While talking to parents from other states at the Middle School Bowl Game Series in Canton, Ohio, I learned that Middle School football is not the same in every state. As it turns out, families in other parts of the country don’t have to make the same decision that we have to make this fall.  

With Bradley heading into seventh grade, we need to make a decision. Should he play only for his middle school team, or play both for middle school team and his youth football team. It was interesting to find out that other states around the country don’t have that decision because there aren’t middle school football programs in every state. In those cases, a player can only play for the local youth football program. 

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In Bradley’s case, there is the excitement about playing for his school and colors. After eight seasons of youth football, with the final campaign culminating in a Super Bow win, playing for two teams might just be too much. For his middle school, he would play anywhere from six to eight games, depending on how the school district is able to schedule games. For his youth football team, there would be eight games plus playoffs. 

That’s a potential total of anywhere from 15 to 19 games, plus training camp, scrimmages and practices. That’s a lot of football, and most youth football coaches, parents, and other people from the football world that I spoke to have suggested that Bradley only play for his school team. 

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The feeling is that when your child reaches that point, youth football is over and middle school football begins. It also saves money on registration fees, which can be pricey, as we all know.  

I think any youth football parent would probably agree that the level of competition might be better in youth football than in middle school football, but here’s my question … after eight years of playing tackle football, including two Super Bowl wins and two other postseason bowl game victories, going to football camps, and representing his country for the U.S. National Team this summer, what else does Bradley have to prove in youth football?   

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By playing for his middle school team, he is going to show his new coaches what he can do, and I’ve been told that high school coaches will start paying attention to potential players once they get to their middle school team. It seems to me that, at least in markets where there is a program, there is a direct pipeline from middle school football to high school football.  

There’s also a question of how much is too much on a child’s body during the course of a season? If Bradley was to double up and play for both teams, he’d have to go to training camp with the youth football team on Aug. 1. The middle school doesn’t start practice until the first day of school, but then practices are every day after school is over. At least one day a week, Bradley would have to rush over and get in practice with his youth team.  

That’s a lot of football for a child. Also, where is there time for homework, a social life, family time, and other things to do?

Bradley could supplement his middle school football with some flag football this fall. It’s something he’s been wanting to do since many of his friends play flag instead of tackle football. He has a lot going on in his life this year, so it seems like the right decision to make is to just focus on middle school football and have some fun on the side. Then next spring, he’s going to try out for the U.S. National Team Middle School Bowl Game Series again, and hopefully we’re back in Canton or wherever he is chosen to play next summer.  

Football is a great sport and Bradley loves to play, but there does come a point where there could be too much of it.  It’s a big decision and an important to decision and at the end of the day, his best interests will be the final determination of what to do.  

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 son older son Bradley will be playing middle school football on Long Island this fall, 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.