Why Football at Bradford? 

With the enhanced Athletic Complex and new conferences, we feel this is the right time to consider a football program. Our goal is also to provide an enhanced opportunity for students to enjoy a comprehensive high school experience. Football may play a role in the future realignment of athletics. The concern is that In the smaller classifications, there is a worry about the impact of non-football schools and the equity of making the playoffs.

Student Life and Community

Football is the most played sport by HS Boys and has the highest participation rates of all sports tracked by the NFHS. Football can be played by both boys and girls, and rosters for schools our size may include 30-40 student-athletes. There will be additional opportunities for more students that will have the chance to participate in: Cheerleading, Dance/Drill Team, Color Guard, Marching/Pep bands, and more! We will be able to cultivate an inclusive and exciting school culture by offering a concession area for teams and clubs to get volunteer hours and help the Boosters and also to cheer on classmates in the student section for the games!

The allure of the Friday night light experience continues to play a role in the students' conversations. As a K-12 school, we work to provide the best experience. Students describe High School football as an American icon and an important part of the High school experience. Bradford students share with us that Student life plays a role in their decision to stay through graduation or choose to go to their neighborhood schools. We believe that Bradford is a phenomenal school and want to give students every opportunity to stay and be a Bradford Graduate!

What will it cost to start a Football Program?
The start-up cost for a football program is approximately $30,000 for the MS Team and $30,000 for the HS.
These costs include helmets, pads, equipment, and uniforms. Our research shows that once the program is up and running, the ongoing costs will be covered by ticket revenue and standard athletic fees. Fundraising and Sponsorship opportunities will be available.

Health Benefits & Injuries.
1. Health benefits: Football is a fast-moving game with a lot of variety. Players run, jump, quickly change direction, and stop and start, which improves cardiovascular health. Practice drills, complex running routes, and defensive techniques all encourage speed, strength, and stamina. And these activities also engage motor skills, specifically hand, and eye coordination. Plus, a recent study found that playing football has positive effects on bone strength.

There are many health benefits, but there is also the potential risk of injury.

Football injuries, especially head injuries, are trending down. Coaches with proper education and training are teaching safer tackling techniques and have altered practices with greatly reduced and limited full-contact drills. Many High School programs today will never practice with full contact during the week. Coach and player education on head injuries has improved, and protective equipment is more advanced.

Spring and Fall 2023 Plans.

Flag Football
Accessibility: Flag football is an incredibly inclusive sport and opens the doors to many players, including female athletes. In fact, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)launched the first college-sanctioned women’s flag football league in the spring of 2021.

Learn the fundamentals: There’s a common myth that flag football doesn’t prepare kids for tackle football—and that simply isn’t true. The basic fundamentals taught in flag football directly transfer to tackle, including catching, throwing, formations, routes, and defensive skills. For example, the way defensive players are required to square up their bodies and align their heads and knees is the exact positioning needed to physically tackle an opponent.
We are excited to open our athletic complex with Battle4Bradford Flag Football in May 2023. This series will give our Lower and Upper School students the opportunity to experience the complex this school year. Additionally, we will run a full Battle4Bradfrod flag football league for lower, middle, and upper school in the fall.