Youth Football Wrist Coaches

[Vikingsfootball]

DOes anyone have a good brand of 3 play wrist coaches to buy for our team next season. Would like to have different colors so that when i take them after practice/games backs can have one color tight ends/WR another and OL another

[DREagle]

We used these last year.  Great price and they have multiple colors.

http://www.footballamerica.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=123617

[Prodigy]

I used these: http://www.steellockersports.com/Football-Wrist-Coach-s/142.htm

Available in youth sizes and different colors, different number of windows as well (make sure you don't accidentally order the 1 window).

A couple of pro-tips when it comes to these...because I've learned the hard way over the years:
-Do buy a cheap lamination machine and use it.
-Do not print on regular paper or photo paper without laminating, the ink WILL bleed and it will obscure the window and there is no way to clean this out...ask me how I know.
-Do make different wrist coaches for different positions (if this fits into your coaching model) - having an assignment on a wrist coach for players is often better than just having plays
-Do wash the coaches periodically AND set them next to a dehumidifier or heater well in advance of needing them to get the water out of the windows (packing them in rice might work too).
-Do maximize the size of your window, this may require measuring and spending some time learning photo editing or word processing software to fit as much as you can in the real estate

Hope this helps.

[davecisar]

Wrist Coaches

Weve used them exclusively since 2002

Ive given all the tips UCS gave- in my book and blog

But I would add:

Type in 8 BOLD font for the smaller wrist coaches- 9 for the bigger ones.
UNDERLINE everything- that way the kids wont skip down a row by mistake- especially if you have 2 columns
Type in 2 columns- and each column is a different color Ink- kids get less confused that way. Also allows you to get 20 plays in on a single pane wrist coach
make Sure they fit in the wrist coach snuggly- so they dont move down- the numbers will get hidden. That means you leave a border around the laminated insert when you cut it. Make some extras- trim them to fit and use that one as a pattern to cut the others.
Wash in cold water and air dry weekly
Never let the kids take them home


I used to do the wrist coaches by position- but got away from that in about 2007- the kids become to reliant on the bands and less reliant on them knowing what they should be doing on the plays intuitively. I found my kids remembered the offense better and played more aggressively without the position specific bands- which were a pain to keep track of.

I have some that have lasted 9 years.

[jrk5150]

I bought these from this site:  http://football.epicsports.com/prod/21235/martin-football-3-compartment-wrist-coach.html

Less than $4 per for the black, plus shipping (I think I paid $9 to ship a dozen).

They've lasted 3 seasons so far with no noticeable degradation. I've had the single window versions for longer - 5-6-7 years - and they are still just fine as well. I think I picked up the single pane ones on Ebay, about the same price.

I wash and dry them every week, no issues running through the dryer (I don't use a high heat setting) except the plastic windows would stick to the metal dryer drum. So last year I bought a mesh lingerie washing bag and that's worked great. I believe Coach Cisar has mentioned he doesn't put through the dryer - I tried that but had a heck of a time getting them dry, took forever.

If I have a complaint, it's that the velcro on the window flap is too good - some of the kids can struggle opening it during the game. Then again, at least it's not flapping around during the play...

I use an excel spreadsheet for the inserts (8 inserts per page). I bought a cheap hot laminating machine and do them by the page. I am able to then cut them to size and they stay reasonably water proof. I played around with the size of the columns and rows on the excel sheet until I got them to fit the window.

I personally list a brief play assignment and sort of list the play. For example, if I'm running Trojan Sweep Right to my HB, the RTE will see "Trojan R - Down/On/LB", the G's will see "Trojan R - pull RIGHT alley", the HB's says "28 Trojan - follow blockers", and the QB "28 Trojan - hand-off".  All are the things we've gone over in practice. However, I DO NOT practice with the wrist coaches.  The kids learn and run the plays in practice based on the play call.  To me, that allows me to avoid them getting tunnel vision where they don't know what's going on.

It's worked well for me.  I'd rather just list the play call, but with a small roster I have kids playing multiple positions, and this has made it much easier to do that. I use the 3 panes for positions. That does limit me to the plays that will fit on one insert.

[davecisar]

I bought these from this site:  http://football.epicsports.com/prod/21235/martin-football-3-compartment-wrist-coach.html

Less than $4 per for the black, plus shipping (I think I paid $9 to ship a dozen).

They've lasted 3 seasons so far with no noticeable degradation. I've had the single window versions for longer - 5-6-7 years - and they are still just fine as well. I think I picked up the single pane ones on Ebay, about the same price.

I wash and dry them every week, no issues running through the dryer (I don't use a high heat setting) except the plastic windows would stick to the metal dryer drum. So last year I bought a mesh lingerie washing bag and that's worked great. I believe Coach Cisar has mentioned he doesn't put through the dryer - I tried that but had a heck of a time getting them dry, took forever.

If I have a complaint, it's that the velcro on the window flap is too good - some of the kids can struggle opening it during the game. Then again, at least it's not flapping around during the play...

I use an excel spreadsheet for the inserts (8 inserts per page). I bought a cheap hot laminating machine and do them by the page. I am able to then cut them to size and they stay reasonably water proof. I played around with the size of the columns and rows on the excel sheet until I got them to fit the window.

I personally list a brief play assignment and sort of list the play. For example, if I'm running Trojan Sweep Right to my HB, the RTE will see "Trojan R - Down/On/LB", the G's will see "Trojan R - pull RIGHT alley", the HB's says "28 Trojan - follow blockers", and the QB "28 Trojan - hand-off".  All are the things we've gone over in practice. However, I DO NOT practice with the wrist coaches.  The kids learn and run the plays in practice based on the play call.  To me, that allows me to avoid them getting tunnel vision where they don't know what's going on.

It's worked well for me.  I'd rather just list the play call, but with a small roster I have kids playing multiple positions, and this has made it much easier to do that. I use the 3 panes for positions. That does limit me to the plays that will fit on one insert.

If you wash them in the morning and let them sit out on top of the dryer for the day- here they dry up pretty well

[jrk5150]

If you wash them in the morning and let them sit out on top of the dryer for the day- here they dry up pretty well

Yeah, I tried that based on your posting at some point that you spread them out to air dry, and they sat for two days and were still damp on the inside. I did not put them on a warm dryer however, so that might be it.  I just had them spread out on the dining room table...

Regardless, while I may not get the longevity you do, I haven't noticed any issues with mine even with drying them.

[Prodigy]

I started using wrist coaches after reading Cisars book.  Even though I've since moved away from the single wing I highly recommend his book and DVD's to all new coaches. 

I've never let the kids take the wrist coaches home.  We run them at practice and they get handed back in.