Youth Football

Tennessee has resembled a youth ball team the last few years but this would probably be suited for a different board?

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We now have kids as young as 5yrs in pads. In the early 90's kids weren't padding up until about 5th grade. We also now have year-round opportunities to play beginning in Junior High.

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Seriously?

I first played football in pads in the 2nd grade.

And that was in 1973.

I know a couple of dads who played D1 football, they will not put their kids in pads until at least the 5th grade. They have them in flag - which has really grown around Birmingham for spring and fall. They have them playing a lot youth basketball too. And their kids are normally the most athletic out there.

One thing I will say about youth football, it is funny as hell to watch a bunch of grown men in Saban hats or Malzahn visors out teaching a bunch of 2nd and 3rd graders in pads. When you start seeing that, and you have booster clubs popping up in elementary schools, stay away. Life is too short for that nonsense.

As old as I am now, and having kids who went through sports from youth to college, let them learn the game first and have fun with it. And let them experiment with what interest them. If you want to toughen them up, give youth wrestling a try, if you can find it.

My little boy who just turned 7 will start playing in pads. He just got done doing baseball for his first sport over in Gordo Alabama, but he's ready for football. Trying to see of there's a summer camp for him around Tuscaloosa.

I think it's more of a city thing than a state thing actually. in cities where football is promoted at a young age, football normally thrives when those kids are in high school.

in la, there are a bunch of "baseball" towns and some "football" towns for youth. it's pretty obvious to see what towns push which sport at a young age when looking at the state championship results in both sports.

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.

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.

I'm 33. I first played in pads at age 7.

Shed the pads when I got to college to play rugby.

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.

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.