USA Football Enrollment is open for the 2022 season. Now is the perfect time for commissioners and league leaders to leverage USA Football’s tools, grant opportunities, and additional resources for their league’s operations. 

Enrollment is free and the benefits pay dividends through grant opportunities, a range of football game-type rule books and playbooks with more than 325 plays, USA Football’s League Operations Guide, the League Risk Management Guide, and the League Marketing Kit.

Since 2006, USA Football has awarded more than $15 million in grants, which have served more than 500,000 youth and high school players across nearly 9,500 programs nationwide. 

“I think USA Football does a fantastic job with what they offer,” said Casper (Wyo.) Junior Football League Coaching Coordinator Jeremy Taylor. “It doesn’t matter if it’s flag, full contact, or limited contact. The biggest asset in my opinion that USA Football offers is the continued training and education for coaches. They have hundreds of drills on their website.”

Enrolling or re-enrolling with USA Football is an excellent way for commissioners and leagues to access new administrative and coaching resources to ensure the best possible experiences for their players, coaches, and communities.

“We realize in the urban core that sports are a way of connecting with kids and families,” said Co-Founder and Executive Director of KC United! Youth/Family Sports & Education Initiative Adrion Roberson. “USA Football allows us to have a quality sports product. We use their resources and materials to show our coaches and parents that we aren’t a fly-by-night league. We have certain standards that we get from USA Football.” 

The athlete’s experience and safety are always the top priority when building a healthy football community. Accredited by the U.S. Center for Coaching Excellence, USA Football’s Youth Coach Certification for contact and non-contact play is a comprehensive curriculum covering health and safety, abuse prevention, skill and technique development for tackling and blocking, and the Football Development Model for only $15 online.

“Coach certification helps, especially with player safety,” said Taylor. “Some of our coaches have been coaching for a long time, but some haven’t coached before. Giving them access to information, especially about the blocking and tackling techniques, is invaluable.” 

Approximately 100,000 youth coaches nationwide complete USA Football’s Youth Coach Certification annually, lifting standards for the good of their athletes who love to play the sport. 

“The certifications hold us accountable. It's all about accountability,” said Roberson. “Coaches have to know what they’re doing with the athletes. They can’t coach here if they don’t have USA Football’s certification. I don’t care how long they’ve been coaching. We focus on safety, the well-being of these athletes, and parents knowing they’re getting the best coaches possible.” 

Leagues that reach the highest standard enter the League Excellence Program, which rewards organizations for their commitment to ensuring player safety, development, and creating the best environment for everyone involved. Of the more than 3,800 youth enrollments in 2021, 600 organizations received additional support and recognition through the League Excellence Program.

In 2021, USA Football introduced its League Finder tool, helping parents discover local programs that offer the best league-fit for their children. It’s a great way for families and youth programs to connect. 

The League Finder tool displays a league’s mission, game types, League Excellence Program status, recent achievements, and links to the league’s website. Parents can also see if a league’s coaches are certified with USA Football.