Perry football head coach Matt Hardy doesn’t only have his eyes on the upcoming season which starts one week from today, but he also is paying close attention to youth football in the city of Perry. With local schools Dallas Center Grimes, Norwalk and ADM shifting to soft helmets and limited pads from traditional full padded football or even flag football, Hardy is analyzing what the best route to go for Perry will be.
“Yeah, I’m certainly taking a look at the options. I do feel that 11 on 11 full padded football is probably too much for even 6th graders. I know ADM has been talking about trying something different so we’re looking at all options. I plan on talking with some community members and get their feeling and go from there.”
Currently in Perry, the McCreary Center offers flag football for 2nd through 6th grade, with 7th graders playing full pad, 11 on 11 tackle football for the junior high. Numbers are extremely low for 7th grade right now and Hardy knows recruitment efforts to bring more kids to football at a younger age are essential for the survival of the sport at Perry.