Q&A for How to Be a Good Wide Receiver

You have to make plays. Every time the ball is thrown to you, catch it. If it's a bad throw, dive for it. Use stick moves with your routes to create separation.

You're going to have to listen to the plays your coach calls and study your playbook to know your routes. After that, just practice plays over and over again with your QB to make sure the play you're running is perfect.

Wide receivers, and also small people tend to have more speed which you can burn the cornerbacks and safetys.

Take advantage of the opportunities you receive by catching every ball that comes your way.

To avoid man coverage as a wide receiver, you have two options. One option is to work on running really fast and "burning" the defender who is trying to cover you on 1v1 or 1v2. Another option is for the QB to send you on a quick pass that will trick the cornerback or safety to run too deep and you will be open for a short pass, like curls, hooks, or slants.

Catching is an important part of being a good wide receiver and a good cornerback/safety. Cornerbacks have to be fast and agile like wide receivers but also have to be smart and strong. Practice catching, speed, agility, tackling, and reading plays.

If you're fast, you should definitely be a tight end. Tight ends need to be able to play as a lineman and a receiver. You are built like a lineman but if you are fast and have good hands, you can do a tight end's other job as well.

A cooper run is good (10mX10m square which you run around for approx. 10-20 minutes and count your laps).

The coach and the QB will design and choose the routes. You will have to know them and be prepared to execute them all. If you're a good receiver, you may be able to let the coach/QB know if you have preferred routes.

If you are fast you could play wide receiver, but I would start lifting weights before high school. I play on the freshman team and there are some 200+ pound guys playing.

Both. You need strong legs to run as fast as you can, and you need strong arms to battle the defender and catch the ball.

You should stay aware of them, and their movements.

Every receiver needs to learn to catch the ball and secure it before you start to run. Once the ball is secure, immediately turn so you are facing up the field (if you weren't to begin with) survey the field and run to open grass.

Practice getting open and improve your catching skills and speed and stamina by working out and cross-training.

Talk to a coach or league representative. I have played against a few girls in national tournaments in many different positions. One was a DE, another was a WR, and I also played a female LB. Just try for the position you want.

No, You should never play with an injury like that, it could just make it worse.

Consider being a tight end if there aren't any bigger tight ends on your team, or if you have the best hands out of all the tight ends. If that doesn't work, you have great height and size to be a lineman.

If you are having trouble catching a ball, don't be fancy -- just stick to fundamentals and practice. Focus on the ball and look it into your hands and don't look away until you have control of it.

Throw the ball up in the air and catch it, I guess. Otherwise you need to find someone to throw to you, or at least someone to operate and mechanical thrower.

See How to Eat Healthy . You generally don't need to run more than once a day.

If you can catch and run at a decent speed, then yes. Wide receivers are all about having a mental battle with the cornerback, but he doesn't know your route. Having height makes it easier to do this.

Yes, and consider other skill and specialist positions like running back, defensive back and returner.

The bigger the better!

Yes you can, though it may be different.

I try to nudge their elbow, because that way their whole body moves away, making you free for the quarterback, but this doesn't always work so you should also learn to trick them with your route, e.g. cutting in, then back out.

You're probably smaller, lighter and more agile than they are. Use this to run past them and put a move on them.

Practice the plays with someone handing off the ball to you. Also practice which gaps to run through on which plays, which can be done by using cones as offense linemen. Condition yourself and work on the correct way to receive a hand-off and work on gripping the ball.

Put your hands on the laces. Put your opposite leg forward. Bring your arm back and throw forward.

You can practice jumping rope, practice with cones, or if you have siblings, practice juking them. You should also try toe taps, an exercise where you find a stairwell and jog in place, but every time you raise your foot, you touch it against the stair.

Yes, you should, but only if you are running. Before you run, make sure to secure the ball so you won't fumble it.