On Tuesday, disturbing video surfaced on social media of a youth football practice where adults had two kids engaging in a tackle drill where it ended with a massive helmet-to-helmet collision.
After some laughing, one guy could be heard saying “you’re good” to the child on the ground.
In response to these concerns, Pop Warner spokesperson Brian Heffron condemned the actions of the coaches responsible.
“We are deeply disturbed by this video and are investigating,” Heffron said, via Ryan Gaydos of Fox News. “If, in fact, it was Pop Warner coaches leading these drills, we will take action.
“What we saw was dangerous and, frankly, offensive to the overwhelming majority of our coaches who teach the sport the right way. We expect every coach to adhere to mandated training and focus on the proper, safe progressions of tackling techniques, including practice against dummies, particularly at such a young age. Over the past 10 years Pop Warner has instituted a number of player safety rules, and this example runs counter to our practices.”
A USA Football spokesperson has also spoken out against the clip:
“This is against everything that we in football stand for and has no place in our game — it is an affront to the millions of Moms and Dads who coach youth football with the greatest care for their kids.”
