Is it too early to start recruiting this kid?

**Cyclones_R_GR8** · 10-01-2011, 02:05 AM

Youth league institutes TD limit to hold back 11-year-old - Prep Rally - High School*Blog - Yahoo! Sports

**mac4cy** · 10-01-2011, 07:42 AM

This just shows that our society is soft. We care so much about somebody's emotions that we change the rules so others don't feel bad. I know this is only youth league but you see it all over; school, sports, work, etc. People care so much about other's feelings that we dumb everything down to make the masses happy. I always say we, "pat the back of mediocrity."

**brett108** · 10-01-2011, 07:44 AM

It is possible the kid may have peaked athletically and may not grow another inch. I think we can wait.

**justcynn** · 10-01-2011, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by brett108

It is possible the kid may have peaked athletically and may not grow another inch. I think we can wait.

I'll do some scouting and report back in 4 years...young man doesn't live far from where I am at now...

Seriously though, Arkansas takes their football pretty serious. Not sure how many D1 players come out of here, but the emphasis the folks put on it starting in pee-wee is intense...high school is a whole other story, the High School in my town has Donor Suites, a Video Board and indoor practice facility...sports in general are over the top, my daughter plays volleyball and they have a class devoted to it year round in her school...good thing her goal is to play Volleyball at Iowa State...

**besserheimerphat** · 10-01-2011, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by mac4cy

This just shows that our society is soft. We care so much about somebody's emotions that we change the rules so others don't feel bad. I know this is only youth league but you see it all over; school, sports, work, etc. People care so much about other's feelings that we dumb everything down to make the masses happy. I always say we, "pat the back of mediocrity."

Exactly. There's nothing more instructive for a group of 5-6th grade football players than to get beat 77 - 0. It's great for everyone. They have to learn that they're losers early.

**HFCS** · 10-01-2011, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclones_R_GR8

Youth league institutes TD limit to hold back 11-year-old - Prep Rally - High School*Blog - Yahoo! Sports

I kind of think it would be good for the other kids to see there are others out there who are much much better than them.

I was a pretty good wrestler growing up, and didn't lose many matches. Every once in a while I would run into someone who just beat the crap out of me like pinning me or a 10 point loss. That's what kept me motivated and improving. Some of them I eventually caught up to and beat years later after training like mad and focusing on them. I'm pretty sure I'd have never beat them if they weren't allowed to kick my @$$ early on.

**acgclone** · 10-01-2011, 10:26 AM

I would be against the rule if I had any confidence that most coaches would use good judgement and discretion in running up the score, but I don't. I'm OK with pee-wee's not getting pounded by 80 points.

Once you get into official middle school/HS sports, then rules like this become a little counter productive, unless you're just trying to shorten the game if it becomes a blowout.

**Ry4Cy** · 10-01-2011, 10:30 AM

God, grades, then touchdowns...hes got his priorities straight

**Cyclonepride** · 10-01-2011, 10:36 AM

With my son recently out of the pee wee leagues, and into middle school football, I've watched plenty of games recently. At that age, there is a vast separation in abilities, and one player can really make a team. I disagree that the kid should be pulled by rule, but do think that, out of good sportsmanship, the coach should place the kid in other positions when the games get out of hand.

BTW, our middle school team has a girl who is quite good, playing quarterback and linebacker. She hits like a mack truck too.

**CloneFan65** · 10-01-2011, 10:45 AM

I used to think I was a bench warmer in high school because I wasn't any good. But I bet the coach didn't play me because I was too good, and he didn't want me embarass the competition.

**besserheimerphat** · 10-01-2011, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by acgclone

I would be against the rule if I had any confidence that most coaches would use good judgement and discretion in running up the score, but I don't. I'm OK with pee-wee's not getting pounded by 80 points.

Once you get into official middle school/HS sports, then rules like this become a little counter productive, unless you're just trying to shorten the game if it becomes a blowout.

This is the problem. I coached junior high football for 6 years, and we occasionally ran into coaching staffs who continued to play their best players when already ahead by 28+ points. Our philosophy was to play everyone as much as possible, and if we got ahead by 21 or more we stopped passing and started playing our second team exclusively. When we didn't have enough players for a full second team (which happened a lot since I coached at a 1A school), we'd put our best players at their second/third positions.

**isulive2train** · 10-01-2011, 01:30 PM

Lane Kiffin is stalking him I'm sure.

**Tre4ISU** · 10-01-2011, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by besserheimerphat

Exactly. There's nothing more instructive for a group of 5-6th grade football players than to get beat 77 - 0. It's great for everyone. They have to learn that they're losers early.

I don't totally disagree with your stance completely but doing things like they have done here, breeds complacency. It seems to me doing things like this punishes someone who is very good while teaching basically nothing to the opposing side. This happens all over, not just football. You put a ceiling on one person to make the rest competitive. Again, in youth football, I'm not against that. It's the trend in society that troubles me somewhat. It just seems like the mediocre know they will get by and never strive to get better in certain instances.

**JUKEBOX** · 10-01-2011, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by yaman3

I don't totally disagree with your stance completely but doing things like they have done here, breeds complacency. It seems to me doing things like this punishes someone who is very good while teaching basically nothing to the opposing side. This happens all over, not just football. You put a ceiling on one person to make the rest competitive. Again, in youth football, I'm not against that. It's the trend in society that troubles me somewhat. It just seems like the mediocre know they will get by and never strive to get better in certain instances.

Good thing I'm a beast.

*Objective Fact*