USAfootball

USA Football selects coaching staff and roster for U.S. Under-16 National Team

Forty-two (42) players from 12 states will represent the United States on Wednesday, Feb. 6 – National Signing Day – in Austin, Texas, as the U.S. Under-16 National Team in football takes part in the fourth annual International Bowl festivities.

Team USA’s players and coaches are selected by USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States. The U.S. Under-16 National Team head coach is DONALD DAVIS of Baltimore (Md.) Calvert Hall High School.

The International Bowl is an annual competition that unites 64 countries spanning six continents that are part of the International Federation of American Football.

The Davis-led U.S. Under-16 National Team, composed of top high school freshmen and eighth-graders from across the nation, will face Team Canada. The matchup will be webcast live at 4 p.m. CT (5 p.m. ET) at www.youtube.com/usafootballtv.  Team USA U-19 and U-18 teams also will compete that week. The U.S. Under-19 National Team plays 8 p.m. CT (9 p.m. ET) Tuesday, Feb. 5, against an IFAF World Team that representing the 63 member federations outside the United States live. That game will be telecast live on CBS Sports Network.

Davis has a 77-37 career record as a head coach and is 47-23 since taking over at Calvert Hall in 2007. Last season, Davis guided the Cardinals to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A title game. His teams have spent 60-straight weeks in the Maryland top 10 poll. Calvert Hall has won 30 games in the last three seasons.

Familiar with the U.S. National Team program, Davis spent last summer as a head coach during USA Football’s U-17 Development Week.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected to coach the U-16 National Team,” Davis said. “Having the opportunity to represent the United States and to coach some of the finest high school student athletes in our country is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. I look forward to continuing to grow and promote this great game worldwide.”

Players will report to Austin on Saturday, Feb. 2, for four days of practices before taking the field against Team Canada.

Media members can schedule interviews with the players or coaches by contacting Steve Alic (salic@usafootball.com) or Joe Frollo (jfrollo@usafootball.com).

The International Bowl is recognized as a U.S. National Team competition by the NCAA and is not an all-star game. International Bowl participation does not count toward a high school senior football player’s limit of two postseason competitions. The event is a celebration of the sport through exciting competition and cultural exchange.

“The U.S. National Team program is dedicated to assembling the ‘top-right’ coaches and players from across the United States to represent our country in international play,” USA Football Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK said. “Donald has shown that he is a great football coach and a terrific example for young men. We are proud to have him lead our inaugural Under-16 team.”

U.S. Under-16 National Team roster:

U.S. Under-16 National Team coaching staff:

USA Football’s National Team program is supported by corporate partners Cutters Gloves, Gatorade, Marriott, Rawlings, Riddell, St. Vincent Sports Performance, Shock Doctor, Sports Authority, and Upper Deck.

About USA Football: USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, hosts dozens of football training events annually offering education for coaches, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent nonprofit is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association. USA Football manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions and provides more than $1 million annually in equipment grants and youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Endowed by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football (www.usafootball.com) is chaired by former NFL team executive Carl Peterson.