Newly-formed coaches association plans to address numerous issues

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on May 27, 2015 2:02 PM

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cetzler@newsargus.com

Football has lost the moms.

With the growing concern of head injuries in the sport, an increasing number of moms refuse to let their kids play the sport at the high school level.

One of the main goals of the newly formed Eastern North Carolina Football Coaches Association is to start the journey of improving high school football and eventually get some of those moms back.

"This game is in a lot of trouble right now," Charles B. Aycock football coach Steve Brooks said. "That's why we're doing this so that we can make this game better."

The ENCFCA was formed this year in large part to give football coaches east of I-95 a voice in the goings on in the sport.

With the governing body of North Carolina football meeting in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, there are times when coaches in the eastern part of the state don't get wind of information, Brooks said.

Brooks is the lone Wayne County member of the ENCFCA, but is hoping that will change in the near future.

"It's 20 bucks," Brooks said. "It's well worth the membership fees."

With the N.C. High School Athletic Association recently approving spring practices, the coaches association isn't only a good chance to have a voice to better the sport. It's also an opportunity for coaches to get together and bounce ideas off each other as to how they will adjust to the rule changes.

"It's not just a chance to figure out what we can do to push for change in the sport," Brooks said. "We also get the chance to sit down and say 'hey there's this new rule now, how are we going to operate now that it's in place?' I don't have all the answers.

"The other coaches don't have all the answers. But collectively we might be able to come up with the best way to run things."

On top of the coaches bouncing ideas off of each other, they also have the opportunity to learn from some of the best. A few months ago, the association had former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik speak to the group about his program and how he runs things. The plan is to have a different coach or former coach every month.

Networking and game-planning is just one of three prongs the coaches association is trying to attack to better high school football in the state.

Safety is another factor which is the most important way to get the moms back on board and increase participation. Brooks has recommended that all coaches become educated on fitting kids for equipment to make sure that players wear the safest equipment possible in games to decrease injuries.

The last prong is recruiting. This December the coaches association will be hosting a recruiting banquet of sorts where senior players and their parents can go get acquainted with recruiters from various schools to exchange dialogue and highlight films to make the process easier.