Youth Football Reminders - Fun and safety first

In the Brandon (and surrounding) areas we have a lot of youth football organizations. Many of our kids will be participating in these activities. So now that it’s that time again let’s take a moment to talk about some things we should keep in mind as the season gets underway.

1. Water. Make sure your players get plenty of it before, during and after extended periods outdoors, especially on hot days. Support your league’s concessions stand, but when funds are tight or no concessions are available, remember to pack a cooler and bring water and sports drinks from home.
2. Here in Florida, it is pretty common to hear of incidents of heat exhaustion and heat stroke around this time of year. And in tackle football, the players are so padded down to protect from injury that they get pretty hot underneath all of that equipment. Encourage your kids to take a break when necessary, and to let a coach know if they feel faint, dizzy or overheated.
3. Most teams assign one or two parents to bring snacks and drinks to each game. If you are in such a league, when it’s your turn for snack duty, try including a healthier snack. Avoid the sugary, sticky fruit snacks, try pretzels or Cheez-Its instead. Also keep in mind, many kids have allergies especially to peanut butter, so stick with the safer choices.
4. Parents and coaches, remember this is supposed to be FUN. I’ve noticed that some adults are way too competitive and take this way too seriously. This is not the Super Bowl and neither the kids nor the coaches are being paid. Some times I think the kids would have more fun if the parents would go home and just let them play. I remember hearing a word from the wise mouth of a babe. This was during the Little League World series. One of the young players who was being interviewed was asked how he thought his mom was handling the pressure of him playing in the big game, and the kid responded “Well, my mom gets all nervous because she doesn’t realize, this is just like a regular game!”. Now that’s keeping it in perspective!
5. And especially for the people on the sidelines, let the coaches do their jobs. It must be tough for a kid to try to listen to the coaches, parents and fans at the same time. People in the stands have to remember that the coaches have been with these kids for the weeks leading up to game time. Most coaches really enjoy coaching (else they probably wouldn’t be doing it) and have worked really hard on bringing out the best in the team as a whole. Any one who has anything more to contribute should try coaching or spending their time in the trenches with the kids and coaches, on the practice field.

It’s been said that one of the best ways to encourage positive self image and team work in kids is to get them involved in team sports. Let’s do what we can to keep all of our kids healthy, safe, happy and having fun while they are out there on the field. If we are successful at that, the positive self image and team work skills will be like icing on the cake.

**Disclaimer: The writer is not a doctor or health care professional. This is for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as definitive health care recommendations. Be sure to discuss any health concerns with your physician.