Friday Night Tykes: The Dark Side of Youth Football

Photo: Friday Night Tykes (Esquire Network)

According to the National Council of Youth Sports, over 44 million children participate in organized sports leagues throughout the United States. Why are there so many kids involved in youth sporting activities? Youth sports have a proud tradition of providing opportunities for physical exercise, developing coordination, teaching kids about sportsmanship, social skills, and responsibility, and developing relationships while learning to work within a team structure. Healthy lifestyles and positive life lessons have long been hallmarks of youth sports.

The fast-moving world of social media and culture is producing many negatives, and youth sports are unfortunately seeing some of that "dark side' as well. As these young athletes grow older, they dream about attaining a college scholarship and continuing to play sports at the collegiate level. The challenges that come along with this dream create a tremendous amount of pressure for student athletes. The NCAA reports that of the 7 million boys and girls who play sports in high school, fewer than 200,000 will receive a partial or full college scholarship. With football, only 1 in 1,250 high school football players will play in the NFL, and in all sports, 70 percent of children who play organized sports quit playing before they enter high school. (Parenting.org A Shot at the Big Time is a Long Shot)  Sports have become so competitive that those positive lessons are lost early on, and we are driving kids away from their sport and their dreams at an earlier and earlier age.

As if the resulting damage to young athletes isn't bad enough, highlighting the worst behaviors present in youth sports and arguably "celebrating" it should give us all reason to reflect. If you haven't seen the trailer or any episodes of Esquire Network''s new docuseries, 'Friday Night Tykes,' then brace yourself. The show features 8-9 year old boys playing in an elite football league in San Antonio, Texas. This elite league is about winning and winning only. At all costs. These children are exposed to misguided leadership, profanity, troubling and excessive practice techniques, fighting, illegal hits, verbal and physical abuse, and coaches actually encouraging these young players to hurt their opponents.

Check out the trailer here:

As you watch the series, you find a community that is extremely passionate about youth football and is very supportive for the children. As a viewer, you also witness a community that has become obsessed with all the things that are wrong with competition and has completely forgotten about all the things that are good about youth athletics. Parents and coaches have totally lost their mindset that the children’s long-term development is the most important thing. I was truly embarrassed to watch the show and even more upset that a community would allow something like to happen. As parents, we stress the importance of youth sports and try not get wrapped up in the wins and losses, but Friday Night Tykes has gone way past just getting consumed with scores and records. The show exposes and creates an image for all those watching that this is what youth football can and should be like if you want to win.

 This flawed thinking is extremely troubling to those of us who believe in the power of positive development for kids in sports. These are the major issues that I see with Friday Night Tykes:

1) You aren't there to win, you are there to learn. There is no quicker way to take the fun out of youth sports than to make it all about winning. If kids are enjoying the activity, enjoying their time with peers and coaches, and learning skills and sportsmanship, they are going to stay involved. Learning the game and making meaningful contributions to your team can be a lot of fun, and that should always be the emphasis in youth sports. Kids need to learn to be gracious winners and losers. That is a lesson they will carry with them for life.

Photo: Friday Night Tykes (Esquire Network)

2) Even the toughest kids are still kids. We are not doing these athletes any service by telling them to "toughen up" and hide their emotions. Young athletes have to deal with struggles and emotions, and it is our job to help them face their challenges appropriately. Positive reinforcement from supportive parents and coaches will do more to develop "toughness" and resilience in kids than dismissing the real adversity and feelings these athletes face.

3) Maintain focus, but maintain balance. These coaches have lost sight of any type of balance between family, school and football. The coaches in this show have one priority: Winning. Practice, practice, practice. Destroy your opponent. Punish kids for going on family vacation. Basically, the focus on winning destroys the focus on positive development and the essence of sportsmanship. As coaches our goal is to help create well-rounded individuals that can be successful on and off the field.

4) Coaches and parents need to work together. One very scary aspect is that these coaches think they can do no wrong, and the parents do very little to challenge their abusive tactics. These coaches seem to be able to say and do anything they want no matter how morally wrong, demeaning, or devastating it may be to the kids and parents. As parents, we entrust coaches to help lead our children and be mentors to our kids. If the kids see the coaches handling situations with anger and aggression, they will look to handle situations in the same manner. Coaches and parents need to be on the same page about providing a positive experience and atmosphere for young athletes.

If there is any value to Friday Night Tykes, it is that it very clearly shows us what NOT to do when we work with young athletes. While I'm certain people will watch the show, I hope that its era is short-lived. I can't help but think that the millions of coaches, parents, and athletes who know better than this and do better than this every day will have a greater impact on the sport than the skewed 'reality' of Friday Night Tykes.

Championship Weekend in the NFL

It is Division Championship weekend in the NFL, and the QB matchups of Manning vs. Brady and Kaepernick vs. Russell for this weekend have many believing this could be one of the greatest football weekends in playoff history. In the AFC, we have a familiar matchup of the two best teams and two of the best QB’s in NFL history. While in the NFC, we have two of the younger but most exciting QB’s currently playing in the league. Many feel that these two QB’s are the future of the NFL and play with the QB style that all teams will be looking for. Besides the QB’s, both games feature very good teams that deserve to be competing for a shot to play in the Super Bowl. It looks to be an exciting weekend in the NFL!

Some things to watch for:

Patriots at Broncos
If you remember the first time they met this season, the Broncos jumped out to a big lead, and then the Patriots came roaring back to win in overtime. The game was a tale of two halves and of turnovers. New England could not hang onto the ball in the first half, and Denver took full advantage of their mistakes. The story totally flipped in the second half with Denver turning the ball over and the New England offense scoring at will. The AFC division title game, should feature a little more consistency by both teams.

New England has changed their identity a bit since the last meeting. New England has suffered many injuries to starters, but continues to find new players to fill in and continue their success. Many reporters have said this is Belichick’s best year of coaching, and it is difficult to argue this point. Yes, they still have their star QB in Tom Brady, but they have also really improved their running game. The Patriots bring a trio of backs and try to use their powerful back Blount to finish the game out. Brady has been very successful throwing short passes and then establishing play action off the run game. If the Patriots can continue their success running the ball, they will be very difficult to beat, as they will be able to keep the Denver offense off the field and eat up clock.

For Denver, last year was a year of getting comfortable with their new personnel. This year, there are no excuses. Anything less than the Super Bowl would be a disappointment for the Broncos. Their record-setting offense this year did not carry over to an underwhelming performance in the first playoff game against the San Diego Chargers, and they have their work cut out for them against the very talented Patriots. Denver has home field advantage and they will to make the most of this by trying to disrupt Brady and the Patriots offense, while at the same time keeping the pedal to the floor and continuing to score touchdowns. Denver’s defense has also been hurt by injuries this year, but do not look for them to point fingers. They will look to make New England try to earn each first down and shut the run game down for the Patriots.

49ers vs Seahawks

Anyone that followed this NFL season is excited for this game for many different reasons. This game features two talented teams with talented QB's, but inter-division teams that split on the season is what has people so excited. This game has truly become a rivalry from top to bottom, and while the players respect each other, it's fairly clear they do not like each other. The coaches also have a history dating back to their days at USC and Stanford. With each team winning when they faced each other at home this season, the playoff rematch is going to be high intensity, extremely emotional, and fun to watch!

The Seahawks have a distinct advantage playing at home, and only one team has been able to overcome that advantage in the last two years. Seattle is able to feed off the crowd and take advantage of the lack of communication they are able to create with a loud atmosphere. The Seahawks defense has been stifling at home and creates pressure that allows their talented defensive backfield to take advantage of poor decisions by opposing team QB's. Offensively, Seattle has been riding the shoulders of Marshawn Lynch and QB Russell Wilson. Wilson has struggled throwing the ball in the playoffs, but he has not panicked and is willing to punt and allow his defense to come out and play. Many times in a game, the opposing defense thinks they have Wilson sacked and he finds a way to escape and create a big play that makes the difference in the game. His composure is admirable and will help his team against the 49ers!

San Francisco took the Wild Card path to this point and won their first two games on the road at Green Bay and Carolina. The 49ers believe they are a different team than the team that lost in Seattle during the regular season. Michael Crabtree has returned and emerged as a reliable WR to compliment Anquan Boldin. Their TE Vernon Davis was injured and ineffective but has returned, plus their QB who struggled earlier in the season is now playing with the confidence that took the team to the Super Bowl in 2013. San Francisco also has a very talented defense. San Francisco will bring in one of the best LB groups ever assembled and a very aggressive defensive line.

This game will be a little different than most big games. Usually we say that the team that turns the ball over will have an uphill battle. In this game, it will not only be turnovers, but it could be as simple as which team even allows a big play. Field position will be critical, and if an offense takes great field position with a big play, this could be the difference in the game. Watch how the two defenses try to keep the QB's from having an opportunity to create big plays with their legs. This will lead to the teams throwing against man-to-man coverage and trying to take three yards and a cloud of dust with the run game.

Between the dynamics of the QB's, the talents of star players, and the rivalries between teams and coaches, there are plenty of reasons to be excited for the Division Championship games! Enjoy this great weekend in the NFL!

Roundtable with the Coaches: Will Powell Heads to France

Our Academy athletes and families are well acquainted with Coach Will Powell. He has worked with many of our athletes over the past year, and he is definitely a well-respected and much-appreciated member of the Riggs Premier Football staff. Coach Powell will be leaving this week to play football overseas in Nimes, France, for the spring and summer. Coach Riggs asked him to share a few thoughts before he takes off on this football adventure:

Tell us about the team you will be playing for and the area of France it is in.
I will be playing for the Nimes Centurions in Nimes, France. Nimes is located in the south of France about 20 minutes away from the Mediterranean Sea. The Centurions are coming off of a Division 2 championship, and this is their first year in the Division 1 French league. We are looking to contend for another title in the D1 level!

What will be different about the game itself or the game experience in France?
The game itself will not change in terms of rules or playing style. But what will be different are my responsibilities on the team. I will be playing wide receiver and safety, which I have not played since my freshman year of college. I will also be responsible to help coach my teammates. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge of American Football with my team!

How can your fans in Sioux Falls follow your experience in Nimes?

I will constantly be updating my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages so it will be easy for people to follow me while abroad (Will17Powell). The official Centurions website is centurions-nimes.com. I also will be blogging while I am overseas. I am not completely done with the website yet, but the link is willpowell605.wordpress.com

How will this experience improve you as a player and a person?
The experience will help me as a player because I will simply be responsible for much more on the field than I was accustomed to at USD. I will be returning kicks and punts in addition to playing both sides of the ball. So it will certainly be a challenge physically to be able to stay healthy and play at a high level week in and week out.

As a person, I am excited to get out of my comfort zone, that being South Dakota. I am looking forward to traveling to a place where no one really knows who I am. Some people may be afraid by that, but it is something I've never really experienced before being raised in South Dakota, and then playing college ball here as well. Finally, I am hoping to get a better feel for what I really desire to do in life for a career, whether that be coaching, training, or whatever.

Do you speak any French? How do you feel about French cuisine?
I got Rosetta Stone a few months back and have been practicing my French on and off. French is a difficult language though! I hope to become somewhat fluent by the time I return to the states. And for cuisine, I really haven't looked too far into what types of food they eat there regularly. I am a huge seafood fan, so being close to the Mediterranean will absolutely have its benefits!

What are you most excited about?
I am most excited about seeing another part of the world. I love traveling and seeing historical places. So I am really going to the perfect place to experience a whole new culture.

It is great to see Coach Powell pursuing his passion for football and for travel! We will stay in touch with him and provide updates on his experience overseas. We wish him the very best of luck, and we look forward to hearing all about it when he returns. Best wishes, Coach Powell!

Florida State v. Auburn: Championship Preview

The BCS games this year have provided great and memorable football moments as we have watched some tremendous players from the best big programs in the nation compete in the bowl spotlight. As the BCS draws to a close, football fans are anticipating more of the same in a heated matchup between No. 1 Florida State vs No. 2 Auburn in the VIZIO BCS National Championship.

Florida State comes into this game as the nation’s only undefeated team at 13-0, and they won all of their games by at least 14 points.  Florida State is #1 in scoring at 53 points per game and #1 in points against at 10.7 points per game.  The Florida State offense is #14 in passing yards at 322.0/game and 23rd in rushing yards at 207.4/game.  

Auburn comes into the game with a 12-1 record and as champion of the SEC, which has won the past seven national championships.  Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn was the Offensive Coordinator under the previous team that won the title, and he has helped Auburn go from worst to first.  They are now one victory away from their second national title in four years.

While Auburn has had a magical season beating Georgia on a Hail Mary pass, then defeating Alabama with the “Kick Six” that ended the game in unbelievable fashion, they are not as balanced as Florida State with an offense that is #107 in passing at 169.6yards/game and 1st in rushing at 335.7 yards per game. Auburn has the 10th overall offense at 40.2 points per game and 38th defense at 24.0 points per game given up.

Nick Marshall, Auburn's QB, has been hot the last 4 games, rushing for 503 yards and 6 TD's while passing for a 163.5 passer rating, 4 TD's and no interceptions in the last 3 games.  Marshall needs to keep this trend in the Championship game. Auburn needs to control the ball and can not give FSU any turnovers.  This will be a very difficult task against the FSU defense. FSU has 16 different players with an INT, and they only allow 152.0 yards per game passing (#1 in the nation). FSU is just as good against the rush, only giving up 93 yards per game.

So if you are tuning in at 7:30 on January 6th, the key thing to watch is the matchup between Florida State's highly ranked defense and the nearly unstoppable Auburn run game. This is a great matchup, and it will be fun to see what schemes the teams have put in place and how both sides adjust their skills to excellent opponents. Auburn’s offense is #1 in rushing and revolves heavily around its rushing attack. They present a spread look, but it is more of a deception, because they want to spread out the defense and create space for their running game. Will Florida State have the players in the trenches that can take away seams and the large running lanes that Auburn has relied on to win?

If you haven't watched Jameis Winston play, this is your chance to see the redshirt-freshman Heisman Trophy winner in action. He has definitely been a difference-maker for the Florida State offense and has led his team to solid victories all season. A lot of pressure comes with winning the Heisman, so we will see if Winston handles the pressure of winning and traveling all over the country away from his team, losing out on film time, meetings, and practice time. There has not been a very high success rate for previous Heisman Trophy winners in big games after winning the award. This is also Winston's first full season of playing college football and he has really not been tested much since Florida State has won every game by more than 14 points. Will Auburn be able to put pressure on Winston and force him into poor decisions? So far, he has handled everything thrown at him this year and seems to have a very calm and collective demeanor that you do not see with most young players.

As with most big games, turnovers will likely be the deciding factor. Neither team wants to give the other team any extra possessions. Florida State has been very good this season in creating turnovers and staying at a +17 in the turnover margin. Florida State’s defense plays very fast and aggressive, and they force teams to make quick decisions that can easily lead to careless turnovers. Auburn is even on the season for their turnover ratio. They have not forced many turnovers this season and can ill afford to turn the ball over to the very explosive Florida State team. Auburn may not have forced many turnovers, but they have capitalized on some big ones in big games to find ways to win. Both of these teams are hoping to play mistake-free football, and whichever team manages the turnover factor best is likely to come out the winner of this game.

It looks to be another exciting National Championship game! Enjoy!