6' 1 1/2" 300 lbs, 7th grade 12-yr old, student barred from PeeWee Football League.

[GreenStormCloud]

http://news.yahoo.com/297-lb-texas-boy-too-big-play-peewee-000031018--nfl.html

MESQUITE, Texas (AP) — A suburban Dallas boy has been barred from playing peewee football because the league says he is just too big at nearly 300 pounds.

Mesquite Pee Wee Football Association President Ronnie Henderson said the rules are clear and 12-year-old Elijah Earnheart is not eligible. The 6-foot-1-inch boy exceeds the 135-pound limit for seventh-graders, and he got the bad news last Sunday when the league held its official weigh-in.

SNIP

Cindy Earnheart, the boy's mother, said she was incensed and Elijah was humiliated.

"They would not even let him weigh in on the scales like every single boy out there," she said. "He might be the size of a grown man but he's 12 years old and he has feelings, too."

SNIP

Henderson said three other boys were turned away that day because of safety concerns for other players.

"We've got little boys that play against him that are 85, 95 and 100 pounds," Henderson said. "We have to look out for all the kids, not just him."

SNIP

Cindy Earnheart said barring her son was discrimination.

"No one is telling boys who are too thin or too small that they can't play football," she said. "Why tell my kid he's too big?

She added: "Isn't bigger better in football? Football is a contact sport. If you don't want your son tackled, get him off the field."

The arrogant stupidity of some people is amazing. The idea of PeeWee football is to have a fairly even playing field for smaller kids and have a fairer game. Her kid being three times to average size of other players would grossly overpower and injure some of the others.

[progressivebydesign]

1. Her poor child is already obese at that age, she should be more worried about his health.

Though he's one of those kids that is obviously big for his age, height-wise, 300 lbs is not a healthy weight for that height... regardless of age. So sick of the parents addicted to outrage, that run to the media when their child is slighted. Her son should be monitored by a doctor right now, as a child that size playing football in extreme heat, is a candidate for sudden death.

[JoePhilly]

3. Umm ... Maybe daily football practices would help the kid lose some weight?

How does excluding him from playing a sport like football HELP the kid lose weight? Its just as likely that having regular practices will help the kid develop some discipline that will help him reduce and maintain a more appropriate weight.

We might as well argue that he's too big to be on the track team, or to play any sport.

[Maine-ah]

12. he's being excluded from playing PEE WEE football.

He is bigger than most high school seniors.

[JoePhilly]

18. And?

If he was taller than everyone else, would we keep him off the peewee basketball team?

What if he was FASTER then the other runners at his age?

[TalkingDog]

25. If he were substantially heavier, then yes, off the basketball team.

If running was a contact sport, then yes to that too.

While you are at it and we are on a political discussion board, why don't you also argue that since corporations have the most money and influence, they should have the most say in politics.

See the problem?

[XemaSab]

26. Do basketball and running involve charging into other students?

They have a 125 lb weight limit for a reason.

[JoePhilly]

66. Basketball does. Ever play that sport?

If you do, you will find guys much bigger than you will crash into you.

I had a guy who was 7 feet tall drop an elbow on my 6 foot tall head while going for a rebound. I needed 3 stitches. Its part of the sport.

[Maine-ah]

75. but are you an adult, or a 12 year old kid?

[Prometheus Bound]

104. Come on. One of my 12yo teammates was 6'6" and one 6'7".

Both 220 pounds. We played every day for years and no one got more than a sprained ankle.

They had great size but poor coordination, no speed and a 6" vertical jump.

[obamanut2012]

33. Maybe you should read the OP, where it states the weight limits

for Pee Wee Football. He is more than twice the weight allowed.

[JoePhilly]

70. Yes, I saw that ... and while I understand the weight restruction, I don't think it has the effect

intended. The notion of a weight restriction goes back decades. Its not really based on science or data, but on a "feeling" that a heavy kid is more likely to cause injury.

The reality is that a smaller fast moving kid hitting LOW, or on the HEAD causes, injury.

That's why peewee, and all levels of school football teams are working much more on appropriate tackling techniques. To get the players to use the correct techniques.

A kid's weight doesn't really tell you anything about his (or her) technique. And I have not seen anything indicating that a kid's weight makes it more likely that some one else will get hurt. If there is such data, I'd certainly consider it.

[girl gone mad]

79. Uh, it's called physics, JoePhilly.

F = ma

The greater the mass, the greater the force. The greater the impact force, the greater the risk of injury.

Duh.

[hifiguy]

42. Football involves physically tackling people to the ground

Basketball doesn't. He could seriously injure someone unintentionally by being tripped up and falling on a normal-sized kid.

[joeybee12]

44. Jesus Christ...he's a danger to the other kids...pee wee football is contact...

What a ridiculous post.

[AngryAmish]

56. I was 72 lbs in 7th grade

smallest kid on the team. This guy could break bones if he fell on me. Hell, I'm full size now and he almost doubles my weight.

[Missycim]

63. Do you want to see some

kid HURT? Are you MAD? Could you picture the lawsuits?

I am sorry he is so big, why dont they move him up to HS football.

[JoePhilly]

73. Well ... you have to be in high school to play high school football.

I've seen lots of kids get hurt playing sports. Me when I played. And my kids who play now.

Sports are not going to ever be injury free. If you let your kid play sports, you need to ASSUME that at some point they will get hurt.

Take a 13 year old girl and have her round 3rd towards home, and put another 13 year old girl in catcher's gear at the plate, and the collisions are extremely forceful. Now, if the girl coming from 3rd weights 300 pounds, she will not be moving very fast. And the collision at the plate won't even happen.

I do understand that a parent will see a kid that size and be scared. But its probably not warranted. The really scary kid in any sport is the one who not only does not avoid unneeded contact, they SEEK that contact. Its the kid on the soccer team who learns to slide tackle early ... and then they do it every chance they get, and sooner or later, a kid on the other team gets creamed by an unseen slide tackle.

This 300 pond kid won't be flying around the field. He's probably going to be a statue.

Now, I can tell you when he would be scary ... it will be if he drops his weight to about 220. Then, he'd be 6'1'', 220, and potentially much much faster. And much more dangerous.

[Missycim]

109. it would only take one hit from that mountain

to hurt someone, but I agree and I wrote later in this threat that when he gets to HS someone should get his butt into a weight room and get him into shape, that would be scary.

[Warpy]

103. Would you want your 100 pound ten year old kid to face that guy

on the field? I didn't think so.

There are weight restrictions in contact sports for very good reasons. Big kids can injure little ones very, very badly.

I realize that football is a religion in certainly parts of the country, most notably Texas, but common sense has to intrude somewhere.

If he were a tall kid who hadn't filled out yet and met the weight restriction, he'd be able to play. However, his weight makes him an extreme risk on a field full of little kids.

Elijah's going to have to wait a couple of years. Maybe his mom can get him a gym membership so he can work off some of that puppy fat.

[MattBaggins]

121. When they invent tackle running we can talk anout him playing

He should move up to a higher bracket.

[TalkingDog]

22. He's not being excluded from playing football. He's being excluded from teams

where he could potentially (most likely in reality) injure another, much smaller child.

The point of parenting is to make considered, well-thought out judgements. The mom, in this case, did not. It would be like forcing the kid to play ball with professional football players. Guess who is more likely to be injured? The smaller, less coordinated one.

He can play any sport he likes. But he needs to play on teams where his physicality is matched by the other players.

[Missycim]

64. Its the mothers fault to begin with

she should have sat him down and explained it to him, I am sure he would have understood.

[obamanut2012]

31. He can play high school football in a year or two

There are upper weight limits for Pee Wee football for safety reasons.

The boy needs to have his parents correct his diet and encourage exercise.

[Capt. Obvious]

114. He can play HS now. That's what they do with the kids too big for PeeWee

[pnwmom]

53. He can join a swim team or other non-contact sport and lose weight. It's perfectly reasonable

to have weight limits on a "pee-wee" team.

[GoCubsGo]

123. At his height, he'll likely never get down to the weight limit for pee-wee football.

It's 135 lbs. At nearly 6'2', every weight chart I have seen has the lowest "ideal" weight for a male of that height at around 160 lbs. To reach the pee-wee football limit, this kid would be grossly underweight. Having seen photos of this kid, he's a lot more solid than I expected. He'd probably wind up having to waste a way a bunch of muscle, along with losing every ounce of fat on his body to reach that limit.

I agree that it's reasonable to have limits for a "pee-wee" team. Unfortunately for this kid, it looks like his pee-wee football days have past. It's a damn shame that his mother is being such an idiot about it, instead of using it as a lesson for her son on how to deal with life's disappointments. He'll be in high school before he knows it, and they'll be falling all over him to get him on their team. I hope somebody will be able to work something out that this kid is somehow involved in football until then, but not playing against kids who are half his size.

[tabasco]

112. The football program is a group activity

Not a program for individual wellness.

HOPE IT HELPS.

[Buzz Clik]

129. He CAN play with kids his own size, but mommy decided to pitch a fit instead.

[eridani]

81. So you've personally measured his percent body fat? n/t

[TwilightGardener]

116. A 12-year old boy has not had enough testosterone in his system for long enough of a time

to build the sort of muscle mass that would allow him to be 300 lbs of muscle. It just doesn't happen. The kid is fat. Any 6'1" man who weighs 300 lbs. is fat. He might carry it well, but he's fat. Mom should be more concerned about his health and development than about the thrill of watching him smash smaller children on the field.

[eridani]

125. If he has enough testosterone in his system to get to be 6'1"

--he has enough to have the associated muscle mass. The picture elsewhere in the thread shows a big, heavy muscular kid. Not muscular as in having spent time in the weight room--just untrained althletic beef. You do know that most professional football players are "obese" going by BMI, right?

[Ash_F]

126. This is wrong

"If he has enough testosterone in his system to get to be 6'1" - Nope, not even close.

[eridani]

127. Hormones have nothing to do with adolescent growth spurts?

News to me.

[Ash_F]

130. Not testosterone, not at 12

At this age, elevated levels of testosterone would actually stunt his vertical growth. At over 6 six feet and 12 years old, it is unlikely that he has a high level of testosterone. Testosterone is mostly related to muscle mass and bone density, which are not related to height though partially related to weight, as well as development of sexual organs. A good indicator for high testosterone in a child is early facial/pubic hair. This child's height may be be related to high levels of growth hormone, which is not testosterone and is in fact inhibited by it. This is an important fact to know for highschoolers who may be tempted to use testosterone to get an edge in the weight room over the other kids. It will make you short, among other things.

The point is, the other poster was likely correct and your assessment was way off, as far as biology goes. You know, the point where you were corrected could have been the point where you went to go look this up, instead of coyly making another uneducated post.

ps - As for your other post. You can tell he has a high percent of body fat from his picture. Hope this helps.

[eridani]

135. Where did he get the bone density then? His bones are HUGE.

This is no small-boned kid with a belly. I see much more muscle than fat myself. If he ever gets enough training to go pro, he'll be one of those "obese" by BMI football players.

Oh, and older people have been known to take growth hormone to improve muscle mass.

[Ash_F]

138. You keep making false assertions about the human body

I think it is important for people to be educated on their health and biology, so I will take a moment to address your post. There are a lot of misconceptions that are quite common so hopefully this will benefit others in addition to yourself.

Bone density is not bone size; Testosterone is not the sole cause of bone density

You can have long bones and low density, although there is no reason to suspect he has such a deficiency.

"Where did he get the bone density then?" Bone density is a result of many factors and not just testosterone. It is, in fact, likely his bone density is high given his height and age, which points possibly to high HGH but most certainly not testosterone. So you are probably right in your assertion that his bone density is high, but for the wrong reasons(his height)...add to the fact that you seem to be misinformed about what bone density is, what causes it and that it is largely irrelevant to what we were talking about, which is whether he would have high testosterone and muscle mass. There are no signs that he has high testosterone.

"This is no small-boned kid with a belly. I see much more muscle than fat myself." With all due respect, look again. Look at his arm fat, look at his waist circumference. If your waist circumference is higher than your hips, you do not have low percent body fat. And by the way, just to counter the common misconception that being "big-boned" can be the cause of high body weight, high bone density does not significantly increase the weight of your skeleton. He would not be getting a significant portion of his weight from having high bone density; maybe 20% of his total weight instead of 15%. If that.

"If he ever gets enough training to go pro, he'll be one of those "obese" by BMI football players."
It might surprise you to hear that high BMI NFL players have a much higher rate of heart failure than average American males. Higher cholesterol too, despite all the exercise. Yes you can have a high BMI due to muscle mass, but this not true for everyone in the NFL and definitely not true for this kid. Additionally, even if your BMI is high with low body fat, you still have a higher risk of heart failure than one with normal BMI(though less than one with high BMI and high body fat). This is a complicated subject, so I won't write an essay on it, but don't assume that being an NFL player, or any professional athlete, is the pinnacle of health.

"Oh, and older people have been known to take growth hormone to improve muscle mass."
I know, when they have a deficiency. And when they are older. I won't go into detail but this is largely irrelevant to this child's case.

You seem to think this 12 year old child might actually be healthy at 300 lbs, because of his height, supposed muscle mass and the weight of his bones. This is a dangerous level of denial to have about the subject. Especially if you may be one who is overweight or has a loved one who is. Yes he needs exercise, but he needs to be taken to a doctor first and put on a personalized, properly paced, regimen. A competitive sport where he is going to be pushed to his limits could jeopardize his life, given his extreme condition. Never mind the risk to smaller children.

[eridani]

140. Athletes with high BMI of course have more circulatory system problems

-and that doesn't surprise me at all. However, this is due to high lean body mass, and not fat. Fatness is not a risk factor at all when high lean body mass is accounted for. (Not that fatness isn't a risk factor for other problems.)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7152629
Neither fatness nor fat patterning was significantly related to blood pressure after weight entered the regression equation.

Anyone who is much shorter or taller than average is going to have a lot more health problems. Douglas Adams at 7'+ dropped dead of a heart attack at age 49. The kid is very likely genetically at risk for health problems whatever he does--working out a lot was of no help to Adams. What I don't get is why putting him down for things that are beyond his control is thought by some to be a public service announcement of some kind.

If his height is due to an excess of HGH, that is a probable cause for higher than average lean body weight as well.

[Ash_F]

142. Not all NFL players, especially the bigger linemen, are lean.

But that is not hugely relevant to this 12 year old. I was just addressing your assertion that his shape is somehow ok because the are pro football players with similar dimensions, because it's not. The advice of staying out of football, seeing a doctor and getting on a professionally recommended health regimen is not a putdown, but sensible.

"If his height is due to an excess of HGH, that is a probable cause for higher than average lean body weight as well." OK now you are just being silly. The boy is not lean, period. He is almost 100lbs overweight, and he's 12. That kind of denial is what leads people to fail to seek needed healthcare and end up hurting themselves or their loved ones in the long run. It is almost as bad as those Christian Scientists who were in the news because they thought they could pray their children's fatal-yet-treatable diseases away.

[eridani]

143. Just because the kid has more body fat doesn't mean he doesn't have more lean mass as well

In fact, carrying more fat usually results in developing more lean body mass as well, just to haul the extra weight around. His shape isn't all that bad--obviously he hasn't had much, if any, physical training. He should be checked out by an endocrinologist to see if anything can be done about slowing his growth rate, and before any kind of physical training regimen.

[TwilightGardener]

128. No. He might develop some muscle, but not enough to make him 300 lbs.

Most grown men that height cannot attain that sort of weight with pure muscle mass, unless maybe they are bodybuilders/weightlifters in serious training. Kids who have dramatic growth spurts are often beanpoles, unless they also overeat or have a tendency to become obese.

[Drahthaardogs]

132. Jay Culter would disagree

His off season weight is around 300 lbs (and about 11% bodyfat).

[TwilightGardener]

134. Yes, I made an exception for bodybuilders in a subsequent post.

[Dawgs]

2. Agree. They should move him up to play with older kids.

I know it's not his friends, but a kid that big shouldn't be playing against other kids that are a third his size.

[JoePhilly]

5. I think that would depend on his ability. Just being big is not going to protect him from

kids who are older and have more developed skills.

If he demonstrates skills that place him above the other kids, then work to move him up.

[ieoeja]

15. There was a child across the alley from my house a few years back with that problem.

Everybody treated him like a much older child than he was. It caused him all sorts of problems. And it wasn't the physical skills, though that was a problem too. It was the emotional maturity that was such a problem. World of difference between a 6 year old and a 10 year old in that department.

Not sure how they should handle this. They could let him in on non-contact drills if he just wants to play and have fun. But if you're hoping to develop his skills...?

[JoePhilly]

23. Exactly. You move that kid up, and the expectations are very different.

And I mentioned kill level, but you are absolutely correct, emotional and intellectual maturity also matter.

[hughee99]

69. They should. My nephew was moved up in basketball

since it didn't seem fair to have a kid at 5'10" playing against other 8-9 year olds. They move him up with the 10-12 year old kids where he's still one of the bigger players. I realize basketball isn't football, but it's not like moving him up a division is unprecedented.

I know there must be a few high school coaches in Texas drooling when the heard this story.

[Marrah_G]

99. This kid would be huge on a HS team

[TorchTheWitch]

105. He was invited to play on his middle school team

According to the article. The middle school team is the one where he would most likely play with his friends rather than the peewee team since that team consists of kids from the areas many schools, and it's much more likely that his friends go to his same school. They say that he just wanted to play on the peewee team because he was just starting out to play the sport and wanted to get his feet wet on the peewee team, yet there are plenty of kids on the middle school team who would also be just starting to play the sport - in fact, probably most of them.

I get the feeling that this is his mother's doing in wanting him to play on the peewee team instead of the middle school team because it would give him a triple unfair advantage and where he'd stand out as the peewee team's big star.

[Greybnk48]

4. This is a safety issue.

He could seriously hurt a smaller child. Hell, he's bigger than an average adult. That said, I would have reservations allowing him to play with the older boys because of maturity issues. He's just a kid. I feel bad that his feelings are hurt, but his self-esteem has to take a back-seat to safety.

[JoePhilly]

19. Its football. A smaller kid moving at high speed will probably do much more damage than

this kid.

[Spider Jerusalem]

29. Nope.

Simple physics. Force = mass * acceleration. At more than twice the weight limit he'd generate greater impact force moving at half the speed. And concussions in football are a serious enough business already.

[Greybnk48]

35. Correct n/t

[jberryhill]

54. Actually, a quarter of the speed

The relevant consideration is available energy (1/2) mv^2

[JoePhilly]

62. He'll be moving well below half the speed.

And at his height, his head and the other kid's head won't meet.

The increase in concussions in youth football has to do with the speed of the impact more than the size of the players because a mid-sized kid going fast will maximize the formula you mention.

A smaller kid might be fast, but does not have the mass to maximize the force. And a very big kid can't generate the speed to maximize the force.

Its the kid in the middle ... middle weight, but very fast, who can maximize the force because they increase both variables in the formula.

[Drahthaardogs]

133. If he is falling down

He is accelerating at the same speed as everyone else - 9.8 m/s2

Multiply that X's 300 lbs = he hits the ground (or poor kid underneath him) at 3x's the force of a 100 lb kid.

[longship]

78. Conservation of momentum

Mass * velocity

It is like two pool balls colliding. Now imagine one ball three times bigger than the other. It's that Newton's third law thingamabob.

In an inelastic collision the momentum of one body is transferred to the other by way of the proportion of mass. Of course, football means partially elastic collisions. But you get the idea. The difference between the two is that the energy difference manifests itself with injuries.

A 300 lb kid playing with smaller kids? They'll be scraping the bodies off the field.

I wouldn't let him play, either. But I would find a way to get him playing with kids his own size, maybe the Dallas Cowboys, or something.

[joeybee12]

45. Bwaa-hahaha!

Stop...the ridiculousness is hee-larious!

[RagAss]

6. Check the birth certificate first. Six foot one at 12 YEARS OLD???

[JoePhilly]

20. I know a kid that's 6'3'' at 13. Every basketball wanted him. He hates B-ball and plays soccer.

His parents are both over 6' tall.

[Brickbat]

21. My son was six foot at 12. He's now 6'2" at 13.

He's not done growing either; his shoe size is 14.

ETA: He's in youth sports, and parents on opposing teams ask to see his birth certificate all the time.

[TalkingDog]

27. Not uncommon. But usually they are tall and lanky, not 300 lbs.

n/t

[RagAss]

68. I know....12 years isn't enough time to hit 300 lbs.

[GoCubsGo]

83. My brother was about that height at 12.

He wasn't anywhere near 300 lbs., however.

[Codeine]

95. I was six feet by then, actually even before that.

Everyone was very excited by the prospect that I might be a basketball player. Eventually it became clear that

1) I possessed absolutely no gross motor skills to speak of,
2) I suddenly stopped growing at six feet, and
3) I weighed less than a pair of wet Converse.

[auburngrad82]

7. This is a tough situation

On the one hand, he's so much bigger than the other kids his age that he could really hurt someone.

On the other hand, at twelve years old, even when you're that large, your body is not ready for the punishment of being hit by kids older than you.

I'm not sure what the solution is. I feel for the kid.

[yellowcanine]

30. Well first of all, he weighs too much whether he plays football or not.

It is very unhealthy for a 12 year old to be that obese. His life could be in danger and his mom is too ignorant to know that.

[auburngrad82]

124. Absolutely true

6'1" is quite tall for a 12-year old, but I would expect him to weigh anywhere from 170-200, tops. I would suspect that a lot of his weight is fat and that's going to hurt his heart, his bone structure, etc. He's facing a lifetime of health related issues if his family and doctors let this continue.

[NightWatcher]

8. forget peewee, would the young man like to come to Athens Georgia for college?

[mrmpa]

9. 6" 1 1/2", 300 lbs. 7th grader vs. my nephew..........

who is a 6' 6" 295 lb. College Football player in his senior year. What the hell is the mother thinking.

[msongs]

10. kid needs a new mother, especially one who can read eligibility rules nt

[surrealAmerican]

11. So, the mother is against discrimination ...

... if it means her son is excluded, but for discrimination if it means the smaller children are excluded?

[Ikonoklast]

13. I was barred from playing CYO ball because I weighed 165 lbs.

They said I was too big to play at 5' and 165 lbs.

That kid would have crushed me like a bug.

[Mopar151]

14. Bill Cosby explains

[Capt. Obvious]

16. This isn't new

I was 6' tall and 2 bills at that age and they wouldn't let me play.

My buddy's little brother was 3 bills in 7th grade and he couldn't play; so he played for the high school team.

[Blue_Tires]

17. well shit; it's Texas

Aren't there like a THOUSAND other youth leagues for him to play in??

Can't he start unofficially working out with a high school JV team??

That mother is a piece of work...She just wants her place in the sun, beaming in the bleachers on a perch high above the other suburban moms, while her son slaps around a bunch of 90-pounders...

[Brickbat]

24. Screw peewee! Get that kid into JV!

[yellowcanine]

28. That mom is showing her ignorance.

Size rules are there for a reason in PeeWee football. It is simply not safe to have a 300 lb boy, regardless of age, playing tackle football with boys one third his weight. WTF is she thinking?

And it is not as if he missed the cutoff by 5 pounds. Jeez.

Besides, her kid is grossly obese. It may not be safe for him either.

[TwilightGardener]

32. "If you don't want your son tackled, get him off the field"--well, as the mom of a former

middle-school football player, I don't need to have my son tackled and killed by her giant obese pituitary case of a son.

[cyberswede]

49. That was a stupid thing she said.

I feel bad for her kid, though. I hope his classmates don't call him names (like "giant obese pituitary case&quot .

[REP]

85. See post #37 - kid doesn't even look like a "giant obese pituitary case"

He looks like he's in pretty decent shape - just a big, normally-proportioned kid. I hope he doesn't get called names, and that his mom calms down. It's got to be tough for him at that age - being bigger than everyone and now all this.

No kid - even "giant obese pituitary cases" deserve to be called ugly names. Thank you

[aikoaiko]

117. My sympathy was growing until I read that.

It shows the mother doesn't really appreciate the potential for injury during the normal course of play when someone is much larger.

But as I said my sympathy was growing when it seemed the football association handled the decision poorly.

There really should have been more of an effort to find a more appropriate team level. This is Texas, FFS, where football teams abound.

I back the league's decision.

[TwilightGardener]

119. She doesn't give a shit about anybody else's kid but hers. That much is clear.

It's not her son's fault, he's just a 12 year old who wants to play--and if mom had managed his diet properly, he might have gotten onto an age/skill-appropriate team despite his growth. But in no way is this child a "Pee Wee", and it's laughable to suggest he be allowed to play on such a team.

[Warpy]

34. Her Frigidaire sized kid should be eligible for junior varsity

a year ahead of time. He'd likely kill an average sized PeeWee player, it's just not safe to let him play. The best she can hope for with the PeeWees is some modified training so he wouldn't lose a year if the JVs turned him down.

She could always put the kid on a diet, of course, but there's no way he'd lose half of himself in time to play, nor should he.

In the meantime, I guess she's just gonna have to cry into her pillow over the unfairness of life.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

36. We had a 135lb limit when we were 12yo too... I don't see what makes Elijah an exception.

If you were too fat or big, then you could practice but never play in games. Alot (actually most) of your average high school freshman linemen are playing organized football for the first time in their lives because they were overweight before they got to high school. I remember going from from Peewee to Jr high school football football and seeing 200+ pound people on the field for the first time (even if they're just teens like yourself) and it's pretty intimidating.

It's been played like this for decades... I don't see why this news at all or what makes poor elijah so exceptional. He'll just have to wait.

[AsahinaKimi]

37. Only 12 years old...wow, wait till he gets into highschool!

[hifiguy]

43. He doesn't look terribly obese at all

He's just a BIG kid. Don't worry mom, if he has any athletic skills at all he's gonna get a free college education in a few years. Coaches drool over kids with that kind of natural size.

[cyberswede]

46. I hope so...

I don't think he looks particularly obese in that photo, either. Just BIG.

Disclosure: we have an 11 y.o. who's 5'8" and nearly 200 lbs. He plays center on his 5-6th grade youth FB team and loves it. I like that he gets much-needed exercise.

[AsahinaKimi]

50. makes you wonder if this kid is

A future NFLer.. I bet he would be thrilled.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

59. Mom looks as if she would benefit from Weight Watchers...

and an hour walking around the track every day.

Don't kids need physicals to play Pee Wee, etc.? I'd be curious as to whether his doctor thinks his weight is acceptable. And what Mom feeds him -- fruits/veggies/lean meats or fast/processed foods.

[frylock]

60. i agree, and he may grow another 12" in height!

@ 6' 300 lb i really expected him to be a bit fatter, but he's carrying that weight pretty well.

[Horse with no Name]

88. This good looking kid is solid

He would hurt someone.

That being said--there are lots of football camps in the DFW area....but she knows that. I would also say that THIS isn't the first time THIS kid has been denied the privilege to play Pee Wee football.

There is no doubt in MY mind what is going on here and it has NOTHING to do with PeeWee football. This Mom will be this kids agent one day and she knows it. This has to do with eligibility for Varsity football his Freshman year.


She is scouting HIGH SCHOOL'S for this kid. If anyone thinks that there isn't a HS in Texas that will move them into the district (and it has to be done this year for UIL rules) and set them up--then they don't know Texas HS football. This kid will be on a State Championship Varsity team his freshman year....but will have to be IN the district a year prior to be eligible.

She has the publicity and I pretty well imagine the offers are rolling in.

[Kaleva]

91. The kid is unique and he ought to take advantage of it.

The mother may well be doing this for publicity for her son and HS football being what it is in Texas, she's probably already being contacted.

[Horse with no Name]

94. No doubt they are being contacted

First she needed publicity--which she has and this will assure her the "best deal". Deals that have, in the past, include housing, jobs, vehicles, etc.

I have no doubt this kid has a gift. He isn't a fat kid and I imagine he is a skilled player.

I know some think this Mother is exploiting her son--but I know 10-yr old softball players that have professional pitching coaches.

IF this kid gets into a top High School AND can keep his grades up, his chances of playing Div 1 Football as a Freshman are pretty good.

It will be interesting to watch this young man's career.

[TorchTheWitch]

106. skilled player?

He said he wanted to play on the peewee team because he was just learning the game. However, like you I think this is all his mother's doing. He'd already been invited to play on the middle school team where there would also be plenty of kids just learning the game and where he'd more likely play with his friends who are also his age, but she tried to get him on the peewee team despite knowing the weight rules? Yeah, I think this is all the mother's doing.

[nobodyspecial]

38. I'm sure they were being sensitive to his feelings by NOT weighing him in front of the group

It was obvious he wouldn't make the cut. Why make a public spectacle of it? I hope some trainer in the area helps him by working with him to get in better shape. Then, when he's able to move up, he'll be a star.

[cyberswede]

47. Agree

My son declined to be weighed at FB sign-up last time (the only weight limit they have is that if you're over 100 lbs. you have to play line, not a running position, and it's OBVIOUS he weighs more than 100).

[frylock]

61. ummm take a look at the pic upthread, because this kid isn't what i would refer to as fat

[hifiguy]

39. Cripes, there are college players much smaller than that.

Even a fair number of NFL players. A 6'1" 300-pounder has no business playing against average sized kids that age even if he is 12 years old for safety reasons alone. If he gets tripped up and falls on a 100 lb kid the smaller kid could be seriously injured.

[Teamster Jeff]

40. I have coached youth football for the last 7 years

the last 2 years at a level where there is no weight limit. He would be welcome in our league and I'm sure would benefit from the physical conditioning that we do. The mom sounds like a potential problem parent though.

[DontTreadOnMe]

41. I remember well the weight restriction when I played PeeWee football

It was a serious topic. We had two star players on our team who always had to fast all week and not eat before the game weigh in. There were two games where they could not play because they were 1 lb over. When they did make the weight, they would then gorge themselves with energy food right after the weigh in.

I was a skinny kid and would jump on the scale with my uniform on ad never go over. And even at that age, there were kids that were clearly bigger than others, and it can be dangerous.

Now if the kid was 150 lbs., maybe they cold agree to an exception. But 300 lbs. id way over.

The safety of the other kids is more important than letting one kid play a game. I feel bad, because the 12 year can't just go play with the bigger boys. The article stated he never played football before, so his skill level is a beginner. But if HE REALLY WANTED TO LEARN FOOTBALL, he would go practice with the bigger kids. The he could learn how to play the game, and be ready for when his time to be in high school comes around.

300 vs 100 lbs is such a huge difference.

The mother is being a jerk with her "if you don't want your son tackled" comment. And from the photo, maybe mom needs some SlimFast too.

[gollygee]

48. I understand his desire to play, but I wouldn't let an average-sized son of mine

play against him because I'd be too afraid of him getting hurt. It's just too dangerous. There are a lot of injuries in youth football, even with like-sized kids.

[sabbat hunter]

51. I wonder if

this kid has been checked for pituitary and thyroid issues. Something doesn't sound right that a 12 yr old is 6' 1/2 and 300 lbs.

[hifiguy]

52. Excellent point. At the rate that young man is growing

he might have the same issues as wrestlers Andre the Giant and the Big Show - both of whom were acromegalyic (sp?) giants. It killed Andre in his 40s, but Big Show had surgery in his late teens-early twenties and stopped getting bigger. 7'1" and 440 lbs is big enough.

[eridani]

136. People of unusual height (whether short or tall) are often prone to having coronary problems

Douglas Adams (close to 7 feet tall, and not particularly heavy for that height) died at age 49 during a workout.

[proud2BlibKansan]

55. Bottom line: Would you want him playing against your average sized kid?

I know I wouldn't.

[democrat_patriot]

57. Sorry. This kid could potentially KILL someone. Bump him into a higher bracket.

I would not let my 100 lb PEE WEE son play against him. Sorry.

[appleannie1]

58. He could cripple an average size kid by tackling them. There are rules for reasons.

[Missycim]

65. I will tell you one thing

he is going to make a monster lineman if someone gets him into a weight room and tones him up.

[WooWooWoo]

71. or the next Shaquille O'Neil

Shaq was only ("only&quot 5-10 when he was 12.

But if you think that's impressive, Shaq himself met with a 12 year old who is 7'4".

http://thehoopdoctors.com/online2/2009/05/shaquille-oneal-hangs-out-with-74-tall-12-year-old/

[WooWooWoo]

72. btw, here's a pic of that kid playing football

[img][/img]

keep in mind, he's 12.

[Capt. Obvious]

115. RIP Manute Bol

[tammywammy]

67. Why doesn't he just try out for the middle school team? n/t

[dembotoz]

74. i have a large son

maybe 6 ft 1n
270

he has always been big

now in high school but in 7th grade i KNOW he was well over the 135 lb thing
do the growth charts and he was alway above and beyound

and my kid is strong too

he tried football and really doesn't like it.
he slept thru most of the packer game on tv last night

is he widely obese????

did i tell you he plays varsity hockey????
weighs more than any other player, stronger than any other player

makes all the practices
does all the drills
he is not the fastest kid on the team but he is in hockey shape which is in pretty good shape for those who know......

There has GOT to be something for this kid
Maybe practice with a high school team
maybe a y membership--oh wait, he is too young to work out.

I feel for his mom
She has a child who is exceptional and she wants her son to have his exceptional talents developed.
Not her fault he is big--he don't look fat....
Not his fault he is big--he don't look fat
If i was his father i would be just as angry.

think of this kid next time you watch the movie the blind side......

[orpupilofnature57]

76. Common sense----- Thomas Paine.

[bluestateguy]

77. I'm sure the local varsity high school coaches will be keeping an eye on him

He should go to football camps to practice.

And maybe a fat camp too.

[TheKentuckian]

87. The picture doesn't look like fat camp to me, more like a weightlifting program to tone up

The kid is huge but not particularly obese. I bet he'd be well over two bills below 10% body fat from the picture.

[tritsofme]

80. Interesting, our kids played travel hockey, never football.

Did not know until this thread that a weight limit was common in peewee football.

They never would have hit that weight at 12 years old. I can almost understand the mother's reaction, coming from the world of hockey, weight limits even in very physical sport sounds like a foreign concept to me.

[riderinthestorm]

82. He should be directed to a private league instantly. Where he'd be welcomed

and adored, and a star.

Clearly he needs the exercise and his mom is correct in trying to get him into some kind of regular physical activity.

A private league sounds like an ideal spot for him. Forget park district programs - the kid is clearly never going to be able to be in those, find the closest private league and go nuts.

[cherokeeprogressive]

84. If you know anything about football, this large slow moving kid will be nothing but an impediment

to his own team.

The only way he hurts a kid would be by falling on him.

I say let him play.

[REP]

86. Did you see the photo of him? He doesn't look slow at all!

#37 I think - he's just a really big kid, but doesn't seem overweight (wearing football gear, so he may be a bit 'smaller' than he seems).

I know he won't read any of this, but sheesh - it's his mom who's being an ass, not the 12-year-old. He may even be a perfectly nice kid caught up in his mama's drama. (not directed at you, CP - just too lazy to start another post )

[Horse with no Name]

89. Mom isn't necessarily being an ass--read post 88. n/t

[REP]

92. Agree with the points; still think she's doing it in an assy way :-)

[Horse with no Name]

96. If she didn't, she wouldn't get the publicity.

I think she is trying to get her kid set up in life--I can't blame her for that. It will be interesting to see which HS he ends up at.

My first guess would be JSouthlake Carroll. 2nd guess John Tyler.

His is going to be an interesting career to watch.

[REP]

98. Could be! Though with a kid that size ... !

I was stuck on remembering what is was like to be 12 and embarrassed constantly by even having parents

[Horse with no Name]

101. LOL. No doubt!

But even though abrasive, she is her sons biggest fan--however, I am thinking folks should be more afraid of HER than him!

[cherokeeprogressive]

90. The Washington Redskins signed Andre the Giant to an NFL contract.

I don't think he ever played a down in a regular season game.

Big isn't necessarily good.

What's he going to do, be the right/left side of the offensive or defensive line?

As a coach, it would actually be fun to build a game plan that would leave him standing by himself most of the time.

Let him play.

[REP]

93. Andre the Giant had acromegaly, a pretty severe disorder

I've just seen the one photo, but the signs of acromegaly and/or gigantism are pretty striking, and this kid isn't exhibiting any of them (also, he's 12 and a bit young for either). Acromegaly to the degree that Andre the Giant had is associated with severe arthritis (among other horrible things which killed him in his 40s) which might explain his inability to move quickly.

Hey, I don't have "Super Pedant" in my .sig for nothin'!

[eridani]

137. Why would "large" = "slowmoving"

An old article about Cheryl Haworth, an Olympic weightlifter who gave it up to teach art. Some large people can move pretty fast. Others can't and are not particularly talented in athletics. How do you figure out which is which just by looking at a picture?

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-521818.html

At the March national championships here, she easily topped the women's field and, for good measure, outlifted every male her age. She is so strong, U.S. women's national team coach Michael Cohen said, some high school football coaches avoid her training sessions at the state-of-the-art weightlifting complex in Savannah, Ga., so as not to demoralize their players.

<snip>

Even four years after her debut, she continues to make observers exclaim. In Frederick, she snatched an American record 264.6 pounds and lifted a record 319.7 pounds in the clean and jerk. She runs the 40-yard dash in five seconds flat, an excellent time for an NFL lineman. She has a 32-inch vertical leap, which would satisfy a college basketball coach. Her flexibility is equally impressive: She can do a split both with her legs splayed to the front and back as well as sideways.

[Marrah_G]

97. You can't have a child that size going against much smaller children

The mother is not thinking logically or considering the well being of the other children.

[fascisthunter]

100. he should have had a gun

sorry, couldn't help the opportunity given the person posting... so sensitive towards kids playing a game, yet....

[GreenStormCloud]

111. Dad gave me a shotgun when I was 11 yrs old.

But hunting is a completely different sport. Does he have an interest in hunting? The article doesn't say.

[brewens]

102. I was the biggest kid in my class in the fourth grade. I was over the weight limit

for the pee wee league and they let one other guy and I play in the next higher league. So we had to play with guys one to three years older at that age. We were actually good enough to get some playing time and it was invaluble experience. Not to mention that the other fourth graders couldn't even talk football around us!

By sixth grade my growth had slowed some and both my large buddy and I were still on the same team in that league. Our coach even stayed after his son had moved on because he had such a good team there.

After that we moved up to jr high football where there was no weight limit and were pretty dominant for three years. Then in high school it was back to playing against older bigger kids again. I made varsity as a sophomore. I got my ass kicked at times, including having to go against a guy that started at defensive end for Notre Dame the next year as a college freshman.

Being the biggest kid around doesn't always mean you get to stomp little guys! By the time I was a high school senior, I wasn't notably big at all. I was good and wasn't afraid of anyone though.

[jmowreader]

107. Mrs. Earnheart, your kid has 80 pounds on Marshawn Lynch

When your child is bigger than half the NFL, it's a bad idea to let him play against 100-pound seventh graders.

[Union Scribe]

108. Must have been a fun birth.

I'm taking him first in my Pee Wee fantasy league.

[raouldukelives]

110. That's too bad.

Here is a kid trying to get ahead. Doing his best to prepare himself for college and the most exalted avenue of achievement they offer, NCAA Football, and he isn't being allowed to compete.

[GreenStormCloud]

113. He isn't a PeeWee. N/T

[alphafemale]

118. "exceeds the 135-pound limit for seventh-graders"

By nearly 2 1/2 times. This isn't his league. Mom should cork it and find someplace else for him to play. Kids of mediocre skills and average size don't deserve bodily harm just so her little muffin doesn't get his feelings hurt. Again. "exceeds the 135-pound limit for seventh-graders" That's pretty clear.

[Are_grits_groceries]

120. I don't know why everyone is assuming he is slow and clumsy.

Maybe he is, and maybe he is that rare kid who can move. He is too big to play with the other kids. He has more potential to hurt another player than the smaller kids.

He could be accommodated in that age group so that he could learn the basics. He needs those before he goes to a higher level where he could get the shit beat out of him by older, smartass kids.

He could be restricted to a 'no tackle' rule. He's big enough and strong enough to stop the smaller kids without tackling them. He could go through the drills and pick up the lingo and the basics. He could use the exercise, and he needs to be made to feel welcome. He has probably had an earful of nasty remarks.

He does need to learn to hit and tackle though. I'll bet there is a jv coach or someone who would be willing to bring a couple of large kids and teach him that part. The payoff would be the possibility of that kid choosing to go to his school.

He needs to learn how to use his size correctly. He needs to be agressive, but not nasty. That can be done. Otherwise, he could learn to use his size everywhere and be a bully. In addition, the coach could lay out a plan for him to lose excess fat and maintain a proper diet. Hearing it from that level would make it more important. This tutoring could be done once a week or so.

I think he could fit at a higher level if those in charge tried to help him fit in. Give him 2 or 3 buddies to help him. Make the team realize he needs to reach their level and make them all have a stake in his development. This will all be a fine line to walk. He needs to feel he is part of the team by doing what he can with hm while spending some time on his own catching up using other drills.

I have coached basketball and had to work with a very tall player who couldn't do squat. She began to fit in with the team although she was not joining them in all exercises. I had several very good kids who were willing to help. They would rotate in out of their drills and help her. She improved enough that she was able to handle basic drills and scrimmage for small intervals. She even played in a couple of games. Everybody was thrilled.

[bigwillq]

122. Happens all the time in CT

Quite a few of my friends weren't allowed to play pop warner because they were too big.


It's ok. We went on to win two state titles and three league titles in high school!



I don't think it's discrimination. It's a safety issue.
I am sure there's other leagues this kid could play in.
There are up in CT.

[Drahthaardogs]

131. What part of "A 300-lb 12 year could likely kill an average 12 year old"

does this idiot woman not understand?

[Orrex]

139. I say get him to New York City in case we have an alien wormhole open up over Stark Tower

Can't be too safe in that case.

[belcffub]

141. I played Little Loop football and had to make weight each week

I was a big kid... not as big as this kid but at the cusp of not being able to play... I had to work really hard to stay under the 130 pound weight limit... did it for two years before I was two big...

I agree with making the kids conform to a certain size for two main reasons... first is safety... putting a much larger kid in full contact with smaller kids is not safe... then you have the sportsmanship of it all... give the 300 pound kid the ball and send him up the middle... he will win that battle again 100 pound kids everyday...

get the kid on the swim team... or track... anything else... but a full contact sport against much smaller kids is not fair or safe...

[ErikJ]

144. Wow, He could just walk down the field with the football.