NFL Junior Player Development

Presented By

Louisiana Youth Football

As junior high school programs diminish, the NFL Junior Player Development program is an attempt to rebuild youth tackle football as an effective feeder system for high school programs.

The program is a readapted youth tackle football instructional and developmental playing method for junior high school boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 14. In order to receive a full experience and understanding of the game, every participant receives a wide range of training in a number of positions.

NFL Junior Player Development Instructional and Competitive Concept Outline

 

• All basic fundamentals, such as tackling and blocking, are taught and reviewed at every practice. They are best taught progressively, with the idea of “crawling” first, then “walking, jogging and finally running.” Fundamentals of form tackling and the six-point progression of blocking are first introduced six inches apart and then slowly separated by distance. This structured and controlled environment enables all players to learn at their comfort level.

• All practices are broken into instructional segments lasting no more than 15 minutes. The particular assigned position of the day is taught in an upbeat tempo that holds a player’s interest throughout the entire practice.

• Every practice ends with a review of skills. To further emphasize skills learned that day, there is also a weight-based competition between two adjacent teams on the field that have learned complimentary positions through one-on-one individual competition.

• The objective of competitive play focuses on the execution of basic skills learned, not necessarily the end result of a play. Participants compete for points awarded by a referee for proper set up and stance, as well as proper execution of skill.

• JPD is broken into three six-week stages. Every participant graduates from stages one through three in consecutive years and/or seasons. For example, each stage can be implemented every spring over three consecutive years or over three different seasons (spring/fall/spring). The focus of instruction and competition shifts after stage one to a progression of sharpening and combining with other skills. At this time a semblance of the actual game of football is developed. Instruction then focuses on how different positions work together, with competitions reflecting these changes.

• Each head coach applies the incorporation of life skill messages throughout all on-field skill training. Coaches follow a specifically designed curriculum created by a sports psychologist. Each week a different life skill is integrated throughout the on-field curriculum.

 

• Week One: Responsibility

• Week Two: Goal Setting

• Week Three: Sportsmanship

• Week Four: Self-Control

• Week Five: Smart Moves

• Week Six: Teamwork