Lessons Learned from Coaching Flag Football
I coach my sons’ 6-8 year-old Flag Football team, the Steelers. It has been a great experience, and I love the fact that both of my boys can play on the same team. I certainly like only having to go to one practice and one game each week and not having to further complicate an already too-busy schedule, that’s for sure!
One of the things I have been adamant about doing this year is having the kids on a schedule. Each week, a set group of 4 (it’s 4 on 4 during the game) would play offense exclusively in the first half, then switch with the other group and play defense exclusively in the second half. Furthermore, I let one child play Quarterback for his unit for the entire half they are on offense. I rotate the lineups every week, but keep the same groups of 4 together. This has been a really good system. My teams are always balanced, and the kids learn how to play with one another as a unit. Additionally, every kid gets a chance to play QB for a half every few games. I recommend this approach whole-heartedly.
This past week, our regular practice night was taken over by a make-up game we needed to play. Since this broke our regular routine, I figured, what the hay? I might as well get a little nutty with the game and try to make it as fun as possible. Instead of playing our usual rotation of kids, I thought, why not rotate kids in and out as I feel like it and give everyone a chance to do a bunch of different things all in the same game. Sounds like fun, right?
I now know why I have not done it this way before: it’s dumb. Incredibly, excruciatingly dumb.
The non-technical, somewhat silly and perhaps slightly off-beat blog of Chris Beck. Those of you who know me will know this is not a stretch. 
