We're Popular

We have thirty-two players signed up as of today for FCCJC teams. Tomorrow's registration will indicate whether that number will top out in the mid forties, or perhaps even approach fifty players. Coach Swinford reports that the Blue Valley team has eighteen players already, and may not be done yet.

Whatever happens over these last three registrations, we're well on our way to over sixty 5th grade football players in the ONW area.

When I think back to our start in July of 2008, I remember that we had only fourteen ONW boys, and were fortunate the league sent us two out-of-area players to push us up to sixteen.

We've certainly come a long way. ONW Raven football is popular now because, first and foremost, the boys have had fun. Nearly as importantly, our  parents find the club pretty well organized and receptive, and notice that the coaches seem to care that the players learn and that they play safely.

When you combine all of those things - we boil it down as Have Fun, Get Better, Be Safe - you create an environment that is bound to grow.

Kids want to Have Fun. As parents, we like for our kids to have fun too, and we certainly don't mind that organized athletics seems to be a great way to do that.

Kids also understand that coaches are there to try to help them. Most of them this year will discover (if they hadn't already) that success in the game comes with improving their abilities. At just this age kids really begin to grasp the point of athletics beyond participation. This is the age where they earnestly begin to apply the techniques and strategies that coaches give them to make them better players.

As a teacher, that's a rush. A handful of kids at any given moment last year could use those techniques and strategies for greater success. When I consider that SO MANY of them will be able to take that step this year... well, I can hardly wait to get started helping them Get Better. I think parents really like to see that as their kids participate - that's really one of best parts for us.

And of course, we have to Be Safe. There will be bumps and bruises along the way, but we really watch for the dangerous stuff like improper use of the helmet and heat-related issues. If a player or his parent doesn't feel like we're being safe, we're probably not going to have the player very long anyway.

I think by focusing on those three things we've created a growing program. When organizations are in growth mode, their gravity increases. Parents and kids are pulled in to look because they want to know, "Why are so many of our classmates playing football? What's the big deal?" As they discover us, and find that things are pretty much just the way we said they'd be, they get a great feeling about both the sport and the club.