Wilton Flag Football Mission Statement & Overall League Structure
Wilton Flag Footballs Mission is to provide a safe, fun and enjoyable Flag Football environment for boys and girls from grades Kindergarten thru 12th grade. Our coaches are all NFL Flag certified and so are our Referees. We support all players that play more than one sport, so we do our best to adjust our practice and game schedules so each child can play 2 sports with little to no conflicts.
Our Flag Football program is for children living in Wilton only. However, we will accept registrations for players from other towns if their town does not have a Flag Football program and as room allows in our program.
Parent volunteers' coach all of our Flag Football teams, experience coaching Flag Football is preferred but not required because all our coaches are required to complete the NFL Flag Coaches Certification course. Which will help new coaches and less experienced coaches learn how to manage an NFL Flag Football team. We also supply our coaches with an NFL Flag Playbook to help each coach know the basics on offense and defense.
Each of our Flag Football Divisions combine 2 grades together. For example, the 1st graders will play with the 2nd graders and the 3rd graders will play with the 4th graders etc. We normally have 4 or more teams per division with 7 to 8 players per team. We believe smaller teams makes it easier for coaches to teach the fundamentals of the game while at the same time allowing the children maximum playing time. Each team normally has 1 Head Coach and 1 Asst Coach.
Each Head Coach will decide what day of the week they would like to practice at Lower and Upper Middlebrook Fields. Practices are normally held on Wednesday, Thursday or Fridays but it’s possible a coach could choose a Tuesday practice. Most Flag Football practices are 90 minutes long and usually held between 5pm to 7pm. All Flag Football games are on Saturdays at Lower and Upper Middlebrook, it is possibe we could have some weekday games. Most games are held between 12pm & 6pm on Saturdays but its possible some coaches could choose an earlier start time around 10am.
Rules in the Wilton Flag league are created to allow for an organized but enjoyable experience for the children. Equal playing time and position rotation is encouraged. The full NFL Flag rules can be found on our website along with the rule modifications chosen by our coaches. Below is a quick summary of our gameday format:
- No kick-off or punts
- Our field is 50 yards long and 30 yards wide
- We play 5 offensive players vs 5 defensive players on the field
- There are no weight limits to play QB, RB or WR
- No physical contact is allowed during our games
- Each game is 24 minutes long (12-minute halves with a 1-minute halftime)
Any questions contact the Wilton Flag Football Administrator
5 BENEFITS OF KIDS PLAYING FOOTBALL
Flag football is one of the fastest growing youth sports, currently on its way to becoming a college sanctioned sport. Tackle football fields over 1 million high school student-athletes each year. No matter which way you look at it, our love for football runs deep.
While extensive research is being conducted to better understand football safety, it’s still a game that comes with many physical and emotional benefits. Need proof? Here are five great benefits for kids who play football:
1. Health benefits: Football is a fast moving game with a lot of variety. Players run, jump, quickly change direction, and stop and start, which improves cardiovascular health. Practice drills, complex running routes and defensive techniques all encourage speed, strength, and stamina. And these activities also engage motor skills, specifically hand and eye coordination. Plus, a recent study found that playing football has positive effects on bone strength.
2. Teamwork: Youth football teaches kids accountability, leadership, and the impact of positive sportsmanship. Every position has a purpose and to execute a play successfully, each individual needs to fulfill their responsibility, while working together—a skill that’s valuable both on and off the field.
3. Discipline: Learning routes, repetitive drills, and executing proper technique take a high level of discipline—and football players do it time and time again. Each practice is laying the foundation for a strong work ethic that kids will use throughout their lives. And this is one of the biggest benefits of football.
4. Mental toughness: Sports are a great platform to build mental toughness. Whether it’s making a mistake on the field or needing to comeback from a major upset, setbacks are bound to happen. And to move forward, players must learn how to persevere. Football provides a lot of opportunities to improve mental toughness, from remaining calm under pressure to focusing during chaotic situations.
5. Socialization: Football teaches kids how to effectively communicate and work well with others. After all, one player can’t do everything. They rely on each other—what a better way to make long-lasting friendships? Layer this with learning to respect and receive direction from authority (aka coaches) and you have a range of socialization skills.
