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the earlier leagues are all (in my opinion) over zealous parent driven puppy mills.

I've helped coach these kids since my son was 6. I have no illusions about him ever playing D-1 ball. What I have noticed is that over the few years he has been playing he has an understanding of the game that I never had until I was in about the 8th grade - that puts him about 3-4 years ahead of where I was in terms of understanding the game. That has to make a difference at the high school level.

And let me say this, the kids and the coaches have fun and do it because they want to. Plus, kids in youth football are some of the most well-behaved and respectful kids.

This is very similar to my experience. I coach but started my boys in the 4th grade for Tackle and Flag before that.

Like many things it is all about your situation. I coach my boys and I work with a group of coaches that share the same philosophy. We all have to do our Heads Up Cert every year. We stress hydration and safety and not only do we teach kids to keep their head up we show them why it is a better football play to do so. The difference in attitude and discipline from the kids on our team vs kids in the other sports my son plays (esp baseball) is huge.

My boys love to play tackle, I certainly don't push it on them. I also feel much better knowing that they are learning how to play the game in a safe way and are fully prepared compared to the kids that will go into Middle School having never played and get to learn when they are stacked against a 160lb 7th grader that has been playing for 6 years. You also have a fraction of the coach/player ratio, we have 6 coaches for 24 players in Pop Warner.

That said, just signing up your kid for Tackle without learning about the league or coaches is crazy. You can't just trust that they will know what they are doing. It's your kid though, just invest a little time and effort to learn and make the best decision.