Sign-ups are on now for spring Flex Flag Football from Optimist Youth Football! This division is growing quickly in popularity! Click here.

Flex Flag Football bridges the gap between flag and tackle for the first time.  The addition of soft-shell equipment enables Flex Flag to build on the benefits of flag football by introducing key concepts that have historically been reserved for the tackle game.

Flex Flag is flag football taken to the next level, it allows for players to work on schemes, technique, and timing, preparing them in ways that traditional flag football does not.

The athlete wears a soft helmet, soft pads and jersey. Through the experience, competition, progression, or just plain fun, athletes get what they want from the game with Flex Flag.

Our friends at Optimist Youth Football are introducing Girls Flag Football for ages 8 to 13! There’s a lot of pent up demand for this… Congratulations to OYF!

We came across this great article last fall from USA Football. We especially like what Nebraska head coach, Matt Rhule,  said about youth football coaches in an interview with the organization,

“Youth football head coaches have to remember that they’re the ones who will determine whether a young person loves playing or not. Having a great coach who teaches you to love the game and love to practice, that’s what will keep people involved. If they get to me in college, that means they had a great high school coach, which means that they had a great junior high coach and a great youth coach. Coaches make players fall in love with the game.”

Check out the full story here.

(Photo courtesy of USA Football)

A key life’s lesson from playing youth football? We can decide to be successful, but we can’t always choose who we are successful with. That describes the game of football – a reliance on others’ strengths and working through challenges together. And it describes the 2023 Boise State football team.

A good football team is better and stronger than its individual players because each teammate counts on himself, his teammates, and his coaches to show up and work together.

The Broncos faced a ton of adversity, reaching a crossroads in early November when their 25-year streak of winning seasons was in jeopardy. Then there was a coaching change.

Instead of getting down, the Broncos rallied together and played as one the last month of the season. Not only did they extend their streak of winning seasons, they won their fifth Mountain West Conference championship. And this one was the most unlikely of all. What a great example they set for kids in youth football.

The Coachability Group is happy to share this youth football parents’ testimonial! Hope you like it as much as we do! 

** FROM A FOOTBALL PARENT **

A friend asked “Why do you pay so much money and spend so much time running around for your child to play football?“

My response: “Well, I don’t just pay for my child to kick a ball about whilst I do all the running about.”

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

* I pay for the opportunity that my child can have and will have to make life-long friendships.

* I pay for those moments when my child becomes so tired they feel like quitting but don’t.

* I pay for my child to learn to be disciplined.

* I pay for my child to learn to take care of their body.

* I pay for my child to learn to work with others and to be a proud, supportive, kind and respectful team member.

* I pay for my child to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don’t get that goal they hoped for, or miss that pass despite having practiced a thousand times, but still gets up and is determined to do their best next time.

* I pay for the chance that they may have amazing coaches that will teach them that football is not just about game plans but about life.

* I pay for my child to learn to make and accomplish goals.

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

* I pay so that my child can be on the pitch instead of in front of a screen.

I could go on, but to be short, I don’t pay for football. I pay for the opportunities that football provides my child to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their life, and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others.

From what I have seen for many years, I think it is a great investment in my child’s future!

Youth football players will apply the lessons they learn from the sport throughout their lives. Check out this story about Austin Head getting his chance and realizing his dream.

Boise State football fans who attended the Broncos’ football game against Hawaii in 2010 will never forget it. Youth cancer patient Stephen Kinsey sure remembers.

https://www.ktvb.com/article/opinion/columnists/scott-slant/november-6-2010-this-day-in-sports-boise-state-football-hawaii-kellen-moore-austin-pettis-chris-barbara-petersen-stephen-kinsey-make-a-wish/277-1f3a7711-05d7-45f8-83be-f15fbd0b7f38″ rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>

Optimist Youth Football held its junior and senior league championship games Saturday, October 21, at Bishop Kelly High School.

For the first time, out-of-town teams made each of the two title games (Homedale in junior and Kuna in senior).

This year, players had the inflated helmet and the smoke and everything!

Congratulations to players, coaches, officials and families on another great season!

Boise’s fall youth football season for my kids has come to an end. I am so grateful for such a wonderful season full of fun, great friendships, and a lot of football.  One of my favorite things about being a ‘football mom’ is having the opportunity to meet and get to know other moms and families.  We have great moments sitting on the sidelines, cheering each other’s athletes on and sharing videos that we took of each other’s kids touchdowns. These moms have been an amazing support system and it is one more reason that there is more to football than playing football.

Uniform washing, touchdown loving, sideline yelling, picture taking, always cheering—football Mom

KTVB’s Maggie O’Mara ran this very special 7’s Hero feature on an Eagle middle schooler who gives his all to his youth football team, and gets so much in return.