2adirondack 0 Report post Posted September 14, 2010 i'd like to wish everyone good luck this yr. I have a morality dilemma. I moved from a league where eligibility relied on; grades attitude age and wht, to a league where none of this seems to apply.Our league here has eligibility based on grade. My kids are 5/6th graders 75- 105 lbs.One team we face in particular has several children who have failed the 5/6th grade( some several times) weigh 225 lbs+.We scrimmaged this team last Saturday and had our heads handed to us. My kids were tossed about like rag dolls to a score of 38 to 6.They were terrified by these behemoths, and now have a weakened attitude.There is also a safety issue. If one of these monsters falls wrong and delivers an elbow or knee, with that kind of weight we could look at ruptured spleens broken bones etc.So the Questions are Should I allow my kids to play a team who has no regard for grades/education, health, moral fortitude, safety? Is quiting the answer?What am I teaching them either way?How do I look out for thier safety, and not look like a quitter or wimp? The parents are very concerned but don't want to send the wrong message either. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hollad6636 0 Report post Posted September 14, 2010 2adirondack,To me this has nothing to do with morality. You can't control the other team. You can only control your team. So the only question that you have to answer is can your players play this game safely. If the answers yes then if you quit you have to worry about the message you are sending. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2adirondack 0 Report post Posted September 16, 2010 2adirondack,To me this has nothing to do with morality. You can't control the other team. You can only control your team. So the only question that you have to answer is can your players play this game safely. If the answers yes then if you quit you have to worry about the message you are sending. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2adirondack 0 Report post Posted September 16, 2010 I appreciate what you are saying. Football is like demolition derby. When you sign on there is some accepted responsability that you may get hurt. Even at equal size and age the possibility of a broken arm/leg is real. But should I allow a competition between Volkswagen and Mack trucks?Where do you draw the line?I believe there is a morality issue.The other team is clearly side stepping the eligibility/ grades before play rules beyond their intention.They are side stepping the grades before play rule with the reasoning that; the kids are passing at the time of season Play. A time when 1st report cards do not come out till the season is over. We ask to be notified by the teachers/school if there is a problem at any point. You must be a passing student to play on our team.Passing the first 6-8 wks ( a review period of last yr) then failing the 5/6th grades, 2-3 times, does not make you eligible to play. They are clearly not passing students.One of our fathers told me he had a cousin, who failed 11th grade till he was 21 yrs old. Eventually the school threw him out. Should it be reasoned that: he should be allowed to play highschool ball( vs 14-17 yr olds) till then? Buy beer for homecoming? (sarcasm) Should a 14-15 yr olds, be allowed to beat up on 10-11 yr olds? Why should I allow it? After all, if thier kids were not able to do this they would pretty much be total failures. ; (Back in my day, Flunkies were not even allowed to step on the field. They walked around it. So the morality issue is; what am I teaching my kids? It's OK to cheat? That rules only apply to those who follow them? That there is no reward for being a good student/upstanding citizen? That bullying is allowed?That no matter how hard they work and how good they are ; arrogance,stupidity and brute force will forever take the championship trophy home? But then being called a wimp or a sissy for the next 6-7-20 yrs can be damaging as well.I'm appalled that the other team is O.K with it, and perplexed as to what to do untill a rule change can be made. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Larry 0 Report post Posted January 19, 2011 2adirondack,This is probably a little late as your season is probably over, but I wanted to make a few comments. I agree with you that there is an issue with the other team's disregard of the rules. However, as unfortunate as it may be, this can be found in most sports and youth sports. My questions would be- Isn't there some sort of Board or League President and safety officer that you can take this up with? As hollad said, if this is a safety issue, then your kids should NOT play. If it is a safety issue, then whoever has organized the league, needs to be made aware of it. I believe most football leagues have pretty strict rules on age/weight of players in each division. This looks like something that needs to be explored. If the organizers of the league are unwilling or do not address the safety issues, I would have no problem "declining" games against that team or pulling out my team and playing in a league that was safer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites