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Show Sporfsfacular Thursday, November Tam . mayhem. Prior to 1939 the football helmet was made of leather, mid the old scalp was considered part of die cushion on a Mow to the head. Blocking and tackling in those days was made from the sheuldere, where there was ample padding, and players tried to avoid direct contact with the head. Now a days a new style helmet weighing three of four pounds and costing upwards of $100.00 has provided footballers with a weapon, paralleling a bowling ball for use on the field . Hie helmet is ideal for ramming an opponent, but the skinny neck and spinal cord are not strong enough to withstand the awful force created in a collision. Injuriest occur in both directions from the battling rams. full-spee- d self-styl- , 1 979 Page mmy gM SmiciSes am Mgh sdhaoB? By Bliss Fullmer been reading some shocking facts about crippling injuries to football athletes. One source claims that one of every four high school players is injured in a season of football, and the rate goes up for college and professional football. While the knees are the most vuleraable point for injuries in football, the brain and spinal cord are of more concern. Every year, young men are paralyzed and-o- r killed, and blows to the head are causing the Ive 1 ed A lot of safety rules have been incorporated to protect the athletes. Spearing and Ramming have been outlawed by the rules committees of present-dafootball, but it still happens, whether on purpose or by accident There will always be injuries in football, because it is a contact sport. You cannot imagine how brutal it is y ILarsen more down on the field of battle. From the grand stands, we (Mi and AH" on a good tackle or block, but from the sidelines you hear the grunts and groans that go into those hits. You parents have become accustomed to the scrapes and bruises on the bodies of your sons (Unless they hide their injuries from you). You know that playing football has a price tag attached to it. A young man has got to know he will suffer some pain if he expects to play the game, and the hurt becomes more severe, the further he progresses in the game. In Roy Recreation football, there was only one disabling injury this fall. An eight year old broke his leg in the first game of the seaon, and was out for the year. ; , hkfSf In the two junior Boy, there woe three broken arms, a broksircfcle, a broken hand and several bruised ribs and sprained ankles that kept players out for at least one game and in some cases for the season. Albert Garcia of Roys sophomore team suffered a compression fracture to the upper part of his spine and was side-line- d for half the season, but plans to play next year. Blaze Bishop of the Roy J.V. team had a shoulder separation and kept him out of two games, and Gary Ashley was speared in his thigh with a helmet and missed three games. Chris Chun, Roys r, middle had a neck injury near the end of the season and by the doctor to miss the last two games, and Mike Jochim was injured in Roys game with Olympus; a broken collar bone ended his junior year of football. nor is it Football is not a game for the a game for young men who fail to prepare their bodies line-backe- was-advise- d faint-hearte- d, for the rugged sport. Physical Therapists and Doctors before getting insist that athletes be involved in football. Many injuries are prevented through an excellent program of stretching and exercising. I am convinced that there would have been many more injuries in Roy, had the teams not been in as good condition as they were, and I am also convinced that a more rigorous conditioning program would have prevented some of the injuries the Roy team suffered. Football is a dangerous sport; it is probably more dangerous than any other sport, but it is a great sport, and one I am encouraging my sons to play, if they Chances are they will be injured, as they climb the ladder of football participation, but there are lots of ways that growing boys can be injured. The odds of incurring a football injury are great, but so are the benefits to the youngsters. One writer suggested seven ways of preventing football injuries: 1 Stricter enforcement of the rule outlawing deliberate helmet kits. 2. Instruct officials to enforce ruling on late hits. 3. Toughen rules against blocking below the waist. 4. Standardize rules throughout game and give physicians and officials more say in making rules. 5. Insist on regular reporting of injuries to a central e. registry. 6. Monitor coaching practice to see that legal techniques are being taught. 7. Ensure that helmets and shoulder pads are properly fitted and make mouthpieces mandatory. So I say Lets continue to play football, but lets endeavor to make it a safer game for our young men. than happy about Wildcat SDD job Brad Larsen, Weber States newly appointed Sports Information Director, has found a home with the Wildcats. It was like a dream getting this job, and thats how much it means to me now. If I do the kind of job they want, I suppose I could be here for a long time, said Larsen. Coming to Weber was like a dream come true for Larsen, who has filled the post for the past few weeks after resigning from a similar position at Northern Iowa. Larsen replaced John Peterson. Larsens story of moving up the sports publicity ladder is similar to the Yankee bat boy who later e became New Yorks slugger. Brad lived and grew up in Logan, very near to Carl Flogus, Utah States first Sports Information Director. Reed Andreason also lived close by, Andreason later becoming the PA Director for the Aggies. As a youngster I can remember these guys always bringing home press guides and books about the Aggies. Those kind of things intrigued me as much as a major leaguer signing a bat for someone else, said Brad. At Logan High School, Brad eventually did color play He also served as with Andreasen on sports editor for the school newspaper. Upon his return from a mission to Pennsylvania for the L.D.S. Church, Larsen went to work with the present SID at USU, Craig Hislop. With the school paying his tuition that initial year in the field he knew it was for him, Larsen assisted Hislop from mundane press box duties to publicity work with the junior varsity basketball team. Brad worked hand in hand with Rod Tueller, the present Utah State head coach, in promoting J.V. basketball. Later in the year he specifically helped with the golf. Duties and responsibilities only seemed to mount as mopths went by. Utah State must have liked what Larsen was doing for them for it wasnt much after his third year as an assistant that they raised his income. It was timely also, for a young man who had just got all-tim- didnt have any place to work. The people in the Aggie ticket office let me have a break I can remember, he said. Again it was Peterson of Weber who notified him of another opening, this time at Northern Iowa. By the first of the year, N. Iowa had themselves an SID and Brad who never expected to start out on a top, was doing it the best way he knew how. I figured Id be at Northern Iowa for a few years then Id start looking for something bigger, but I nevpcdreamed that the Weber State job would open up. Not until Ted Simmons, the Big Sky SID came up to me at a National convention and tidd me that John might be Iraving. Gary Crompton called last August while I was on vacation back here and asked if I would be interested in applying. And believe me I was, said Larsen. Pauline (Summers), Brads wife, grew up in Clinton and attended Clearfield. Coming to Weber State was a coming back home. myself as I drove home along that I was really going to Weber, said Brad. Brad put it best about his feelings when he said, I dont look at this job as a stepping stone to biggei things. I love the Big Sky and Ogden so I dont ever see a reason for leaving. About his job, Larsen said, I guess Im a person who doesnt like to be bored with my job. This job gives like I had to keep pinching me the challenge of doing something different every day. Its not an 8 to 5 job, sometimes its 70 hours a week. My wife knows that and she accepts it. Dream for SID is-v A SID, whoever he usually lives and dies with each athletic program. And as Larsen said, its hard not to be a cheerleader. But a dream for any SID is when a national or , Continuod on Pag 5 Aggie-broadcast- married. Upon his graduation in 78, Larsen sent out applications to schools all over the United States and specifically in the West. He was a finalist for an assistant job at Stanford University but his highest hopes probably rested with the chances of getting a job at Montana State. The MSU opening had been brought to his attention by Weber State's Peterson, which inddently wouldnt be the last time he would help in finding an opening. Larsen called it the low point of his life when he reached being a finalist for the MSU job and didnt make it. We had just had our first baby and I really MAD LARSEN, (right), Wobor State s new Sports Information Director goes over some details with Weber State's Athletic Director, Gary Crompton. i |