Running back is a position that requires a number of important skill sets. When playing the position of running back at the high school level, those skill sets become even more pronounced. If you plan on trying out for the position of running back in high school, you need to be sure to work on these skill sets to have a chance at making the team. Here are the skills that high school running backs are expected to have:
Aggressiveness – Of all the skills you might have as a high school running back, aggressiveness is the most important. If you are not willing to hit the holes hard, then you have no real chance of being a great high school running back. In high school, players are often tentative about getting hit. You can not have this in your nature if you are a running back because you will get hit every single play.
Intelligence – Knowing what the defense is likely to do is a very important part of playing football. Coaches lay out plays based on these probabilities, and your job as a high school running back is to know those plays. The playbooks in high school can become quite confusing if you are not studying those playbooks religiously. Learn the plays inside and out, and never be out of position.
Speed – Speed is a skill that most high school running backs hope to have. The difference between a good and great high school running back is often speed and elusiveness. Not everyone is blessed with that great natural speed, but you can still maximize your own potential. If you do not have breakaway speed, then you can work on being extra quick to the hole. Short of this, you will need to be a power back that runs over people, instead.
Toughness – The ability to get back up and do it all over again can not be overstated in high school football. This is especially true of the position of running backs. Running backs in high school get hit and tackled more than any other position, and toughness is a must. This is true of mental toughness as well as physical toughness.
Agility – Agility is one of the most important skills that a high school running back must have. Being able to shift, move, and change positions all while avoiding tacklers is something that comes naturally to most running backs. Some high school running backs will have to work harder than others at this skill.
The position of running back in high school is one of the hardest that you can play. Still, if you have the right attitude and you are willing to work on the skills that you lack, you can succeed as a high school running back. Take the time to consider each of these skills, and work hard to improve on those that you are lacking in. If you do, then you may just find yourself in the backfield of your high school football team come Fall.
