Coach Tom Bass brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to USA Football. Along with answering youth coaching questions, he also receives emails from young players. You can email the coach at NFLAskTheCoach@aol.com.
Greg from Claymont sent the following question:
I am a small kid and I think I am fast and strong, but I don't know if I am good enough to play high school football. I did track last year, and my event was hurdles, so I want to be either a wide receiver or a running back. I have never played football seriously or any other sport before last year's track but I have non-seriously a few places. Do you have any advice to improve my skills for football?
Hi Greg,
Running the hurdles takes a great deal of stamina and mental and physical toughness. These attributes will help you as you learn to play football.
Right now, your first step should be to speak to the football coaches at your high school. Tell them you want to join the team and see if they have an organized off-season workout program that you can join. Also, see if they are going to have summer workouts for the players on the team and if they do, make certain you attend as many as you can.
The more work you can get with your teammates between now and next fall, the easier the transition to football will be for you.
The next thing is to do some research and see if any of the schools in your area have summer camps that you could attend and get some football experience and learn proper technique.
It is never too late to start something new and learning to play and becoming part of the team should be an exciting challenge for you.
Coach Tom Bass
Zachary from Liverpool, UK sent the following question:
My coach has asked me to be offensive captain. What should I do as a captain?
Hi Zachary,
Being asked to serve as a captain is a great honor and the coach must think a great deal about your leadership and attitude as a member of the team.
Many times the captain is asked to lead his teammates not only by his playing - he doesn't have to be the best but he should give the most effort - and also by the positive attitude that he brings to every drill in every practice and in the games.
You need to be the one offering words of encouragement and praise to your fellow teammates, the one who makes the fewest errors and has a good understanding of the total offense so that you are in a position to help any other offensive player.
It should not be a position where a player thinks he is better than anyone else and has the right to criticize their performance.
Zachary, I am sure you will do great as a player and captain. It is good to hear from a player in the UK.
Coach Tom Bass
Michael from San Diego sent the following question:
Is a Wing-T fullback more of a regular blocking fullback or a power tailback?
Hi Michael,
Many coaches believe that the player selected to be their Wing -T fullback should be their best runner and because of this, the fullback becomes more of a power tailback than a lead blocker.
It is true that he may be called upon to block on running and pass plays, but his real contribution to the success of the offense comes from running with the ball (especially inside the tackles), faking without the ball (holding the linebackers) and being an outlet receiver on pass plays (after checking to block any blitzing linebackers) or on a screen pass.
Having a good fullback is essential for the success of any Wing -T team.
Coach Tom Bass
Carlton from Chicago sent the following question:
About how many plays or formations would there be in a college or NFL playbook?
Hi Carlton,
The number could be in the hundreds. The base play (backfield action, ball carrier, and blocking) may remain fairly constant (with more variations in the blocking scheme), but the formations and the different personnel variations a coach can put out on the field can make it seem that a team has many more plays then it really has.
The challenge for any coach is not drawing up plays and filling up his playbook. That is the easy part. The difficult part and the real challenge is finding enough time during the week to practice each play, giving all players adequate repetitions against various looks by the defense.
It does not matter how smart a coach is, or how many plays he has in his playbook, if his players are confused and are not sure of their assignment or have not had the opportunity to master the techniques needed to carry out that assignment.
The advice of "KISS" (keep it simple stupid) is good advice for every football coach to think about, from a youth league to the NFL, and never forget that lack of time is the greatest factor in how much your team can learn to perform successfully.
Coach Tom Bass
J from Virginia sent the following question:
I'm a freshmen in high school playing my first year. I'm 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds. What position do you think fits me? I've thought about playing tight end and linebacker. What do you think I should do?
Hi J,
Both of the choices would seem good to me and are ones where you can try both because they do complement one another. The skills you learn when blocking on offense will help you at linebacker when you work on recognizing and defeating the blocks.
The techniques you learn as a linebacker when you are playing pass defense will help you have a better idea on how to get open as tight end running a pass route.
You need to understand that ultimately your coach, after watching you practice, will be the one that determines the position you will play. He will see where he feels that you will have the greatest success and contribute the most to the success of the entire team.
One of the main goals in playing any sport is to get out on the field and participate. Try to have an open and positive mind if the coach determines that you should play at another spot. I hope you have fun, work hard, and enjoy learning about the great game of football.
Coach Tom Bass
Coach Tom Bass, the technical writer and advisor for USA Football, is a 30-year NFL coach who has also authored several books, including "Play Football the NFL Way" - the first "how to" book ever authorized and published by the NFL. Coach Bass is happy to personally autograph his books to you. Book ordering information can be found on http://www.coachbass.com/.
