How is it that some homeschool teams have over 60 players on their roster and are playing 6 man football. I notice on Max Prep that if you link under their Fresh, JV, and Varisty teams it totals over 60 players. Wasn't six man football a product of having a limited number of athletes? Why shouldn't they be playing 11 man? It some cases I have seen teams with injuries playing with just 6 players, but if you have excess to 3 teams you can pull up athletes as needed?
number of players?
- Thread starter cougar85
- Start date
freeagent
Six-man pro
Back to my post a few days ago ... Buyer Beware.
If you schedule a home school group (or any school team that is not affiliated with an established league: UIL, TAPPS, T-CAL, TCAF) you need to ask questions on eligibility and turnout. If a group told me that they had 60 high school age boys turn out for their sixman programs, I'd politely decline their offer for a game (especially if I only have 12).
I know there is at least one 11-man home school program in the Dallas area and maybe one in the Houston area (but not sure on that one) ... perhaps some of these larger home school organizations need to look that direction.
But to be fair to these groups, there were really next to ZERO sixman or 11 man football teams four or five years ago; they've popped up like weeds in the last few years because sixman football is a reasonably inexpensive way to go. I would not be suprised to see some of them graduate into 11 man programs, much like some of our private school bretheren have gone from 6 to 11 man programsw.
If you schedule a home school group (or any school team that is not affiliated with an established league: UIL, TAPPS, T-CAL, TCAF) you need to ask questions on eligibility and turnout. If a group told me that they had 60 high school age boys turn out for their sixman programs, I'd politely decline their offer for a game (especially if I only have 12).
I know there is at least one 11-man home school program in the Dallas area and maybe one in the Houston area (but not sure on that one) ... perhaps some of these larger home school organizations need to look that direction.
But to be fair to these groups, there were really next to ZERO sixman or 11 man football teams four or five years ago; they've popped up like weeds in the last few years because sixman football is a reasonably inexpensive way to go. I would not be suprised to see some of them graduate into 11 man programs, much like some of our private school bretheren have gone from 6 to 11 man programsw.
As a homeschool dad, I'm sympathetic to the cause of the homeschool athlete, but I agree with most of John's post. There is a distinct advantage for the larger team, homeschool or not, especially with 60 players.
Last season, I was an assistant coach on a team that played a homeschool team that had 40 players on the roster and allegedly cut 20 more after a couple of weeks of practice began. I think we only had 10 kids suited up the night we played them. We were fortunate that we were able to finish the game, and even more fortunate to be competitive in most of the game, but the experience really took its toll on some of our players. Some of our kids never returned to 100% after that game.
I am definitely not accusing anyone of cheating here, but I still don't understand how their team would qualify to fall under the Division 1 requirement for T-CAL, which this team was a member of that league. If you count all of the players they have, plus the high school-age siblings in their families, and especially those kids that tried out and didn't make the team (which are all required to be included in the "school's enrollment numbers" for T-CAL), it would seem possible, if not probable, that they could be over the enrollment limit. But that's a matter for Jason Balli and Billy Helm from T-CAL to figure out with their coaches.
Regardless, I sure wouldn't recommend any small roster team to go play a team of that size. Even with membership in a league, you need to be careful.
As for "graduation" into 11-man football, all I can say is . . . try to find a good reason to move up, especially when you're winning and dominating other teams. It's awfully hard, especially when parents and kids are enjoying the success. Especially when it is incredibly difficult to find games at the 11-man level against comparable competition, why would you pursue it? Not only that, the travel expense can be even worse. Ask SA Cornerstone or San Antonio Christian School, among other smaller 11-man teams - it's hard to find games. T-CAL has only one 11-man team - Cornerstone -so that means for a homeschool team to have to scramble to find 9-10 games on their own. If UIL teams won't play them, and for good reasons they don't, TAPPS teams are the only option. Try to find a game in October when TAPPS district play is in full swing. I'd stay at the 6-man level if I were an AD or head coach. It would make more sense to "split" a program into two or more teams and play 6-man than to go to 11-man, both financially as well as competitively. And I wouldn't be surprised if that's what happens in the near future.
Again, I'm sympathetic to the cause, but John's right: know what you're going to face before you commit to playing one of these teams.
Last season, I was an assistant coach on a team that played a homeschool team that had 40 players on the roster and allegedly cut 20 more after a couple of weeks of practice began. I think we only had 10 kids suited up the night we played them. We were fortunate that we were able to finish the game, and even more fortunate to be competitive in most of the game, but the experience really took its toll on some of our players. Some of our kids never returned to 100% after that game.
I am definitely not accusing anyone of cheating here, but I still don't understand how their team would qualify to fall under the Division 1 requirement for T-CAL, which this team was a member of that league. If you count all of the players they have, plus the high school-age siblings in their families, and especially those kids that tried out and didn't make the team (which are all required to be included in the "school's enrollment numbers" for T-CAL), it would seem possible, if not probable, that they could be over the enrollment limit. But that's a matter for Jason Balli and Billy Helm from T-CAL to figure out with their coaches.
Regardless, I sure wouldn't recommend any small roster team to go play a team of that size. Even with membership in a league, you need to be careful.
As for "graduation" into 11-man football, all I can say is . . . try to find a good reason to move up, especially when you're winning and dominating other teams. It's awfully hard, especially when parents and kids are enjoying the success. Especially when it is incredibly difficult to find games at the 11-man level against comparable competition, why would you pursue it? Not only that, the travel expense can be even worse. Ask SA Cornerstone or San Antonio Christian School, among other smaller 11-man teams - it's hard to find games. T-CAL has only one 11-man team - Cornerstone -so that means for a homeschool team to have to scramble to find 9-10 games on their own. If UIL teams won't play them, and for good reasons they don't, TAPPS teams are the only option. Try to find a game in October when TAPPS district play is in full swing. I'd stay at the 6-man level if I were an AD or head coach. It would make more sense to "split" a program into two or more teams and play 6-man than to go to 11-man, both financially as well as competitively. And I wouldn't be surprised if that's what happens in the near future.
Again, I'm sympathetic to the cause, but John's right: know what you're going to face before you commit to playing one of these teams.
There are several reasons they are playing six man football, just to name a few. #1, it's a great game blessed by the Lord! #2, they are a new team and growing at a rapid rate. #3, They could not compete in 11 man and wanted to be more competitive.
TCAL has a few large home schools as well as large private and charter schools. Our vision is to build 11 man from the inside out. Trying to start 11 man in TCAL (or any other organization) and expecting teams to come in because your doing so, is a little far fetched. We have several schools who share the same vision and we expect to have 5-10 TCAL schools make the transition in the next few years. TCAL will re-align in 2012 and by 2014 we expect to have at least 4 regions and a post season playoff system.
TCAL has also looked at starting a third division. I believe 3 divisions would work well if you had the teams to support it. This idea is still being considered as we experience rapid growth. We have several teams in TCAL starting football next season. If we hit the 50 school mark by December 1st, we will consider making the move. Our new alignments come out February 1st 2012.
Have a blessed season!
TCAL has a few large home schools as well as large private and charter schools. Our vision is to build 11 man from the inside out. Trying to start 11 man in TCAL (or any other organization) and expecting teams to come in because your doing so, is a little far fetched. We have several schools who share the same vision and we expect to have 5-10 TCAL schools make the transition in the next few years. TCAL will re-align in 2012 and by 2014 we expect to have at least 4 regions and a post season playoff system.
TCAL has also looked at starting a third division. I believe 3 divisions would work well if you had the teams to support it. This idea is still being considered as we experience rapid growth. We have several teams in TCAL starting football next season. If we hit the 50 school mark by December 1st, we will consider making the move. Our new alignments come out February 1st 2012.
Have a blessed season!
