So, I don’t have any real NFL stuff to go through this Wednesday and I did not follow the March Madness. All I really have left to discuss this week is the youth game. So, I’ll talk it out over these next ten minutes.
There are 18 teams in the 11u grouping, one of two age groupings my kids are involved in. I have one sitting out the rest of is age 11 eligibility and one dipping his toe in 13u in order to take one last ride with his friends. So, what is going on at those ages? Not a whole lot. Spring is an opportunity for kids to learn the game and for coaches to start leveraging their super teams. We are going to see a lot of the super team game this next year. So this spring is about who is going to be here and who is going to be stripped. Here are our players:
11U
- Raiders AZ
- AZ Fire Dawgs
- AZ Buffs
- Arcadia Titans
- Argonauts
- Anthem Jags (Red)
- Anthem Jags (White)
- Copper State Kingz
- CWS Soldiers
- Maricopa Jr. Rams
- Scottsdale Outlaws
- AZ Badgers
- Jr Monsoon
- Demon District
- Phoenix Dragons
- OTB Elite
- Peoria Jr Panthers
- Verrado Jr. Vipers
So, those are the players. Who are they? Only OTB Elite, the Outlaws, Argos, Badgers, Raiders and one of the Jags teams constitute actual viable challengers. The Jr. Rams , Titans, and Buffs indicate second tier teams that have good coaching but lack the talent. The Jr. Rams are perhaps on the verge of being a top squad, but I’d like to see them play a few real teams before that diagnosis is made.
To my point, this season is largely about flexing. Youth football is largely about flexing and people growing their little pool of talent into a larger pool. I’ve spoken at length about what that ultimately does to the kids learning the game, but it also creates a tension in the parents that is not needed. It becomes a problem for everyone when the stakes of the league are always played out as so high. Not 1 percent of these kids are going to make it to the NFL. Maybe 3 percent play D1, but that is what it is about right? Or is it about being ready for High School? Or is it about the parents needing to feel special or feel their kids are special. So, are any of these teams special? No, but someone has to win. I say the final four are Badgers, Argos, Raiders, and Jaguars. That last one is the one to watch for. They are the x-factor.
By fall the 12u will have close to 25 teams. I’m curious to see who is on top then.