Archive for July, 2009
Selecting Top Players
The key to winning in family football is to have and use top players. But how does one go about selecting the best players for your team? These are the premier players who can mean the difference between success and failure on your family football team. This article looks at the subject of top players. It discusses the how to: (1) select them, (2) train them, (3) use them and (4) properly equip them.
The selection of top family football players is not a random process. Oh yes, the odd good player can just turn up and play, but this is rare. More logical is a selection process that scans such venues as high school football, other family football teams and local pickup games. These locations will typically show off the top players. So a dedicated family football coach will routinely scour these locations in the search for talent. Another logical source is the players themselves who will know the good players. Don’t overlook any possibility!
It does not matter how talented a player may be they all need training. Even the best players in the NFL never stop training and seeking to improve. This should be true for all players, good and bad. The key to having top players in family football is to ensure that they are properly trained to perform with the team. Top players should not be prima donnas. There is no place in family football for players who put themselves above their team and ignore training. So all who wish to play must train.
Using top players is not as simple as it appears. Yes they should be used effectively to gain yards and score points. But they can often be more effective as decoys. Using them in this way means that some less talented player will not be as well protected and can often score. The secret of using top players is to use them effectively. This does not mean that they are always “out in front”. Often the best way to use a top player is to let him draw opponents away so that other team members can excel. A truly top player should welcome this opportunity to be an effective team player.
Proper equipment can also help. Worn or dated equipment does not play well and can be a serious detriment. Therefore, it is always best to use an official football, quality accessories and a proven tote bag. The best football is the official NFL football covered in top grain leather. This all leather football can be a Spalding football or a Rawlings football. Less effective is the leather and rubber covered composite football. It can be a Rawlings foot ball or an
The accessories too should be top quality. These are the football pump, pressure gauge, inflating needles and a football repair kit. The ball pump can be a hand operated air pump or a foot pump. To play well don’t skimp on the accessories!
Another important accessory is the ball bag or ball tote. It is made of nylon mesh in a variety of colors and can carry up to 10 footballs. This nylon ball bag or nylon ball tote is used to carry football equipment to and from games. It also protects any spare equipment at the games.
Selecting top players is not a random process. Know who your best players are and then train, motivate and equip them to play their best as effective team members!
Losing Graciously
Much emphasis in family football is on winning. But one team has to lose. So how does a team who’s played hard lose graciously? This article looks at losing graciously and defines how it should be done. No one likes to lose but there is a right and wrong way to lose. Both sides are examined here.
One of the most important lessons for a losing team is not to show anger. Yes, losing is upsetting but demonstrating anger is completely unacceptable. There is no place in sports for poor behavior and being angry at opponents is definitely poor behavior. Any loss is hard to take but it is much better to lose with style and bury all anger with improved play the next time out. This is the way the pros react to losing and it’s a good example for us all.
The losing team should not be poor sports. So they should not do silly things like refusing to shake hands with the winners. In every contest in life there is a winner and a loser. The loser can accept the loss and vow to do better next time. Or the loser can show poor sportsmanship and only succeed in embarrassing himself and his team. The choice of behavior is up the individual player. If all team members are correctly trained they will accept defeat graciously and congratulate, not ridicule, the winners.
Any kind of retaliation against the winning team is completely unacceptable. The only kind of retaliation that is acceptable is on the playing field. And even there this kind of retaliation should not be manifest by dirty play. The best kind of retaliation is to beat an opponent fairly. And this can only take place when these teams play again. Losing a game is never acceptable. But retaliating badly against an opponent goes well beyond any kind of acceptable behavior. So be fair in all your play!
Equipment should never be the cause of an ungracious loss. In family football the equipment choices favor neither team. The accepted equipment is an official football, quality accessories and a proven tote bag. The best football is an official NFL football covered in top grain leather. It plays very well and gives no advantage to either side. This leather football can be a Spalding football or a Rawlings football. Next in acceptability is the leather and rubber composite football. It does not play as well as leather and can be an
The best accessories include the football pump, pressure gauge, inflating needle and the football repair kit. The ball pump can be an air pump or the preferred foot pump. In any crucial family football game use only top accessories.
The same advice holds true for the ball bag or ball tote. This key item is made of nylon mesh and comes in a variety of colors. The nylon ball bag or nylon ball tote is used to carry up to 10 footballs to and from games. It also protects unused equipment from theft at the games.
Losing graciously is never fun. But losing a family football game any other way is completely unacceptable!
Gaining An Advantage
Winning in family football means gaining a sustainable advantage over an opponent. This requires four key actions: (1) having good players, (2) using effective plays, (3) employing deception, and (4) using good equipment. Each of these actions will be reviewed here.
Having (and using) good players is fundamental to gaining an advantage over opponents. But many family football players are good. So how does one team gain a player advantage? The secret is how these players are used. Underperforming teams don’t use their talented players properly. They let these talented players play as they wish. In the “advantage” team talented players are often used as decoys to allow other players to score. The “advantage” team makes the best and most complete use of its very talented players.
Effective plays are often the key distinguishing factor between two talented family football teams. The winning team usually has only a few effective plays and employs all of them well. These plays are simple but well executed. In family (or any) football play complexity is never the answer to winning. The simple plays always work well if each player completes his or her assignment as required. This is true at every level of football, even for the pros!
What often makes a simple play truly effective is deception. The professional teams use deception on offense and defense very effectively. So a family football team will benefit by learning from the pros. Deception can help one team gain a sustainable advantage over an opponent. So use deception whenever possible and keep your opponent always off guard!
Good equipment can also help. This includes an official football, quality accessories and a proven tote bag. The best football to use is the official NFL football covered in top grain leather. It plays very well and can be a Spalding football or a Rawlings football. Another less playable football is the leather and rubber composite football. It does not play as well as the leather football and is an
The accessories too should not be chintzy. These are the football pump, pressure gauge, inflating needles and the football repair kit. The ball pump can be a hand operated air pump or a foot pump. But all accessories should be top quality.
This is also true of the ball tote or ball bag. It is made of nylon mesh and comes in a variety of colors. This nylon ball tote or nylon ball bag can accommodate up to 10 footballs. It carries these footballs to and from games and safeguards any spare equipment at the games.
Gaining an advantage in family football depends on using talented players, effective plays, sustained deception and quality equipment. But the true advantage comes from the hearts of all the competing players!
Developing A Winning Team
What does it take to develop a winning team in family football? There are four key requirements: (1) find good players, (2) select effective plays, (3) practice rigorously, and (4) have good equipment. Each of these requirements will be discussed here.
Finding good players is a basic need. Without good players a winning family football will not happen. So where do good players come from? Some can be found on other family football teams and be convinced to change teams. Others are already known and are already part of your team. Still others are unknown but recommended by your players. The local high schools are excellent sources for good family football players.
Play selection is another basic need. Even the best players need to have effective plays that work. These plays must enhance the playing abilities of your team. For example, if you have a good passer then employ a wider selection of passing plays. In any event employ the talent you have to best advantage by using plays tailored to your team’s capabilities. Bad plays for good players produce poor results!
Regardless of good players and effective plays, it’s practice that makes perfect. The best family football teams practice their plays together till each player knows exactly what must be done on every play. It’s not just good enough to know your own position. Study how the entire team will do on every play. Football is a team effort. A team that learns its plays and executes them well is a team who wins!
Having the right equipment also helps a lot. This means an official football, quality accessories and a proven tote bag. The football should be an official NFL football covered in top grain leather. It is expensive but it plays the best of any football. It can be a Spalding football or a Rawlings football. The next most preferred football is the leather and rubber covered composite football. It does not play as well as the leather football and can be an
Good accessories are essential. These are a football pump, pressure gauge, inflating needles and a football repair kit. The ball pump can be a hand operated air pump or a foot pump. To keep the family football game on track use only the best accessories.
A proven ball bag or ball tote is also basic equipment. It is made of nylon mesh in multiple colors and can carry up to 10 footballs. The nylon ball tote or nylon ball bag carries football equipment to and from games and protects this equipment at the games.
Developing a winning team requires talented players, reliable plays, much practice and quality equipment. To skimp on any of these items means a less effective family football team!
Handling Injuries
Family football is a contact sport and so some injuries can be expected. These injuries should be relatively minor. But there are no “minor” injuries in any type of football. Every injury is important and should be treated as such. Here we discuss family football injuries and describe how they should be handled. We also examine the important role of equipment in this process.
Any injury that occurs in a family football game should be treated immediately. The player who sustains this injury should be taken out of the game and may not return. If the injury is truly minor, like a cut or a scrap, then the player in question can return later to the game. Any other injury that may involve a sprain, a strained knee or a possible fracture should be handled with utmost care. The player who sustains such an injury should be taken immediately to a hospital emergency room for treatment. He or she should be properly treated and not returned to any football game until fully recovered.
All family football injuries are serious and should be treated as such. There is the tendency in family football to ignore all but the most serious injuries. This attitude makes no sense. A seemingly “minor injury” can become serious if the player continues to play. So treat all injuries as serious and keep injured players out of further play. If the injury can be shown to be minor, like a simple cut or scrap, then such players may resume play.
Using the right equipment is a contributing factor to injury free play. Use only an official football, the best possible accessories and a proven tote bag. Worn or damaged equipment should never be used. The best football for any play is the official NFL football covered in top grain leather. This football can be a Spalding football or a Rawlings football. The next best playing football is the leather and rubber covered composite football. It does not play as well as a leather football and is a Rawlings football or an
To keep the game footballs in top condition use only the best accessories. These are a top football pump, pressure gauge, inflating needles and a football repair kit. The ball pump is either a hand operated air pump or a foot pump. Good accessories can keep the family football game relatively free of injury.
The proper ball tote or ball bag can also help. It is made of nylon mesh and comes in many colors. This nylon ball bag or nylon ball tote can carry up to 10 footballs. It is used to carry football equipment to and from games and safeguard this equipment at the games.
Any football injuries are no fun. So they must be treated promptly and properly. Don’t allow players to ever play hurt. It’s never worth it!
Winning Under Pressure
Many family football games are played under ideal conditions. The location is a grassy park and the teams just play fun football in a relaxed manner. However, this is not always the case. Periodically, two top teams will play family football and the result is in doubt until the final whistle. These are games played under pressure. So how do you win this kind of game? This article looks at winning under pressure by examining the: (1) conditions, (2) plays, (3) players, and (4) equipment.
Playing conditions can be a deciding factor. Ideally any family football game should be played on a regulation grassy field on a bright sunny day. But what if the playing conditions are not ideal? For example, this game could be played in the rain or on bare field with little grass. How does each team react to poor playing conditions? The best teams expect adversity and know how to play well under it
The plays used are also a key factor. Good teams employ a lot of deception on both offense and defense. The secret here is to trick the opposing team and catch them out of position. On offense this means employing pass plays that look like runs and running plays that look like passes. On defense the key is a good pass rush and effective down field pass and run coverage. Don’t be fooled by the opponent’s deception
Having and using good players is the true secret. Top teams all have good players. But the best players deliver in the clinch. To win a high pressure game requires that the best players on either side give more than their best. One never knows how any player will react under game pressure. Often good players fail to deliver when things are tough. So it’s ideal to have several clutch players on the team. These players have proven their ability in the past to perform well under pressure.
The equipment used is also important. In high pressure games use only the best equipment. This means an official football, quality accessories and a proven tote bag. The best football is the official NFL football covered in top grain leather. It plays the best and can be Spalding football or a Rawlings football. The next best football is the rubber and leather composite football. It does not play as well as the all leather football but is adequate. It can be an
Accessories too must be top quality. These are a football pump, pressure gauge, inflating needles and a football repair kit. The ball pump can be a hand operated air pump or a foot pump. Never skimp on these items. They can be crucial in a close game if the game football needs repair or re-inflating.
The ball bag or ball tote is also important. This item is made of nylon mesh and comes in a variety of colors. The nylon ball bag or nylon ball tote can hold up to 10 footballs and equipment. It is used to carry equipment to and from games and protect this equipment from theft at the games.
Winning family football games under pressure requires the right playing conditions, dynamic plays, top players and quality equipment. But what ultimately wins these games is the will to win by the better team.
No Bad Food
A game of family football is incomplete without a good outdoor meal served after the game. But what is a good meal? There are many answers. For some a good meal is often cooked meat or fried chicken. But this meal is both high fat and high cholesterol. So how does one insure that they eat a quality meal and avoid the culinary disasters that so many Americans classify as good food? This article looks at football food and identifies what’s most nutritious to eat. It also describes the right equipment for the game before the meal.
Bad football food is anything fried or includes such items as roasted meat, heavy salad dressings, white bread or potato salad. Unfortunately this is the food most often served after family football games. This unhealthy offering is further tainted by serving sugary carbonated drinks or beer. The desserts too are rich and loaded with sugar. Unfortunately few Americans eat healthy and so consider obesity a way of life! It is not.
Good football food can be easily found. It includes such items as grilled chicken or fish, refreshing vegetable salads with low fat dressings and water or iced tea to drink. Rich desserts are avoided and substituted by fresh fruit pleasantly served. White bread is replaced by whole wheat bread or rolls. There is nothing in this healthy meal that contains empty calories. Eating healthy is slowly becoming a way of life in
Good equipment can also help in this quest for healthy food. Invariably the top teams are most concerned about healthy food and quality equipment. This means an official football, proven accessories and a sturdy ball tote. The best football is the official NFL football covered in top grain leather. It plays best and can be a Spalding football or a Rawlings football. The next most preferred football is the leather and rubber composite football. It plays less well than an all leather football and can be an
The best accessories are top end items that include a football pump, a pressure gauge, inflating needles and a football repair kit. The ball pump is a hand operated air pump or the preferred foot pump. The best accessories support the best equipment used by the best teams.
Another important accessory is the ball bag or ball tote. It is made of nylon mesh in a variety of colors and can carry up to 10 footballs. This nylon ball tote or nylon ball bag carries football equipment to and from games and safeguards this equipment at the game.
Good food and good equipment tend to go together in family football. Don’t abuse the players by serving them unhealthy food or offering them poor equipment. It does not pay!
Avoid “Rough House”
Family football is played best when there is no rough play or “rough house”. The game is meant to be played hard but fair. There is no place for overly aggressive or even illegal play. When such play is evident it is best to: (1) warn the offending players, (2) eject these rough players from the game, or (3) quit play all together. This article examines “rough house” play by first defining it and suggesting how such play can be avoided. The role of equipment is also reviewed here.
“Rough house” play is any kind of play in a family football game that goes beyond the accepted standard of aggressive play. It is easy to recognize. Players who use excessive tactics in blocking and tackling are committed to hurting opponents by playing way too roughly. Also rough play is characterized as illegal since these rough house players often break the rules of accepted play.
When rough house play occurs in a game the opposing players have a basic choice to make: to continue or quit play. Often the offending player can be warned about overly aggressive actions and the rough house will stop. This is likely the best course of action. But if rough play continues then the offending player should be asked to leave the game. However, should this action prove unsuccessful then the only remaining choice is to quit play all together. Too often a whole team will play roughly and do everything possible to win. In this case it is best to quit and not replay that team unless and until their rough tactics stop.
Equipment also plays a role here. Any team who plays properly will have top quality equipment since they are dedicated to the best possible play. This means an official football, good accessories and a reliable ball tote. The best football is an official NFL football. It is covered in top grain leather and is expensive. But it plays best and can be a Spalding football or a Rawlings football. The next most acceptable football is a leather and rubber composite football. It does not play as well as a leather football but is acceptable. It can be an
Serious playing teams also have quality accessories. These are the ball pump, pressure gauge, inflating needles and the football repair kit. The football pump can be an air pump or a foot pump.
Another key accessory is the ball bag or ball tote. Serious teams use this item made of nylon mesh in many colors to carry football equipment to and from games. This nylon ball tote or nylon ball bag can accommodate up to 10 footballs and is also used to safeguard this equipment at the games.
There is no place in family football for overly aggressive play. If and when it happens, stop it at once or stop play! All players will benefit!
Give The Game A Chance
Family football can be a lot of fun if its played properly. It is not meant to be a parody of football but a real game played properly. This means that at least four actions should take place. These are: (1) select a proper location, (2) choose two equal teams, (3) play a true football game, and (4) use proper equipment. Each of the points will be discussed here.
A proper football game is ideally played in a grassy public park that has goal posts and football stripping. Yes, the game can be played elsewhere, like the street. But playing this way risks injury and does not give the players a good football experience. So seek out a proper location in a public park. They are readily available.
A family football game is the most fun when the two teams playing are relatively equal in skill and experience. So take the time to choose players for both teams who are somewhat equal. This means a proper mix of old and young, male and female and neophyte and experienced players. The person organizing the game is responsible to getting this proper player balance. It pays off with a good game!
To add true realism it’s best to play a real football game. Family football is not meant to be a practice session. So when the location is selected and the teams chosen play a regular football game according to the conditions specified. The only real decisions to be made are whether to have tackling and down field blocking. Once this is decided the game can proceed. It should be played according to accepted football game rules.
Proper equipment is a necessity. This includes an official football, quality accessories and a proven tote bag. The preferred football is an official NFL football covered in top grain leather. It is expensive but it plays best and can be a Spalding football or a Rawlings football. The next preferred football is the leather and rubber composite football. It costs about half of an all leather football and can be a Rawlings football or an
Quality accessories include a football pump, pressure gauge, inflating needles and a football repair kit. The ball pump can be a hand operated air pump or the more expensive foot pump. Don’t attempt to play family football without good accessories.
An important but often forgotten accessory is the ball bag or ball tote. It is made of nylon mesh in a variety of colors and can hold up to 10 footballs. This nylon ball bag or nylon ball tote is used to carry football equipment to and from games. It also keeps this equipment protected and secure at the games.
Giving family football a chance means playing the game properly under good conditions. Select a balanced team and play a regular game in an acceptable location. In this way family football comes alive!
Be Determined
In family (or any) football being determined is the edge that’s often needed to win games. But what does being determined mean? How can determination make a difference in a family football game? This article looks at determination on both offense and defense and identifies how being determined to win can often produce that winning result. It also looks at the contribution of the right equipment.
On offense determination simply means the will to win. Both teams have similar offensive plays and either team can win. But it’s the team who wants to win whose offensive plays will ultimately succeed. Determination on offense means that the entire team plays all out on every play. This means that all blocking and faking assignments are well executed. Play perfection is sought and may even be achieved. But importantly, play perfection is the driving purpose of every offensive play. No one slacks off. Every team member does their very best on every play. That’s offensive determination!
On defense a similar determination to win prevails on every play. Determined defensive players seek to stop or back up the opposing offense when they have the football. This means that defensive lineman rush the passer and tackle hard while defensive back fielders try to break up all offensive plays. The same will to win that determination elicits on offensive prevails on defense as well. There is no question that the best defensive players are those who never give up. They strive to stop every offensive play and grudgingly give up any yardage. That’s defensive determination!
The right equipment can also contribute. It is typically an official football, quality accessories and a proven ball tote. The top football for determined play is the official NFL football covered in top grain leather. It plays the best and can be a Spalding football or a Rawlings football. Next in line for playability is the leather and rubber composite football. It does not play as well as the all leather football but is acceptable. It can be a Rawlings football or an
For football accessories determination is synonymous with quality. These items are the football pump, pressure gauge, inflating needles and the football repair kit. The ball pump can be a hand operated air pump or more often the higher quality foot pump. In accessories determination means quality.
The same is true for the ball tote or ball bag. This item is made of nylon mesh and comes in a variety of colors. The nylon ball tote can hold up to 10 footballs. This nylon ball bag is used by determined teams to carry football equipment to and from games and to safeguard this equipment at the games.
Being determined in family (or any) football is the innermost will to win every game. It can be seen on offense and defense and even in the equipment used. Determination wins football games!