WHY THEY PLAY
Lehigh Valley football players address falling participation rates, concussion concerns and how adults can help
Dallas Holmes charted an early course toward becoming quarterback of Liberty High School’s football team. His parents might have known when he said his first word.
“It was ‘ball,’ ” the senior said. “Not mom, not dad, but ball. When they told me that, I was like, ‘Wow.’ ”
Holmes is like a lot of Lehigh Valley football players who started young, fell hard for the game and now consider it part of life. But their numbers slowly are receding in Pennsylvania and across the country as football has spent a decade losing players to other sports, to other pursuits and to concerns about the game’s safety.
According to the National Federation of High Schools, football remains the nation’s most popular game among male athletes by a wide margin. During the 2017-18 school year, according to the most recent NFHS statistics, more than 1 million high school athletes participated in 11-player football.
Among boys, the second mostpopular sport was track & field, with about 600,00 participants.
But the participation rate has fallen eight times, or about 6.6% since 2009, when more than 1.1 million athletes played football. Participation has been slightly more stable in Pennsylvania, where teams fielded 4.8% fewer players in 2017-18 than in 2008-09.
Last week, football players from across the Lehigh Valley gathered at Northampton High School for a media day to promote the upcoming season, which will feature thrilling games and heart-tugging finishes. Most players held promise that this would be their year to win the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, or Colonial League, title and carve a path to Hershey for the PIAA championships.
But in interviews about the game itself, players sounded quite aware of its reality and why parents are reluctant to allow them to play. These high school players spoke discerningly about concussion protocol and CTE, about safe tackling practices and about knowing when to seek a trainer’s help.
They also discussed the shared bonds of football, what it teaches them and, yes, how their jerseys draw attention in school hallways. They said that, if adults are better prepared to teach them the game, football wouldn’t be so scary for their parents.
“I understand why parents are fearful,” said Liam Garrett, a lineman at Emmaus. “There are a lot of pluses to playing, but there are negatives to consider as well.”
So why do they play football?
Let them explain.
‘Brotherhood’
The most common reason players gave for starting, and sticking with, football was their team. They called the game a shared experience unmatched by other sports.
Plus, it’s an acceptable venue in which to hit other kids.
“It’s the ultimate team sport,” Emmaus quarterback Alex Lanzone said. “I have played a lot of sports in my life, and nothing brings you together like football. The bonds you build are for a lifetime.”
“You build another family,” Northampton’s Jared Russell said. “Plus, I love hitting. And nothing’s more exciting than winning.”
In Bethlehem, those bonds cross dividing lines that otherwise might remain in place for some kids. Kendrick Wesley remembered going to Liberty High games as a kid and seeing players from rival middle schools Northeast and Nitschmann wearing jerseys in the stands.
Those kids, once part of a fierce middle-school rivalry, came together at Liberty.
“When you saw those other jerseys, you hated those kids,” said Wesley, a Liberty senior. “But now they have your back, and you have theirs. And you know that. That’s what you need, on the field and off it. Knowing that someone is going to be there to pick you up when you’re down is really important.”
Football requires long hours, commitment and discipline, even during the offseason formerly known as summer. It’s not for everyone, players said, but those who commit reap benefits.
At Emmaus, coach Harold Fairclough drums his players with a phrase they won’t soon forget.
“You will be held accountable,” three Hornets said in unison, laughing at their timing. But they say it’s true.
“It gets you into a routine, teaches you that you’re going to have a job one day and the price you have to pay,” Emmaus lineman Dmitri Garcia said. “We have to be at practice at 7:30 in the morning. No reason to be late. When he warns us, ‘You will be held accountable,’ you know.’ ”
But football isn’t all responsibility and sacrifice. Stroudsburg’s Carter Henritzy said that the uniform still means something, that there’s a “certain kind of respect you get around the school and the community.”
Then he shared another lesson.
“Being held to a higher standard is a responsibility,” he said. “It means a lot.”
Concussion issue
Holmes, the Liberty quarterback, said he has had one concussion, a non-contact injury that resulted from being sat on by a bigger player. Like most players, Holmes said he takes precautions with equipment and practice to free himself from distraction on the field.
“Football is a sport that you have to start playing when you’re young so you have a good foundation,” said Liberty’s Kyle Jimenez, who plays receiver and linebacker. “When kids get hurt, it’s because they aren’t prepared.”
Concussions are a significant issue among parents, players said, and rightfully so. They’re aware that, a generation ago, concussions often went undiagnosed or were dismissed as “getting your bell rung.” The current players said they would be reluctant to play in an environment where cognitive testing was less common.
At Stroudsburg, for instance, players are shown a preseason video explaining how to detect concussion symptoms. They also wear helmets with concussion sensors at practice. And in New Jersey, the state athletic association passed new practice rules that drastically limit preseason and in-season contact.
“A lot of people are looking at concussions and CTE way more seriously than they have in the past,” Liberty’s Lance Priestas said. “I think they used to brush concussions under the rug. It wasn’t serious. But now it’s the big reason why people don’t let their kids play football anymore.”
What adults can do
Last spring, Liberty players visited Nitschmann Middle School to help coach some young players. They noticed a spark from the group, similar to what they see when they run onto the field on Friday nights.
“The little kids are always waiting there to give us highfives,” Wesley said. “They want to be like us.”
But participation in youth football is dropping as well, and players see it with their younger brothers who are playing for smaller teams. They’re looking to the adults for leadership.
“Coaching. That’s the most important thing,” Emmaus’ Lanzone said. “People are so worried about injuries, but good coaching can help that. Good coaching is being around the game for a while, understanding kids and how kids respond.”
As with any form of mentorship, players said that consistency is key. Be consistently available to them, players said, from the time they start playing football until they leave high school. Bridging that mentorship between coaches at various levels is important as well.
“I don’t feel like it’s the kids who don’t want to play today,” Liberty’s Jimenez said. “It’s their parents who are scared. They want to protect their kids. But I feel like it would be better to let your kid go out there and do those things. He’ll be stronger mentally and physically.”
One more reason
Wesley, a senior tight end and linebacker, began playing football for a more personal reason. His father Chuck loves the game, played as a kid and coached his son in youth leagues.
But several years ago, Chuck Wesley told his son why he didn’t play high school football. He had to care for his ailing mother instead.
Since hearing that story, the game became more personal for Kendrick Wesley.
“I play for my dad,” he said. “I play so that he can see himself in me. He just loves the sport, and me being able to play high school football makes him proud.”