[Wildcat18]

Middle school can be a big tool if coaches don't let their ego get in the way. To many coaches worry about wins rather than developing players. Lot of middle schoolers sitting on their helmets. Coaches should play as many kids as possible. Large middle schools should platoon to keep as many kids out as possible. Lot of kids are run off because they are not given an opportunity. When the 15 year old 8th grader stops growing the 14 year old who has surpassed him physically is no where to be found because he did not enjoy sitting on his helmet watching 12 kids play both ways and get all the snaps.

I somewhat disagree. Winning matters. How many kids do you know that want to play for a team that doesn't win? It is a huge recruiting tool just to get your boys out from your own school that may not play. The kids that don't play often need to learn to embrace the scout team roles. Just because they're on the scout team in middle school doesn't mean that's where they'll be in high school. It's about hard work and outworking the guy next to you. You're not doing them any favors by giving them gifts early just to keep them happy in my opinion. Life doesn't work that way, why should football? I know that our 2011 scout team could have made a very deep run in the middle school playoffs. Those guys won that title for us that year because our starters would literally play the best team they faced all year at practice every day. They worked their tails off and some of them are getting varsity reps right now because of their work ethic, not because we just let them on the field in middle school to keep the numbers up. Football is a sport where you have to earn and work for what you want. It's the same as life.