but it's tough to watch your son stand on the sidelines after he made a sacrifice for the coaches/team.

my son was on the A-team as a receiver (rotating in/out) and the 3rd QB. The coaches asked him to move to the B-team to be the back up QB b/c the other kid wasn't working out.

So he did it. Now, he stands on the sidelines all game and gets to watch all his friends have fun. In 3-games he's been in for maybe 7 plays total.

His brother is still on the A-team so I get to go 1x per week and watch 3+hours of 7th grade football where one kid plays and the other sits and does nothing.

I told him just to stay positive and make the practice times his games/fun time and use this as a learning season. But it's killing him. He's one of the fastest kids on the entire team and he has to just stand there.

I know saying something to the coach would do more harm than good, but man I really want to know why he doesn't play. If he was a goof off and slacker I'd know, but he's not.

I want to tell the coach that if he's just going to sit on his ass then can he put him back on the A-team so I don't have to waste so much time on game nights!

[This message has been edited by agracer (edited 10/6/2010 11:27a).]

sounds like hes being Tannehilled. "We need you as backup QB so you'll only play 3rd downs, but we'll never pull the starter after throwing 4 consecutive picks."

At 7th grade I think he is old enough to talk to coach himself. Because that is the real issue, how he feels about it, not you :-P.

Tell him to approach the coach after practice and tell him how he feels about playing and also to make an argument that he can benifit the team more playing. If the coach is any good, he will tell him what he needs to show him in practice to get either back to a A team spot or taking over at B QB. Then it will be up to your kid to put in the work and control where he plays.

This can be a great real life lesson for your kid.



[This message has been edited by Texaggie7nine (edited 10/6/2010 8:55a).]

put me in coach....

I know how you feel. My son plays for a small private school. 6th and 7th graders on the same team.

The team is a disaster. They've not come close to winning a game. Coach is playing all the 6th graders while the 7th graders stand on the sidelines. The qb (sixth grader) is the best player on the field (already hit puberty). But the rest of the 6th graders are small, slow and weak. He's got a kid who weighs 50 lbs playing TE trying to block the opposing 7th grader who usually averages 100+ lbs. My son who is 110 lbs is stading there on the sidelines just watching this fiasco.

He told me he was going to go talk to the coach today and offer to play any position that will help the team. Right now he's 2nd string Center and MLB. He comes in to play Center whenever they need a deep snap or an accurate snap in the shotgun because the 6th grade center cannot deep snap well...frustrating.

Tell him if he wants to play, he needs to flat out ask the coaches what he needs to do to get on the field.

what 7nine said

I'm going through the exact same thing, but handling it slightly differently.

Our son went from starting Wide Receiver on B team, to second string QB & Safety on C team in the span of about a week. We couldn't figure it out.

At his last game, we watched the starting Safety (who is literally half our son's size and much slower) blatantly avoiding tackles. He would literally curl his arms inward and turn sideways to the bal carrier and then "lay down" out of fear of contact.

Luke (our son) got to play about 7 plays, like your kid. When he gets in, he is fired up - even does the "pumping the arms up" thing pre-snap because he has been to every home A&M game for the past 6 years.

On one play, he leveled the QB a nanosecond after he pitched the ball (option), then proceeded to get up and chase down the RB and level him pn the sideline - our little "crowd" went nuts. He was a part of every play that he was in for - always making or finishing the tackle.

Anyway, as far as how we are dealing with it - I vowed to not be the uptight, overinvolved dad, and to just let whatever happens happen so that the proper life lessons are learned.
So after the game, I told him "when you're on second string, you have to make the most of every opportunity coach gives you - make it impossible for them to keep you on the sidelines. You played lights out out there, so if you keep that up, you should move up IF that's what you want to do".

He answered "yeah, during halftime, coach said the only one showing any fire on the field was me".

It's driving my wife nuts. She even WORKS at the school, so she i very tempted to say something. So far I've been able to reign her in.

I think at this age, it's pretty obvious that the kids who are big for their age are going to be put on the line. The little fast black kids are going to be the QB and RB (let's be honest). And those of us with average-sized white kids are going to spend a few weeks/months trying to figure out where they can be slotted in.

Mouth is right, he flat out just needs ask and stand by coach the whole game. My 7th grade year i didn't play much till the last 2 games, there are so many damn kids that they can't evaluate everyone of them on the time they have. When he does get in he has to make the most of it and to what ever his job is and thats it. Never fails when they try to do more than their responsibility all goes to hell. Coach will start to notice if he does a good job.

Also if he can play receiver he should try playing all the DB positions, more he can play the better his chances of getting on the field. Also wideout seems to be a dead spot on the field, most teams don't have QB's that can really wing it that young. If he only wants to play offense then he might want to try playing tailback or wing if the run one. I learned the Fullback spot to get on the field and only weighed 145 in 7th grade.

If you want to make it worse for him go talk to the coach, everyone knows how much coaches love talking about playing time with parents. And trust me the 8th grade coaches and high school coaches will know about his dad real fast.

also don't pay attention to what team their on, that shouldn't matter just getting on the field should.

[This message has been edited by whiteman (edited 10/6/2010 10:10a).]

Unfortunately my kid is a little shy about talking to adults but that's a good suggestion. I know me saying something will get nowhere. Even the other parents who we played with last fall can't understand why he's on the sidelines. He played TE and CB last fall, had a bunch of good catches and 4-5 INT's and a bunch of broken up passes.

I told him to take advantage of every opportunity, not matter what. Last week, the coach got frustrated b/c no one on the line could block. So he asked for volunteers and my son jumped in at guard. He said he pancaked a few kids, and even sent some kid out b/c he leveled him so hard. Next day, the old line was back in and he was left watching.

There's like 50-kids on the team and I've told him, you have to be front and center and make sure the coach knows you exist and I know he's trying. But he's just so frustrated. The starting "B" QB is good and has more experience, but every other pass he throws gets dropped! My son has tried to insert himself at WR but his coach would not let him move to WR. He also plays a ton with the 1st team at practice, but then gets to play 2-plays with the 2nd team offense and then the coach yanks them all out.

I'll tell him to just say to his coach "I want to play more and will play any position to get in the game"..and just make sure he's polite tells the coach he want to help the team and be kinda confident and "I know I can help" and will do anything attitude. Hell, being a 5-7 115lb guard is better than standing on the sidelines all game.

EDIT: Whiteman - I know talking to the coach will do more harm than good, I'm just frustrated an feel bad for him. He's a good athlete, he is one of the fastest kids in 7th grade and he wants to play. All he talked about all summer was athletics, football and BB. Now it's here and he's stuck watching. Also, I know the team does not matter and I told him that at the start. Playing matters more than anything. He doesn't care if it's offense or defense, he can play either side. He just hates watching his friends have all the fun.

[This message has been edited by agracer (edited 10/6/2010 11:19a).]

Enthusiasm and hard work will not go unnoticed at practice.

AS a 7th Grade B Team coach, I can tell you the hardest workers typically earn the most playing time, even if they aren't the best. I value that.

Also, I REALLY respect the players who come and talk to me about playing time with a legitimate argument.

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Enthusiasm and hard work will not go unnoticed at practice.

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Told him that too, and be in the coaches hip pocket during the games and he was all last night. Still only played 2-plays.

where is he in school? Is this Cy-Fair?

maybe you're his coach and I just shot myself in the foot!!!

We DO have one player who was moved down to our team, but he has a hurt wrist and has only been here for one game...similar, but not the same.

The only Aggie who is a coach is with the A team. And his wrist is not hurt.

Good suggestions, I'll tell him to go to his coach and ask what he needs to do to play more and volunteer to do anything. He just wants to play and he's a good athlete and he thinks he can help the team.

I was the same, didn't say much to anyone so coach didn't remember i was there. After a couple great practices and trying to kick, punt getting up front to run scout teams coach saw i wanted to play. After knocking out a guy while playing free safety i finally got to play a whole half and start the last game. That carried over to 8th grade where i started every game from there till i was done playing.

The number of kids drops each year and it gets easier for the coaches to notice who's working hard. High school is when a bunch drop, lot of them can't handle the working out the whole school year and having varsity players calling them to work out in the summer.

I would talk with the coaches and see what the story is...then the next day, have your son go to the coaches and say, "coach i'm not whinning or complaining, but I want to get on the field and play and win....please find me a spot. I don't care what position it is."

that sucks, just keep reinforcing how important it is to bust his ass and keep a positive outlook and that if he does this he will have a chance at making a real name for himself in HS...and maybe college.

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The little fast black kids are going to be the QB and RB (let's be honest).

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So can I assume the hispanic kids are do all the kicking?

Matt Saracen had the same problem.

The solution is to have your son start dating the coaches daughter then interrupt a family dinner at coaches house to go outside and prove to coach that he knows all the routes.

Solved!

Keep his stats. that will help the kid with the conversation. Plays/tackles/bloked passes/etc.

Basically, heh when I did go in, look what I did. At this level, coaches are all counfused with people in and out.

Problem with football is the coach has control as to if you are only a player (every play) or a specialist (deep snapper only) which limits playing time. On a positive note, people do not play both ways now, so more people play.

coaches are mental midgets, esp. at the jr. high level.

pretty cool thing to say when a jr. high coach is posting on here.

i'm sure the coach on here is great and super intelligent. my jr. high coaches on the other hand were terrible. to the o.p. - just know when you have your kid playing sports there will be "that coach" who's only interest is serving his own ego.

In slurpee's defense, I happen to teach Gifted/Talented Science, Coach the school's Science Olympiad Team (5th at state last year), and just happen to coach football after school...but he didn't know that

The coach is dating or wants to date the other kids mom.

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So can I assume the hispanic kids are do all the kicking?

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That's reserved for the Poles and other Eastern European kids with phonetically f'ed up last names.

To the OP, just accept your son isn't cut out for football...there's always theater or debate club when he reaches high school!

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The solution is to have your son start dating the coaches daughter then interrupt a family dinner at coaches house to go outside and prove to coach that he knows all the routes.

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ok, so there are coaches who teach, b/c they have to and coaches that are teachers, b/c they think it's fun. i think we all know what i mean and which coaches i'm singling out. you know what? bad choice of words. i used the 'm' word and that's not cool. sorry. i always make my kids choose a team sport and an individual one.

No worries, I wasn't offended. I love fall because I GET to coach football. The days are long, but rewarding (as long as the O produces, but that's out of my control

Back to the OP, stay in the coaches ear, work hard, and by telling coach he doesn't care where he plays, he just wants to win, this is a good thing.

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coaches are mental midgets, esp. at the jr. high level.

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Thanks for your educated opinion.

I teach and coach 8th grade. Frustration with regard to playing time comes up quite often. All I can really say is that my kids that work the hardest and have the best attitude are going to play. None of my players get away with not working hard, regardless of talent level.

Something else to keep in mind is that it's still junior high football - at this stage it's all about teaching the fundamentals of the game. The kid playing ahead of your kid is definitely going to make mistakes - just like all junior high players do. Be patient because once some of these kids hit their growth spurts, they end up playing varsity football.

One last thing: tell your kid that if he works hard and has the right attitude, he will earn playing time. I agree with the above posters about asking what he can do to earn playing time...just make sure he knows not to whine about it.

I have a couple kids that I originally thought would never play that are now on the field about 75% of the game.

That sounds odd. I coach 7th grade football and anytime we move a kid down during the season, they are pretty much guaranteed more playing time because we only move players who aren't playing much at the upper level and would be able to help the lower level.

That being said, maybe call the coach and ask him what is going on. Don't brag about being a Turf Bowl Championship coach or talk about how good/much your son played last year. Just let him know that you felt he was playing more on the A-team and that he was moved to help play more on the B-team and that doesn't appear to be happening. Don't bring up other kids because coaches aren't allowed to talk to them. Only focus on your son and what you assumed or were told was the reason for the move.

I've never punished a kid for a parent contacting me and never worked with anyone that has done that. Just remember to not be a jerk and don't contact them the night of a game. The next day or even a Friday is best.

Just some advice and I hope it goes well. It's hard getting all the kids into a Jr. High game and still be competitive. Keeping kids interested is very important but I do think teaching kids how to win is very important also.