In the Frontline video we watched in class it explored how football at the High School level has turned into what they call a "football factory". Being a former football player on a lot of different levels (Junior High, High School, College, and Professional) as well as also being a high school football coach in Iowa I feel like I have some knowledge on this subject. Although I haven't worked at a school that can claim to be a "football factory" I have seen first hand what they look like.
However, I don't feel you have to be at a "football factory" to have the "intimidation culture" that was referenced in the reading by Klosterman. Almost every level of football that I have played at as well as once I became a coach, I have coached players to be aggressive. Football isn't a sport that you can patty cake your way through it, the sport of football is played with controlled aggression. It's a sport where I have coached people if you're going to make a mistake it's 100% full speed. I would rather have an athlete make a mistake going full speed then questioning what his responsibility is on that certain play.
It's not uncommon to hear on the practice field or game field that I want to see a "snot bubbling hit" on this play, or at times I would refer to our kickoff team as the "Hit Squad". I know that with the rising concerns of concussions in football that some could say that's being irresponsible to make statements like that but I will tell you with 100% certainty that I have seen more injuries when players start to question what they are doing or don't play to the whistle then I have with someone playing the sport like it was meant to be played which is like I said before when it's played right it's played with "controlled agression" and by no means am I saying to play dirty, I am saying that football is played within the rules that have been established for the sport.
I think it is interesting to hear from a coaches perspective on this issue. I agree that you are way more likely to get suffer an injury when you are not going full speed and that is something I learned at a very young age. Another thing to think about is that not all people are the same. Just like some people break bones easier than others, some people get concussions and head injuries easier than others. There is not a simple answer to fix this problem for all people.
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