>>GERRY: TWO VERY PHYSICALSPORTS, FOOTBALL AND RUGBY,RECENTLY ANNOUNCED A UNIQUECOLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO PROMOTE
SAFETY AND ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT.BILL BENNER HAS MORE IN THISWEEK'S EDITION OF INSIDE INDIANASPORTS.
BILL ...>>BILL: THANKS, GERRY.INDIANAPOLIS-BASED USA FOOTBALLAND COLORADO SPRINGS-BASED USA
RUGBY ARE PHYSICALLY SEPARATEDBY A THOUSAND MILES, BUT THEYARE COMING TOGETHER IN AN EFFORTTO ENHANCE EFFORTS TO TEACH AND
PRACTICE TECHNIQUES SIMILAR TOBOTH SPORTS THAT CAN LEAD TOINCREASED SAFETY FOR THEPARTICIPANTS, PARTICULARLY AT
THE YOUTH LEVEL.JOINING US TODAY TO DISCUSS ISSCOTT HALLENBECK, USA FOOTBALLEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
SCOTT, WELCOME.BACK TO THE PROGRAM AND AGAINSAFETY IS ALWAYS AT THEFOREFRONT OF NOT JUST FOOTBALL
AND RUGBY BUT ALL SPORTS, BUT INYOUR CASE FOOTBALL AND THIS ISTHE NEXT EVOLUTION OF WHATSTARTED OUT AS HEADS-UP
FOOTBALL.>> EXACTLY, RIGHT.WITHIN HEADS-UP FOOTBALL ONECOMPONENT WAS HEADS-UP TACKLING.
WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS WORKWITH OTHER MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS INSPORTS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WEBUILD CONSENSUS AROUND TACKLING
SO WE WORK WITH THE SEAHAWKS ANDUSA RUGBY AND AMERICAN FOOTBALLCOACHES ASSOCIATION AND ALL CAMETOGETHER TO SAY LET'S SIMPLIFY
THE NARRATIVE AND THE LANGUAGEAND THE TECHNIQUES AND LET'SBUILD CONSENSUS SO CREATEDSHOULDER TACKLING WHICH IS THE
NEXT EVOLUTION.>> LET'S TALK ABOUT SHOULDERTACKLING.WHAT IS THAT NEXT STEP?
>> WHAT WE DID IS WE WORKEDTOGETHER ON DEFINING TECHNIQUESAND TERMINOLOGY AND ABOVE THEWAIST AND BELOW THE WAIST AND
TEACH A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACHTO TACKLING AND THE IMPORTANTPART WAS THE PARTIES THAT CAMETOGETHER IN AGREEMENT SO THE NFL
AND THE SEAHAWKS, USA RUGBY,AMERICAN FOOTBALL COACHESASSOCIATION COMING TOGETHER INAGREEMENT HOW TO TEACH THIS IN
SIMPLIFY THIS FAR WHETHER YOUTHFOOTBALL, HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGEALL TALKING THE SAME WAY ABOUTTACKLING.
>> AND IN PARTICULAR THISCOLLABORATION WITH RUGBY BECAUSEAGAIN THEY ARE PHYSICAL SPORTS,BUT I REALLY NEVER -- I HAVE NOT
SEEN ENOUGH RUGBY TO NOTICETHERE WOULD BE A CONNECTION INTHE TECHNIQUES ASSOCIATED WITHTHOSE.
>> OFF AND WHAT WAS STATED ISWE WILL TEACH RUGBY TACKLING SOWE DECIDED WE ARE NOT SURE WHATTHAT MEANS SO LET'S GO TO OUR
FRIENDS AT USA RUGBY AND THECOMMUNITY AND LEARN DIRECTLYFROM THEM AND THEY WEREINCREDIBLY ACCOMMODATING AND
RESPONSIVE AND IT STARTED WHATWILL DEVELOP INTO A GREATRELATIONSHIPS THAT WE AREEXCITED TO BE WORKING WITH THEM
AND BOTH PARTIES ARE LEARNING ALOT ABOUT DIFFERENT TECHNIQUESAND APPROACHES TO TACKLING BUT,AGAIN, COMING TOGETHER IN A WAY
THAT'S BENEFICIAL FOR BOTHSPORTS.>> AGAIN TEACHING.YOU HAVE USA FOOTBALL MASTERS
TRAINERS CLINIC.THOSE ARE THE KIND OF PEOPLETHAT WILL TAKE IT -->> SO WE HAVE A
TRAIN-THE-TRAINER MODEL SOTERRIFIC HIGH SCHOOL COACHESAROUND THE COUNTRY WE CALLMASTER TRAINERS, WE RANK THEM
INTO INDIANAPOLIS AND TRAIN THEMACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY ANDTHEY GO OUT AND OVER THE COURSEOF 500 CLINICS TEACHING THIS.
SO REALLY HANDS-ON GETTING INTOTHE COMMUNITIES TEACHING THERIGHT WAY TO TACKLE.>> LET'S TALK ABOUT BRIEFLY,
THERE IS NOW YOU ARE TALKINGABOUT THE YOUTH LEVEL FLAGFOOTBALL AND THEN WE GO TO 1111,BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME MIDDLE
GROUND.>> WE LOOKED AT WHAT OTHERSPORTS ARE DOING AND A QUICKEXAMPLE IS BASEBALL.
T-BALL AND THEN COACH AND THENPLAY OR PITCH.A PROGRESSION OF DEVELOPMENT SOWHY DO WE GO FROM 5-11 PERSON
TACKLE?COULDN'T THERE BE MOREPROGRESSION SO WE ARE LOOKING ATTHE MODIFIED GAME FOR THE TIME
BEING WHERE YOU SHRINK THE FIELD40 YARDS INTO THE GOAL LINE ONBOTH SIDES AND TWO GAMES GOINGAT THE SAME TIME, SEVEN ON SEVEN
AND NO SPECIAL TEAMS AREBLITZES.KIDS PLAY MULTIPLE POSITIONS.TO POINT STANCE VERSUS
THREE-POINT STANCE AND ANOPPORTUNITY TO BE ACTIVE ANDLEARN THE TECHNIQUES AND HAVEFUN.
>> YOU TRIED THIS ON A TRIALBASIS LAST YEAR AND YOU SAID ITWAS WELL RECEIVED -->> PARENTS LOVED IT SO REALLY
WE USED LAST YEAR TO SET UP ANDDEFINE WHAT THE PILOT WOULD BEFOR THIS YEAR SO WE WILL HAVEFOUR OR FIVE SITES GOING INTO
THE SEASON AND LEARN MORE ABOUTTHIS AND ULTIMATELY OUR HOPE ISIT LEADS ACROSS THE COUNTRYSWELL A DOCK -- ADOPT THIS THAT
JUST GIVES PARENTS OTHER ENTRYPOINTS OF WHETHER THEY WANT TOSTART OR TRANSITION TO AMODIFIED OR THEY WANT TO JUMP
INTO 11 ON A SIDE TACKLE.THEY WILL HAVE OPTIONS.>> QUICKLY AS WE WRAP UP TOLEARN MORE YOU GO TO --
>> USA FOOTBALL D,.>> AND A GREAT LINE ABOUTSAFETY ASPECT.>> WE JUST RECOGNIZED AND WE
BELIEVE THIS GAME IS SAFER THANIT'S EVER BEEN AND WE WILLCONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT'S THECASE.
>> YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE ITSAFER.