Three Keys to Safety at KCD Football

KCD Football always has made safety a priority.  The purchase of the new VICIS and other helmets for the KCD Football players is just one example of the program’s commitment to safety.  Here are three other key elements KCD Football implements to minimize concussions and other injuries.

1.  Rugby-style tackling.  Since fall 2015, KCD Football has been a major proponent of Heads Up rugby-style tackling which is intended to limit head contact and help prevent concussions.  Several NFL and college programs have implemented rugby-style tackling, most notably the Seattle Seahawks and Ohio State University.  Seattle’s Head Coach Pete Carroll has described the rugby-style tackling as “leveraged-based shoulder tackling” that places “a major emphasis on taking the head out of tackling.”  In brief, rugby-style tackling requires the defensive player to lead with his shoulder, not his head, so that he hits the ball-carrier with his shoulder between the knees and the carrier’s shoulders and then wraps up the carrier’s legs with his arms to bring the carrier down.  Coach Jones and his staff have taught the Heads Up rugby-style tackling program at KCD since the 2015 football season, and he has this to say about the tackle style: “We love the rugby tackling system and have been using it for several years at all 3 levels of our program.  This year, our Middle School teams will be bringing in 2 former rugby players, that also have a football background, to demonstrate and teach the techniques during the first weeks of practice.”

2.  No tackling during regular practices once the season begins.  What is the best way to prevent injuries in football once the season begins?  Stop full speed, go-to-the-ground tackling during practice, according to KCD Varsity Defensive Coordinator and Head Strength Coach Ed Long.  Since Fall 2015, KCD’s football coaches have instituted a “no tackle” rule as soon as the regular season starts to help prevent injuries and keep players healthy.  This does not mean the players do not make contact at all. During defensive periods, they still wrap up the ball carrier, but no longer do it at full speed and coaches are always quick to blow the whistle as soon as the defender demonstrates he is in a position to make the tackle. According to Coach Long, "We made the decision to do away with old school, lead with the head, ‘take 'em to the ground’ tackling style during practice and rather focus on a safer rugby tackling technique.  We can now tackle with no pads on, focusing on taking correct pursuit angles, proper head placement, getting all 11 defenders hustling to the ball carrier during drills, and proper presnap alignment."  Because of this new philosophy, KCD players have been healthier and more fresh throughout the long season and their defense has ranked among the top in Class 1A the past 2 seasons. "We wanted to keep our players from getting injured during practice and keep them feeling great on Friday nights, not feeling beat up and worn out from pounding on each other all week. I think we've accomplished that goal,” Coach Long commented. 

3.  Trainer Ray Hibbert and Norton Sports Health.  Ray Hibbert is KCD’s dedicated, professional trainer for football and every KCD sports team.  He has been a key member of KCD Athletics since 2010, and is available at every practice and every game (home and away) to ensure that any football player who suffers an injury is assessed and, when possible, taken care of on the spot.  Trainer Ray (as he is universally known to the players) has a BA in Athletic Training from Franklin College and is certified through the Athletic Training Board of Certification – a true professional.  Trainer Ray also introduced the ImPACT concussion testing at KCD so that every student-athlete who participates has a baseline of cognitive function that a doctor can use to compare the student-athlete’s post injury performance on the same test in the event that the student-athletes sustain a suspected head injury on the field of play.  Not only does the KCD community value Ray’s unique services for all of our athletes, but he was named the Kentucky High School Athletic Trainer of the Year for 2017/2018. 

In addition, Norton Sports Health provides doctors for our Friday night games, including Orthopedic Specialists Dr. Robin Curry, Dr. Ryan Krupp, and Dr. Ryan Modlinski, and Neurologist Dr. Tad Seifert, who are on the sidelines at every KCD home football game.  These highly-trained doctors are there to assess and help treat any player injured during a game.   

Trainer Ray and the Norton Sports Health team make every KCD player safer, and KCD is lucky to have them on the sidelines!