Local coaches attend football safety clinic in Raleigh
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Experienced coaches and recreation center workers spent much of Saturday at a Raleigh church, learning ways to develop a safer game of football.
"You teach fundamentals," said USA Football Master Trainer Jimmy Wallace. "Blocking, tackling when you scrimmage. We want to keep them on their feet, blow quick whistles, avoid piles."
They want young football players to learn all the skills they need while playing hard and remaining healthy.
The interactive "player safety" clinic covered concussion recognition, proper fitting of equipment, heat preparedness, safe tackling and blocking, as well as how to handle a sudden cardiac arrest.
They began their day with indoor workshops before getting on a practice field adjacent to the church for hands on experience under a scorching sun.
Bruce Parrish of the South Granville Athletic Association said the clinic was time well spent.
"There's a difference between seeing it on the computer and getting out here, seeing the different steps," Parrish said.
The coaches who completed Saturday's safety clinic will take what they've learned back to their communities, and the young athletes whose eagerness to compete must be matched with healthy practices.
"At the end of the day," said Wallace, "we want to do everything we can to make all sports safer."
