New to the world of 7v7 football, the Iowa Xtreme are looking to make a strong 7v7 debut. Founded by Coach John Bolden in Des Moines last year, the Iowa Xtreme started out as a recreational flag football team in the offseason. The team pulls students from wherever they can in the Des Moines area, with many of their players being friends who know each other and Coach John’s son, Johnathan Bolden, from school.
A group of 8 of these students have been playing together since before Iowa Xtreme was founded, and have gotten very used to playing with one another, learning each other's strengths and weaknesses and growing as a team. A couple of key players to watch out for include Johnathan Bolden, who recently helped lead his tackle team to an impressive winning season, as well as wide receiver and defensive back Cameron Danderrand.
Looking forward to the new season, Coach Bolden says that the team needs to have a willingness to try something new with 7v7. The different ruleset might present a learning curve the team will have to adapt to, but they’re looking forward to competing, as well as getting more playtime in the spring offseason. Already members of the Iowa Xtreme have started to see the benefits of playing 7v7 in the offseason, with Coach Bolden noting the conditioning has helped agility across the board going into the tackle football season. It’s his belief that increased speed and quickness can help any player at any position, even his linemen.
Participating in MidAmerica 7v7 tournaments, as well as flag tournaments and the Junior Olympic Games, the Iowa Xtreme are looking to make an impact this season, and are absolutely a team to keep an eye on.
For more information about the Iowa Xtreme or to get in contact with them, check out their socials below:
Facebook: Iowa Xtreme Youth Football