5th Gr Touch Football at Recess - Who Gets to be the QB?
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Anonymous
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my new-to-football and also not-very-athletic boy has developed a love for the game since the begging of the school year, and played everyday at recess. He mentioned yesterday that some boy was the QB on his team yesterday and this kid never passed to him. When other boys were QBs he occasionally got a pass. He hasn't said that he wanted to be QB but I felt he might. I've never played football but my guess is usually the best players play QB to try to win games especially when scores are kept. Just curious.
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Anonymous
| Just like any sport, the kid who can throw the ball consistently. If they've been playing since the beginning of the school year, they probably have the same set of kids playing QB by now. It tends to be the more athletic/popular kids at first, but if they can't consistently throw the ball, the kids will "force" a move to others b/c it's not fun to have a QB who can't throw. If your DS wants to QB, he needs to speak up a lot to get a chance at this point. Even push back a bit when the same kids get to play QB. But, just a warning, he'll probably only get one chance if he does, and if he doesn't perform, he'll probably never get another chance - at least not with the 5th grade boys I know. And yes my DS is in 5th grade with a bunch of competitive, athletic boys. |
Anonymous
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That's about right. There may not be written rules - but there are definitely unwritten rules of the schoolyard that get this sorted out over time. The beauty of things is that - without your intervention - your child will learn to navigate these rules and figure out where and how he fits in.
This is exactly the reason that I am anti-home schooling - the life lessons your child is learning on the playground is as or more important than the academic lessons they are learning in class. |
Anonymous
| Before even reading the post and just responding to the title my thought was "the ones with the best arm". Even the coolest most popular boy won't get to be QB for long if he messes up too much. I agree with letting your son figure this one out totally on his own. You don't need to give him strategies, etc. Either he will pipe up because he can throw well or he won't, but he'll figure that one out on his own and in the mean time enjoy playing at recess. |
Anonymous
| I agree with the above. Also, in our area, the kids usually nominate what they call the "All Time Quarterback" for the game. It's usually the oldest kid, the best kid, or a Dad. It's whoever is the best and most consistent thrower around at the time. Other kids can ask for a shot or a turn, especially later in the game, but the group will hand the ball back to the All Time Quarterback if the sub isn't performing. |
Anonymous
| usually the black kid. |
Anonymous
Umm, what!??? Bizarre remark. My first thought reading the title of your post was "uh-oh! major helicopter parent!" but I see you aren't trying to angle to have your son play QB, you were just curious. My son is football obsessed (and white!!! clutch the pearls!) He and his Asian and Black and white friends :/ all play everyday at recess, I'll have to ask him who plays QB. These kids don't necessarily aspire to be QB--- my son likes playing WR or Slot, because those suit his talents best. The coolest thing about football is the fact that everyone out there has a job to make a play happen. |
Anonymous
No, they're too fast. They play WR/Tackle. Duh. --Mother of fast black boys. |
Anonymous
Fixed myself. That was quite the brain cramp I had. 
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Anonymous
| The boys sort it out among themselves. |
Anonymous
| OP, in my experience (2 boys, currently 6th and 2nd grade), it's the Alpha Male of the group -- the oldest/ biggest/ loudest talker, etc. And yes, the issue of who gets to be QB can cause bad feelings as that boy tries to protect his role and the others sometimes challenge. It's fascinating to watch (stay out of it yourself, IMO) and one of the many ways that sports and playground games help boys work through friendship/ leadership and other issues. |
Anonymous
| I have signed my boys up for a winter flag football league. We're in Howard County and they have a few leagues that run through the fall and winter. You should try to find the same where you are. A little adult supervision will make him a much happier player. |
Anonymous
I just asked my 4th grader, and he said that at his school QB switches off to anyone who wants to be. He also reports that even a bad QB gets play time. But, this is at a school that very much drills fairness, justice, equity into the kids from PK. 
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Anonymous
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The boy whose mommy gets involved gets the crap beat out of him and never gets to touch the football.
You might want to keep that in mind before meddling, OP. |
Anonymous
Why don't you go beat the crap out of your own kids, mother f*er. |