Watching your child play sports comes with a mix of emotions. Seeing them improve with each game and practice is so rewarding. An abundance of pride wells to the surface as your child scores or makes that great pass. Or frustration may grip you as your kid sits on the bench while the coach’s favorites play instead.
The hardest of these emotions is fear.
All parents of football players have sat by as a player gets tackled and does not get up. First, you try to see who is down, pray he or she is okay and that it is not your son or daughter who is hurt. Next follows the automatic relief when you realize your son or daughter is taking a knee. Then comes a flood – a touch of shame for feeling relieved, empathy for the other parent and concern when you see that your son’s teammate is slowly making his way off the field.
Of course injuries are part of any sport, but it is hard watching your little boy or girl transition into tackle football at such a young age, especially with all the talk about the damage inflicted by concussions.
There is an alternative coming to north Oklahoma City—Friday Night Lights Flag Football League.
“Austin Fleet and I shared a vision of bringing a high-quality, fun youth flag football league to Oklahoma and Texas,” said Bob Fleet. “Previously kids have had very limited, if any, opportunities to participate in the most exciting sport in America—flag football.”
Their goal is to provide a fun team sport environment based on sportsmanship. Parents/guardians sign an affidavit outlining their responsibilities while all head coaches and referees are required to pass a background check before they can be a part of the league.
Popular in California and with the ability to utilize NCAA and NFL style jerseys, this league is starting in OKC this fall. Collegiate football fans can go back to watching their favorite teams play on Saturdays because these games will be played at D-Bat OKC Sports Complex on Friday nights with only one practice during the week.
The Friday Night Lights league is a 6-on-6 league with only eight players on a team with divisions based on grades K-eight. Everyone plays three out of four quarters, so your son or daughter will be in the midst of the action instead of riding the bench. Players can sign up as an individual or as a team.
The 6-on-6 team concept focuses on the passing and running skills of football with only quarterback, running back, receiver and defensive back positions. As such it is a natural precursor to the 7-on-7 skills players will be exposed to in high school. There will also be skills camps run by local football coaches throughout the year. The first skills camp will be conducted by Coach Bogart of Heritage Hall this summer.
Registration for Friday Night Lights Flag Football League is going until June 1. Find out more at www.edmondokcfnl.com.