DeAndre Carter, 12, from Temecula, California, pours water on his head to keep cool during Friday’s Middle School Bowl Games practice in Arlington, Texas, as temperatures rose above 100 degrees. (Photos by Mike Fender)

As temperatures soared to 108 degrees Friday at the University of Texas Arlington practice fields, almost no one complained. It didn’t matter if they were parents, players, officials or support personnel.

For the parents, their children were scrimmaging in preparation for the Middle School Bowl Games, set for Sunday at The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters in nearby Frisco. For the players, it was a big early step in their still-brief football careers.

Brandon Booker, 12, from Dallas, splashed water in his face to keep cool during Friday morning’s practice session.

Parents from across the country fought through the soupy conditions to enjoy watching their kids play the game they love at arguably the highest level they could attain at this age group.

“The coaching is off the charts,” said Tom Jovanovski of Phoenix, whose son, Jaxon Haynes, is playing for the U-14 Pride. “There’s a lot of energy, even though it’s hot. It’s amazing how fast they’ve put an offense together in two days and make it look legitimate. You see a lot of touchdowns being scored.”

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Friday’s schedule included practice from 9:30 a.m. to noon, then three rounds of scrimmages from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, they’ll practice twice, once in the morning and again in the afternoon, and will also take part in position meetings with coaches.

Players’ introduction to USA Football varied from playing NFL FLAG, some who started organized football as early as kindergarten, to a tryout at one of the 21 Regionals nationwide. Players received invitations on the basis of their performances at those regionals.

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“All we did was play FLAG, but we played it at a competitive level,” said Damion Dedman of Phoenix, whose 12-year-old son, Bryson, plays for Team Courage. “I look at the other talent that’s out here and I can see that everything he’s done to prepare has paid off for him.”

For Jlyn Jackson and her 14-year-old son, Chance, the Middle School Bowl Games are a continuation of a long association with USA Football. Chance Jackson, who lives in The Woodlands, Texas, played in the International Bowl in January, has played flag and began playing in the Regional Development Games at age 12.

#USAFootball #EarnYourStars courtesy of Bishop Dunne’s finest @Bobby_QUE7 and #TeamCourage #ItsOnBaby pic.twitter.com/zrrqZw4iYQ

— Coach Eddie Chinea (@CoachChinea) July 20, 2018

Jackson said while most kids dream of playing in the NFL or for a major college, Chance’s top dream is to play football for his country in the Olympics when it becomes a provisional sport.

“Of all the camps we’ve done, USA (Football) is by far our favorite organization, and we consistently recommend people,” Jlyn said. “It means more to him representing his country, he takes that so seriously and it means the world to him. Hopefully, he’ll eventually be on that Olympic team.”

Temperatures were rarely a factor Friday, thanks in large part due to the scrimmage structure. Players took water breaks approximately every 10 minutes, and parents who were mindful of the heat brought plenty of water as well.

“It’s really hot,” said Traci Andreassen of Puyallup, Washington, whose son, Stian, is playing for the U-14 Stars. “We have lots of water. He loves it. He loves practicing, he could practice all day. The coaches have meetings where the parents aren’t invited, which shows independence. He had fun at the meeting, and he was able to stand up and talk to the whole group about his experience at AT&T Stadium last January (in the International Bowl). He’s just having a lot of fun, meeting new people. He really enjoys it.”

@CoachTenner kicking off our Texas Classic Middle School Bowl Games! We are excited to have some of the best athletes in the country sitting in this room. Now, let’s figure out #WhosNext #EarnYourStars🇺🇸🏈pic.twitter.com/dCh39jdfS2

— Dailey Joy (@daileyjoyf) July 18, 2018

Despite all of the fun the players and parents had Friday, it’s still tough to top the joy they exhibit when they find out they’ve been selected to participate.

“Yes! We were stoked,” said Greg Johnson of Phoenix, re-enacting his reaction when his son, Simeon was selected. “He was beaming for a week. He wouldn’t take off his Regional shirt. He wore it every day to school under everything he had. He was just really proud.”