A Football League Gets it Right

In the last year, an increasing amount of attention has been focused on safety issues in contact sports.

This is a good thing.

Safety and education awareness are never bad.

But when a subject draws heat in our society, there can be a tendency to over simplify the matter and to paint a subject with too broad of a brush.

To an inexperienced parent, it must seem like all contact sports are bad and that they are run by poorly trained adults who are not smart enough to get the right equipment and who do not pay attention or care if a player is injured.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

I am sure, just like in every segment of our society, there are bad actors in contact sports.  But to think, imply or infer that they represent anything close to the majority is just flat wrong.

I am a proud member of the Fairfax County Youth Football League (FCYFL), a 23 club, 377 team league with more than 1,000 coaches and 7,000 players.

And my league gets it right.

My league understands that safety takes leadership and that safety is not a single issue subject but rather a multi-layered one.

Below are just a few of the layers:

1. Year round commissioner meetings to improve safety and rule enforcement

2. Mandatory coaches education.

Coaches must be USA Football Youth Certified level 3 in order to coach.

3. Sponsored coaches background checks for clubs that do not have their own systems

4. Additional Coaches education through local High School programs, USA Football Coaching Schools and Nike Coaches clinic

5. Equipment reconditioning programs. Failed equipment is eliminated and new equipment purchased.

6. Qualified and trained football officials, including officials from the state High School Association

7.Modified rules for the youngest age group.

8.Classification controls for competitive ability, age and weight.  This is a biggie.

I know of no other youth sport that controls for all three of these important youth sports safety factors.

9. An active Executive and Coaches committee for rule enforcement and expulsion.

10.  Centralized weight certification process.

11. Equipment fitting training

BONUS: Everyone plays! A great player participation rule.

(This has nothing to do with safety, but I am bragging here.)

The above is just part of the layers of safety in our league.

At the club level each commissioner has their own way of working to ensure that issues are dealt with before they become major problems.

All this creates an environment where good people can feel good about doing the right thing because from top to bottom the right thing is supported.

But the reason I am most proud of my league is that despite all that it does, there is always a push to improve  – to get better.

Not all contact sports are bad.  Not all coaches are bad.

And safety, real safety,  is more than a piece of equipment.

It is the leadership and professionalism of the men and women who issue the equipment that  make contact sports safe, rewarding and fun.