I'll vouch for local culture putting to much importance on youth football being a driver based on my experience in PA, youth football is a whole different animal than CT, where as soccer and little league were essentially the same as when I was a kid. Youth football (this was 5 and 6 year olds mind you) was 6 days a week and the high school coaches basically decided what was taught at every level... I'm thankful every day that my kid didn't care for it, because it sucked. My kids have played other travel sports at a high level... but nothing was like football. This is in lightly recruited eastern PA.