The Basics of Pathways Football

Okay and so as I look at that very basic patterns and the third graders that might be perfectly appropriate for them. When you get up to your fourth and fifth graders, especially if you have got kids in the -- we'll just do it one time for right now for the purpose right now, with the fifth -- with your older kids, especially if they are bringing that background knowledge that they have been on a team before and they know how pathways work for receivers, you might see that the one kid is still struggling with this a bit, might use a grid, you just do this pattern right there, a button hook, go straight out, turn around, I am going to throw you the ball or actually it should be button hook.

Turn around, I am going to give you the ball where somebody else, where she has been playing ever since she was 5 years old, she might okay I am going to start, I am going to do a down, an in and then I am going to go diagonal to the far cone. So you will see they are complicated pattern by some kids and that's beautiful for differentiation. Every kid is involved and you are meeting them at their skill level and taking them from there.

So what I am looking at as an evaluator is can I tell by watching your body what pathway you are doing, did I care about that pass being caught at all? No, and sometimes you have to give your kids that message, I don't care if you catch the ball or not, can you do the pathway the way it was drawn because that's what your coach is going to want from you. They don't want you on the team if you are going to break off the pattern and do whatever you want. I am going to say that again with everybody around, okay.


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