|
|||||||||||||
Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Capturing the flag
In youth flag football, each team has five players on the field, playing with a smaller ball than in tackle football, lining up in different formations. But the players are just as serious.
Several area youth flag football leagues have seen recent impressive increases in enrollment.
"Word of mouth has been huge" for spurring the sport's growth, says Melissa Ryburn, program director for DMB Sports Group Inc., which operates Cascades Flag Football.
The organization began in the spring of 2007 with 120 players. It opened its fourth season Sept. 13 with 270 kids on 28 teams.
Herndon Youth Flag Football co-founder and president Mike Marshall expects in excess of 300 kids to sign up next spring, after an inaugural 2007 with 97 players. Like CFF, his league serves kids as young as 5.
"Younger kids want to play, want to try what they see on Madden. But they don't want to get creamed," says Marshall, who coaches tackle football and has observed the impact of the Madden NFL video game on the next generation of football players.
Steven D'Argenio agrees that kids might not benefit from getting to know the rough, authoritarian aspect of football at an early stage.
"The kids' first experiences in football is a negative one," says the founder and president of the Ashburn-based NOVA Youth Flag Football League, now in its 12thseason. "We decided to make football fun."
After moving to Northern Virginia in 1995 from Long Island, where he played adult flag football, D'Argenio set up a Fairfax-based adult league. Two years later, as his son reached the age of 6, D'Argenio felt the need to provide a safe, positive way for his son to learn football fundamentals.
After an initial enrollment of 50 kids in 1997, the league ballooned to 300 in 2003. For the current season, NOVA Flag sports 47 teams and 700 players between the ages of 5 and 14. More than 100 kids were wait-listed after enrollment maxed out in July.
D'Argenio, who runs one of the oldest youth flag leagues in the metropolitan area, says kids leave the league ready to advance, whether in football or another sport. About 15 percent to 20 percent of his alumni move on to tackle football.
"We prepare them for tackle football," says D'Argenio, a former high school quarterback.
He points to former Stone Bridge High School star Ryan Moody, now a wide receiver at The College of William & Mary, as a particularly successful NOVA Flag grad. Moody won a championship in flag football before commencing his tackle football career.
"We tell kids that they should move from our league only when they are ready," says D'Argenio, who estimates that age of readiness to be generally 12-13 years.
D'Argenio believes that flag football "is becoming more acceptable with high school coaches" due to the speed and agility the sport fosters, and the skill development from playing all positions.
Jacob Lewis is a sturdy 9-year old kid with blond hair, a three-year flag veteran. His father, Rick, of Sterling, took in his son's Sept. 20 contest from the corner of the field at Algonkian Regional Park, where Jacob's Redskins were taking on the Eagles.
"It's been great. He's learned that it's all about everyone getting a chance to contribute to the team," Rick Lewis says moments before Jacob contributes with an interception.
The son runs happily toward his father, who greets him: "High-five, big man!"
Jacob Lewis is asked whether he wishes to play tackle football someday.
"Yeah!" he answers without reservation. In a school system that feeds Potomac Falls High School, Jacob sees himself as a running back or linebacker.
His father laughs at his breathless reply. "He definitely wants to play tackle. He's just getting his fundamentals down and then he'll be ready."
On the next field, a 5-year-old football fanatic named Cameron Goodloe is partaking in his second-ever official football game.
"I like this because he's a big kid, so if he plays tackle [football], he only gets to play a couple of positions," says dad Jason, whose son developed an affinity for the game through Madden NFL. "He just wants to play."
Cameron's Bengals defeated the Chiefs 24-8 to even their record at 1-1. Cameron's coach, Dave Hudgens, gives the boy a quick shoulder rub: "Good job again, buddy. You're a monster out there!"
"The tiny guys out there put their big hearts out there," said Hudgens, whose 7-year-old son, Sam, is on the Bengals, playing in his second season. "They get better and better every week."
Though still in its formative stage, youth flag football is likely to continue the trend in which leagues have gotten bigger and bigger every season.
Ryburn, whose maxed-out CFF turned away 40 players before the fall season, expects even more enrollees for the spring.
"We're just going to keep growing and keep having fun," she says.
D'Argenio is certain of flag's future in the pantheon of local youth sports.
"Flag football is here to stay," he states unequivocally.
Hudgens believes that the fast-paced game has entertainment value to those watching it.
"The parents really enjoy it," he says. "Watching tykes get out there and score some touchdowns and do some neat things, it's a ton of fun."
Contact the reporter at jrufner@timespapers.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.