The Hawaiʻi Concussion Awareness Management Program (HCAMP) in the UH Mānoa College of Education Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science (KRS) recently held two all-day clinics for youth football coaches on Kauaʻi and Oʻahu. Youth players offered on-field demonstrations of fitness techniques and helmetless tackling training (HuTT®808).

“The workshops were very successful with about 160-170 coaches affiliated with Junior Prep Sports (JPS) in attendance,” said Erik Swartz, HCAMP Director and Gary O. Galiher Endowed Professor. “HCAMP has been providing concussion education and awareness to JPS stakeholders and coaches for 10 years. This is the first coaches’ clinic that was done with the overall objective of improving safety, wellness, and culture in youth football.”

The purpose of Junior Prep Sports Coach Workshop: Safety, Wellness, and Culture is to provide annual training and certification for concussion and heat illness, review important game rules and points of emphasis for player safety, and provide cutting edge information on best practices in supporting a positive culture in youth football, which includes age-appropriate conditioning and blocking.

Session topics included emergency preparedness for serious and life-threatening injuries that meet annual state certification requirements; creating a positive and safe team culture for youth athletes; strategies on reducing head impact exposures in youth football; and preseason as well as in-season age-appropriate strength and conditioning drills and exercises.

HCAMP Staff:
Director Erik Swartz
Project Manager Troy Furutani
Staff Psychologist Jamie Higa

UH Mānoa Athletics Strength and Conditioning Staff:
Tommy Heffernan
Tanner Hull
Trevor Sackmann

Additional Presenters:
Sean McDonnell – “Coach Mac” is two-time Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year
Greg Taguchi – Health and Physical Education Department Chairperson at Kalani High School
Scott Melemai – Social Studies Teacher at Kalani High School and football coach for more than 20 years