Youth football requires a full commitment from players and coaches. Practices are often held four or more times per week, and teams usually play games once a week. Before teams start their practice sessions for the season, they go through conditioning work to make sure that players have the proper fitness level to handle the physical contact that will go throughout the year.
Football Ladder Sprints
Run ladder sprints to improve conditioning and get players used to sprinting at full speed and then changing directions quickly. Have all players start out at the goal line. On the coach's signal, sprint to the 10-yard line and back, the 20-yard line and back, the 30- and then the 40-yard line and back. After the player finishes the drill, have him take a 60-second break and repeat the drill.
Bear Crawl and Sprint
Have all players start off at the goal line. On the coach's signal, all players do 10 push-ups. Then the players get into the bear crawl position, with their hands and feet on the ground and no other body part touching. Crawl as fast as you can in this position for 15 yards. Then do 10 more push-ups. Follow that by sprinting 20 yards. This builds upper body strength, quickness and endurance.
Gauntlet Drill
In order to get used to the hitting that will take place in practice later on during the year, have them run the gauntlet drill. In this drill, five players spaced every two yards will hold blocking pad. On the coach's whistle, a player carrying the ball will take off and run the gauntlet. He will run through the five players and each one of them will hit him with a pad. When he completes the gauntlet, he will turn around and run back through the five players and take five more hits. He will then hand the ball to the next player in line who will run the same drill.
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