Bob Wiggins never had anyone take a screw driver or an air pump to the “ice cream bucket” on his head as a football player.
Wiggins, the coaching coordinator for Vernon Minor Football, checks the inside helmet padding to make sure it’s snug against a player’s head; his screwdriver is at the ready to make sure the helmet and its apparatuses are tight, not loose; he has a pump to make sure the helmet is properly inflated; he will tug the helmet one way with the face mask, to see how much, if any, movement there is with the head, then tug the other way.
When Wiggins is satisfied the Schutt helmet – one of two big-name brands of helmets used by pro, college, junior and minor football programs – is properly fitted, off goes the player to join his team at the pre-season workouts at Hillview Elementary School Tuesday and Thursday nights.
“The process of fitting player to helmet is the longest process of dress we have,” said Wiggins, 67, a retired aircraft maintenance engineer who started playing football in St. John’s, Nfld. 60 years ago, and remains heavily involved in the game as a coach and official.
“It takes me sometimes 10 minutes if I’m lucky, but I have spent 35-to-45 minutes with one kid getting the right fit to make sure they’re comfortable and there’s no head movement.
“The shoulder pads are second; they have to cover the breast bone and rotator cuff, and then comes the rest.”
Commitment to player safety is paramount for Vernon Minor Football, particularly when it comes to a players’ noggin.
All of its coaches have completed the required National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) concussion awareness courses, medical training and coaching clinics.
“Every game and practice is monitored by certified medical personnel,” said Lee-Ann Ehman, president of Vernon Minor Football.
“We also ensure that we have the safest equipment that is kept up to date with certifications.”
Concussion incidents, said Ehman and Wiggins, were down 98 per cent from last year including high school and community football.
“There’s two reasons for that,” said Wiggins. “One is the way we have to teach tackling and blocking, which is no head contact. It’s full chest-plate contact which eliminates head-to-head contact and is mandated by the NCCP.
“The other is the field at Greater Vernon Athletics Park (which opened last year and where Vernon Minor Football plays its home games Sunday afternoon). It’s phenomenal. The field has eliminated a lot of the after-impact hit as a person is going down and their head hits the field. It’s absorbed though the cork (in the field).”
Minor football uses a concussion protocol program called Making Headway.
If a player is suspected of having a concussion, the player comes off the field and goes through a strict protocol before it can be deemed if he or she can return to the playing field.
“I’ve told all my coaches to err on the side of caution, that’s it,” said Wiggins. “I don’t care if you lose a game because the best player is out. Let’s save the child, that’s the important thing.”
First-time parents of minor football players have heard horror stories associated with football, football hits and resulting concussions.
Jen Webber watched one of her three sons suffer a serious concussion in hockey, so had some trepidation when her youngest son, seven, signed up for minor football, especially when he’s in a division playing with kids two years older.
“Bob made sure that all of the equipment fit, and fit right,” said Webber. “The great thing is he’s at every practice and if there’s any equipment issues, he can adjust it. I feel really good about things now.”
Said Wiggins: “I’ll educate parents as much as I can. There have been massive changes in the sport.”
In his playing career, Wiggins said he’s not aware of receiving any major concussions, though he played in the trenches of the offensive line. If he did, he said, they were such minor ones and it’s not anything that reared its ugly head in his later life.
The equipment he had, he said, was like “wearing an ice cream bucket on your head compared to what players have today.”
Vernon Minor Football still has room for players in each of its three divisions: atom, pee wee and junior bantam.
“Each player is taught the value of safety on the field as well as safe tackling techniques whether you’re seven or 15,” said Ehman. “We invite all players new or returning to come learn how to play safe in community football.”
Minor football is also looking for sponsorship from businesses and organizations. Any questions regarding safety or sponsorships can be directed to Wiggins at 250-558-5094.
