USAfootball

Issaquah Youth Football Employs USA Football Coaching Education Program for Coaches

Helping foster great football experiences for its youngsters, Issaquah Youth Football has enrolled its approximately 55 coaches into USA Football's Certified Coaching Education Program (CCEP). The league encompasses nearly 200 youngsters, ranging from ages 8 to 14, from the towns of Issaquah, Sammamish, Bellevue, and Preston. USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, has trained more than 16,000 youth football coaches nationwide in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., since March 2007.

All Issaquah Youth Football coaches will complete both levels of USA Football's CCEP or attend a USA Football Coaching School. To advance through the online course at usafootball.com, which takes roughly two hours each to complete, a coach must receive a cumulative score of at least 80 percent on the 11 course quizzes.

USA Football's CCEP encompasses coaching philosophy, practice planning, communicating with young players and parents though computer animation and audio narration. Upon course completion, coaches receive a USA Football coaching certificate and have their name added to usafootball.com's national coaches' registry.

In addition, each of the league's head coaches have become USA Football coaching members, providing them innovative resources including coaching insurance, a 3-D online computer-animated drills library with more than 100 drills, an online practice planner, USA Football's "Click 'n Create" online playbook, and more.

"The coaches are the backbone of the organization, if you don't invest in them then we aren't investing in the kids at all," said BRIAN HARTLINE, an Issaquah resident and Co-Coaching Coordinator of Issaquah Youth Football. "Our volunteers deserve as many resources as possible, and USA Football's program is loaded with resources such as practice plans, videos, and forums where you can talk to coaching experts."

"The best way to shape America's favorite sport at the youth level is to provide coaches with resources to become quality instructors and mentors," said USA Football Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK. "Under Brian's leadership, Issaquah Youth Football is doing that in an exciting way through our online coaching education course and coaching membership benefits. Prepared and dedicated coaches result in youngsters having more fun playing a game they love - that is precisely what is happening for youth football in these Washington communities."

About USA Football
USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, hosts more than 100 football training events annually offering education for coaches and game officials, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners.  The independent non-profit manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions and provides $1 million annually in equipment grants and youth league volunteer background check subsidies.  USA Football was started by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund and is chaired by former U.S. Congressman and professional quarterback Jack Kemp.