USA Football Magazine Issue 12 Winter 2010

8/8/2019 USA Football Magazine Issue 12 Winter 2010

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http://www.usafootball.com/resource-center/coaching/clinicshttp://www.usafootball.com/resource-center/coaching/clinics


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contents issue 12 winter 2010

CoaChing

12 Art of rushing the passerK QB p fm nFL,

school and youth football minds

By Alex Fink

3 Qck-h gd

4 s rd:g Busa Fbll Cc Mmb dvlp

and excels

By Alex Fink

5 w if?

usa Fbll Cc Mmb thoughts about selecting assistant

coaches

By Alex Fink

heaLth & saFety

6 usa Fbll m u.s. h JdcCommitteeexcv Dc sc hllbck

represents youth football community

By Michael Kuebler

7 usa Fbll c c-c dc

CoMMissioners

8 r f d leaguesL pl d, mpl c-

q c pl & fml

By Alex Fink

usa Fbll rlM

h t g t M Fmy FdBy Tim Polzer

Bckd cck v

peace of mindL cmm pc pl

lp fm usa Fbll & nCsi

By Alex Fink

y l cplz usa Fbll s FmBy Alex Fink

3 usa Fbll g Pmstrengthens the sport in40-plus statesBy Alex Fink

oFFiCiating

4 usa Fbll LMf F BlBy Alex Fink

6 M usa Fbll Mmb:D sBy Alex Fink

F Cv

Photos By shawn huBBarD

Cc d cf usa Fbll

2009 g B Cc scl, pd

b Pck. Cck cc

cl cdl p. 10.

Photo by Scott LVeque, uSa footbaLL

Features

6 tm usa v. t wldgm f J. 3usa Fbll J nl tm

fc ld b s Fld

By Michael Kuebler

insiDe sLants

4 Kickoff

M usa Fbll sff Mmb:

shedrick taylor, Member service Coordinao

w Fbll t M s

By Nicole Lukosius

8 w Fbll t M:

Bll hmm, FoX n

By Steve Alic
http://www.gatorade.com/


3/28
http://www.gatorade.com/


4/28

Kickoff

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Scott Hallenbeck

Usa Football

editorial staFF

M ed

Steve alicCb:

brian Feener, alex Fink,

MicHael kuebler, bill lMonnier,

Scott lveque, nicole lukoSiuS,

tiM Polzer, SHedrick taylor,

JiMMy tHoMaS

t cc usa Fbll:

(703) 918-0007

traCtion media staFF

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rudy J. klancnik

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tiM Polzer

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williaM bridgeFortH

tc Md

Editorial Offices

trn trl.

Grlnd, tX

[email protected]

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(972) 896-8006

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(972) 898-8585

USA Football Magazineis published by

tc Md, LLC. all vd.

tc Md d ccp lcd

mcp. Pbl m

responsibility for return of unsolicited

mcp . n p f mz

m b pd dplcd

pm f d.

Dr Rdrs,

Wlm irs USA Football Magazine dlivrd in digil rm.

t srv r, r mgzin nw rnsss ll pnil inrn nd

sll.m kp inrmd r llw mmrs nd uSa fll nws ms

imprn .

Spking nws, rs pln vr r.

frs in r minds r mmris nr gr ssn; mmris md

lls s, mmissinrs, gm iils, prns nd plrs. as w knw, r is

n -ssn r s w pwr spr n

nd mr lvls. Is im g rd r 2010.

or m rginl mngrs nd r nn-pri

i s is inspird mk pming ssn

r s d. S Ldrsip frms (pg. 22) r

nw ndrw. and rgisrin rg sll.m

r cing Sls nd Plr admis is nw pn.

uSa flls 2010 Jnir Ninl tm will

Wrld Sl m in f. Ldrdl, fl. n Jn. 30. NfL

Nwrk will lvis 12 p.m. et gm ring p

ig sl-gd ll plrs rm nin nris

spnning r ninns. ck pgs 6-9 r mr

n is xiing mp wiin r grwing gll -

ll mmni.

or ipmn grn prgrm (pg. 23) wrdd

$1 millin in nw ipmn nd pprl mr n 800 nd ig sl prgrms

in 44 ss in is winr. uSa flls ssidizd kgrnd k prgrm (pg. 21),

pring r kids in ig gins sxl prdrs, s prvn n invll

rsr nd nins vill vr lg rss unid Ss.

tis iss ls lds insig n w rs rrk rm n mplisd uSa

fll ing mmr, ig sl , nd n NfL dnsiv nd (pg. 12). Rd

ids rm mmissinr mmrs n w imprv lgs rgisrin (pg. 18). and

k w uSa fll is nining wrk r sprs rmn wn i ms

plr s rg cDc-pprvd nssin wrnss nd din msrs

(pgs. 16-17).

tis nd mr wis in pgs d.

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nd i s is rd srv . cn r rginl mngr (pg. 19) nd sk w

n lp gin n dg r srngn r lg. In ddiin, r nl ll-r

ll (1-877-5-footbaLL) r ms lik w (sll.m) rm r mmr srvis

dprmn.

all s in 2010 nd w lk rwrd sing uSa fll vn in

mns d.

Sinrl,

S hllnk

uSa fll exiv Dirr

w about USA Football Magazine. w

at [email protected] d.

4 USA Football Magazine
http://www.usafootball.com/resource-center/coaching/clinicshttp://www.usafootball.com/academy/indexhttp://www.usavworld.com/2010/team-usa/http://www.usavworld.com/2010/world-team/http://www.usafootball.com/pages/regional-managers/indexmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.usafootball.com/pages/regional-managers/indexhttp://www.usavworld.com/2010/world-team/http://www.usavworld.com/2010/team-usa/http://www.usafootball.com/academy/indexhttp://www.usafootball.com/resource-center/coaching/clinics


5/28
http://www.shockdoctor.com/


6/28

New faces, same goal.

A fresh crop of 45 high school seniors will don the red, white,

and blue for USA Footballs second Junior National Team.

USA Footballs hand-picked roster follows

in the footsteps of the team that won the gold

medal in the eight-nation 2009 International

Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior

World Championship in Canton, Ohio, this past

summer. The 2010 squad looks to prove itself

against a World Select team this time around in

USA Footballs Team USA vs. The World game,

presented by Riddell in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on

Jan. 30 at 12 p.m. ET.

The game will be nationally televised by NFL Network with Rich

Eisen, Deion Sanders, and Scott Kennedy calling the action.

USA Footballs roster is composed of Americas best high

school senior football players who also demonstrate charac-

ter befitting a USA Football national team.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, said North Bro-

ward (Fla.) Prep running back Ethan Grant to the South Flori-

da Sun Sentinel. Grant has verbally committed

to play at TCU next fall. This is a chance to

represent my country and show what we have

to offer in football as a whole.

Im looking forward to competing with the

best, added Hollywood Hills cornerback Tony

Grimes, who is considering scholarship offers

from Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State,

Oregon, and other schools. Its pretty exciting

to be able to represent your whole country

and see players from around the world. Im excited.

USA Footballs roster consists of young men who will play

in nine collegiate athletic conferences next season.

In light of the athletic achievements of Team USAs players,

U S A F o o t b A l l S

teAm USA s. the WorldGa s f Jan.

USA Ftballs Jun Natnal Tea t fae te ls best n Sut Fla

By Michael KueBler



7/28


8/28

USA FootbAllS

JUNior NAtioNAl teAm

CoACheS

heAd CoAChChriS

merritt

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WilliAmS

Kirk Heidelberg, Offensive

Coordinator/Line

Gabe Infante, Defensive

Coordinator

Harold Barnwell, Defensive Line

Telly Lockette, Wide Receivers

Pat Murphy, Defensive Backs

John Roderique, Linebackers

Rich Stuart, Running Backs

Steve Walsh, Quarterbacks



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Masato Itai, Offensive

Coordinator

Warren Craney,Defensive

Coordinator

Oliver Moret,Special Teams

Greg Marshall,Offensive Line

Marco Iadeluca,Running Backs

Peter Tos,Tight Ends

Salomon Solano, Defensive Line

Shinichi Takeda, Defensive

Backs

Niclas Carlson, Strength &

Conditioning

Rick Sowieta, Team Manager

9


10/28

Meet a USA Football staffer

What are your responsibilities as a

member services coordinator?

I take care of our memers troug

costat commuicatio o te

poe or over email alog wit ma

eid-te-scees resposiilities. I

compile reports ad memer feedack

o our resources, coacig scools,

ad oter USA Footall evets. I also

field calls ad emails from people wo

eed elp registerig for a evet or

wo wis to upgrade from a Certified

Coacig Educatio Program (CCEP)

user to a full memer.

What is your favorite part of the job?

I ejo talkig ad workig wit our

memers from all over te coutr.

I get to lear ow eac part of te

coutr adles differet scearios

ad cocers.

What does football mean to you?

Footall meas teamwork ad dedica-

tio. Its argual te ol sport of te top

four sports were a idividual caot

tpicall sigle-adedl wi or lose te

game. Its aout team: offese, defese,

special teams, ad coacig. Depedig

o ow eac of tese compoets fuc-

tio, it will determie te teams success.

What kinds of things do you do in

your spare time?

I reall ejo workig out ad pla-

ig sports. I am also prett active i

m curc ad its activities as well.

I ejo agig out wit frieds ad

spedig time wit m wife.

What is one thing that most people

do not know about you?

Ive lived i five states (Ga., Ka.,

Mi., Texas, ad Va.). I grew up i

Miesota ad traveled ad lived ack

ad fort to see m fater ad moter.

M moter was i Miesota ad m

fater was i Dallas ad Austi. M

dad te got a jo trasfer to Atlata

ad we all moved tere. I graduated

ig scool i Miesota ad wet to

college i Lawrece, Ka., at te Ui-

versit of Kasas. I ow live i Virgiia.

What do you aim to accomplish in

2010 for USA Football members?

I look forward to cotiuig to elp

upgrade our memer resources, make

sure tat our memers get te ig-qualit

service te deserve, ad fid eve more

was tat USA Footall ca e efficiet

ad productive for te sports eefit.

Shedrick Taylormember services coordinatorShedrick Taylor

USA Footall kicks off its amitious

2010 Coacig Scool scedule o April

10. I additio to gaiig a coacig edge,

attedees also receive luc, a USA Foot-

all Coacig Scool Tee, ad a gift ag.

Ever USA Footall Coacig Scool

features a keote speaker. Past speak-

ers ave icluded new Eglad Patriots

head Coac bill belicick, Pro Footall hall

of Famer Fred biletikoff, Atlata Falcos

head Coac Mike Smit, ad College Foot-

all hall of Fame lieacker Cris Spielma.

Seats are alread movig fast, so

reserve ours toda.

USA FOOTBALL COACHING SCHOOL SCHEDULEDATE LOCATION

Apil 10 nte Vigiia (Wasigt redskis)

Apil 17 Sacamet, Calif. (Gaite ba h.S.)

Apil 17 Des Mies, Iwa

(Valle Sutwds Fesma Scl)

Apil 17 Idiaaplis, Id. (Idiaaplis Clts)

Apil 24 baltime, Md. (baltime raves)

Ma TbD Caltte, n.C. (Calia Pates)

Ma TbD raleig, n.C.Ma 1 Fxug, Mass. (new Eglad Patits)

Ma 1 Gee ba, Wis. (Gee ba Packes)

Ma 1 Paisle, Fla. (All-Sta Spts Cmplex)

Ma 1 Sata Claa, Calif. (Sa Facisc 49es)

Ma 8 Ls Ageles, Calif. (nte Dame h.S.)

Ma 8 omaa, ne.

(Uivesit f neaska-omaa)

Ma 22 Clumus, oi (Duli Scit hig Scl)

Ma 22 Sa Dieg, Calif. (Sa Dieg Cages)

Ma 29 St. Luis, M. (St. Luis rams)

Jue TbD Tampa, Fla. (Tampa ba buccaees)

Jue 12 A A, Mic. (Piee h.S.)

Jue 17 Sa Dieg, Calif.

(Sa Dieg hall f Campis)

DATE LOCATION

Jue 19 Atlata, Ga. (Atlata Falcs)

Jue 26 Seattle, Was. (Seattle Seaawks)

Jul 10 Peix, Aiz. (Deset Vista h.S.)

Jul 17 Kasas Cit, M. (Kasas Cit Ciefs)

Jul 17 oaklad, Calif. (oaklad raides)

Jul 24 Mieaplis, Mi. (Miesta Vikigs)

TbD Cicag, Ill. (Cicag beas)

TbD Clevelad, oi (Clevelad bws)TbD Dallas, Texas (Dallas Cws)

TbD Deve, Cl. (Deve bcs)

TbD hust, Texas (hust Texas)

TbD Lg Islad, n.y.

TbD new oleas, La. (new oleas Saits)

TbD East rutefd, n.J. (new yk Giats)

TbD Flam Pak, n.J. (new yk Jets)

TbD Piladelpia, Pa. (Piladelpia Eagles)

TbD Pittsug, Pa. (Pittsug Steeles)

TbD nasville, Te. (Teessee Titas)

*For te most up-to-date USA Footall Coacig

Scool scedule, click ere.

http://www.usafootball.com/resource-center/coaching/clinicshttp://www.usafootball.com/resource-center/coaching/clinicshttp://www.usafootball.com/resource-center/coaching/clinicshttp://www.usafootball.com/resource-center/coaching/clinics


11/28

bill hampto is a out

footall vetera.

Te 13-ear-old as

eigt seasos of Americas favorite

sport uder is elt, avig plaed

two ears of flag footall ad te

past six seasos wit teFootall

ad Ceer Clu of Joso Cout

(FCCJC) i

Kasas. his

little roter,

To, is

makig is

wa troug

te program

as well, ad

teir fater is

te leagues

secretar/

treasurer.

bills moter,

Agele, doest miss a miute of te

actio eiter, takig o te role of team

potograper for te FCCJC Falcos.

Agele sas tat out footall is

aout lastig friedsips, teamwork ad

perseverace. USA Football Magazine

recetl spoke wit Agele to lear more

aout wat footall as taugt er so.

When did your son start playing

football and how did he get started?bill started plaig footall at age

5 wit flag footall. hes alwas ee

atletic, active ad us plaig outside

wit oe all or aoter. M usad (bill

hampto) ad I elieve tat orgaized

sports elp keep cildre out of troule

wile teacig tem valuale life lessos,

terefore, we wated tat for our os

(bill 13, To 8). Te ejo sports so

muc ad ave decided to keep up wit it.

What does your son enjoy most

about playing football and why has

he stuck with it?

bill ejos te persoal ad team

calleges tat come wit footall, ad

e also ejos doig wat e is pas-

sioate aout ad tat is footall. I

tik e sees tat if oure passioate

aout sometig, oull e great at it o

matter wat. you ma ot e te est

o te team, ut if oure passioate

aout wat oure doig, oure goig to

sie like oure te est plaer ad e

successful at it.

Why is it important to you as his

mother to be involved with his youth

football experience?

beig ivolved i te os sports

gives me te est seat i te world! To

watc tem grow ad mature troug

te life lessos footall ca give to

e a part of sometig so profoud

ad great ad to e supportive i

wat te are passioate aout is

wat its all aout.

What has football taught your

son?

bill as developed from a

strog little o to a respectful

oug ma all wile makig last-

ig friedsips ad Ive oserved

m ougest ecome stroger

ad more cofidet. Seeig

bill grow troug tat time as

taugt im loalt, perseverace,

sportsmasip ad to respect is

elders ad is teammates. bills

also ee a team captai for eac

of te past eigt ears. Tis as

taugt im ow to e a role model o

ad off te field.

How have other aspects of your

sons life been positively affected by

playing football?

Footall as taugt m so to e

cofidet i te preparatio es take

ad tat preparatio ad ard work

are ot alwas te ke to a successful

turout ou lose some ad ou wi

some. Its wat ou lear alog te wa.

Its kowig eve toug e gave 110

percet, it doest mea a sure tig.

bill as applied tis to ever aspect

of is life. he as also leared aout

loalt to someoe or sometig oter

ta imself.

USA Football is the official youth foot-

ball development partner of the NFL, its 32

teams and the NFL Players Association.

Learn more about football fundamentals

and values at usafootball.com.

What Football Has

Taught My Sonby nicole lukosius

Angele and Billy Hampton

Presented by:

11


12/28

CoaChing

offiCiating

Co

mmissioner

health

&

fitn

ess

A ig aKeys to QB pressure from NFL, high school and youth football minds

By Alex Fink

Every efensive en

will tell you that once

he beats his man an

the only thing staning be-

tween him an a sack is an

unsuspecting quarterback,

there is no other place they

woul rather be.

Chicago Bears efensive

en an NFL all-star Aewale

Ogunleye is among the NFLs

best at putting pressure on

the quarterback. Miway

through the 2009 season,

Ogunleye has accumulate

65 career sacks an has been a con-

stant heaache for opposing offensive

coorinators week in an week out.

Each play, you have to just go with

all your heart an soul, sai Ogunleye.

You have to be relentless. You never

know when a sack is going to come, so

every own you have to play like that

is going to be your opportunity.

Having a goo takeoff is the most

unerrate technique a goo pass

rusher nees to have. I think people

ont really realize that goo

pass rushing begins with

your take off. You ont have

to be very fast to be a great

pass rusher, but getting off

the ball is essential.

USA Football coaching

member Michael Koenig,

coach an a founing boar

member of the Omaha (Neb.)

STORM, echoes the importance of a

soli burst off the line of scrimmage

an offers his proven techniques

an rills to successfully get to the

quarterback.

I will often use a blocking ummy

as a tight en an align cones to

ensure proper epth an angles for the

rush, Koenig explains. I will also posi-

tion a ummy (use two to avoi hea

to hea collisions) at a five step rop

position an have the players compete

to see who can get there first.

Chilren nee visuals, so you nee

to walk through the technique an use

cones an ummies for them to uner-

stan the istance/epth.

Gabe Infante, hea coach

at Paramus (N.J.) Catholic

High School an efensive

coorinator of the 2010

USA Football Junior National

Team, also emphasizes the

importance of getting out of

your stance quickly.

I think the most impor-

tant component for a youth

coach to focus on is get-off, sai

Infante. There are two elements to a

great get-off stance an trigger. The

stance we teach resembles something

closer to a track runners start than

a traitional football stance.

That is because we want to

get up the fiel as quickly

as possible, an it is ifficult

to o that with a traitional

shouler-with stance.

The secon component, or

trigger as I call it, is all about

ball movement. Ieally we

want to beat the offensive

player out of his stance. We

believe keying the football for

movement gives us the best

chance. It is a neutral stimulus

we believe is better than

keying our mans movement.

Infante points out that the most im-

portant thing a efensive en shoul

keep in min once the ball is snappe

is actually not

thinking at all.

His think-

ing or planning

shoul be one

before the ball

is snappe. He

shoul have a

plan or move

he intens to

execute base on careful stuy of his

opponent an his own strengths. Focus

on getting to the quarterback entails

getting by the person assigne to pro-

tect him. Closing the istance between

you an the offensive player assigne

to block you is paramount.

USA Football Coach Members: help

your defensive linemen get to the

quarterback go to the Drills Library at

usafootball.com. Twelve of the more than

100 computer-animated drills found here

are dedicated to defensive line play.

GAbe InfAnte

MIchAel KoenInG

AdewAle oGunleye, chIcAGo beArs de



13/28

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JIM worMuth

11 yeArs

noblesvIlle eleMentAry

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USA Football Magazine

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s a Gia

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pai a a qik

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USA Football offers resource-packed memberships to give coaches, game officials, youth league commissioners and players

an edge. Learn more at www.usafootball.com/register.

JAMes McGoldrIcK

6 yeArs

sAntA clArItA wIldcAts

los AnGeles, cAlIf.

douG whIpple

5 yeArs

Greene county rAMs

Jefferson, IowA

13


14/28

CoaChing

offiCiating

Co

mmissioner

health

&

fitn

ess

sa i ri:

Ga baiUSA Football Coach Member develops and excelsBy Alex Fink

In just three short

years, Grant Brawith

has taken his Tokay

Jr. Tigers of Loi, Calif.,

from a grassroots youth

football organization

into a perennial power-

house. All four ivisions

of his Jr. Tigers program

finishe the season

above .500 an three of

the four reache their

ivision championship.

Before its incep-

tion in 2007, Brawith

wante to make sure his

organization was reaily

equippe for both the short- an long-

term goals he ha set in place. Win-

ning has become a natural byprouct

of oing things right.

Our goal was to be committe to

teaching our young stuent-

athletes to compete athleti-

cally at the highest level an

to strive to be a lifetime

learner in the classroom an

on the fiel, sai Brawith,

Presient of the Tokay Jr.

Tigers an delta Youth

Sports Association League

Commissioner. I felt USA Football

share those same values an they

have certainly helpe me as a coach

an league commissioner.

Brawith has been coaching for

seven years, three of those seven

as the Varsity Jr. Tigers hea coach

(12-14 year-ols). Looking back at his

early coaching years, Brawith amits

hes come a long way in terms of

coaching skills an philosophy.

I have a much better unerstan-

ing of how to coach-up an reach

the kis than when I first

starte, sai Brawith, who

resies in Loi, Calif. (85

miles east of San Fran-

cisco). I use USA Footballs

practice planner from the

website this season to orga-

nize my practices an also

implemente techniques

an rills Ive gathere over the years

some of which are from the USA

Football coaching schools.

The Varsity Jr. Tigers starte the

season strong with four victories in

their first five games. Coach Brawith

an his team finishe the regular

season with a 5-3 recor an con-

tinue their strong

showing well into the

playoffs. Although his

team came up just

short in the leagues

championship game,

Brawith was very

prou of the progress

he an his team ha

mae throughout the

season.

Our organization as

a whole achieve great

success an Im prou

of the way we finishe

the season, Brawith

sai. The players were

happy, the parents were happy, the

coaches were happy. The coaches are

alreay anxious for next season. They

all are asking if they can return an

when the next USA Football coaching

school is.

As for Brawith, he plans to continue

his har work well into the offseason

to ensure his team an league enjoy

the same successes for years to

come.

Im really looking forwar to the

new USA Football Coaching School

scheule to be release, Brawith sai

(see page 10). On top of attening the

coaching schools an other seminars,

Ill be stuying a lot of game film to see

what I can improve on in the upcoming

seasons.

Join Coach Brawith as a USA Football

Coach Member or renew your current

membershiphere.

GrAnt brAwIth

GrAnt brAwIth

http://www.usafootball.com/pages/coaching_developmenthttp://www.usafootball.com/pages/coaching_development


15/28

wa I?USA Football Coaching Members share thoughts about

selecting assistant coaches By Alex Fink

coach. They shoul believe in what you

o an teach an be sure to not just take

a a because he is your frien or that

his son is a beast on the fiel.

K: Balance, Balance, Balance if

youre an offensive guy, get a efensive

guy (an vice versa). If you ha play-

ing experience at a skill position, look

for someone that spent their time as a

lineman. Most importantly, look for an

assistant that will be complimentary to

your communication an coaching style.

Not all kis are motivate the same way.

h: I have coache now for six years

an have ha 10-0 teams two of those

years. The first year I coache, it was a 6-8

year ol team an we won our first five

games an our coaching staff thought we

woul have an unefeate season. We lost

our sixth game an my whole coaching

staff an parents were heartbroken. My

6-year-ol son came up to me after the

game an sai, da i we win? When

I tol him, No, he sai, Bummer, can we

stay a while so I can play with my friens?

His team went to the playgroun an

ha a great time playing. That was a life

lesson for me on wins an losses, we as

parents get hung up on it.

Coaching turnover in youth football is a

common occurrence. Volunteer coaches

work scheules may change year-to-year,

a family may move numerous scenarios

may alter a teams coaching staff. Three

USA Football coach members, all of whom

are youth hea coaches, recently share

their thoughts about how they woul fill

positions on their staffs.

What if you are seeking a new as-

sistant coach? What are some things

you take into consideration during the

selection process?

big: I believe that looking for an

assistant coach shoul start with his

or her character. If you ont believe in a

coach as a person, you shoulnt believe

in his or her philosophy or abilities as a

coach. A coach shoul have morals an

truly believe that the kis come first.

I believe that all coaches shoul have

no less than the USA Football Coaches

Certification (online CCEP course

completion), although some of the other

certifications are fine. I truly believe in

what USA Football is teaching.

K: First, can they relate to the

kis? Have the coaches an kis ha fun

when they coache or le other youth

activities? Secon, respect for the game:

players, parents, fellow coaches an refs.

This can sometimes be har to etermine

right away but hot heas nee not apply.

Thir, they nee to have passion for the

activity. As we often tell our coaches,

Football is a great game, ont screw

it up. The passion inee sometimes

means taking extra steps for the weak-

est player on the team. It can also mean

waiting for the 20-minute-late parent

picking up their chil from practice.

h: I think the most important thing

to me in picking an assistant coach is

coaching philosophies. Ninety-five per-

cent of the people I have coache with

fully unerstan the game an know how

to teach Xs & Os, but only 50 percent of

them have what I consier to be a goo

coaching philosophy. The most important

thing at this level is teaching them how

to love football while you teach them

how to play football.

What if you were giving advice to

new coaches seeking assistants?

What would you tell them?

big: A coach shoul trust his

instincts when looking for an assistant

tim big

City, State: Columbus, Ga.

Youth League:

Columbus Youth

Indoor Football

League

Team: Steelers

(11-12 year olds)Coaching

Experience: 3 years

G K

City, State: Eden Prairie, Minn.

League: Eden

Prairie Football

Association

Team: 5th grade

Yellow (10-11

year olds)Coaching

Experience: 5 years

Jami h

City, State: Endwell, N.Y.

League: Maine

Endwell Youth

Football

Team: Blue Upper

(11-12 year olds)

CoachingExperience: 6 years

15


16/28

CoaChing

offiCiating

Co

mmissioner

health

&

fitn

ess

The U.S. House Judiciary

Committee held its second

hearing on Legal Issues

Relating to Football Head Injuries

on Jan. 4. USA Football Executive

Director Scott Hallenbeck was one

of 21 individuals invited to testify

before the Committee, which

conducted the hearing in Detroit,

Mich., at the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

USA Footballs Hallenbeck is the only person who has

been called to represent the youth football community on

this topic in U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearings.

Those invited to give testimony on Jan. 4 included prominent

professionals from the sports, medical, and science industries.

Hallenbeck stated USA Footballs responsibility to the

youth football community and its work with the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in developing

and providing health and safety initiatives. USA Football

will emphasize CDC-approved concussion awareness

and management in 2010 through usafootball.com, its 85

events in 27 states, and its membership offerings serving

coaches, players, commissioners, and game officials.

We lead the sports development and serve the youth

football community, said Hallenbeck in his testimony. A

critical part of that leadership is the health and safety

information we provide, including our work with the CDC on

concussion awareness.

USA Football has worked with the CDC for more than

two years to share concussion awareness information

throughout youth football and we will do so with even

greater emphasis in 2010.

USA Footballs coaching education curriculum helps

dedicated volunteer youth coaches know how to teach

blocking and tackling fundamentals, which can lessen the

chance of injury. USA Footballs equipment grant program

also makes football safer by awarding more than $2 million

worth of football equipment since 2006 to youth and high

school programs, based on merit and need.

By April of this year, USA Footballs 11-chapter online

coaching course will be expanded

with new chapters on concussion

awareness, athlete hydration, and

equipment fitting. USA Footballs

CDC-approved concussion

awareness policy helps coaches

recognize concussion signs and

symptoms and shares what to do if a

concussion is even suspected.

All youth sports need to recognize the seriousness of

concussions and the need for further education among our

coaches, league administrators, game officials, athletes,

and parents, Hallenbeck said. We encourage other sports

national governing bodies to join us and make a similar

commitment to our young athletes.

USA Fa shars simy wih

U.S. Hus Judiciary CmmiExecutive Director Scott Hallenbeck represents youth football communityBy Michael KueBler

SCott HAllenbeCk

http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/7130/8751http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/7130/8751http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/7130/8751http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/7130/8751


17/28

Twenty-six youth sports

organizations, including USA

Football, have worked with

the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC) for more than

two years to educate the youth

sports community on concussion

awareness.

Continuing this practice for the

sports betterment, USA Football

is emphasizing this topic in 2010.

USA Footballs CDC-approved

concussion awareness policy

was created for youth leagues to

adopt. USA Football recommends

that every youth football league

and every youth sports league

employ such a policy. This

information is shared through USA

Footballs curriculum, events, and

resources.

Prvi ad Prparaifr Cachs(Primary Source: CDC)

1. educa ahs ad pars au

ccussi

a. Talk with athletes and parents

about preventative measures,

symptoms, and proper action to

take relative to concussions.

b. Emphasize the dangers of playing

through a concussion.

2. Isis ha safy cms firs

a. Teach athletes safe playing

techniques and good

sportsmanship

b. Review the Concussion Fact

Sheet for Players found at

usafootball.com with players and

their parents

3. tach ahs ad pars ha i is

saf pay wih a ccussi

a. Explain that it is not courageous

nor does it show strength to play

with a concussion

4. Prv g-rm prms

a. When in doubt, sit them out. Keep

athletes with known or suspected

concussion off the field until an

appropriate health care professional

clears them to return. Returning to

play must be a medical decision.

Wha a Cach Shud D Wha Ccussi is Suspcd(Primary Source: CDC)

1. Rmv h ah frm pay

a. Look for signs and symptoms of

concussion if an athlete experienced

a bump or blow to the head

b. When in doubt, sit them out

athletes with signs or symptoms of

concussion must not return to play

2. esur ha h ah

is vauad immdiay y

a apprpria hah car

prfssia

a. Do not try to judge the severity

of the injury yourself

b. Coaches recording the following

can help a health care professional

in assessing the athlete:

i. Cause of the injury and the force

of the hit or blow to the head

ii. Any loss of consciousness and if

so, for how long

iii. Any memory loss or seizures

immediately following the injury

iv. Number of previous concussions

(if any)

3. Ifrm h ahs pars/

guardias f h pssi

ccussi & ad giv hm h

ccussi fac sh fr pars

fud usafa.cm

a. Ensure that parents know

the athlete must be seen by

an appropriate healthcare

professional

b. Provide formal documentation of

the injury and notify the league

commissioner

4. Aw h ah rur pay

y afr a apprpria hahcar

prfssia cars his r hr rur

a. A repeat concussion that occurs

before the brain recovers from the

first can slow recovery or increase

the likelihood of having long-term

problems

USA Fa ciusccussi awarss ducai

DEPARTMENTOF HEALTHAND HUMAN SERVICES

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

Athletes who experience any of the signs and symptoms listed below

after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body may have a concussion.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Signs Observed byCoaching Staff

Appears dazed

or stunned

Is confused aboutassignment or position

Forgets an instruction

Is unsure of game,score, or opponent

Moves clumsily

Answers questions slowly

Loses consciousness(even briefly)

Shows mood, behavior,

or personality changes

Cant recall eventsprior to hit or fall

Cant recall eventsafter hit or fall

Symptoms Reportedby Athlete

Headache or

pressure in head

Nausea or vomiting

Balance problemsor dizziness

Double or blurry vision

Sensitivity to light

Sensitivity to noise

Feeling sluggish, h azy, foggy,or groggy

Concentration ormemory problems

Confusion

Does not feel right or is

feeling down

ACTION PLAN

Emergency Medical Services

Name:

Phone:

Health Care Professional

Name:

Phone:

School Staff Available During Practice

Name:

Phone:

School Staff Available During Games

Name:

Phone:

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

January

2010

HEADS UPCONCUSSION

INFOOTBALL

If you suspect that an athlete has a concussion, you should take thefollowing four steps:

1. Remove athlete from play.

2. Ensure that the athlete is evaluated by an appropriate healthcare professional. Do not try to judge the seriousness of theinjury yourself.

3. Inform the athletes parents or guardians about the possibleconcussion and give them the fact sheet on concussion.

4. Keep the athlete out of play the day of the injury and until anappropriate health care professional says they are symptom-free

and its OK to return to play.

For more information and safety resources, visit

www.cdc.gov/Concussion or www.usafootball.com. WHEN IN DOUBT, SIT THEM OUT

evry cach wh ads f USA Fas 37

fu-day cachig schs i 2010 wi rciv his

cipard sicr, crad y USA Fa ad h CDC.

this sam ifrmai, scrd cipards ad

rfrigrar mags, wi disriud agu

cmmissirs a USA Fas 38 Sa ladrship

Frums, spaig 27 sas.

17
http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/6671/7692http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/6671/7692http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/6671/7692http://www.cdc.gov/ConcussionInYouthSports/pdf/parents_Eng.pdfhttp://www.cdc.gov/ConcussionInYouthSports/pdf/parents_Eng.pdfhttp://www.cdc.gov/ConcussionInYouthSports/pdf/parents_Eng.pdfhttp://www.cdc.gov/ConcussionInYouthSports/pdf/parents_Eng.pdfhttp://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/6671/7692http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/6671/7692http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/6671/7692


18/28

CoaChing

offiCiating

Co

mmissioner

health

&

fitn

ess

Rran fr ay

y aLeagues plan ahead, employ new techniques to reach players & families

By Alex Fink

The off-eaon can

e ut a important

a the actual eaon

itelf for youth footall

league commiioner.

Commiioner now com-

monly prepare for league

regitration through innoa-

tie trategie acro the

country.

League regitration effort hae

een made een more productie y

employing the internet. Email lat,

urey and weite are ome of the

more popular way league harne

thi reource.

Unlie the pat when communica-

tion wa trictly limited to the newpa-

per, yard ign or flyer handed out to

a chool which may or may not mae

it home we can now reach player

and their familie through the internet,

explain Indian Nation Footall Con-

ference (Ola.) Commiioner Tom Lott,

whoe league

conit of 366

team. We hae

the aility to

hae contant

contact with

our familie and

we conitently

earch for any

mean we can

offer on our weite to entice them to

tay in contact with u.

Commiioner alo partner with

local elementary and middle chool

and ue their email ditriution lit

to reach propectie player. Once

player ecome intereted in playing,

parent are directed to go online for

more information.

We hae a ery good regitration

primer on our weite that i written

much lie the For Dummie oo,

aid Rocille (Md.) Footall League

Preident Eric Hecman. We hae a

lot of oundarie and recruiting rule

that mut e enforced, o it ery im-

portant that we mae ourele aail-

ale ia email and phone to anwer

uetion and mae ure player

are regitered to the correct age and

weight group and the right team.

We hae uccefully ued the

technology to increae our regitration

y 10-20 percent a year for the lat

fie year.

Perhap the mot important thing

commiioner hould eep in mind

during the offeaon i rememer-

ing to plan ahead. It imperatie to

ecure a location for euipment hand-

out and regitration day a early a

poile. Planning ahead eliminate

confuion and arm the player, par-

ent and coache with

information they need

when regitration time

come around.

In order to run

a ucceful youth

footall organization,

a commiioner mut

treat the clu lie a

uine and alway follow the rule

of the 5 P (Prior Planning Preent

Poor Performance), aid Lott, who

ha een commiioner of Indian

Nation Footall Conference for

more than 23 year. I feel a new

commiioner who i preparing

for the upcoming eaon need to

mae ure eerything i et in place

early typically y April. For u, our

euipment ha een purchaed, re-

conditioned, organized and returned

to the hele; our regitration are

open and online; our weite i up

to date; and our coache hae gone

through their firt preeaon meet-

ing. We hae alo egun finalizing

our preeaon camp and coache

a well a aigning practice field

and comine location.

We hae learned that y preparing

early, it eliminate a maor amount of

complaint which would otherwie

arie. It alo mae for a mooth tran-

ition into the eaon.

For more insight on how to best

operate your youth league, go to

usafootball.com and click the green

Commissionertab.

Tom LoTT

W av fy ny nra rrran by 10-20 prn ayar fr a fv yar.

Erick Heckman, Rockville (Md.) Football League President

http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayHomePage/1http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayHomePage/1


19/28

NoRthWest RegioN

BAssel FAltAs

() -

[email protected]

West RegioN

Bucky Brooks

() -

[email protected] & Mid-AtlANtic

Deno cAmpBell

() -

[email protected]

southeAst RegioN

rick peAcock

() -

[email protected]

NoRtheAst RegioN

eD pAssino

() -

[email protected] RegioN

Joe owens

() -

[email protected]

gReAt lAkes RegioN

scott leVeque

() -

[email protected]

America faorite port i powered y you dedicated youth league commiioner, coache, gameofficial and olunteer. For each of you, there i a face and name to place in your footall Rolodex:your UsA Footall Regional Manager.

UsA Footall Regional Manager are current and former coache, player and adminitrator woring for you. Each ha the experience

needed to help you mae your league or team een tronger with UsA Footall reource.

Contact your UsA Footall Regional Manager to learn how you can ic off your free commiioner memerhip or to a aout coachingcertification, the nearet UsA Footall Coaching school, Player Academy or Officiating school. stay in touch with your regional manager,

whether it to hare new aout your league or team or to a aout memer reource.

In addition, you may alway contact our office, aed outide of Wahington, D.C., through afba.mor y phone at

1-877-5-FootBAll . Let u now how we can ere you etter.

Together well enure that teamwor and leaderhip continue to ere a the lace inding our faorite game.

19

usA Fba rga maag


20/28

CoaChing

offiCiating

Co

mmissioner

health

&

fitn

ess

hw t g t M

Frm Yr FnrarBy tim polzerE

ery youth footall organization

game plan include the challenge

of fundraiing, ut not eery

organization ha a good game plan.

Too many aociation and league

are putting together long, dedicated

drie that wind up eating a lot of cloc

efore talling out hort of the goal-line.

joel Reader, who helped turn around

a financially challenged youth footall

aociation, ha alo een the good

and the ad of fundraiing in hi role

a Wetern Fundraiing Director for

bRAX spirit Cup. One of the firt

thing Reader ugget i creating a

fundraiing game plan and finding the

right people to run it.

jut lie you plan out your league

year or your play for your next game,

you need a game plan for your fund-

raier, Reader aid. Hi firt, and mot

important tip: select the right peron

to manage your fundraier.

A you now, team ucceed or

fail y the merit of their play-

er or people, Reader aid. If

you try to run a 5-3 defene

and only hae two good line-

men, youre going to hae a

long year.

The perfect uarterac

for your fundraier hould e

an aggreie leader, who i a

good communicator capale

of motiating ey player

including youth coache, par-

ent and player.

The next tep i determin-

ing what youre raiing money

for, etting goal and pulih-

ing thoe goal. Why are we

raiing money? And how much?

Mae ure thi information i com-

municated all the way down the line,

Reader aid.

You mut alo outline ale target

and opportunitie uch a friend,

familie, teacher, co-worer and

een out-of-town relatie.

When I too mine to wor, I aed

my o if it wa oay if I ent out an

e-mail that aid I wa doing a fund-

raier and what it wa, Reader aid.

A ale egin to tricle in, e ure

to create a iual meter that how

your ale people how far theye

come and how far they hae to go

to meet your goal.

Draw up a ig thermometer, which

how where youre at and where you

need to e, Reader uggeted.

Incentie will help drie your ale

olunteer, drawing out their competi-

tie trea and proiding a carrot for

etter reaching your goal.

Incentie help oth the top

performer and drie the aerage

performer, Reader aid. I put

up prize of $175. The three top

indiidual old oer $2,000, o

my profit wa ut oer $1,700.

Conitently monitoring

goal and eeing weely

update from coache or team

repreentatie i critical.

When a team i not on trac

for it goal, a team/parent

meeting hould e called or

phone call made to thoe who

are not on trac to reinforce

how they can reach their goal,

Reader aid.

BRAX spr cp Wrn Fnran

drr J Rar ffr x p fr

ffv fnran:

1. Select Right Person to Manage

Fundraiser

2. Set & Publish Fundraising Goals

3. Document & Communicate Methods for

Reaching Goals

4. Use Motivational Items To Promote

Progress vs. Goals

5. Include Incentives in Promotion

Program

6. Monitor Progress Toward Goals



21/28

Enuring a poitie foot-

all experience for our

youngter egin with

a coach-player relationhip

uilt on trut. Recognizing

thi, UsA Footall continue

to e America only youth

port organization that dedi-

cate a much a $500,000

to help pay for gold-tandard

acground chec on youth

footall olunteer.

Etalihed in 2007, UsA

Footall continue to offer a $15 two-

eaon gold-tandard acground chec

through pecial pricing from the National

Center for safety Initiatie (NCsI) the

official acground creening company

of the U.s. Olympic Committee. The

normal price for thi premium erice i

$25. UsA Footall acground chec

uidy i open to eery youth footall

league in the United state.

Our league ha definitely een the

poitie outcome from UsA Footall

program with NCsI, aid Roert Mead-

ow, commiioner of the Annandale

(va.) boy & Girl Clu. The AbGC oper-

ate within the Fairfax (va.) County

Youth Footall League which encom-

pae more than 7,200 youngter.

The acground chec allow you to

ee what ind of indiidual are olun-

teering and woring with our id. We

hae een uing the acground chec

for aout three year now and wee

gotten nothing ut poitie feedac.

The purpoe of the acground chec

are to help youth league determine if a

coach or olunteer i deemed uitale

to interact with children. NCsI perform

earche in two national criminal dataa-

e a well a all tate ex offender reg-

itrie. The earch alo include county

record. Depending on the indiidual

league preference, NCsI can earch

lifetime record or ut a time frame for

when certain crime hae taen place.

After the applicant report i com-

plete, the indiidual i flagged with a

green light or a red light. If an indi-

idual receie a red light, NCsI notifie

them and allow the indiidual to explain

or dipute the record. Following that con-

eration, NCsI end

creening finding to

the league, ut no con-

fidential information i

exchanged.

The criteria for red

light are eparated

into pecific categorie in the graph aoe.

Preident and Co-Founder of south

County (Mo.) Athletic Clu Mar bole

made ure acground chec were part

of hi league. He learned

aout UsA Footall uidy

program in a coache meet-

ing with UsA Footall Central

Regional Manager joe Owen.

When we tarted our

organization, we were

adamant aout doing ac-

ground chec on eeryone

haing contact with the

player, he aid. I at down

with joe and he detailed the

program and the eae of ue

y the uer and the league. It a mall

cot incurred y the organization that

gie olume of peace of mind to oth

the parent and player.

We actually had a uniform upplier

that wa on the watchdog lit. Upon

finding out and erifying that he wa a

regitered ex offender, we eered all

tie with him and the company and any

future companie he wor for.

Youth footall acground chec

conducted with UsA Footall financial

help hae reulted in more than 1,300 red

light during the pat two youth footall

eaon. The program ucce i due

in large part to the implicity of the NCsI

application proce. They manage the

data entry with a uic online urey and

league are ale to chec the tatu of

the application online.

One of my faorite feature i the red

light/green light, bole aid. Rememer,

no go until you get the green light!

Visit usafootball.com to employUSA

Footballs subsidized background check

program today.

Barn v

pa f mnLeague commissioners protect players with help from USA Football & NCSIBy Alex Fink

Red lights BY cAtegoRY(662 red lights in 2009)

any fny

any r rm nvvn fr r ra f

fr aan a prn

any r rm nvvn nr b-

an, n paraprnaa r a

any r rm n w xa ran

an mn, nn vm rm f a

xa nar an prnrapy

47%

27%

19%

4%

mark boLes

21
http://www.usafootball.com/backgroundcheckshttp://www.usafootball.com/backgroundcheckshttp://www.usafootball.com/backgroundcheckshttp://www.usafootball.com/backgroundcheckshttp://www.usafootball.com/backgroundcheckshttp://www.usafootball.com/backgroundchecks


22/28

CoaChing

offiCiating

Co

mmissioner

health

&

fitn

ess

Y a apaz n

usA Fba sa FrmBy Alex FinkUsA Footall state Leaderhip

Forum ring youth footall leader

together to dicu the game and

identify olution to challenge hared

in common.

In 2010, UsA Footall will conduct

38 tate forum throughout 28 tate

to cultiate an enironment where top

youth footall mind can exchange

idea on how to further trengthen

their league and the port in general.

Elmo Le beouf III, preident of the

Dutchtown (La.) Youth Footall League

for the pat nine year, ha een firt-

hand what enefit can prout from

UsA Footall tate forum.

before the tate forum, I often

thought that I wa the only one woring

through the different prolem that

aroe during my time a league prei-

dent, aid Le beouf, a UsA Footall Com-

miioner memer. Litening to other

commiioner dicu thee ame

prolem I wa haing, I now hae a

etter undertanding on how to improe

my league and how to deal with certain

prolem that can arie in the future.

Led y the UsA Footall regional

manager, each of whom i experi-

enced a a current or former coach,

player or footall adminitrator; UsA

Footall tate forum coer an array

of topic pertinent to league regard-

le of ize or location. Dicuion

range from coaching and officiating

education, player health and afety,

mareting a league to grow participa-

tion, organizational tructure, a youth

footall-pecific ruleoo, acce to

UsA Footall euipment grant, fund-

raiing guidance, and more.

Thee topic and other are central

to thee full-day league commiioner

meeting.

The tate forum helped my league

etalih guideline for our coache,

explained john Palumo, Coaching

Commiioner of the Moriche (N.Y.)

seahaw. The forum alo helped u

create a etter connection etween

ourele and the local high chool

program. There i a lot of information

on how other league are improing

themele o it important to attend

if you want to improe your program.

The networing apect of the state

Forum i inaluale a attendee

remain in contact with one another to

enure that youth footall continue to

trengthen it root.

Mot of the time,

we dont hae to rein-

ent the wheel in order

to hae a ucceful

footall program,

Le beouf aid. The

forum allow you to exchange informa-

tion with all of your fellow commi-

ioner and tay in touch throughout

the entire year. It important to tae

adantage of the preiou experience

of other adminitrator. Mot of the

time the olution to my prolem

hae een right in front of me through

the people I hae met at the forum.

If your league ha not participated

in a tate forum, ut would lie to,

contact your UsA Footall Regional

Manager (pg. 19).

Visit usafootball.com and roll to the

green Commissionerstab for more

resources to best serve your league.

sa Frm

da sfr cann

For the third conecutie year,

one youth league commiioner

from each of UsA Footall 38

state Leaderhip Forum will e

elected to participate in the NFL/

UsA Footall Youth Footall summit

in Canton, Ohio, thi july.

The NFL/UsA Footall Youth

summit aemle nearly 200 youth

and high chool coache from all 50

tate and the Ditrict of Columia.

Youth league commiioner and

former NFL player now coaching at

the high chool leel alo tae part.

Included in the two-day ummit

agenda i a UsA Footall National

Forum compried of one delegate

from all 38 tate forum.

NFL/UsA Footall Youth summit

dicuion topic include character

deelopment, league operation, the

NFL ATLAs & ATHENA Anti-steroid

Education Program, UsA Footall

CDC-approed concuion aware-

ne information, role-playing dem-

ontration regarding coach-player-

parent relationhip, and more.

since 2007, more than 1,000

youth league commiioner hae

attended a UsA Footall state

Leaderhip Forum. Dont e left

ehind contact your UsA Footall

Regional Manager (pg. 19) to oin

them in 2010.

stee Alic

eLmo Le beouf

http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayHomePage/1http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayHomePage/1


23/28

UsA Footall ha awarded $1 million

worth of helmet, houlder pad, uni-

form, and more thi winter through it

Grant Program, enefiting more than

800 youth and high chool footall

program in 44 tate aed on merit

and need.

UsA Footall award

it euipment grant

with the help of the NFL

Youth Footall Fund, a

non-profit foundation

created y the NFL and

NFL Player Aociation

in 1998.

Thi euipment gie

u an opportunity to

expand our program to

younger children and

get them moe inoled

in footall, aid Lanelle

Ramey,Northwet Area

Director of the boy &

Girl Clu of Greater

Milwauee (Wi.) Tacle

Footall. It help u e-

caue it reduce expene for euip-

ment that we would not otherwie

e ale to afford during thee tough

economic time.

Each league elected for an euip-

ment grant receie a $1,000 pacage

that offer a ariety of footall euip-

ment and uniform option to chooe

from. High chool receie imilar pac-

age alued at $1,500.

New euipment mae footall afer

for the 3.0 million youngter participat-

ing in America faorite port.

We receied 25 helmet and we

play in the Arizona Competitie Youth

Footall League competitie league

footall where you hae to furnih

your own euipment, aid kenny king,

Organization Leader of the Chandler

(Ariz.) king Youth Footall Organization.

Wee done fundraier throughout

eery year, ut alway fell hort in get-

ting upplie. Thi grant really helped u

tae our program to the next leel a far

a haing new and afer euipment and

it really helped our program.

UsA Footall grant program ha

aited the youth and high chool

footall community ince 2006 and i

reponile for awarding more than

$2 million worth of footall euipment

proided y Riddell and Under Armour.

A footall participation numer

continue to grow, UsA Footall hope

the euipment grant

continue to empower

youth league and pro-

ide them with the nec-

eary tool they need

to enure our children

afety.

In a mall town lie

Reidille, we hae id

that participate in our

program that depend on

u to proide them with

omething poitie to

do, aid Dale Hagwood,

Program superior of

Reidille (N.C.) Recre-

ation. Our reource are

limited and the grant we

receie from UsA Footall

goe a long way toward

u eing ale to offer the youth in our

town with high uality euipment to

play footall.

It i ery important to the ucce of

our program.

Apply for a 2010 USA Football grant

by registering for an e-remindertoday

and youll be notified when the online

application is open. USA Footballs 2010

grant application will be available on

www.usafootball.com this spring.

usA Fba gran

Prram rnn pr n -p aBy Alex Fink

t gpar cran s & ra fba am n Man,

tnn. (nar Nav), wa n f y an -ba fba prram

n a a bnf frm usA Fba gran Prram wnr. usA

Fba qpmn ran ar awar n a mr an n ba.

23
http://www.usafootball.com/grants/deadline_passedhttp://www.usafootball.com/http://www.usafootball.com/http://www.usafootball.com/grants/deadline_passed


24/28

CoaChing

offiCiating

league

health

&fitn

ess

USA Footballs LeMonnier

referees Fiesta BowlBy Alex Fink

USA Football Rules

Editor and Officiating

Consultant Bill LeMon-

nier earned another Bowl

Championship Series assign-

ment this year when he was

selected to referee the 39th

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl between

Boise State and TCU on Jan.

4, televised nationally on

FOX-TV.

The 2010 Fiesta Bowl is

LeMonniers 12th college

bowl assignment in the past

15 seasons. His postseason

resume now includes four

Fiesta Bowls, two Orange,

two Holiday, and a Cotton,

among others.

A Big Ten referee since

1995, LeMonnier is USA

Footballs primary officiating

consultant and is the rules

editor of USA Footballs

Youth Football Rule Book.

Boise State (14-0) defeated TCU

(12-1), 17-10, in Glendale, Ariz., for this

years Fiesta Bowl crown.

Being selected to work the Fiesta

Bowl was extremely special to me it

was the site of my first bowl assign-

ment back in 1997, said LeMonnier,

who has co-authored the NCAA Foot-

ball Officiating Test for each of the

past eight years. This was my fourth

Fiesta Bowl, and I had the honor of

being part of the Boise State-Oklaho-

ma game three years ago.

A Big Ten referee since 1995,

LeMonnier oversees USA Footballs

innovative Certified Officiating Educa-

tion Program (COEP), accessible to USA

Football officiating members through

usafootball.com. The Chicago-area

resident also contributes to usafoot-

ball.coms Ask the Expert

feature, answering questions

from USA Football members

on an array of topics.

LeMonnier is also USA

Footballs primary officiating

consultant and is the rules

editor of USA Footballs Youth

Football Rulebook.

This will be an exciting

year working as the rules

editor for the USA Football

Youth Football Rulebook,

LeMonnier said. The rules

committee members have

been a pleasure to work

with and we look forward to

making youth football the

safest and most exciting

place for kids to play sports.

The USA Football Family

congratulates Bill on yet

another BCS Bowl referee-

ing assignment, said USA

Football Executive Director

Scott Hallenbeck. Bills long list of

officiating accomplishments and

integrity underscores that USA Football

officiating members hone their craft

with guidance from the best in the field.

We encourage football-savvy people to

consider becoming game officials. Bill

and others at USA Football can help you

succeed and provide an exciting way to

contribute to Americas favorite sport.

LeMonnier also will serve as the

referee for USA Footballs Team USA

vs. The World game, presented by

Riddell, in Ft. Lauderdale on Jan. 30

(see pages 6-9).

Bill LeMonnier

http://www.usafootball.com/cepofficialshttp://www.usafootball.com/cepofficialshttp://www.usafootball.com/pages/ask_the_expert/officiating/indexhttp://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/7092/8755http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/7092/8755http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/7092/8755http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/7092/8755http://www.usafootball.com/pages/ask_the_expert/officiating/indexhttp://www.usafootball.com/cepofficialshttp://www.usafootball.com/cepofficials


25/28
http://spiritcups.com/


26/2826 USA Football Magazine

Meet a USA Football Member

T

he USA Football Family unites all those who con-

tribute to Americas favorite sport. USA Football

Officiating Member Donnie Stitt has called youth

football games in Fairfax County

(Va.) for more than 17 years and

also has experience officiating

flag football, basketball and soft-

ball. Stitt, a member of USA Foot-

balls Rules Committee, recently

spoke withUSA Football Magazine

to discuss his officiating passion

and the value of being a USA

Football member.

What interested you in becom-

ing a youth football official?

I became a youth official out

of necessity. I was a coach in our

youth league when the commis-

sioner approached me and

wanted to know if I would like

to be an official. This was due

to the fact that the number of

teams had increased and we

had to cover additional fields.

We ended up with 12 new of-

ficials and the Fairfax County

Football Officials Association

was started in the early 90s.

Ive been officiating ever since.

What do you value most about being an official?

Trying to do my best to allow all participants of a youth

football game to have a fair and enjoyable experience

during their time on the field.

What is the toughest call to make as an official?

The toughest call for me to make is offensive holding.

What is your favorite football memory?

My favorite football memory is John Riggins pulling

away on 4th and short against Miami for a TD and a

Redskins Super Bowl victory (Super Bowl XVII, Jan. 1983).

My favorite officiating memory, believe it or not, is the

first set of games I did as an official. I blew a backwards

pass call by calling the play dead. The defense picked it

up and ran it in for a TD and that

team lost by six points. I went up

to the head coach and apologized

for my mistake after the game and

admitted that I had blown it. He

respected me for my honesty and

we became football friends for

years to come.

How did you learn about USA

Football?

I learned about USA Football

after they requested that several of

our crews attend their youth tour-

nament in Minnesota several years

ago (2006 USA Football Classic).

I attended this event for two

years and had a great officiating

and learning experience.

How have you benefited from

USA Footballs officiating

membership?

I have benefited from the

officiating section on their web-

site. I love the information and

articles and I now require all of

my officials to pass their certification tests (Certified Offici-

ating Education Program) before they can become officials

in our association. I believe this reinforces our veteran of-

ficials and gives our first-year officials a great introduction

to becoming a good referee.

What would you say to someone considering becoming

an official?

It is very important to have fun out there while work-

ing games. If youre too nervous or tense it can become

stressful.

Visit usafootball.com/register to learn more about

USA Footballs officiating membership.

Donnie StittBy Alex Fink

Name: Donnie Stitt

Resides: Vienna, Va.

USA Football Membership: Official

Position: Referee & Commissioner, Fairfax

County Football Officials Association

Game Official Since: 1992

USA Football Member Since: 2006
http://usafootball.com/registerhttp://usafootball.com/register


27/28 27
http://riddell.com/http://riddell.com/http://riddell.com/


28/28

I

was raised in a family where football was around us since as

far back as I can remember. I still have pictures of me hold-

ing a ball in my third-grade team photo at Our Lady of Victory

grade school on Cincinnatis west side.

I figure I was a pretty typical kid. At Our

Lady of Victory, I was given a jersey number

and emulated NFL players who I shared it with.

I distinctly remember wearing No. 44 one

season, so I became a fan of Browns running

back Leroy Kelly. My brother was given No. 72,

so he pretended to be Howard Fest, a Bengals

offensive guard.

Football taught me dedication, discipline,

teamwork, training in the off-season so that

youre prepared you experience all of that when

you play on a team. And because this game has

physical demands, its a greater test. You have to

love the game if youre going to play it well. It demands more of you.

Football teaches you how to be a team player. Weve got a

team in Americas Newsroomof 12 people. We are nothing

without each other. We need to work in symphony to pull

off the broadcast and I liken this to football. We all have our

responsibility. And when you uphold that responsibility, you do

well its amazing what you can accomplish.

Also, when Ive been overseas covering our troops in Iraq

or Afghanistan I cant say this for all of the men and women

but theres usually an allegiance to their football team. The

sport can bring people together whether you cheer for the

same team or not. Its what you have in common.

I played practically every position in youth football, except

quarterback. In high school, I played strong safety.

I attended (Cincinnati) Elder High School, which is

steeped in tradition. When I reflect on my football experi-

ence there, I remember the spirit of competition and how the

good as those who are willing to sacrifice for it.

One year in high school, I quit football for a day or two my

dad often allowed us to step in our own pile. Are you sure that

you want to do that are you sure that you

want to quit? he asked. That was the nudge

that I was looking for and my boycott lasted

about 36 hours. Im grateful that he encour-

aged me to change my mind.

I couldve played Division III college

football, but it wouldve been tough for me

financially (Editors Note: athletic scholar-

ships are not granted in Division III athletics.

Hemmer went on to earn a journalism degree

from Miami University of Ohio). On Sunday

afternoons, Ill still find myself watching foot-

ball. And Ill always be a Bengals fan.

When the Bengals went to their second

Super Bowl (Jan. 1989), I was a young sports producer at Cincin-

natis WLWT-TV (NBC). We had six people in our department and

five got to work on-site in Miami. I was the one assigned to stay

back, but it actually turned out to be a good break. Being the only

sports staffer in the building, I was needed to do live work on

camera. Well, that led to a full-time job on-air, so I have football

and the Bengals to thank for that opportunity.

Yes, Im a Bengals fan, but Im a football fan to the core. My

high school airs all of its football games on the internet and I

log on to watch whenever I can. Earlier this year (Sept. 6), we I

still say we when talking about Elder were on ESPN. I was

at a wedding in Hamburg, Germany, when the game was on

the air. The next day I rented a bicycle, riding to about 10 of

the best hotels in the city hoping to catch some of the game,

but I was 0-for-10. But I was there in spirit. (Editors Note: Elder

defeated Colerain High School on ESPN, 20-7).

Some people talk about music, movies, or other pastimes

What Football Taught Me

Whether his position is news co-anchor, running back, or strong safety,

Bill Hemmer excels in the spotlight and values gained through football con-

tribute to his success.

The co-anchor of Americas Newsroom on the FOX News Channel (Mon.-

Fri., 9-11 a.m. ET) grew up on Cincinnatis west side. One of five children, his

parents celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in later this year.

His father, William Hemmer, Sr., played college football and later worked

full-time to support his family, but still managed to help coach his sons youth

football teams. Hemmers brother, Andy, played linebacker at Boston College

and was a teammate of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Doug Flutie.

A former youth and high school football player, Hemmer is a life-long

Cincinnati Bengals fan. He still owns an oversized Bengals foam finger

from 1981 when the team earned its first Super Bowl berth.

Americas Newsroom is the countrys ninth-most watched cable news

program as of Oct. 2009. Hemmers work contributes to the fact that the FOX

News Channel is themost watchedcable news channel and is on track to

have its best year ever in the networks history.

Hemmer recently spoke with USA Football to share what football taught him.

Bill Hemmer, FOX News Channel Co-Anchor, Americas Newsroom

As Told To sTeve Alic

Bill Hemmer

Documents

USA Football Magazine Issue 12 Winter 2010