Becoming a great football player takes a lot of practice. It takes time to develop the speed, strength and stamina that a great player needs for the game. Below are some tips to help your practice sessions more productive and to help you develop the game skills that you need to score those winning points.
A great tip if you’re a runningback or even a receiver, is to run right off the back of a lineman. Your linemen are there for a reason. They’re trying to block a certain player in order to open up a hole for you. Take advantage of that by sticking to them like glue, making the hole wider.
Do your best to support your teammates. There aren’t as many sports where teamwork matters as much as in football. Your fortunes rise and fall as a group. It’s about everyone on the team. Keeping this in mind, try to be supportive to your teammates by helping to build confidence in them. When your group is confident, you will see that winning will happen much more frequently!
Dancing can help you improve as a football player. Despite the fact that most dance is not as rough and tough as the game of football, the dance will improve your footwork. Fancy footwork can do a lot for your ability on the field when it really counts.
Running backs are members of the offense. For a running play, the quarterback may pass the ball to a running back who will run the ball as far as he can. When the ball is going in the air, the running back may help protect the quarterback from tacklers or he may try to get open to catch a pass.
Record your gameplay. Football is all about plays and patterns, so you need a way to watch how you specifically did out on the field. Was your pattern off? Was the quarterback expecting you in a different locale all together? Did you come up too short on your turn-around? When you can see it, you can change it much more easily.
If you want to do well late game, make sure that interval training is a regular part of your cardio. This is basically alternating high-speed and low-speed laps or timed intervals within your overall running session. Doing this will help you keep up a consistent energy level throughout the whole game, meaning that coach can count on you in the fourth quarter.
Take up a dance class to improve your footwork. Before you laugh, think back to reality television dancing competitions and how many times NFL players not only competed but succeeded! Ballroom dancing and even ballet are extremely effective at helping football players get an extra edge on the field.
You should have a good work ethic if you want to be in the game often. Natural talent definitely plays a role in your development as a player, but without a solid work ethic you will never be great. A coach will always choose a player willing to put in hard work over a natural athlete who is lazy.
A great tip to remember if you’re a runningback or receiver in football is to always make sure you keep the ball close to your body at all times. So many turnovers have occurred because a player wasn’t holding the football firmly enough, and an opposing player just took a swat at it.
Get used to playing off of your weaker foot. If you’re like many athletes, you’ll favor one foot over another. It’ll tend to be the foot that you pivot on and use for running fakes. If you want to confuse the opponent covering you, surprise them with some moves using your weaker side. It’ll give you some real advantage.
Learn the league rules for shoes. Cleats may be required for some and not allowed for others. Check to learn if you need shoes that have detachable or non- detachable cleats. Also, learn if there is a size limit for the cleats. You do not want to buy shoes and not be allowed to wear them.
To build your speed more effectively, check that you are positioned parallel as you perform your squats. This ensures that you are working the correct muscles, building incredibly strong legs. That means you’ll be faster, as well as having the ability to hit a lot harder.
Prepare your body for the game year round. Even during the off season, you should be paying close attention to your diet and exercise routine. Football is a very physical sport and if you are not in good physical condition, you increase the chance that you will get injured during play.
Learn to play with both sides. If you throw with your right arm, practice and perfect your skills with your left arm, as well. It will help you fake your rivals out and give you more options on the field. You should also learn to kick well with both feet.
The best thing you can do to teach your players how to become better football players is to teach the fundamentals. Keep things simple and teach. As players get older and more experienced, you can teach them more difficult plays. Even then going over the fundamentals will keep even the most experienced player on track.
Safety is important when playing football. Do not take shortcuts with safety. This can lead to dangerous results. Always wear your full gear when practicing and never practice without your helmet on. Many players have gotten injured because they did not use the proper equipment or practice in a safe manner.
Talk with your fellow players who are off field about what they are seeing on field. Sometimes your opponent is doing something that you can see in the heat of the moment. A fresh set of eyes is needed, especially from a different vantage point. Even if these teammates aren’t currently on the field, they can provide some great intelligence.
As you know, Becoming a great football player doesn’t happen overnight. It will take many hours and days of practice to get you to where you want to be as a player. It takes determination and motivation. Use the hints from above to help you make your practice sessions more productive and become a better player.
