Hey geniuses, I'm helping coach my 5th graders youth football team. We're 5-1 and we have some great aspirations for the post season. The kids have done a great job so far but we (as coaches) are worried they are getting a little bit apathetic during practices due to the 'same old thing' routines. The HC is a good guy but he has yet to come to practice with a plan.
I guess what I'm looking for is some advice on how to keep the practices fun for the kids and still stay focused on improving fundamental skills like open field tackling, blocking, etc. The two things we need to improve on the most is open field tackling on the edges (containment) and getting the linemen better at maintaining blocks.
If anyone has some references for fun drills, games, etc., that would be greatly appreciated. There is so much content on the internet out there but a lot of it seems to be garbage.
If you've coached before and had success with something I would love to hear about it.
How can I help get these kids energized for the last few games of the season and into the playoffs? TIA