Youth football opinions

[bananiem]

My son played in 4th grade full contact, pads and all, football last fall. He wieghed about 72 pounds and LOVED it! The rules were that if you were over 100 pounds you had to play on the offensive and defensive lines. The 2nd largest kid was 124 pounds. The largest child was 220. He struggles with coordination and needs help getting up after going down. He fell on at least 3 boys that I know of and injured them. One of the boys ended up with a torn ACL, at the age of 9 1/2. He was not maliciously going after these other boys, he just fell on them and injured their legs.
OK, we just had sign-ups for this year and he's playing again. Many parents are in an uproar. These are the things I've heard:
1.) He shouldn't play at all. He can't get up without help.
2.) He should play up a grade or two so he's with other kids his size. (But he doesn't have the skills.)
3.) It's football. Let the kids play. Injuries are a part of the game.

What do you think? What would you want if your child was playing against him?

 

[Bob Slydell]

I always thought (for better or for worse) that most youth football leagues had a weight limit to avoid situations like you described where one child is just way too big for the others?

 

[transparant]

My son always played on weight limit teams up until Jr. Highschool. There was good and bad to that. He was always the youngest on the team - but he was always the biggest on the team. His knowledge of the game was a bit behind the other players. Now he's awesome and all caught up. This year he'll be on the Sophomore team

 

[pozey]

I know that the youth football programs in my area all have certain rules and regulations regarding the child's weight. The position that they are allowed to play is predicated on the child's size. Certain players will wear a certain color jersey if they are over a certain weight limit.

Anyway......on to your question.....

I would have no problem with my son playing against him. Why would you discriminate against a child who simply is bigger than others?

As long as the bigger child is not malicious, I would just say it's all part of the game.

 

[AprilShowers]

I only have girls so take my opinion with a grain of salt. DH played football in Jr. High and High school. He says he wishes he NEVER played football. His knees hurt, his shoulders hurt and he has problems with his elbows. All stemming from seeming minor football injuries.
I've also heard this opinion from several friends and DBIL. They say they loved football, but it just wasn't worth how they feel now.

IMHO, starting full contact sports at such a young age when they are still growing is asking for trouble. Then you add a 200# kid in the mix, and they might as well be playing with a grown man!
For heaven's sake, at least a grown man would know not to fall on the little kids, a young boy doesn't have that capacity.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

DS' youth football program had weight limits. He always ended up playing with the older kids because he is built like a linebacker. He isn't into football anymore. Baseball is his obsession!

If there are no weight limits, then the child has a right to play.

 

[JVL1018]

We have weight limits here, I think..I know we did when my husband played jr football in the 70s and still when he coached in the 90s.
You just can't have a 220 lb boy playing against 75 lb kids. They should put weight limits in place.

 

[sue1013]

I too am very surprised your league doesn't have weight limits. DS has played since age 7 he had weight limits until High School. I'm trying to imagine a 220lb 4th grader!

 

[golfgal]

My opinion is that they shouldn't have full contact football until they are in high school but that isn't one of the options. The most successful college football coach EVER has no contact practices. They don't even wear pads except for Friday before a game. There has to be something to that in my opinion.

Since no contact isn't an option they should have heavyweight and lightweight divisions for the younger grades. I know my 11 year old would be most seriously injured if he played football, all 63 lbs of him. Our oldest tried football one year and after being thrown half way across the field on just a normal tackle, he gave it up !!

 

[Raysplus1]

Our youth football league also does not have a weight limit. 3rd & 4th are together and 5th & 6th are grouped together. If this is the same for your league he should move up. But I also don't think he should be playing with kids 3 grades higher. Two grades should be the limit but from what you said he is going to struggle.

Moving him up but it is only fair to the smaller kids.

 

[pozey]

The most successful college football coach EVER has no contact practices. They don't even wear pads except for Friday before a game. There has to be something to that in my opinion.

golfgal, just curious as to which college football coach you are referring to. I would find it extremely hard to imagine any college football team not practicing in pads except on Friday.

 

[Raysplus1]

golfgal, just curious as to which college football coach you are referring to. I would find it extremely hard to imagine any college football team not practicing in pads except on Friday.

I always thought it was the other way around. You watched film on Mon., practiced in pads Tues - Thurs., no pads on Fri. or travel (heal aches and pains and prevent injuries). I never played college but this is roughly the schedule I always thought they had.

They may watch film on Sun. and have Mon off I am not sure.

 

[pozey]

I always thought it was the other way around. You watched film on Mon., practiced in pads Tues - Thurs., no pads on Fri. or travel (heal aches and pains and prevent injuries). I never played college but this is roughly the schedule I always thought they had.

They may watch film on Sun. and have Mon off I am not sure.

I agree. When I played, we practiced in pads Monday - Thursday, had helmet only walkthrough on Friday. Played Saturday, film on Sunday.

 

[golfgal]

golfgal, just curious as to which college football coach you are referring to. I would find it extremely hard to imagine any college football team not practicing in pads except on Friday.

Unusual, yes, but his record stands behind the method.

John Gagliardi at St. John's in Minnesota.

http://www.gojohnnies.com/football/default.htm

There are several stories about him and the program on this website.

 

[tinatark]

So how old is the child in your son's league - does the league go by grade? If it does, maybe he was one of those held back in Kindergarten so he can be a strong sports player.

That said, my sons are both playing middle school football this year. Middle school is from 6th to 8th grade, so definitely some of the players will be bigger than my 100lb+ 6th grader...definitely bigger than my 80 lb 7th grader.

 

[pozey]

Unusual, yes, but his record stands behind the method.

John Gagliardi at St. John's in Minnesota.

http://www.gojohnnies.com/football/default.htm

There are several stories about him and the program on this website.

That's interesting. I have not read his story before.

 

[golfgal]

That's interesting. I have not read his story before.

He taught his classes the same way he coached, if it was about 65°, no class, no tests, no papers. He is an interesting man.

 

[wvrevy]

I've never heard of a league for kids that didn't have a weight limit. Seems to me that is just common sense. Shoot...the national leagues (Pop Warner and such) all have weight limits.

Sorry...but no way would I allow my kid to play with another player - at that age - that outweighed him by that much. It's just asking for trouble.

 

[Barb D]

Man, this is a tough one - says the mom of a big kid. How is a big kid supposed to get skills if he can't play because he's too big? In our area there are multiple leagues for younger kids, some with an upper weight limit and at least one without. (Their slogan: "Let the big guys play!") The one with no upper limit does have a suggested lower limit.

DS15 wasn't interested in football at that age, and got recruited when he started high school because of his size (currently 6'3" and 220). He was at a distinct disadvantage, though, because he had never played before. In retrospect I wish he had played on the no-limit league as a younger kid.

Perhaps you could get some parents together to start another league so that you have one with a weight limit and one without. As I understand it, the no-limit league in our area was started for that very reason.

BTW, how tall and how old is this 220 kid?

 

[Horseshoes]

What do the parents of the big kid say?

I wouldnt want my son to be injuring others if he was that big. I would feel awful.

I definitley think there needs to be a weight restriction.