It’s a ritual that begins well before kickoff, when black markings are added to a players’ face in an effort to appear menacing.
“Now go out there, run fast, and tackle hard,” a coach encourages his players while slapping them on their shoulder pads. But these warriors are not high-priced athletes about to enter a sold-out stadium with fans in a frenzy over their arrival.
Maybe some day, but not today.
These are tiny titans who stand about 3 feet off the ground and are more at ease on a playground than on a football field.This is their introduction to football and it starts each year in Springdale with the Springdale Kiwanis Kids Day at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium.
More than 300 children from grades first through sixth took the field for three days last week during the 60th anniversary of the event.
“This is a great tradition Springdale has had for many years,” said Matt Clinkscales, who was a running back on the Bulldogs’ undefeated team in 2005. “It gets the young kids excited about football and teaches them the fundamentals of the game. It’s a great tool for later when they become Bulldogs or Har-Ber Wildcats.”
Clinkscales helped coach his brother, Cade Clinkscales, who played on a Springdale team made up of first and second-grade players. Matt displayed great patience while directing plays that, at times, looked like those old electric football games where players moved in every direction but the right one.
But that cohesiveness will come later. For now, the Kiwanis Kids Day coaches are more interested in letting the kids enjoy themselves instead of trying to mold them into future stars.
“Football is about having fun” said Jim Ed Reed, a former Arkansas player who will take over as director of Kiwanis Kids Day football next year. “As you get older, there is more competition. This is the fun part.”
If the kids don’t know about Damian Williams, they will eventually. Williams got his start with Kiwanis Kids Day football before starring at Springdale and Southern California, where he was third-team All-America. Williams is now in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans.
“I hated getting hit at first, but I learned not to be afraid,” Williams said about the benefits of Kiwanis Kids Day football. “It was the first organized football I ever played. I made a lot of friends that I’ve been in touch with ever since.”
There are many reasons Springdale is still the best football town in the state. It mostly begins with Kiwanis Kids Day football, an event that is still going strong after 60 years.
RICK FIRES IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR NWA MEDIA.