One thing that seems to be nearly universal across American football is the conflict between youth coaches and their high school counterparts. "They don't respect our knowledge," is a frequently heard complaint from youth coaches. "We teach the same fundamentals they do, but we teach them to kids that haven't gotten used to their bodies yet." Youth coaches tend to feel that they are looked down on by high school coaches. Even worse are those youth coaches forced to run the local high school's system even if it doesn't work at their level.

From the perspective of a high school coach, however, the average youth coach is clueless. Most youth coaches are 'Dad-coaches', involved with their team only as long as their son is. They either aren't interested in studying, or they don't have the time to do so. It is the rare youth football coach that understands the time and knowledge commitment that our sport requires and is willing to provide it.

These are both very real, very valid complaints. Now that I've had the chance to see things from both sides of this coin I think I've found a way that both sides can benefit from this peculiar situation.

For the youth coach, especially the 'Dad-coach', it is imperative that you realize the enormous pressure that high school coaches are under to win. More than that, high school coaches are responsible for a great many aspects of their programs that are at best only peripheral to the youth coach. For example, high school coaches are usually directly involved in fund-raising for their teams, coordination of facilities such as weight rooms, organization of pep rallies, and district certifications for their staffs. Moreover, there is another aspect of the high school coach's job that youth coaches will never see: college recruiting.

For the high school coach, while it is certainly true that there is no shortage of inadequately trained youth coaches, there is really only one way to solve this particular problem: by coaching them how to coach.

Many high school coaches feel that it's not worth their time to work with a youth coach that will only be around until Little Johnny turns twelve and moves on to junior high. I don't think this is the right way to look at these valuable resources.

According to Jack Reed, author of such incredible coaching books as Coaching Youth Football and, Football Clock Management, only around twenty percent of youth football players go on to play the sport in high school. However, while we can't argue with Coach Reed's facts, the flip side of that coin is equally undeniable: close to twenty percent of youth players do go on to play football in high school!

With that in mind, then, a high school coach should look to his youth football coach as an invaluable source of talent and even as a part of his own program. A youth coach should be thought of as a colleague to the high school coach.

Now, high school coaches might be reading this right now and rolling their eyes at the thought of looking to their local youth coach as responsible for even the smallest part of their success, especially if the local youth coach is a nincompoop. Understand, though, that this is the coach that needs your help the most. Imagine the problems a youth coach can create for you if he teaches an important fundamental, like a drive block, for example, incorrectly.

Instead of allowing the youth coach to "steal" your practice time as you work to re-teach the fundamentals correctly, doesn't it make more sense to take a couple of hours and teach him to teach those techniques right the first time?

What a high school coach should never do, though, is attempt to force the youth coach to run his system. If you are familiar at all with my personality and views on coaching, then I'm sure you know that one of my strongest beliefs is simply: my team, my system. No coach, at any level should be forced to run the program of the coach at the next level. If that higher coach wishes to improve his team, the best way to do so is to make absolutely certain that his "feeder" coach is teaching the correct techniques.

High school coaches must understand that the programs they put together are designed to be successful at the high school level. It makes no sense to try to force a team of eight-year-olds to run a complex system like the Run and Shoot just because you use it in your league of 16, 17, and 18 year-olds! In fact, because more high school players go on to play at the junior college level than youth players go on to play in high school, a stronger case can be made for the high school to run the same systems as the local J.C.!

Youth coaches need to have the freedom to develop their own systems. High school coaches should provide assistance with the fundamentals, but should understand that the youth team and the particular offense and defense they run is the exclusive responsibility and right of their own coach. This applies to all feeder programs, including junior high and middle school teams.

It is especially important that brand new high school coaches remember this. A good friend of mine was recently confronted with a newly-hired high school coach who wanted him to run a "multiple offense" and a 4-3 defense with his ten year olds. In the first place, this system is wildly inappropriate for such a young team, but it is nothing short of ridiculous for an unproven coach to demand that another team use his system. A far wiser course of action would have been for the new high school coach to install his system with his own team first, and after it has proven itself to be successful for at least one season, then show it to the youth coaches.

Trust me, youth coaches aren't stupid. If you are a high school coach running a successful program, and you offer it to the local youth programs, they'll be beating a path to your door!

For their part, youth coaches should look to high school coaches as an extremely valuable source of knowledge and information. Precisely where you fall on this food chain is kind of irrelevant. If you are a high school coach, then you should contact your local "feeder" programs and make arrangements to put on one or two "Fundamentals Clinics" for their teams and staff members.

Youth coaches should make every effort to do the reverse; they should contact their local high school coach and attempt to engage the services of that coach and his staff for one or two clinics. If you are attempting to suggest this to a high school coach, it is wisest to take his schedule into account. Remember that most high school coaches begin their practices in early to middle August, and many also coach other sports in their schools. Asking a high school coach to bring his staff to one of your practice sessions the week before his biggest game is probably not the best of ideas. At that point he’s most likely going to say no.

Instead, asking him to put on a skills and techniques clinic for your staff before the season begins is a sure fire way to get on his good side. You might not be able to get your players to a mid-summer camp due to league rules, but you can probably get your assistant coaches there, and that's what’s going to make your football team better in the long run.

In short, high school coaches should accord their youth counterparts the same respect they want in return. Don’t try to demand that they run your system, but instead try to help them run their own offense and defense successfully. In return, they’ll give you players that love football, know how to play it, and above all, love to win. You can’t ask for more than that!

And youth coaches, make sure that when you pick up that hat and whistle, you understand how much they weigh. Study, learn your sport, and use those high school coaches as a fountain of knowledge. It’s in their interests to make you successful after all.

Good luck!

~D.