Youth Football League

[GatorBart]

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.

His league was 6&7 year olds, but he practiced most of August as a 5 year old (he turned 6 before the first game). They too had to go three days of practice without helmets and pads. Though the coaches encouraged the team to wear their helmets while watching TV, taking a shower, etc. to get used to them as they are real helmets, fitted specifically to your child by a professional (they are not comfortable), and they weigh a lot (compared to how much the kids weigh).

 

[GatorBart]

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.

I remember when we picked up his practice gear and they said ‘practice starts Monday night’. My wife replies ‘so every Monday night the for practice then?’. And they reply ‘oh no, practice is M thru F’. And we were like ‘oh fvk’.

 

[Thick&ThinG8r]

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.

Having a full team on the last day of sign ups wasn't a concern when I coached, it was having a least 17 on the day of certification (usually the last Saturday in August) all not to heavy or to light with physicals. It can be nerve racking at times but, it's worth it to spend that time with your kids. Without a doubt the best time of my life,if you include all the baseball I coached with my boys.
I will add, I'm damn glad I coached football in the 80's because I'm fairly certain the head coach and I would probably go to jail in the snowflake era we live in now.

If I were you I would go to Netflix and watch Friday night tykes and don't do any of that sh! t. Good luck and I hope you have a good group of parents.

 

[Bushmaster]

I have coached my kids since flag all the way thru HS. Won a couple of state titles in the process and even had both kids o the first state title team. Went to 2 more title games since and went 1-1. Went undefeated at EVERY level I have coached at least once. I have a little knowledge on how to coach.

That's a bit much practice for a middle school team much less a bunch of 6 year old. Keep practice fun. Bring the unconditional kids along slowly. Too hard too so and you can lose an otherwise outstanding player.

I have coached the varsity level the last 7 years. Had more injuries in flag football than any other level except varsity. Flag has no protection. Its bone on bone. At that age it's more hugging and falling to the ground than vicious hits.

Enjoy that time. Winning a state football title while coaching my two kids was awesome. Winning another title with my youngest son was icing on the cake. He has been to the title game every year since 9th grade and won 2 titles. You won't regret that time.

 

[Thick&ThinG8r]

@Bushmaster you may be better than you give yourself credit for.
I've met a few coaches who won at every level and each one had very disciplined teams. My guess is yours were also.

 

[Marine1]

I’ve coached either baseball, basketball or football for the past 37 years. Mostly youth leagues but even coached during my Marine Corps days both on and off base. I coached AAU basketball for years and have been a HS head basketball coach for the past 10 years.

But without a doubt the absolute most fun I’ve ever had coaching was youth league football right there in Gainesville. It was a 10-12 yr old league and I loaded up with 10 yr olds my first year and 2 years later we tore that league up. The league had a mercy rule once you had a 35 point lead...game over. I was playing 3rd stringers early just to manage the lead and try to get at least 3 quarters in. That was early 80’s and all I remember was I coached Sun Bank and I guy named Tom Collup ran the league for Gainesville Rec. Good times!

 

[Bushmaster]

@Bushmaster you may be better than you give yourself credit for.
I've met a few coaches who won at every level and each one had very disciplined teams. My guess is yours were also.

We were that. Part of a 30 year military background sort of demands that!! We were organized as well. I went from coaching rec ball straight to varsity at the local high school. The head coach there was also the head of the rec league and we ran the same offense as the high school. The theory was to build the base at the rec level, continue on thru jr high and by the time the players showed up at the high school, the offense never changed. I taught that playbook to 6-7 year old kids (scaled down of course). The coach comes out one night and is looking at formations and plays and told a buddy of mine he wanted to talk to me after the game. It was very crisp. Kids broke the huddle, lined up, ran jet sweeps, dive plays, qb boots, threw it around a little. I think we only had one drive the whole season we didn't score and that was in the championship game. It was the only game we trailed.

I keep it fun, yet demanding. I ran the dog crap out of my JV players at the end of practice. It was fun because we would talk crap to the varsity while we did it because they wouldn't sprint as hard as we were. Kids today are a lot different than my generation. If they think you like them, they will do anything for you. You have to love the ones who are not very likable though, and those are some of the ones who are likely not getting much attention at home. Oh the stories I could tell......