This weekend was the Annual NYSHSFCA Clinic at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, and once again the Association delivered a great lineup of speakers, including great Keynotes by Jeff Monken, Fran Brown, and Greg Schiano, and other great presentations from College and High School coaching staffs all across New York.
This week’s post is inspired by one of those presentations; the one that, surprisingly, ended up being my favorite of the entire clinic.
It’s not surprising that it was my favorite based on who was speaking, moreso what he talked about. Pete Lembo is a legendary Coach, and anyone would be lucky to sit in a session with him and just take it all in. Honestly, I had originally planned on skipping Coach Lembo’s talk in favor of a presentation on Power by the Coast Guard Academy (shocker, I know). But fate intervened, and the Coast Guard coaches didn’t show up. My two assistants, who had gone down Thursday night with me, were already in the other two sessions at that time, and we typically didn’t like to overlap, so I decided to head in to see what Buffalo’s Head Coach had to offer.
Like most coaches, Special Teams don’t always seem the most glamorous, but Coach Lembo gave an amazing presentation on kickoff and put coverage, full of pointers that I know for a fact we’re going to be using in our own upcoming season. But it got me thinking about more than that.
If you ask most JV coaches what they’re focusing on during the week, the answers are usually predictable.
Installing the offense.
Teaching defensive alignment.
Getting reps for young players.
Special teams rarely make the top of the list.
In many sub-varsity programs, special teams are treated as something you “get through” rather than something you emphasize. They’re rushed through at the end of practice. Sometimes they’re barely practiced at all. The assumption is that JV games are about development, and special teams are just a small piece of that puzzle.
But the truth is this:
JV special teams might be the most valuable developmental tool in your entire program.
Not because of schemes or trick plays, but because of the skills they develop, the effort they demand, and the lessons they teach young football players about the game.
If you approach them the right way, special teams become one of the most powerful teaching environments in JV football.
Special Teams Teach the Fundamentals of Football
When you strip away the formations, motions, and play calls, football really comes down to a few core skills:
Blocking
Tackling
Pursuit
Leverage
Effort in space
Special teams put all of those skills on full display.
Kickoff coverage is essentially a full-field pursuit drill. Players must maintain leverage, track the football, defeat blocks, and finish tackles in space.
Punt return teaches players how to block in open space, communicate on the fly, and locate defenders at different angles.
Kick return develops timing, angles, and the ability to execute blocks without the comfort of a tight formation.
In other words, special teams are not separate from the game. They are the purest version of the game.
At the JV level, where players are still developing fundamental skills, that makes them incredibly valuable.
Special Teams Create Tackling Opportunities
One of the biggest challenges in JV football is finding enough live tackling opportunities for players to improve.
In practice, we limit contact for safety and time reasons. Inside run periods are helpful, but they happen in tight spaces. Team periods often get cut short.
But special teams give players a chance to tackle in space.
Kickoff coverage forces players to break down in the open field. They have to take proper angles, keep leverage, and finish tackles against players running at full speed.
These are skills that are difficult to teach in confined drills.
At the JV level, players are still learning how to:
approach ball carriers
maintain outside leverage
wrap up consistently
avoid diving or over-pursuing
Special teams give them real opportunities to practice those skills in game situations.
Every kickoff becomes a live tackling rep.
Every punt return becomes a blocking-in-space rep.
Those are valuable developmental moments.
Special Teams Teach Effort and Hustle
There’s another reason special teams are important at the JV level.
They reward effort.
Unlike some offensive or defensive plays, special teams are hard to fake. You can’t hide if you’re jogging downfield on kickoff coverage. You can’t take a play off when you’re on the punt team.
The players who make plays on special teams are usually the ones who run the hardest and pursue the longest.
That’s an important lesson for young players.
At the JV level, many athletes are still learning what it means to play with consistent effort. They’re discovering the difference between going through the motions and playing the game with urgency.
Special teams make that difference obvious.
The player who sprints downfield, fights through a block, and makes the tackle isn’t always the most talented player on the field. But he’s the one who plays the game the right way.
When JV coaches emphasize special teams, they reinforce that effort matters.
And effort is contagious.
Momentum Matters at the JV Level
We often talk about momentum in varsity football, but it can be even more dramatic in JV games.
Young players are emotional. Confidence swings quickly. A big play can energize a sideline, while a mistake can deflate a team.
Special teams frequently create those moments.
A long kickoff return can spark excitement. A punt block can shift the energy of the game. A strong coverage unit can flip field position and give the offense confidence.
These moments might not determine championships at the JV level, but they absolutely shape the experience of the players.
When special teams are emphasized, players begin to understand that every phase of the game matters.
They also begin to see how their individual effort contributes to the success of the team.
That’s a valuable lesson for developing football players.
Keeping Special Teams Simple
Now, let’s be clear about something.
Emphasizing special teams does not mean installing complex schemes.
In fact, the opposite is true.
At the JV level, special teams should be simple in design and intense in execution.
You don’t need elaborate return structures or complicated coverage patterns. What you need are clear rules that players can understand and execute.
For example:
Kickoff coverage can be built around simple principles:
Stay in your lane
Maintain leverage
Attack the ball carrier
Finish the tackle
Kick return can emphasize:
Secure the football
Block the nearest threat
Create running lanes
Punt teams can focus on:
Protecting the punter
getting the ball off cleanly
Covering with disciplined lanes
The schemes should be easy enough that players can focus on the skills rather than memorizing assignments.
At the JV level, the goal is not to win the special teams chess match. The goal is to develop players who understand the fundamentals of the kicking game.
Special Teams Give More Players Opportunities
Another benefit of special teams at the JV level is that they create opportunities for more players to contribute.
Someone once said that football is the only sport that guarantees 88 different opportunities to get on the field and participate. Out of those 88, 66 come on different roles on Special Teams.
On offense and defense, certain players may see limited snaps depending on personnel and game situations.
Special teams allow those players to be involved in the game.
A second-team linebacker might not get many defensive reps, but he can be a key contributor on kickoff coverage.
A young receiver might still be learning the offense, but he can develop blocking skills on punt return.
These opportunities matter.
Players who contribute on special teams feel like they are part of the team’s success. They gain confidence, experience game speed, and stay engaged throughout the season.
At the JV level, where player retention and program buy-in are important, those opportunities can make a big difference.
Special Teams Reinforce Team Culture
JV football is about more than just learning plays. It’s about learning what it means to be part of a football program.
Special teams reinforce several important cultural values:
Selflessness.
Many special teams roles are not glamorous. Players are blocking for others or sprinting downfield to make tackles. They’re doing the hard work that helps the team succeed.
Accountability.
A missed assignment on special teams often leads to a big play. Players quickly learn that their responsibility matters.
Attention to detail.
Lane discipline, leverage, and communication are all critical components of special teams.
These are the same values that varsity coaches expect from their players.
When JV teams emphasize special teams, they’re reinforcing the culture that the varsity program depends on.
Preparing Players for Varsity Roles
There’s another practical reason to take special teams seriously at the JV level.
Many varsity players first earn their roles through special teams.
Young players rarely walk onto varsity and immediately become starters on offense or defense. More often, they begin by contributing on kickoff, punt coverage, or return units.
If JV players have already learned the fundamentals of special teams, that transition becomes much smoother.
They already understand:
coverage lanes
Leverage responsibilities
blocking angles
pursuit discipline
In other words, they arrive at the varsity level prepared to contribute.
JV special teams become part of the developmental pipeline for the entire program.
Making Special Teams a Priority in Practice
So how do you actually emphasize special teams at the JV level?
It starts with giving them intentional time in practice.
That doesn’t mean dedicating half your practice to the kicking game. But it does mean practicing special teams with the same attention you give offense and defense.
A few ideas include:
Integrating special teams drills into individual periods
Running kickoff coverage during pursuit drills
Practicing return blocking techniques during offensive line or receiver periods
Using short, high-tempo special teams periods during practice
One thing that we actually do is making our practice the day after a game completely for special teams. We go through all of our teams, running through each one for a number of reps on air. It loosens the kids up while at the same time placing emphasis on the importance of each squad. (Full props, to Joe Daniel, by the way, for the idea.)
The goal is to treat special teams as a teaching opportunity, not just a formality before the game.
When players see that coaches value special teams, they begin to value them as well.
The Hidden Value of the Kicking Game
At first glance, special teams might seem like a small part of JV football.
But when you look closer, they provide some of the most valuable developmental opportunities in the game.
They teach tackling.
They teach blocking in space.
They reward effort and hustle.
They give more players a chance to contribute.
They reinforce the culture of the program.
And perhaps most importantly, they help prepare young athletes for the responsibilities they will eventually carry at the varsity level.
JV football is about development. It’s about teaching the game and helping players grow.
Special teams fit perfectly into that mission.
When coaches treat them as an afterthought, they miss an opportunity.
But when they embrace them as a teaching tool, special teams become one of the most powerful parts of the JV experience.
And that’s why JV special teams matter more than you might think.
Special Teams. Teach them. Rep them. Build them. Because, just as with offense and defense, that’s the JV Way.
