Football is always going to be a tough game that causes injuries. There is no way around it, football is dangerous. The rules being instituted in today's NFL are being put in to better player safety (and decrease their liability against lawsuits) but rule changes are not the only way that the NFL is working to make football safer.
In fact the truly best way to make football a better and safer game to play is not about the rules as much as the proper teaching. Kids need to be taught the proper technique to tackle and that starts right away before anybody has any idea of if they will be talented enough to make it to the big leagues. That is exactly what the Heads Up Football program by USA Football is all about.
USA Football is the official youth development partner of the NFL and their partnership with the league is going to pave way for the betterment of the youths in this great sport. The citizens of the City of Oakland are showing that they understand what it means to care about the betterment of their youth too with the city's impressive 70 leagues joining the Heads Up football program in the Oakland Area.
“We are pleased to work with Heads Up Football to promote and encourage the correct instruction and enjoyment of the game of football, which offers many rewards for children in our community,” said Oakland Raiders Chief Executive Amy Trask.
Kudos to the City of Oakland for embracing this program the way that it has. There are around 900 leagues across the country participating in the program and 70 of them are in Oakland. That is impressive to see one city having that many leagues and shows that the area loves football and care about their youth.
The Heads Up Football program provides the proper teaching to each head coach and assistant coach in the league by requiring them all to complete USA Football's accredited Level 1 Coach Certification Course. The course includes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concussion recognition and response protocols, proper helmet and shoulder pad fitting, and the Heads Up Tackling techniques.
This has been a long time coming and its very good to see such an efficient institution of this program. Things as simple as proper helmet and shoulder pad fitting seems so easy but if its overlooked it provides an environment conducive to children getting injured. The people teaching this game need to be taught properly and the NFL and USA Football are finally doing something about it.
The best part of the program is that USA Football requires a separate person chosen from each organization involved in the league be assigned as a player safety coach whose purpose is specifically to watch the children for their techniques being used. Even if this just saves one traumatic injury then that is one less son or daughter's life being changed drastically forever and well worth the forming of the program.
If your looking to put your child into a football program and desire to find one participating in the Heads Up Football program in your area check out www.USAFootball.com.
Football is an amazing sport that can be a release for kids and provide opportunities to better your child's future but it will always be a dangerous sport. Teach your kid to play the game the right way and let USA Football's Heads Up Football program help you in accomplishing that goal.
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