Friday Night Tykes

[Shoottv]

I just saw a promo for a new show on "Esquire,. Friday Night Tykes." Apparently a reality show that follows 10 year olds through football season. I hope that nobody involved in the sport actually watch this or kids ball is going to get even worse. The 30 second promo is like a point of emphasis film in targeting and illegal helmet contact. I juse hope players and coaches don't take this as how to coach and behave.

[VALJ]

That show is absolutely disgusting.  I watched the first 15 minutes of the first episode, and was appalled by the way I saw the coaches talking to children.  I emailed the Esquire Network encouraging them to take it off the air.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/03/friday-night-tykes-has-changed-an-extreme-youth-football-league-and-made-it-more-popular

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Friday-Night-Tykes-coaches-suspended-5190766.php

After several scenes on the controversial “Friday Night Tykes” show of San Antonio youth football coach Charles Chavarria encouraging his 8- and 9-year-old players to injure opponents, he has been suspended.

[Ralph Damren]

Reality shows were born with "Smile, You're On Candid Camara". Reality shows have expanded into all corners of our lives. Few are good. Many are Bad. Many more are really bad. My wife's fav is "The Bachelor", which -IMHO - is bad. "The Bachelor" , however, is great compared to "Friday Night Tykes" which is really ,really bad.

Just when you feel you've  seen the worst, something comes along to replace it.

To Colt fans, Sunday night's " reality show" may have .     

[texref]

I had read a lot about the show but had not seen it until recently. I agree with VALJ, I watched about 15-20 minutes of season 1 episode 1 and had to turn it off. What garbage. Sad thing is that it goes on all over the country. My wife and I are raising our 9 year old Grandson. He wants to play football. We decided that he will only play in a local Flag program until he gets to 7th grade. If he wants to play tackle then at least he will be coached by real coaches.

[medi-ogre]

I think the point of the show is to be the other side of the 'Toddlers and Tiaras' coin (and yes, I admit.  I have watched this show.  It's a train wreck; can't look away).  Showing how boys, just like girls, can be pushed to extremes by over zealous parents and coaches.  If you watch the show and consider it disgusting, the show is doing its job.

The ironic part about the whole thing is the adults portrayed on these shows are the butt of the joke.  They mistakenly believe they are being lauded for their hard core exploitation of these children when in fact, the show's purpose is to expose this disgusting segment of our population: parents hellbent on living vicariously through impressionable children. Actually, the purpose of the shows is to get ratings and make money for their network, but I suppose if they can shed some light on some dark areas of our culture, all the better...two birds one stone and all. 

If most fathers, and I include myself in this, look at this show and say I would never treat my children or anyone else's child this way, the show is doing good work.  Hopefully, by it being exposed and enough pressure put on the systems depicted, change can happen for the better.  I know if I saw this show and my son was one of the players, I would raise all kinds of holy hell, but maybe that's just me.

[TXMike]

You think this is bad, should have seen it last year.  Even though they knew they were being taped last year they were not near as controlled as they are this year.  After watching the 1st episode last year I predicted it was not gonna end well for some folks and it definitely didn't.  Surprised they let the cameras back again this year.  Maybe they want to clean up the image after the disaster last year.

[AlUpstateNY]

Some people are just gullible and refuse to understand that film makers and reality show producers are NOT LOOKING for things that run smoothly and provide benefit.  Their focus is on finding chaos and the drama that they can manipulate to find the worst possible angle of what ever they are filming. They are NOT your friend.

Sadly, the dark side of just about anyhing related to sports, athletes (especially if children are involved) has become the focus of many (if not most) major sports news outlets.  Consider how often you hear about a sports figure doing something right as opposed to when ANY sports figure screws up, personally, professionally or otherwise or is dumb enough to utter something really dumb or offensive.

Even more sadly, that's the garbage that sells.

[kerryman71]

Unfortunately this is reality in a lot of places.  I was assistant coach for my son's 2/3rd grade team a couple years ago and his 4th grade team for half of last year.  I refused to take part in what was going on with the way these kids were being coached and stepped down about 1/3 of the way into the season.  It really is appalling. 

I think a lot of youth football coaches are living vicariously through their children.  I know I've gotten caught up in it all at times but am able to come back to reality.  I've told my son that if I ever get critical the only thing he has to say is "Dad, I'm only (insert age here) years old!"  That brings it all down to what it's supposed to be about;  learning the game of football and having fun.

With the number of crying kids on the sideline last year that I consoled, I can tell you that wasn't happening much.   

[Bugolathe]

I had read a lot about the show but had not seen it until recently. I agree with VALJ, I watched about 15-20 minutes of season 1 episode 1 and had to turn it off. What garbage. Sad thing is that it goes on all over the country. My wife and I are raising our 9 year old Grandson. He wants to play football. We decided that he will only play in a local Flag program until he gets to 7th grade. If he wants to play tackle then at least he will be coached by real coaches.

As much as I enjoy working with the young kids, I have to agree that kids shouldn't be playing tackle football until a minimum of 5th grade and I think that is still too young.  Like you texref, my dad didn't let me play tackle ball until I was in 7th grade even though I wanted to play earlier.  I played flag ball through 6th grade.  I wasn't a good player but I think it helped me with the next 6 years I got to play tackle.