MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TackleBar™, LLC today announced that it has entered into a partnership with the Minnesota Vikings, in a joint effort to further the adoption of its innovative approach to the game of football. TackleBar Football launched in 2016 with its flagship product, the TackleBar™ Harness, which is already being used in multiple youth leagues around Minnesota and throughout the nation to promote proper tackling technique while reducing the risk of concussions and other injuries.
“The Vikings organization has been very supportive of our mission to create a more appealing version of youth football that encourages increased participation in the sport we all love,” said TackleBar CEO, Tim Healy. “The latest result of this support is a full sponsorship of our third and fourth grade leagues in Cottage Grove, Minnesota.”
TackleBar Football was involved in multiple youth football camps at the Vikings practice facility this past summer, and there will be additional TackleBar games played at Winter Park this fall, in conjunction with the Vikings of Tomorrow youth football program. The new sponsorship will provide TackleBar Harnesses for more than 100 kids in Cottage Grove, a suburb located just east of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
“Although TackleBar Football is still very new, we’ve had several opportunities to see it in action,” said Vikings Youth Football Manager and former Pro Bowl linebacker E.J. Henderson. “We support any effort to make the game safer at all levels and believe this unique approach can help teach kids the important fundamentals for tackle football while keeping them safe throughout that learning process.”
TackleBar Football is designed to facilitate safe contact and sound fundamentals while maintaining game speed and discipline. Players wear a TackleBar harness around the midsection, which includes two removable foam bars held in the lower back area. Players must track and engage with proper tackling fundamentals to wrap the ball carrier and rip off one of the foam bars. This design teaches players to utilize the recommended shoulder tackling technique, dramatically reducing injuries that occur when tackling players to the ground.
“I can definitely relate to all the parents out there who are concerned about signing their kids up for football, which is why we were inspired to create this approach,” said Brigid Ling, co-founder of TackleBar Football and mother of four. “This is an important innovation at a time when we need to make the game safer, yet exciting for both parents and kids.”
TackleBar Football is currently in use in several youth leagues in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio and the Dakotas. Additionally, several high schools and summer camps are utilizing TackleBar equipment for scrimmages and non-tackle practices. For more information and to see TackleBar Football in action, visit https://tacklebar.com.
About TackleBar Football
The mission of TackleBar Football
is to dramatically reduce both head injuries and all other injuries
related to tackling, while at the same time preserving the tradition and
spirit of the game. The TackleBar harness is designed to promote proper
defensive fundamentals and heads up play. TackleBar Football is
currently being implemented in youth leagues throughout the nation and
is available for purchase at www.tacklebar.com.
