Mental Discipline & the wide Receiver.

You can't have one without the other

MENTAL DISCIPLINE and playing wide receiver go hand in hand. Receivers must know their assignments, have good hands and good speed, play with pain, and, most important, have the mental discipline to block out everything and concentrate on the football.

At Eastern Kentucky, we throw the football 20 to 25 times a game and have been fortunate in having had only a handful of drops. I firmly believe that the reason for this efficiency is our commitment to our daily drill program. We do the first two drills every day, and spot the others.

HIGH-BALL LOW (DIAG. 1):

Purpose: To teach the receivers to concentrate on the balls thrown high and low and to make them jump or sink their hips and lower their shoulders while going up or down to catch the football.

Procedures: Have the receivers stand in a single file (Vertical), 10 yards from the thrower (coach). Have them run across the field, one at a time, and have the coach throw the ball in a way that will make them jump and stretch to catch it.

Next, repeat the drill, but throw the football below the knees to make the receiver bend at the waist and knees and drop the shoulders to catch the ball.

In the beginning, the ball should not be thrown at a speed that will make it difficult to catch. Allow the players to get the hang of the drill and gain confidence of their ability.

Also have your scout DB's run with them and harass them, though letting them catch the ball. You will be surprised at how a little competition will improve the concentration level.

Coaching points: Always have the receivers catch the ball and run it 10 yards, making sure the ball is tucked away. Make them concentrate on getting the shoulders down for the low ball, and to follow the ball with their head and eyes.

BAD BALL DRILL:

Purpose: To teach the receivers to open their hips and turn their body toward a ball thrown behind them.

Once again, let the players get the hang of the drill before putting a lot of heat on the ball. In short, get the players used to what you want them to do so that they can gain confidence in their ability.

Procedure: Have the receivers run across in front of the thrower (coach) who should try to throw the ball in back of the receiver's near hip.

The players should be encouraged to keep on the run, but to open their hips to the ball and swing their arms around with the hands together. In short, turn into the ball, make the catch, on the move, and turn and get up the field.

Once again, you can put the DB's on them to get them to work harder on their concentration. You will be pleased at how effective this drill can be in developing the mental discipline of keeping the head and eyes on the football.

Coaching points: Make sure the players run hard across the field and that they open up their hips to the ball while bringing their hands and eyes to the ball. They should be told not to fight the ball but to cradle it with the hands.

REACTION DRILL (DIAG. 2):

Purpose: To enhance reaction and mental discpline to a ball that comes off a break or when he cannot see the quarterback.

The thrower should vary the speed of his throw so that the receiver can get the hang of the drill and gain confidence. You can also make the receiver come back to the ball with a DB on his back harassing him while he tries to catch the ball.

Procedures: Have the receiver set up about 10 yards from the coach with his back turned toward the coach (thrower). Have the coach throw the football at the receiver and, as the ball gets close to him, yell "Ball!" so that the receiver can turn and catch it.

Coaching points: Make sure the receiver gets his head around quickly to focus on the ball. If you have a DB covering him, make sure the receiver comes back to the ball with his arms extended so that the DB cannot get to the ball ahead of him.

GAUNTLET DRILL (DIAG. 3):

Purpose: To train the receivers on catching the ball in a crowd.

Procedures: Have the receivers line up in two lines facing one another to form a gauntlet. The coach sets up on one end about 10 yards away and a receiver (X) sets up at the other end.

Have all the other receivers squeeze the gauntlet down so that the receiver X is unable to see the thrower. Have the coach throw to X while all the others wave their hand and distract X from seeing the ball. Have the coach throw three times to X. On his fourth throw, have X run through the gauntlet as the ball comes his way. We want him to ignore all the distractions and catch the ball in the crowd and get up the field.

Coaching points: Make the receiver run with his hands out front, ready to catch the ball. This kind of drill forces a high level of concentration to avoid getting hit in the face by the football. It can also be fun to see who messes up the most and who does the best job in a crowd.

OVER-THE-HEAD DRILL (DTAG. 4):

Purpose: To enhance the receiver's concentration and mental discipline on a ball thrown directly over his head:

Procedure: Have the receiver stand directly in front of the thrower (coach) with his back to him. On a sound signal, have the receiver run away from the coach at about half-speed.

Have the coach throw the football with a high arc directly over the receivers head, while the other receivers yell, "Ball!" This will tell the receiver to look up--without turning his head around--and bend back to look for the ball above him.

Coaching points: Make sure the receiver brings his head back as far as it can go while turning his eyes to the sky. Do not let the receiver run with his arms out because that will slow him down. Make him find the ball first.

In summary, these are just a few of the drills we do at EKU to develop better receivers. Whenever I see one of our drills replicated in an actual game or scrimmage, I always call our receivers' attention to it.

I believe this serves two purposes: It lets our kids know that it is important for us to do that drill and it bolsters their confidence in what we are doing.

Mental discipline and pass-receiving must be one and the same. Without having both, it will be impossible for a player to be the kind of receiver we need at Eastern Kentucky.

I firmly believe that these drills have made our receivers mentally tough while catching the football.