Children naturally will struggle more with life changes than adults. That’s true in youth football, especially when they have to change teams through no fault of their own. 

Change is inevitable when it comes to youth sports, and a lot has happened since our son, Bradley, stepped off the field after his team’s Holiday Bowl championship last season.  

A few weeks after the season ended, Bradley picked up his trophy at the team’s end-of-season party and it was apparent that day that change was in the air. During the trophy ceremony, Bradley’s coach announced he would not return to that program, but would move to another one in a nearby town. Several issues developed over the last few years, and that meant we had to make some tough decisions. 

From the time he started playing youth football, the Red Devils were the only team Bradley knew. During his first two years, he wore a green jersey at the instructional level and then he advanced to the pee-wee level with red and black jerseys in a real league where they kept score. In total, Bradley played for the Red Devils for seven years at the Peanut, Pee-Wee, and Midget levels.

Bradley could stay with the Red Devils and move up to the Pony level, or follow the coach he admires down the road to a new team. Nobody could blame an 11-year-old if he had to labor over the decision, but Bradley didn’t need much time to make up his mind. He chose loyalty toward someone who believed in him as a 6-year-old and gave him a chance to play center.

When my wife, Sheryl, and I asked him what he wanted to do, Bradley did not hesitate in saying, “I want to play for Coach Chris!” He wasn’t alone. Many of his teammates have joined him with the Rams. It may be a new team, but there were plenty of familiar faces when the team began a three day minicamp. 

It’s not easy to change teams, especially with only one year of town youth football remaining before moving on to play in middle school next year, but the short move a few towns over became easier for several reasons. 

The familiarity with the coaches, players, and other parents has been vital, but the new program has given a warm welcome to all of us into their family. This program is in the same league as our former team, and the people who run this organization are extremely organized. In addition, the equipment is new, which was not the case at the old place.

Additionally, all of the coaches with Bradley’s new team and the other age groups at the program are all USA Football “Heads Up” certified, and that is the biggest thing that can put a parent at ease over a change like this. When you do a tally of the pros and cons in this situation, it was a no-brainer to follow Bradley’s coach to the new program. 

Bradley has gone through an agility training session as well as one practice with his new team, and so far, it’s been a seamless transition. He was aware of what was going on with the old program, and I’m sure that helped him make a quick decision. He knew his coach was trying his best to make things better with the Red Devils, but switching teams was the right thing to do.

After hearing  the new team’s board members speak to the parents, we’re even more convinced this was the right move. There isn’t a perfect youth sports organization, but all programs should have the child’s best interests in mind.  

Bradley and his teammates chose loyalty, and their parents received peace at mind that the kids are in a safe and fun football environment. 

Peter is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network and WCBS 880 Radio in New York. His son, Bradley, plays youth football on Long Island while his younger son, Jared, will begin playing flag football this fall. Peter, his wife, Sheryl, and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a youth football field.