The “kneel for the anthem” madness is everywhere, and has now, sadly, enveloped America’s youngest athletes.

Recently, a kids team, part of a youth football league in Illinois, decided to go to their knees during the playing of the national anthem before the start of their game. The act was a clear emulation of the national anthem protests begun last year by NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and that have gained serious traction throughout the NFL and elsewhere in the time since.

As reported by CBS Sports, the youngsters are all of eight years old, and play for the Cahokia Quarterback Club football team.

The team’s coach, Orlando Gooden, described how the act of protest came about. Speaking to a local Fox affiliate, Gooden said, “One of the kids asked me if I saw [people] protesting and rioting in St. Louis. I said yes. I said, ‘Do you know why they are doing it?’”

Continuing, the coach said that one of the young players replied to his question this way: “Because black people are getting killed and nobody’s going to jail.”

Citing the instance as a “good teaching moment,” Coach Gooden let the kids protest the anthem in the way that has quickly become fashionable.

“What I teach my kids is love, integrity, honesty, fairness, respect and boundaries,” the coach said.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large