Youth Football Plays And Drills - Is Your Kid A Future Quarterback?

Before teaching your child any youth football plays, or running any drills, you need to decide which position they would do their best at. In my experience, every kid wants to be a quarterback, but a youth football team only needs two quarterbacks (a starter and a backup). Is your kid made out to play quarterback? Is your child the next Peyton Manning?

The quarterback is a special position, so it requires a special ability. They are usually the leader of the team, and most of the time, they get the credit for both the win and the loss. Dealing with the pressure of having a football team on your child's back can be mentally tough for them, especially in times of a loss.

An indecisive person does not fit well into the role of a quarterback either. If your child has difficulty making decisions on their own, they will probably struggle as a quarterback. Most youth football plays are pretty simple, but they will still be required to think on their own, and make the best decisions on offense to help their team win.

Besides the mental requirements of playing quarterback, they will also need great physical ability. A quarterback must be in great shape, and have the arm strength to get the ball down the field. There may be times where they are required to run around in the pocket, and throw the ball 20-30 (or more) yards down the field, and hit a moving target (their receivers).

Because they have to hit a moving target, they must also have an accurate arm. The best thing about this requirement is that accuracy can be worked on. There are a few youth football quarterback drills that help to improve accuracy, but the best is the good ol' hanging tire drill. Simply hang a tire from a tree, and have your child throw the ball through the hole. Once they are comfortable with throwing the ball through the hole while it is sitting still, you can begin to swing the tire back and forth. This simulates trying to hit a moving target.

Remember, football is a physical sport. The quarterback is the target of 11 other players on defense! The whole defense will be aiming for the quarterback, so make sure that you are okay with that before you allow your child to play this position. A lot of pressure will be put on you, as well as your child, but if they pan out to be a good quarterback, they may have a very bright future in the sport after youth football!

Remember, being a quarterback is not only about mastering the youth football plays that they are taught, but they have to have the instinct that all good quarterbacks have. The good news is, they can be taught these instinctive things through a lot of drills and practice!