More youth playing flag football, study shows

• A USA Football study showed flag football was the fastest-growing sport among American children last year.
• Flag football saw an 8.7 percent surge in participation among children aged 6 to 14.
• Tackle football saw a more stagnant 1.9 percent increase in participation among kids of the same age.

Kobe Herrera has been playing flag football half his life, so he has never felt the full force of a big hit – that dramatic, violent collision between two players who are moving at a high rate of speed.

But again, Kobe is only 6 years old and when, or if, those days come, his father Ray Herrera is going to make sure he is prepared – mentally and physically – for tackle football.

"I started him with flag football when he was 4 years old so he could learn how to play before he puts on the gear and starts hitting," Ray Herrera said. "At his age, when they are small like that, if they get hit too early, they're not going to like the game and not want to play at all. I'm not going to rush him into playing tackle. When he's ready, we'll put him in there, but I want him to learn to play the game right so he can play without being scared."

Kobe, who plays for the El Paso Cowboys, is part of a growing number of children opting to play flag football instead of full-contact tackle football.

According to a study conducted for and published last week by USA Football, the sport’s national governing body, flag football was the fastest-growing sport among young American children last year.

In just the past year, the sport saw an 8.7 percent surge in participation among children aged 6 to 14, a much larger increase than any other sport. In contrast, tackle football saw a more stagnant 1.9 percent increase in participation among kids of the same age.

Outside of flag and tackle football, baseball was the only other sport with a positive growth rate in this age group, at 3.3 percent

Parents who are worried about concussions and who are facing the question of when or whether to let their child play tackle football, have found a refuge in flag football where teams do not tackle.

"A lot of these parents who come here for flag, don't have their kids play tackle in the fall," said Ernie Hinojosa, the head coach of the El Paso Cowboys. "A majority of my kids just play flag football. You would think a majority of them would come back for tackle, but they don't. They just want to do flag."

The El Paso Cowboys have four flag football teams – 6U, 8U, 12U and 14U – who play in the Just For Kids Sports League in the spring, and three tackle football teams – 6-7, 8-9, 10-11 – that played the past few seasons at Dream Arena.

"Some of the parents are afraid of their sons getting concussions so they would rather just do flag," said Hinojosa, who has been coaching for 12 years. "They even ask me why I don't have flag football in the fall, and I tell them because in the fall people want to play tackle."

His organization does not offer a spring tackle football option.

"Playing tackle football year-round is just too much," he said. "Having the kids wear their uniform the entire year, in fall and spring, is too much on their bodies, which is why I decided to go tackle in the fall and flag in the spring."

Flag football rules are similar to those in tackle football, but plays end when a defensive player removes a flag worn on a belt of the ball carrier rather than tackling the player to the ground.

There are several flag football leagues in El Paso, including the South West Youth Flag Football League, Just For Kids Sports League, YMCA leagues and the El Paso Parks and Recreation league.

In a report published last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics encouraged the teaching of proper tackling technique and the enforcement of existing rules to prohibit improper tackling.

It recommended expanding non-tackling leagues as a way to limit exposure to collisions and suggested that "participants in football must decide whether the potential health risks of sustaining these injuries are outweighed by the recreational benefits associated with proper tackling."

This month, the El Paso Parks and Recreation Department adapted five major rule changes with the hopes of reducing the risk of concussions among its players.

For the past few fall tackle football seasons, the El Paso Cowboys played in the Dream Arena League where coaches had to be certified by USA Football.

"In the spring, I want my kids to play flag so they can get into condition," Hinojosa said. "By playing flag football, they run more which is great for their speed and agility, so when tackle comes around in the fall, we are ready to play."

The NFL has acknowledged that a link between football-related head trauma and degenerative brain diseases exists. The spike in youth flag football participation seems to indicate that the science has finally affected the sport itself.

Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of health and safety policy, said there was “certainly” a connection between the head trauma inherent to football and brain disorders, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Julian "Barber" Galvan, a 12-year-old wide receiver for the El Paso Cowboys, has had his bell rung a few times.

"I got hit really hard in a scrimmage last fall," he said. "I just saw white flashes and I had to come out of the game. I didn't play the rest of the game. I had never experienced that kind of injury before. I was kind of traumatized. I knew I had to be more careful when I played."

His teammate, 12-year-old George Garcia said he sometimes prefers flag over tackle.

"I like flag football because size doesn't matter, it doesn't matter how big or small you are," he said. "In tackle, if you're big, you play line, but here you can play anything you want in flag. I also like flag because I'm not getting hit a lot like I am in the fall, so my body is getting more rest."

Carlos Gandarilla's son Marco, 9, participants in both tackle and flag football.

"I want him to experience both sports," he said. "I don't like to pressure him, so it's whatever he wants to play."

Gandarilla said he has discussed the potential dangers of tackle football with Marco.

"There's been a lot of concussion studies and that's influenced what the parents are doing with their kids," he said. "A lot of parents fear concussions and I don't blame them. Football is a violent sport, but if it is coached right, it could be as safe as any other sport."

Gandarilla, who also coaches, said football is a different sport today.

"The players are faster, stronger and more athletic compared to years back," he said. "But the equipment has improved, too. I've been blessed to be around great coaches who taught me the proper way to play the game. I stress to my son that, yes, you have a helmet, but you can never use it as a weapon. He knows it's there to protect him."

Herrera watched his son Kobe go through drills as flags were waving in the air.

"It's a little concerning when you hear about the effects of concussions, but I still think this is the best game ever," Herrera said. "I wouldn't take away this opportunity from my son, if he wants to play it. I've talked to him about the possibilities of concussions, but that goes with any sport. It all comes down to the way they're being coached. That's the main reason I'm coaching here is so I can show them the right way."

Victor R. Martinez may be reached at 546-6128; vmartinez@elpasotimes.com; @vrmart on Twitter.