Sequoyah Conference Football is Killing District 5-AA

[logcabinman]

My son plays for a team in this league and just turned 14 years old.  He wasn't going to play because all of his buddies, also good athletes, were not playing due to the fact they had just turned 14.  There is one other player on his team that is 14, which causes them to have to split time.  This has to be the most stupid rule known to man in football history.  I have no clue who made this rule.  Seems to me if a player can play all four year legally in high school, they should be allowed to enjoy FULLY the sport they love.  Who in the world comes up with this.  We wonder why 5-AA football is not as previlent as it once was.  Coaches at the High Schools should be irrate at this rule.  Can someone give me a logical reason behind this thinking.

[orngnblk]

My son plays for a team in this league and just turned 14 years old.  He wasn't going to play because all of his buddies, also good athletes, were not playing due to the fact they had just turned 14.  There is one other player on his team that is 14, which causes them to have to split time.  This has to be the most stupid rule known to man in football history.  I have no clue who made this rule.  Seems to me if a player can play all four year legally in high school, they should be allowed to enjoy FULLY the sport they love.  Who in the world comes up with this.  We wonder why 5-AA football is not as previlent as it once was.  Coaches at the High Schools should be irrate at this rule.  Can someone give me a logical reason behind this thinking.

Go to your other thread and i gave you the answer.Its about protecting the 12 and 13 yr olds in which this "age group"was initially started for,most kf these teams are just 12 and 13 yr olds and there is a HUGE difference in a 12 yr old and a 14 yr old.Young men against boys.just keeping it competetive.There were some schools in this league that actually used Freshman on their jrs team because they didnt get HS playing time.Most 14 yr olds are in HS.

[Slim88]

Do yall not have middle school ball out there?

[logcabinman]

Go to your other thread and i gave you the answer.Its about protecting the 12 and 13 yr olds in which this "age group"was initially started for,most kf these teams are just 12 and 13 yr olds and there is a HUGE difference in a 12 yr old and a 14 yr old.Young men against boys.just keeping it competetive.There were some schools in this league that actually used Freshman on their jrs team because they didnt get HS playing time.Most 14 yr olds are in HS.

Not any more.  I have no problem with kids not playing if they are in high school, they should not be allowed.  Us small town teams suffer. I am telling you my son just turned 14.  We played Tellico last week and most of the boys were the same size or bigger than my son.  This rule does not help a bit.  I have no problem with putting a stipulation if you are 14 that you cannot turn 15 during the season.  Basically you arguement is that it protects the kids, so I guess everyone can just beat up on our 7th graders, cause we only have 3 eighth graders cause of this rule.There is already a weight limit in play.  If these boys were able to have a Middle School team, they would get to play.

[orngnblk]

Not any more.  I have no problem with kids not playing if they are in high school, they should not be allowed.  Us small town teams suffer. I am telling you my son just turned 14.  We played Tellico last week and most of the boys were the same size or bigger than my son.  This rule does not help a bit.  I have no problem with putting a stipulation if you are 14 that you cannot turn 15 during the season.  Basically you arguement is that it protects the kids, so I guess everyone can just beat up on our 7th graders, cause we only have 3 eighth graders cause of this rule.There is already a weight limit in play.  If these boys were able to have a Middle School team, they would get to play.

That is the difference between middle school and a rec league team.Rec leagues have no insurance and middle schools do,its all about teaching them how to play and protecting them also.You all keep refering to the weight limit also it is the same thing,for protecting the kids.You have to have some rules or guidelines in a youtb program it is not Middle school ball its a rec league.I to wish we had middle school football but we dont.This is the best we have and it has helped GB out tremendously!

[logcabinman]

That is the difference between middle school and a rec league team.Rec leagues have no insurance and middle schools do,its all about teaching them how to play and protecting them also.You all keep refering to the weight limit also it is the same thing,for protecting the kids.You have to have some rules or guidelines in a youtb program it is not Middle school ball its a rec league.I to wish we had middle school football but we dont.This is the best we have and it has helped GB out tremendously!

That's just it.  At Greenback if you have an 8th grader good enough, they can play on the school team.  Our kids cannot because they are not on the same campus.  Basically what your saying is that some of the teams in this league have Middle School programs so they are playing with player that are younger or did not make the 8th grade team.  When you look at Polk, MCentral, Sweetwater, Meigs, and McMinn - Kids are missing out.  I know of some good kids that are sitting at home instead of playing the sport they love.

[thegreatwhite1]

"Age Limits" are stupid.  Youth Athletics should be based on what grade you are in school or in the case of summer baseball, what year you graduate high school (i.e. Perfect Game).  It shouldn't be 13u or 14u, it should be based on the grade you are in school.  When you strap it up in high school, it doesn't matter how old you are.  I feel like the "age" limits also give ignorant parents a false sense of hope on how good their kid is because they have an advantageous birthday that allows them to "play down" IMO.

 

Sounds to me like the rules of the Sequoyah Conference are set up to appease the entitlement / everybody gets a trophy generation.

Edited August 27, 2014 by thegreatwhite1

[logcabinman]

"Age Limits" are stupid.  Youth Athletics should be based on what grade you are in school or in the case of summer baseball, what year you graduate high school (i.e. Perfect Game).  It shouldn't be 13u or 14u, it should be based on the grade you are in school.  When you strap it up in high school, it doesn't matter how old you are.  I feel like the "age" limits also give ignorant parents a false sense of hope on how good their kid is because they have an advantageous birthday that allows them to "play down" IMO.

 

Sounds to me like the rules of the Sequoyah Conference are set up to appease the entitlement / everybody gets a trophy generation.

I would not go as far to say that they are trying to give all a trophy, but I do think that the grade level would be the way to go. Instead of our 7th graders getting beat by mercy rule, we could field a competitive team.  I think the age requirement for high school players is cannot turn 19 before Nov.

[beardog]

I played in this conf as a kid, when I was on the 8th grade team Cleveland got caught (after the season was over) playing a freshman so they could win. We ended up beating them anyway, but I can understand the age thing.

[orngnblk]

I played in this conf as a kid, when I was on the 8th grade team Cleveland got caught (after the season was over) playing a freshman so they could win. We ended up beating them anyway, but I can understand the age thing.

I didnt want to name tbe teams,that is not the only one it got to be ridiculous and it had to be done.My kids have all graduated HS so it has been a while since i have seen the rules,they were changed just a few yrs ago 4 i think.This will become a bash thread before long but i am very glad my kids had the opportunity to play some sort of midddle school ball.I think its a great conference for the kids.One of the teams from a little South of GB had a freshman tailback and he would knock kids out of the games he was a bruiser,like it or not,participate or not,it is what it is.It gives a majority of the kids an oppurtunity to play the best sport there is!

[Charger64]

My son plays for a team in this league and just turned 14 years old.  He wasn't going to play because all of his buddies, also good athletes, were not playing due to the fact they had just turned 14.  There is one other player on his team that is 14, which causes them to have to split time.  This has to be the most stupid rule known to man in football history.  I have no clue who made this rule.  Seems to me if a player can play all four year legally in high school, they should be allowed to enjoy FULLY the sport they love.  Who in the world comes up with this.  We wonder why 5-AA football is not as previlent as it once was.  Coaches at the High Schools should be irrate at this rule.  Can someone give me a logical reason behind this thinking.

 

That is why back several years ago when McMinn and Meigs County formed their own league and left the Sequoyah Conference. We wanted to be able to have football that was more like middle school football. For a long time, we had Riceville, Meigs, Etowah and Englewood. We would play two games home and way. Each could schedule other games in off weeks like Charleston or Spring City. Rogers Creek came on later. Not sure what lead to the re-joining the Sequoyah Conference. We no weight limits or restrictions ( like middle school) and we had some rules regarding not playing if you were a 9th grader or had failed the 8th grade. We also played with only 3 teams cutters, midgets and juniors....I think juniors were 7th and 8th graders only. Had a lot of good players develop under that system.

[Glory]

My son plays for a team in this league and just turned 14 years old.  He wasn't going to play because all of his buddies, also good athletes, were not playing due to the fact they had just turned 14.  There is one other player on his team that is 14, which causes them to have to split time.  This has to be the most stupid rule known to man in football history.  I have no clue who made this rule.  Seems to me if a player can play all four year legally in high school, they should be allowed to enjoy FULLY the sport they love.  Who in the world comes up with this.  We wonder why 5-AA football is not as previlent as it once was.  Coaches at the High Schools should be irrate at this rule.  Can someone give me a logical reason behind this thinking.

Shouldn't kids that are already 14 be in high school? You mentioned all of his 14 year old buddies not playing, so they're obviously in the 8th grade too? What gives with so many 14 year olds still being in elementary school? I hope they're not being held back just for sports.