I wanted to start a few threads that address some of the bigger issues facing IHSA football and hope that you'll feel free to hop in, discuss and knock around a bit.
Overall numbers are down and while at some schools/programs overall numbers seem to be stabilizing a bit...in way too many cases numbers remain low and in some spots continue to drop at shocking levels.
More and more schools are talking about dropping a level (expect to see more Frosh/soph JV and varsity teams in 2017) to combat the overall lower numbers. That's definitely not a good sign kids.
So why are we seeing lower numbers sport-wide?
You have to start with the entire concussion/safety issue which remains the biggest issue facing the sport hands down. Parents of kids have serious questions and have either not gotten straight answers or automatically have already ruled out football for their sons without even looking further into the entire issues.
The safety issue remains the lead ballon for football on all levels and I honestly don't know how/if/when it can be either answered or at least minimized.
Some coaches will point towards (and rightfully so) the non stop wave of negative pub from media on the entire issue...that other sports at the high school level have similar issues with concussions. While that's true in some cases the overall message remains cloudy at best.
What is scary is that the youth level has been hit harder than any other level of football from an overall numbers issue. For every one youth program that has maintained it's numbers (or a rare few that have grown) you have 4-5 other programs dropping to all time lows in teams and overall kids. Per multiple coaches expect to see more and more youth programs to disappear sooner rather than later.
While some high school coaches (more than you'd think FYI) have at best limited use for youth level football...like it or not lower numbers from the youth level equals lower numbers at the high school level.
Other issues for overall lower football numbers?
Specialization in either one or multiple sports. While everyone liked to preach about the importance of multi-sport athletes (something that I've endorsed from Day 1 FYI) talking the talk is one thing and walking the multi sport walk is another.
Everyone talks about the importance of multi-sport kids and football, but talking about it and actually coaches from say baseball/basketball etc (and yes kids Lacrosse which is starting it's first IHSA sanctioned season in 2017) allowing those kids to miss that all important team summer ball/travel and/or wooden bat league or miss those all important Nike/UA/Addidas showcase hoop camps for football is just a completely different deal.
Need proof? Just go to any recently held football 7on7 team events and you'll be more than likely not seeing at ;least a handful of kids if not more out because of "other sports".
Per one HS coach "They all talk having multi-sport kids...that is as long as they don't miss anything they do for that coach in the off season."
When was the last time any high school needed to go out and actually sell the benefits of football to it's kids? The days of opening the doors and expecting 200 plus kids to come walking through the doors seems to be over. I see way too many coaches sitting back and complaining about the issue without having any sort of game plan to address the issue. Whether it takes a national effort or local effort or both....something has to change and change sooner rather than later. For the first time I can ever remember...coaches need to come together...share ideas and set up new and creative ways to attract kids back to football.
So what's the solution? How can we as a sport attack the issue/problem?
Much like the issue itself it's a multi-faceted deal.
Football needs to get it's act together and get organized- we have so many different levels (NFL/College/HS/Grade School) and just trying to get any sort of organized plan in place is nearly impossible. It's time for one or more of the money ends of football (NFL/College) to get more involved and more hands on.....whether it's via ad dollars/allowing schools and youth groups more "access" to it's facilities....they can do a lot more. Besides say the NFL and NFLPA hosting a once a year camp can they maybe get players out into the communities more? Talk about a great drawing card for youth players...and that can go for college players and coaches as well.
Even from the IHSA perspective...we have the IHSFCA that just seems to have minimal impact at times (again my own observation) when it comes to outside the annual coaches clinic and state finals. Can the IHSFCA get more hands on and more involved?
Coaches need to get creative from December to May- no longer can coaches just open the doors and expect kids to walk in...now more than ever coaches need to find a way of getting kids involved. It doesn't help with with the IHSA rules and off season restrictions hanging over football (again another issue that needs to be addressed/changed ASAP) but coaches can find ways. Such as say a grade school camps or fun nights that are say non-football specific but allows kids to come together, know the coaches and other kids. Play games have kids getting involved before the idea of any football is really introduced...then once they are coming on hopefully a more regular basis then start incorporating more football specific games etc.
Sell the positives of football- football indeed has a ton of positives to sell kids and more importantly parents. Football is still one of the few sports where you don't need to have a ton of youth playing experience. Not every kid can make it onto the 12 man roster in Hoops or the 15-20 baseball roster. Football needs kids and still can develop kids with minimal playing experience. Also sell the positives of teamwork, hard work, dedication, effort and discipline especially to the PARENTS! Sell the fact that those traits are sadly miossing more and more these days...how the real world is looking for more kids with these traits and seeing less and less kids with them. Use alumni especially former players who've gone thru the football program and onto bigger and better things.
Also sell parents on your program and walk them thru a typical practice. Show/teach parents the changes in the sport and how much more focused everyone is now on the safety side. Have current parents/players talk to the new kids and parents as well.
Again these are just a few thoughts....feel free to post any thoughts/suggestions/ideas here.
Overall numbers are down and while at some schools/programs overall numbers seem to be stabilizing a bit...in way too many cases numbers remain low and in some spots continue to drop at shocking levels.
More and more schools are talking about dropping a level (expect to see more Frosh/soph JV and varsity teams in 2017) to combat the overall lower numbers. That's definitely not a good sign kids.
So why are we seeing lower numbers sport-wide?
You have to start with the entire concussion/safety issue which remains the biggest issue facing the sport hands down. Parents of kids have serious questions and have either not gotten straight answers or automatically have already ruled out football for their sons without even looking further into the entire issues.
The safety issue remains the lead ballon for football on all levels and I honestly don't know how/if/when it can be either answered or at least minimized.
Some coaches will point towards (and rightfully so) the non stop wave of negative pub from media on the entire issue...that other sports at the high school level have similar issues with concussions. While that's true in some cases the overall message remains cloudy at best.
What is scary is that the youth level has been hit harder than any other level of football from an overall numbers issue. For every one youth program that has maintained it's numbers (or a rare few that have grown) you have 4-5 other programs dropping to all time lows in teams and overall kids. Per multiple coaches expect to see more and more youth programs to disappear sooner rather than later.
While some high school coaches (more than you'd think FYI) have at best limited use for youth level football...like it or not lower numbers from the youth level equals lower numbers at the high school level.
Other issues for overall lower football numbers?
Specialization in either one or multiple sports. While everyone liked to preach about the importance of multi-sport athletes (something that I've endorsed from Day 1 FYI) talking the talk is one thing and walking the multi sport walk is another.
Everyone talks about the importance of multi-sport kids and football, but talking about it and actually coaches from say baseball/basketball etc (and yes kids Lacrosse which is starting it's first IHSA sanctioned season in 2017) allowing those kids to miss that all important team summer ball/travel and/or wooden bat league or miss those all important Nike/UA/Addidas showcase hoop camps for football is just a completely different deal.
Need proof? Just go to any recently held football 7on7 team events and you'll be more than likely not seeing at ;least a handful of kids if not more out because of "other sports".
Per one HS coach "They all talk having multi-sport kids...that is as long as they don't miss anything they do for that coach in the off season."
When was the last time any high school needed to go out and actually sell the benefits of football to it's kids? The days of opening the doors and expecting 200 plus kids to come walking through the doors seems to be over. I see way too many coaches sitting back and complaining about the issue without having any sort of game plan to address the issue. Whether it takes a national effort or local effort or both....something has to change and change sooner rather than later. For the first time I can ever remember...coaches need to come together...share ideas and set up new and creative ways to attract kids back to football.
So what's the solution? How can we as a sport attack the issue/problem?
Much like the issue itself it's a multi-faceted deal.
Football needs to get it's act together and get organized- we have so many different levels (NFL/College/HS/Grade School) and just trying to get any sort of organized plan in place is nearly impossible. It's time for one or more of the money ends of football (NFL/College) to get more involved and more hands on.....whether it's via ad dollars/allowing schools and youth groups more "access" to it's facilities....they can do a lot more. Besides say the NFL and NFLPA hosting a once a year camp can they maybe get players out into the communities more? Talk about a great drawing card for youth players...and that can go for college players and coaches as well.
Even from the IHSA perspective...we have the IHSFCA that just seems to have minimal impact at times (again my own observation) when it comes to outside the annual coaches clinic and state finals. Can the IHSFCA get more hands on and more involved?
Coaches need to get creative from December to May- no longer can coaches just open the doors and expect kids to walk in...now more than ever coaches need to find a way of getting kids involved. It doesn't help with with the IHSA rules and off season restrictions hanging over football (again another issue that needs to be addressed/changed ASAP) but coaches can find ways. Such as say a grade school camps or fun nights that are say non-football specific but allows kids to come together, know the coaches and other kids. Play games have kids getting involved before the idea of any football is really introduced...then once they are coming on hopefully a more regular basis then start incorporating more football specific games etc.
Sell the positives of football- football indeed has a ton of positives to sell kids and more importantly parents. Football is still one of the few sports where you don't need to have a ton of youth playing experience. Not every kid can make it onto the 12 man roster in Hoops or the 15-20 baseball roster. Football needs kids and still can develop kids with minimal playing experience. Also sell the positives of teamwork, hard work, dedication, effort and discipline especially to the PARENTS! Sell the fact that those traits are sadly miossing more and more these days...how the real world is looking for more kids with these traits and seeing less and less kids with them. Use alumni especially former players who've gone thru the football program and onto bigger and better things.
Also sell parents on your program and walk them thru a typical practice. Show/teach parents the changes in the sport and how much more focused everyone is now on the safety side. Have current parents/players talk to the new kids and parents as well.
Again these are just a few thoughts....feel free to post any thoughts/suggestions/ideas here.