Let them Play!
I often get asked when a kid should start playing tackle football and my response is always the same.
“The sooner, the better. If the kid wants to play, then let them play.”
I’ve been involved with coaching youth football for almost ten years now and I’ve seen kids of all sizes and abilities. While I see the news reports, research studies, and potential laws attempting to push the starting age until kids are 12 or older, I believe that is the worst possible thing for kids. I don’t need any research studies or opinions from politicians. Since I have been personally working with kids ages 5 – 13 I have paid close attention to how the kids develop and mature. I’ve only seen a few injuries in general and in nine years my son’s only concussion came from flag football and not tackle.
What I see consistently is that the younger kids are often still learning how to be aggressive and the hits aren’t nearly as violent. I remember my son being 45 lbs and regularly involved in tackle drills with his friend who was about 85 lbs when they were on 6u. It was the classic, one on one Oklahoma tackling drill. Sometimes he made the tackle and sometimes he was left lying on the ground. However, he never got hurt and not once were any of the coaches worried about the kids getting hurt regardless of size.
Later, when he and his friend played 10u together that philosophy changed. 10u is when a lot of things in football begin to change. At 10u they never ran straight up against each other in practice. My son was about 80 lbs and his friends was about 150. That situation would have benefited no one. They still hit during practice but only in angle tackling drills. It’s more important to match size and skill level as kids get older for football. Not the other way around. At that point his teammate had figured out how to use all 150 lbs because he had been playing football for five years already.
When parents try to tell me, they are going to wait until their kids are in middle school because their kids are small, I try to caution them not to. If the kids want to play when they are younger, then let them play and try it out. Kids can absolutely be successful when they wait but they are also playing against kids with a lot of experience. I’ve had 1st year players at the 12u age group with kids that I have coached since they were 5 on the same team. Initially, I avoid putting the new kids against the veterans at practice to give them time to acclimate. But often they never get to the point where they can match the veterans during that initial season. Even the new kids who are larger struggle against the smaller veteran players in tackling and blocking drills. It takes time to get use to football and the mentality to constantly be physical with your opponent.
When deciding if your child should wait to start tackle football the number one determining factor should be athleticism. The more athletic a child is then the longer they can wait. Athletes gone ball; it doesn’t matter the sport. But parents must be honest and not compare their kid’s athleticism to only their immediate peers or kids they have seen. Look on the internet at videos. More athletic kids can wait because if they don’t start until 12 or in high school, they are still athletic enough to fit in. They will still need to learn the game, but their athletic ability will help them keep pace despite lacking fundamentals and knowledge. And any good coach can find a spot for an athlete.
The number two determining factor should be size. If you child is very large in height and weight they can also wait longer. Although I wouldn’t recommend it still, any coach will tell you that, “I can’t coach size.” There are plenty stories of offensive linemen or defensive linemen who never played until high school or even later and still made it to the NFL.
However, lesser athletic kids and smaller kids must be stronger and/or more knowledgeable to close that gap at older ages. Children gain knowledge from playing experience. More specifically, their practice playing experience. When they are instructed on the fundamentals and get quality, instructional repetitions.
Additionally, at younger ages there are a variety of options for kids to play. Different leagues have different rules to make the game more accessible or easier for lesser skilled and/or developed players. Since some leagues have mandatory play rules, player matchup requirements, or don’t keep score, kids can focus more on fun or player development. You don’t get that opportunity in high school or middle school. You can either play or you can’t. And if you can’t, you watch.
Starting your kids at a younger age allows them to learn skills faster and develop as the game develops. Keep in mind pairing your child with a quality coach has a tremendous impact on this. Make sure your child is learning something on their team about blocking, tackling, stances, and where to line up at the youngest ages. All coaches do it, but not all teach it. As a parent it is your job to understand the difference to support your child’s development.
The key to determining if your child is in a good learning environment is the organization and structure of practice. Look for the following signs:
- Are they just running plays all practice or instructing kids on how to do different things like blocking, tackling, where to be at, catching, etc.?
- How long are the lines at practice? Bad Example: 15 kids waiting in one line for their turn to catch a pass.
- Do coaches only do whole group instruction or do they take the time to discuss and teach kids individually on occasion?
- Can the coach demonstrate what he would like the kids to do in some capacity?
- Is practice the same every day or can you tell that they do different things with the kids throughout the season?
Notice all the things I said look for deal with practice. If you do not ever attend practice as a parent, then you honestly can’t approach any coach on game day about your child’s playing time. You’re unaware how your child performed or was instructed in preparation for the game. If you can’t attend because of work have a friend or family member attend to provide feedback. Practice is more important than games. Let me say that again, practice is more important than games! However, that is another conversation for another day.
In conclusion, let them play! Find the appropriate league and/or team setting and let your child start at an early age. I’ve seen the research; I’ve seen the studies, but in non-biased studies on CTE it is found in a percentage of all the population. Don’t hold your child out of football so long that it’s harder for them to keep up with the seasoned veterans. Let them start early so they can gain experience and there are more choices for leagues and teams for them to enjoy the experience. Until next time, B U!
