[Scotty_Bronson]

How's things i your neck of the woods? Raceland has a camp put on by the HS staff for flag-6th grade. Many of the HS cosches at Raceland have ties to the JFL and are mainstays at the games on Saturdays. Imo, that is crucial to the development of your program. I would however, like to see more interaction with the coaching staffs. Ie: a base package of what Raceland runs at the hs level, starting in 3rd or 4th grade.

[Bobcat_Dad]

Bell runs the same offense and defense from k to grade 12. Some of the Hs coaches help with the jr leagues and a couple of them actually coach teams. They are all very conscious to use the same terminology.

[Scotty_Bronson]

Thats something I am going to try to change as myself and the other guys who are involved with the JFL at Raceland are going to try and do. We all played under multiple systems. All playing and graduating from Raceland. One played for Coach Snyder, one for Coach Pack, another from Bill Tom Ross and The last one(myself) was cosched by Vanderhoof. We are going to work hard to get on the same page and try to get the HS more invloved. I think that is the one constant in all of these perinial title contenders. The system doesnt change from year to year. When I began in JFL we went ran the wish bone. By 5th grade t was a variation of the flexbone, my 6th grade year it was a hybrid of the 2. 7th grade the wish bone and pro offenses. 8th grade we went to the franklin system. It was that way from there on out. I know our feeder system runs the same offense as the hs, i think it needs to start earlier than that.

[Real Badman]

From a coaching standpoint that is the problem with teaching one system. When Johnny plays in the 4th grade and is learning the wing T, when Johnny becomes a freshmen Bear Bryant decided to run the A11. It all depends on the stability of the program honestly.

[plantmanky]

Our HS has almost zero involvement with our program, however they have 3 feeder teams so its hard to help one and not the other, so they just worry about whats happening on the HS field.

[Fly Like a Duck]

It's important, but the level of that importance? Who knows.

The main thing that youth leagues need to do is keep things simple, keep it fun and keep kids involved. Even if it's that kid who is just terrible..can't catch a cold...slow...etc (we all know the ones, heck, we were all this at some point). But, get them involved (split them out wide away from the play for goodness sakes).

Sorry. Got off topic. But, those are what's most important. I think that if your 5th/6th graders are running what the HS....then, that's the age they really need to start being on part w/ the HS (w/ the MS doing what the HS does, obviously). Those 7-8, 9-10's....If they are doing what the HS is doing, great; but, make sure those first three things are being done above all. If so, the rest will take care of itself.

[HAROLD]

I've not been around the little league program in a few years down in Corbin but while it wasn't affiliated with the Redhound progam from an official standpoint, the high school staff did have imput.

It wasn't a requirement to run the system that the high school ran but each coach was given a list of the standard base plays, allignments, and assignments that the high school ran. Each coach would put their tweaks in but for the most part, the league ran the basics in order to prepare them for middle school and high school. I think this is a key part of Corbin's longstanding success and would love to see other programs across the state get more involved at the youth levels. Football is such a big part of these communities that it not only prepares kids for when they get to the high school level, it makes them feel a part of the program that they've always dreamed of playing for from an early age.

[pjdoug]

It's important, but the level of that importance? Who knows.

The main thing that youth leagues need to do is keep things simple, keep it fun and keep kids involved. Even if it's that kid who is just terrible..can't catch a cold...slow...etc (we all know the ones, heck, we were all this at some point). But, get them involved (split them out wide away from the play for goodness sakes).

Sorry. Got off topic. But, those are what's most important. I think that if your 5th/6th graders are running what the HS....then, that's the age they really need to start being on part w/ the HS (w/ the MS doing what the HS does, obviously). Those 7-8, 9-10's....If they are doing what the HS is doing, great; but, make sure those first three things are being done above all. If so, the rest will take care of itself.

I agree. teach fundamentals and keep it simple.

[DevilWatcher]

I agree. teach fundamentals and keep it simple.

I agree. If you can teach kids at the flag thru 3rd plays and expect them to retain that same knowledge the next year than you have smarter kids than we have. I tend to see those years as the "stance and starts" kinda years. Basic fundamental aspects of the game. I do agree that as they get older they need to incorporate a good bit of what their HS runs.

[Ramcat77]

I think you're wasting your time if you're trying to teach little Johnny to run the spread offense in the third or fourth grade, when he can barely remember what position he is playing.

[DevilWatcher]

At Russell some smaller teams used colored wrist bands. Example blue/white and would substitue colors for formations or directional plays because most still couldn't tell theft from right. Lol