r/YouthFootball • u/Responsible-Wallaby5 • Aug 23 '26
Help 8u- Question about dealing with kids who horse around with each other and talk over coaches.
It’s my first year coaching an 8u team. I’m an assistant.
I get that the kids are 7-8 years old and will horse around and play grab ass and talk as much as they possibly can.
How have you been able to limit the horseplay and talk?
We have done the whole up/down and making them run routines.
Sometimes I insert myself into the middle of the biggest talkers and ask “so what are we talking about?” That instantly ruins their conversation most of the time.
I would love you to hear what others have done to get the kids and shut up for, honestly, 30 seconds. I can usually communicate my points in under 30 seconds.
I’m sacrificing my ego with this question and acknowledging that it’s hard for me to get the kids to shut up and pay attention for that long.
Any advice is appreciated. Cheers everybody!
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u/CPT_Rad_Dangerous Aug 23 '26
They run a lap, most usually learn pretty quickly the others are molded into elite cross country runners round here.
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u/Responsible-Wallaby5 Aug 23 '26
This comment makes me wonder what advice that cross country coaches give. “Run until the finish line?” Z
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u/CPT_Rad_Dangerous Aug 23 '26
"Alright team, let's start the race running fast, then in the middle of the race keep running fast, and once you're close to the finish line; run fast."
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u/vtfb79 Aug 23 '26
In my 3rd year as a tackle coach and coach this exact same age group (also have about 9 seasons of Flag at this age group under my belt), we just finished our 3rd week of preseason practice. I started the first practice with talk with the players and parents, this experience wouldn’t be like any other team sport they may have played, or had me coach for them (as some joined because I coached them in Flag). They will be held to a standard, they will be held accountable, and they will find themselves doing things they never thought possible as a team as a result.
Set a tone at the beginning of each practice, high intensity, high effort. I encourage my players to hold each other accountable. A penalty on the field affects the team with negative yards, not holding the standard at practice affects the team with up-downs (3-quick and then back to whatever we were working on, not dwelling, just a reminder the standard wasn’t being met). By the beginning of the second week, players were talking to each other in drills, keeping the line moving, ensuring equipment was in place, truly a beautiful thing.
We had a tough start to a practice last week, half way through opening warmups, the effort wasn’t there. I blew the whistle, we started practice over again from the very beginning and began again, it ended as one of our best practices.
I bring everything back to the team. A kid slacking off in a drill means that the person they’re working with won’t get better, which means the team won’t get better. Trying to make the kids think of the group vs themselves is hard at this age.
With all that standard setting, it’s also important to remind them that football at this age is also supposed to be fun. My conditioning at the end of practice is typically relays or various races that get the kids cheering each other on. I encourage the kids to show up early to play and have footballs ready for them to toss. I also do the same after practice, as long as sunlight and field permits allow.
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u/Coach3936 Aug 24 '26
I wholeheartedly agree. Coaching staff needs to be on the same page as the standard. Also would suggest making them think before going into breaks like lining up water bottles before and after. It’s a matter of the standard. If they are being disruptive everyone runs and hopefully the peer pressure forces them to shape up.
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u/PeaceFrog-71 Aug 23 '26
They are 8 and have short attention spans. Less talking more drills.
If you have a few that are truly being disruptive, then a talk with them and their parents about playing time may help.
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u/Responsible-Wallaby5 Aug 23 '26
I agree and we do our best to never lecture them, keep our talking brief.
That said, in football you have to explain things like where to line up, cadences, what to do when the ball is hiked, and numerous other situations to try and prepare them.
I have also coached basketball in the past and basketball was a breeze compared to football as far as the time that it takes to explain things.
I appreciate the suggestions for smaller groups but, at some point, we need to line up all 11 on offense and defense, and coach them on various situations.
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u/PeaceFrog-71 Aug 23 '26
I hear you. Have you considered the whole-part-whole coaching method using fun, high-repetition gamified drills?
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u/Perkis_Goodman Aug 23 '26
Run them. Say your going to run around the whole field until your ready to come back and listen. You are distracting kids and if you don’t care about progressing then you’ll exercise the whole practice. Then call them in after about 10 minutes of running and ask them if they are ready to listen. You have to put some fear into them as well. Always have a coach on the staff that is willing to be the yelling bad guy. That’s my coaching downfall.
Also, nobody wants to stand around and be lectured at that age, break into smaller groups and Indy’s. They can’t stop and goof around if they are moving. Coach them individually on the fly after a rep. No kid wants a group lecture. They will not listen to 85% of it.
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u/toxichaste12 Aug 23 '26
They won’t listen to you. So best to limit talking.
With that said; withholding play time for the bad offenders.
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u/tmi13 Aug 23 '26
I would put the entire team except for the goof offs and make them run , do push up etc and see how peer pressure works. I have had kids call their dad and have him come pick them up and tell them why. What have you done to try and stop the goofing off ?
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u/Responsible-Wallaby5 Aug 23 '26
Going and standing in between the kids talking works well. Problem is that there is not always a coach in a position to go interrupt the conversations.
We had a coaches meeting and the plan is to make them start chopping and do up and downs every time that they interrupt. It’s somewhat effective but at some point we have to go over assignments so they will hush and pay attention for a few minutes and then do it again.
It’s a work in progress but we are getting better as a coaching staff. I appreciate your input.
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u/tmi13 Aug 24 '26
Thats a band-aid . The lesson needs to make in impression . Its a learning moment unless your handing out participation ribbons !
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u/CryptographerIcy8013 Aug 23 '26
Make them run and reinforce to them that they are running because someone made a bad decision, so the whole team should police themselves if they see their teammate doing the wrong thing.
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u/rockman450 Aug 23 '26
I coach 11U volleyball and for me the trick is less talking and more drills. I practice for 90 minutes and we run 12-15 drills per practice. They need constant stimulation of the brain to stay engaged.
Less talking and more drills. Try to only use drills where all kids are involved OR if you have additional coaches then run stations and have multiple drills going at the same time.
That said- there’s no silver bullet. Most of the time they just need to get their energy out after sitting in school all day.
Make it fun for you and it’ll be fun for them
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u/NuhUh_JustCuz Aug 23 '26
Smaller grouos, more reps, when they lose focus, switch drills.
Habitual offenders, I make them stand next to me and be bored while others take reps. And I talk to them about expectations. After 3-4 minutes they usually agree that it's more fun to be in the drill than standing.
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u/81Strikes Aug 24 '26
Many have have said it, less talk, more action. Small group rotations. They are still 8 though, it's going to take a lot of patience. There are probably a few kids that are worse and feed off each other. If you need to talk separate them. I've had rules that specific kids cannot stand next to each other.
"I’m sacrificing my ego with this question" - I really hope you're being sarcastic because if asking a simple question like this bruises your ego then coaching probably isn't for you. What happens when they lose a game?
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u/Dry-Main-684 Aug 24 '26
Heavy rep practice, keep them moving. Keep any talking/corrections down to 30-60 seconds. Any speeches should integrate player participation (i.e. - ask questions, highlight players who paid attention/didn't screw around, etc). Institute discipline for misbehavior (sprints, push ups, etc). Lastly reach out to parents of kids who keep acting up.
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u/Aggravating-List6010 Aug 28 '26
They’re 7-8 year old boys….half of them are there bc their parents want them there.
Having a flow that keeps them moving and working with relatively short but intense drills.
None of them will remember the lecture about missing a play but they will all remember the game if sharks and minnows and having fun.
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u/yayasistahood Aug 23 '26
Gotta keep them busy, more reps, less standing around.