players during his years in the NFL, including two Hall of Famers, Harry Carson and Elvin Bethea. In Coaching Youth Football, along with its online course, Coaching Youth Football the AYF Way, Joe breaks down football fundamentals into simple, teachable techniques that are easy to grasp and execute and will be a great benefit to those serious about learning how to coach the great sport of football.”
Howie Long
