Youth Football League

[NVGator]

I'm a novice at this so bare with me. I signed my boys up for Youth Football (SYFL - Sierra Youth Football League). I'm sure many of you have been through this before, multiple times. For those of you that may or may not know, I have 2 boys, 5 & 6.5. We participated in Indoor Flag Football a season and 1/2 go but now we are at full contact level. Tonight was the 1st of many "Conditioning Camps" and I've been recruited to be the Asst. Coach.

The good news is that our Head Coach is the current HC for the local HS Freshman team. He's been coaching for many years. He's been coach at different schools around the area at different levels (JV, Varsity, etc.) depending on schools.

What was really cool tonight is that they had the local HS team helping/participating with the youth team. The boys were showing the drills, demonstrating the form and taking down measurements from 40 time, to Broad Jump length, L Drills and such. I was the clipboard guy taking notes.

What was the most fun was talking with the Varsity HC who happens to be a huge Gator fan. He immediately too notice of my Gator tennis shoes and came over to chat with me. He loved my shoes and asked where I got them. We discussed Gator football for great lengths. He was in Gainesville for Spring Practice and talked about his entire experience. He really likes Mullen and thinks we are going to have a great year. He spoke highly of Franks and I kept my mouth shut.

He shared a quick story with me that none of you will know. His QB last year was Cade McNamara (Cade McNamara, 2019 Pro-style quarterback - Rivals.com) He EE at Michigan this past January. At one point Butters was recruiting for Florida and he was the closer for him at Michigan. Once Butters switched to CMU, he tried to get McNamara to flip but it didn't happen. Butters did sign his brother to CMU.

Anyway, feel free to comment or share knowledge for this venture I'm on or even if it's appropriate, move to a different forum. If I’m lucky, @cover2 will spread some wisdom.

Thanks for reading,
NVGator

(looking at you Alex)

 

[Zambo]

Good for you helping with the football team. I still remember my very first football practice. I think I wasn't much older than your older son. I think it was the first time I ever actually exercised I mean obviously as kids we were constantly running and playing and beating each other up, but this was the first time I had to run laps just to run. I joined the team a week or so late so I had some catching up to do and I was nervous but that fact that I'm 51 and still remember it should tell you how memorable this is going to be for those kids. Good on ya.

 

[NVGator]

Good for you helping with the football team. I still remember my very first football practice. I think I wasn't much older than your older son. I think it was the first time I ever actually exercised I mean obviously as kids we were constantly running and playing and beating each other up, but this was the first time I had to run laps just to run. I joined the team a week or so late so I had some catching up to do and I was nervous but that fact that I'm 51 and still remember it should tell you how memorable this is going to be for those kids. Good on ya.

That’s my oldest to a tee. He’s big and clumsy. He’s out there with a cast on his right forearm. Broken the same arm, twice in 6 months. As you can imagine, Mom is terrified that more breaks are going to happen. After tonight, I see more muscle development which is a plus.

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

What is this Foorball you speak of?

 

[5-Star Finger]

I signed my boys up for Youth Football (SYFL - Sierra Youth Football League). )

I'm glad you're letting your boys participate. I've been a coach in a youth league for a while and the last decade has seen it become increasingly difficult to fill rosters. In the past we had problems with how to get playing time for all the kids in a given area that wanted to participate.

 

[oxrageous]

What was the most fun was talking with the Varsity HC who happens to be a huge Gator fan. He immediately too notice of my Gator tennis shoes and came over to chat with me. He loved my shoes and asked where I got them. We discussed Gator football for great lengths. He was in Gainesville for Spring Practice and talked about his entire experience. He really likes Mullen and thinks we are going to have a great year. He spoke highly of Franks and I kept my mouth shut.

You didn't tell him about Gatorchatter?

 

[BMF]

I didn't realize they let 6 year olds participate in full contact. Probably comical to watch. Should be fun coaching your son. I love the Reno area, surprised they don't put out more higher level HS talent. I'd love to have heard Butters sales pitch to the QB.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

I didn't realize they let 6 year olds participate in full contact. Probably comical to watch. Should be a fun coaching your son. I love the Reno area, surprised they don't put out more higher level HS talent. I'd love to have heard Butters sales pitch to the QB.

What's even more amazing is he committed to Meatchicken when Butters was still on staff!

 

[NOLAGATOR]

My first experience was Pop Warner…5th Grade…LOVED IT.

I find with my grandkids we have three issues:

My first experience was Pop Warner…5th Grade…LOVED IT.

I find with my grandkids we have three issues:

* WAY more homework than when I was a kid…very little time after school

* Woosification of kids today…Kids have it too easy.

* In HS, if you are not really good…you’ll never see the field after 9th grade…So many of the kids don’t bother…My own son turned to ROTC Drill Team instead.

 

[NVGator]

I'm glad you're letting your boys participate. I've been a coach in a youth league for a while and the last decade has seen it become increasingly difficult to fill rosters. In the past we had problems with how to get playing time for all the kids in a given area that wanted to participate.

We didn’t have a full team until the very last day of sign ups. My wife was shocked I signed them up for contact. She “assumed” I had signed them up for flag.

 

[NVGator]

You didn't tell him about Gatorchatter?

I did tell him. I’ve actually told multiple Gators out here about the site. For some reason I always get a blank stare when I talk about a sports forum for Gators.

 

[NVGator]

I didn't realize they let 6 year olds participate in full contact. Probably comical to watch. Should be fun coaching your son. I love the Reno area, surprised they don't put out more higher level HS talent. I'd love to have heard Butters sales pitch to the QB.

I too am surprised there aren’t more out out. I think they mostly get lost out west with smaller universities.

Here on from the area who made it:
Kyle Van Noy, New England, Outside Linebacker

Here’s one to watch the next couple years at Bama. He was dominating every team he played in HS:
Brandon Kaho, 2018 Outside linebacker - Rivals.com

 

[5-Star Finger]

We didn’t have a full team until the very last day of sign ups. My wife was shocked I signed them up for contact. She “assumed” I had signed them up for flag.

My wife fought me like crazy when we moved the oldest boy into contact. I had agreed to wait all the way until he was in middle school despite coaching other people's kids in it for years. Even then she fought me tooth and nail. So I had to get my MD friend to drop the doc bomb on her that soccer has an approximately 6 times the injury rate for 100 hours of participation that football does and roughly the same rate of concussions. Given the rule changes in football, improved equipment and changing techniques being taught at the youth level (I coach offensive line and use the 'Tip of the Spear' coaching method with my lineman) the concussion risk is dropping all the time.

 

[t-gator]

My biggest advice would be to have them watch the program and any given Sunday.

 

[oxrageous]

Anyone who gets a new member to sign up receives 5 Oxbucks after the new member hits 10,000 posts.

 

[gatormandan]

Anyone who gets a new member to sign up receives 5 Oxbucks after the new member hits 10,000 posts.

 

[GatorBart]

I didn't realize they let 6 year olds participate in full contact. Probably comical to watch. Should be fun coaching your son. I love the Reno area, surprised they don't put out more higher level HS talent. I'd love to have heard Butters sales pitch to the QB.

It's called 'Helmets with Cleats'.
Our son turned 6 eight days before the cutoff to join the league, meaning he was the youngest and lightest in the entire league. They practiced five nights a week in August, then three nights a week and games on Saturdays through mid-November. He never missed a practice or game, his teammates loved him because he would get hammered on almost every play in practice and bounce right back up for more, he only played sparingly in games, and only on defense. In the last game the other team kept beating his team with runs to the outside, so since my boy was part of that problem, they stuck him on the D-Line for one play. Well, there were three boys on the other teams O-Line who saw the tiny little D-Lineman across from them all decided they would take the easy block. They all basically landed on my kid after the snap, but he was the first one up of the bunch and pursued the running play from behind. I was proud of that.
Happy to report that he only played that one season (five nights of practice per week for a six year old (and especially his parents) is a little much).

 

[Gator By Marriage]

It's called 'Helmets with Cleats'.
Our son turned 6 eight days before the cutoff to join the league, meaning he was the youngest and lightest in the entire league. They practiced five nights a week in August, then three nights a week and games on Saturdays through mid-November. He never missed a practice or game, his teammates loved him because he would get hammered on almost every play in practice and bounce right back up for more, he only played sparingly in games, and only on defense. In the last game the other team kept beating his team with runs to the outside, so since my boy was part of that problem, they stuck him on the D-Line for one play. Well, there were three boys on the other teams O-Line who saw the tiny little D-Lineman across from them all decided they would take the easy block. They all basically landed on my kid after the snap, but he was the first one up of the bunch and pursued the running play from behind. I was proud of that.
Happy to report that he only played that one season (five nights of practice per week for a six year old (and especially his parents) is a little much).

Seems like a bit too much practice to me too.

 

[5-Star Finger]

I didn't realize they let 6 year olds participate in full contact. Probably comical to watch. Should be fun coaching your son. I love the Reno area, surprised they don't put out more higher level HS talent. I'd love to have heard Butters sales pitch to the QB.

It looks like a slightly less organized rugby scrum. At least once a game a kid with the ball runs the wrong way.

 

[NVGator]

It's called 'Helmets with Cleats'.
Our son turned 6 eight days before the cutoff to join the league, meaning he was the youngest and lightest in the entire league. They practiced five nights a week in August, then three nights a week and games on Saturdays through mid-November. He never missed a practice or game, his teammates loved him because he would get hammered on almost every play in practice and bounce right back up for more, he only played sparingly in games, and only on defense. In the last game the other team kept beating his team with runs to the outside, so since my boy was part of that problem, they stuck him on the D-Line for one play. Well, there were three boys on the other teams O-Line who saw the tiny little D-Lineman across from them all decided they would take the easy block. They all basically landed on my kid after the snap, but he was the first one up of the bunch and pursued the running play from behind. I was proud of that.
Happy to report that he only played that one season (five nights of practice per week for a six year old (and especially his parents) is a little much).

This is exactly what our practice and game schedule will be. I'm shocked when I heard this. Also, our league is for 5-7 year olds. We have to do 3 days of 3 hours for conditioning before we can put on any pads.