Perry’s 7th grade football team was a bit shorthanded at the start of this season.

According to Middle School Principal Shaun Kruger, only two students had signed up to play football at the beginning of the year. He said the middle school football numbers in Perry are down in general, but they never expected to have so few go out for the 7th grade team. To rectify the situation and make sure they could field a team this year, there was a unified effort among the coaches, teachers, and Activities Director Tom Lipovac.

Kruger said the coaches held a series of meetings to promote the program, and they were able to get more students to sign up. The teachers aided by helping transport the kids to athletic physicals while their parents were filling out forms. Kruger said it was a lot of work, but it paid off in the end. Superintendent Clark Wicks believes many parents have concerns about their children playing youth football, particularly the long-term effects of head injuries. However, he says there are constant efforts to make the game safer, and he feels football is presently no more dangerous than any other sport.