The Dublin Football League (DFL) will enter its 28th season this fall, offering age-appropriate recreation football for Dublin area children in grades K-6.
Over the years, the league has become an important part of life in Dublin for many families.
“The league started back in 1990 to offer recreation-style football for Dublin residents,” says Jeff Galvin, president of the DFL board of directors.
Galvin, whose son is just starting in the league, has been a DFL coach for 20 years.
The league focuses on a safe and fun football experience for its players, and Galvin says that begins with the all-volunteer coaching staff.
“Most of our coaches are dads, and most played college or professional football,” he says.
All coaches are required to earn certification through USA Football’s Heads Up Football program. Additionally, coaches must receive concussion training and undergo thorough background checks.
To set its players up for success, the league works to teach them the fundamentals, and limits the amount of contact during practices. Both of these standards help reduce the risk of sustaining a concussion.
To further its dedication to safety, DFL has partnered with Peak Human Performance, a local athletic training facility. Peak Human Performance provides skill camps and developmentally-appropriate training for DFL players to ensure that each athlete avoids injury and learns the skills necessary to compete.
In order to make participation available to all young people, the league also offers scholarships, funded by local businesses, to offset participation costs for families. To guarantee safety, the league only uses top-of-the-line equipment, and that comes at a price. The registration fee includes helmets, shoulder pads and game jerseys. Helmets and shoulder pads are inspected yearly and must meet Ohio High School Athletic Association standards.
Each spring, the league holds free camps to introduce non-contact fundamentals and practice drills. The camps are held at the three Dublin high schools and are conducted by each school’s coaches and players. Because many of the high school players once participated in the league, it is a chance for them to give back and further entrench the program in the community.
One look at the league’s list of prominent alumni should be enough to give current DFL players plenty of motivation. Past participants in the league include former The Ohio State University players such as offensive lineman Mike Adams, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears, and tight end Jake Stoneburner, who played for the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins.
The league’s most famous former player is quarterback Brady Quinn. Quinn starred in college at Notre Dame University and was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft.
The league aims to provide opportunities for kids within Dublin City Schools, but opens registration to other communities if space allows. Registration runs from March through July, and the first practices begin Aug. 1. Teams of 15-18 players typically practice two or three times each week, and games take place on September and October weekends.
The leagues progress from flag football to mini-tackle for kindergarten through grade 2, and steadily move to more tackling in the junior and senior leagues for grades 3-6. More than 600 athletes participate in DFL programs, which also include rugby in the spring and cheerleading in the fall.
Concussion Education
SportsBrain, a Dublin-based company providing concussion education, baseline concussion testing and post-injury care, provides the following information regarding concussion for coaches, players and families.
Recognize. Provide education and baseline concussion testing to ensure concussion awareness and provide a medical guideline should an injury occur.
Report. Provide clear and concise medical reports in regard to symptoms and brain functions.
Recover. Provide a system to guide and track an athlete’s progress toward a safe post-concussion return-to-play and return-to-learn.
Responsibility. Providing a complete concussion management program involves a team effort that includes coaches, players and parents.
Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion:
- Appearing dazed or stunned
- Confusion
- Answering questions or responding slowly
- Change in personality
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Balance issues
- Blurry vision
- Fatigue
- Light and/or noise sensitivity
- Numbness or tingling
- Not thinking clearly
- Irritability
- Trouble concentrating
Bob Valasek is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Dublin City Schools – High School Varsity Schedules
All games begin at 7 p.m. Home games in bold.
Dublin Jerome High School
08.25.2017 Logan High School
09.01.2017 Pickerington High School North
09.08.2017 Olentangy Orange High School
09.15.2017 Dublin Scioto High School
09.22.2017 Hilliard Darby High School (Homecoming)
09.29.2017 Thomas Worthington High School
10.06.2017 Rutherford B. Hayes High School
10.13.2017 Hilliard Bradley High School
10.20.2017 Bishop Watterson High School
10.27.2017 Worthington Kilbourne High School (Senior Night)
Dublin Scioto High School
08.25.2017 Westerville South High School
09.01.2017 Dublin Coffman High School
09.08.2017 Big Walnut High School
09.15.2017 Dublin Jerome High School
09.22.2017 Rutherford B. Hayes High School
09.29.2017 Hilliard Bradley High School
10.06.2017 Worthington Kilbourne High School (Homecoming/Hard Road)
10.13.2017 Logan High School
10.20.2017 Thomas Worthington High School
10.27.2017 Hilliard Darby High School (Senior Night)
Dublin Coffman High School
08.17.2017 Westerville Central High School
08.25.2017 Perrysburg High School
09.01.2017 Dublin Scioto High School
09.15.2017 Olentangy High School
09.22.2017 Gahanna Lincoln High School
09.29.2017 Marysville High School (Homecoming)
10.06.2017 Central Crossing High School
10.13.2017 Hilliard Davidson High School
10.20.2017 Westland High School
10.27.2017 Upper Arlington High School
