The concept of first graders lining up opposite of a burly teenager for a game of football may scare the daylights out of the average parent, but Jason Reynolds is encouraging it here in Chatham-Kent.
Then again, we’re talking flag football. Reynolds, who for years has run men’s and women’s flag football leagues, last year expanded it to include children.
And, yes, kids between the ages of 5 and 15 play on the same field at the same time.
“We get the age of all the kids – we divide the teams up evenly based on ages, gender and skill,” Reynolds explained. “What we found is the older kids are really great working with the younger kids. There’s a lot more teamwork as a result.”
He added since it’s not a contact sport, putting the big kids with the smaller ones on the field at the same time isn’t an injury concern.
“All it is is like playing tag with a football. Each player has a nylon belt around their waist and one flag on each hip,” he said.
A play is over when the defence pulls either flag off the ball carrier.
“It’s not like anyone is trying to tackle anyone. You have to go for the flag, or it’s a penalty.”
Reynolds said the kids have no age-gap concerns.
“They love it or they wouldn’t be coming back,” he said.
The kids’ league is catching on. Reynolds said last year, there were four teams in the spring kids’ league. This year, it doubled to eight. The game is so popular, he is now looking to put together a fall league.
With the rapid expansion come a lot of rookie players.
“Since we’ve doubled in size, half the league is trying it for the first time,” he said.
He hopes to continue to expand the league as more and more kids discover the sport. And that starts in the fall.
For anyone interested, they can reach Reynolds at 519-350-6647 or via e-mail at flagfb@hotmail.com. There is also a Facebook page – Chatham-Kent Kids Flag Football League – where Reynolds keeps parents up to date. He even posts player of the week polls.
“I want the kids to feel like it’s their own little football world,” he said, adding he does stats for the league and takes hundreds of photos each week.
Cost is $60 per player, and that includes a jersey. Teams in the spring league play 15 games.
“I want to make it about playing a sport, not about the money,” Reynolds said.
