(Atlanta, GA) The highly anticipated 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game is set for Monday night, but Friday, the gridiron belonged to the tykes. At Georgia State Stadium, famously known as “where the Braves played,” the Atlanta Parks and Recreation department organized a development event for kids from ages 11 to 14, who have a desire all football fans have had at some point, to become an NFL football player.
Friday’s camp was as much about celebrating future football players as it was teaching the games’ fundamentals and how to stay healthy as a maturing athlete. The specialized staff involved were phenomenal in ensuring that these young athletes understood why Americans love the sport of football, and how to be safe while playing.
Drills and plays were simulated by Georgia State football players along with multiple former NFL players. And as much as the kids wanted to stay out on the cold field, there was more to learn.
Dr. Anna Moore, neuroscientist and Director of Student Support for the Westminster Schools of Atlanta, presented a clear and exceptional presentation to all 140 campers on the inevitabilities of tackle football and how to understand the symptoms of a concussion.
“It can be hard in the moment to know if you have a concussion. Game adrenaline and energy. Professional athletes talk about this, that they will have a concussion that’s revealed later on yet still finish the game. So how is that possible? Much of that is motor and implicit memory, things you know how to do,” said Dr. Moore.
During my discussion with her, Dr. Moore revealed an intriguing possibility for the development of concussion protocol. She explained that several high school football teams in the state of Georgia are applying accelerometers in helmets which function to track acceleration and impact data. This information can be seen right on the sidelines, which obviously provides valuable insight to a player’s in-game condition.
Friday’s camp was as much about celebrating future football players as it was teaching the games’ fundamentals and how to stay healthy as a maturing athlete. The specialized staff involved were phenomenal in ensuring that these young athletes understood why Americans love the sport of football, and how to be safe while playing.
Drills and plays were simulated by Georgia State football players along with multiple former NFL players. And as much as the kids wanted to stay out on the cold field, there was more to learn.
Dr. Anna Moore, neuroscientist and Director of Student Support for the Westminster Schools of Atlanta, presented a clear and exceptional presentation to all 140 campers on the inevitabilities of tackle football and how to understand the symptoms of a concussion.
“It can be hard in the moment to know if you have a concussion. Game adrenaline and energy. Professional athletes talk about this, that they will have a concussion that’s revealed later on yet still finish the game. So how is that possible? Much of that is motor and implicit memory, things you know how to do,” said Dr. Moore.
During my discussion with her, Dr. Moore revealed an intriguing possibility for the development of concussion protocol. She explained that several high school football teams in the state of Georgia are applying accelerometers in helmets which function to track acceleration and impact data. This information can be seen right on the sidelines, which obviously provides valuable insight to a player’s in-game condition.
This camp proved invaluable to these young athletes, who demonstrated impressive talent and ability throughout drills and simulated gameplay. Beyond the safety aspect, kids were given motivational lessons by multiple former NFL athletes, including former Steeler running back, Tim Lester, who is known as a selfless teammate that contributed greatly to the career of Hall of Famer, Jerome “The Bus” Bettis. Lester drove home the point that people are not born winners or losers, they are only born choosers.
“He said, ‘you’re going to be my bus driver. You’re going to lead me into the Hall of Fame.’ I didn’t want to be no bus driver. But you know what? I ended up becoming the best bus driver. What I realized was, it’s about team. Everybody got a position, everybody got a job, and you got to do the best at your job,” said Lester.
This camp would not have been possible without the efforts of the Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department. I caught up with Assistant Director, Ramondo Davidson, who walked me through the logistics of putting this first-time event together.
“We want to expose our kids to beyond what they see every-day. This is a big deal for them. That’s what we strive to do because a lot of these kids would otherwise not have this experience. That’s the ultimate goal for us, to make sure our kids can see something different and have opportunities beyond just the normal everyday stuff,” said Davidson.
Noticing a handful of kids rooting for Alabama among a sea of Georgia fans, I could not help but ask the reason for this.
“This is SEC territory. Either way, you look at it, this is exciting for Atlanta in general. Of course Alabama will bring a big crowd, but the biggest part is that everyone was looking for this match-up anyway. They were anticipating Georgia playing Alabama in the SEC championship, but that didn’t happen, so to capstone it with the National Title, it’s a big deal,” said Davidson.
“He said, ‘you’re going to be my bus driver. You’re going to lead me into the Hall of Fame.’ I didn’t want to be no bus driver. But you know what? I ended up becoming the best bus driver. What I realized was, it’s about team. Everybody got a position, everybody got a job, and you got to do the best at your job,” said Lester.
This camp would not have been possible without the efforts of the Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department. I caught up with Assistant Director, Ramondo Davidson, who walked me through the logistics of putting this first-time event together.
“We want to expose our kids to beyond what they see every-day. This is a big deal for them. That’s what we strive to do because a lot of these kids would otherwise not have this experience. That’s the ultimate goal for us, to make sure our kids can see something different and have opportunities beyond just the normal everyday stuff,” said Davidson.
Noticing a handful of kids rooting for Alabama among a sea of Georgia fans, I could not help but ask the reason for this.
“This is SEC territory. Either way, you look at it, this is exciting for Atlanta in general. Of course Alabama will bring a big crowd, but the biggest part is that everyone was looking for this match-up anyway. They were anticipating Georgia playing Alabama in the SEC championship, but that didn’t happen, so to capstone it with the National Title, it’s a big deal,” said Davidson.