During a week in which a landmark deal between ESPN and the NFL was struck that will reshape how America watches its most popular sport, a town of about 12,000 residents in Bergen County may be left with no football at all — at least at the youth level.
The Wallington Jr. Panthers, a community cornerstone since 1974, might not field teams this season because of a shortage of players and volunteer coaches. It has not only left organizers and parents frantically recruiting to save the teams, but also forced them to confront the reality facing their youth: They have myriad ways to entertain themselves and a contact sport with health risks is taking a backseat. From 2019-23, tackle football participation in the United States decreased 5% for ages 6-12 as flag football increased by 16%, according to data analyzed by the Aspen Institute.
“My initial reaction to hearing we don’t have enough kids signed up was heartbreak,” said Tyler Patrisso, 25, an alum of the youth program and a current coach. “Wallington football has always meant more than just the game. It’s been a tradition, a family and a place where young athletes grow into strong, confident young men.”
On Monday night, the program’s board of directors posted a letter to Facebook that detailed the dire situation facing all of its teams (ages 5-13). The program seemingly has days to decide its fate for a season that begins in September.
Richard Ray, president of the nonprofit Wallington Jr. Football program, told NJ Advance Media this week that he has taken a grassroots approach — from hosting a coed flag football clinic in the spring to leaving fliers around town to walking up to kids playing pick-up football.
But it has not been enough, and he’s heard a common refrain: “My mom and dad say that I can’t play because it’s too dangerous,” Ray said.
“The professionals get the spotlight, and people see the big hits and the response to injuries on the field on television. They can’t associate that with youth sports. In every sport, there are injuries, but it’s what we do in youth sports to prevent those injuries. We spend a lot of time, money and effort teaching these kids the safest way to play this sport so that injuries are prevented.”
Ray explains to parents that safety comes first. Coaches complete CPR training, concussion awareness programs and background checks, and kids use the most up-to-date equipment and learn proper techniques. In his 12 years with the program, he’s only seen one serious injury (non-contact).
“A lot of our practice is spent not just teaching plays, but teaching these kids how to tackle, how to tackle the right way,” the coach said. “If you’re going to get tackled, how to get tackled so that injuries are preventable.”
Ray said that if the program doesn’t have enough players, it’ll reach out to neighboring towns to see if they would take their players. If that doesn’t work, Wallington could run clinics and scrimmages by itself.
Patrisso hopes it doesn’t have to get to that point. He wants kids to share similar memories to him; he still remembers a win against undefeated Rutherford in 2010 to reach the Super Bowl — “the whole town covered the field and bleachers.” Those moments pushed him to come back as an adult and coach at the peewee level. Now, he teaches the same tenets of respect, teamwork, discipline and accountability that he learned years ago as a player.
But the reality of the situation became apparent for Patrisso during a recent practice with the 8- and 9-year-old team when one of the six players had a question.
“Our quarterback, David, asked if this was all the players we had. It stunk to have to answer that and see the look on their faces,” Patrisso said. “It would really be disappointing to see them not get that chance at having a brotherhood and the memories they could miss out on.”
Parents of players echo that sentiment.
Jenn Swinston helps run the cheerleading squads and has two sons who have been playing in the Wallington youth football system since they were 5 years old. Now they are 11 and 8, respectively.
“My kids are really upset at the thought of possibly not having a football season,” Swinston said. “They’ve been looking forward to it all summer, and it means so much to them. It’s more than just a game. It gives them something to be excited about, to work for and to be proud of.”
One of those legacies extends into high school, a level whose participation remains strong, according to Wallington Athletic Director Charles Vellis, but is at risk of being disrupted with fewer kids involved. Wallington Jr. officials say 90% of the high school team comes from the youth pipeline.
“We’re a blue-collar community, so a sport like football fits in well with the landscape of the town,” Vellis said. If you walk into our locker room, we have pictures all over the place of players from the past and future junior football players. The people of this community are tough-nosed people, and that’s what makes a good football player, specifically, and this program fits right into the mold of our landscape.”
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Chris Franklin may be reached atcfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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