10 Ways to Keep Improving During the Football Offseason

The final whistle of the season doesn’t have to mean putting football away until next year.

The football offseason gives young players a chance to keep moving, try new activities and work on different parts of their game without the pressure of preparing for the next opponent.

And getting better doesn’t always require a football field or complicated training program. From playing another sport to simply tossing a football around, there are plenty of ways young athletes can continue learning.

Here are 10 ways young football players can keep improving during the offseason.

1. Play Another Sport

Sometimes one of the best ways to improve at football is to put the football down.

Basketball can help athletes learn spacing and quick changes of direction. Baseball challenges hand-eye coordination and ball tracking. Soccer requires constant movement and awareness. Wrestling can develop balance and body control.

Different sports challenge athletes in different ways, and many of those skills can eventually come back to the football field.

2. Keep Catching

You don’t need an entire team to practice catching.

Grab a football and a family member or friend and start throwing. Players can work on catching passes at different heights, moving toward the ball or catching while changing direction.

Even a simple game of catch provides plenty of opportunities to get more comfortable with the football.

3. Work on Footwork

Football happens quickly, and good movement can help at just about every position.

Young athletes can practice quick feet, changes of direction, starts and stops and moving forward, backward and side-to-side.

Cones can help, but they aren’t necessary. A few markers on the ground — or even lines that are already there — can create plenty of different movement challenges.

4. Watch Football Differently

Watching football can be another opportunity to learn.

Instead of following only the ball, encourage young players to pick a position and watch what that player does throughout a play.

What does a receiver do when the ball isn’t coming their way? How does a defensive back react before the pass is thrown? Where does a running back look before making a cut?

Watching those details can help young players begin to understand everything happening around the football.

5. Practice With Both Sides of the Body

Young athletes naturally develop a side they’re more comfortable using.

The offseason can be a great opportunity to challenge the other one.

Try changing which foot leads during movement drills, cutting in both directions or catching balls coming from different angles. Quarterbacks can also work on moving comfortably in either direction before throwing.

Becoming more comfortable moving in different directions can make an athlete more adaptable on the field.

6. Learn Another Position

A receiver can learn what a defensive back is looking for. A running back can learn why an offensive lineman takes a certain path. A quarterback can learn more about what receivers see when they run routes.

Young players don’t have to limit themselves to one position.

Learning how different positions work can give athletes a better understanding of how all 11 players fit together on a football field.

7. Build Football IQ

Physical skills are only part of the game.

The offseason gives young players time to learn more about formations, positions, routes, coverages and football terminology.

They don’t need to memorize an NFL playbook. Even understanding concepts such as down and distance, where defenders line up or why an offense uses motion can help a young player see the game differently.

8. Stay Active

Not every offseason activity needs to look like football practice.

Running around outside, riding a bike, swimming, playing pickup basketball or simply being active with friends can all keep young athletes moving.

For kids, the offseason can be an opportunity to experience different activities rather than turning every day into another structured football workout.

9. Attend a Camp or Clinic

Camps and clinics can give young athletes an opportunity to learn from different coaches, meet new teammates and experience new drills and activities.

They can also expose players to different positions and ways of learning the game.

For a young athlete, hearing a familiar concept explained by a new coach can sometimes make it click in an entirely different way.

10. Keep Football Fun

Young athletes have plenty of time to learn.

Throw the football around in the backyard. Create a route and try to make a difficult catch. Play a small game with friends. Invent a competition.

Not every football activity needs a scoreboard, practice plan or coach standing nearby.

Sometimes simply enjoying the game is enough.

Make the Offseason Your Own

There isn’t one perfect football offseason.

Some young athletes will play another sport. Others might attend a camp, practice with friends or spend Sundays watching football and learning more about the game.

The important thing is that improvement can happen in many different ways.

Keep moving. Keep learning. Try something new. And when it’s finally time to step back onto the football field, bring those new skills and experiences with you.