Why Play Nipmuc Flag Football Over Tackle Football/Flex
Flag football is one of the fastest growing youth sports in the country—and it’s easy to see why. As a non-contact team sport, kids get all the physical, emotional, and social benefits of playing football, without the physical contact.
But more than anything, flag football is pure fun—no matter your skill level. Teams compete 5 on 5, creating tons of engagement on the field at a fast-moving pace.
Here is a News Report from June 28th, 2023 on CTE and Brain Injuries resulting from playing Tackle Football. Its very informative.
Here’s why over 500,000 athletes choose NFL FLAG football:
Nail the fundamentals: Whether you’re new to the game, a seasoned player, or interested in making the transition to tackle later on in High School, Flag Football is the perfect environment to develop your skills and improve your technique.
Convenient commitment: We know your schedule is already jam-packed. That’s why Nipmuc Flag teams meet during the week leaving your weekend free to enjoy with the family!
Non-contact sport: Simply put: no contact is allowed—no tackling, no blocking, and no screening—making flag football the right choice for many families. Plus, no contact also means no bulky, expensive equipment.
Accessibility: Everyone can play flag football. You don’t need a specific build or skill set. And with NFL FLAG leagues being co-ed, everyone can join in on the fun.
Play like the pros: NFL FLAG is the only flag football league that allows players to wear officially licensed NFL gear.
INJURIES, INJURIES, INJURIES
Flag football is designed to virtually eliminate players hitting and colliding with each other. While it may happen from time to time, the chances of breaking an arm or a leg are mini-mal. Separated shoulders, broken fingers, etc, which can be common in tackle football, are a rarity in flag football. Unfortunately, we see many kids go through this and then come back to flag after trying tackle at too early of an age.
While the above injuries are certainly nothing to sneeze at, we do know that a broken bone will heal in a matter of weeks. It is concussions that parents really need to worry about. As symptoms from them can last, not a few weeks, but an entire lifetime. How many NFL con-cussion stories have been in the news recently? It wasn't too long ago that the NFL settled a 765+ million dollar lawsuit over concussed players. Now the NFL Flag Football program is the Largest Flag Program in the world. With the latest information about concussions with kids under the age of 16, we know that Safety is yours and our #1 concern!
ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen stated on-air that his own children play flag football and he encourages all parents to choose the same for their own. The reason? See below.
THE RISK IS NOT WORTH THE REWARD
Chris Mortensen went on to say that unless you believe your child is going to get a college scholarship or go pro playing football, there is no reward to justify such a risk to your child's life long well being. There are no "life lesson" benefits of playing tackle football so unique to the game that they can't be achieved through flag football. Social skills, exercise, discipline, self-esteem, learning how to deal with success and failure can be learned just as easily through flag football without near the risk.
THERE IS A TIME FOR TACKLE IF YOU CHOOSE
Many of our players go on to play tackle in High School. Every year, many of our top players go on to play tackle and are starters on their teams!
Keep in mind, unlike youth tackle programs, Flag Football builds experience for receivers and Quarterbacks. In youth football programs like our local ones, the QB hands off the ball over and over with no experience in scrambling and throwing the ball properly. Receivers don't get the extensive experience of catching the ball like Flag Football gives you. Attend a 7th/8th grade Flag Football game and you will see what we mean!
Thank you for being a part of Nipmuc Flag Football!
To learn more about concussions and playing football, a great movie to watch is "Concussion" with Will Smith.