INDIANAPOLIS – Benefitting young athletes across Indiana who love to play football, the Indianapolis Colts will provide USA Football Youth Coach Certification for more than 2,500 youth coaches across the state in 2021.
The Colts and Indianapolis-based USA Football, the sport's national governing body and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), share a commitment to young players and their families. USA Football's Youth Coach Certification, the only training for football coaches nationally accredited by the United States Center for Coaching Excellence, provides industry-leading youth coaching and player safety standards.
USA Football's Youth Coach Certification aligns with the independent non-profit's Football Development Model to help coaches develop the whole athlete based on a child's age, stage of development and football game type. Introduced in 2020, the Football Development Model allows young athletes to learn the sport and its inherent skills in a progression that best suits them.
"This is another opportunity for the Colts to contribute to the growth of our sport in Indiana, as well as provide coaches with training to make the game safer, more innovative and more fun," said MIKE PRIOR, Colts Youth Football Commissioner. "We love this partnership with USA Football, and we look forward to seeing these coaches improve their skills, which will lead directly to a more positive experience for our young players."
"The Colts are exceptional supporters of youth football across Indiana, and we're grateful to work with them again to benefit youth leagues across the Hoosier State," said USA Football CEO & Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK. "It's always special to work with our hometown team. Through the Colts' generosity, thousands of kids will experience the fun and fitness of football this season with coaches who are empowered to teach the sport smarter, safer and better."
Youth football coaches whose leagues enroll with USA Football are eligible for Colts' support for certification training. USA Football enrollment is free and open to all youth football organizations at usafootball.com/programs/enrollment.
Since 2012, more than 700,000 coach certifications have been completed through USA Football, spanning all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and 10 foreign countries across four continents.
