Coach Lombardi's Philosophy regarding a strong youth program
It provides a wonderful bridge between the community, the youth, and the high school program allowing everyone involved to feel like a part of a big football family that goes throughout their time as a member of that football program.
A great youth program allows kids to dream as a member of their high school as they go against opponents that will not be their high school teammates, and therefore our program will provide a vision that they always will be a proud member of The Crimson collectively going against different schools throughout.
A great youth program promotes teamwork and cooperation throughout the community and not adversaries and enemies amongst our own. We are all in this together.
Teams will help other teams during practices in the community because they want what is best for Maple Grove football and will support each other all the way from 2nd grade until 12th grade as members of the same football family.
Eden Prairie Football states the following: "It promotes an atmosphere where the kids are neither heroes nor goats because they are not ready to handle either role." Instead, it makes the high school kids heroes, and that is a great thing and a wonderful role of responsibility and worth during those high school years that have so many other things trying to steer them down other paths.
It allows the head coach to be an active part of the community, and he can become a visible entity for those kids and parents that are heading into the high school. He has the ability to have camps where the coaching staff and high school players can be involved, and those young kids know that these someday will be their coaches, and they will someday be those players.
It allows one on one interaction with the high school kids for the younger kids, so when the youth goes to high school football games, there is an ability to watch the game on a personal level because there is recognition for those kids towards many of the high school athletes.
It provides a wonderful sense of excitement towards the high school itself, for those kids will be wearing Crimson and Gold all the way throughout leading to a wonderful culmination as they enter into the high school that they already feel a part of.
It promotes community where each kid is part of something bigger than themselves, and it allows great relationships to build throughout their years in the program, as well as for the parents.
A great youth program is unbelievably fun for the kids, and its focus is more on the kids and less on the parents because it provides a dream of how great it will be to play on Friday nights as well as with each other. Also, the season is done before MEA, so we promote our kids being in other sports as well and having a great time.
It allows the community to feel they are part of the high school program, and it allows both the boosters for the high school program and the youth program to work hand in hand constantly trying to improve what is best for the kids and the program itself.
A great youth program, most importantly, creates an environment where kids learn what makes the game of football great, learn how to play the game to the best of their ability, and leave the field wanting to play more. It’s a wonderful game, and it is a wonderful chance for the kids to play together and cherish what being a teammate is about.
