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Nothing wrong with him doing flag football if tackle isn't available. Learning the rules and building football skills will be good for him.
Yea, nothing wrong with flag football but the thing is that he will miss out on playing football for the school with his friends. It really is a whole different dynamic. I have watched my son go through the last three years playing football, basketball and soccer with mostly the same boys. He would still have basketball and soccer but it bums me out to think of him not getting that full experience like his brother has had. Not the end of the world but he would miss out.
I'm kind of ready, honestly. I'll miss seeing them play, but it's draining.
That makes sense... I have already been thinking ahead about either keep coaching basketball for other teams or do the ref thing to keep in the game.
I really wish my son would watch football games. The most I have seen him do is a highlight type video on youtube. Both of my boys play a lot of Madden/NCAA 25. Hoping that changes more... he has shown interest in big upcoming matchups which I think is generated from his friends at school talking about it. Football, maybe more than any other sport, is crucial to watch to learn the game and improve.
It is not unusual. Our team, not including my son, probably has 4 or 5 area that spend time on both sides. Generally the more gifted athletes or big kids will likely play some on both sides. For other teams, I tend to only notice the players that stand out... aka, are big kids.... to see them play on both sides. I would say that if you are one of the top athletes on the team or you are significantly bigger (hefty and/or tall) then you likely will play both ways at least some. Our stud player plays most of the defensive snaps and then will get plugged into the Oline here and there. One of our scoring drives last game, they put him in at G (it was on the other side of the field and I couldn't see exactly as we were at a park and no bleachers)- he pulled and was the lead blocker for our scat back. As much as I said no one on the other teams secondary can stand up to my son.... our stud is even more so. He lead that run which was a good 35 yard TD for us. Very few kids... I would say no more than 5 can hold up against our stud and NONE can do it in space. This kid has lead our cross country team to 1st place at sectionals and they are heading to state next week. He is one of the tallest kids in the league, the fastest kid on our team (and we have a few burners), is easily the strongest kid in the league as well with an engine that does not stop. He doesn't get as much pancakes as my son but I think that is because he is just a really nice kid.... not that my kid isn't nice but he is just more aggressive.... and it probably is my fault too as I really celebrated pancakes with him in his first couple of years when he was on the offensive line since that is one of the things you can really point out to an offensive lineman.
Honestly.... I said as much before the season started. Even told some of the coaches that when a couplen is were talkiny about him and how to use him. I said put him a G and pull him to lead block road grading and then on defense move him all along the the line. (Which they have done along with my son.... though I don't think my son went to DE at all this game.
It is just my guess that is why they don't have him full time on the Oline.
Great to see. Time to bulk him up for the playoffs!
I would say upwards of 125. If you saw him and didn't know he was in 6th grade, you would probably think 8th grade or maybe even 9th grade. He is on the higher end of the 6th grade age group but he would be almost as impressive if he was in 7th grade. So, he is nearly a year older than my son. There are a lot of similarities between them and basically if my son starts to work out like he does, would be very similar to where the stud is now, a year from now.
His parents are average Joe types... his Mom told me his father was athletic as a kid. They aren't very tall... both upper 5' but the Mom told me that she has a lot of height on her side and she is taller than average. They are extremely supportive of what he wants but they are completely not the sports driven, mission to get my son to NFL types. They do not make him do anything. But they do sacrifice a lot for what he wants... the only reason he is at our school is that he wants to go to one of the top powerhouse football schools. He was at their camps and they asked the coaches there what he should do to help him get there. They said to go to one of the schools in our football league. They asked two things.... which school do you suggest and is there any that have both football and track. They asked several of the coaches at the school all said our school would be best plus we were the only one to have a track program too. So they transferred in... they live about 50 minutes from the school. They plan to relocate closer after this year because their daughter is finishing high school in their town. So... even though they don't drive him... they do a lot for him for his passions.
What kind of tournaments do you do? How do they work? Like... how many games and how long, etc? Is it local or you have to travel? That is a foreign thing for us. The only sport we do tournaments is basketball. Then again, if we make it to the championship game there is basically no time between football ending and basketball starting so I don't thinik it would ever be a consideration.
Him a little taxed from running two miles a few hours earlier is still him being the best player on the field. This kid is so far above and beyond anyone in the league, let alone our team. I haven't seen anything like it before... whether myself as a child athlete or as an adult involved in kids sports. I mean, I have seen clearly superior athletes or sport specific athletes that dominate but this is way different. On the league he played in before coming to our school he had 24 TD's in a season. That would be like 6-8 games. The other teams in our league should thank God for the weight limits of our league.
Our team is doing 2 this year. Depending on who’s coaching, teams have done 2-4. Most of the ones my son has done have been local to Indy. We did travel to Gatlinburg, TN for the Rocky Top tournament last year. This year the team is doing one in Cincy, but we won’t be able to play in that one. Normally a weekend (Sat-Sun) with 3-4 bracket games, depending on how you do. Big tournaments have multiple brackets per grade. Pretty grueling playing that many games in two days, but middle schoolers have a lot more energy. Pretty much all the ones I’m familiar with end in either 7th or 8th grade.
Yea, that is rough playing 3-4 football games in a weekend at MS level. I think we don't just because it isn't a football program but a school athletic program and the football season starts before school starts and if you make it to the championship game it is basically the following week you are practicing basketball (for those that play both which is a good amount of them). I don't think we could make that work based on how the season is set up and then heading into basketball season but I would think that would be a cool experience to do.
That could be a good thing... maybe not in as much as winning but if a third of the team is gone then that means some kids are playing different positions or getting more time than they normally would. That is a positive for player development for sure.
Defensively he has really come on the last three games. All year he was doing well but he has been dominant on defense.... making more plays consistently than even our stud player (though the stud will make some amazing plays through the games and he gets all the doubles which let's my son eat on single blocks)
Derrick Henry maybe a more modern reference
Yea, he probably would get more jacked to watch him. I would love for him to really get a respect for the game and it's history too though.
Yea, the experience in playing multiple positions I think is great for development.
I said it before but still amazed at the differences between states. No such thing as even league playoffs let alone state championships for middle school sports in PA. You play your season and that is it, no post season until high school.
The State Championship was for Cross Country. That is IESA (Illinois Elementary School Association) which I believe is the little brother organization to the IHSA (Illinois High School Association) which basically IS high school sports in Illinois. Our school is involved in IESA for Cross Country, Golf and Track & Field. I believe this is all schools in Illinois that have those programs and are part of IESA. (Our boys placed 7th as a team and our girls 8th)
His number was in the 40's, he was ruled eligible, not sure on his hands. He did not go out for a pass but was used on running plays to block.
He didn't have many issues, the primary task he had to convert on was the kick step when pass blocking. Always making sure to start with the outside foot. One thing he noticed was that teams will move their speed end to the wide side of the field and the slower/larger end rusher to the short side of the field. So he was changing his blocking style based on the side of the field the ball was on. He has to get his feet moving with the more speed based rushers as well as be physical. But when going on the short side with the size/physical rusher he had to get himself to outmuscle the defensive end.
Who does he do better against, the speed or power rushers?
You know that's a tough call, on the speed rushers once he gets his hands on them its pretty much over as long as he is in front of them. He is bigger than them and can out-physical them at that point. The physical players he can set a base to stay in front of them and stay in the way. He struggled against a rusher who posed both problems. Early in the year he went against a senior who my son was convinced was going to hit him with a speed rush, but the opponent ended up with a physical rush and it took my son by surprise on the first set of plays. eventually he converted to more physical and did the job.
Do these kids basically straight up speed or bull rush almost all the time or do they have some technique in there mixing up swim, rip, club, spin, etc? Like that one senior you mentioned... he didn't go to speed once your son started to keep him in check?
Most of the time it is with technique (swim move, spin, etc.) Once my son got the bull rush down on the senior he started to switch up, combination of speed and technique, delayed rush using speed.
Is that just from the top pass rushers or the par for course with average pass rushers? I just see some pass rushers in college and even NFL that seem like their moves seem limited.
