Bringing Freshmen Along In the Program:

We always let the incoming freshman workout with the team for a few months during the spring so they can slowly incorporate themselves into the program.

WE dont even worry about grades. Once they are in 9th grade, its all the same. They might play on a different day but workouts and all that, the same.

When I was the frosh HC, I started an incoming lifting club for them. I had a few of our senior leaders up there to help them. Met twice a week leading up to summer lifting. Had a huge response and even though I moved up the program is still in place.
As for practice, we have them participate in camp with the jv/varsity but once actual practice starts, they are on their own. Every game though we have large numbers of seniors go to their games to help with anything the freshman coaches need.

From talking to my buddy who is the OC of the freshmen team, the kids this year are very disciplined and enjoy structure.  When they are in the weight room, they dont BS and get it done.  I have actually popped up there a couple of times and see that they are really hard workers.  I think they will have a good year...As long as the new FHC doesnt try to reinstall his version of the "wishbone"  lol

The varsity coaches coach the freshmen and the entire staff is on the sidelines for all home games. We play a lot of players both ways, so our practices are divided evenly between offense and defense. When varsity is on offense, the varsity defensive coaches go to the other end of our practice field and coach the freshman defense, then vice versa for the second half.  The only exceptions are the two coaches we have running the offensive and defensive scout teams for varsity.

When the freshmen play games, the varsity HC/OC and DC are on the sidelines and help coach them, though they dictate playcalling and strategy to whoever is "freshman HC/OC/DC" for that game.   After the game, we give the freshmen a post-game talk. We typically have varsity players working the chain gang and cheering from the stands, too.

On Friday nights, the freshmen wear their jerseys to the games, get in free, and sit together.  We typically have a freshman or two who get called up to varsity during the season in some capacity, even if they don't start, while still playing some on the freshman team. The other freshmen really pull for those guys.  In the spring semester, we try to get as many freshmen as possible into our weightlifting class during school hours, where they work out with other varsity players and get to know each other.

As far as eight-graders and future freshmen, we let them play a lot of their games on our field and varsity coaches are on the sidelines for those, as well. We make it a point to check out the talent we have coming down the line and get to know the kids and their parents as much as possible then.

These are things I feel our program does well.  We usually have good retention from the 9th to 10th grade transition and it's very much a family atmosphere.

So you let them do everything?  Make the calls, decisions?  How did the game end up?  Where there coaches there to back them up just incase?  This is intriguing to me.  

The coaches in the box were the varsity captains (no staff on hand in the box). Two varsity captains communicating with them on headsets were also calling plays.