About USA Football
USA Football is an organisation dedicated to making the game of football safer for participants, coaches and fans. Their mission is to, "Lead the game's development, inspire participation, and ensure a positive experience for all youth, high school, and other amateur players."
Endowed by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002, USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association and manages U.S. national teams for international competition. USA Football is a non-profit organization that leads the development of the game through educational programs and innovative resources. USA Football also annually awards $1 million in equipment grants and subsidizes league volunteer background checks.
USA Football accomplishes their mission by educating coaches, parents, and players on prevention of injury, their big focus currently is on concussion prevention. They have developed a system of tackling called Heads Up Tackling that is specifically designed to teach athletes how to use their body to tackle, not their head. The system breaks tackling down into a few distinct steps, The Breakdown (bringing one's body under control), The Buzz (chopping one's feet quickly), The Hit (positioning one's body to make contact, not the crown of the head), The Shoot (using one's hips to explode into the target), and The Rip (throwing one's arms into the target to secure the tackle). For a more detailed explanation see USA Football's how to tackle page by clicking here.
USA Football also understands an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. They emphasize proper equipment fitting for their athletes and have specific videos designed to show coaches how to do just that. When I was a boy our youth football equipment fitting was held in a shed where the coaches and administration pulled out gear and gave it to us. This process has gotten a little more complex and technical. USA Football does a wonderful job educating youth coaches on the proper means with to fit equipment for an example on proper helmet fitting please click here.
USA Football has a desire to educate coaches, players, and their families about football and how to compete safely and effectively. Much of their work is designed to ensure the safety of the athletes participating. USA Football has several certifications a coach and his or her staff can gain each designed to educate on ways to protect an athlete from injury. A link to their certifications can be found here.
Endowed by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002, USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association and manages U.S. national teams for international competition. USA Football is a non-profit organization that leads the development of the game through educational programs and innovative resources. USA Football also annually awards $1 million in equipment grants and subsidizes league volunteer background checks.
USA Football accomplishes their mission by educating coaches, parents, and players on prevention of injury, their big focus currently is on concussion prevention. They have developed a system of tackling called Heads Up Tackling that is specifically designed to teach athletes how to use their body to tackle, not their head. The system breaks tackling down into a few distinct steps, The Breakdown (bringing one's body under control), The Buzz (chopping one's feet quickly), The Hit (positioning one's body to make contact, not the crown of the head), The Shoot (using one's hips to explode into the target), and The Rip (throwing one's arms into the target to secure the tackle). For a more detailed explanation see USA Football's how to tackle page by clicking here.
USA Football also understands an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. They emphasize proper equipment fitting for their athletes and have specific videos designed to show coaches how to do just that. When I was a boy our youth football equipment fitting was held in a shed where the coaches and administration pulled out gear and gave it to us. This process has gotten a little more complex and technical. USA Football does a wonderful job educating youth coaches on the proper means with to fit equipment for an example on proper helmet fitting please click here.
USA Football has a desire to educate coaches, players, and their families about football and how to compete safely and effectively. Much of their work is designed to ensure the safety of the athletes participating. USA Football has several certifications a coach and his or her staff can gain each designed to educate on ways to protect an athlete from injury. A link to their certifications can be found here.
My Mentor
I first met Russ in the summer of 2012 at the 2012 International Bowl. We were in Texas and the heat was well into the 90s. Russ and I were sitting next to each other on a bench that was the only shaded area for what felt like miles. And on occasion, the locker room door would open and you would get a blast of cold air from inside. It was the only moderately comfortable place near the football field. We met again that winter at a development week, again in Texas. Each time, we discussed working together in an internship role. We began out intern mentor relationship early this spring and I was sent out to work at USA Football's Regional Development Camps. Attached is Russ' professional accomplishments.