The Northborough-Southborough Jr. T-Hawks football and cheer program made a big change earlier this year, switching from Pop Warner to the American Youth Football League. If you’re wondering what the change will mean for your kids, or if you just want to learn more about the Jr. T-Hawks’ program, consider attending their information session on Wednesday night.
The information and registration event takes place at Woodward School starting at 7:00 pm. If can’t make the session on Wednesday, another one will be held on Thursday at 7:00 pm at Melican Middle School in Northborough.
Early registration for the fall 2011 season runs through April 29. You can register online at the Jr. T-Hawks website (jrthawks.com).
Ban the Pop Warner dumbed down scheme of keeping big kids off the playing field and join the American Football League as the better alternative to Pop Warner. My id had to go to other towns to play because he was too big in his age group. If you think that is incorrect check for yourself. American Football League goes by AGE only. Football is the great leveling field of MEN. Not a politically correct place so littel boys and girls dont get hurt .
Last time I checked, 12 – 14 year old kids were not MEN. parents need to relax when it comes to CHLDREN’S sports. They are supposedearnie learning sportsmanship and how to be a team player. Not how to run over eachother as MEN.
Are you kidding me? Not to sound mean or anything but stick to croquet my friend. Football is for men who are tough, mean (on the field), love to be hit and hit back ( and yes sportmanship and shake hands when the game is over). We practice 6 days a week for 60 minutes of glory on Sunday and the opportunity to grind and nash teeth against an unknown opponent (presumably other men that want to do the same back) and it is fun, fullfilling and yes, manly (best sport known to man on planet earth). Not little pampered sports where parents want to pick up little Johny (yes stressed, overbearing, micromanaging, overinvolved parents) becasue he is crying becasue he failed. That is life, we fail, we get up, we try again, and football is just that. A great life sport and the greast leveling field of all men large or small. My point was (that you took affense to I am sure) pop warner dumbed down boys football so girls could play and little boys would not get hurt. Nothing against girls (or smaller boys) all you feminine nashers, I have two girls that love sport and enjoy it. But this is football and it is for young men and men and what we were born to do on the grid iron. We are allowed to fight and claw and scrap for 60 minutes a week (I think it helps to keep us calm for the rest of the week, and help to keep our young boys off of ritalin).
Gee Mike, I don’t know….those croquet mallets are heavy.
I’m still shaking my head after reading this post. As someone who as coached youth football on and off for over 20 years you are completely wrong. Youth football is for young boys and girls.
You are way of base on your statement that Pop Warner has weight limits so that girls can play. That might be one of the dumbest things I ever heard. I have had the pleasure over the years of coaching some girls who were very good football players, often time they were as good if not better than some of the boys on the team. The funny thing is for the boys that played with girls it was a non-issue.
NS Pop Warner changed to for 3 main reasons:
1. Travel – CMASS PW included teams from Springfield, Boston, Manchester, CT which are not what I would call Central Mass.
2. Play in a grade based league. NS PW did not endorse using older/lighters unless requested by the parents.
3. For the most part, AYF provides better local rivalries and like size towns.
Also, youth football does not practice 6 days a week. During August, teams practice Monday – Thursday night for 2 hours. Once school starts they practice either Tuesday and Thurs or Weds and Friday and then on Saturday morning.
The only thing that I do agree with you on is that football is a great sport, in my mind, the best. Unlike other sports that have club or AAU programs, football is not a year round commitment. The month of August can be tough but once you get by that, it’s a great deal of fun.
I am left dumbfounded after having read the above. I know people with this type of thinking still exist, but thankfully, neither I, my children or family see it often. Seeing it now, I guess, is a nice reminder of how far the majority has matured in their thinking.
TY to all the people who do know what youth sports should embody, provide and promote. Posters here clearly illustrate that difference!
(Susan, I love your blog. Thank you for providing a place to speak.) To the rest of the posters, I would hope the young men and boys become men eventually. And I think most do and they become good men. That was my point to that. And large young men should not be kept off the field so smaller boys and girls can play (and dont get hurt). If you want your smaller boy or girls to play, and they want to play, great. But don’t keep a bigger kid off the field like Pop Warner does (American Youth League does not apply that biased policy – it is a law suit ripe for the picking). Personally I would never let my girls play a contact sport with boys, young men or men – in my opinion, that is stupid (using footballdad posters vernacular) and shortsighted on the parent side. If that is neanderthal as “stunned” implies, so be it. Football tends to be a very tough, neanderthal sport and that is why “most” men like it and like to play it. I am not saying you have to like it. But dont dumb it down so little boys and gilrs can play and big young men can not. I think the AYL no wieght limit is the mature and sensible position. And dont kid yourself “footballdad”, when you are not listening everyone is complaining about girls playing a sport they are not inteneded to play (same with wrestling). And you are right, up to around 11 or 12 they can compete but after that their bodies dont compete with the male body. And that is what happens with some boys for the same reason. It is a fact of life and you know what, that is ok. Everyone has their gifts in life.
As the parent of a boy (27 years old now – 6’3, 265lbs, not a small boy by any means) I take umbrage with the fact that ” Not to sound mean or anything but stick to croquet my friend. Football is for men who are tough, mean (on the field), love to be hit and hit back ( and yes sportmanship and shake hands when the game is over).”, and that I should ” stick to croquet.”That being said Mike, there is no reason to promote the caveman stereotype to our children. Play football and run over everyone on the field if you must, but don’t knock over the opportunity for girls who want to play, or the boys who have the ‘gift’ of being smaller than your football player. Sportsmanship, and all that goes with it are what’s important at this age, and last I checked, a child who runs around like a “man” does nor necessarily have to lay off the Ritalin.