The Other Football

DAYTON - It's been raining all morning, it's cold enough to frost the tops of the Blue Mountains in the distance, the playground fields are soggy, but that won't stop these determined fifth and sixth graders.

They're part of Dayton's elementary flag-football league, and it's just two weeks to playoffs. They're heading outside.

"I can't keep them from playing, even in the rain. They beg me," said sixth grade science teacher and flag football advisor John Lindsey.

The five teams face off Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and play the first half of their games during the 10 a.m. recess and the second half after lunch, during the 12:20 recess.

"We just like playing in the rain," said fifth grader Junior Helm. "It's funny to see people sliding around in the mud."

During Friday's secondhalf games out on the grass near the playground, the kids had two matches going. Players from games not on the schedule for that day were referees. Lindsey kept an eye on the kids from inside his classroom, where children took their break indoors.

Even without an adult nearby, the flag-football teams played with spirit, energy and a positive attitude. When a player had the ball and was dashing toward the end zone, he or she (about half a dozen of the players are girls), would stop immediately if an opponent captured his or her flag. No bickering. No poor sports.

The young refs kept track of scores, downs and penalties.

"We had a meeting before the first games where students were explained the rules, expectations, and how the schedule would be set up," Lindsey said. "When they first started playing, I had to monitor and show kids about violations to the rules and what each looked like."

But now that the season is about over, the kids have things just about figured out.

Five teams play during the week with about five to six kids on each. They either play six on six, or, if a team has a player absent, then it is five on five or four on four with the larger team having to sub in and out each play.

This means the league runs two games per day with one team that has a bye and is responsible for refereeing the two games, Lindsey said.

Standings are typically posted after a full round of games where each team has played every other team once.

"We don't currently play against any outside teams," Lindsey said. But who knows where the idea will lead. This is the first time Dayton has had a flag-football league.

"We wanted our kids to be able to play more organized games on the playground and be able to work on teamwork and strategy," Lindsey said.

And that suits the kids just fine. With no school-sponsored elementary sports, Dayton students only get to participate in sports if they join clubs or leagues in Walla Walla or if teachers set up programs like Lindsey's flag-football league.

"Football is one of my favorite guy sports," said sixth grader Josilyn Fullerton, who plays on one of Dayton's flag-football teams. "It's great to have a chance to play."

Fullerton also enjoys volleyball and basketball. She plans to join the school's basketball league for fifth and sixth graders in the winter.

Junior Helm, a fifth grader, played in a flag-football league in Walla Walla before moving to Dayton about two years ago.

"I like football," he said. "I like making touchdowns and all the awesome plays."

Helm's sport of choice, however, is soccer, which he plays locally through the youth league established in Dayton.

Koal Vining, however, knows that he'll keep at football. When not playing flagfootball with classmates, he likes to play tackle football with his pals.

"It's just really competitive," he said. "It's really fun."

Bulldog fans should watch for Vining in three years or so, when he hits high school.

In the meantime, giving his students a team sport experience has been a delight for Lindsey, who is in his 29th year of teaching at Dayton. He began his career there as a wood shop teacher and moved to the elementary after 14 years.

"We hope to do this again next year and make any adjustments to the league to make it better," he said. "We are planning on having a three-on-three basketball league in the winter, with the possibility of doing other sports like soccer or doing another flag-football league."

Standings will determine the seeding for playoffs. The regular season champ gets a bye into the semifinals along with the second and third seed.

Seeds four and five play a "wild card" game with the winner getting the first seed. The second and third seed plays also, with the winners meeting for the championship.

Playoffs are tentatively scheduled to start on Nov. 8, Lindsey said, and the tournament is single elimination.