Concerned With My Son and Football

[Smith7469]

My son is currently an 8th grader who has played football since 4th grade (B Division is 4-6 grade, A is 7-8). He has started every year, and loves the game so much. All he looks forward to is this game in the fall. However, I’m concerned with him and his size in High School.

He’s 5’5” and weighs around 130. He’s in no way lanky, with a stockier build, his thighs are pretty big. He used to be very chubby around 3 years ago, but has slowly gotten taller without gaining much weight, making his height:weight ratio more balanced. He used to be an endomorph, but is now transitioning into more of a mesomorph.

He’s played Defensive end for 4 years (1 at Nose Guard), and has split between Offensive Guard and Fullback. He was fast until gained his weight 4-5 years ago and got pretty chunky. Now he’s getting his speed back due to weight loss, and seems to be quicker. He’s trading speed for size, which at the High School level I don’t really like. (As a parent). On the line he wasn’t super powerful or quick, he was just good. Nothing special, he just did stuff right, at the Junior high Level this worked, but does he need to have more athletic ability at the next level? Just because he plays smart and exucutes techiniques, does this really make up for a lack of size on his part? He has a knack for hitting hard, it’s just something he’s always been able to do. Could that translate to him at safety? D-Line to DB seems super drastic in my mind.

I’m not so much concerned for his safety (while it bothers me, it isn’t enough for me to not let him play), but more-so his playing time. It’d crush my heart to see him ride the bench after seeing how much he enjoys the sport. I hope he plays on JV, but while I think he’ll play, I don’t think he’ll play much.

So I have a few questions... I understand you guys aren’t the coach, and haven’t even seen him play, but any answer would be appreciated better than no answer.

What postion(s) should he expect to play/train for?

Do you think I should be concerned for his safety at his size?

Will he play at all as a Freshman?

Are my worries warranted based off of his recent development?

Any other comments about him or dietary advice (he’s still a teenager, but I want to help him succeed by giving him a good diet).

Thank You!

[sowilson]

How big is his HS and how many teams do they field? My son went to a 2500 person HS and they had 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, JV and Varsity teams. In 9th grade my son played 9A, 10th grade he played 10A and JV and dressed for varsity, 11 and 12 he played varsity. My son matured early and so was very big in 9th and 10th and somewhat short (5'11" but very strong) for Varsity. I would frame your question around how mature is you son - where is he in puberty? It sounds like he is either age appropriate or slightly behind - which can be a good thing as he may develop into a much larger person by the time he's a 12th grader. If he is advanced for his age then he may be close to his adult size.

In either case he should start lifting with the HS this summer. My son started lifting with his HS after 7th grade (he was advanced so it was appropriate). Lifting hard, he'll need to eat and eat a lot - think 5 meals a day. Track the weight but also track size. You don't want him to get real fat but do expect him to put a little extra on. As for position that will be determined by the coaches. If he's looking at attending football camps consider line or linebacker. If there are organized team activities in the summer - go. Maybe he can play some 7on7. Work on skills. If his running form is off work on that (or join the track team and let them teach your son). Learn to backpedal, learn to move laterally. He might also consider Rugby or La Cross as additional sports. The best players in HS are multi-sports athletes.

[Smith7469]

How big is his HS and how many teams do they field? My son went to a 2500 person HS and they had 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, JV and Varsity teams. In 9th grade my son played 9A, 10th grade he played 10A and JV and dressed for varsity, 11 and 12 he played varsity. My son matured early and so was very big in 9th and 10th and somewhat short (5'11" but very strong) for Varsity. I would frame your question around how mature is you son - where is he in puberty? It sounds like he is either age appropriate or slightly behind - which can be a good thing as he may develop into a much larger person by the time he's a 12th grader. If he is advanced for his age then he may be close to his adult size.

In either case he should start lifting with the HS this summer. My son started lifting with his HS after 7th grade (he was advanced so it was appropriate). Lifting hard, he'll need to eat and eat a lot - think 5 meals a day. Track the weight but also track size. You don't want him to get real fat but do expect him to put a little extra on. As for position that will be determined by the coaches. If he's looking at attending football camps consider line or linebacker. If there are organized team activities in the summer - go. Maybe he can play some 7on7. Work on skills. If his running form is off work on that (or join the track team and let them teach your son). Learn to backpedal, learn to move laterally. He might also consider Rugby or La Cross as additional sports. The best players in HS are multi-sports athletes.

His school isn’t very big, only around 100 per class. JV and Varsity only... As for puberty, he is around mid-level, maybe a little under average matured for a 14 year old his age. His voice is a little high, but I’ve noticed it getting a little lower. No massive growth spurt yet on his part. He is playing lax this year, and has played basketball the last 4. Thank you for the answer!

[sowilson]

His school isn’t very big, only around 100 per class. JV and Varsity only... As for puberty, he is around mid-level, maybe a little under average matured for a 14 year old his age. His voice is a little high, but I’ve noticed it getting a little lower. No massive growth spurt yet on his part. He is playing lax this year, and has played basketball the last 4. Thank you for the answer!

Ah, OK so just JV and Varsity. I wouldn't expect him to play any varsity in 9th grade, but he should get some playing time in JV - if he deserves it! He'll probably get some time on scout team though. Don't worry - he will hit and be hit, just might not be so much on Friday night or Saturday morning. Coaches need to see you, become comfortable with you, and trust you. So it's really up to your son to learn the system, learn the playbook, and be coachable. As for size it may hold him back a bit but other 9th and 10th graders will have the same issue. So don't worry about it and control what you can - namely what you eat and how you train.

As for position changes - HE'S A FOOTBALL PLAYER. Best thing he can do is learn how to play most of the positions on the field. My son played Center, OLine, DLine, LB, Long Snapper, Kicker, Punter, H-Back, and has taken QB reps running the scout team. His defining skill is his ability to learn the entire playbook (Offense and Defense) as well as emulate opposing team players by watching film. It's funny seeing him teach WR's how to run routes on a particular play during practice. The only reason he doesn't kick is because he's more useful at other positions that require him to wear cleats that are really hard to kick in. So encourage your son to be a student of the game, he'll eventually find his niche.

[DCSpartan]

You dont know how he is going to grow.

My friend was roughly your kids age, started to hit a growth spurt summer before 9th grade.

Ended up playing football for the packers.

In the meantime, SOwilson's advice is spot on.

[Smith7469]

Bumpety Bumb

[DCSpartan]

Bumpety Bumb

why? You got solid advice. What the hell else are you looking for?

Some negative neg?

[Jeremiahd06]

My son is currently an 8th grader who has played football since 4th grade (B Division is 4-6 grade, A is 7-8). He has started every year, and loves the game so much. All he looks forward to is this game in the fall. However, I’m concerned with him and his size in High School.

He’s 5’5” and weighs around 130. He’s in no way lanky, with a stockier build, his thighs are pretty big. He used to be very chubby around 3 years ago, but has slowly gotten taller without gaining much weight, making his height:weight ratio more balanced. He used to be an endomorph, but is now transitioning into more of a mesomorph.

He’s played Defensive end for 4 years (1 at Nose Guard), and has split between Offensive Guard and Fullback. He was fast until gained his weight 4-5 years ago and got pretty chunky. Now he’s getting his speed back due to weight loss, and seems to be quicker. He’s trading speed for size, which at the High School level I don’t really like. (As a parent). On the line he wasn’t super powerful or quick, he was just good. Nothing special, he just did stuff right, at the Junior high Level this worked, but does he need to have more athletic ability at the next level? Just because he plays smart and exucutes techiniques, does this really make up for a lack of size on his part? He has a knack for hitting hard, it’s just something he’s always been able to do. Could that translate to him at safety? D-Line to DB seems super drastic in my mind.

I’m not so much concerned for his safety (while it bothers me, it isn’t enough for me to not let him play), but more-so his playing time. It’d crush my heart to see him ride the bench after seeing how much he enjoys the sport. I hope he plays on JV, but while I think he’ll play, I don’t think he’ll play much.

So I have a few questions... I understand you guys aren’t the coach, and haven’t even seen him play, but any answer would be appreciated better than no answer.

What postion(s) should he expect to play/train for?

Do you think I should be concerned for his safety at his size?

Will he play at all as a Freshman?

Are my worries warranted based off of his recent development?

Any other comments about him or dietary advice (he’s still a teenager, but I want to help him succeed by giving him a good diet).

Thank You!

sounds exaclty like me when i was in middle school and going into hs, i ended being benched in highschool, i was pretty good i just didnt care much about the sport anymore, id say as long as he really wants it he will play.

[lucia316]

Beyond the advice already given you're over thinking things. He's likely going to change a lot in the next few years. The coaches will figure out where he fits in to their scheme and give him training regimens. He's also not an endomorph or mesomorph. ****totypes are bunk.

[Smith7469]

Figured I’d post an update, the super bowl and that stuff reminded me of it...

So he opened the year not playing much, getting a few reps at d-end and guard. A game later he started at noseguard, and stayed there for the entire year, they would make subs frequently, but stayed on the field for ~80% of the time. He pretty much just bear crawled his way around. On offense, he started at Guard about halfway through the season and stuck there for the rest of the year as well.

Not going to lie, I wasn’t necisarily afraid, but it was definitely in the back of my mind. He was so much smaller than pretty much every other lineman. Seemed contradictory to me, shouldn’t the big guys be playing where he is, they’d plug up the holes? He said it’s because he was quicker than them, so he could get to the gaps before they could hit him. He would be worn out after games, but he signed up for it, so whatever floats his boat. I sort of felt bad for him lmao... He was maybe 140 lbs against some guys who had a decent size advantage on him.

Thanks for your answers, really relaxed me before the season started. He looks forward to it next year!

[sowilson]

It's February, now is the time for lifting heavy - 4 day u/l split (any Westside system will do). In football speed kills, so does leverage. The shorter lighter player can successfully compete on the line if he has leverage. Leverage is where it's at, it goes by many names but the ones I like are; "low pads win" and "keep your butt down". His goal should be the strongest person on the football team. If he hasn't already he should sign up for the track and field team. Run, do field events, be a thrower (shot, discus, hammer if available) it doesn't matter, it's all good. All the track and field events will teach you to be explosive. Good to hear that your son had a good season, now is when the next season is made.

Update on my son. He's a junior in college, plays football (DL, LS), and is a T&F thrower (shot, weight, discus, hammer). Still living the life and loving every minute of it even if everyone he competes against was a great HS player - everyone is good.

[DCSpartan]

Great to hear that both of you guys's kids are doing well.

[lacorssetrack]

With his size i would consider these positions.

Slot wr
Cornerback

I wouldn't focus on gaining weight put all your focus on gaining speed!!!

[sowilson]

With his size i would consider these positions.

Slot wr
Cornerback

I wouldn't focus on gaining weight put all your focus on gaining speed!!!

It's HS football and you don't get to decide what position you're going to play, the coaches do. At the HS level, in most divisions in most states, the coach will make that choice based on skill level, athleticism, scheme, and player availability - not size. I've seen very successful HS teams with small, quick defensive lineman, usually backed up by much larger linebackers. So, for the player control what you can control and don't worry about anything else. What you can control are strength, GPP, running form (not necessarily top end speed), skill, football knowledge, and attitude.

[lucia316]

It's HS football and you don't get to decide what position you're going to play, the coaches do. At the HS level, in most divisions in most states, the coach will make that choice based on skill level, athleticism, scheme, and player availability - not size. I've seen very successful HS teams with small, quick defensive lineman, usually backed up by much larger linebackers. So, for the player control what you can control and don't worry about anything else. What you can control are strength, GPP, running form (not necessarily top end speed), skill, football knowledge, and attitude.

Solid advice as always. OP, your son will inevitably have positions he'll be interested in, but the coach will guide it and use the kids as needed.

[Noetic]

I played football in high school and college. I've seen amazing undersized players at most positions except OL and TE. The key factor was knowledge and technique. Kids who know the game (can read offenses/defenses etc) and understand techniques gain a big advantage. A lot of bigger players just rely on size and strength. Some really big HS players struggle in college because they cant leverage their size advantage anymore and they never really learned how to play. Problem is that a lot of high school football coaches aren't very knowledgeable across the board. Youtube is a tremendous asset these days