You don’t usually see high school boys hanging out with elementary kids, but if you take a drive by the sports complex you’re sure to see just that. For the past few years, the Conway Springs Rec Commission has been holding flag football for elementary kids. Ever since this has started, the football boys have been the main target for coaching. 

“[I decided to coach] because Derrick asked [me] to help him and I said okay,” said senior and flag football coach Izic Billups. “I thought it would be fun.”

Since the football players have the knowledge of football, they are ideal coaches. More than knowledge of a sport is needed to be a coach, though. Positivity is also an important skill needed in coaching, especially for younger kids. A majority of the football coaches commented on how coaching the younger kids had a positive impact on them. 

“I feel like a leader and happy when they make big plays,” junior and flag football coach Zane Zoglmann said. “I’m very positive and encouraging, but hard sometimes.”

Oct. 9 and 10 were the tournament days of the flag football season. Billups and senior Derrick Smith’s team won the tournament in Chaparral Oct. 10. 

“[I feel] awesome [coaching the kids],” Smith said. “[The most rewarding thing is] seeing the kids happy after we won the championship. We beat them by two touchdowns.”