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Seattle hopes tackling video helps teach basics

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — At some point during this past offseason, Pete Carroll decided it was time to make a movie, and it had nothing to do with the Seattle Seahawks winning their first Super Bowl.

Carroll had followed closely the initiatives with USA Football’s “Heads Up Football” program to teach young football players the proper techniques for tackling without getting injured. The program has received wide support from the NFL, but Carroll felt there was something there that he could add.

So the coach that once led a college program just a few miles from Hollywood decided to make a film about tackling.

“I thought we had something that could complement their effort,” Carroll said. “That’s a really nice way of saying I thought we had a better way to help them. We’re teaching kids football. It’s something that we’ve done for a long time.”

The video produced by Carroll and his staff is based around the premise of tackling with the shoulder and taking the head out of the equation. It lasts a little more than 20 minutes, showing technique, drills and game-action examples of how the Seahawks put these tackling fundamentals to use.

Once it was done, Carroll’s video quickly caught the attention of the NFL as another way to keep the game safe without taking away any more of the physicality.

“We’ve had a lot of cut ups but we never have put it together in that kind of fashion,” Carroll said. “We knocked it out in a couple days and put it out there. It got a lot of play I guess, a lot of people saw it; I hope it helps.”

What Seattle is teaching is not drastically different than what’s been preached in the past, aside from an emphasis on trying to not have the head involved.

The Seahawks’ tackling philosophy is that they use leverage and targets on the body of the ball carrier to tackle with their shoulders. Seattle has taken away the old idea of making sure the head of a would-be tackler must get across the face of the ball carrier.

Instead, by targeting the near hip or chest of the ball carrier with the shoulder, wrapping up and then rolling through the tackle, the head stays out of the process.

“I think it makes us more effective. This is the whole thing we talk about having a tackling plan,” said Rocky Seto, the Seahawks defensive passing game coordinator who instructed much of the video.

“When you are clear how you’re going to tackle, ‘I’m going to hit the guy with my right shoulder, whether it’s high or low and I’m going to track his hip and follow his hip until I make contact with him.’ Where before I have to think, ‘How is he moving, I have to get my hat across.’ There were more variables there. I think it’s helped us become way more effective as tacklers.”

Seto is right. According to STATS, Inc., the Seahawks were remarkably efficient during the 2013 regular season giving up just 22 broken tackles.

“I think a lot of tutorial and instruction came from our season just the different type of tackles that we showed during the season,” Seattle safety Kam Chancellor said.

“We always preach that we’re a shoulder tackling team, tracking the near hip, tracking the near (pectoral) and tackle with the shoulder.”

The idea for actually producing an instructional video started a few seasons ago when a football coach from England was visiting the Seahawks during the offseason and noted Seattle’s tackling technique was essentially the equivalent of a rugby tackle.

It was a realization for Seto and made him want to know more. How can rugby players tackle with efficiency and power, but avoid injury to the head?

That led to meetings and minor tweaks to how they teach. The Seahawks staff spent time with Waisale Serevi, formerly one of the top rugby players in the world who is trying to grow the game in America and lives in the Seattle area.

The video created by the Seahawks has rugby cuts spliced throughout to show the similarities between the tackling they are teaching and the tackling found in rugby.

“It really helped validate what we’ve been teaching. … It was more ‘Cool, we’ve been on it.'” Seto said. “Thank God we’ve been on the right track. These guys have been doing it for years and years.”

Carroll said an important validation of the video was getting a call of support from John Madden. Carroll also spoke with Commissioner Roger Goodell about the video, and health and safety officials with the league were impressed with the techniques being taught. Seto said he’s been contacted about putting on youth clinics next offseason.

“This is what I told coach (Carroll), with all the national championships and Super Bowl and stuff we’ve been able to achieve, I think this is going to be our greatest impact for the sport. I really do,” Seto said. “Someone is going to win every year. That’s great. But how do we keep the game going. I think this is going to be one of coach Carroll’s biggest legacies in my opinion.”

___

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Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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