Student participation in elementary school football in the Diocese of Columbus has dropped, but some Columbus-based Catholics who are passionate about the sport want to bring the numbers back up.

Between 2009 and 2019, the number of students playing diocesan elementary school football dropped more than 50 percent, reflecting a decline in all diocesan sports involvement.

“There are a multitude of reasons why participation has decreased,” said Ben Lamielle, football coach at Hilliard St. Brendan.

But the number of students who played football this season is up over last year. In 2022, six teams played at the varsity level (Grades 7-8) and seven in a senior reserve league (Grades 5-6). Flag football also is offered for fourth- and fifth-graders. Some teams consist of students from two or more schools.

“I absolutely love the game of football,” said Daniel Kurth, coach of the combined St. Andrew, Immaculate Conception (IC) and Our Lady of Peace seventh- and eighth-grade team. “It made an enormous impact on my life.” Kurth cited toughness, perseverance and sacrifice as qualities football helped him develop.

“I was also fortunate enough to have coaches that emphasized our Catholic faith and pastors who cared enough about the sport and community to come to our games and even practices,” he said. “This helped me relate to my faith on a more tangible level and helped me get to know our priests as men.”

Kurth and Lamielle, along with coaches Drew Purcell of Columbus St. Timothy and Jack Elgin of Westerville St. Paul, have come together to increase interest in diocesan football. “Drew and Ben run free speed and conditioning training sessions at St. Andrew during the summertime that

anyone can attend,” Kurth said. In the spring, Kurth “went into the schools and spoke about (the football) program and all the opportunities for fun and development football gives to young men.”

Other attempts to increase interest and support in the game have included open houses for younger grades, skills and drills camps during the summer, team pep talks from high school players and coaches and special practices – one for cheerleaders and another for players’ mothers – to encourage fellowship and teach plays to the teams’ supporters.

“While I haven’t seen the participation numbers for this season,” Lamielle said, “I’m confident that it’s increased.”

In addressing parents’ concerns about injuries, especially concussions, he said the coaches have been emphasizing safety. “All of the programs in the diocese are USA Football certified, which means every single coach is up to date with the latest guidelines and coaching recommendations in regard to player safety.”

Updated equipment, practicing methods and injury management procedures all reflect an increased emphasis on safety. “I grew up playing football in the ’90s,” Lamielle said, “and how we do things today is so much safer and better for the kids.”

Lamielle added that he and the other coaches have been promoting flag football for younger grades to “present them with a fun experience that eases them into contact.”

“It’s not just about increasing participation, it’s about making sure we give our families a great experience.” He noted the enjoyment he gets from coaching at St. Brendan, praising the players and their parents and saying his goal is to ensure “the experience that diocesan football offers is well organized, allows players and teams to grow and thrive and is safe, fun and deeply rooted in our faith.”

Kurth, who played football at St. Andrew, said he was “blessed to … learn how to lead a football program from former coaches like Ed Niper and Wally Theado.” Niper and Theado, who

coached at IC and St. Andrew, respectively, have since retired. “I am really trying to take the amazing foundation that the two of them helped build and take it forward to the next generation of young men,” Kurth said.

He also mentioned the good relationships among his coaching staff, including his younger brother Thomas and several men Kurth graduated with from high school: Eric Hard, Conor Sullivan, CJ Steele and Thomas Vaccaro. “I think the kids (on the team) can see how much all the coaches … genuinely like each other, and that rubs off on the tone of our practices tending to be more upbeat and fun.”

The coaches noted that the priority of the Columbus diocese elementary football program is not so much winning games as it is forming men. According to Theado, who coached for 42 years, “We said all along that (the team) is an extension of our homes. We said we would treat these boys as we treat our own kids, (leading them) from adolescence to adulthood.”

The last regular-season game for the league was Sunday, Oct. 16, with the playoffs to follow. For more information on the program, contact commissioner Julius Palazzo at [email protected].