Football in Texas

[The Golden Hat 304]

Didn't see this posted. A youth football league in Odessa is having kids (actual kids) sign letters of intent.

Quote

 

To deter coaches from courting players committed to teams, Matt drew up the letters to make the children’s loyalties known. Originally reserved for high school athletes committing to colleges, the National Letter of Intent, which started in 1964 with seven college conferences and eight independent institutions, now includes 657 Division I and II schools. In West Texas, it has migrated down to pre-kindergarten as the professionalization of youth sports trends younger and younger.

“The 4-year-olds play flag,” Matt said. “They can’t sign their name so they just scribble.”

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/youth-football-league-encourages-clear-eyes-full-hearts-clear-signatures-11545082829

Spoiler

Odessa, Texas

Megan Lawdermilk worked as a legal assistant prior to her current role as manager of the Permian Basin Youth Football League. She knew paperwork—permission slips, liability waivers—would remain a part of her job, but one form that her husband, Matt, the league president, introduced at registration stood out.

It was a Letter of Intent, which he mandated that each player—from the 4-year-olds to the 12-year-olds—must sign, signaling their plan to play for a youth team in his league—as if committing to a college scholarship. Competition for talent, even for the tenderfeet in the town where “Friday Night Lights” played out, had grown so intense that he saw signatures as necessary to restore order.

The NCAA’s early signing period for Division I football recruits begins Wednesday at 7 a.m. for players who will be eligible to play next fall. The Lawdermilks say they introduced the same concept to their league—complete with public “signing ceremonies”—because, as with so many issues in youth sports, the adults were getting out of hand.

“We had to draw a line,” Megan said in the league’s headquarters at Music City Mall recently. “Once the kids sign, we take a picture of them signing with the coaches so other coaches can’t go and bug ’em, make promises, which they’ve done in the past.” Theirs is the only youth league they are aware of that has introduced Letters of Intent.

Matt, who coaches his sons, Carder and Jaxon, started the league in 2012. He recalled recruiters approaching players’ parents during a Juneteenth celebration in a Midland park.

“We had tents set up, and watched coaches buy mom or dad a turkey leg and say, ‘Come over and talk to us,’” said Matt. “As soon as they walk away, another coach says, ‘Hey, come on over, we’ll feed ya and talk a little.’ The families bounced from canopy to canopy, eating for free, getting wooed by coaches.”

Tug of war games are a regular part of the training in the league’s workouts. But the Lawdermilks sought in 2014 to rein in the battle for kids as some adults tried to pull them in multiple directions.

To deter coaches from courting players committed to teams, Matt drew up the letters to make the children’s loyalties known. Originally reserved for high school athletes committing to colleges, the National Letter of Intent, which started in 1964 with seven college conferences and eight independent institutions, now includes 657 Division I and II schools. In West Texas, it has migrated down to pre-kindergarten as the professionalization of youth sports trends younger and younger.

“The 4-year-olds play flag,” Matt said. “They can’t sign their name so they just scribble.”

Coaches and team mothers must also read the legalese. Parents are also required to sign contracts stating their commitment. According to a form on the league’s website, the parents’ contracts can be terminated for everything from “reckless behavior” to instances in which they “become of unsound mind.” Listed consequences range from verbal warnings to “permanent removal from the PBYFL.”

The league knows its letters are not legally binding; if a player has a change of heart, the league, which boasts about 1,500 kids, typically seeks reimbursement for money that may have been spent on uniforms and other items.

It was not just the letter concept that has been copied from colleges. Signing ceremonies have grown into elaborate birthday-style parties with a crowd of family members, friends, coaches and league officials present. They take place in June and July. One party this year was in a gymnasium of a Midland church, where organizers had a fog machine and inflatable tunnel for the kids announcing their commitments.

“We really hype it up, get the kids in the gear, take pictures of them signing, post on Facebook,” Matt said. “It’s a really big deal. Some kids like to draw it out now like ‘The Decision’ with LeBron James. They make coaches wait to have some fun.”

Players and parents learned quickly what they signed on for after paying registration fees that range from $140 to $225. Four-and 5-year-olds play flag while 6-year-olds start full contact. Coaches must be certified with safety training, but they also like to expedite the players’ familiarity with physicality.

“We probably get more complaints in our flag than in any of our tackle,” Megan said. “We don’t tame it down any. So when these kids move up to midgets, they’re expected that you are going to get blocked. Some like it; some don’t. Some say it is more aggressive. We always tell them, ‘Well, it is an aggressive sport.’” 

Champions are rewarded with rings that have “THE WILD WEST” etched into them. Once the games get going, few things can cause a stoppage of play.

“Our poor little flag team last year played in the rain,” Megan said. “It was their first game. Parents were like, ‘Are you going to cancel it?’ Nope! Unless there is lightning, we won’t cancel.”

She paused.

“We get a lot of backlash for things,” she said, “but it is worth it for the kids, seeing their smiles and having fun.”

Boys and girls are both welcome. After a game last fall, Matt Lawdermilk gathered his players in front of him.

“Who wants to pray us out today?” Matt said.

“Right here, coach,” said Acelin Mayberry, an 11-year-old girl. “Dear Lord, thank you for not letting anybody get super injured. If anybody got injured, please help them recover and let them show up Monday and have good practices.”

Jay Wilson, a crane operator, has two boys, Dominic and Jay, who play in the league. He recalled his children’s commitment days as proud moments, and noted that he was always on the lookout for talent with his tournament team.

“I’ve got some animals on my team,” he said. “We’re looking for beasts, but there’s a thing called morals and ethics. Some people lack them.”

The Lawdermilks hope that their kids get to sign the real thing—a National Letter of Intent—some day. Their oldest child, Jaxon, wore a size-14 sneaker by the time he was 12. He has traveled to games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and in Virginia Beach, Va. He will enter high school next season.

“It is to the point where I have to order shoes online,” Megan said. “Cannot just go and get them. One of the vendors is like, I just want him because he is going to be a big kid. I was like, ‘Oh my god.’” She sighed.

“I hope it pays off for a scholarship,” she said.

 

[futureman 22672]

good.  teach them young that your word is your bond. 

[Jkwellborn 7007]

Is this for real? Because that’s the dumbest shit I’ve read today. The issue is the parents letting the kids change their minds. And those coaches wanting to do it for the attention

[Neonmoon 38130]

It is shocking that a bunch of narcissistic cunts would expose their children to such behavior. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 22247]

A bunch of stupid parents hoping to ride their kids jock into some money.

[DaysOff 8157]

.

[Kyle 207]

Adults have really screwed up youth sports (Capt. Obvious). The world was better when kids played in city- or YMCA-sponsored leagues and could play 3-4 sports / year without having to specialize at age 5 (Get Off My Yard!).

[Nueces River Rat 5760]

6 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

A bunch of stupid parents hoping to ride their kids jock into some money.

Yep.  A different sport, but go watch any select/travel league baseball tourney and it's ten times worse.

[ztejas 44114]

11 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

Yep.  A different sport, but go watch any select/travel league baseball tourney and it's ten times worse.

Well of course it's worse, you're watching baseball. 

[Jkwellborn 7007]

Adults have really screwed up youth sports (Capt. Obvious). The world was better when kids played in city- or YMCA-sponsored leagues and could play 3-4 sports / year without having to specialize at age 5 (Get Off My Yard!).

That kind of nonsense is why I hope my kids decide to focus on school and not bother with any sports.

[futureman 22672]

7 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Well of course it's worse, you're watching baseball. 

youth baseball, too.  it’s bad enough watching world class athletes. 

[Kyle 207]

2 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

That kind of nonsense is why I hope my kids decide to focus on school and not bother with any sports.

It's crazy how these teams and franchises talk parents into spending $5-$10K/year on pre-pubescent kids playing "select" sports. I have a friend who has been doing this since their sone was 6, and both parents are sub-5'6" ... it does not take a rocket scientist to realize unless he's the mailman's kid, he's not going to be big enough to be a decent high school or college player. If they would have saved all that cash, they would have had college paid for. I think most true experts agree well rounded athletes ultimately excel anyway above one-sport focued kids, but the guy pitching you the select team wants a bunch of your money and all of your kid's free time.

[Homesickhorn 2217]

.

My thoughts exactly.

Hot damn them kids is havin the time of their lives”!!!

[CurlyDumps 4618]

Quote

“We probably get more complaints in our flag than in any of our tackle,” Megan said. “We don’t tame it down any. So when these kids move up to midgets, they’re expected that you are going to get blocked. Some like it; some don’t. Some say it is more aggressive. We always tell them, ‘Well, it is an aggressive sport.’” 

So, one of the divisions in this league is called "midgets?"

[Nivek 17350]

“We probably get more complaints in our flag than in any of our tackle,” Megan said. “We don’t tame it down any. So when these kids move up to midgets, they’re expected that you are going to get blocked. Some like it; some don’t. Some say it is more aggressive. We always tell them, ‘Well, it is an aggressive sport.’” 

So, one of the divisions in this league is called "midgets?"

They filming?

[texifornia 58843]

3 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

That kind of nonsense is why I hope my kids decide to focus on school and not bother with any sports.

Sports teach great life lessons, and are a great backdoor into the country's best colleges. You just have to help your kids learn to laugh at the psychos.

[Jkwellborn 7007]

There isn’t a life lesson that can only be learned through sports. Not a damn one.

[Gene Parmesan 4062]

18 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Sports teach great life lessons, and are a great backdoor into the country's best colleges. You just have to help your kids learn to laugh at the psychos.

25 lottery winners that go to Stanford each year, but what about the rest?

[tx 3 putt 78481]

When i used to work out there, guys would call into local radio shows and talk middle school football. 

‘So and so’s 7th grade team is going to win state one day, mark my words !’

[msucolt45 4213]

So true....

Back in time when my son was a “T-Ball toddler” and I was a pharmaceutical rep, with perceived discretionary income, I was approached to see if my son would like to play on the following years “select” travel team. Ah, No!!!!

He could barely hit a ball of a tee, much less run to the correct base if contact was made!
In the outfield, he would pick flowers and chase butterflies, oblivious to a ball coming to him.

I guess it was Dad had perceived $$$ and could help pay for uniforms, hotels, and food.

[kopp0e 1135]

 

[TreatyOak 17212]

16 hours ago, texifornia said:

Sports teach great life lessons, and are a great backdoor into the country's best colleges. You just have to help your kids learn to laugh at the psychos.

I hear you but colleges today definitely reward kids that play a sport as part of their HS curriculum. I’m not talking about superstars playing scholarship sports in college. Colleges like to see a sport as a component of the HS experience and a great scholar who sticks with a sport, regardless of how they performed, will most likely get chosen over a great scholar with limited extracaricular activities.  

Edited December 19, 2018 by TreatyOak
Whoops! Tagged the wrong post! Meant to tag @JKWellborn Sorry, @texifornia and I agree with you

[Nueces River Rat 5760]

13 hours ago, msucolt45 said:

So true....

Back in time when my son was a “T-Ball toddler” and I was a pharmaceutical rep, with perceived discretionary income, I was approached to see if my son would like to play on the following years “select” travel team. Ah, No!!!!

He could barely hit a ball of a tee, much less run to the correct base if contact was made!
In the outfield, he would pick flowers and chase butterflies, oblivious to a ball coming to him.

I guess it was Dad had perceived $$$ and could help pay for uniforms, hotels, and food.

I can relate.  Back a few years ago when my oldest who is now 20 was in 4th or 5th grade is when the select ball thing started to go into overdrive around here and the owners of these teams started expanding their organizations.  It was also about the time the oil field really started it's first boom down here and if you wanted a job that paid some serious disposable income, this is where you were going to get it.   So yes I saw first hand some of these coaches REALLY court some of the parents of the kids who owned oil or  related companies with gusto.   We owned a company back then as well although not oil field related and one of the coaches was always trying to hit me up for a sponsorship which I'd brush him off.

He played on a team for one summer and fall and I said enough after that because it became a farce.  This coach started off with the right idea having one or two teams under his leadership and he did help mold some players who went on to play college and MLB, but the money thing got him crazy where formed so many teams, he couldn't coach them all and it became a crap shoot guessing who was going  to be the coach for the day.   And then when it came to weekend tourneys, he'd cancel on you at the last minute or on the flip side schedule something  if you didn't have one planned at the last minute and I said the heck with it after awhile.   Turns out it looks like he was shuffling money around to fund his "elite" teams at the expense of the novice teams.  And he isn't  the only one who does nonsense. 

I love baseball, but I'm glad my 18 year old stuck to football and basketball.   He contributed well enough to both those teams up through high school without playing on a pay to play select team or what have you.  He played in a couple of summer basketball leagues which lasted about 6 weeks with an unofficial high school team made up of his teammates and did some camps in both football and basketball.  He also did the 7 on 7 thing for football.   All relatively low cost compared to the select non sense.  The asses who coach high school baseball around here kind of encourage the select baseball thing along with the one sport non sense  and that's why I'm glad he avoided baseball like a plague. 

The sad thing is I know parents who probably spent enough on select league  baseball  and related expenses who if they would have put that same cash in a college fund earning some modest returns over the same period could have probably paid for huge chunk of their kid's college.  And some of these kids either quit baseball while in high school or didn't play one inning of college ball.  

[kopp0e 1135]

On 12/18/2018 at 6:06 PM, Gene Parmesan said:

25 lottery winners that go to Stanford each year, but what about the rest?

It's amazing to think of how the Cardinal have competed so well nationally over the past few decades in football, with such restrictions...

[Sgt Hulk 14339]

ITT. People bitching about how other people choose to spend their own hard earned money.  Everything’s a business anymore. Here in LA here see no more middle school sports. It’s all travel teams. When i coached in Florida our teams played football year round. Travel in spring. Pop warner in fall. Legit recruiting occurs. You see the kids separate from the pack   I’m sure I’ll get tore up for this post but this thread reminds me of what I read a few years ago 

“ Well I have a confession to make: I don’t pay for my kids to do sports. Personally, I couldn’t care less about what sport they do.

So, if I am not paying for football what am I paying for?

* I pay for those moments when my kids become so tired they want to quit but don’t;

* I pay for those days when my kids come home from school and are “too tired” to go to their training but they go anyway;

* I pay for my kids to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated;

* I pay for my kids to learn to take care of their body and equipment;

* I pay for my kids to learn to work with others and to be good team mates, gracious in defeat and humble in success;

* I pay for my kids to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don’t get that placing or title they’d hoped for, but still they go back week after week giving it their best shot;

* I pay for my kids to learn to make and accomplish goals;

* I pay for my kids to respect not only themselves, but other players, officials and coaches;

* I pay for my kids to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to create a champion and that success does not happen overnight;

* I pay for my kids to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals;

* I pay for the opportunity my kids have and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of their achievements as I am;

* I pay so that my kids can be out on the pitch instead of in front of an X-Box screen…

… I could go on but, to be short, I don’t pay for sports.

[Jkwellborn 7007]

You couldn’t be more wrong. No one here gives a damn how other people spend their money. We are bitching about how over zealous parents and coaches have absolutely ruined youth sports. They have made the sports simply about the adults and being able to brag about winning and how well their kids team is playing. Fuck that. It’s about the kids learning to play and enjoying that. Not practicing them 7 days a week for 3 hours a day.

[VolenteHawk 495]

You can do select baseball without it being through expensive organizations and while letting your kid play multiple sports, but you have to be committed to it...b/c most of the options are profit motivated these days.  But the recruiting stuff is insane.  My son's (volunteer coached but competitive) team lost several kids after the spring last year and moved to an organization with paid coach (Austin).  I opted out on that to find a better fit, and the day I told the former coaches I fielded 4 calls from head coaches on other teams.

He's not some big kid that throws gas or hits bombs, he's just a good, skilled player.  He's also 10.  It's crazy.

 

[El Diablo 4232]

22 minutes ago, Jkwellborn said:

You couldn’t be more wrong. No one here gives a damn how other people spend their money. We are bitching about how over zealous parents and coaches have absolutely ruined youth sports. They have made the sports simply about the adults and being able to brag about winning and how well their kids team is playing. Fuck that. It’s about the kids learning to play and enjoying that. Not practicing them 7 days a week for 3 hours a day.

Yep, and all of those things listed can be learned outside of sports.

[Jkwellborn 7007]

Yep, and all of those things listed can be learned outside of sports.

I thought about signing my son up for tball to burn some of his energy and let him decide if he wants to actually mess with baseball. I was told they play competitive tball now around here. I’m not sure if there’s anything that’s more ignorant than that. 4 year olds playing fucking competitive tball.

[chikin23 384]

Every kid is going pro and then blame the coach for not getting the scholarship.

[El Diablo 4232]

16 minutes ago, Jkwellborn said:

I thought about signing my son up for tball to burn some of his energy and let him decide if he wants to actually mess with baseball. I was told they play competitive tball now around here. I’m not sure if there’s anything that’s more ignorant than that. 4 year olds playing fucking competitive tball.

I agree with the idea of paying for sports for kids if that's what the guy spending the money wants to do with his money. But yeah, the money grab that it has become and the need for, jmho, competition to feed the parents egos is a bit much for me.

The answer of course is to find likeminded folks and have a cheap, fun, disorganized GAME. For the kids. My son loved basketball, he played in a local church league. It was cheap and it scratched the itch. No surprise, he was not the next LeBron James.

[Kyle 207]

Not football ... but I just had to pay $20 TO WATCH MY SON PLAY BASKETBALL! Makes me wants to pull for the terrorists. 

[kopp0e 1135]

This is pretty cool that this young man is flourishing in accomplishing his goals..!

 

[Nueces River Rat 5760]

On 12/22/2018 at 12:24 PM, Kyle said:

Not football ... but I just had to pay $20 TO WATCH MY SON PLAY BASKETBALL! Makes me wants to pull for the terrorists. 

Does he play college ball?   Dang if not.

[Kyle 207]

34 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

Does he play college ball?   Dang if not.

LOL. Greedy jerks ruining 11-year-old sports.

[Nueces River Rat 5760]

1 hour ago, Kyle said:

LOL. Greedy jerks ruining 11-year-old sports.

SMH....  I guess the Refs demanded a good share of the gate?

 

[Fudge Nuggets 19408]

14 hours ago, kopp0e said:

This is pretty cool that this young man is flourishing in accomplishing his goals..!

 

Good for him and his team.

If this had been the NCAA they would have found some way to rule him ineligible and make Aledo forfeit.  Of course it would be six years after the fact before the ruling came down. 

[Parliament 14572]

Everything in this thread can be applied to youth hockey in the north. There are people spending $12k/yr on equipment, summer camps, travel, etc for their jr high kid. They literally can't take family vacations because they can't miss some event.

Sports teach great lessons, no doubt. But so does getting a job. Buy a mower and weed whacker and post on Craigslist. Instead of wasting $12k learning those lessons, go MAKE $12k learning those lessons.

[Alien Octopus 632]

On 12/18/2018 at 4:38 PM, Kyle said:

It's crazy how these teams and franchises talk parents into spending $5-$10K/year on pre-pubescent kids playing "select" sports. I have a friend who has been doing this since their sone was 6, and both parents are sub-5'6" ... it does not take a rocket scientist to realize unless he's the mailman's kid, he's not going to be big enough to be a decent high school or college player. If they would have saved all that cash, they would have had college paid for. I think most true experts agree well rounded athletes ultimately excel anyway above one-sport focued kids, but the guy pitching you the select team wants a bunch of your money and all of your kid's free time.

The Altuve effect

[kopp0e 1135]

The end of that game was an "instant classic"...

 

[F250 29180]

On 12/17/2018 at 8:12 PM, The Golden Hat said:

Didn't see this posted. A youth football league in Odessa is having kids (actual kids) sign letters of intent.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/youth-football-league-encourages-clear-eyes-full-hearts-clear-signatures-11545082829

  Reveal hidden contents

Odessa, Texas

Megan Lawdermilk worked as a legal assistant prior to her current role as manager of the Permian Basin Youth Football League. She knew paperwork—permission slips, liability waivers—would remain a part of her job, but one form that her husband, Matt, the league president, introduced at registration stood out.

It was a Letter of Intent, which he mandated that each player—from the 4-year-olds to the 12-year-olds—must sign, signaling their plan to play for a youth team in his league—as if committing to a college scholarship. Competition for talent, even for the tenderfeet in the town where “Friday Night Lights” played out, had grown so intense that he saw signatures as necessary to restore order.

The NCAA’s early signing period for Division I football recruits begins Wednesday at 7 a.m. for players who will be eligible to play next fall. The Lawdermilks say they introduced the same concept to their league—complete with public “signing ceremonies”—because, as with so many issues in youth sports, the adults were getting out of hand.

“We had to draw a line,” Megan said in the league’s headquarters at Music City Mall recently. “Once the kids sign, we take a picture of them signing with the coaches so other coaches can’t go and bug ’em, make promises, which they’ve done in the past.” Theirs is the only youth league they are aware of that has introduced Letters of Intent.

Matt, who coaches his sons, Carder and Jaxon, started the league in 2012. He recalled recruiters approaching players’ parents during a Juneteenth celebration in a Midland park.

“We had tents set up, and watched coaches buy mom or dad a turkey leg and say, ‘Come over and talk to us,’” said Matt. “As soon as they walk away, another coach says, ‘Hey, come on over, we’ll feed ya and talk a little.’ The families bounced from canopy to canopy, eating for free, getting wooed by coaches.”

Tug of war games are a regular part of the training in the league’s workouts. But the Lawdermilks sought in 2014 to rein in the battle for kids as some adults tried to pull them in multiple directions.

To deter coaches from courting players committed to teams, Matt drew up the letters to make the children’s loyalties known. Originally reserved for high school athletes committing to colleges, the National Letter of Intent, which started in 1964 with seven college conferences and eight independent institutions, now includes 657 Division I and II schools. In West Texas, it has migrated down to pre-kindergarten as the professionalization of youth sports trends younger and younger.

“The 4-year-olds play flag,” Matt said. “They can’t sign their name so they just scribble.”

Coaches and team mothers must also read the legalese. Parents are also required to sign contracts stating their commitment. According to a form on the league’s website, the parents’ contracts can be terminated for everything from “reckless behavior” to instances in which they “become of unsound mind.” Listed consequences range from verbal warnings to “permanent removal from the PBYFL.”

The league knows its letters are not legally binding; if a player has a change of heart, the league, which boasts about 1,500 kids, typically seeks reimbursement for money that may have been spent on uniforms and other items.

It was not just the letter concept that has been copied from colleges. Signing ceremonies have grown into elaborate birthday-style parties with a crowd of family members, friends, coaches and league officials present. They take place in June and July. One party this year was in a gymnasium of a Midland church, where organizers had a fog machine and inflatable tunnel for the kids announcing their commitments.

“We really hype it up, get the kids in the gear, take pictures of them signing, post on Facebook,” Matt said. “It’s a really big deal. Some kids like to draw it out now like ‘The Decision’ with LeBron James. They make coaches wait to have some fun.”

Players and parents learned quickly what they signed on for after paying registration fees that range from $140 to $225. Four-and 5-year-olds play flag while 6-year-olds start full contact. Coaches must be certified with safety training, but they also like to expedite the players’ familiarity with physicality.

“We probably get more complaints in our flag than in any of our tackle,” Megan said. “We don’t tame it down any. So when these kids move up to midgets, they’re expected that you are going to get blocked. Some like it; some don’t. Some say it is more aggressive. We always tell them, ‘Well, it is an aggressive sport.’” 

Champions are rewarded with rings that have “THE WILD WEST” etched into them. Once the games get going, few things can cause a stoppage of play.

“Our poor little flag team last year played in the rain,” Megan said. “It was their first game. Parents were like, ‘Are you going to cancel it?’ Nope! Unless there is lightning, we won’t cancel.”

She paused.

“We get a lot of backlash for things,” she said, “but it is worth it for the kids, seeing their smiles and having fun.”

Boys and girls are both welcome. After a game last fall, Matt Lawdermilk gathered his players in front of him.

“Who wants to pray us out today?” Matt said.

“Right here, coach,” said Acelin Mayberry, an 11-year-old girl. “Dear Lord, thank you for not letting anybody get super injured. If anybody got injured, please help them recover and let them show up Monday and have good practices.”

Jay Wilson, a crane operator, has two boys, Dominic and Jay, who play in the league. He recalled his children’s commitment days as proud moments, and noted that he was always on the lookout for talent with his tournament team.

“I’ve got some animals on my team,” he said. “We’re looking for beasts, but there’s a thing called morals and ethics. Some people lack them.”

The Lawdermilks hope that their kids get to sign the real thing—a National Letter of Intent—some day. Their oldest child, Jaxon, wore a size-14 sneaker by the time he was 12. He has traveled to games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and in Virginia Beach, Va. He will enter high school next season.

“It is to the point where I have to order shoes online,” Megan said. “Cannot just go and get them. One of the vendors is like, I just want him because he is going to be a big kid. I was like, ‘Oh my god.’” She sighed.

“I hope it pays off for a scholarship,” she said.

 

Wouldn't this be easily resolved by assigning football teams based on school boundaries?

[kopp0e 1135]

15 minutes ago, F250 said:

Wouldn't this be easily resolved by assigning football teams based on school boundaries?

Just wait until the "transfer portal" hits the high school level...