ODESSA, Fla. — Safety is once again a topic of discussion after a terrifying incident during Monday night's NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.
Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. We still don't know what exactly caused his cardiac arrest, although some signs point to an extremely rare instance.
Football can be a dangerous sport. If you've played the game, you know it comes with risk, just as any sport does. That's why training is so important.
A facility called The Field House Trinity trains kids as young as six years old on proper football techniques. ABC Action News reached out to them for a closer look at that training.
To be clear, Hamlin's tackle Monday has not been identified as unsafe or improper. We simply wanted to expand on the overall concerns this horrible incident has brought up and talk to the people who know the sport best.
The owner of the facility posted on Facebook and said, "the game of Football is a beautiful sport," but acknowledges it's important to protect and prepare athletes to keep them safe.
Things have really changed in terms of safety protocols from how they were in the past. That includesspecialized helmets to help curb concussions by giving players an added soft-shell layer of padded protection to help reduce impact.
"Back then, it was like, 'Just make it happen.' Concussions weren't really thought about, but now it's like, 'Hey, focus on what you're doing,'" Field House Trinity coach B.J. Hall said. "There are lessons that can be taught on how to do that as well."
Elijah McClendon, another coach at the facility, showed us the techniques they teach when it comes to a proper tackle.
"We still want to use the same old school approach, near leg, near shoulder, when we're doing the gator roll, but instead of the head across the ball, across his face, we're going to put the head behind his butt, behind the thigh to ensure to take the head out of the tackle," he said while demonstrating.
McClendon said the reason for the roll is to keep your head from taking the brunt of the impact. Instead, your body uses the run and roll as momentum to take the person down.
The Field House Trinity plans to host a free training class on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. for anyone who wants to attend. If you would like to attend, call the facility at 727-807-9828.
"It's our responsibility as coaches, men and former pro-athletes to teach the proper way of doing things when it comes to football in general — tackling, and the proper steps and what we do at our individual positions," said Hall. "As a coach, as a longtime coach, it's our duty to teach them the proper way of doing things so these kids stay safe."
