Post by mahonz on Apr 19, 2010 19:20:20 GMT -6
I need some help from some of you really smart guys sorting some things out that are directly affecting our youth organization.
Our league is celebrating 65 years. There are 15 cities (areas) that all participate in this league. Its unlimited weight and captured middle school football in the early 90’s when the school districts killed these programs due to a budget crisis. We are quietly gearing up to take on freshman football due to our school district now being $40M in the red. It’s going to happen, just don’t know when.
The culture in Colorado as far as football goes is pretty lame compared to some of the serious states. It is not a religion here and has created a huge issue for our youth league.
As long as I can remember, I started coaching youth sports in 1983, there has never been a youth Spring tackle football league in Denver other than a few attempts at NFL 8 man leagues that were all one and done.
Two years ago an 11-man spring league started up and now they are doing pretty well. In the league I coach in if you as the coach participate as a team in the off-season then coach gets suspended for 365 days. The spirit of his rule is silly and not worth explaining but is written and many have been suspended for simple things like having a film study at a birthday party in May, for example.
All areas maintain strict boundaries and kids play where they live. Some even articulate to the proper High School.
Now there are two new youth leagues that are starting up this fall and will also offer a spring league. The league I coach in is now being pressed hard to re-write its Off Season Participation Rule. Both of these leagues invited our Executive Board and Board Members to meetings this off season to discuss whatever. Before any of the deep thinkers on our Board…like me…could even talk about it, our newly elected President basically told them to get bent and stop contacting us.
Currently the kids in our league can do whatever they want but the coaches cannot as mentioned. The coaches are getting tired of this “ We own you” mentality. These new leagues are well funded and offer everything we do not… like no boundaries….meaning they are one entity with one bank account and one philosophy and we are 15 separate entities faking as one that get along about as well as Congress. This league has never had any real competition and is acting like an 800-pound Gorilla that is untouchable, which they have been forever.
I am in the…. I am worried camp and we all had better lighten up as a league right now or some of our best coaches are going to leave…then the kids…then we fold. If one of these leagues gets rolling this league I coach in will have to start up its own spring league to compete.
Those that are completely against even giving these leagues any credit keep citing CHASSA that does not allow any off-season contact. They cite the fact that the NCAA has 20-hour practice weeks during the season and that the NFL does not have contact during its off-season at all. People listen to these arguments because they feel year round football is not acceptable even though it’s beginning to happen right in front of their completely closed eyes.
Philosophically I do not agree with youth tackle football in the spring because I think kids should experience a little bit of everything if they can before they eventually get pegged to do one or two sports well in High School. But that’s just me and I won’t press my personal thoughts on the masses.
As administrators at the youth level it is not our jobs to be the parent. It is our job to serve the needs of the community and give that community the best possible product at a fair price.
So my question is, how do High School program operate in the off season in states like Ohio, Texas, Florida and the like where football is a religion. How does High School football operate in any other state? Are any of you allowed full contact in the off season?
How does the NCAA deal with its off-season participations? No need for any NFL feedback as the claims some are making are simply obtuse observations from the under educated.
I coached youth spring ball in Arizona about 10 years ago. The culture in Arizona was very different than Colorado. I always attributed that to the weather. Now I believe I was way off and completely wrong because the culture in Colorado is changing and many are really fighting it.
Thanks for reading this. If you need more specifics…I can continue.
Coach Mike
Our league is celebrating 65 years. There are 15 cities (areas) that all participate in this league. Its unlimited weight and captured middle school football in the early 90’s when the school districts killed these programs due to a budget crisis. We are quietly gearing up to take on freshman football due to our school district now being $40M in the red. It’s going to happen, just don’t know when.
The culture in Colorado as far as football goes is pretty lame compared to some of the serious states. It is not a religion here and has created a huge issue for our youth league.
As long as I can remember, I started coaching youth sports in 1983, there has never been a youth Spring tackle football league in Denver other than a few attempts at NFL 8 man leagues that were all one and done.
Two years ago an 11-man spring league started up and now they are doing pretty well. In the league I coach in if you as the coach participate as a team in the off-season then coach gets suspended for 365 days. The spirit of his rule is silly and not worth explaining but is written and many have been suspended for simple things like having a film study at a birthday party in May, for example.
All areas maintain strict boundaries and kids play where they live. Some even articulate to the proper High School.
Now there are two new youth leagues that are starting up this fall and will also offer a spring league. The league I coach in is now being pressed hard to re-write its Off Season Participation Rule. Both of these leagues invited our Executive Board and Board Members to meetings this off season to discuss whatever. Before any of the deep thinkers on our Board…like me…could even talk about it, our newly elected President basically told them to get bent and stop contacting us.
Currently the kids in our league can do whatever they want but the coaches cannot as mentioned. The coaches are getting tired of this “ We own you” mentality. These new leagues are well funded and offer everything we do not… like no boundaries….meaning they are one entity with one bank account and one philosophy and we are 15 separate entities faking as one that get along about as well as Congress. This league has never had any real competition and is acting like an 800-pound Gorilla that is untouchable, which they have been forever.
I am in the…. I am worried camp and we all had better lighten up as a league right now or some of our best coaches are going to leave…then the kids…then we fold. If one of these leagues gets rolling this league I coach in will have to start up its own spring league to compete.
Those that are completely against even giving these leagues any credit keep citing CHASSA that does not allow any off-season contact. They cite the fact that the NCAA has 20-hour practice weeks during the season and that the NFL does not have contact during its off-season at all. People listen to these arguments because they feel year round football is not acceptable even though it’s beginning to happen right in front of their completely closed eyes.
Philosophically I do not agree with youth tackle football in the spring because I think kids should experience a little bit of everything if they can before they eventually get pegged to do one or two sports well in High School. But that’s just me and I won’t press my personal thoughts on the masses.
As administrators at the youth level it is not our jobs to be the parent. It is our job to serve the needs of the community and give that community the best possible product at a fair price.
So my question is, how do High School program operate in the off season in states like Ohio, Texas, Florida and the like where football is a religion. How does High School football operate in any other state? Are any of you allowed full contact in the off season?
How does the NCAA deal with its off-season participations? No need for any NFL feedback as the claims some are making are simply obtuse observations from the under educated.
I coached youth spring ball in Arizona about 10 years ago. The culture in Arizona was very different than Colorado. I always attributed that to the weather. Now I believe I was way off and completely wrong because the culture in Colorado is changing and many are really fighting it.
Thanks for reading this. If you need more specifics…I can continue.
Coach Mike
