Bears For Life

[Poli]

I was asked earlier this year to form a 2nd grade football team for Chesterfield (MO). I'll attempt to use this thread to log my success, failure, wins, and losses.

[Poli]

As soon as I agreed to coach the team I started putting together my Bear for Life Program. The University of Tennessee has a Vol for Life Program http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-foo...082812aan.html that has been well received and beneficial to the athletes, the university, and the football program. The concept of adapting it for youth football has bounced around in my head for years, but I haven't been a true head coach since 2010.

I scaled down the program for my rising 2nd graders. We'll chart grades, attendance (school and practice), and conduct (school and home). The focus is to help the kids be better in life, not just in football.

I'm really excited about it. Only two parents that heard me talk about this program have turned me down in my recruiting...and both of those were 'special' kids. Kindergartners with an athletic genealogy that league thought might be interested in 'playing up' for a year. The rest of my parents have expressed a lot of excitement over it. In fact, one volunteered to run the program so I could concentrate on football. Truth is, it was my intention to find a volunteer to do head the program.

[Poli]

Special credit to FOFCer jedikooter for creating the logo.