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I was shocked last year at the schools that play as a combined 7th and 8th team. Any idea what is affecting the turnout for Jr. High football??

My son will be in 7th at PHS. He has a big class but few play sports. Hopefully we have enough. Parental involvement is def a issue .

NY is D6 so a combined team is almost a given year in and year out. Some schools are lucky to have 35 kids at the HS level so you aren't going to see big numbers in jr high.

Most high schools in are area are D5 and usually have big numbers at the Pee-Wee level. usually you dont see numbers decline until the high school level.

Lazy kids and poor parenting

noles_fan wrote:Most high schools in are area are D5 and usually have big numbers at the Pee-Wee level. usually you dont see numbers decline until the high school level.

All things run in cycles and that goes for numbers too.

NY has good numbers last year in both 7th & 8th grades. I think this years 7th grade class will be small.

ny92 wrote:NY has good numbers last year in both 7th & 8th grades. I think this years 7th grade class will be small.

Yea I heard that.
I know that a few years ago they has small numbers for both grades for 2 or 3 years.
That's why I say numbers often run in cycles.

part of it is that a lot of kids do not get to play in peewee due to the coaches wanting to win above all other things. yea its nice to win but the peewee program is to feed the junior high as it is to feed the high school programs. at wheelersburg they have been doing their program the same way for over 40 years. they have four teams starting at 5th grade with about 15 kids on each. they play inter league in which it is required that each kids plays at least 2 quarters. this is to keep the kids interested in playing. they don't start them at 3rd grade or earlier because they don't want to burn them out. at some schools kids have played 9yrs of football before they get to high schools. they run some of the high schools plays. at one time no parents were not allowed to coach it was usually kids who where just out of high school. there will be up and down years but over all their numbers are about the same. at one time I believe that even in junior high that all the kids were to play also. the thing is who don't know who the stars are going to be at that level.

I've heard all the argument for going to a inter league in pee wee but it doesn't always work out. Northwest tried it failed to get any benifits out of it. Valley is doing it and they couldn't even field two teams last year so maybe it isn't all roses.

It's gonna get worse. As the NFL on down keeps scaring parents to death about concussions, more kids are gonna be steered towards soccer

Northwest parents ran off two good high school coaches in Dick Tipton and Larry Hall. There are more disgruntle parents in league play due to play time for their kid. The problem with the league play is that most of the coaches are trying to relive their so called glory days if they had any by putting winning above learning, developing and feeding the junior high and high school programs due to a lot of the pee wee programs do not any of the high school coaches input on what he would like for the kids to learn and work on.

freebee wrote:Northwest parents ran off two good high school coaches in Dick Tipton and Larry Hall. There are more disgruntle parents in league play due to play time for their kid. The problem with the league play is that most of the coaches are trying to relive their so called glory days if they had any by putting winning above learning, developing and feeding the junior high and high school programs due to a lot of the pee wee programs do not any of the high school coaches input on what he would like for the kids to learn and work on.

I agree with you 100% about Northwest. Northwest school system is the worst in the area about parents dictating how things are done. I've said so myself numerous times on different threads through out the years. They know what it will take to make a change but arnt willing to go through with it.

My biggest problem with the inter legue play is the competition. Kids want to play against kids from other schools. Ive seen it in other sports through out the years. kids get tired of just playing agaist their friends the get bored with it. Football unlike the other Pee-Wee programs have no all-stars at the end of the year so there is nothing for them to look forward to.

On your statement on league play I'll agree with some of what you say about over zealous coaches reliving their past. I have also seen coaches who have went out of their way to teach kids fundementals and make sure every kid participated. And working with the high school coaches on what they would like to accompilished at the lower level.

The problem as i see it is when you have numbers out you still have teams that are combining grades. Why combine grades and have 25 kids setting on the sidelines never seeing the field. Im sure the league would be more than willing to add more teams from the same school. It will only mean more revenue coming in and that just makes it easier from them.

I think you can interleague so all your kids get to play. More than anything you develop 4 quarterbacks, 12 running backs, and so on. At the same time make an all-star team and play in some of the numerous two day tournaments in the area. It shouldn't be a problem if all teams are running the same system, since they should be. That way all kids get playing time and the more advanced get competition.

Don't get me wrong the super bowl in pee wee is great for the kids. But nothing makes me laugh more than these adults wearing their pee wee super bowl shirt and jackets. It's pee wee football where most of the better schools in the county don't even participate in the league. Football is about SOC's and playoff wins at the high school level. All other levels should be to attain those two goals. Anything else means diddly really.

Westfan wrote:I think you can interleague so all your kids get to play. More than anything you develop 4 quarterbacks, 12 running backs, and so on. At the same time make an all-star team and play in some of the numerous two day tournaments in the area. It shouldn't be a problem if all teams are running the same system, since they should be. That way all kids get playing time and the more advanced get competition.

Don't get me wrong the super bowl in pee wee is great for the kids. But nothing makes me laugh more than these adults wearing their pee wee super bowl shirt and jackets. It's pee wee football where most of the better schools in the county don't even participate in the league. Football is about SOC's and playoff wins at the high school level. All other levels should be to attain those two goals. Anything else means diddly really.

Go look a 8,9 or 10 year old in the eye and tell them it doesnt mean Diddly.

I agree it is to get kids ready for high school but it is also to develope a love for football that must people on this site have otherwise they wouldnt be on here.

Diddly may be a bad word. I agree in trying to win and if you're in the league then you try your darndest to win it. You definitely don't want to loose as that breeds losing, kids loose interest and your numbers decline.

What I mean is valley minford and wheelersburg don't do a league. Its interleague for instruction then maybe play in a postseason tournament like the falcon bowl. Those are the teams that are beating us. Honestly they focus more on basketball at the younger grades which builds speed skill and coordination. Things I think we really lack with our focus on running the ball all the time instead of developing hand eye coordination and speed for a passing game.

Honestly the teams playing in the southern Ohio pee wee league are those that are struggling the most at the high school level right now.

Jackson has a red and a white peewee team for both varsity and reserve. We have 30+ kids in 7th and 40+ in 8th. So there's no one perfect peewee system. It's what's best for that school.

Westfan wrote:Diddly may be a bad word. I agree in trying to win and if you're in the league then you try your darndest to win it. You definitely don't want to loose as that breeds losing, kids loose interest and your numbers decline.

What I mean is valley minford and wheelersburg don't do a league. Its interleague for instruction then maybe play in a postseason tournament like the falcon bowl. Those are the teams that are beating us. Honestly they focus more on basketball at the younger grades which builds speed skill and coordination. Things I think we really lack with our focus on running the ball all the time instead of developing hand eye coordination and speed for a passing game.

Honestly the teams playing in the southern Ohio pee wee league are those that are struggling the most at the high school level right now.

Im glad you brought Valley up. They are one of the teams we played that didnt field two teams last year in Jr. High. Minford and Wheelersburg only had slight more 8th graders than we did and the 7th grade were about even on numbers. That 8th grade class has always had small numbers since that started playing ball so not playing inter league isnt what affected their numbers.

As far as developing a passing game i agree there should be less focus on running the ball. But that is something that needs to be changed at the high school level and work its way down to the younger kids. The high school spends the summer going to these 7 on 7 camps but has some of the lowest attempt numbers every season. That is the issue that needs addressed first. As for Pee-Wee aged kids the reason you focus more on the running game has nothing to do with hand eye cordnation and more to do with kids having not enough arm strength to do much more that through a screen pass.

I would love to see a passing game become a real weapon, we have had the athletes come through the program to have an outstanding passing game. At some point in time you have to be willing to make a change and take the training wheels off and trust the kids to make plays for you.

noles_fan wrote:

Westfan wrote:Diddly may be a bad word. I agree in trying to win and if you're in the league then you try your darndest to win it. You definitely don't want to loose as that breeds losing, kids loose interest and your numbers decline.

What I mean is valley minford and wheelersburg don't do a league. Its interleague for instruction then maybe play in a postseason tournament like the falcon bowl. Those are the teams that are beating us. Honestly they focus more on basketball at the younger grades which builds speed skill and coordination. Things I think we really lack with our focus on running the ball all the time instead of developing hand eye coordination and speed for a passing game.

Honestly the teams playing in the southern Ohio pee wee league are those that are struggling the most at the high school level right now.

Im glad you brought Valley up. They are one of the teams we played that didnt field two teams last year in Jr. High. Minford and Wheelersburg only had slight more 8th graders than we did and the 7th grade were about even on numbers. That 8th grade class has always had small numbers since that started playing ball so not playing inter league isnt what affected their numbers.

As far as developing a passing game i agree there should be less focus on running the ball. But that is something that needs to be changed at the high school level and work its way down to the younger kids. The high school spends the summer going to these 7 on 7 camps but has some of the lowest attempt numbers every season. That is the issue that needs addressed first. As for Pee-Wee aged kids the reason you focus more on the running game has nothing to do with hand eye cordnation and more to do with kids having not enough arm strength to do much more that through a screen pass.

I would love to see a passing game become a real weapon, we have had the athletes come through the program to have an outstanding passing game. At some point in time you have to be willing to make a change and take the training wheels off and trust the kids to make plays for you.

110% correct
And it won't happen until changes are made and they get a coach in the system who isn't afraid to break tradition.

Let me take a second and break this down for you folks real quick.......Where to start?? First I'll try to make this simple and easy to understand since I believe
a lot of posters had a lot of trouble even learning how to register on this site. (or even that they have an E-mail address). You have to play the hand your
holding, period! Last year West had a sophomore QB that did really well, but was just that...a sophomore. Taking risk at putting to ball in the air and losing
possession to takeaways isn't an option. So you must try to keep your offense on the field, and opponents offense on the sideline. you control clock and the
other team cant score...unless you pass or fumble. Which West did had a lot of turnover overs by putting the ball on the ground, 6 last year against P-town and three in the red zone. Now Irwin is bigger and stronger and will pass more, no different than Levi or Alfie when they started as sophomores. Nobody
complained about them boys or coaches when they become upperclassmen and was more capable. So back your team and Coach Trip! Stop with the whinning
cause your colors are starting to show, not to mention your knowledge!