Future For Football is an initiative of the National Football Foundation, created to highlight the lessons and values that football imparts. Get involved and sign up to play today by visiting Future for Football for resources, a League Locator tool, and much more.
Recently, I got the chance to chat with Amanda Favreau who is the Secretary for Central Mass Flag Football about their Lil Ballers program. The Lil Ballers program focuses on kids ages three to five years old, and it’s designed to get kids comfortable with organized sports, while they develop the skills to play.
For many of the kids, a program like Lil Ballers is their first experience not only with football, but with organized sports of any kind, so it’s the prime opportunity to cultivate a love for team sports and the community that naturally follows. As the youngest players, practices at this age typically focus on getting kids comfortable being there, separating from their parents, and having fun.
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The coaches and referees that make any league possible play a huge role in building the team community and culture. Whether a coach is a parent volunteer, or a community member with a love of the game, their time, dedication and enthusiasm speaks volumes for the sport. For the youngest players, they learn the rules of the sport, but also how to be a good team player. They learn to support each other as individuals and as a team. They learn that each child has individual strengths, and they can use those individual strengths to work together as a team to accomplish a common goal.
Community Over Competition
When kids join a local football league, they get to celebrate every accomplishment together. On the Lil Ballers field, kids are often seen hugging one another after a successful play.
As parents of young athletes, community is built on the sidelines, where parents gather to watch their kids play together. Everyone is there with the common goal of cultivating a love of the sport, and finding an athletic community to call home as they grow in the sport.
>>Find football resources and more through Future for Football and the National Football Foundation.<<
Connecting with the Community
As with many local football leagues, the Lil Ballers program is sponsored by local businesses from the community. The kids proudly wear the local business logos on their jerseys, feeling a personal connection to their larger community when they see the businesses that support their team.
The Flag Football Family
Community is at the forefront of every football league, creating a place where kids and parents alike can make lifelong friendships. Many children who begin in an introductory league like Lil Ballers, continue to play through their elementary, middle school and high school years. As kids age out of the program, they may even become referees and coaches.
It’s easy to imagine why players stick around, and how they really become a family. Becoming a part of a local flag football league provides kids and their families with so much more than the opportunity to learn and play flag football.
Join a league! Use the Future For Football league locator to find a football league in your area and sign up today.
