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MARIETTA -- Youth football is struggling across the country. Competition from other sports and the rightful concerns of parents invested in the safety of their children have caused numbers to drop drastically. America's favorite sport now faces a scenario where it is lauded at the college and professional levels, but stigmatized at the youth level, the tier in which today's NFL stars first started to develop their skills.
Nate Black, head coach of the B team of Marietta Tigers Youth Football, has first-hand experience with this dilemma. After the Marietta Youth League folded due to a lack of numbers, Black found himself coaching a 40-kid team in an 11-on-11 full-contact competitive league.
"I didn't have fun coaching that year because it was too competitive and we weren't developing every kid," said Black.
Enter limited-contact football, a new initiative from USA Football, with the goal of bridging the gap between flag and full-contact tackle football to keep athletes safe and invested in the sport.
Marietta Tigers Youth Football has put its own spin on the program, calling it "Fusion Football."
"It can be intimidating, scary. Kids aren't ready, maybe mentally or physically. Fusion football gives us the ability to still play football but in a more controlled environment," explained Black.
Marietta's fusion football utilizes the TackleBar, a harness with two handles on the back of the ball carrier. Defenders still wrap up their target, but instead of taking them to the ground they rip off the handles in a manner similar to a flag football flag, signaling the end of the play.
"The kids still have to get in position, wrap and squeeze. It's still a tackle, they just don't go to the ground. It's much more controlled. That doesn't mean the kids don't collide and fall down, but it happens a lot less frequently."
According to a study published by the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, limited-contact football utilizing the TackleBar is on average safer than both flag and full-contact tackle at the youth level.
With the new mode of play, Marietta Tigers Youth Football now operates on a rec league model, where teams within the program play each other. Athletes have the chance to start with flag in kindergarten through second grade, transition to fusion football in grades three and four and then move onto full-contact tackle football in fifth and sixth grade. Marietta Tigers Youth Football currently has around 40-50 kids at each level.
Football, unlike any other major youth sport, has not historically introduced complexity into the game gradually. Soccer, for instance, starts out with 5-on-5 at the lowest levels on a small field with a smaller ball, then gradually increases to 7, 9 and finally 11 players a side on a full-sized pitch.
"Football has never been like that," said Black. "It's always been full contact, 100-yard field. When you think about it, you've got these kids who are 7-8 playing a game that NFL and college players play.
"What USA Football has done has said that 'football across the country is dying.' They created these new game types to try and reignite the passion the country has for football at the college and NFL levels but for the youth."
In addition to the proven safety benefits, limited-contact football makes the experience more enjoyable for athletes and coaches. Playing 6-on-6 on a 40-yard field allows for a high-scoring game where everyone can get involved, "We cut the field in half and give our kids more opportunities to score, that's exciting anytime a kid scores a touchdown."
Instead of having to wrangle 11 kids at a time, making sure they are in the right position and know their assignment, coaches in fusion football only have to manage six.
On a traditional youth tackle football team with around 40 kids, half of them will barely see the field and many miss the opportunity to develop in a position that suits them best due to team needs. By dividing those athletes into multiple teams that face each other, athletes and programs are better prepared for the future. Instead of developing just one or two quarterbacks per class, Marietta can develop as many as the number of teams they have. The same applies for skill positions like wide receiver and running back.
"It gets more kids playing, more kids opportunities, football is a high-quit sport for a lot of reasons. We are trying to get kids to have fun, keep them safe and make them want to play year after year."
All players in the program practice together, learning the same plays and skills. This allows for players to swap teams if needed, say if an athlete is sick or at another sport's practice.
Marietta Tigers Youth Football is going into its second season operating under this model, and has already seen success. There was some initial pushback however, but it quickly dissipated, "There was about 10% who did say 'Well my kid wants to play football.' Well it is football. For every 1 out of 10 kids who are ready to play tackle, there are 4-5 who are unsure and a handful who are scared to death."
By the time the end-of-the-year survey was conducted, parents were singing the praises of the new methodology, "Overwhelmingly the results were 'my kid had fun and will play again, and my kid got enough playing time,'" said Black.
Signups for the 2024 season are now open. Black encourages anyone in the surrounding area to consider signing up if it meets their needs, "Regardless of where you are, if your league plays full contact and you want your kid to play, but not like that, we welcome anyone who wants to come... Our goal is to provide a good experience to anyone who wants to play, boy or girl, regardless of where they live or what experience they have."
Those interested can find the league on Facebook by searching "Marietta Tigers Youth Football K-6th" or email Black at tigersyouthfootball1@gmail.com.
Contact Aaron Lee at alee@newsandsentinel.com