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re: Youth Football
Posted on 6/19/15 at 11:24 am to Crowknowsbest
Posted on 6/19/15 at 11:24 am to Crowknowsbest
Heads up is a great program and the coaches are implementing it well in this area. Kids get warned and then penalized in games for leading with their heads. You still have some of it, but long gone are the days of coaches saying, "put your helmet in his ear hole!"
It's still a tough game, and kids still get banged up. But there is much more emphasis on safety than there was when I was a kid.
It's still a tough game, and kids still get banged up. But there is much more emphasis on safety than there was when I was a kid.
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Posted on 6/19/15 at 11:31 am to Aux Arc
My son is 11 and last year was his first year of tackle. Our high school took over the tackle program from the Y and the kids play for their middle school.
Other area athletic depts. have done the same thing and we've formed a league.
We have a high school coach who coordinates everything. The schools just purchased new equipment and the we're provided a play book from the high school so that we can start introducing these kids to the plays and terminology they'll have in high school.
I help coach and we'll all have to certified by the Heads Up program.
They'll condition with the Junior High team starting in July and then we'll receive pads and be able to practice before school starts.
This is for all 4th, 5th and 6th graders in our school district.
We have two middle schools in our district and the coaches at the other school have always wanted to consolidate. We're not doing that because we want all these kids to get as much playing time as possible.
For me, it's not about a trophy this year, it's about the players we'll turn over to the jr. high and then onto high school.
Other area athletic depts. have done the same thing and we've formed a league.
We have a high school coach who coordinates everything. The schools just purchased new equipment and the we're provided a play book from the high school so that we can start introducing these kids to the plays and terminology they'll have in high school.
I help coach and we'll all have to certified by the Heads Up program.
They'll condition with the Junior High team starting in July and then we'll receive pads and be able to practice before school starts.
This is for all 4th, 5th and 6th graders in our school district.
We have two middle schools in our district and the coaches at the other school have always wanted to consolidate. We're not doing that because we want all these kids to get as much playing time as possible.
For me, it's not about a trophy this year, it's about the players we'll turn over to the jr. high and then onto high school.
This post was edited on 6/19/15 at 11:38 am
Posted on 6/19/15 at 11:36 am to Aux Arc
My sons won't play tackle football until 5th or 6th grade. To many bad things can happen playing full pads that young. Plus most of the youth coaches are morons that will only teach bad habits
Posted on 6/19/15 at 12:53 pm to Aux Arc
quote:
quote:
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.
Posted on 6/19/15 at 2:10 pm to Aux Arc
First played in pads here in Mississippi at age 9 in 1981. My son began playing at age 10(5th grade). He could have started at age 7 but I didn't let him. I heard Archie Manning say kids shouldn't pad up until 7th grade(jr high). I agree with this. My son is a big kid, 300 pound OL now in high school. He learned zero about blocking in youth ball. All it was about was tossing the ball to the fastest man and letting him run. No skills, techniques, etc. were taught. I guess youth ball could be ok with coaches who know what they are doing, but as some have said it is mostly a money grab, especially for the younger leagues.
Posted on 6/19/15 at 3:25 pm to Aux Arc
My son plays Pop Warner out of MO and has since he was 5 (he's 10 now). It's a very safe program, and the team is very much a family. The coaches are all certified (including heads up), and even though all the parents are aware of the risks - we're all looking out for each other - including kids from other teams.
Posted on 6/19/15 at 3:34 pm to Aux Arc
I'm 33. I first played in pads at age 7.
Shed the pads when I got to college to play rugby.
Shed the pads when I got to college to play rugby.
Posted on 6/19/15 at 4:03 pm to Aux Arc
Coached middle school for a couple of years a few years ago. We had to deprogram most of the kids. The habits and techniques they learned in youth full contact football was horrible.
Posted on 6/19/15 at 4:10 pm to msudawg1200
quote:
I guess youth ball could be ok with coaches who know what they are doing,
This makes a huge difference (in any sport). All the coaches my son has had have been excellent. The boys really learn some good fundamentals, but more than that they start to learn how all of the pieces come together to make a play work. It is so rewarding to see the lights come on and see kids really thinking and understanding. Plus, my son knows more about football than my wife when we watch games on TV - bonding!
quote:
but as some have said it is mostly a money grab, especially for the younger leagues.
I'm not really sure anyone is making much money with it around here. It only costs about $60 which covers the field rental, refs, and EMTS. It's less than $10 per game per player (if you make it to the championship game). I'm not feeling ripped off.
Posted on 6/19/15 at 4:20 pm to Tackle74
quote:
We had to deprogram most of the kids. The habits and techniques they learned in youth full contact football was horrible.
Can you be more specific? I don't want to be counter productive with what I am doing.
Could it be just a matter of different levels of football require different approaches. For instance, at the levels in which passing is all but non-existent, your linebackers never need to worry about pass protection.
Or are you talking about route running, blocking technique, footwork, hands work, etc?
Posted on 6/19/15 at 4:39 pm to JustGetItRight
quote:And took your lunch to school in a syrup bucket? I think I know you.
In the DAMNED SNOW.
NOW GET THE FRICK OFF MY LAWN
Posted on 6/20/15 at 12:12 am to Aux Arc
quote:
Can you be more specific?
sorry been away from the computer, I would say the following were lacking coming from youth ball
1. Blocking footwork was bad, stepping in the bucket, bad hand positioning, combo blocking non existent.
2. Tackling was not fundamentally sound. With new emphasis on concussions I would expect this is improved.
3. Over reliance on the "stud" or fast back who could just run sweeps to the house.
All these could be corrected with good coaching but how many O-Line coaches are drilling footwork and hand positioning?
Posted on 6/20/15 at 12:47 am to Aux Arc
Playing in pads young is nothing new. I started playing football in pads at the age of 6 in the YMCA league where I lived and that was in 1979.
I really like how they did the youth league in the town where I went to high school, Tuscumbia, AL, Deshler High School. Back then we ran the Wing-T and that offense was used all the way down into the youth leagues. The young kids in town were taught the same offense they would be running years later in high school and it paid off.
From 1986-2014, the team has won their region 21 times, made it to the state playoffs 26 times with a record of 67-24, won the state title twice (90 & 98), and in 1990 running a pure rushing attack offense set the all class state record for most points scored in a season with 600. That record has now been broken by Hoover running the HUNH.
I really like how they did the youth league in the town where I went to high school, Tuscumbia, AL, Deshler High School. Back then we ran the Wing-T and that offense was used all the way down into the youth leagues. The young kids in town were taught the same offense they would be running years later in high school and it paid off.
From 1986-2014, the team has won their region 21 times, made it to the state playoffs 26 times with a record of 67-24, won the state title twice (90 & 98), and in 1990 running a pure rushing attack offense set the all class state record for most points scored in a season with 600. That record has now been broken by Hoover running the HUNH.
This post was edited on 6/20/15 at 1:17 am
Posted on 6/20/15 at 1:00 am to Aux Arc
quote:
My sense is that Missouri is just now catching up to the southern states in this regard. Is that true in your experience?
I thought Arkansas football was behind compared to other southern states and then I moved to SW MO. The football scene here is way behind the times. Kids seem to rather play soccer and basketball than football. A town the size of Springfield should be putting out D1 prospects in football but yet they are few and far between.
Posted on 6/20/15 at 1:06 am to Aux Arc
Was 6 when I first played for peewee league is what they call it in my area. That was almost 30 yrs ago FYI.
And you make a good point, the more you practice something obviously the better you get. But for me, the first time I got injured I didn't really understand and it scared me. I got over it but my younger brother also played and now he has a son who he refuses to let play for now because of the risks.
And you make a good point, the more you practice something obviously the better you get. But for me, the first time I got injured I didn't really understand and it scared me. I got over it but my younger brother also played and now he has a son who he refuses to let play for now because of the risks.
Posted on 6/20/15 at 6:53 am to Aux Arc
Complete waste of time to compete in pads before 7th (at the earliest 6th grade). Flag is good though.
Posted on 6/22/15 at 4:12 pm to Tackle74
quote:
Coached middle school for a couple of years a few years ago. We had to deprogram most of the kids. The habits and techniques they learned in youth full contact football was horrible.
This is where it varies so much program to program. For instance tonight I am headed to the 2nd of a 5 part series put on annually by our HS Coaches to teach the Pop Warner coaches how they run their offense, defense, and practices in general. All of our terminology is the same as what the boys will have when they go to Middle School and then on to High School. Every Pop Warner team in our league is assigned at least 1 Senior from the HS team that comes out to our practices to mentor the kids as well and talk to them about technique and how things will run when they are in HS.
They also have made a series of videos similar to this one: LINK that show HS practices and technique and how we should conduct drills. We have the kids watch the videos as well so they can get a better understanding.
Everything is done with the goal of preparing the boys for Middle School, being safe, and having fun. It's a farm system for the High School, plain and simple. Certainly our HS coaches believe in it and put their kids in it as well. However, not all Pop Warner programs are the same.
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