Hey guys. My son has been playing soccer since he was five. I’ve tried to give him the latitude to play what he wants - as long as it was two seasons a year, the choice was his. It WAS soccer. But tonight I got the call I was hoping for in my “heart of hearts”. “Dad, did you watch the playoffs?”. He’s 13, so give the kid a little slack for asking the obvious. My reply was something along the lines of, “does a bear shit in the woods?!”. His NEXT question made the depression I was feeling over the Ravens loss vanish: “Dad, do you think you could teach me to play football?”… Isn’t that a WONDERFUL question?
Now I LIKE football just as much as the next guy. I UNDERSTAND the game fairly well. I PLAYED in HS 20 years ago. However, I have never TRAINED anyone how to play football. So, I am reaching out to the collective knowledge of the Testosterone Nation. Any help, advice, resource or wisdom you could share with me about training, learning the game, practice, etc… to help me get my son get up speed would be greatly appreciated.
Here is the raw data on him (if you nee more, just ask):
Age - 13
Grade - 8 (I’ve got until next season to get him up to speed)
Height - 6’2" (he is expected to get to at least 6’7")
Weight - 145 lbs. (skinny as shit, eats like a bird - an issue I’m already addressing)
He has LONG arms and femurs
He hit puberty within the last year
Training experience is just calisthenics. I took him to the weight room over the last holiday and just used the bar to begin teaching him the basics. Typical flexibility/stability issues (lack of ankle flexibility and tight hip flexors), but no obvious imbalances.
He is in good shape and has good mobility and endurance
He is very intelligent
He works best when he has a structure
As of right now, he can’t even identify all of the positions on the field, so I have to start at the most basic of levels.
Bottom line is that he has a lot of potential, but it’s been directed at soccer until now. I know that a lot of the kids he will be playing against have been playing pee-wee ball since they were eight. What resources can I give him to help bring him up to speed? Keep in mind, I live three hours away and see him every other weekend, but we communicate via phone and/or email just about every day. There is a possibility I’ll get custody this summer, but I want to start now.
I am under no illusion about being able to turn him into a super-star in just 7 months, but I’d like to cover as much ground as I can with the basics and then work hard with him through out High School.
Any help, whether it’s directing me to a specific site or just general advice would be greatly appreciated. If anyone needs any additional data, please ask.
Cliff Notes:
My kid is 13, 6’2", skinny and doesn’t know shit about football but wants to play next season, please help.