OT - Best position your kid can play
Tonight, I signed my 8 year old up for the 2nd season of tackle football.
My wife complains that I should pressure the coaches to make him quarterback.
I disagree - linebacker has 4x the slots to play than the quarterback and linebackers get to run the defense like the QB runs to offense.
In addition, there is no pressure on a LB - only sacking glory.
PLUS LBs get to kill QBs - basking in glory while the QB gets concussion love from their stupid supermodel (gold digger) girlfriends.
What say you?
March 16th, 2010 at 10:21 PM ^
Ask the kid what he wants to play?
March 16th, 2010 at 10:25 PM ^
since he is easily influenced buy his parents opinions, like any young child.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
But how can you expect an 8-year-old to understand how this decision will affect his draft stock in 2022!?!
/sarcasm
Yeah, at this age let him play where he wants. Chances are extremely high that he'll never play beyond high school, but he'll probably remember being forced to play a position he hated for quite a bit longer.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:37 PM ^
condescending but do you have an 8 year old?
Typical conversation:
What do you want to play?
"I don't know"
Quarterback?
"OK"
Linebacker?
"OK"
Asking him what he wants to play at 8 is like asking him his favorite M&M color.
March 16th, 2010 at 11:10 PM ^
Tom Brady and Brian Urlacher
If he puts up Urlacher in his room, linebacker it is
If he puts up Brady in his room, qb it is
(this is assuming he only has room for one poster on his wall)
If he puts neither up, sign him for ballet class
But then again, if he puts both up, you may want to consider the ballet class as well...
If he hangs them from his ceiling and spends long hours laying back on the bed, just staring.
It almost seems like you haven't given him the Wonderlic yet. That's obviously the first step. Then send him to Marv Marinovich for an evaluation and get back to us.
But seriously, I hear what you're saying about asking him, but you must know your son and what kind of kid he is. If he's aggressive, he might have fun playing defense. If he's a cerebral leader, he might enjoy QB. If he starts out at QB but turns out to be an interception machine, you can always move him to WR or use him as a Percy Harvin type back.
It seems obvious to me that this is not a question that people who don't know your son are going to be able to help you with. At his age, it hardly matters anyway. The point of youth sports is for kids to get out of the house, get some exercise and have fun, right?
March 16th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
He can play QB or LB so long as his speed and size allow, but if he's going to make it to the League, punter is the best combination of career duration/injury risk.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:33 PM ^
Everyone knows that punters get all the PUNTang.
haha....get it?!? See what I did there!?! Whooo...I slay me.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
He's 8. Don't worry about his ideas.
I agree about playing LB. If he ends up being fast, he can stay at LB or maybe safety. If he ends up being tall and fast he can move to DE, and if he ends up being a MANimal he can move to DT. Your strategy is good, and when he's lining in the Big House, we'll all thank you for not caring what he, or his mom, had to say on the matter.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
You are familiar with a thing Brian does called UFR?
March 16th, 2010 at 10:42 PM ^
I agree he might want to read up on what some people on this site threaten towards Ezeh and Mouton...
March 16th, 2010 at 10:34 PM ^
What is he good at? Have him play there.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:40 PM ^
but not beefy. OL and DL are out I think.
He loves tackling.
March 16th, 2010 at 11:40 PM ^
Yeah, then LB or safety.
Free plug--it's very difficult to find talented kickers/punters/long snappers. Well coached kids can go far with those as second positions (ie safety and then kick on the side). I'm just sayin'.
we spend our first 3 days of conditioning because we can't be in pads, and we make sure every one of our players takes up a specialty, be it KR/PR/LS/holder/SS.
DL or LB so he can be involved in a lot of plays. The problem with safety at that age group is that they aren't as involved in every play. There are a lot of fumbled snaps at that age also and bad hand-offs and pitches. So if he is good and aggressive, he needs to be close to the line of scrimmage.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:40 PM ^
I'm about to start coaching little league, and from a coaching perspective, the last thing you want is a parent telling you that their kid should play any position. HOWEVER, I do realize that you may know your kid's strengths better than the coach does.
That being said, asking your kid what he likes to do, coupled with identifying his strength should guide you. If he's got a rocket arm, runs well, makes good decisions, maybe he should be a QB. If he's got great hands, maybe he should be a receiver.
Also, at a young age, he should be playing multiple positions. That's just my humble e-pinion.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:40 PM ^
..."complains that [you] should pressure the coaches to make him quarterback."
You: My wife wants our son to play quarterback.
Coach: Sounds like a great idea, BorninAA. I'll get right on that, as soon as I tell my kid he's playing center. Oh wait, now I remember why I volunteered to be the coach! It was so my kid could be the quarterback.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:46 PM ^
last year's coach had his kid playing QB with no backup.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:43 PM ^
The ultimate answer needs more information to be decided upon.
I mean.. what is your main goal here?
1) The kid is happy.
2) The kid is as safe as can be playing football.
3) If he wants to (and is good enough), the kid can play this position in college.
I think 1 and 2 are much more important than 3.
For me, linebacker and defensive end were always the most fun. Offensive line sucks (no glory, lots of hard work). Quarterback is too much pressure for a young kid.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:53 AM ^
no gloryTell that to Oher or Long
March 16th, 2010 at 10:51 PM ^
you need to have a certain mentality. You have to want to hit and tackle people and a big part of being able to tackle is mental. You have to believe that you can tackle the ball carrier. Your son will have to know that in order to play LB. Sometimes it just "clicks" in your head that you can do it. If he already likes to hit, then LB is a good spot. He still sounds pretty young, so you can always switch positions later.
March 16th, 2010 at 11:08 PM ^
The thing is, he's always going to get get bigger and stronger. If his arm/accuracy does not develop, you can switch him to linebacker later. By playing football (at any position) he will still be developing his athletic abilities.
However, if you put him at linebacker, it may be too late to switch later on. Obviously he can still do it, but I think it's easier to learn linebacker than to learn qb.
Think about this: Tim Tebow could probably switch to tight end, fullback, or (for argument's sake) linebacker.
But if he had played linebacker in college, do you think he could have made the switch to qb?
March 16th, 2010 at 11:22 PM ^
I say make him the equivalent of a grad assistant. Let him draw up plays. Worked great for Little Giants.
March 16th, 2010 at 11:28 PM ^
Play the odds.
1 person throws
11 people tackle
Also make a highlight video of his year and put it on youtube. Soundtrack should be something from N.W.A. or the theme to Wonder Pets.
+1 for the Wonder Pets reference. Go Wonder Pets!
WHAT'S GONNA WORK?
TEAM WORK
Man, you guys must be around babies. Haha +1 to you both
did not expect to see the wonderpets in my morning mgoblog experience. well done.
March 17th, 2010 at 12:25 AM ^
Teach him how to kick soccer-style now. Seriously. It'll take a couple years to master but is so worth it. He'll have job security at kicker all through school because he won't be a toe-poker and can actually control his kicks.
March 17th, 2010 at 12:25 AM ^
Long snapper. My high school coach always said if you can consistently snap the ball (accurately) 15 yards you could get a free ride to college. Think of how much money that could save you!
Do it the right way. First of all, make sure HE wants to play. Don't force him into playing a sport he has no interest in playing. Next, see if he has the mentality on hitting. Some people just can't get the hang on it, they just try to grab people and not tackle them. From here, look at your family genes and ask the doctor what his size is going to look at for the future. 6'0 and under go for a secondary position, 6'2 - 6'4 aim for a LB, 6'5 to 6'8 and your on the DL. If hes gonna be any taller, get him on the court. This is of course if your looking at defense.
Get him into soccer, it will help with footwork. Our HS football coach use to get some football players on the soccer team to help out with foot quickness. Track will also help with explosiveness and overall speed.
Have you considered not putting you young child into tackle football? The most recent studies suggest that it causes severe brain trauma that lasts throughout life. Perhaps you owe it to him to suggest he play something else, since he is so impressionable.
the kid wants to play, let him play. When he gets older and he doesn't, then fine. Try to get your kid into as many sports as you can, he'll thank you later.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:05 AM ^
I understand your point, considering the fact that I played almost everything under the sun when I was a kid, but tackle football at that age is not the best of ideas. Brain injuries are much more serious at young ages and can lead to growth impairment later in life. The most serious football injuries occur in youth. Wait until late junior high to let him play tackle. He won't be further behind the other kids. If you want him to learn to be a good skill player, enroll him in a flag league for now so he can develop some quickness.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
As long as you make sure that the flag league isn't a bunch of yahoos running around on a field. They need to be playing it legitimately.
So many don't.
Points already been covered pretty well but let the kid try whatever position/positions he likes. As a current middle school hopefully high school (crosses fingers for my phone call this month) football coach I can tell the best athletes I've gotten are year round athletes. More sports the better. Also 8 year olds typically have trouble exploding out of their stance. Working on a good rip technique and or spin move as a DE will leave other kids standing still. Most young linemen are tought to keep the fists together elbows out to stop from holding. One good move or hands to the shoulder pads and his UFR's go through the roof.... Good luck.
P.S. I don't know if the league gives mouth guards but they're around $10 for a really good one that comes with dental insurance and supposedly prevents head traumas.
"My wife thinks I should pressure the coaches to make him play quarterback"
Wow, there's a statement that is wrong on a lot of levels. Perhaps you should put your son up for adoption to give him a better chance of having a life.
Give me a parent that cares a little too much then one that doesn't give rides let alone show up to games/practices or make sure they even have breakfast. I know I'd save alot of money on extra food/gas. Either way comments like this give the interwebs a bad name. Go back to Dead spin.
/Rant
I find this topic interesting and ironic. Interesting because in partially joking around I've wondered what positions I should suggest any future sons of my mine to play. Ironic because tomorrow morning (unless he gets here early) my first son will be born. I've decided that if he wants to have a long career in football, he should either kick or long snap. Still his father played linebacker and Wide Receiver, he's 6' and 200, and his mother has always been athletic and has a husky build. I think the kid has a future career at Linebacker. As for other sports, I should make sure that he is left-handed, can switch hit, and doesnt mind playing catcher. Or situational lefty. Those guys seem to play forever. Jesse Orosco anybody? If he's anything like his father he won't know how to skate and will absolutely stink at basketball. At any rate, can I get a preview of the recruiting class of 2028 up in here??? In the end, I don't care what sports or positions he plays as long as he's happy, but the one thing he's going to be steered into is being a Michigan fan. If his first words will be Momma and Dada, I can only hope and pray that his next words will be Go Blue!
DEATHBACKER.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:23 AM ^
I have a nine, soon to be 10 year old, who has been playing flag football for the past couple of years and now wants to play tackle. I'm scared to death of head injuries. How hard do 5th and 6th graders really hit? He's been the quarterback, but I don't know if that means he'll stay at that position once he moves over to the tackle league. Also, he's not a tough kid, so I'm hoping he'll take one hit and that will be it for him. He plays baseball, basketball and golf, too.
So, how hard do 5th and 6th graders hit?
March 17th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
mostly leg and shoe-string tackles.
The linemen just push each other.
Getting a good open field tackle is mostly a matter of field position and getting a correct angle on the player.
They don't have the ability to do that at this age.
Never have seen a concussion in the younger kids in our league.
Mostly the helmet hits a wrist, forearm or fingers and the kid comes out wincing because they have no meat there yet.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:48 AM ^
Either he's going to be able to tolerate the contact or he won't, and I don't have to worry about really hard hits. I've already decided if he pursues tackle, one concussion and he's out.
March 17th, 2010 at 11:01 AM ^
I made a leap of faith and brought him his own gear..helmet...pads etc. (figured I could resell it) I also bought a heavy bag. I showed him the right ways to get low and "wrap up". Had him run full speed into the heavy bag repeatedly so he would get used to taking somthing down that weighed more than he did and the cracking sound of pads.
Once he got used to it...he loved the contact! Doing it when it was raining and muddy helped with having fun with it.
at that age its mostly kids reaching out with hands and grabbing jersey more than anything else. You get alot of helmet hits shin/elbow/finger gets stepped on or pinched. Its really rare to see concussions at that level.
Its a good time to see if a kid wants to go through contact/a little pain and how he responds to it. I don't consider football, if taught properly, to be any more dangerous than other games.
March 17th, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^
I took him to his "two a days" had the coach look at what he could do and how he would help the team.
When all was said and done, they had him starting at RB, FB and ILB.
Im not a coach and know enough about football to be dangerous and dont want to tell them how to do their job.
Long and short of it, if you trust the coaches judgement...let the coaches decide the best fit.