Kamloops football community says contact in practice is necessary
KAMLOOPS — A week after the CFL instituted no pads, no contact in practice, the Kamloops football community is responding, saying it hopes the rule doesn’t trickle down to the amateur level.
SouthKam football head coach J.P Lancaster agrees with the CFL eliminating contact in practices, citing they are world-class athletes that know what they’re doing. But he said athletes are in greater danger if they are not taught proper contact, and so contact in practice, he noted, is critical at the high school level.
“My big concern about making the game safe is learning to tackle properly, so that when you’re in the heat of the game your instincts kick in and your form’s correct,” said Lancaster. “If you were to eliminate all contact in practices at the high school level, you get these kids under the lights on Friday and they haven’t repped it out enough.”