Deadspin: Youth Football

"Hit 'Em In The Face As Hard As You Can," Then Pray: Pee-Wee Coach Shows Why Football Won't Be Getting Less Violent

Barry Petchesky — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:10:00 EDT

A reader sent in this video of a Texas U6 team getting a pep talk from its coach before a game. He exhorts the Frisco Gators to push hard, be tough, and "hit 'em in the face as hard as you can." (One of his kids corrects him—"in the chest"—to nervous laughter from parents.) But before the face- or chest-hitting can commence, a team prayer that no one gets hurt. More »

This Week's Florida Youth-Football Fight Involved A Cheerleader, Her Mom, Her Coach And Two Other Teens

Brian Hickey — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EDT

"Yolanda Jones was the only adult arrested after the fight at JC Turner Field in South St. Petersburg. Jones told police she was trying to protect her cheerleader daughter who had come under attack. The coach, who is also Jones' daughter, said she joined the fight too. 'We started fighting, because that other girl didn't like my mouth,' said Darricka Maddox." [ABC Action News] More »

Here's Video Of A Ref Getting Gang-Jumped During A Florida Youth Football Game

Brian Hickey — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:00:00 EDT

What you're about to see is what happened when things got out of hand when the Sarasota Gators faced the North Port Huskies at Riverview High School. It wasn't so much the Huskies, though. It was pretty much all Gators. More »

Youth Football Coach Gets Tased Three Times After Choking A Kid, Police Find A Lot Of Ammo In His Car

Brian Hickey — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EDT

Here's how Corriher-Lipe Middle School head football coach Douglas Pruitt explains what happened between assistant coach Jared Gallagher and a 12-year-old player this week in Rowan County, N.C.: More »

This Man Stole $24,000 From A Pee Wee Football League

Emma Carmichael — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:50:00 EDT

"The Long Beach Football League is for kids ages five to 12. According to its website, the league's mission is 'to instill the fundamental values of self-discipline, teamwork, leadership, sportsmanship, and mutual respect to the youth of our community.'" And for padding the pockets of 51-year-old James Graham Brown, the league treasurer who stands accused of embezzling $24,000 from 2006 to 2011. Hide ya kids' football checks. [WLBT] More »

Youth Football Brawl, No. 671

Barry Petchesky — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:50:00 EDT

It's a proven fact that nearly 40 percent of public fights involve a bald guy with black-and-white camouflage shorts. [Journal Times] More »

Coach, Parents Brawl At Junior High Football Practice

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:50:00 EDT

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It's your typical coach-hits-kid, kid's-father-calls-police, parents-start-throwing-punches story. And it's all thanks to one young RB running the wrong way during handoff drills. More »

Come To Steve Smith's Football Camp For Kids — Where You Can Learn To Injure A Star

Barry Petchesky — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:10:00 EDT

The Panthers WR broke his arm while horsing around at his football camp. No, it wasn't on this high-five, but it was almost as embarrassing. More »

Monster 6-Year-Old Lays Opponents The F**k Out

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

There's always one football player who's bigger and faster than everyone else. In preps, it's infuriating. In college, it's awe-inspiring. But in Pop Warner football, it's hilarious and makes you revel in tiny children getting wrecked. [With Leather] More »

Pop Warner Coach Tired Of Slacking Player, Takes It Out On Father's Face

Barry Petchesky — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT

Tired of parents attacking youth sports coaches? Here's a refreshing reversal - a coach assaulting a parent. Oh wait, that's not refreshing. That's still criminal and digusting. More »

George Lopez Is This Year's Frank Caliendo

Barry Petchesky — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:30:00 EDT

Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenter's anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and the blogosphere to bring you everything you need to know to start your day. More »

The Year In ... Parents Gone Wild

Rick Chandler — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:15:44 EST

So, the next few days will be chock full of end-of-year retrospectives. We'll do our own as well. Today: Parents gone wild. More »

Pop Warner Team Gets Kicked Out Of Disney

Sarah Schorno — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 13:45:10 EST

Two pop warner football teams are facing disciplinary action for getting kicked out of a Disney World resort. Their infraction? Fighting in the cafeteria. More »

You Can Do Anything You Put Your Mind To, Except Drive A Car

Josh Zerkle — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:30:21 EDT

Here comes a story about a kid in West Texas that plays youth football. But what makes Dillon Collier of the Greenwood Panthers so special? He's blind. Oh, and he has a radio in his helmet. That's pretty cool. More »

America's Youth; Craftier Than One Might Think

rickchand — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:00:16 EDT

This is rather old, but hey: New to these parts. I'm not going to get into the debate over whether this is cheating or not. I'm just so damned happy to be posting a youth football clip that doesn't involve a parent getting tasered. More »

Who's Sorry Now?

rickchand — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:45:15 EDT

It's been quite a year so far for youth football, hasn't it? Spectators being mistaken for terrorists, police officers tasering rambunctious fans ... one concerned parent even pulled a gun on a coach. Compared to that, the following may not seem like much, except for the heartfelt, tearful apologies all around. And that's what we're all about on Fridays. More »