Leagues & Teams

Life CHAMPS® is partnering with the NFL to offer football leagues to central Arkansas. We are committed to offering leagues that provide not only excellence in athletic instruction and competition, but also help the kids focus on the importance of character and education.

Our current leagues are:

5-6 year old flag football
Freshman Flag- Under the Life CHAMPS® umbrella, this introductory program is designed to teach young athletes the game of football. We typically have young coaches with a lot of energy who have sons on the team. We really try to focus on parity and not winning at this age. We teach the kids to have fun, play hard, but most importantly learn the game. Coaches are teaching very basic skills at this age such as grip on the football, getting lined up, huddling, hiking the ball, snap count, catching, handoffs, etc. It makes for an amusing sight as most of the helmets weigh more than the kids and they look more like bobble-head-dolls than football players.

The most important thing for our coaches in our Freshman Flag league is to have fun and give the young athletes a positive experience. This age really sets a foundation for who we are as an organization and why Life CHAMPS® is different from other football leagues. We really try and harp on the fundamentals of the game while emphasizing a positive and encouraging culture and the core values of Life CHAMPS®: Character, Heart, Attitude, Mentoring, Purpose, and Serving others.

7-8 year old flag football
Sophomore Flag- This is a pivotal age in the life of our organization. Many parents and kids choose flag football at age 7 because they are not ready to put on the pads. That is why we give them this choice. We feel as if flag football can continue to teach the skills associated with tackle football without scaring a kid away because of injury. Football "can be" a "violent" game and we feel like our two middle age groups can benefit from both flag and tackle, so we let them decide what they are ready for.

Our teaching is a little more advanced (especially for those who have already played). This is where we try and promote winning the game, but the game is not all about winning. You can be very competitive, and want to win, but how you respond in loss and defeat is more important. Our kids that have played become more skilled at breaking down to pull a flag, control the body when running with the ball, running plays, passing plays, trick plays, etc. Similar to our 9-10 Flag, this flag league is very similar to what you would find by playing 7 on 7 at the Jr. High or High School level.

7-8 year old tackle football
Sophomore Tackle- Again a pivotal age for these young kids is deciding if they want to strap it up and hit someone. Parents tend to be more aggressive in tackle and it usually reflects through their kids. Usually a parent will ask their son if he thinks he is ready and base their decision on how he feels playing tackle football. This age of tackle football teaches very introductory skills in the tackle arena. Skills, schemes and fundamentals such as strapping up shoulder pads, breaking down and tackling, keeping your head up, being aggressive, tucking the ball away, etc.

At this age group we typically like to keep it at 8 on 8 man football. We feel like it is still similar to the flag game yet you are adding the addition of hitting and tackling. This age group is fun, because the athletes are not strong or fast enough to really hurt anyone by hitting them, but they take so much pride in digging their cleats in and getting in the trenches. They learn more about the blocking involved in the game, and it brings the offensive/defensive line into play. This age group is a lot of fun and excitement, aggressiveness/failure, influence/toughness, and winning/defeat. The kids learn how to be sore after a game, dust himself off when getting knocked to the ground, and rub some dirt on the bruise from last week's game. Parents should not be scared to sign their son up for tackle football at this age, because most (if not all) have a blast, but know that there is a choice to play flag or tackle for the next couple of years.

9-10 year old flag football
Junior Flag- Similar to the 7-8 Flag division, this group of young men continues to learn the game. The game becomes more advanced and more intense. They learn more schemes, angles, and toughness. For example angles are very important in football, and flag is a great way to teach the proper angle to take to go and pull a flag (just like to make a tackle). The coaches in this league have tons of experience in the game of flag football, so they will teach the kids what it takes to win, and continue to let them blossom into the football player they will become. Most of the kids in the age group have played a couple of seasons of flag football and are just not ready to strap on the pads yet, but want to continue to treat this age group like a 7 on 7 passing league.

We want to continue to focus on our values as this age is very absorbing to what coaches do and say. How a coach reacts to a call from a referee, and how they respond in defeat are very important as the kids will be watching and unconsciously taking mental notes. Coaches become more like second dads and best friends as the kids start to grow. Coaches can also see their fruit from the seeds that they planted as many of them coach the same kids for a few years.

9-10 year old tackle football
Junior Tackle- strap it on and let's play!! Most of these kids have a year or two under their belt of tackle football. A much more advanced game as the game is played 11 on 11 just like the real game. Players start to learn a position and stick with it. Coaches are intent on keeping the values of Life CHAMPS® yet teaching the kids to be competitive. Competition is part of life, and healthy competition with positive encouragement can change a kid's life. Our LC staff likes to say "YELL encouragement...whisper criticism." When they do wrong let them know, but praise them all the time when they do right.

Most of the coaches at this level have been involved with Life CHAMPS® for several years and know the routine. We try to continue to balance parity and give every kid a chance, but our teams are very competitive and we love to see a close and intense game. This age of tackle football is a direct step into Senior Tackle.

11-12 year old Tackle
Senior Tackle - Just like UFC referee John McCarthy used to say "Let's get it on!" We know at Life CHAMPS® that this is our last chance to influence these young athletes. Coaches and parents really start to see the growth of a kid and the development and skill that they have learned over the years. Games are played on a regulation field and often are very competitive. Most teams are fairly balanced because athletes are starting to form at this age and most kids are very understanding of the game.

As this league is competitive it is also our last shot of influence before launching them into their respective middle schools or junior highs. Our coaches in this league have been around and know what it takes to win. We preach winning, but again push that it is not all about winning. This is a league where you can come out and see kids start to develop into young adults. Hitting, blocking, and tackling are a must, and being aggressive is at the forefront of all. We know that these kids will tell their coach what organization they played for growing up, and we want those coaches to know that Life CHAMPS® is a very competitive league that teaches kids a lot more than only the skills of the game. Character, Heart of a Champion, Attitude, Mentoring, Purpose, and Serving others are still our foundation for success.

League Rules
• Flag Football Rules
• Tackle Football Rules - Coming Soon!