(Atlantic) The Atlantic Junior Sports Association (namely the Little Trojan Football group), the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, and the Atlantic Football Coaches released more information this week on how to sign-up for Little Trojan Football.
Click on this Link https://www.nishnavalleyymca.com/or contact the Y (243-3934) or stop by the Y to register.
Last February it was announced the three organizations were joining forces to offer a systematic and coordinated effort to bring the very best football experience to area youth. The three groups met and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the three different programs. They have come together to bring area youth into the American Development Model or ADM for short. This program allows for safe modified tackle options for all ages and implements consistent skill development. USA Football is using this model as well as many other youth organizations such as baseball and hockey. The new group is early in its work and details are still being worked out but some of the concepts are as follows:
- Kindergarten & 1st Graders will continue with flag football as normally run by the YMCA using parent volunteers and age-appropriate skill development provided by Atlantic Coaches. All area kids may participate in mixed teams.
- 2nd & 3rd graders will play flag football using Atlantic football coaches and high school football mentors to lead drills and skill development. All area kids may participate in mixed teams or area school districts may field their own teams to play in an area league.
- 4th & 5th graders will play an intermediate modified program using flags to indicate a tackle. Even though these kids are using flags to indicate a tackle, these athletes will wear helmets and shoulder pads. Physical tackles are not allowed. This will help young players learn to maneuver in helmets and pads without tackling. This provides safety while allowing for physical and skill development for all athletes. All area school districts may participate by developing their own teams with their own coaches and playing in the group league. This allows athletes to learn their school’s plays and not others. LIMITED CONTACT: this category begins to teach new principles and helps coaches introduce contact while reducing the overall amount of athlete to ground contact. This will feature smaller fields with fewer players and introduce skills of blocking and defeating blocks. Players will learn how to properly tackle by wrapping up without taking opponents to the ground or force to the head or neck area. There will be various tackling and blocking equipment options like the tackle bar, heads-up blocking, and tackle wheel. All options will be implemented in practice to help athletes learn the game with proper techniques but less contact. The games will then be padded flag to use these techniques in a limited contact format. All of this helps prepare them for their 6th-grade year.
*6th graders will move to the next level of full pads and helmets while tackling. This group will continue skill and physical development preparing them for plays and formations that their perspective teams will use in their Jr high and high school programs. All area school districts may participate by developing their own teams with their own coaches and playing against each other. This age group will likely join one of the area’s tackle football leagues. The best league to join is yet to be determined.
*Games and practice on a shrunken field along with the above tackle modifications will allow youth to grow into the game without having to play a version of the game they are not ready to navigate.
Mike Brown Dan Haynes Joseph Brummer
Atlantic Junior Sports Assoc. Nishna Valley Family YMCA Atlantic Football Coach
712-304-4438 712-243-3934 712-243-5358
