In a normal situation, my younger son Jared plays baseball in the spring and flag football in the fall. But 2020 was not a normal year, especially here in New York. The COVID-19 pandemic forced our local little league to cancel the spring season so everything in our household changed. Jared was able to play both flag football and baseball in the fall. When the seasons ended, he needed another activity to get him through the winter before, hopefully, there will be spring baseball.

When football season ends, it’s always good to give another sport a try.

It relates back to USA Football’s Football Development Model pillar that focuses on Multiple Pathways/Entry Points OR Whole Person & Multi-Sport Development: 

“From gym class to joining a local league, there are multiple pathways, game types and ages a child may be introduced to football. We will meet players where they are most comfortable.”

Because of the pandemic, high school football was not allowed in New York, so my older son Bradley turned to flag football and to Dek Hockey to keep himself busy. 

Dek Hockey looks just like a hockey game played on ice but there is no skating. The game is played on a rink with boards but instead of skating, the game is played on your feet, and instead of a puck, a ball is used. There are real nets that you would see in an NHL game, similar to rules and penalties that you see in ice hockey. Players have to wear a full set of equipment including a helmet, gloves, and shin pads.

Jared went to all of Bradley’s games and he loved what he was watching.  As I’ve written about before, we’re a football family. But, we also love hockey and enjoy watching our New York Islanders have success in the bubble over the summer reaching the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final.  Jared saw how much fun Bradley was having so he told my wife Sheryl and me that he wanted to play as well.

So, we signed him up for the winter season and he is having an absolute blast. In fact, he scored three goals in his first game this past weekend! 

Jared takes his flag football very seriously and has so much fun. As he continues to watch professional and college football on television, I think he may give tackle football another try when he gets to middle school. He gave youth football a try about five years ago but wasn’t comfortable with the equipment, so he has fallen in love with flag football. And now he has found another sport that he loves. Dek Hockey can now fill the void when flag football is done and bridge the gap to when baseball starts.

It’s important for young athletes to play multiple sports. In the case of playing football, finding something to do when the season is over can sometimes be challenging. Whether it's hockey, basketball, wrestling, soccer, volleyball or lacrosse, many medical experts and coaches have told me over the years that finding another sport to play is vital. It helps young athletes use muscles that they wouldn’t otherwise use in their primary sport, specifically football.

Here's hoping that 2021, both for sports and for life in general, can be a bit more normal than what we experienced in 2020. But pandemic or not, young athletes need to have options when football season is over.

Peter is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network and WFAN Radio in New York.  His son Bradley is a freshman in high school and is a participant in the U.S. National Team program while his younger son Jared enjoys playing flag football.   Peter, his wife Sheryl and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a high school or flag football field.