It looks like the boys of the Plant City Raiders Elite team won’t have a shot at those UYFL rings and jackets this year.
According to coach Armand Cotnoir, those in charge of the United Youth Football League National Championships decided at the last minute that the Raiders couldn’t play in this year’s tournament.
They didn’t do anything illegal. They didn’t fail to meet any specific requirements or do anything that would make for a logical argument against them. These boys aren’t allowed to play in the tournament because, apparently, they’re too good.
Someone in the UYFL caught wind of the Snapper Bowl article I wrote for last week’s issue and decided this was some kind of all-star team designed to shred its opponents seven ways to Sunday. I thought I had made it perfectly clear this wasn’t one of those little juggernauts, and Cotnoir certainly did when I interviewed him.
Go to any sport, and an all-star team (without fan voting) always will consist of players from every team in its respective conference. The Raiders comprise kids from four of the 14 teams in the Tri-County league, but only the Dolphins, Redskins and Bears play in the same division. The Trojans are the odd team out. On top of that, the Plant City Colts and Eagles don’t even play in that league.
The UYFL tournament will feature a lot of teams that, like the Raiders, consist of a bunch of kids who don’t normally play for the same team. This isn’t true of all of the teams, which we see with several of our local teams participating, but the Raiders certainly wouldn’t have been the lone wolf.
And, speaking of teams that may be “too good” for other teams in the tournament, I can’t help but wonder if those UYFL folks paid any attention to what the Varsity Dolphins did this season.
It’s totally possible the Snapper Bowl action unfolded the way it did, because Plant City’s opponents weren’t as prepared. Or, perhaps some teams are just straight-up better than others. Mismatches happen all the time, but you don’t see the NFL telling the Denver Broncos that they can’t play the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, because they’re too good at football.
Don’t we teach our kids that hard work is good and leads to success?
But, here we are, in a time in which a bunch of kids and coaches who worked hard to be good, aren’t allowed a chance to be successful because, well, they’re good.
It’s a shame. A true shame.
So, now the Raiders’ future is a little uncertain. They’ve been invited to tournaments by people who have watched them play, but they need to figure out a way to get themselves there. Maybe an extra week to figure out a fundraiser will benefit the team, but we all know those boys would much rather be playing football right now.