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Message from WILK-AMITE YOUTH ACTION NETWORK president David Walker
2021-07-15
Rattler Coaches Barnes and Knox
Welcome!! 205 Rattlers Youth Football
I am pleased to announce that the 205 Rattlers Youth Football has been established as part of the Wilk-Amite Youth Action Network.
In November 2020, I was selected to be a part of the USA Football initiative, Coach Advisory Council. Collectively as a council, our contributions will better the game for our parents, coaches and most importantly the young people playing any version of football. The mission of the Coach Advisory Council is to provide leadership and assistance to the organization in its efforts to create and maintain valuable resources and support to youth league coaches. The council advises on the development of programs, resources and support for coaches.
Toward these ends, the council provides input on gaps and needs that exist for youth league coaches, along with advising on best practices for how to engage this stakeholder group. As a Council Member, one of my responsibilities within the context of the council's charge, is to bring subject matter expertise, marketplace concerns and insights to meetings to ensure the thought process and development is inclusive of the marketplace need as a whole. COVID-19 has disrupted youth football programs throughout our entire country, causing practices, games and seasons to be cancelled. In conversations with youth coaches in the Southwest Mississippi area, it was revealed that because of COVID -19, some youth football programs are in jeopardy of ending, which will be a tragic loss of an invaluable services to our youth and our communities.
Many coaches have suggested that the longer our youth are not engaged in the football activities, the harder it will be to get them back onto the playing field. Coaches also suggested that the pending demise of youth football programs in our area is due primarily to financial issues caused by expenses accrued while operating the programs and the inability to recoup expenditures due to various game attendance and concession stand guidelines. Finally, some coaches suggested that because of insurance cost, new and or replacement uniforms and equipment cost and a drop in registrations for youth football programs, the outlook for the continuation of their youth football programs is not encouraging.
In our immediate area, funding for youth football programs is not a priority for county and municipal governments. Consequently, there is concern that all of the progress made in youth football programs over the last several years will be permanently lost if immediate actions are not taken to help these programs continue.
The Wilk-Amite Youth Action Network believes that it must make the best of this bad situation and not stand idle and allow these worthwhile programs to fade away. Towards these ends and in an attempt to help salvage some of the youth football programs in our area, the Wilk-Amite Youth Action Network will assist several area youth football programs with their uniforms and equipment needs for the upcoming youth football season.
The Wilk-Amite Youth Action Network believes that this small gesture will show the youth programs that we care about them and also give them a reason for optimism about the future of youth football programs in our area. The assistance to the youth football programs that we will provide is made possible due our donors who over the last several years have contributed generously to our programs and to grants provided by USA Football, Riddell and Peyton Manning. The Wilk-Amite Youth Action Network looks forward to working with you and members of the Coach Advisory Council as we preserve and improve the game that we all love, American Football.
In November 2020, I was selected to be a part of the USA Football initiative, Coach Advisory Council. Collectively as a council, our contributions will better the game for our parents, coaches and most importantly the young people playing any version of football. The mission of the Coach Advisory Council is to provide leadership and assistance to the organization in its efforts to create and maintain valuable resources and support to youth league coaches. The council advises on the development of programs, resources and support for coaches.
Toward these ends, the council provides input on gaps and needs that exist for youth league coaches, along with advising on best practices for how to engage this stakeholder group. As a Council Member, one of my responsibilities within the context of the council's charge, is to bring subject matter expertise, marketplace concerns and insights to meetings to ensure the thought process and development is inclusive of the marketplace need as a whole. COVID-19 has disrupted youth football programs throughout our entire country, causing practices, games and seasons to be cancelled. In conversations with youth coaches in the Southwest Mississippi area, it was revealed that because of COVID -19, some youth football programs are in jeopardy of ending, which will be a tragic loss of an invaluable services to our youth and our communities.
Many coaches have suggested that the longer our youth are not engaged in the football activities, the harder it will be to get them back onto the playing field. Coaches also suggested that the pending demise of youth football programs in our area is due primarily to financial issues caused by expenses accrued while operating the programs and the inability to recoup expenditures due to various game attendance and concession stand guidelines. Finally, some coaches suggested that because of insurance cost, new and or replacement uniforms and equipment cost and a drop in registrations for youth football programs, the outlook for the continuation of their youth football programs is not encouraging.
In our immediate area, funding for youth football programs is not a priority for county and municipal governments. Consequently, there is concern that all of the progress made in youth football programs over the last several years will be permanently lost if immediate actions are not taken to help these programs continue.
The Wilk-Amite Youth Action Network believes that it must make the best of this bad situation and not stand idle and allow these worthwhile programs to fade away. Towards these ends and in an attempt to help salvage some of the youth football programs in our area, the Wilk-Amite Youth Action Network will assist several area youth football programs with their uniforms and equipment needs for the upcoming youth football season.
The Wilk-Amite Youth Action Network believes that this small gesture will show the youth programs that we care about them and also give them a reason for optimism about the future of youth football programs in our area. The assistance to the youth football programs that we will provide is made possible due our donors who over the last several years have contributed generously to our programs and to grants provided by USA Football, Riddell and Peyton Manning. The Wilk-Amite Youth Action Network looks forward to working with you and members of the Coach Advisory Council as we preserve and improve the game that we all love, American Football.