Coach Tom Bass brings over 30 years of coaching experience to USA Football. Along with answering youth coaches questions, he also receives hundreds of emails from young players. You can email the coach at NFLAskTheCoach@aol.com.
This week Coach Bass dives into his mailbag to answer questions from high school players across the country.
Aaron from Austin sent the following question:
I'm about to enter the 10th grade and I plan to try out for football this season. I'm only now able to lift between 70 and 80 pounds. Are there any strength tests before you can tryout?
Coach Bass says:
Hi Aaron,
Your school may have a strength test for all first year players that provide the coaches a good idea of where you are starting your football career.
Strength, speed or any other tests are merely measuring sticks and do not necessarily predict the success you will have in your football career.
Each year these are areas that you can improve upon as you continue to improve your football playing skills and techniques. With work, time and dedication you can get better in all areas.
In all sports, and especially football, it is not where you start but where you finish that is important. Go out this first football season, listen to your coaches, learn how to correctly play the game, practice hard, give good effort, and above all enjoy the experience and have fun. In the off-season you can focus on gaining strength.
Alex from Seattle asks:
I play running back and wide receiver. My coach wants me to start returning punts and kickoffs. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm worried about messing up the catch. In what ways are catching a punt or kickoff different than just catching a high pass? What techniques can I use to make sure I field it properly? Are there drills or things I can do besides just catching more in practice that can help? Thanks!
Coach Bass says:
Hi Alex,
Returning kicks is one of the most exciting jobs on a football team. For both kicks you want to position yourself, prior to the kick, so that you can see the ball the instant it leaves the kicker's foot.
Next you want to physically move so that you are in the direct path of the flight of the ball. Your body should always be directly in front of the ball as you make the catch. Avoid trying to make the catch with the ball out to either side.
As the ball comes down, reach out with both arms, extend both hands, little fingers together so that you can easily see the front tip of the ball and your fingers as you make the catch.
Immediately secure the ball and drive for the area of the return. Attack the return area at full speed.
Remember a kickoff is a free ball and can be recovered by either team. On a punt you have the option of returning the punt, allowing the ball to roll dead, or making a fair catch. You do not need to catch every punt. I am sure you will enjoy the challenge.
Willie from Covington sent the following question:
What drills do safeties do?
Coach Bass says:
Hi Willie,
As a safety you will need to do drills that focus on developing and improving on your coverage ability, your tackling ability, and your ability to catch the ball. Tackling is the one area that you should wait to do until practice has actually started.
For your coverage drills you can work on your start, back pedal, angle back pedal, and going to a forward run. All of these you can do on your own every day.
You can work on your catching with a friend, making sure you have proper hand position when catching a ball above your numbers, at your numbers and below your numbers. You should drill on making catches coming at you, to your right and left, and when you are moving away from the ball.
It is important to realize that playing safety is one position on the defense that requires a great deal of running so it is very important that your legs and feet are in shape and are prepared to run through the entire practice.
Mike from Peabody asks:
Hey coach, I'm entering my junior year of high school football and I play wide receiver and defensive back. I want to know what you think are some good drills to help improve softer hands. The only two drills I know of are just practice catching and finger tip push-ups. I was wondering if there are any other ways. Thanks for your help.
Coach Bass says:
Hi Mike,
You are right that practicing catching is one way to work on your hands, but remember, it does not have to be just catching a football. I have watched successful receivers spend hours throwing a tennis ball against a wall and reaching out and catching it in their fingers.
The technique should be the same, your hands should be positioned the same; you should reach out and see the ball and your fingers at the moment of the catch.
Many receivers, who you think of as having soft hands, actually make the catches look easy in that they do catch the front tip of the ball in their hands, but at the same time their arms do not remain rigid and extended but they are naturally bringing their arms and hands back to their body to help soften the throw and to automatically secure the ball.
You might want to get a hard rubber ball that you can start carrying with you and when you can, squeeze the ball a certain number of times to build strength in your grip.
Concentration on the ball is really important and the more you can focus on the ball, the easier it will be to reach out and snatch the ball out of the air.
Chris from Charlotte sent the following question:
Hey Coach, I'm a cornerback and I'm having trouble defending the pass when the receiver runs a double cut route. I especially have a problem defending the post-corner because I immediately attack the receiver after he makes his first cut, thinking he is just running a post. This works great most of the time, but on the rare occasion that the receiver makes a second move, I am usually caught completely off guard. I don't want to play more conservatively and give up easy passes that I can normally defend, but I don't want to be too aggressive and get beaten by a double move either. How can I defend against the double cut without giving the receiver extra cushion? Thanks a lot, Coach. I really appreciate your help.
Coach Bass says:
Hi Chris,
Double move pass routes are a challenge when you attack the first move too aggressively and at the wrong point. When you read the post move, you want to drive to the interception point (eight to nine yards ahead of the post path of the receiver), staying between the receiver and your goal line.
In this position, you can easily strip the up field arm of the receiver causing an incompletion or get in front of the receiver to make an interception.
In this position, when the receiver makes his second break to the corner, you will be in position to make contact with him and disrupt the timing of the pass.
Should he successfully make the corner break, keep your momentum, turn your back on him for a moment, whirl around and drive for a spot 10 to 12 yards in front of his new path.
The key to covering any double move is to try not to cover the receiver at the first moment of his break [breaking point] but to instead drive to the first spot where he can make the reception [interception point].