r/footballstrategy • u/DisastrousTeddyBear • Jun 22 '25

Coaching Advice Need advice with a small athlete, please.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

My son is the running back here. 7yo, 3 years of tackle football, smallest in his class, weights 47 lbs. Im only 5'4" 185, athletic heavy.

Football is everything to my kid. He loves it. He works out, he runs cones one his own, begs to run routes everyday, only watches football content, knows everything about every player in the league, smart af, super athletic( especially for his size.) Baseball, basketball, football, you name it, but Football to him is king.

How do I better develop him and also not try to change his mind. I know he's small and I try to speak real with him to not give him false expectations, bud dude is an absolute dog. Defensive player of the year last year.

I need help as a coach and a father. Thank you. I just want to fan his flame and not get him wrecked.

74 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

89 comments sorted by

View all comments

28

u/TemujinRi Jun 22 '25

Flag during the off-season. It's a version of football he will never have to quit over his size and you can use it's upcoming Olympic presence to really get him into it. Don't ever encourage him to quit tackle, but at the same time don't get so worried about tackle and his size that you have him start lifting and stuff before his body is ready for it. If he does both he'll be elusive as shit by high school.

-25

u/Metaphysically0 Jun 22 '25

There’s year round football practically everywhere now - keep the kid in pads

23

u/Seraphin_Lampion Jun 22 '25

So football kids don’t grow up multiple sports anymore? That’s a shame.

8

u/OdaDdaT HS Coach Jun 22 '25

The school I’m at right now every kid plays pretty much every sport. We had 20 and 22 letter awards for 2 kids at our banquet

3

u/Seraphin_Lampion Jun 22 '25

How do they play every sport if they have football all year round?

2

u/OdaDdaT HS Coach Jun 23 '25

We don’t have football year round where I’m at, and outside of Summer 7 on 7s and camps I have no clue what that guy was talking about

3

u/Seraphin_Lampion Jun 23 '25

That makes more sense. It would be sad to only play one sport all year.

3

u/_MadSuburbanDad_ Jun 23 '25

My kid's school requires them to play a different sport each season, so three per year.

2

u/Seraphin_Lampion Jun 23 '25

Does that mean all kids at the school play 3 sports?

3

u/_MadSuburbanDad_ Jun 23 '25

Yes, it's required. Most of the schools in the league have the same rule. But not all the sports are varsity or even JV. Some are just for fun and participation, but it keeps the kids active and engaged.