Coaches attend helmet safety course

Posted

High school football coaches from across Nassau County gathered to take part in the Heads Up Football player safety curriculum. USA Football runs the program; it was hosted by Oceanside High School and funded by the New York Jets.

Tom Giulietti, an account executive from the Jets arrived to receive thanks from Frank Luisi, Oceanside’s advisor to college bound student-athletes. Giulietti handles most of the Jets fund raising on Long Island, particularly with youth programs. He said, “On the high school level [The Jets] wanted to get more involved, so this year we’re trying to work more with the high school booster clubs.”

Over 100 coaches from 56 schools were in attendance as Vincent DiGaetano, USA Football’s Master Trainer lead the program which began in the school’s auditorium on June 15th. DiGaetano explained, “We use non-pad tackling to evaluate, today isn’t just about here’s the form tackle… a lot of it you’re already doing but we want you to realize how it all sets up.”

Following a video example of the heads up method of tackling DiGaetano used Rich Carroll, a coach at Hicksville high school to demonstrate the proper way to fit players for their helmets and shoulder pads.

He then went on to recognizing the signs, the symptoms, and the procedures for concussions, heat exhaustion and sudden cardiac arrest. He emphasized that being prepared for any eventuality was paramount.

At the close the coaches filed outside to review the heads up methods of tackling and blocking, which are designed to protect the player’s head and neck.

“Coaches have done these sort of things on their own,” said Rob Blount, Oceanside coach, “but we’re now trying to make an effort countywide to make sure every coach knows what to do.”

Greg Sloan, assistant principal at Oceanside High School was instrumental in organizing the event. “Whenever you hear about an injury that may have been preventable it just reminds us that it can happen at any time and that our kids aren’t any different.” Said Sloan “We just felt like this was something we wanted to bring to Oceanside… in part to show how seriously we take it but also to be a part of making sure that not only our athletes but athletes all throughout Nassau County stay safe.”

“We felt we needed to do something proactive to show that we’re concerned with their safety more than anything.” Said Matt McLees, the athletic director for the Sewanhaka district, “To make a collective effort to provide our coaches with a few more tools and a few more techniques that will help to put their kids in safer positions.”

McLees explained, “New York State is beginning to limit the amount of contact in practice, I believe we may be heading to a time when there is no contact during the week for practice.”

With studies starting to show the prolonged damage even light hits to the head can cause to developing brains parents have understandably had reservations about having their kids play football.

Blount said “We’re starting to see lesser numbers at the youth level but in high school it’s cyclical, though I’d say our numbers are down maybe five or ten kids, I don’t know if that’s directly from concussions or head trauma or it might just be that football is a tough sport. But everything we do to make it seem as safe as possible and continue to get smarter with how we teach things is obviously going to help us and the kids out in the long run.”