Anyone see the Pop Warner Superbowl?

[Lefteyelouie]

I disagree with you sppawfan.

I couldn't even finish reading your first post. If you actually believe that kids quitting at a young age because they know the sport is not for them, is good, then I feel bad for the program you coach for. That is the problem with youth sports. Kids should not be pushed out. Programs should keep as many out as possible. You can not predict how good someone will be when they are 7 or even 11 years old.

[sppawfan]

Yes I played sports and started out in youth leagues and was always the best all the way thru high school to college. You are telling me that kids are better when they come out late???? That is hilarious because you might find a couple athletes that can turn it around without some part of the game taught to them. So what you are saying is experience means nothing?? Ha ha I beg to differ. I saw all the forest hills boys come up thru for years and they were the best in youth, jr high, and varsity. Experience is key. You are telling me hoops players and baseball players all go out later in life and are the stars?? No way. doesn't even make sense. Might happen to 1 kid out of every 100 that played youth sports. That is how they learned. Look at all pro athletes that are top! They all have youth leagues they played and continued thru all their lives playing getting better to make the leap to the next levels. Totally disagree with that ludicrist comment. Makes me laugh someone that coached and played sports would say such a dumb thing. You don't come out of nowhere never playing a sport and all the sudden become a pro. These kids work their tails off all the way thru life tp get their. You might have a case for a few kids, but the majority of athletes start at a young age and are good from the get go and continue to get better thru life by playing over a kid who decides to go out as a senior and has to learn everything starting out with basic fundamentals. Talk to some of the forest hills kids and ask them like meier, dudukovich, mccombie, shopes, mehall etc... Ask them if any kids came out never playing pee-wees that beat those studs out. I don't think so!!! Once a stud always a stud. Same as wrestling also. Any sport. All the kids that started out young were the studs throughout their careers. Like I said, you might have a few like you say come out later and be good, but nowhere near the studs that played all thru it. Not even close in numbers.

[Lefteyelouie]

I didn't say coming out late. I said that thinking kids should quit early because they are not physically developed as quick as other kids, does not mean they wouldn't turn into good players down the road. You basically are saying that if you suck when you are 8 you will suck when you are 18? And, therefore should just go ahead and quit because it is the "right" decision?

[TheAnalyst]

I can see where both of you are coming from. I have coached youth football for a few years. I do agree with lefteye that kids who are good in youth are not necessarily good in varsity. Many times in youth the good players are those who are more physically mature than the others. By the time they reach jr high or varsity the other kids catch up. The youth years do help some kids but I don’t think it’s necessary for each individual child. It’s really up to the parents to decide if it will benefit their child or not.

The problem with youth football is that the main goal seems to be winning versus teaching the kids proper technique and having fun. Again I’ll agree with lefteye, the main purpose in youth sports should be to keep as many kids interested as possible. When they have coaches constantly screaming at them and trying to make them into little headhunters they burn out pretty quick. And it seems like league rules are set up to promote winning even as they tell you it’s all about the kids and learning. I love the 10 play rule. So the bad kids who need the most help are left sitting on the sideline, even in practice, year after year. Because we gotta win that game on Saturday.

My own boy quit playing flag football because it was too rough for him. There are kids that are taught to go out and punish the other teams kids. Where is the fun in that? In his last game he was punched in the face and that’s all he remembers (as a 1st grader). And he was blindsided multiple times. And his teammates had their necks all red by the end of the game from the opposing team grabbing linesmans necks at the snap of the ball. You know, where the head goes the body will follow. Real ethical stuff to be teaching first and second graders! I was really happy when he chose to play as I’m a big football guy. But if he isn’t having fun what’s the point. Be one of those parents who forces their kid to play (there are lots of those). And my child isn’t the only one. Kids are getting discouraged at a very young age. At this point if he never plays again, I’m fine with it. I will never be convinced that he can’t start playing in 6th or 7th grade and not be on the same level as everyone else in a very short period of time.

I personally wouldn’t mind if youth leagues went back to flag until 6th/7th grade. Teams around here were successful before youth tackle came along. And with the amount of injuries I saw in tackle, escpecially the concussions, I think kids are getting damaged for life and parents aren’t even aware of it. When you see a 9 year old child lying on the ground with tears in his eyes and he can’t move any of his extremities it will make you think about whether it’s all really worth it. Let their bodies mature.

[sppawfan]

Why then have feeder systems at a young age for high schools to be ahead of others? Why have any pee-wee sport then is what you are saying because you believe kids will be better going out in high school for their 1st year of sports. Or that pee-wee deters kids from playing sports?? Don't understand your logic. You need sports at a young level for almost all kids to succeed. Any sport! Experience is key. Nick roberts got good from doing wrestling at a young age. Not going out his senior year and getting blasted by kids that wrestled at a young age.

[peytonsaturday]

Bottom line...if coached THE RIGHT WAY youth sports are good. But more and more, the coaches are dads trying to relive the glory days, and take the win at all costs method. Not saying all, but I don't think 60% of youth coaches have the right methodology in mind.

[Lefteyelouie]

I think you are missing my point. I am not against youth sports at all. But, I think they should be made as fun as possible and all the kids should be encouraged to stay out for the sport. I think the problem with you sports are the "experts" who think they know who the next Tom Brady or Ray Lewis is at the age of 8 and the hell with the rest of the kids. My point is that while I feel youth sports can be VERY good for kids lots of times ADULTS seem to ruin it for many. I have nieces and nephews that I have coached in youth sports as young as 4 and 5 years old. I will encourage my kids to play sports at a young age. My 3 year old does gymnastics now. But, while my kids are young it will be ALL about fun and learning the sport. If they like it we will get serious when they get older and are ready to commit. I think it's important for kids to see their parents, coaches, etc are proud of them and are encourageing them. Kids will have plenty of time to be beat down by sports and life when they get older. Let them have fun just being a kid while they can. If you don't they will leave because there are many easier things to do then play sports. Trust me programs everywhere are losing future STARS because they didn't have fun for whatever reason when they were young playing sports.

[sppawfan]

Boy, I don't know what beast of a pee-wee football league your kids were in, but the ones I have been involved in didn't have many injuries. Like I said a finger broke or like a hand from a helmet or cleat, but young kids are flexible and don't get the torn acls etc and as many concussions. And I do see big kids that shot their wad at an early age be awesome and other kids catch up to him. That is totally different than a tough smaller kid who has it from youth to high school. He still develops and gets bigger and stronger. You can tell at that age who has it and who doesn't. And a lot of kids don't like the physicality of the sport and they quit because it isn't for them as opposed to having a meier/ dudukovich/shope/mccombie who knew it was for them and they only got bigger and better and won tons of games at forest hills. The league I coached was the feeder for forest hills and I had many of the studs on my pee-wee team. Those kids that were studs at a young age, were studs all the way thru and I know because I followed my boys all the way thru. Their were so many good kids that went thru that pee-wee league I have trouble listing all of them. Gdulas kmetts mehall kostan lazeration peters,gallahers dell. I even coached eric lowery and hawkeye ohmane. The richland boys also, rizzo, solarcik pecoras silvia roth etc......... I saw a lot of talent come and go and I got to teach and work with these fine great athletes to name a few.

[sppawfan]

I don't think kids should get participation trophys for going out for a sport. They should earn it by learning to win the right way. I do agree that coaches ruin kids and teach them the wrong way to play the game and act the right way also. Teach a kid to strive and win at a young age and work for what you get. Not having coaches give you something you didn't earn just for going out. That is the problem with kids this day and age is parents hand them everything without teaching them to work and earn it. They get spoiled. The dads that I coached made these kids earn things and they were great kids to coach. Their kids had great attitudes and turned out to be great young men. I don't believe in giving, it is earning it thru hard work and dedication.