Ok, I've been around here a long time, don't post much but do value most of your opinions.

At what age (or grade if you like) should youth football go from a developmental approach (not all kids play exactly equally necessarily but playing time based on effort, not genetics) to more "professional" play all the best (depth chart) type system?

I coach the very youngest age (6-9 year olds) and so I have players with very varied skill and size levels. My goal is safety first, but then to find every player on my teams a position which they can succeed at and balance the whole team - its not easy but is rewarding. I put kids in triangles with 2 of the 3 players in any triangle being stronger and the other being a developmental player (or a weaker player). One such triangle is OLB, CB and Safety on each side of the field other is ILB DE and DT for example. So I can put 4 weaker kids on the field with 8 stronger kids at any point in time and have the field "covered"

I know other coaches who have the "win at all cost" mentality even at my kids age so play starters and have bench back-ups and they have much higher "quit ratio" than I do, but am I truly doing my non-athletes any favors because as they get older eventually the love of the game isn't enough and size and skill eventually pushes the non-athletes out of the sport.

I don't believe in participation trophies for all, but I do believe that kids would rather actually see the field on a losing team, than be bench warmers on a winning team and that losing builds character too.

Ok, now that I've said that, please answer away.


Mark


PS - In all fairness, my son is one of these non-athletes (whom I have not coached for quite a few years) and I am struggling with the transition of his team from developmental to "genetics based" playing time and I have no answer for him other than our genetics suck and eventually we all stop playing.