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Post by natenator on Jan 19, 2016 12:37:23 GMT -6
I'm curious to know what some of you do to recruit players at levels below high school?
Taking over a grade 7/8 community program as well as trying to improve our house league feeder program. We don't have football in elementary schools - it's all community based.
Open to hearing what others might be doing to foster recruitment.
Thx!
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Post by Chris Clement on Jan 19, 2016 21:23:06 GMT -6
9-man. I remember playing 12-man youth and it was really awful. Of the 40 kids on both teams, I'd say 10 were not entirely sure what sport was being played, 10 were miserable because the play would never come within a mile of them, 10 had a vague clue but no physical capacity to be any good, 5 had physical talent but were clueless, and about 5 kids actually playing a game around the other kids.
Anything below grade 5 should be 6 man.
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Post by vincelombardi on Jan 20, 2016 12:42:22 GMT -6
Not sure about natenator situation exactly if they run their own house league program then this would be viable but if they are playing in the OFL, OVFFL in the fall then he doesn't really have a choice. Here are somethings we have done or I thought might be able to gain some exposure for your association. Radio- get info out for registration via local radio Flyers- try to get flyers handed out to kids in every elementary school in your area for the kids that you are targeting to gain interest. Community bulletin boards- post flyers for registration, or possibly a poster about your summer teams to attract interest for kids that might be interested in playing. Maybe post something on kijiji trying to promote registration.
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Post by bigshel on Jan 20, 2016 20:35:30 GMT -6
1. Low cost skills camps ($20 or so) - Distribute flyers to schools, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc. Have registration forms for fall football. Let parents know that anyone who registers for fall football, the cost of the camp will be applied to the registration fee. You can hold these at regular intervals. 1st and 3rd Sat of each month (we did March, April, May).
2. Spring football - If there are other orgs in the vicinity, a 4 or 5 game shortened season, with 1 post season "Bowl" game. We have done this in the past to generate interest, plus it allows you, as a coach, to test some things (blocking schemes, new play series, etc.) on grass outside of your regular season. You can always add that X% of the spring fee will be applied to fall ball and have registration available at practices and/or games.
Just a couple of things we've done that are pretty effective.
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Post by 19delta on Jan 20, 2016 20:55:42 GMT -6
I'm curious to know what some of you do to recruit players at levels below high school? Taking over a grade 7/8 community program as well as trying to improve our house league feeder program. We don't have football in elementary schools - it's all community based. Open to hearing what others might be doing to foster recruitment. Thx! Guarantee playing time. I run a 5th/6th grade program. All 6th graders, no matter how bad they are, get to start somewhere or are in a 2-plays in/2-plays out rotation (we do have some exceptions to that rule for missed practices and some other things). At that age, your primary goal should be to develop players and teach the game (unless you are in some kind of select or traveling league). Kids aren't going to get any better if they don't play. Don't be one of those youth coaches who plays the same 11 kids on offense and defense and doesn't play any of the other kids until the last couple minutes of the game. Those guys are the worst and that approach will absolutely KILL your numbers. Guaranteeing playing time will also get the parents on your side. Mom and Dad really don't care about winning at the youth level. They want to go to the game with Grandma and Grandpa and wear their fan gear with Junior's number and name on the back and cheer him on while he plays quality snaps. Will you win ever game with this approach? No. And quite honestly, you will lose some games that you would have otherwise won had you played your "best 11". But again...you asked about what to do to build your numbers. This will do it.
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Recruting
Jan 20, 2016 21:06:45 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by natenator on Jan 20, 2016 21:06:45 GMT -6
I'm curious to know what some of you do to recruit players at levels below high school? Taking over a grade 7/8 community program as well as trying to improve our house league feeder program. We don't have football in elementary schools - it's all community based. Open to hearing what others might be doing to foster recruitment. Thx! Guarantee playing time. I run a 5th/6th grade program. All 6th graders, no matter how bad they are, get to start somewhere or are in a 2-plays in/2-plays out rotation (we do have some exceptions to that rule for missed practices and some other things). At that age, your primary goal should be to develop players and teach the game (unless you are in some kind of select or traveling league). Kids aren't going to get any better if they don't play. Don't be one of those youth coaches who plays the same 11 kids on offense and defense and doesn't play any of the other kids until the last couple minutes of the game. Those guys are the worst and that approach will absolutely KILL your numbers. Guaranteeing playing time will also get the parents on your side. Mom and Dad really don't care about winning at the youth level. They want to go to the game with Grandma and Grandpa and wear their fan gear with Junior's number and name on the back and cheer him on while he plays quality snaps. Will you win ever game with this approach? No. And quite honestly, you will lose some games that you would have otherwise won had you played your "best 11". But again...you asked about what to do to build your numbers. This will do it. I wish I could guarantee playing time. I coach travel/select/rep ball and we struggle with those we consider to be "ones" compared to other teams and their "ones". We do already guarantee playing time in our community house league feeder program though.
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Post by natenator on Jan 21, 2016 16:09:01 GMT -6
Not sure about natenator situation exactly if they run their own house league program then this would be viable but if they are playing in the OFL, OVFFL in the fall then he doesn't really have a choice. Here are somethings we have done or I thought might be able to gain some exposure for your association. Radio- get info out for registration via local radio Flyers- try to get flyers handed out to kids in every elementary school in your area for the kids that you are targeting to gain interest. Community bulletin boards- post flyers for registration, or possibly a poster about your summer teams to attract interest for kids that might be interested in playing. Maybe post something on kijiji trying to promote registration. Have you had much success getting flyers handed out in the schools? We generally have to approach the elementary school principals and hope that they will distribute. Even when they have said they would they generally did not. We are trying to start a flag program in the area as means to raise awareness and participation of football but that will be a long haul I think. Thanks
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Post by vincelombardi on Jan 21, 2016 22:32:26 GMT -6
natenator We no longer pass out flyers to the schools because there are many hoops we must pass through with the school board. Before we would just hand them to the principals and they would get them handed out. I know we have a grade 7/8 flag tournament that a teacher runs. Maybe you could try and get a tournament run through your association for earlier grades. Promote it to all the schools in your area. If all the teachers have to do is have a couple practices, book a bus, and follow the schedule I think they would be interested. This way you would be able to hand out flyers to all the kids there.
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