Age differences in football players

I have coached athletes from ages 5 to semi-pros in their thirties. My son Dan played college football for four years. I have observed distinct differences between the various ages. Coaches need to understand those differences because it will help them recognize that they must coach each age differently.

Age	Athletic Performance	Discipline
5-6	Very short attention spans, no work ethic, unable to understand complex rules and instructions, lack of arm strength reduces passing range, lack of hands-eye coordination means passes often inaccurate or dropped, all rookies with zero prior knowledge or experience of the game, three quarters of players are non-athletes who will quit all sports by age 13	Extremely rare screwed-up kids who are incapable of behaving and must be removed from the team, otherwise, virtually all other “bad behavior” is actually caused by the coach boring the players with overly long drill periods
7-8	too young to be allowed to attend paid youth football camps, short attention span, work ethic rare, have difficulty understanding rules and complex assignments, limited passing range, poor accuracy, low fielding percentage, may have some experienced players depending upon structure of local youth football programs, three quarters of players are non-athletes who will quit all sports by age 13	Extremely rare screwed-up kids who are incapable of behaving and must be removed from the team, otherwise, virtually all other “bad behavior” is actually caused by the coach boring the players with overly long drill periods
9-11	best youth age to coach; capable of understanding rules and plays and assignments; capable of withstanding slightly longer drill periods; decent passing range, accuracy, and fielding percentages; more experienced players depending upon the structure of local youth football program but still mostly rookies, three quarters of players are non-athletes who will quit all sports by age 13	Extremely rare screwed-up kids who are incapable of behaving and must be removed from the team, otherwise, virtually all other “bad behavior” is actually caused by the coach boring the players with overly long drill periods
12	Same as 9-11 only a few kids start to question coaching decisions	Extremely rare screwed-up kids who are incapable of behaving and must be removed from the team, otherwise, virtually all other “bad behavior” is actually caused by the coach boring the players with overly long drill periods
13	Same as 12 only a few kids openly defy the coaches, absolute worst age group to coach, many substitute teachers refuse to teach 13-year olds, my local baseball league had to have special rules for the 13-year-old league like requiring the team that was batting to provide fielders if the opponent had fewer than nine players.	Typically have to throw a couple of kids off the team because they are deliberately misbehaving, others must be disciplined for absences and lates and back talk by being thrown out of practice, made to run laps, suspended from games, and so forth. Many decline to be coached on the grounds that they have been playing so long they no longer need it.
14	Most non-athletes are gone, although you still have many non-football players, that is, they may be decent soccer players or wrestlers or some such, but they are not suited for football per se, capable of almost college-level play at times, may still be mostly rookies. At the high school level, 14-year-olds are somewhat shy and tentative as the newest and youngest kids in the school. At the youth level, they do not have that nor are they full of themselves because of their status as the oldest kids in the program the way high school seniors are. Do NOT agree to coach a youth team of 14-year-olds where significant number of local 14-year-olds play on the high school freshman or frosh-soph team. You will get killed by other youth teams who have a full complement of their local 14-year-olds.	Less defiance of coaches than 13-year-olds, but a few who engage in alcohol and drug use, late or missing practice, back talk, fighting, vandalism, must be punished as with 13-year-olds.
15	Almost all non-athletes are gone, although you still have a few non-football players, that is, they may be decent soccer players or wrestlers or some such, but they are not suited for football per se, capable of almost college level play at times. Almost no rookies. No longer shy and tentative as a result of being new or the youngest students at the school.	Some hazing or bullying of freshman players which must be stopped with sufficient punishment. (See “6 Steps You Must Take To Stop Hazing” in the 9/10 Coach and Athletic Director Magazine.) More likely to disobey coaches or school policy than freshmen, a few who engage in alcohol and drug use, late or missing practice, back talk, fighting, vandalism, must be punished as with 13-year-olds. More discipline problems if team is not a school team. Some academic ineligibility.
16	Almost all non-athletes are gone, although you still have a few non-football players, that is, they may be decent soccer players or wrestlers or some such, but they are not suited for football per se, capable of almost college-level play at times. Almost no rookies. No longer shy and tentative as a result of being new or the youngest students at the school.	Best high school age to coach. There to play football and generally appropriately humble. Some hazing or bullying of younger players which must be stopped with sufficient punishment. Generally past defiance of adults for the sake of defiance. Licensed to drive which leads to some vehicle discipline problems. A few who engage in alcohol and drug use, late or missing practice, back talk, fighting, vandalism, must be punished as with 13-year-olds. More discipline problems if team is not a school team. Some academic ineligibility.
17-18	Almost all football players, capable of college-level play at times. Almost no rookies. Heightened susceptibility to cramps, pulled muscles, and during-game fatigue. Some trying to impress college recruiters.	Widespread obnoxiousness about being SENIORS. May exhibit short-timers attitude toward end of season. Licensed to drive and more likely to have own vehicle which can lead to discipline problems. Some hazing or bullying of younger players which must be stopped with sufficient punishment. Generally past defiance of adults for the sake of defiance. A few who engage in alcohol and drug use, late or missing practice, back talk, fighting, vandalism, must be punished as with 13-year-olds. More discipline problems if team is not a school team. Some academic ineligibility.
19-24	At the college level, virtually all players are superlative football players. Non-college 19-24-year-olds can vary all over the spectrum. Individual players may play at pro level. Team as a whole will be sub pro-level. High attrition rate between first and final year of college because of greatly increased demands on time and less playing time than in high school. Highly motivated to re-attain depth-chart position they had in high school. Many non-college players of this age feel they know it all and refuse to listen to any coach.	In college, many kids away from parents home for first time and fail to make the transition smoothly, engaging in underage drinking, drug use, failure to get enough sleep, failure to spend enough time on studies. “Road trips” to party at some distance from campus may result in serious accidents. Some fighting with strangers possibly including deadly weapons at bars and parties. Non-college team 19-24-year-olds often commit severe team infractions like refusing to practice and missing games because of “car trouble.” More academic ineligibility.

Best wishes,
John T. Reed