Sideline Stories: Daniel Peacock, Kennebunk Parks & Recreation Department
Young athletes of Kennebunk LOVE their New England Patriots and flag football!
Sure, it’s natural to like the local professional sports team, but these kids don’t just like their team – they LOVE them! Whenever they’re participating in our flag football program at least 75% of the kids are typically wearing a New England Patriots jersey.
November through March throughout Maine many kids are playing indoor sports. In most regions this is when athletes start to transfer to the next sport of the season. Not in Kennebunk. Not at RSU 21 schools. They don’t stop playing football. When it becomes too cold to play outdoors this group moves indoors!
I began working for the Town of Kennebunk 6 years ago, and can still remember the moment I met the first group of kindergarteners (now 5th graders). I could already sense their passion for the game and quickly realized playing for 6 weeks in the fall just wasn’t going to be enough. That’s when, thanks to the support of Tasha Pinkham, the Town of Kennebunk’s Parks & Recreation Director, I was allowed to try to implement a new program – Indoor Flag Football. I was hoping we’d get maybe 10 children to sign up for 5 on 5 in the school’s gymnasium. Again, I underestimated their love for the game – over 20 kids wanted to play! The program has continued to grow to the point where another day was added to accommodate the number of youth interested in the program. Last year, pre-COVID-19, registration for a new session opened at 8:00am; by 8:03am we had 24 kids signed up with several in disbelief they were already on a waitlist.
These young Patriot fanatics have made headlines several times because of their level of passion. There isn’t a town or city anywhere near Kennebunk playing football as much as these kids. I joked last year these athletes have been playing football for over a year straight. In the summer of 2019, we offered our very first Flag Football Camp; the camp filled up and was maxed out.
The program is a blast and teaches about sportsmanship, camaraderie, passion, teamwork, integrity, effort and hard work. There is an unspoken, and, in my opinion, somewhat forgotten code of ethics when playing sports. Some of those ethics are: Regardless of the score always play hard; SPORTSMANSHIP–treat others the way you want to be treated; Don’t be a sore loser or arrogant winner – as the saying goes “sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail;” RESPECT not just your opponent, but your teammates and for those that played the game before you.
Our program tries to teach kids, especially at this level, that respect is the #1 thing they are playing for – it’s not winning that gets you that respect – it’s playing hard, being a good sport and helping one another. I always jokingly remind them no one will remember who won last week or the week before, but they will remember who treated them well, who was a good sport, and who played hard.