297Lb Boy barred from Playing Peewee Football for being too big

[Deberg_1990]

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireSto...tball-17023137





A suburban Dallas boy has been barred from playing peewee football because the league says he is just too big at nearly 300 pounds.

Mesquite Pee Wee Football Association President Ronnie Henderson said the rules are clear and 12-year-old Elijah Earnheart is not eligible. The 6-foot-1-inch boy exceeds the 135-pound limit for seventh-graders, and he got the bad news last Sunday when the league held its official weigh-in.

Henderson said he asked Elijah whether he was in sixth or seventh grade, then told him "no need going" any further.

Cindy Earnheart, the boy's mother, said she was incensed and Elijah was humiliated.

"They would not even let him weigh in on the scales like every single boy out there," she said. "He might be the size of a grown man but he's 12 years old and he has feelings, too."

Elijah, who describes himself as a "gentle giant" and dreams of someday playing pro football, said the turn of events was unfair.

"I'm not sad, I'm mad that I don't get to play," Elijah said. "I've been practicing for three weeks."

Henderson said three other boys were turned away that day because of safety concerns for other players.

AP Photo/LM OteroTwelve-year-old Elijah Earnheart, left, looks... View Full Size AP Photo/LM OteroTwelve-year-old Elijah Earnheart, left, looks on as his mom Cindy Earnheart takes a phone call from his football coach outside his home in Mesquite, Texas, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012.
"We've got little boys that play against him that are 85, 95 and 100 pounds," Henderson said. "We have to look out for all the kids, not just him."

Cindy Earnheart said her son was feeling self-conscious about his size until he discovered peewee football. His barber happened to coach a team, the Mesquite Vikings, and suggested the boy join. Coach Marc Wright said a passage in the rulebook seemed to indicate that youths who weigh more than 135 pounds could play, but only on the offensive or defensive line.

At his physical last month, Elijah's doctor said he weighed 297 pounds and stood 6-feet-1½ inches tall. His mother said they special-ordered his helmet, shoulder pads, pants and jersey because of his size, which she said is hereditary in her family.

Elijah took the practice field, looming over boys more than half his size, and was thrilled..

When he's playing football Elijah said, "I feel energetic. I feel happy."

He practiced with the Vikings for three weeks and even took part in a scrimmage. Then came the weigh-in.

Henderson said the exception in the rulebook was meant for sixth-graders who can weigh as much as 160 pounds. He suggested Elijah play for his middle school team, but the boy doesn't have much football experience and was hoping to feel his way in peewee first.

Cindy Earnheart said barring her son was discrimination.

"No one is telling boys who are too thin or too small that they can't play football," she said. "Why tell my kid he's too big?

She added: "Isn't bigger better in football? Football is a contact sport. If you don't want your son tackled, get him off the field."

[Lzen]

Braincase,
You a good guy and I normally agree with your takes but I gotta say that you're wrong this time. I understand that its tough for a kid like that. But I think it would be a major safety issue for peewee football. All that would have to happen is this kid falls over someone in a pile and all of a sudden a 90lb kid is seriously injured.

[Braincase]

Have any of you ever kept a kid off the field because you thought he was too small, too slow, too uncoordinated because you knew he would get hurt? You keep kids off the field when you think they are going to get hurt. It's football people. Kids are going to get bruised up. You want to protect the kids on the field? Run the other way. Take a knee. Keep them off the field. You want to protect your kids from football? Don't let 'em play.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

A person that purports to coach football is arguing in favor of teaching a 300 lb kid fundamentals by having him throw around people half his size?

How often have we seen college kids that are able to dominate physically inferior opponents get tossed around in the pros because they didn't learn how to actually play the game? It happens all the time - guys that are that much more physically imposing than their opponents don't learn a damn thing.

Moreover, he is playing against kids his own age. The middle school league has kids that are a whopping 1 year older than him. And are you really going to try to say that there's not a single kid at that level that's never played before? That this kid is the only kid that's going to show up in August raw?

The pussification is the people telling a 300 lb behemoth that he should get to toss around people half his size for the sake of his psyche. Why? Oh because he's new and we don't want him to get his feelings hurt.

Give me a goddamn break. Rules are rules - you knew them. You ignored them. Shut the **** up and play with people your own size (many of whom are absolutely as raw as he is).

I agree and well put. You saved me a lot of typing

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by Braincase

Someday, after you get your testicles descend, you'll understand my argument. In the meantime, the we-don't-keep-track-of-scoring pre-school soccer thread if over there.

Someday, after you pull your gigantic head out of your ass, you will understand that age is not the primary determining factor in deciding who gets to play and who doesn't get to play youth football prior to High School. That's why in my town you can see 10,11,12,13 and 14 year old children on the same team. Yet they all have to make weight or they don't get to play. Because size, as determined by weight, is the primary determining factor in who gets to play. So drop your boy crush on the 300 pounder. He's not going to come play for you.

[Braincase]

Taking everybody's comments into consideration, I decided to call my brother-in-law. My nephew's best friend, Keith, is 12 years old. Keith is about 5'10", 250# plus. I brought up this story about the Texas kid, and he had read about it. I asked if anybody in good ol' Clay Center, Kansas, right in the heart of K-State country, had ever complained or worried about Keith playing football. He told me, "No, it's never really come up. It's football."

(My BIL had played college football at Emporia State as a linebacker.)

I asked how opposing teams dealt with Keith. He said they run around him.

So, maybe I'm wrong, but apparently folks around the K-State area are made of a little saltier stuff than folks down in Texas.

What do I know anyway, I'm a KU fan.

[DanT]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes growth charts for kids. A 6-foot 1.5 inch 297 pounder has a body mass index (BMI) of 38.6. Each of those three numbers would be very far above the 97th percentiles for a boy just turning 14 years old (97th percentiles for a 14 year old boy: 27.8 kg/m^2 for BMI ; 5' 10.5" , and 170 lbs ). For a boy just turning 13, the 97th percentiles are 27 kg/m^2 for BMI ; 5' 7.5" , and 158 lbs.

http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/charts.htm#Set3

In the YMCA tackle football league in which I played as a 12 year old in the KC area, I don't think we had a general weight limit, but we did limit the ball carriers to persons who weighed something like 140 (maybe 125?) pounds or less. I was always above whatever that YMCA weight limit was and had to wear a sticker on my helmet. I blocked plenty of guys who were bigger than I was, but I don't remember squaring up against anyone who was more than, say, 50 or 60 pounds bigger than what would have been a 97th percentile sized boy. This kid in Texas is more than 100 pounds bigger than the 97th percentile kids.

[lewdog]

His mom could do without as many bagel bites!!!

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by lewdog

His mom could do without as many bagel bites!!!

How can she resist? When pizza's on a bagel, you can have pizza anytime.