Why is there such a lower number of participants as youth flag football players get older?  Well, for one, at 12 years old, kids are entering a whole other ball game – middle school.  And at 15, teens are entering that big, bad place called high school.  Middle school is a significant time of change for kids.  A lot of kids develop new interests and turn away from sports altogether.  On the other hand, in middle school teens are given the opportunity to play teams sports for their school for the first time.  Because of this, a lot of them turn their focus to playing middle school or high school sports, forgetting about the league they came from.

However, despite their new options, I think more teens should be playing flag football.  Flag football has so many benefits both physically and mentally.  As children enter their teen years, the risk of childhood obesity increases.  Therefore, teens need to do more to stay active and get their daily exercise.  Flag football works every part of your body from your head (your mind) to your toes (get ready to run).  

Not only does it benefit a child physically but mentally as well.  Teens are retaining more information than they had previously and are being exposed to many different situations.  Flag football teaches teens important lessons such as respecting their elders and working as a team, something that comes into play every day in the classroom. Through flag football, they are taught the importance of setting goals. However, teens learn that in order to achieve those goals, they need to work hard and stay dedicated.  Just like they strive to do well in flag football, teens will harness these skills to improve their school work ethic and grades.

I also think flag football gives teens a fun and enjoyable release from the new pressures they may find themselves in.  When teens enter middle school and high school, they are exposed to new challenges like harder courses to learning to juggle sports and homework. The 2-hour activity block will give teens an energy release on the weekend and will get them focused for the upcoming week ahead.

Teens should look at flag football as a way to get active and have fun not something to get rid of when the time comes for competitive school sports.  I think it is a great learning experience and activity for all ages, both girls and boys.