It’s a decision that many youth football parents around the country face when their child has reached middle school. If your child is going to play for the school football team, but can also still play youth football in your town, what do you do? What does your child want to do? The choices are focusing on the school team or playing for both.

My son, Bradley, can join his middle school team next season when he’s in seventh grade, but he has the option of doubling up and playing for his current town football team as well. There are a lot of factors for my wife and I to weigh before town football training camp starts next summer, but a big part of the decision will ultimately come down to what Bradley wants to.

Here are the pros and cons to playing for two teams at the same time. 

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PROS

More Experience: In any sport, the more reps you can get at something, the better you will be in the long run. The middle school football season generally has around six games on the schedule and the town football team would probably play seven or eight, plus the playoffs. So, by playing both, a child would have anywhere between 14 and 16 games over a three-month span.

Different philosophies: By playing with two teams and two coaching staffs, a child will get to experience different techniques and philosophies that could help them down the road when they get to high school or higher levels. Depending on what position children play, they might be able to take something they learned from one team and apply it to the other, or vice versa.  

An early start: Middle school football practice doesn’t start until the school year begins in September, while town football begins training camp in August. Getting that extra work in over the summer can also help a child get ready for the school team. There are ultimately going to be kids on the school team who are playing tackle football for the first time, so a child who already has tackle experience with the town team may have to deal with a week or two of Football 101 to get the others up to speed.

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The chance to make more friends: Kids who play football are part of a very close-knit fraternity. In fact, anyone associated with football, whether it’s players, coaches, parents, or administrators, share the passion for the sport and being around as many people who love football is a good thing. For children, meeting kids who share the same interests is very important.

CONS

It’s a lot of football: At the age of 11 or 12, you can make the argument that playing two games a week while practicing five days a week for the school, along with one or two days for the town team, is just too much for a child to endure. Does a child really need that additional pounding on the body while already handling a full schedule with the school team?

Confusion: If a child is playing for two teams at the same time, there could be some confusion when it comes to plays. The terminology between the school team and the town team could be very different or it could be similar. In either case, it could cause some confusion. There could be a situation when a play is called and a child might mistake it for something the other team uses.

No summer flexibility: By continuing to play for the town team, a child is making the commitment to be at training camp as much as possible. That limits the opportunity for a child to do other things, even alternate football opportunities. Instead of going through training camp with the town team, a child could also prepare for the school season by going to an instructional football camp, whether it’s over three days or even a week. It’s also a chance for a child to stay busy doing something else, whether it’s another sport, vacation, or just hanging with friends.

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Homework and life: Running from one practice to another or from a middle school game to a town practice could really take its toll on a child’s schedule. If your child plays for two teams, where is there the opportunity to do homework, spend time with family and friends or even just to wind down? Football can be very important to a child in terms of life lessons, discipline, teamwork, and leadership. But a child also needs to experience other things in life. Taking part in other activities is also a great way for kids to make new friends. 

When thinking about whether or not your child should play both town football and school football, there are many considerations. You should discuss all of these things with your children and really get a sense of what they want to do. It’s also not a bad idea to reach out to other parents to see what they think or even the school coach and find out his philosophy on what to do. 

Peter Schwartz is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network and WCBS 880 Radio in New York. His older son, Bradley, plays youth football for the East Meadow Rams on Long Island. and his younger son, Jared, plays flag football for the LSW Giants. Peter, his wife Sheryl, and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a youth football field.