Story Archive

Tackle the Smart Boy

“Football is kind of my life,” said Michael Nowd, 12, of the Lunenberg, Mass., Bengals. He’s played with his teammates more than half his life. But now the Central Mass Youth Football and Cheerleading Conference says Nowd must switch teams. The reason: although Nowd is younger than half his teammates and no bigger than they are, he’s a grade more advanced academically — and the league says national rules require dividing teams by grade. The other Bengals threatened to forfeit a game if Nowd couldn’t play, but he urged them to play on without him, and they won, 25–7. Nowd’s mother, Dianne, wants the America Youth Football League to waive the rule for her son — and then amend the rules, which already allow students who are held back to remain with their team, to give the same protection to students who skip a grade. “I feel like they’re discriminating against a kid for being smart,” she said. (AC/WBZ Boston) ...Maybe the league officials have more sympathy for dumb kids.