Niwot Youth Sports hosts NFL-style Combine with NHS Youth Football Clinic

Just as NFL rookies start reporting to training camp in mid-July all across the country, the young athletes of Niwot Youth Sports were recently treated to an opportunity to start prepping for the upcoming flag football season.

While it doesn't seem like football weather, anyone who has played football growing up knows that the summer months are where workouts and practices increase in intensity. It's where the work is done and champions are created. So how do you start building champion mindsets for young athletes? You create opportunities for kids to have fun and compete just like the high school, college and professional athletes do.

The temperature was already approaching 90 degrees when the first young athletes stepped onto the Niwot High School practice fields to compete against each other at the Zybeck Sports SAT Combine, Punt/Pass/Kick competition, and NHS Youth Football Camp on Saturday, July 16. Parents lined up chairs in the shade and Niwot Youth Sports Flag Football Commissioner Adam Robinson purchased most of Niwot Market's popsicle supply to keep kids cool as they ran, threw, and kicked their way through the morning.

The Zybeck Sports Standardized Athlete Test (SAT) duplicates the speed and agility tests at the NFL scouting combine. Mike Weinstein is the president of Zybek Sports, and he was on hand to set up and run the combine for Niwot's young flag footballers.

The company is based out of Boulder and started in 2008 in order to test athletes on their speed and agility objectively, and give them results that are comparable to others in their age and sport.

Over 100,000 athletes have been tested with the SAT which produces a huge database of statistics that are broken down by sport, age/grade, and even position. Each participant received an online stat sheet at the end of the day that compares their results to others in their grade and also compares them to a Division I football player.

The events include the 40-yard dash (with 10, 20, and 40-yard results), the 5/10/5 lateral dash drill, the 3-cone drill, the vertical jump, and the broad jump. In addition, Robinson set up a Punt/Pass/Kick competition on the other field where each player was given three tries to punt, throw, and kick their best.

The top finishers in each category by grade were:

40-yard dash:

K - Jack Sewell

1st - Bennett Robinson

2nd - Ben Walker

3rd - Griffin Sewell

4th - Oscar Walstad

5th - Grady Walker

6th - Liliana Robinson

8th - Sophie Hayes

3-Cone

3rd - Tristan Kerbel

4th - Boden Hay

5th - Henry Robinson

6th - Gavin Hay

8th - Sophie Hayes

5-10-5:20

K - Jack Sewell

1st - Beau Nienaber

2nd - Quinn Grossman

3rd - Griffin Sewell

4th - Boden Hay

5th - Henry Robinson

6th - Izzy Hayes

8th - Sophie Hayes

Vertical Jump: Max

K - Jack Sewell

1st - Beau Nienaber

2nd - Axel Proctor

3rd - Tristan Kerbel

4th - Boden Hay

5th - Beck Numendahl

6th - Izzy Hayes

8th - Sophie Hayes

Broad Jump

K - Jack Sewell

1st - Beau Nienaber

2nd - Ben Walker, Lucien Morin, Quinn Grossman, Meier Goldstone

3rd - Griffin Sewell

4th - Boden Hay

5th - Grady Walker

6th - Gavin Hay

8th - Sophie Hayes

The Punt, Pass and Kick contest winners were:

K - Jack Sewell (PuPaK)

1st - Beau Nienaber & Samuel Robinson (Pu), Bennett Robinson (PaK)

2nd - Graham Getter (Pu), Meier Goldstone (Pa), Ben Walker (K)

3rd - Griffin Sewell (PuPa), Tanner Bashor (K)

4th - Boden Hay (PuPa), Oscar Walstad (PaK)

5th - Grady Walker (PuK), Hayes Nienaber (Pa)

6th - Gavin Hay (PuPa), Liliana Robinson (K)

8th - Sophie Hays (PuPaK)

Niwot Youth Sports hosted the free combine and camp for those young athletes already signed up for the Niwot Youth Sports Fall 2022 Flag Football season. As an extra incentive, Niwot High School Head Football Coach Nik Blume, his coaching staff, and several NHS current players were on hand to help at the combine, and afterward ran the athletes through a mini-camp of non-contact drills and game-style plays.

Each participant received an NHS football T-shirt and a chance to play alongside current Cougar football players. Blume said turnout was double what it had been for last year's camp. "We are always looking for ways to partner with Niwot Youth Sports and grow our youth programs," he said..

Coach Blume and his team were instrumental in helping with the NYS flag football league last year. Blume himself and several current NHS players served as referees for the regular-season games and the Super Bowl tournament held at Everly-Montgomery field last October.

Several NYS flag football players recognized the high school athletes out on their fields on Sunday mornings and it gave them extra motivation to play their hardest. "Our players really enjoyed getting involved last fall and plan to be again this year," Blume said. "We hope that NYS athletes can come cheer us on this fall as well, especially now that we will host a home game this year at Niwot High School." NHS will host the 2022 homecoming football game at its new turf field on Friday, September 9.

The NYS co-ed flag football program is currently open for registration. Information about the fall flag football season can be found by visiting niwotyouthsports.org and clicking on "Sports," then "Flag Football," to register. Early registration ends July 31 and general registration closes on Aug. 7. Teams are formed on Aug. 8 with practices to begin shortly after.

Games are played on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and begin on Aug. 28. The NYS flag football program is run as an NFL flag football league that follows NFL flag rules and allows teams to compete as an NFL team. Divisions include: Rookie (Kindergarten), JV (1st/2nd), Varsity (3rd/4th), and All-Pro Divisions (5th/6th).

Other events throughout the season include:

NYS Youth Night-Niwot High School's Homecoming Football Game on Friday, Sept. 9 at Niwot High School. Young fans just need to wear a Niwot Youth Sports shirt or jersey to get in free.

NYS Youth Day-NYS athletes and parents can purchase tickets to attend a Colorado Buffalo football game. This year's event will be on Sept. 24 against the UCLA Bruins. Tickets are $45 with $5 from each ticket going back to NYS. Details for the big pre-game tailgating event will be announced soon.