Explaining the Importance of the Football This is something I go over every year with all of my players. I came up with this spiel way back during my first year as HC. And here's why I came up with it: During my first year when I was an AC I was standing on the sideline during a game when the other team’s offense fumbled the ball. We had a defensive player who could have easily fallen on the ball, or even picked it up and run with it. However, our player just stood there and watched the ball roll lazily out of bounds. When our HC yelled at the kid, "WHY DIDN'T YOU GET THE BALL?!" the kid looked at the HC and said, "I thought it was their ball." This kid simply didn't know the rules and had never been told by our HC (or by any of us) that they could (and should) go after a free ball. The kid assumed that since we use the terminology of "our ball" or "their ball" that we were actually TAKING TURNS with the ball's possession. I knew right then that I would make sure that whether the kids knew the rules or not, that I would ingrain in my players that it's always OUR ball. Here’s how I explain to our players the importance of the football. This is the my speech, in its entirety: "Gentlemen, what is this I’m holding in my hands?" [I hold a football in front of the team.] They reply, "a football." “That’s right. A football. There is absolutely, positively nothing more important than what I am holding in my hand right now. This is the football. This is our football. When we are on offense, the ball belongs to us. When we are on defense, the ball belongs to us. It is always our ball. There is never, EVER a time when it is not OUR ball. Oh sure, there will come a time when the referee takes our ball and gives it to the other team. GET--IT--BACK! That’s your job. The ball belongs to us. Whether we're on offense or defense, it’s always our ball. We always fight for this ball." [You should see my players do their impression of me giving this speech. LOL. It's hilarious. But it shows me that they know the importance of keeping the ball and getting our ball back.] “Whose Ball Is It?”

“Whose Ball Is It?” Fumble Drill

There are two rows of players. Two players at once will participate in this drill. One coach puts the football in the face of Player A and yells, “Whose ball is it?” Player A responds, “My ball, Sir!” The coach then puts the football in the face of Player B and yells the same question, “Whose ball is it?” Player B yells back, “My ball, Sir!” “Face front,” says Coach, so that neither player can “cheat” by seeing the when the throw will occur, or in what direction it’s headed. Coach throws ball down the field in any haphazard direction. Both players immediately chase the ball, at full sprint. The first player there recovers the ball by falling to the ground and locking it in his arms, using the “fetal position.” The other player pulls, yanks and fights for the ball in an attempt to take the ball away. Two other coaches (if you have them available) should be “in the ear” of each player that is fighting for the football. The two coaches should also be hollering intense encouragement to both players. Feel free to allow the drill to get as physical as you are comfortable with. We will let the players battle it out for the ball for more than one minute, sometimes going as long as two to three minutes. It is important that players understand that the play doesn’t end when it is recovered by someone else. On the contrary, the play is just beginning. What we are trying to do is get each player to try and end up with the ball. The two other coaches run alongside of the players yelling “encouragement” as the players battle for the ball. This should be a physical, intense and mean-spirited drill. It is not for the timid or weak. The slower and less-aggressive boys will soon understand that it is far easier to recover the ball, if they can get to it first, than to get there second and have to fight for the ball. This drill encourages the slower, less-athletic player to get to the ball quickly. It is important to match the boys evenly in their initial attempts. Also, you can bounce the football in a direction where one player is more likely to recover it (yet another reason to make sure both players “face front”), making the drill easier and more successful for the lesser athlete. We don’t care nearly as much who “wins” the drill, as we do care about developing aggression and teaching the importance of the football. We usually end the drill when both players have equal possession of the ball.

“Whose Ball Is It?” Fumble Drill Our fumble drill is literally a fight. Lots of torn shirts, scraped elbows, bloody noses and a few tears. But it develops an Alpha-pack mentality. Here’s what to expect during our “Whose Ball Is It?” (1-on-1) fumble drills: BLOODY KNEES BLOODY ELBOWS BLOODY NOSES TORN SHIRTS DIRT IN EYES DIRT IN MOUTH TEARS Here’s what they learn during our “Whose Ball Is It?” (1-on-1) fumble drills: AGGRESSIVENESS IMPORTANCE OF THE FOOTBALL HOW TO PROPERLY RECOVER A FUMBLE FIGHT TO THE WHISTLE GETTING USED TO HAVING THEIR HANDS & BODIES ON OTHERS BEING ON THE GROUND NEVER QUIT DESPITE THEY’RE BLEEDING & HAVE DIRT IN THEIR EYES TEACHES EVEN THE SLOWEST & LEAST AGGRESSIVE PLAYER TO GET TO THE BALL FIRST (because it’s easier to get there first and hold onto the ball, than it is to arrive second, and then have to fight for it).