1st Grade Football

[knowitall]

Someone's kid didn't sign up. A panic has set in. The kid will fall behind!

Is this ridiculous or what? The kid is in 1st grade!

[WPIAL~Titan]

Here's my take on playing elementary school tackle football:

My youngest son, now a 7th grader, begged me to play elementary school tackle football, like all of his "friends" for YEARS, probably since 1st or 2nd grade. He actually wanted to be out there with all of the Vince Lombardi wannabe daddys who attempted to relive their football careers Al Bundy style and run kids into the ground with July practices, two-a-days, meaningless/inarticulate yelling like rednecks, and a 12 game season. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention salt pills and no water...

I calmly told my son, 'When you get old enough to play for the school team in junior high, you can play...NONE of this youth football will make a bit of difference...Not ONE SECOND of it." Each year, he asked, and each year I said no way.

Fast forward to this fall...My son is a 7th grader in a AAAA school district. He is starting both ways (center, defensive tackle, and long snapper on punt/extra point teams) on THE 8TH GRADE TEAM at a AAAA school district as a 7th grader. He never played a lick of football before this year, except what he picked up in the one football camp I allowed him to attend each summer, which was run by a friend of mine who is knowledgeable about the game and a varsity coach at a AAAA school. In addition, my kid is no prodigy, or giant...He's 13 years old and maybe 5'5" 200 lbs.

This all begs the question: Where are all those kids who played youth football all of those years??? Surely, some daddy/youth coach had to be grooming his son to be a strating lineman for the school team, much less at a AAAA school. Now his 8th grader is beaten out by a 7th grader??? Surely, you jest...

Who knows??? Maybe my son will give up football after this year...or next year...The best thing is, I don't care one way or the other as long as he's learning, growing, and developing as a student first/athlete second.

Hold this thought, little league parents: The fact whether or not your 1st grader plays youth tackle football has NO BEARING on their future.

[Dfense wins games]

"Hold this thought, little league parents: The fact whether or not your 1st grader plays youth tackle football has NO BEARING on their future."

I disagree, the only bearing it will have is that the kid will be worn out and feel like football is a job rather than a sport!

[TBone]

This is a topic that really burns me. I totally agree with the above two posters. As with "WPIAL", my son was not permitted to play until Jr. High. While not a college-bound ballplayer, he did end up All Conference and All County. Playing midget ball has no bearing on whether the kid excells in High School. Many times these kids are given so much that when it comes time to play in Jr Hi or High School, they have already had enough.

[lakersfan24]

This is a relative topic. Not all leagues run kids into the ground, teach wrong form, or any of those other negative things. The leagues in this area do much more to help than hurt. I couldn't tell you the last great football player from Forest Hills that DID NOT play in the Geistown PeeWee league.. so saying it doesn't help kids become better ball players isn't totally true..

If the kid has had enough playing football and quits, that means he probably would've quit by highschool anyway. Atleast then he can find a new sport.

[El-Moldo]

Pee Wee football usually runs from mid-August til mid-October. Two months. Little league baseball runs from mid-April until late July when you consider all-stars. Kids get just enough football for that age. Baseball seems to go on forever. Now you know why there are NO men's softball leagues around any more. Pee Wee football is just right.

[WPIAL~Titan]

laker, what you are talking about is the exception, and FAR from the rule. Ask anyone worth their weight in salt and they will tell you the same. It is truly unfortunate, but true. I wouldn't trust most youth football coaches to walk my dog, let alone attempt to teach a contact sport to my son.

Moldo, I know many youth football programs that begin practices in earnest in late July and play their last game around the 2nd week in November. Couple that with BAD or absent instruction by the Al Bundys and Vince Lombardi wannebes of the world and you have a recipe for disaster.

[El-Moldo]

I only know of how the Geistown Richland League is run. It's a great Pee Wee league.

[philip's dad]

This is the most important topic that I have read on BleacherCoaches in a LONG time. I am a father of a 4 yr. old and a 1yr. old I have been around sports my whole life, but I am beginning to wonder what is the "right" ting to do that is best for my sons. This is the FIRST post that I have read from WPIAL Titan that I agree with. I will NOT allow my sons to become a piece of a puzzle for some crazy uneducated person to try to mold together a piece of his past. Very important post.

[Eaglealum]

From a little different perspective, lets consider that the NFL endorses ONLY flag football for several reasons, but one that I'm personally familiar with is the fact that if a child under the age of 13 encounters a serious injury to the joint on or around a growth plate(namely knees and elbows) it can be permanent. My son was 8 and in his 1st game(made 6 tackles in 1st quarter) when he injured his elbow. 4 months later the dr. at Childrens hospital in Pittsburgh said he'd never use it again. Long story short, by the grace of God and Shriners in Erie, he's pitching and playing basketball again....and may play football in jr high , but not before. Now I played, and coached youth football and the next level.It can teach the game, but only with enough of the right people in place and there are still risks. John Franco has had 23 players named to either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd team, all-state lists in his 15 years at Tyrone and almost half didn't play youth football. Now we're talking youth football, this topic is 1st grade football......kids in jr high couldn't tell you 3 things about what they did in 1st grade, it's ridiculous. Take them camping, swimming, the park. Football is a great sport! But not for 1 st graders.