Local coaches work to keep student athletes safe
We’re heading “Back to School” this fall, and that also means heading back out to the football field for many student athletes.
As safety concerns rise around the sports landscape, KRDO NewsChannel 13’s Nick Rothschild spoke with local football coaches to find out how they’re keeping your kids safe on the gridiron.
“Obviously player safety has got to be number one,” said Pueblo East head football coach Andy Watts.
Football is a violent game, even at the high school level.
“Anything can happen to anybody,” said Carlos Vigil, a senior quarterback at Pueblo Centennial High School. “I mean you can’t go out there and expect to not get hurt because things do happen.”
Safety is becoming a priority on the gridiron, and the climate around the sport is changing.
“We never go to the ground when we’re in practice, it’s always just a fast tempo,” said Dusty Biggers, a senior wide receiver at Pueblo East High School. “But we never go to the ground, keep people safe.”
That being said, pain tolerance can be a tough thing to figure out.
“Adrenaline’s rushing really big, I really try not to focus on pain that much I just go in and do my job,” said Kyren Zerger, a senior defensive lineman at Pueblo South High School. “But if there’s nothing I can do against it I’m going to take myself and not hurt my team.”
The line between hurt and injured can be one of the most difficult for a high school coach to navigate. Sometimes the best way to deal with it is to take themselves out of the equation.
“We take ourselves out of that process as much as we can because we’re trained to coach X’s and O’s not evaluate injuries,” said Pueblo Centennial head football coach Mike Palumbo.
When it comes to head injuries most coaches follow the same rule.
“I think the one thing you don’t mess with is concussions,” said Pueblo South head football coach Ryan Goddard.
According to those coaches the best way to prevent injuries is through communication and trust.
“Trust the boys that they’re telling us the truth,” said Coach Watts. “Then trust the doctors and the trainers and just trust the process and follow protocol.”
At the heart of that protocol is a love for the game, and a love for the kids they coach.
