Building Character and Commitment Through Community Service

By Dan Kratzer, Former Head Coach

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

In season community service is part of every freshman’s commitment to the school. We let them know from the start that part of the responsibility in this world is to not always think of themselves, but to think and do for others. As the majority of our players are either math, science o0r engineering majors, they have a tendency to be somewhat introverted. So, we wanted to do something that would help them become more vocal, more social, and develop leadership skills as they learn to work and communicate with others in their chosen profession.

So, we started a flag football league for kids from grades one through four. In cooperation with the NFL, we started the NFL Flag Football League in Rapid City with two divisions – one for first and second graders and one for third and fourth graders. The seven week schedule ends with a four team playoff in each division and is followed by a super Bowl for each division.

At the mid-point in our training camp, we take a mental break and organize the kids that have registered for the league on teams and then have a draft where each of our freshman players get to chose a team they want to coach. Each team has two coaches and no more than 10 players. The league plays five on five and we buy the jerseys and the flags from the NFL Flag Football Division. Each team is then called by their specific coaches and notified that they were drafted by, for example, the Broncos. That is our player’s first connection with their kids. The kids themselves get very excited about the phone call and our players enjoy the event also.

They are then told about the first practice and the league schedule is issued to them at the on-field clinic we have at our stadium. At the first event, the players coach their kids on the fundamentals of flag football. Our stations include running/cutting, flag pulling, snapping, hand-offs, throwing, catching, kicking and agilities. Each is an 8-minute station, so in just over an hour they have completed their first practice session.

How do we find the time to do this in season? We do it on Sunday afternoons, never before starting before 1:00pm. The parents then come out, tailgate, and do all the things necessary to enjoy watching the kids play flag football without an involvement in the coaching. That, itself, was a big key to the success of the program. The parents wanted an opportunity for their kids to play without the politics of parental intervention.

We have a maximum of 160 kids participating and that is only because the NFL limits the amount of jerseys purchased. Games are played two at a time on one field from the 40-yard line in. This has been a great activity for players and community involvement. It has allowed a lot of parents to come on to our campus and meet our players. We also open up the concession stands so additional sports can help out and earn additional dollars for their program. This in season commitment is a great outing for our players working with the kids and giving back to the community.

Each team practices for 20-30 minutes before the game and they play two 20-minute halves. The time commitment for each play is an hour and a half. Our athletes can also sign up to officiate if they are not coaching. The program has been a win-win combination for our football program and the community of Rapid City. It gives youngsters, ‘a chance to dream.’