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Are pee wee football helmets huge these days?

CharlesDavenport

CharlesDavenport

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Saw the grade schoolers in the tackle session coming on the field after the flag session at Tim Lester's football program. They look huge, like Halloween costumes. I didn't start playing tackle with equipment until 5th grade, so maybe I'm just not used to seeing kids that young in helmets, but I swear they are ridiculously big. Have they gotten bigger?
 
Noticed that myself about a year ago when I was watching elementary school and middle school age kids. Looked like a bunch of bobblehead dolls running around
 
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They've always been like that... When I played as an 8 year old, my helmet was huge too. They begin to grow into them at age 10 or 11...when the fo-real hittin' begins
 
Until they hit about 7 and 8th grade where some of them are 6 feet 190- 215 lbs. Yeah its pretty funny. We will be starting my son's gr 5-6 team in 4 weeks. Love coaching football. Especially watching a kid who comes in like a bobble head and in 3 or 4 years looks like he will be a stud high school player. I'm spending a lot of time right now researching and planning how I will coach safe tackling. The certification technique is a F'n joke and doesn't work. I really like Pete Carroll's Seahawk shoulder leverage/ Rugby style tackling. That will be a good part of what we do.
 
SteelerSask said:
Until they hit about 7 and 8th grade where some of them are 6 feet 190- 215 lbs. Yeah its pretty funny. We will be starting my son's gr 5-6 team in 4 weeks. Love coaching football. Especially watching a kid who comes in like a bobble head and in 3 or 4 years looks like he will be a stud high school player. I'm spending a lot of time right now researching and planning how I will coach safe tackling. The certification technique is a F'n joke and doesn't work. I really like Pete Carroll's Seahawk shoulder leverage/ Rugby style tackling. That will be a good part of what we do.
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The strike zone: hit/tackle below the helmet but above the knees, EXCEPT when trailing, then tackle anywhere you can, but no Horsecollaring. Driving the legs and wrapping up too. And get a hand on the ball once contact is made if possible.
 
To be honest, if they are going to have tackle level FB at a young age, there should be size appropriate equipment. Those huge helmets are just as big of a problem for smaller kids, their bodies are not developed to support that extra mass.
 
What I remember as a kid from the 70s was we didn't all have the same helmet or jerseys and stuff sometimes. My one friend was much bigger at that age then us other kids (it evened out as we aged), but the coach had to take him down to the high school to get a helmet to fit him. Still bust his *** about that one. Pumpkinhead.

These pee wee teams look like professional teams almost they are outfitted so nice. It's like kids today seem like they all get new cars. There was something about having to wire up your muffler. I think it was more fun when we were younger with this stuff.
 
Why the **** are we playing equipment tackle football in the second grade? This organized sport **** is driving me nuts. How about everyone just kick their kids out on to the street and have them figure it out like we did? Telephone pole to telephone pole. Three completes is a first. Buttonhook around the Nova. What the **** is going on?
 
I agree Chuck D. If anything is organized at that age it should just be flag. And worse is that every sport is now two seasoned and a child and their parents need to decide their best sport by age 8. Because if you aren't playing the two seasons by age 9 or 10 tops you are totally left behind. Ridiculous.
 
I coached 4th 5th and 6th graders in the town league. Then , they went and pulled in 3rd graders to make a 3rd/4th grade team and also have a 5/6 grade team, because the 4th graders were sooo small compared to 5th and 6th.. Its like herding cats and I don't agree with having them at that age. They should play flag or at the park.

But , Ill be honest with you. We are losing kids. Losing them to their ipods/pads, phones,,,etc. Im not being the cranky old man here. Seriously They don't care anymore. They don't want to compete. They have everything in their palm. Games, frriends, snapchat, information,, Kids I coached are now in Jr. high. I see them , some could be real athletes.. but honestly they don't care about sports or comptetition.
 
Black & Gold Bleeder said:
I coached 4th 5th and 6th graders in the town league. Then , they went and pulled in 3rd graders to make a 3rd/4th grade team and also have a 5/6 grade team, because the 4th graders were sooo small compared to 5th and 6th.. Its like herding cats and I don't agree with having them at that age. They should play flag or at the park.

But , Ill be honest with you. We are losing kids. Losing them to their ipods/pads, phones,,,etc. Im not being the cranky old man here. Seriously They don't care anymore. They don't want to compete. They have everything in their palm. Games, frriends, snapchat, information,, Kids I coached are now in Jr. high. I see them , some could be real athletes.. but honestly they don't care about sports or comptetition.
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Just the way society is now. I have two younger brothers and a four year old son. My son already knows how to work a ps4 or xbox console cause his uncles taught him. They like to play at the park but the interest to compete athletically isn't appealing anymore
 
Teaching proper tackling isn't that hard. My family (and I) have been coaching youth football for 50+ years...always with proper technique.

1) break down with your feet and butt in a good position to hit
2) keep your head UP...you must be looking at your opponent
3) drive your facemask into the runner's chest
4) WRAP up with your arms moving in an upward motion around his waist/chest area
5) tuck your tail under and drive with your feet

When tackling to the side:
1) position your body to get your head ACROSS the runner
2) MOVE YOUR FEET to keep forward momentum
3) drive your head across his body, wrap arms and
4) continue to drive with your feet until he goes down

I think what a lot of people don't realize is that when you head straight-on, you're going to have head-to-head contact. There's absolutely zero way to avoid that AND stop the runner's momentum. Even if you hit the runner in the chest, your forward momentum will drive the top of your helmet into the bottom of the runner's facemask...simple physics. BUT...this isn't unsafe play. When you are looking at the ground and driving into the runner, THAT is unsafe...for both the runner and the tackler.
 
diver said:
What I remember as a kid from the 70s was we didn't all have the same helmet or jerseys and stuff sometimes. My one friend was much bigger at that age then us other kids (it evened out as we aged), but the coach had to take him down to the high school to get a helmet to fit him. Still bust his *** about that one. Pumpkinhead.

These pee wee teams look like professional teams almost they are outfitted so nice. It's like kids today seem like they all get new cars. There was something about having to wire up your muffler. I think it was more fun when we were younger with this stuff.
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I agree 100%. Now as our generation are parents though, many try to give what they didn't have. It's what happens when the intent of the gesture doesn't equal the outcome.

I can say this, I have coached 8 years of interscholastic football (Jr and High School) 3 of my 5 best players in that time didn't have a pair of cleats when they came to practice, and about 4 out of 5 guys on the sideline had compression underarmour and nike gear, along with personalized bags and extra equipment..
 
Sounds about right GRB but you aren't supposed to drive your face mask into his chest anymore. You really aren't even supposed to put your head across anymore. The Seahawk tackling system has three fundamental pillars:
1. Track the near hip or peck if it is a profile tackle.
2. Eyes through the thighs.
3. Wrap and squeeze after contact with the shoulder.
After initial contact there are variations including wrap and roll, Drive for five when the ball carrier doesn't go down immediately.
 
Steelerfreak said:
I3 of my 5 best players in that time didn't have a pair of cleats when they came to practice, and about 4 out of 5 guys on the sideline had compression underarmour and nike gear, along with personalized bags and extra equipment..
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lol exactly! Underarmor cleats, full body girdle, wild mouth piece, tinted visor, but they don't work at anything and end up on the sideline.
 
Hockey is even worse. Every kid thinks he is going to the "Chell" as they call it and talks with their own hockey language. Most of them have 350 plus dollar sticks that don't score anymore goals than a 24 dollar one would. I know a kid who between him and his parents pay 10 G to go to school at a hockey academy and he is a second tier player. I really don't mind buying my kids good stuff for Football, basketball and wrestling for that reason alone. Even if most of it is cool factor. I think to myself if they played hockey and were good, I'd be cutting 5K cheques just to get him in the dressing room and then the equipment and travel cost. And I would literally want to throw up buying a 300 plus hockey stick. I basically never got anything accept a stick and a can that didn't belong to my brothers and the stick was supposed to last at least one season amd costed $9.95 at Canadian Tire.
 
SteelerSask said:
Sounds about right GRB but you aren't supposed to drive your face mask into his chest anymore. You really aren't even supposed to put your head across anymore. The Seahawk tackling system has three fundamental pillars:
1. Track the near hip or peck if it is a profile tackle.
2. Eyes through the thighs.
3. Wrap and squeeze after contact with the shoulder.
After initial contact there are variations including wrap and roll, Drive for five when the ball carrier doesn't go down immediately.
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Alabama has started using this as well...and the problem is that the defensive players are rolling-up ankles and breaking legs when bringing down runners. The physics of it is that they are falling onto the backs of players legs and rolling them up... not good for offensive guys.
 
SteelerSask said:
Hockey is even worse. Every kid thinks he is going to the "Chell" as they call it and talks with their own hockey language. Most of them have 350 plus dollar sticks that don't score anymore goals than a 24 dollar one would. I know a kid who between him and his parents pay 10 G to go to school at a hockey academy and he is a second tier player. I really don't mind buying my kids good stuff for Football, basketball and wrestling for that reason alone. Even if most of it is cool factor. I think to myself if they played hockey and were good, I'd be cutting 5K cheques just to get him in the dressing room and then the equipment and travel cost. And I would literally want to throw up buying a 300 plus hockey stick. I basically never got anything accept a stick and a can that didn't belong to my brothers and the stick was supposed to last at least one season amd costed $9.95 at Canadian Tire.
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Hockey is a very expensive sport. That I agree. However the game is something that is fun to play. I'm trying to get my son into hockey. He does watch the penguins. So...heres hoping
 
I played it from K to grade 9. Its a great game, but in Canada it is a lot of over bearing parents and politics involved. A lot of the fun has been taken out to create the hockey star factory.
 
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Thanks for the other perspectives. I wish kids played more unorganized ball sports. I'm in Atlanta, hopefullly its different in the Burgh.
 
SteelerSask said:
I played it from K to grade 9. Its a great game, but in Canada it is a lot of over bearing parents and politics involved. A lot of the fun has been taken out to create the hockey star factory.
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Some places can be like that here in the U.S with football. Thats what I used to hate was the political side to kids sports. Let the kids have fun. Thats why no body in this generation likes sports anymore. Coaches/parents take the fun out of it
 
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