COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Pop Warner football league is looking to make the game safer for young players.
The league has implemented several tools that they believe will keep the kids safe.
The league is teaching kids about “heads up” tackling, meaning they are teaching kids how to tackle without leading with their heads
In addition, coaches in the league are trained to match kids up by weight, age and skill.
Willie Cornelius has been coaching youth football since 1974 and is currently a coach in the South Carolina Pop Warner league.
He says football is a safe game if it is coached correctly.
“This is a safe sport this is a good sport and it teach your kid how to work within a group,” Cornelius says. “If they’re planning on playing school ball, the early they get into to it the better it is you begin to get the basic fundamentals on tackling and blocking.”
The South Carolina Pop Warner league consists of over 20 teams in South Carolina and their season ends in December.