Youth Football

[Boomer]

Should kids play football at an early age or wait till Jr. High when they will have the proper teaching and training? What do you think??

[SHSBulldog00]

IMO, kids should wait until they are in 7th grade to play football.

1. Not ALL the youth football coaches have the proper training or the kids best interest.

2. It gives them more time to grow physically and emotionally.

[R3Editor]

While we're at it, let's not have them playing little dribblers or little league - get them all video games.

[Boomer]

Originally posted by SHSBulldog00
IMO, kids should wait until they are in 7th grade to play football.

1. Not ALL the youth football coaches have the proper training or the kids best interest.

2. It gives them more time to grow physically and emotionally.

I agree. My son played the last 3 years, since age 7, mostly because I wanted him to. That was selfish on my part!! This year he told me he didn't want to and I knew he was not enjoying it. We will play some fall baseball though. He's excited about that!

[Boomer]

Originally posted by R3Editor
While we're at it, let's not have them playing little dribblers or little league - get them all video games.

There are very few good coaches at the youth level that really want to teach the kids the game of football. These kids need to be taught safety and basic fundamentals. Basketball and Baseball are a little different.

Do you have any kids playing youth football?

[grahampaw]

Ask Celina or Stephenville about having youth football programs.Coaches that support youth football by training youth coaches and donating fields end up with state teams that the core of kids have played together for years.Coaches that turn their backs on youth football are not being fair to the kids or the town.As long as there is a strong governing body to weed out the bad apple coaches ,and crazy fans, youth football can be positive for everyone involved.

[Rabid Cougar]

Originally posted by Boomer
There are very few good coaches at the youth level that really want to teach the kids the game of football. These kids need to be taught safety and basic fundamentals. Basketball and Baseball are a little different.

Do you have any kids playing youth football?

Yea kid throwing baseballs at each other at 60 miles perhour and line drives hit right back at them ,and that even happens in t-ball. And how about soccer, the most dangerous organized youth sport there is. let your child wait until he's in Jr high and he will be sitting the bench on the B team.

You would never let your kid play organized baseball at 13/14 without ever having played before nor do you do that in basketball.

How about the dads that force their kid to play year round select baseball from 8 years on up. Don't you think that kid is going to be tired of playing when he is 16? Some aren't. Depends upon if your kid loves the game. The same could be said in the initial situation; maybe he would not be playing football even if he waited until 7th grade. Not all kids are ment to play football, regardless of their parents wishes.

Yes I had two boys that played peewee since they were 6. Both loved it. I coached for 10 years. My first team, that grew up to be a pretty good high school team, graduated last year. The second bunch is not half bad 8th grade team now. I only take credit in that I instilled the love of the game into them. The high school coached did the rest.

And you will have professional coaches who will support peewee and other that will not. I have had them explain it to me both ways. There is really no way to sway them one way or the other.

[SHSBulldog00]

1% of High school baseball players will play in college

1% of College baseball players will play professional ball

1% of Professional baseball player's will reach the Major League's

Yet there are kids playing a sport year around in every small town. The best thing to do is let the kid decide what they want to participate in not the parent making a kid so he or she can make millions.

[bobcat04]

Bulldog, well said...Let kids enjoy the game. Unless you are blessed you will never play college or pro ball.

[zebrablue2]

Originally posted by Rabid Cougar
Yea kid throwing baseballs at each other at 60 miles perhour and line drives hit right back at them ,and that even happens in t-ball. And how about soccer, the most dangerous organized youth sport there is. let your child wait until he's in Jr high and he will be sitting the bench on the B team.

You would never let your kid play organized baseball at 13/14 without ever having played before nor do you do that in basketball.

How about the dads that force their kid to play year round select baseball from 8 years on up. Don't you think that kid is going to be tired of playing when he is 16? Some aren't. Depends upon if your kid loves the game. The same could be said in the initial situation; maybe he would not be playing football even if he waited until 7th grade. Not all kids are ment to play football, regardless of their parents wishes.

Yes I had two boys that played peewee since they were 6. Both loved it. I coached for 10 years. My first team, that grew up to be a pretty good high school team, graduated last year. The second bunch is not half bad 8th grade team now. I only take credit in that I instilled the love of the game into them. The high school coached did the rest.

And you will have professional coaches who will support peewee and other that will not. I have had them explain it to me both ways. There is really no way to sway them one way or the other.

:iagree: good post!!

[Boomer]

I agree with all your replies. Our High School coaching staff supports youth football 100%.

Honestly, would you want to your child to play for a coach that doesn't know the rules, doesn't teach them safety, doesn't teach them basic fundamentals. My son last year played both ways. It was half time before he even stepped off the field to get some water. He said the coach told him he could get some later.

IMO, thats wrong. Sad thing is, once your drafted on a team, you stay with that team and that coach. This coach doesn't know what he is doing. Half his players did not want to play this year because of him. Half of his coaching staff quit on him last year because he was so hard to work with. The kids see this stuff and they don't want to be a part of that. I have told the league president all of this and he continues to allow him to coach these kids.

It would be different if this coach new football and not make it so hard for the kids to learn and have fun!

For example, he tried to teach the kids the option at age 7 in pee-wee.

My son decided to play fall baseball. I wasn't going to force him to do anything he didn't want to do. He loves baseball!

[gatordaze]

Let the kids decide. My twin boys are starting their 11th season of tackle football this year as Freshman. They CHOSE to play in both the fall and winter for the past 4 years. Both run track and one plays basketball. I even tried to talk them into taking last winter season off to lift They would not have it.

Repitition matters and unless your kid is a great athlete he will be faced with a huge learning curve if you wait till junior high. You can find good coaching if you try,

Celina has a Sophomore move-in this fall that came from England. He is quick as a cat and very athletic with a strong rugby background. He is doing well but clearly behind everyone else in the sport itself. I think he can be really good but only has 3 seasons left to get the game.

[Boomer]

Originally posted by Rabid Cougar
Yea kid throwing baseballs at each other at 60 miles perhour and line drives hit right back at them ,and that even happens in t-ball. And how about soccer, the most dangerous organized youth sport there is. let your child wait until he's in Jr high and he will be sitting the bench on the B team.

I talked to a dad that had a son playing 8th grade football last year. Most of the kids that did play youth football were either 2nd teamers or even B team. Most of the starters were only 2nd year players. They only lost one game also!

[RHCat1031]

Well, in my case, when I was 7 or 8y/o I BEGGED my dad to put me and my brother to play football for youth football. He didn't budge until we got to Jr. High. I guess my dad holding out did me well because in 7th and 8th grade I had alot of passion for the game that translated to being elevated to Varsity my freshman year.

HC at the time in Rio Hondo saw I didn't have any quit in me and I was going full tilt on every play going both ways.

He stuck me at Tailback when I went to Varsity and in my Senior yr. I ended up rushing over 1,000yds in '98(a feat no one had done since 1982.)

So, I feel that it's best to hold out. But, if you must put your child in youth football make sure the coaches know what they are doing and teaching the kids good sportsmanship.

[easttexas3a]

I would always adives youth players to go to as many summer camps as possible, I know lots of high schools have their own camps, and Also you can find others as well to teach them basic fundamentals and to have some fun.

Some kids get burned out on football by the time they are 12 cause they have played 5 years, trust me you could of ask a lot of seniors in the spring if they are glad they are not in football, and many will say not glad, but are enjoying the time away.

Also, kids are all different shapes and sizes, and some 7 yearolds look like they are 10, others look like they are 5. I don't want anyone ever getting a mindset of being scared of football due to that sort of thing.

This being said, do what you and your kids decide to do.

[buffalo2006]

After I was done playing college football, I coached the 5th and 6th grade kids in Giddings. I didn't have a kid that I was out there for, I was doing it because I loved the game. I could tell which players didn't want to be out there and those were the kids I wouldn't push, but I didn't just leave them on the bench. The players that I could tell wanted to be out there were not the kids I had to talk to about football but about school and staying focus on your goals. I am a senior in college and am going to become a high school coach. I want my teams to be known for not only being the best on the field but also off the field. I have played football since 3rd grade, and never did I lose the love of the game. Even when I went to college and it no longer became a game but a job, it is still one of the best experiences I had.
I think if you have the right coaches that peewee football is a great experience for kids to be active and also be part of something.

[Rabid Cougar]

All the above post are good replies. It is all about personal experiences. I myself never played peewee, it was not availible, but I played sandlot, both with and without pads, every waking moment it seemed. It didn't hamper me one bit.

I agree... it all depends upon the childs desire and the type of experience they have on any organized teams. I had championship teams and teams that didn't win a game. All of them were mad because the season was over (practice was hard but a lot of fun) and none quit during the season. I too had kids who I really had to coach fundamentals and other that were naturally gifted. You will have the parents who think they have All-Stars and other are just trying to expose them to different things. I have had only one child seriously hurt (dislocated shoulder, fell on it weird). They are generally so padded, not really running fast and don't really weight muchup they just bounce off each other.

I found I was not going to change parents minds if they had decided to make their kids wait. I did one or two ( one of them is now QB at Texas Tech) and they thanked me in the end. I didn't hold anything against those that did because I had enough challenges coaching the kids that I had.

I know I made some rather harsh statements in the first post but in actullity I encourage parents to educate themselves about who is coaching and the organization in which they are interested in. Talk to parents who a involved in the organization. What is their equipment situtation? What are there participation rules? What special rules do they use (age grouping and weights)?

That is the most important thing a parent can do. Then just let the kids have fun. Sorry for the long post.

[lange4]

there is also the option of flag football. That is the sport all the coaches kids play here. Keep the season to 6 weeks and the kids stay interested.

[RedWhiteBlue]

Originally posted by lange4
there is also the option of flag football. That is the sport all the coaches kids play here. Keep the season to 6 weeks and the kids stay interested.
IMO- this is the way to go. I have also heard several coaches make this same observation. I'm not a fan of contact football for anyone under 6th grade. :thinking:

[Yoe_09]

I do feel that is should be generally up to the kid. If they have the passion to play at an earlier age then I would let them play. Here, we have good coaches and it has led to much success in the past years for Jr. high football program in Cameron.

[hookandladder]

Originally posted by Boomer
I talked to a dad that had a son playing 8th grade football last year. Most of the kids that did play youth football were either 2nd teamers or even B team. Most of the starters were only 2nd year players. They only lost one game also!

About the same here in LG, most youth football players were 2nd teamers.

[BILLYFRED0000]

I really do not know. I think it varies kid to kid. Some of the kids that play at the third grade level would never play at any level beyond grade 5 or 6. There are all sorts of factors involved as kids grow. But teaching them fundamentals is all about coaches who have played. In Celina we have no shortage of ex players with kids who love the game. They all want to be bobcats. We teach them basic football. Block Tackle Execute. If you can do that at their level you win a lot of football games. I love to coach them. My son loves to play. It is his favorite and soccer is the other. Neither sport is very safe unless you are well coached.

[buffalo2006]

In 7th and 8th grade combined we only won 1 game, but I think that was because people couldn't understand no pass, no play rule. And we dominated youth football

[maroogreen]

My boys have both played for three years. One will probably play this year in middle school and one is sitting out a year. One has had a great experience and one has been with a group where there were nothing but problems. The kids weren't the problem; the adults were. Parents, coaches, team moms--not much surprises me anymore in organized kids' athletics (football, baseball, Little Dribblers, etc.).

Both kids played on "Super Bowl" teams. I like them to learn to play as a team and the concept of everyone working together to get a job done. My dad was an AD, and I particularly like football because it takes many different physical attributes to have a cohesive team.

But I will say that the only boys in Cuero that practiced more than the CYFL teams was varsity. I don't agree with that and I think it is a surefire way to burn kids out.

I can see both sides of the argument. Athletes are athletes, whether they are 7 or 17. Holding them out won't hurt anything. If they still love the game after the season is over, I think that is a good indicator of whether they should play again next year.

And for the record, Coach Reeve told me he thought organized full-contact football was fine, but that he wasn't a fan of flag football because that is what led to his own sons' injuries.

[icu812]

My son is starting Jr. High football this year and he's already played 7 years of tackle football. Without injuries, got to play with (instead of against) his buddies, learned how to block and how to tackle. I either coached or helped coach most of his teams and my son and I will always have some wonderful memories because of youth football. Youth football is no different than any other youth sport. Make sure it is a well run organization with good coaches. That goes for any sport.

[BILLYFRED0000]

I will say one thing. The memories are the best. And the boys have a constructive outlet that teaches them to work together.
I have seen kids that would be problems with each other change because they found a common goal. Football at any level is teamwork and any kid that gets a good dose of that learns something.

[Boomer]

thanks for all the comments! Here in Cuero, most kids will always have a desire to be a Gobbler football player. I wish parents and coaches quit pushing their kids so hard to be as good as the Gobblers are on Friday nights.

Also, I wish the CYFL in victoria would stop allowing the same coaches that cause all the problems to continue to coach. It hurts the kids in the long run!

[espn1]

My 11 year old plays tackle football and my 9 year old plays select baseball. It's expensive and it wears me out! But my kids love it so I do it. It takes up a lot of time. Two weeks of combines is a lot of ball for an 11 year old.

[ctown]

Celina has had a well established pee wee program for many years. We have had kids start in the 8 yr old range and they stay with it. They get coached in the same schemes they run in the JH and they win much more often than not. They also enjoy it alot. They are taught well and it shows. If the kids aren't up for it, don't put them in it but otherwise, it is great. 144 kids out for high school football in a school with just over 500 students is pretty good indicator of how much they like it. Winning doesn't hurt either.

[WildTexan972]

Originally posted by SHSBulldog00
IMO, kids should wait until they are in 7th grade to play football.

1. Not ALL the youth football coaches have the proper training or the kids best interest.

2. It gives them more time to grow physically and emotionally.



1. Not ALL the 7th grade coaches are worth a darn or care about the kids either....

2. No boys will be emotionally grown by 7th grade....