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Youth and Tackle Football

A question from another Mom:

I have a question concerning football and youth. I have an 8-year-old flag football player who is larger than most his age. He is begging and begging to play tackle football next year, but I am unsure of the benefit of this. I have an older son (26) that played college ball and had red tape NCAA problems ruin eligibility. He was a top state player and had good NFL size at 6' 5", 240-280 lbs. He played flag football and one season of Pee Wee in his youth. I did not see that the lack of tackle ball until 14 did him any harm in development of his skills, but my older son points out that the competition is now tougher and the earlier you start the better. I am hesitant to agree with this. We come from a background of the men in our family being athletes. The question is that I wonder how strong a roll genetics play in a young athlete; not with size, but with development capabilities. I feel that my son will develop speed, competitive nature, and agility playing other non-contact sports until he is able to play in an organized high school football program. My older football experienced son says the earlier the better. I feel that being genetically pre-disposed he will naturally develop skills with time, and does not need Pee Wee tackle football to hone his skills so young. He has the drive but is still young, and as the teams play by weight size etc., he will automatically be with older players. He is 5ft and 90lbs. My son again disagrees with me here... he says it is good to play with older more experienced players, I see injury potential.

I am very torn and do notice that a lot of ex-NFL players also hold their children back from contact sports until high school. Is there a valid reason to do this or am I just being a paranoid Mom once again?

I can't say with any expertise how strong a roll genetics play in development capabilities, but I suspect, as you suggest, that your son may have an advantage in that regard.

That said, lets talk about your fundamental question; should your son play youth football? The answer is, it all depends. Let me explain.

Because of his size he is in a situation fairly common for the bigger kids. Weight limits of many programs force the younger but bigger kids to play against older and often more mature players. The dilemma here is that, often times, the bigger but younger player is less coordinated and slower which compounds his difficulty. 

If the difference in skill level is significant, that can be a real problem. If players are significantly mismatched, in size or most importantly in skill level, there is a risk the younger player may be discouraged and/or overwhelmed and will likely quit playing. There is an increased concern for injury if the mismatch is very significant, but it is important as a parent to remember that the injury rate in little kids' football is quite low; lower than soccer for example.

In some cases a player may unfortunately fall completely out of the weight limit for a program regardless of age and cannot participate until high school.

I have found that unless the bigger child is extremely well-coordinated and very athletic, it is not necessary to move him to an older group because he is not really a threat to kids his own age. In the right kind of program he can play and develop his skills and his confidence with kids his own age. The following year it may be appropriate to move him to a higher level.

If however, the younger but bigger child is very well-coordinated and athletically gifted for his age, he can compete safely and favorably with players at an older or more advanced level.

At the high school level, the very skilled athletes have little difficulty making the varsity team, even if they have never played a single game as a child. For the "average" player, however, (and most kids fall in this category), having played at the youth level can be an advantage and could make a difference in whether he makes the team. For the less skilled player who may not play in high school, youth football (again the right kind of program) may be the only opportunity for that child to experience the fun of little kids football.

From what you have said, I suspect that your son is, or will soon become, a strong and skilled athlete. So it is very likely when he reaches high school, the coach will be seeking him out - even if he has no prior football experience.

What it really comes down to is this: Your young son is eager to play football. If you let him, I expect he will not only enjoy it but it would also kindle a strong desire in him to play at a higher level, an important factor that comes from a positive youth football experience.

Several times I have made reference to "the right kind of program". Let me briefly explain what I mean. I believe youth sports should be all about fun and participation. Very often, however, kids play in highly competitive programs where this is not a priority. Players complete for playing time and for position. Only very skilled players should play in programs of this type. The less skilled players in this type of program receive little coaching instruction and practically no playing time and are often turned off of football forever.

As for your comment about ex-NFL players, I would simply say this - for every ex-NFL football player who holds his child back, there is one who doesn't. For example, Mark Brunell, quarterback for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, enrolled his 7-year-old son in our Junior Development program and recommends it highly.