The Sidelines : Some observations and lessons learned from watching 7-on-7
Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/brog/Sports/62377/
The first day of football practice is close and soon the summer 7-on-7 games will become a faded memory. Still, I don’t want to forget about them. After all, I learned some valuable lessons:
• The shade is my friend. Any breather from the Arkansas heat is a life saver.
• Sunscreen is a good idea for fans, coaches and players. I don’t need to be seeing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in August.
• Startup teams can look like the Harlem Globetrotters when they play against junior varsity players.
• My cell phone needs an upgrade. I don’t even have snake on my cell phone and seeing so many iPhones makes me feel a little inferior. Why are people in the stands on their cell phones during 7-on-7 ?
• Some parents know more about a team than the coach. I can’t figure out whether that is good or bad.
• The players have really dedicated fathers, mothers and girlfriends. Some of the trips might only take 30 minutes, but it must be painful to watch somebody play a scrimmage when you don’t even know the score.
• Skoal is popular in this region. I just don’t understand it. I have never used the stuff and never plan on it. In fact, I would rather have a person smoke in the stands than watch someone spit chewing tobacco.
• Football is just not football without tackling.
• Without numbers, the players might as well just be storm troopers from Star Wars. It is nearly impossible to identify someone when they are wearing an object that covers up their face.
• Helmets should be mandatory in all 7-on-7 leagues. The game is only touch but accidents happen. It is really simple: athletes running at full speed are bound to run into each other. Heads collide. Any school that participates in 7-on-7 competition without helmets is asking to be sued when a player receives a concussion. This state is doing a good thing by having a helmet rule.
• At least one parent wants their kid to focus on golf instead of football.
• Sometimes it is better not to keep track of the score. When coaches don’t keep score, then I probably shouldn’t pay close attention to it either.
• The dude with the backwards baseball cap in the bleachers keeping score on his cell phone should start subscribing to satellite radio.
• There are official stats and there are “ stats. ” 7-on-7 data falls into the latter category.
• Gas is expensive … oh, I knew that already. • Backups have some ability to catch and cover. • Many of the players enjoyed “ The Dark Knight” just as much as I did. • If a team is hitting its stride during 7-on-7 competition, then I don’t want to see the season. • “ Friday night is a completely different animal” — Perry Escalante, Rogers Heritage head coach. • 7-on-7 doesn’t compare to opening night.
• • • Sam Steinberg joined The Benton County Daily Record last week as a sports reporter. He graduated from the University of Georgia in May. He can be reached by e-mail at sams @ nwanews. com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.