By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
For the CD Panthers 12U football team, the odds have not always been in their favor. With a roster of just 14 players, the young athletes have often found themselves outnumbered, competing against teams with more players and greater depth. But under head coach DeRonn Frazier, the Panthers have embraced their circumstances and turned them into a source of strength, finishing the regular season with a 6-2 record.
“We are a small team with 14 players, maybe 11 players at practice and sometimes games. But they are trained to not give up and play the whole game on both sides of the ball,” said Frazier. “I like to refer to us as the 300 movie; we are always outnumbered, but we fight and play to the end, win or lose. I think that’s a special bond to have at 11 and 12 years old, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
The Panthers began the season with 19 players, but injuries and the departure of players who decided football was not the right fit gradually reduced the roster. For Frazier, the challenge went beyond finding enough players to compete. He also had to maintain the confidence of a team whose members were beginning to question whether they would have a season.
“That was the biggest challenge for me. Losing players can bring the courage down in the other kids,” said Frazier. “They can start thinking we’re not going to have a team or start thinking that we’re not going to be good enough to compete, and many more questions they start to ask and wonder. But that wasn’t the case for us. This year they believed that what we got is all we need.”
Helping his players overcome those doubts is part of what has kept Frazier coaching youth football for the past 10 years. His journey began when an organization his son had joined needed coaches for several age groups, including his son’s team.
“I got into coaching because of a new organization at the time that I put my son’s in needed coaches for certain age groups, which one happened to be my son’s age group,” said Frazier. “So, I stepped in so they would have a coach for the season, and now 10 years later I’m still coaching and mentoring.”
What began as a way to ensure his son and other young athletes had a coach has grown into a commitment to mentoring players through important stages of their development. Frazier said the relationships he builds with young athletes, including those who hope to play for him in the future, continue to motivate him.
“Every year I have multiple kids either ask me whether I’m coaching the following year because they are moving up to my team, or I have kids as young as eight and seven telling me they can’t wait to be on my team even though they have years to come, but one thing about the younger kids is they never forget that they said they wanted me to coach them,” said Frazier. “But at the 12U level, that’s when the kids typically have a character change. They become more curious and want to explore more, and I know they’re going to need me in their time of change to guide them on the right track, and that’s what keeps me passionate and motivated to keep coming back.”
For Frazier, coaching is about more than teaching football fundamentals or preparing players for game day. He sees youth sports as an opportunity to help young people develop discipline, manage their emotions and learn how to respond when things do not go their way.
“I believe that youth sports are the best way to help young kids and adults early to understand adversity,” said Frazier. “It helps them how to understand to deal with anger, and a big one is that it helps them learn the repetitions of life.”
For Frazier, the team’s success is measured not only by its 6-2 record but also by the confidence his players developed throughout a season that once seemed uncertain. He hopes they remember the hard work, trust and perseverance that carried them through it.
“It starts with believing we might not have a season for 12U to 6-2 record. The biggest memory will be that they played a whole season, never coming out of the game and winning,” said Frazier. “They will always remember who was on this team because it’s not easy to forget 14 teammates. They will remember the hard work they put in with the training to prepare for the season.”
