For a lot of local communities, football is a hobby. In Columbia, however, where exceptional athletes can be found on nearly every corner, football is a way of life, and the continued success of the Columbia Outkasts youth football teams more than proves it.
The Outkasts, who went their separate ways from the city league to compete on their own as part of the Mississippi Youth Football Association, field four teams each year. There are the Tinamites (ages 5-6), the Rookies (7-8), the Midgets (9-10) and the Pee-Wee team (11-12). They've enjoyed success at each level of competition, including this year, as three of this year's squads will be hosting state championship games at Columbia High School on Saturday.
Although the idea of such young kids playing football might sound "cute," the Outkasts mean business whenever they line up on the field. Tinamites coach Nicholas Peters said it's shocking just how much information the kids can absorb when it comes to getting better at the game that they love.
"You'd be pretty surprised," Peters said. "My goal each year is just to help them understand the game of football, and it's amazing how much they can learn. They understand what they're doing, why they're doing it and when to do it. You can put them out there on a field with the high school kids, and they can do the same things. For them to be so little and already be that far ahead, it's incredible."
But that doesn't just happen overnight. The coaches for all four teams pour a lot of time and energy into teaching and mentoring their players, and Midgets head coach Darion Gabrieal said there's no "one size fits all" method for that process.
"You can't teach all kids the same way. They all learn differently, so we have to learn from them and figure out what it is they respond to the best," Gabrieal said. "Some might be visual learners, and some are big on hands-on learning. I have 20 kids, and I know I can't teach them all the same way, so it's just a matter of finding the best ways to connect with each kid and get them to understand what you're trying to teach them."
It also helps that the Outkasts receive a ton of support, not only from their families but from people throughout the community. Even several members of the Columbia High School football team — who used to compete on the same youth teams — showed up to practice last week to share a few tips and words of encouragement with each squad before their big games.
"It's incredible. We played games at East Central a couple weeks ago, which is a two-hour drive, and all of our parents and fans stayed to support us in all three games," Gabrieal said. "A lot of the kids who played for us in the city league still come around to show their support and help inspire the kids. And the kids really look up to them, so it means a lot for them to know the high school kids really care about what they're doing."
As for Saturday's championship games, the Tinamites will take on Meridian, while the Rookies and Midgets will have rematches against Oak Grove. Rookies coach Ledel White said their hope is that all three teams will bring home state titles, but the ultimate goal is for the experience to make a lasting impact on a lot of exceptional young kids.
"It's really all about the life lessons these kids have an opportunity to learn through playing the game of football," White said. "A lot of them come in unsure of themselves with very little confidence, and we try to help them see what they're capable of doing if they put their mind to it. So our goal is to teach them lessons and build relationships that'll last long after they've moved on from the Outkasts."
