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From the Field to the Game of Life

By Tyrone Keys

I had a unique experience at this years Super Bowl, I was the guest of Richard Dent who was MVP of Super Bowl XX and my roommate with the Bears. He was the presenter of this years Lombardi Trophy to the winning team. I also had a chance to meet and thank NFL commissioner Roger Goddell and board members of NFL Charties who have supported our students on their athletic and educational quest the last two decades.

What made this experience unique is that we played Super Bowl XX defeating the New England Patriots 46-10 in New Orleans and now here we were back in New Orleans this time with a view from the top. We were in the same skybox with NFL all-time winningest coach Don Shula and my former teammate and good friend Leslie Frazier who is now head coach of the Minnesota Viking. In the skybox was also Tampa Bay Buc newly elected NFL HOF Warren Sapp along with a host of entertainers, actors, singers and rappers. Sports really has a way of bringing all kinds of people together. The chances of seeing Don Shula at a Little Wayne concert would be unlikely but here we were all together with a view from the top. I was happy to be there representing All Sports Community Service and NFL Charties

ASCS began 20 years ago in 1993 to help student athletes parlay the game from the field to the classroom. Realizing there can be no success without successor, we have mentored hundreds of alumni who have comeback to give back as teachers and coaches. On February 23rd several ASCS alumni who are now youth football coaches and I participated in the 2013 West Florida State Youth Football Leadership Forum hosted by USA Football and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the forum It was mentioned that youth football is at a crossroads because many are concerned about safety but together through a commitment to player safety and coaching education we can keep this great game strong.

As I mentioned during our discussion, in partnership with the NFL, USA Football is launching our Heads Up Football initiative nationally. One of the goals of Heads Up Football is to eliminate the head in the way we teach tackling. Old adages like “put your hat on him,” “bite the ball,” “put your head between his numbers” – all of these adages tell a player to move their head/helmet into contact.

Our goal is have the former ASCS students return back from the athletic and educational quest and give to their communities and the youth the same love that was given to them. We want these Coaches to have access to our nationally accredited coaching education program and our football specific tools/resources found within our Coaches Membership. We want them trained and certified to teach Heads Up Tackling techniques and trained to recognize concussions. The days of coaches coming off to street to instruct kids the way they were taught to tackle are over. Tackling drills as punishment are oa thing of the past. Any of of us who have ever played football have had a coach abuse his power by using tackling drills to get his point across with little concern for safety.

Buddy Curry former Atlanta Falcons linebacker, says the challenge ahead will be to get coaches young and old to buy into Heads Up. "You need to get the new ones coming in to really focus on what's important. It's safety No.1." says Curry. "You have to talk to the older coaches and say, 'This is how it used to be done. … We have to change and we have to focus on the safety."

We want the parents who choose to have their kids play football know they are in a caring and safe environment so they can one day parlay the game on the field to the biggest game of all – not the Super Bowl – but the the game of life.

The cost of Heads Up Football will be $5 per coach. The $5 includes a Coaches Membership, which includes our online certified coaching education course, and resources like our Drills Library, Film Room, MyCoaches Page, etc. Another requirement of Heads Up Football, is that all coaches (including assistants) within a participating program successfully complete USA Football’s Level 1 Standard Coaching Course or re-certification quiz. Player Membership is optional and free.