Little Rock hosted the AAU 15-and-under national basketball championships last week, but now the non-profit multisport organization dedicated to promotion and development of amateur sports is shifting gears, at least in Arkansas.
The state’s first AAU football games are today when the Arkansas Lions host the Memphis Orange Mound Raiders at Little Rock Central’s Quigley-Cox Stadium.
Games will be played in three age divisions today: 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12.
The Little Rock-based Lions are coached by Reggie Swinton, 37, the state’s director of AAU football and a former standout wide receiver at Central and Murray State before playing five seasons in the NFL.
Swinton has been grooming his teams for almost a year and in April was named Heads Up Football ambassador for central Arkansas by USA Football, the official youth development partner of the NFL and the league’s 32 teams.
The Heads Up Football program, according to a news release from USA Football, “ensures a positive youth football experience and advances player safety by providing league-wide coaching education and teaching resources that benefit players, parents and coaches.”
“It’s more about teaching the kids,” Swinton said. “That’s the reason why I started this program with AAU. I oversee this entire area, as far as teaching the kids safety, the proper way to tackle, the proper way to get fitted for equipment.”
The Lions, who began preseason practice June 17, are one of six teams in the Central Arkansas League, Swinton said, and among four with teams in all three age groups.
The other five programs are the Central Arkansas Patriots (Cabot), Pulaski Heights Bucs (Little Rock), Little Rock War Eagles, Northside Cowboys (North Little Rock) and Southwest Seahawks (Little Rock).
Swinton said he has 71 players on his teams, almost all hailing from the Little Rock area.
Team rosters are capped at 35, Swinton said.
Swinton said there is an $18 AAU membership fee for coaches and $16 for players, which also covers insurance.
Fees for equipping players are set by each team’s coach, Swinton said, adding his $200 per-player charge covers helmets, shoulder pads, game and practice jerseys, and game and practice pants.
Most games will be between teams in the Central Arkansas League, although coaches have the option to travel, Swinton said.
Swinton said league games normally will be played on Saturday morning, with the season running Aug. 17-Nov. 2.
Swinton said the winner and runner-up from a postseason tournament will qualify for an AAU national tournament in December in Orlando, Fla.
“People think AAU football is like basketball, where teams are traveling all the time,” Swinton said. “That’s not so. All our league games are based here. It’s not a deal where you have to travel in AAU. It’s an option.”
Swinton said he plans to take the Lions to the fourth annual Deion Sanders Youth Football Tournament next weekend in Buford, Ga.
“With me, I wanted to give these kids a little more than just playing around Little Rock all the time,” said Swinton, who has a son playing for the Lions. “I wanted to kind of give them a good experience.”
Swinton said AAU football isn’t as popular nationally as AAU basketball, but it’s really big on the East and West coasts and growing in Texas.
Swinton said he hopes AAU football in Arkansas can grow, too.
“My job as director is to try to build teams in different areas,” he said.
At a glance
MEMPHIS ORANGE MOUND RAIDERS VS. ARKANSAS LIONS
WHAT AAU youth football (ages 7-12) WHEN 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m.
today WHERE Little Rock Central’s Quigley-Cox Stadium ADMISSION Free (fans are asked to bring at least one can of food to help Little Rock’s Greater Second Baptist Church feed the homeless)
CENTRAL ARKANSAS LEAGUE TEAMS Arkansas Lions+ (Little Rock), Central Arkansas Patriots (Cabot), Pulaski Heights Bucs+ (Little Rock), Little Rock War Eagles+, Northside Cowboys (North Little Rock), Southwest Seahawks+ (Little Rock)
LEAGUE SEASON Aug. 17-Nov 2 INFORMATION arkansasaaufootball.org and [email protected]
+Have teams for players age 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12.
Sports, Pages 24 on 07/20/2013