This i played for years and always were in full pads day one of spring summer and fall practice. We always went half pads on Wednesday and shorts and shirts on Thursday or on Wednesday in jr high, and only on game weeks otherwise we were full goNothing wrong with my memory at all. We never practiced in shells and the only time we practiced in shorts was the day before the games. Spring practices were full pads every day. To act like these players MUST start off in shorts is asinine.