Anyone see anything wrong with this whole idea? Someone else trying to make money off youth sports and compounding the over specialization problem in youth sports.


Why not let these kids do some other sport instead of football?





Copyright 2010 The Washington Post
All Rights Reserved

The Washington Post


May 4, 2010 Tuesday
Met 2 Edition


SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. D01

DISTRIBUTION: Maryland

HEADLINE: Youth football encounters growing pains;
Obstacles hinder efforts to give middle-schoolers chance to train in offseason

BYLINE: Josh Barr


Baseball, basketball and other youth sports have become virtually year-round endeavors, with offseason club teams for nearly every age level. Youth football, though, has remained relegated to the fall, largely because of the sheer number of participants required, the costs of equipment and the necessary coaching preparation.

A current effort to fill that void has been slow to get off the ground, held back by the traditional obstacles as well as skepticism over the motives of the organizers.

Mike Anderson's plan seemed simple enough. High school football players spend their summers in skill camps that charge enrollment fees in exchange for exposure. Anderson would provide similar opportunities for middle-schoolers with a regional all-star football league in the spring and summer. He would enlist youth league coaches to publicize and run eight tryout combines, capped at 500 participants each (with an entry fee of $100 per athlete). The best 33 players at each combine would make that region's "team," which would then be guided by high school coaches from top teams.

Throw in concessions, sponsorship opportunities, a network of personal trainers and a possible cable television deal, and the Grassroots Youth Football League seemed like a potentially feasible -- and profitable -- operation.

"Every other sport goes year round, so why not football?" said Rick Peacock, the junior varsity coach at DeMatha and also president of the Anne Arundel County Youth Football Organization.

Anderson has learned first-hand many of the reasons why not.

"We've been running into a lot of road blocks," said Anderson, a 42-year-old former University of Maryland standout who had worked for sports agents, including Len Elmore, and an accountant who for five years ran his own personal services company for athletes.

The biggest hurdle has been getting coaches -- at all levels, from all programs -- to support the fledgling league, which plans to begin play on May 29.

Public high school coaches saw it as another opportunity for private schools to poach their players; Anderson and fellow league executive J.B. Brown are DeMatha graduates. Private school coaches worried about losing their soon-to-be freshmen to other private schools. Anderson eventually decided against allowing private school coaches to participate.

Then, instead of youth league commissioners and coaches boasting about how many players they might supply to a GYFL team, as Anderson had hoped, there was more concern about rival leagues stealing players.

Negotiations with the Real Hip Hop Network to televise the games suddenly dried up. Though Anderson has had many conversations, securing sponsorships has proven challenging.

"It's something brand new and everybody is going to put up walls and it's up to Mike how much he wants to work and bring those walls down," said Peacock, who also is the southeast regional manager for USA Football.

Getting the players out has also been difficult. The league's first combines, at St. Stephen's/St. Agnes for the Fairfax team and at St. John's for the Washington team, were held over Easter weekend; just 25 players showed up to try out for the two teams.

A few days before the Southern Maryland combine scheduled at North Point High in Waldorf, Anderson said he was told the league would not be allowed to use the facility. Anderson subsequently held that combine along with the Prince George's combine at McNamara in Forestville. It remains unclear where the Southern Maryland team will practice or play.

Turnout was significantly lower than hoped, prompting Anderson to scale two-day combines back to one-day $50 minicamps. Still, just 11 players showed up on a recent Saturday at Spalding High in Severn for the Anne Arundel/Howard minicamp.

As a result, Anderson eliminated the Anne Arundel/Howard team and made data from the players who attended that combine available to other teams. At one point, the planned Montgomery County team also was going to be eliminated but that team was resurrected to go along with teams in Baltimore, Fairfax, Prince George's, Southern Maryland, Washington and Loudoun.

"I thought we'd have to cut the lines down and shut it off," said Anderson, who in 2002 ran afoul of the NCAA for giving money to former West Virginia basketball player Jonathan Hargett and his mother, and for providing small benefits to former Maryland basketball player Travis Garrison. "To be honest, I'm still 100 percent confident that will happen [in the future]. The problem is getting the word out to all of them."

Those who have attended the combines seem to have enjoyed the experience. Detailed notes are taken and electronically measured times have been recorded and posted on the Internet.

At the Prince George's/Southern Maryland combine last month, a few high school assistant coaches milled about, sporting shirts and/or hats bearing the name of their school, wanting to make an impression just in case they discovered a gem. When a slender 13-year-old in shiny blue basketball shorts sprinted down the green artificial turf, folks took notice.

"That's under five" seconds, said McNamara football coach Bryce Bevill, sitting in a chair near the starting line. "You knew that was good in the first three steps."

As the timekeeper reported Booker T. Napoleon's time -- 4.84 seconds, the fastest of the day so far -- Brown walked over to talk with the youth. Napoleon, who later said he was nervous to perform, had arrived late after playing in a basketball game that required overtime; his mother plans to move from Temple Hills to Waldorf before the fall so that her son can attend Westlake High as a freshman this fall.

Other parents also liked the idea of having a measuring stick for their son's athletic ability.

"If [my son Dorian] has talent as identified by the powers that be, it's an opportunity to put yourself in their environment and be measured against some of the better athletes in the area," said Wayne Maddox of Bowie. "You see how you stack up."

Although the participants seemed pleased, there are other potential concerns about the league. Some parents and high school coaches don't want their incoming ninth-graders playing too much football. Then there are those who believe that turning middle school sports into big business -- with a Web site that profiles some players and lists what high schools they are considering, similar to the college picks of their high school counterparts -- crosses a dangerous line.

"I understand high school, but when it gets down to eighth grade, that's the last bit of innocence," Peacock said. "Most of them are just hitting puberty so you don't know what they're going to be" in a few years.

Said Anderson: "I honestly can understand there is a concern with that but it is going to happen with or without us. By us coming in, the people we are, with the mentality we have, we can get in it and make it better from the inside.

"When trends start to take off, there is no stopping them. You can either sit back and complain or you can get involved and try to help out. Some of the skeptics will have to let us get a track record to tell if we're part of the solution or part of the problem. I know we're going to be part of the solution."

Kevin Cullen's article today in the Sunday Boston Globe was excellent. Deals with how Kevin Watson, a youth sports parent, is holding a bad youth sports coach accountable for his actions or lack of them. We need more parents like Kevin to do this.


But my bigger question is when will sport coaches hold each other accountable? We do not need coaches like the one in this article or the sexual predators in the swimming world shown on ABC's 20/20 a week ago Friday.

Find the whole article at the Boston Globe.

Today, leaders in healthcare, wellness, safety and fitness came together to launch the STOP Sports Injuries campaign. The campaign will educate athletes, parents, trainers, coaches and healthcare providers about the rapid increase in youth sports injuries, the necessary steps to help reverse the trend and the need to keep young athletes healthy (see also STOP Sports Injuries).


STOP Sports Injuries campaign highlights include teaching proper prevention techniques, discussing the need for open communication between everyone involved in young athletes' lives, and encouraging those affected to take The Pledge to become advocates for sports safety and take the preventative measures to keep kids in the game for life.


Sports injuries among young athletes are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high school athletes alone account for an estimated 2 million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations every year.


"Regardless of whether the athlete is a professional, an amateur, an Olympian or a young recreational athlete, the number of sports injuries is increasing -- but the escalation of injuries in kids is the most alarming," said Dr. James Andrews, president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and STOP Sports Injuries Co-Campaign Chair. "Armed with the correct information and tools, today's young athletes can remain healthy, play safe and stay in the game for life."


Orthopaedic surgeons are currently seeing two trends: a rapid rise in the number of youth sports injuries and a drop in the age of young athletes with overuse injuries. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, every year more than 3.5 million children age 14 and younger are treated for sports injuries.


"The increasing number of youth sports injuries affects everyone involved in a young athlete's life -- coaches, parents, trainers and healthcare providers. We created the STOP Sports Injuries campaign to raise awareness about the problem and provide accurate information to keep the lines of communication open and ensure that young athletes stay healthy, stay on the field and stay out of the operating room," continued Andrews.


The high rate of youth sports injuries is fueled by an increase in overuse and trauma injuries and a lack of attention paid to proper injury prevention. According to the CDC, more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable.


The STOP Sports Injuries campaign will feature public service announcements, a website with information about sport specific injuries, and The Pledge for athletes, parents, coaches, and healthcare providers to support. The campaign website and pledge are available at www.stopsportsinjuries.org.


Supporting the STOP Sports Injuries campaign are the country's leading sports medicine organizations, along with professional athletes and business leaders who have signed on as members of the campaign's Council of Champions. This Council will help raise awareness about this growing epidemic of youth sports injuries. Some of the founding members of the Council include former Olympic champions Christie Rampone, Eric Heiden and Bonnie Blair; professional golfer Jack Nicklaus; NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr; MLB baseball player John Smoltz; NFL Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long; and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford.


Council of Champions members and national launch spokesmen John Smoltz and Sam Bradford are familiar with the effects of sports injuries.

"My recent shoulder injury highlighted the importance of injury prevention, recovery, and communicating with my coaches, trainers and healthcare providers," said Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. "I joined the STOP Sports Injuries campaign to share my experiences and encourage young athletes to join this important cause. It is important for kids to know that it is fun to play organized or recreational sports, but it's even more important for them to stay healthy while they play."


"As a baseball player and a father, preventing sports injuries to both me and my children is a priority. Having seen the benefits of good health and the setbacks of injury, we need to create a stronger awareness of the importance of proper techniques, open lines of communication, and encouraging safe play with athletes. This will keep young athletes healthy and in the game," said John Smoltz, former Major League Baseball (MLB) player. "The STOP Sports Injuries campaign sets out to give parents and athletes important tools to accomplish these goals and reduce youth sports injuries."


Healthcare organizations that are partnering on the campaign include the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, National Athletic Trainers' Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association and SAFE Kids USA.


"The goal of this initiative is to slow, and eventually halt, the rising rate of injuries in young athletes so that these kids can become healthy adults who enjoy exercise, camaraderie and physical health for life. We support the STOP Sports Injuries campaign because when the parents, trainers, coaches and healthcare providers have the best information about injury prevention and treatment they all can work together -- and with the athlete -- to keep him or her safe," said John J. Callaghan, MD, president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.


"The American Academy of Pediatrics and its Council on Sports Medicine & Fitness is involved in the STOP Sports Injuries campaign because we believe this is a great way to get injury prevention information to the people that matter most, mainly the coaches and parents. In working with the other partner organizations as well, the campaign will have an established infrastructure on many levels to allow this important information to reach the intended target audience," said Andrew J.M. Gregory, MD, FAAP, FACSM, Executive Committee member, American Academy of Pediatrics.


"AMSSM is committed to injury prevention and the STOP Sports Injuries campaign is a perfect opportunity to join with other interested organizations to promote safe youth sports activity," said Kim Harmon, MD, President of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.


"The NATA is proud to support the STOP Sports Injury campaign. Prevention is the number one priority of athletic trainers! This initiative is a perfect complement to our injury prevention strategies and programs and will help ensure the health and safety of young athletes," said Marjorie J. Albohm, MS, ATC, President, National Athletic Trainers' Association.


"The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) develops and presents the most advanced information regarding strength training and conditioning practices, and central to its mission is bridging the gap between the scientist and the practitioner in the field. The STOP Sports Injuries campaign fits directly with the mission of the NSCA since proper strength and conditioning practices play a major role in sports injury prevention. The NSCA is honored to contribute and collaborate with other organizations in the STOP Sports Injuries campaign to prevent athletic overuse and trauma injuries in youth," said John P. McCarthy, PhD, PT, FACSM, CSCS, NSCA Board of Directors and Sports Medicine Professional member, University of Alabama at Birmingham.


"We all want our kids to be active and healthy -- but this means keeping them safe too. We have joined the STOP Sports Injuries campaign to stem the growing tide of sports-related injuries seen in our youth today. Together we will reach parents, coaches and the young players themselves to ensure that they stay active, healthy -- and free from injury," said Mitch Stoller, president, SAFE Kids USA.


The STOP Sports Injuries campaign was first initiated by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and includes a comprehensive public outreach program focused on the importance of sports safety-specifically relating to overuse and trauma injuries. The initiative not only raises awareness and provides education on injury reduction, but also highlights how playing safe and smart can enhance and extend a child's athletic career, improve teamwork, reduce obesity rates and create a lifelong love of exercise and healthy activity. The campaign's message underscores the problems of youth overuse and trauma injuries and emphasizes the expertise of our coalition of experts, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Athletic Trainers' Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and SAFE Kids USA.