Starting them young!

[Landshark]

This year individuals from six man schools got together and formed a West Texas 6-Man Youth Football league. In the past six man schools had to send their youth to play 11 man YFL in the neighboring bigger towns. We were lucky to get involved with others and formed the league to teach our kids 6-man football. So far we have teams from:

North Div
Borden County
Grady
Klondike
Ira
O'Donnell
Hermliegh
Meadow
Wellman

South Div
Sterling City
Water Valley
Rankin?
Robert Lee

The South Division is separate from North but will play in the playoffs and 6-MAN SUPER BOWL.

There was interest from other schools, but I think most were to late getting it organized and to many kids had defected to the bigger YFLs. After the success of this league this year, I don't think there will be much of a problem next year as long as someone puts in the effort to get it started in their School/community.

The league is broken down into 3 levels. K-2nd grade are flag, 3rd-4th is tackle, and 5th and 6th is tackle. Some didn't have enough for a team at one level and combined the kids up to make teams.

We have had two weeks of games and it has been awesome watching these kids play and learn six man football. IF YOUR A FAN OF SIX MAN, COME OUT AND WATCH THE KIDS, and spread the word the league is formed so every six man school will start up a league/teams.

There is a facebook page started for the league. West Texas Youth6-Man Football

 

[kchief]

There is also a league (in its 3rd or 4th year) made up of Anton, Whitharral, Smyer, and Whiteface....Ropes and Meadow have played in it as well in the past. Would love to get some more teams involved...Flag division for the young ones and 2 tackle divisions

 

[GSB]

Amen! Keep up the great work.

 

[Dogface]

This year individuals from six man schools got together and formed a West Texas 6-Man Youth Football league. In the past six man schools had to send their youth to play 11 man YFL in the neighboring bigger towns. We were lucky to get involved with others and formed the league to teach our kids 6-man football. So far we have teams from:

North Div
Borden County
Grady
Klondike
Ira
O'Donnell
Hermliegh
Meadow
Wellman

South Div
Sterling City
Water Valley
Rankin?
Robert Lee

The South Division is separate from North but will play in the playoffs and 6-MAN SUPER BOWL.

There was interest from other schools, but I think most were to late getting it organized and to many kids had defected to the bigger YFLs. After the success of this league this year, I don't think there will be much of a problem next year as long as someone puts in the effort to get it started in their School/community.

The league is broken down into 3 levels. K-2nd grade are flag, 3rd-4th is tackle, and 5th and 6th is tackle. Some didn't have enough for a team at one level and combined the kids up to make teams.

We have had two weeks of games and it has been awesome watching these kids play and learn six man football. IF YOUR A FAN OF SIX MAN, COME OUT AND WATCH THE KIDS, and spread the word the league is formed so every six man school will start up a league/teams.

There is a facebook page started for the league. West Texas Youth6-Man Football

Actually,
teams from the East have been doing that for years.
Glad you W. Tx boys finally caught on.

 

[Landshark]

Lets keep up the good work and hopefully in the near future most six man schools will be a part of a league, then you can catch six-man games Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays!

 

[YellowRose]

Crowell has a kid league six man team. They have been trying to find other six man teams in the area to play. I know that in the past they have played Chillicothe, Knox City and Rule.

 

[Hornet Nation]

We have had one for a few years also starting with pre k/2 flag, 3/4 tackle and 5/6 tackle
North Division
Rising Star
May
Gordon
Strawn
Blanket
Zephyr

South Division
Cherokee
Richland Springs
Rochelle
Santa Anna
Brookesmith
Lometa

They are fun to watch

 

[loveofgame]

Hornet nation, do you have a contact for that? If so, could you please pm me that? Appreciate it!

 

[WV Backer]

Actually,
teams from the East have been doing that for years.
Glad you W. Tx boys finally caught on.

Guess the East is still waiting on the payoff...

 

[Blue Bird]

The school to watch for a payoff in the next 4 to 6 years is Blanket. Their fans think there could be a big payoff. We'll see.

 

[SiXmAnMaDnEsS]

In the Panhandle, we have not even heard about this in a lot of places! I know that towns like Lefors, Groom, McLean, Happy, Miami, Turkey Valley, Follet, Hedley, White Deer, Nazareth, and more would love to do it!

 

[coach_jshelton]

I know that Spur has done this for a number of years - Ricky Martinez was one of the organizers, and I know Roy Sanchez was always involved (and others I can't remember). I always liked it because they brought kids together from the surrounding communities, taught them fundamentals, sportsmanship and then divided them up and let them scrimmage each week. As a father I think their program benefitted my sons. As a coach I appreciated that they weren't trying to teach the kids a bunch of formations & plays, they just ran base plays & emphasized fundamentals. It's been fun to see those kids who played that are now in JH or HS programs as far north as Valley, as far east as Crowell, as far west as New Home/Sands & as far south as Highland and a bunch of other towns in between.

 

[CatPride88]

Crowell has had a 6 man little league for 8 yrs now and has had problems trying to keep teams to play . Maybe there should be a thread dedicated to this with a listing of contacts for each team .

 

[piratefan]

Even in the Panhandle. There is a three team league of Lefors, Groom, and Miami that has players 3rd thru 6th grades.

 

[Dogface]

Actually,
teams from the East have been doing that for years.
Glad you W. Tx boys finally caught on.

Guess the East is still waiting on the payoff...

Ha.
That's kinda funny
in a W tx kinda way.
Actually,
they've had several Super Bowls
and I could hear the coaches screaming at the boys during practice
from half a mile away.
So...

 

[SixManPhotoGuy]

Think about all the times we have heard someone say how can such a small school just reload new players ever year. Let me tell you these youth leagues are how you do it! I would love to see all of these leagues playing each other. That way we could have 10 games and a longer playoff. Might just let the top teams play each other after all is said and done.

 

[Caprock kid]

Or you just live next to a bigger town and get kids from there.

 

[Landshark]

Maybe there should be a thread dedicated to this with a listing of contacts for each team .

Think about all the times we have heard someone say how can such a small school just reload new players ever year. Let me tell you these youth leagues are how you do it! I would love to see all of these leagues playing each other. That way we could have 10 games and a longer playoff. Might just let the top teams play each other after all is said and done.

I think it would be awesome to have a lot of sixman leagues playing and playing against each other!

 

[smokeyjoe53]

I already know I'm going to catch heat for this but I'll go ahead anyway...............
There is nothing wrong with providing recreation and learning opportunities for the younger kids. I take exception to some of these opportunities when too much emphasis is placed on winning and the fun is taken out of it for the kids. Also I have seen some games taking place on Sundays. Now I'm not going to tell everybody that they should be in church on Sunday but it happens that our church is adjacent to a high school football stadium (not a sixman school). Our members have been asked to park in other areas so the game attendees will have adequate parking. Our church bought a vacant lot behind our church that we have posted for FREE parking for football games. Its not paved but hey it's free. I guess its too far to walk..... Anyway back to my semi-rant.
Folks there are other things in kid's development than sports. All I'm saying is don't neglect other areas of your children's lives.

 

[oldfat&bald]

I take exception to some of these opportunities when too much emphasis is placed on winning and the fun is taken out of it for the kids.

Amen Smokey. With all things there are different levels and the kids there have different goals. At the local league level especially, the goal is to teach the kids the game and make sure they enjoy it enough to come back next year.

For a lot of these kids, that local league is the only athletic experience they'll ever have. Teach the game to the best of your ability. Teach them that it's important to work at it. Then let them play the game.