For a lot of high school football players, football goes way way back. All the way to a really young age. It usually starts with a dad tossing the football around the living room (inevitably into a few lamps) and then progresses to the local version of Pee Wee football. Depending on the area you live in, Pee Wee football can be pretty sophisticated and organized. It really comes down to the coaches (loosely translated as \”Dads\”) that run the program. You can usually the effects of a great Pee Wee football program all the way up through the high school level and both obvious and some not so obvious reasons. Let\’s take a look at how Pee Wee football can shape a great high school team in the future.

We tend to think that a great athlete can just \”walk on\” and play football. We may all remember that kid that just came out to practice one day in his Junior year and became a prep football phenom overnight. These tales might make for great Hollywood movies the truth\’s a little more involved. Some of the key ingredients for great football players such as strength, quickness, hands, etc are definitely an advantage on the football field but there\’s a lot more to the game than just raw athleticism. The game itself can get as complex as you (or your coach) wants to get. You have all the rules to get down but more importantly, you have to get the plays down. This goes for every position on the field (except for maybe kicker which is skilled in itself) both on the offensive and defensive side of things. A mental mistake on a given pass pattern can not only blow the play but result in an interception. It\’s takes some time to get down all the routes, blocks, defenses, and plays needed to be successful these days in high school football. The old days of \”go deep and I\’ll throw it\” are pretty much over as coaching and gameplay gets more competitive and sophisticated.

Pee wee football is the only way to get enough repetitions in before entering the high school level to where each play is automatic. That \”internalizing\” of the game itself is huge as we all know that most of sports is actually a mental challenge as opposed to physical. You can tell the kids that played pee wee football. They just seem more comfortable and at ease on the field. The rules of the game have become second nature after all those years exposed to the game. This brings up the second big advantage beyond just learning the plays. You have to be cool under pressure. This is especially true for positions like quarterbacks and receivers. The game moves fast you can\’t get jumbled up or anxious. Like almost anything in life, there\’s no better way to overcome the initial nerves outside of just doing it over and over again. There\’s something about stepping on to a field in a competitive game at the Pee Wee level that makes you comfortable on the stage.

Finally, Pee Wee football should be fun. If the game is fun, the kids will keep playing. This really comes down to the coaching staff. You get coaches that are a little too turbo and they actually kill the game. You can look at the most \”driven\” Pee Wee players and basically forecast a percentage of them will burn out and quit the sport around middle school. Keep Pee Wee football fun and the children will develop a lifetime love of the game that will bear fruit at the high school level.

Author Bio: Dennis Jarvis writes about the world of Prep Sports including high school sports such as high school football, basketball, and baseball.

Category: Sports
Keywords: pee wee football, high school football, prep football, high school sports, prep football