Competition vs. Fair Play

You make some good points. The battle between winning and letting the kids have fun is an art form. Kids have fun winning, and usually don't have fun losing, but it's the trip to get there that either makes it worthwhile or turns them off. I think you're league structure sounds well-intentioned, but if I'm understanding it right, the guys that don't get most of their players back the next year are kept at the "entry" level. Sounds to me like these guys should not be at any level, particularly the entry level. After twelve years of coaching midget football, including some very successful ones, I'm don't think you can identify a single standard for measuring a good coach. Winning at all costs certainly isn't it, but neither is just getting kids to return the next year. The truth is, some kids aren't cut out for football, and sheltering them from that fact just to get them to return is not the answer. I like the concept of what you guys are trying to do, it just sounds a little over simplified.