Congrats to all those are still in it and made it to their Championship games.Please see below seedings and Championship schedule.
We are deeply saddened to share this heartbreaking news. Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends, and all those affected by this tragedy. In times like these, it is difficult to find the right words, but we want to extend our deepest condolences and unwavering support to everyone impacted. Please know that our community stands with you.In the wake of any tragedy, schools and communities must come together to provide immediate emotional and logistical support.The initial period after such an event is critical, as individuals cope with shock, fear, and sadness.Please use the QR code below and donate, Thank you…
Teaches Teamwork:Tackle football instills the critical value of teamwork and teaches kids how to play and interact well with others, no matter what age they enter the sport at.
Instills Sportsmanship:Tackle football teaches kids about what it means to be a good sport, fostering them to become a role model for what it looks like to celebrate the wins and learn from the losses.
Forms Healthy Habits:Tackle football represents a key tool in helping kids develop life-long healthy habits instead of staying inside playing video games, tackle gets them up, gets them out and gets them exercising.
Promotes Fitness:Tackle football encourages physical activity and healthy movement for kids at all levels of athletic ability, ensuring kids spend quality time away from the screen. They dont need to be the fastest on the field to be a good player.
Creates Community:Tackle football fosters a welcoming and supportive community for kids to be a part of and grow with across their journey with the sport. Plus, its a true scholastic sport, so it also emphasizes community for kids in an at-school setting.Inspires Parent-Child Bonds:Tackle football generates moments for parents and kids to bond over a shared love of a sport, from playing catch in the backyard to following your favorite professional teams together.
Offers Long-Term Options:Tackle football provides an avenue for kids long-term participation with a prestigious sport, from youth scholarships to other opportunities to continue their journey, even at the collegiate level.
Builds Resilience:Tackle football equips kids with the skills needed to be resilient and learn to independently pick themselves up when things get challenging.
Fosters Leaders:Tackle football helps teach and instill what it means to be a leader, empowering kids with ways to take initiative and show responsibility for their actions both on and off the field.
Generates Discipline:Tackle football provides a hands-on approach to teaching kids how to be disciplined, while also integrating useful structure and organization in their lives.
The values of football set up kids for success on and off the field. The game inspires character, leadership, resilience and teamwork key life skills that transfer from the huddle to the classroom and beyond.
I believe football teaches the values of teamwork, resiliency, hard work, commitment and integrity in a way that leaves a lasting impression on the young men who play the game that lasts a lifetime.- Randy Allen, 2017 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year
What I learned from football enters my life every day. So, when you ask what a CEO does drives performance, knows how to develop other people, and knows how to set standards. All three of those things I think in some way come back to what I learned when I was playing football.- Jeff Immelt, former CEO of General Electric; offensive tackle for Dartmouth College
ResilienceSimply put, the character development and life lessons I learned through football informed every facet of my life in a positive way. The game taught me the successful qualities of teamwork, physical and mental toughness, resilience and competitiveness.- Jason Jenkins, Senior Vice President, Miami Dolphins
TeamworkThese [football] environments teach young men about taking coaching, overcoming adversity and communicating with teammates. There is a unique bond that I have with my high school teammates. Its a bond that never goes away.- Peyton Manning, former NFL quarterback
Everyone always talks about those sports parents. The ones that are overly competitive, argue with the coach, build their child up the next Michael Jordan, and coach from the sidelines. Unfortunately those sports parents with the bad behaviors are the ones that make the news and get all the attention. But we feel its very important to celebrate the great sports parents, the ones that make youth sports a wonderful place for our kids!
They know the best thing they can say is I love to watch you play.
When reviewing the results of aninformal surveythat lasted three decades, hundreds of
college athletes were asked to think back: What is your worst memory from playing youth and high school sports? Their overwhelming response: The ride home from games with my parents. Those same athletes were also asked what their parents said that made them feel great after a game. Their overwhelming response: I love to watch you play.
There is a time and a place to go over what went wrong and what went right during the game, but you need to remember that what you say, what you mean, and what your athlete hears can be three very different things. You might think you are being constructive with your critique, but your son/daughter just feels like nothing they do is good enough. Saying Im so proud of you, or I love to watch you play is never a bad idea! At the end of the day, most children just want to please their parents so be sure you let them know your love isnt contingent on them winning!
They let their child play the sport (or other activity) they love.
You might have been a cross country stud in your day, but maybe your child prefers tennis, or karate, or swimming. Or maybe they just dont like sports all that much and would prefer to just play intramurals for fun. Regardless, the best sports parents understand that their children are their own people, with their own lives and goals and interests. Our job as parents is to support our kids as they do what they love to do. Be there, be supportive, be encouraging, even if its a sport you know nothing about. As long as they are happy why does it matter what sport they play?
Your child is not your chance to relive your own athletic glory days, or unmake the mistakes you made. Yes, most five-year-olds arent signing themselves up for Little League, but as they get older be sure you are listening to what they want and not just pushing them into what you want.
They cheer on the whole team, not just their child.
Not every parent can make it to every game. That doesnt mean they arent supporting their child, but there might be a sibling with a game of their own, a doctors appointment they cant move one more time, a last-minute work projectlife happens! Great sports parents are there to cheer on the whole team, not just their child. If you werent there when you son hit a homerun or your daughter scored the game winning goal wouldnt you want someone to give them a high-five? Do the same for the other kids on your childs team!
Especially if your child plays a team sport (football, lacrosse, etc.), the success of your child is largely dependent on the whole team! After all, a quarterback cant score any touchdowns if they dont have a team of receivers, right? A goalie can make amazing saves, but they cant exactly play defense and offense from the goal! So cheer on your team, because they are the ones helping your child succeed on the field!
They know when to speak up and when to back down.
One of the hardest things a parent deals with is letting their child fight their own battles. We want to swoop in and fix things and make life a little easier for our kids. But there are some circumstances that our children need to learn to stand on their own two feet. For instance, if they really want to play for a certain travel team it shows immense dedication and courage to walk up to the coach after tryouts and ask what skills do I need to work on to make the cut? Yes, you could ask the same question but when the player themselves walks up to the coach it can make a true impression.
On the flip side, there are some circumstances when we as parents need to stand up. If our child is being bullied or intimidated by their teammates or the coach we have the right to get involved. If we suspect even the tiniest bit of verbal, physical, or emotional abuse we have the obligation to report it! Playing sports can help our children learn how to stand on their own two feet, but they are still just kids and some fights they shouldnt have to handle on their own.
Three Ways for Parents to Avoid Politics in Youth Sports
inFor better or worse youth sports, especially as the competition level grows, can be full of drama. Parents team up against coaches,coaches penalize playersfor the action of their parents, league administratorspick teams made of their friends, parents get into it with each other, and more. Too much drama can suck the fun right out of a season, and keeping your hands out of the fray might be the best way to ensure your child doesnt get caught in the cross-fire of youth sports drama.
Here are three things parents can do to avoid youth sports politics:
1. Ask the coach about their expectations before the season starts.The best way to avoid confrontation/politics is to know what you are in for before the season
starts. If your child has to miss a practice will they be benched during the next game? How will to coach ensure every players gets time on the field? What is their policy for pickup and drop-off at practice? Are there any rules you as the parent are expected to abide by? The more you know in advance about how the season should go the fewer surprises youll be in for. If they written their policies up you can always pull those rules out should they not be following their own guidelines!
2. Dont get sucked in if other parents are complaining.Misery loves company, and parents that feel like their child isnt getting the playing time/recognition they deserve are bound to cause a fuss on the sidelines. They might start looking for allies and other parents are the first target. If you dont want to get involved in the politics of youth sports than dont get sucked in to another parents drama. If they have a legitimate concern/complaint they can take it up with the coach after the game without having to drag you into the drama.
3. Encourage your child to speak up for themselves.When kids play on more high-powered travel teams most coaches dont adhere to the equal time for every player rule. If your son/daughter isnt getting to play as often as they want, or not getting to play the position they want, encourage them to talk to the coach themselves and remove yourself from the situation. Chances are the coach will be impressed that a young player is taking the initiative to find out what they need to do to improve and earn their spot. If you get involved it might create drama with the coach, especially if it comes across like you are trying to tell them how to do your job.
Granted, if your child is being bullied or teased or truly cant earn their spot on the field you have every right to speak up, but make sure youre coming in when necessary, and not just because you want to fix everything and make the team perfect for your child.
If you really want to change things, it might be worth looking into volunteering as a coach for the next season, or maybe even joining the league board. Granted, getting really involved means dealing with more drama, but sometimes its easier to prevent drama from the inside out!
Football is Americas favorite sport, andHeads Up Footballis changing the way the game is taught at the youth and high school level. USA Football is asking football moms, dads and coaches to tell us why they believe in football and how the game has influenced their lives.Share your story, and we will consider it for inclusion in this series. Make sure to include your name, hometown and a photo with you and your favorite football people to accompany the feature.
Should I let our son play tackle football?
This question is being asked in households in every city and town across the United States.Warriors Youth Sportsin Denver and theArapahoe Youth Leaguewould like to provide our answer to this question a resounding YES and then provide you information to help you reach the same conclusion.
Having played this sport, coached my own sons and instructed many others, I strongly feel that every child who shows interest should be allowed to play tackle football, the greatest game out there. Football provides the best opportunities for your child to learn many life lessons that will apply to the future. Life lessons to help them be better men, husbands, fathers, citizens, employees, bosses you name it.
Football is a hard sport. There is no debating that. However, I believe many of you will echo that at times life is pretty hard as well. There is no other sport that requires the same levels of teamwork, self-sacrifice, reliance on others and physical preparedness that a player learns in tackle football. Like life, football knocks you down time and time again and requires you to get up and face those challenges until you master them. Football teaches perseverance, something that can be applied to playing a musical instrument, public speaking, math, chemistry, work skills, boot camp, special projects, family budgets and so much more.
You may accept all of this, but it doesnt address your fears that your son will get seriously hurt playing tackle football. Unfortunately, this is an area where the national media has done a great disservice to this question. Football in America is news. It is the most popular sport on TV, and it will always attract the negative story if there is one out there.
In February 2012, USA Footballcommissioned a two-year study of injuries in footballcalled the Youth Football Player Safety Surveillance Study. This independent scientific study monitored 13 leagues with more than 200 teams and 4,000 players, ages 5 to 14, in six states. For the study, medical professionals attended every practice and documented every injury from an upset stomach to the smallest bruise to broken bones and concussions during the course of the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The studys findings include:
Nearly 90 percent of youth players did not sustain an injury that resulted in missing a game or practice
Of the 22.4 percent of players who reported an injury, 70 percent returned to play the same day
Of the 11.9 percent of players who missed a game or practice because of injury, 60 percent returned to play within seven days.
Bruises were the most common injuries (34 percent) followed by ligament sprains (16 percent)
1.4 percent of players suffered a broken bone or fracture with 77 percent of these in the forearm, wrist or hand
More than 95 percent of players in the study did not sustain a concussion
No youth player age 7 or younger sustained a concussion at any time during the two-year study
No catastrophic head, neck or heat related injuries were reported among 4000 players during the studys two-year span
Injury rate and time loss rate goes up with age
This research marks the first significant data-driven study performed regarding youth football and represents a huge advancement in learning and understanding for our parents. It is believed to be the first study of its scope in youth footballs 80-plus year history. One national expert in the area of sports medicine and injury rehabilitation isDr. Stanley Herringfrom the University of Washington. Dr. Herring points out your children are far more likely to get injured in wheel-based recreation such as skate boards, bikes, rollerblades or on school playgrounds or using trampolines than in tackle football. All of this data leads to the conclusion that tackle football is not radically unsafe for your son to play.
Another important consideration has been raised by Tom Cove, president and CEO of theSports & Fitness Industry Association. Mr. Cove recently stated in an industry forum that the biggest health issues in the U.S. comes from inactivity. Inactivity has become a pandemic in the U.S. In 2007, 25 percent of Americans said they were inactive, (nearly 70 million people). That number rose to 28 percent by 2012 (nearly 80 million people) and is projected to grow to 31 percent in 2018 (nearly 91 million people). In Mr. Coves opinion, the benefits of football to the youth of the U.S. is huge, and football is a tremendous opportunity to get our children active.
The Warriors, the AYL and USA Football are committed to creating the best atmosphere in which your child can learn this sport. That begins with coaching education, clear and consistent direction from medical experts on player safety and a strong focus on teaching the fundamentals at the heart of your childs youth sports program everything that USA Footballs Heads Up Football is about. That is why Warriors and the AYL are again partnering with USA Football. The AYL has committed to pay the costs in 2014 for all of our coaches head and assistant to obtain coaching certifications in tackle football through USA Football. All of our member clubs will be appointing Player Safety Coaches to oversee the implementation of Heads Up Football, and the AYL will appoint a League Level Player Safety Coach. The purpose of these PSC positions is to educate all of our coaches regarding proper methods to run practice drills, proper organization of practices, teach proper Heads Up Tackling techniques and provide information for our parents who may have concerns or questions. All of this adds up to the overwhelming commitment that the Warriors and the AYL have to continue to find ways to make this game we love safer for your son.
We believe that tackle football is the greatest sport for a child to play, and it is important to measure a sports benefits against its risks. Tackle Football is a hard sport, no question, but with the commitment to make this sport safer for all of our players we hope you can now answer the question posed above with your own resounding yes!
As warm weather approaches, football players and coaches are starting to pull out the helmets, shoulder pads,blocking shields and lesson plans for spring workouts.
One key to a good football practice is proper hydration.
Throughout training including before, during and after players and coaches both must focus on maintainingadequate hydration levels. Drinking plenty of fluids and staying well-hydrated benefits onfield performancewhile reducing the risk of heat stress or illness.
Hot and humid environments present greater chances for players to have fluid, energy and electrolyte deficits,but staying hydrated remains crucial even during mild early spring weather.
Ewing (N.J.) High School athletic trainer and USA Football Football and Wellness Committee member Dave Csillanprovides some hydration tips and rules all football players and coaches should consider before lining up.
The chair of the Athletic Trainers Society of New Jersey Secondary School Committee, Csillian received abachelors degree in physical education from Trenton State College and a masters degree in athletic trainingfrom Old Dominion University. He is a member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic AssociationSports Medicine Advisory Committee and the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Liaison to USA Football.
How much should you drink before and after activity? Drink 12 fluid ounces 30 minutes before activitybegins. After activity, drink every 20 minutes during the first hour to make up for fluid loss.
What should you drink?Cold water is the best fluid to drink during activity and allows for fast absorption.Its a myth that cold water gives stomach cramps. Sports drinks work well after activity to help replenishlost electrolytes.
How much should you drink during exercise?Children under 90 pounds should drink 5 ounces every 20 minutes,and children more than 90 pounds should drink 9 ounces every 20 minutes.
Easy tip: A childs gulp equals half an ounce of fluid. Therefore, a child 90 pounds or less should drinkat least 10 gulps every 20 minutes.
What is the thirst response? Dont allow thirst to be your guide to drinking. By the time you feel thirsty,you are already dehydrated.
What color should your urine be? Your urine should look like lemonade and not apple juice. Urine color canbe a non-scientific indicator that the body is becoming, or already is, dehydrated.
Drinking liquids is a necessity. Players and coaches should keep water and sports beverages available duringdrills and training sequences.
Dehydration signs and symptoms include: feeling fatigued, lack of energy, muscle cramps, headaches, dizzinessand thirst.
Coaches should be mindful of keeping their players hydration in balance.
The best preparation for workouts is coming into practice well-hydrated. Football players need to monitorsweat loss and increase fluid intake as their exercise level increases. Many teams mandate players weighingthemselves before and after practice to see how much water weight was lost.
Heat illness and dehydration are not a 100 degrees Fahrenheit issue. Heat illness has been known to occurin temperatures of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, Csillan said. When the right combination of air temperature,relative humidity and exercise intensity are present, so is the risk of dehydration and heat illness.
Altering practices to the training environment, allowing for a gradual increase in exercise intensity andproviding proper fluid intake makes dehydration and heat illness 100 percent preventable.
Every player on a youth football team should feel he is an important part of the teams success, even though they might not share the same abilities and talents.
Longtime and highly successful coach Russ Jacques of the Strongsville High School football team, in Strongsville, Ohio, fully believes this coaching strategy.
Jacques understands that for younger kids to have the desire to continue competing in football, they must feel good about themselves. And they cant feel good about themselves with a football inferiority complex.
A coach has to feel his way around that situation, Jacques says. But every kid has to get some positive feedback. If hes not the best player physically, maybe he can be the kid who leads calisthenics or the kid who gets a little head start on a relay race and wins that. You want him to go home at the end of the day and tell his Dad, Hey, Dad, I was the guy that led calisthenics today! You have to be positive.Make football drills stimulating and funJacques believes the primary function of the youth football coach is to teach football fundamentals in an enjoyable way.(A great way to coach the football fundamentals necessary to play quarterback is through PlaySportsTVs football training planHow to Play Quarterback.Heres one of over 40 drills:the Pitchtechnique.)
Its all about blocking, tackling, catching and throwing. But players wont learn these football fundamentals if theyre not having fun on the field. Most players minds are prone to wandering through boring and repetitive drills.
What you want to do is make it a competitive situation, Jacques says. Instead of running gassers, do a relay race. Bring it down to the level that will allow you to get your work done with the kids not even knowing it.
Most people are competitive by nature and kids are no different. Dont tell them theyll be running gassers after practice. Tell them theyll be running a relay race and they wont even know theyre getting in shape.
Kids who are 7 or 8 or 9 years old, all they want to do is play. But they have to know that to play the right way, and they have to learn the basic things. They want to do something for a short time and then do something else. You have to break your practices down into segments.Football coaching tip: Keep encouraging playersJacques also stresses that even if all your players learn the basics, they are not all going to enjoy performing those specific tasks equally. He believes that coaches must be sensitive to the feelings of all his players.
In other words, everybody will learn how to tackle and how to be tackled safely, but while some younger kids will love the contact that is a necessity in football, others will shy away from it. That doesnt mean they are doomed to play only non-contact sports. It just means they must be given time and encouragement.
Some kids are going to love tackling and getting tackled and some kids are not, Jacques says. Some kids have to work up to wanting to hit somebody and wanting to get hit. But those are life lessons. In life, when you get knocked down, you have to get up. And thats what they have to learn.
The bottom line is that every youth football player must believe he is contributing to the team effort.
You want every player to understand his role and look forward to every day, he says. As long as he feels like hes contributing, thats the most important thing.
Story courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
The Baltimore Ravens hosted their annual Ravens Football Clinic, presented by Under Armour, at the Fallston Recreation Complex for over 300 Harford County youth athletes on Saturday. Members of the Ravens coaching staff were on hand to guide participants through a series of age-appropriate drills to develop their offensive and defensive skill.
The Ravens coaches in attendance included: Bobby Engram (wide receivers), Jay Harbaugh (Offensive Quality Control), Chris Hewitt (Assistant Defensive Backs), Don Martindale (Inside Linebackers) and Clarence Brooks (Defensive Line). The young athletes got to take part in drills that were similar to the ones that the coaches have Ravens players do. The
Ravens head team physician Dr. Andrew Tucker wrapped up the clinic by speaking to the athletes and their parents about concussion awareness.
Coach Engram was one of the favorite coaches at the clinic. The kids took to his hands on style of coaching and it showed by the progress that they made as he helped them learn how to become a better receiver . He talked about why he came out to coach at the clinic.
It means a lot, its a blessing because I remember when people came and helped me as a young football player. Its a part of the reason why Ive been able to do some of the things that I did in my career. Youre never too young to learn fundamentals. Its great when they see coaches and players that care about them as people.
To me coaching is a way to continue to serve.
Each camper received a t-shirt provided by Under Armour. Ravens youth football specialist, Coach Tom gave the kids a very upbeat pep talk and encouraged them to Play Like A Raven. There are two more Ravens clinics coming up this month. Parents should register their children for them as soon as possible by clicking the following link:Ravens Clinics
Victor Santiago from Aberdeen Maryland told Pro Player Insiders that he had a great time at the camp. My favorite thing was coming here and having fun. I learned to keep a good base in the offensive line drills. It was great to learn about values like hard work. The camp was a success as many of the young athletes left with a smile on their face.
The Baltimore Ravens hosted their annual Ravens Football Clinic, presented by Under Armour, at the Fallston Recreation Complex for over 300 Harford County youth athletes on Saturday. Members of the Ravens coaching staff were on hand to guide participants through a series of age-appropriate drills to develop their offensive and defensive skill.The Ravens coaches in attendance included: Bobby Engram (wide receivers), Jay Harbaugh (Offensive Quality Control), Chris Hewitt (Assistant Defensive Backs), Don Martindale (Inside Linebackers) and Clarence Brooks (Defensive Line). The young athletes got to take part in drills that were similar to the ones that the coaches have Ravens players do. The Ravens head team physician Dr. Andrew Tucker wrapped up the clinic by speaking to the athletes and their parents about concussion ach Engram was one of the favorite coaches at the clinic. The kids took to his hands on style of coaching and it showed by the progress that they made as he helped them learn how to become a better receiver . He talked about why he came out to coach at the clinic.
It means a lo.