I am currently working on an alternative for 4th, 5th and 6th graderrs for this fall.  Currenlty I am in talks with Tyler Blum and Redzone football.  I believe that we need a flag football alternative for this age level.  

     What I would like to see is all youth football players playing flag football until the 7th grade.  Through my research and my 20 plus years of coaching I do not feel kids should be playing tackle football for several reasons.

1. Neck muscles are not developed enough to be wearing helmets

2. With the bulky pads on kids cannot perform the fundamentals that are being taught,

3.  Some kids are ready for physical contact at this age, most are not

4.  We are losing way too many kids from 3rd grade to their freshmen year.

5.  Let's go back to the days where kids go out to play and have fun and not worry about hitting and being hit.

6.  For the game of football and for our vision here at Mount Vernon the most important thing is kids having fun and playing for the joy of the game, keeping them interested and giving us a chance to work with them.

7.  Give me a kid who loves the game and a coule of weeks I can develop him into a football player that will be successful on the field.

     We need to get back to allowing kids to be kids while they are kids.  Let them play for the love of the game.  Take the pads and hitting out of it.  The program I am looking at will do just that.  It is designed to coach our coaches and let the kids have fun.  

Please contact me and let me know your thoughts.  lpedersen@mountvernon.k12.is.us