This was another big year for youth football. Thousands of kids across the country were able to experience the great game of football, whether it was tackle or flag, and it made for plenty of ups, downs, smiles, great performances and lots of fun. Win, lose or draw, here’s hoping your family enjoyed the youth football experience as much as we did in our house.

We had the best year ever with my older son Bradley winning a Super Bowl in tackle football, while my younger son Jared played flag football for the first time. There was a spectrum of emotions for my wife Sheryl and I throughout the season watching both of our boys, but the experience was second to none.

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Having said that, there’s always a way to make the next season even better. So as we get ready to ring in the new year and say hello to 2018, here are some New Year’s resolutions for youth football players, parents, and coaches.  

Players

1. Work harder. Encourage your child to take things up a notch in 2018. A little extra effort in a practice or a game could turn that five-yard run into a 50-yard touchdown, a bad snap into not letting that happen again, and a missed tackle into a big tackle for a loss. The goal for each year and for each level of football is for a child to make improvements and get better on and off the field. Sometimes, the little things can lead to big things.   

2. Have more fun. Every time your child steps onto the field, the objective is to compete, execute, and do the very best you can, and hopefully that equates to a win on game day. But the ultimate goal of playing youth football is two-fold. We’ve already talked about getting better, but it’s also very important to have fun.

3. Keep an open mind to other positions. This can only help children as they climb up the youth football ladder. Your child may have taken a liking to a particular position, but whether it’s quarterback, linebacker, center, or defensive back, children should keep an open mind to trying other positions. It could certainly help down the road, especially in high school. 

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Parents

1. Respect the coaches and officials. Keep in mind the coaches are volunteers and they’re the ones on the field doing the coaching and you’re not. That’s not to say you won’t disagree with them about something, but open up the lines of communication and talk to them. Don’t hold a grudge because your child is not playing as much as you want. Just talk to them. As far as the officials are concerned, keep your opinions to yourself and let the coaches do the arguing when there’s a bad call. There are going to be bad calls, because the officials are human.    

2. Be a volunteer. It’s very important for a parent to enjoy the youth football experience, and you want to pay attention when your child is on the field. But it’s also a good idea to get involved with the program as a volunteer from time to time. Whether it’s working the snack bar, helping out with fundraising, being on the chain gang or doing public address announcements, helping out is a great way to get enhance your experience in youth football. 

3. Enjoy the moment. I’m tearing up writing this portion of this blog. Time really does fly. It seems like it was just yesterday that Bradley played football for the first time and now after eight years, two championships, lots of ups and downs, smiles and tears, two practices a week, and road trips, he’s going to play middle school football. Jared has been a supportive younger brother, schlepping along to the games, practices, and other program functions. This past year, he played flag football for the first time, and Bradley was there for him and even held the down marker for a game or two. Now I’m really balling (no not on the field) because Kenny Chesney was right … ”Don’t Blink!”

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Coaches

1. Get USA Football Heads Up Certified. Even if your child’s program is not affiliated with USA Football (maybe you can encourage them to do so or look for a program that is), it’s very important for a coach to be certified in Heads Up Football. It will help you be a better coach and you’ll be able to teach the kids the right way to play the game and a safer way to play the game.     

2. Give everyone playing time … until the playoffs. I’ve written about this in other blogs, but I think it makes sense to briefly mention it again here. Coaches need to make an effort to play everyone, especially in the regular season in programs where everyone makes the playoffs. If children pay to play, they should play. There are exceptions to the rule, but a coach should generally play everyone. When the playoffs come, play to win, but during the season, play everyone. 

3. Communicate with parents. During the course of the season, a coach will spend plenty of time communicating with players. But it’s also very important for a coach to keep the lines of communication open with the parents. Take some time before practice to chat with a parent, especially if you haven’t seen that parent in a while. Be available after practice if a parent has a question or a comment, as an open-door policy can go a long way should any issues arise. 

This was another great year of youth football, and here’s to an even better 2018.  Hopefully you, your child, and your child’s coach can implement some or all of these New Year’s resolutions to help make 2018 the best year ever!  Happy New Year, everyone!

Peter Schwartz is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network, FOX News Headlines 24/7 and WCBS 880 Radio in New York. His older son, Bradley, plays youth tackle football on Long Island, while his younger son, Jared, plays flag football. Peter, his wife Sheryl and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a youth football field.