A coach's philosophy should be a concern of parents. Sportswriter, Grantland Rice once wrote, "It's not that you won or lost, but how you played the game." Skeptics have scoffed at those words ever since Rice wrote them.

Anyone remotely familiar with the game of football knows that competitiveness often surfaces as aggressiveness.

This is especially obvious in the physical area between the offensive and defensive linemen. This area is the most difficult area for a referee to detect inappropriate activities; therefore, rough play becomes inevitable. Some players will develop a style that includes deliberate gouging, tripping, elbowing, and holding. All of these are covered and against the rules; however, kids hear about such dirty tricks and a few will ask to be taught how to do it.

A youngster at this age is most impressionable. Unwittingly, they are searching for values to carry the rest of their lives. A web site stressing fundamentals of football may seem to be a strange place for moralizing; however, since the athletic field is such a training ground for kids to learn honesty and fair play. I must not ignore this opportunity.

Teaching and condoning tactics that deliberately violate the rules is totally inconsistent with what should be the goals of youth league football. There is enough hypocrisy to go around, without introducing it on the football field.

In a more practical vein, the nine-year-old football player should have his hands full simply learning to make an effective block or tackle. If they are to go undetected, tricks to evade the rules are difficult in themselves. Trying to add them to the necessary fundamentals seems foolish.

Anyway, when he gets caught it will cost the team fifteen yards. Most likely, this would happen when team can least afford such loss of yardage. Your little leaguer will have plenty of time after he has mastered the fundamentals to learn to defend himself. At this stage of his life, the best protection is good execution. There is no place in youth football for dirty play.

Winning is another favorite subject. Winning, of course, is what football is all about. Everybody wants their team to win. No child should ever be taught that it does not matter, but neither should he be taught that a win at all costs is appropriate. The tough question facing coach and parent is where to draw the line between learning and the winning? There is no easy answer.

This concern becomes difficult when the coach is trying to give all of his players a chance to play against a better, more experienced team. Every time he replaces his best players, first team the opponents run all over his weaker subs.

Some leagues provide for this shortcoming by requiring each player to spend a minimum of time in each game. Another way is to play reserves during the second and fourth quarters, requiring teams to have equal numbers of players. All leagues should have and enforce such a rule; however, keeping track is sometimes difficult. Also, momentum is lost when the teams change. This can be discouraging to starters and their parents.

Who plays and how much is never an easy question when it comes to little leaguers; however, this is a question that each league and each coach should consider carefully. It is also something the parents must understand.

The use of parent and coach as a team in early development football should be considered. People who volunteer to go out on the field with these little guys to teach them how to play, are equal in rank to school teachers, Sunday school teachers, social workers, scoutmasters, and den mothers of the community. Their positions of influence make them teacher, advisor, and builder of youthful character to your children.

The parent who does not volunteer, nor provides support is delegates a heavy responsibility to those who do. This does not mean that coaching, even of little leaguers, can be a committee endeavor; it absolutely cannot.

The coach must be the undisputed boss on the field. Parents should stay away from players during the game. They should not even be permitted near the player's bench. They belong in the stands; however, When the coaches lack experience, as is so often the case, interested parents should know enough, and care enough, to want to provide guidance and assistance to keep things on track.

So whether you are on the field coaching or on the sidelines cheering, you have a responsibility. These kids are learning football, but they are also learning values that stays with them the rest of their lives.

Parents who are indifferent, or those who try to influence events to satisfy their own selfish ambitions, must do so with the full knowledge of the negative effects it will have on the kids. This greatly reduces the value of youth league football.