The future of Camp Verde High School football starts with the blocking, tackling, passing, catching and running displayed by its youth league participants this week.
Practices started Monday, July 30, and the kids will begin playing games every Saturday starting on Labor Day weekend through the end of October.
Volunteers Jacqui Hedges and Deanna Boggess, who were busy signing kids up for the league on Saturday, July 28, said that based on previous years they expected between 50 and 75 kids to participate this season.
Youth football in Camp Verde includes kids ages 6 through 11 and is divided into a Mighty Mites division for ages 6 through 8; as well as a Minors division for ages 9 through 11. There is also a Majors division for kids older than 11, but in Camp Verde those kids play middle school football instead.
The league plays according to rules set up by USA Football, rules which emphasize safety and fundamentals so the young players’ risk of injury is reduced.
Even so, some parents start to worry when they see the size disparity between many of the players.
“When you see your kid out there playing and you see the size difference, you’re like ‘oh my goodness!’” Boggess said, “But I don’t think its about size really; it’s about their will.”
Hedges said the league used to divide kids up by weight, but the rules were changed last year.
“Now they go just by age, which I think helps anyway because when they get into middle school and high school the kids are all different [sizes],” she said.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, July 31 issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
