NCSI and USA Football Renew Partnership to Raise the Standard of Background Checks for Youth Football Coaches and Volunteers

INDIANAPOLIS – USA Football, the sport’s governing body in the United States, has renewed its partnership with the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) to make NCSI its exclusive partner for youth football volunteer background checks. 

USA Football is a recognized sports organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF).  

NCSI is the industry’s leading provider of background screenings, serving youth sports organizations and governing bodies across the country. 

“We firmly believe that young athletes and their families should be able to enjoy the fun, fitness and camaraderie that comes with playing football in a safe environment,” said USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck. “Renewing our partnership with NCSI is a crucial part of our mission to support the football community with best-in-class health, safety and operational standards. Together, we will help communities provide positive, memorable experiences for their athletes.” 

“We are thrilled to partner with USA Football in support of their efforts to provide the youth sports community with positive sports experiences,” said John Weinerth, Vice President of Enterprise Partnerships for SportsEngine, of which NCSI is a wholly-owned subsidiary. “Helping organizations like USA Football strengthen their standards and policies to benefit athletes is core to what we do at, and we look forward to working together to establish best practices that can be adopted across the country.”  

USA Football supports the football community through several initiatives, including Coach Certification and grants. Since 2012, more than 1.1 million of USA Football’s accredited coach certifications have been completed in all 50 states and numerous foreign countries. Since 2006, USA Football has awarded more than $20 million in grants to youth and school-based football programs, benefiting 12,000 programs in all 50 states. 

About NCSI: The National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) is part of the NBC Sports Next technology family. It is a youth safety advocacy group and leading background screening provider that serves youth sports organizations and national governing bodies nationwide. Through in-depth investigations, NCSI goes beyond a standard database-only search to provide thorough screenings of individuals. NCSI’s services are trusted by thousands of sports organizations to provide training, education, and comprehensive volunteer background checks. 

About USA Football: USA Football designs and delivers premier educational, developmental and competitive programs to advance, unify and grow the sport. As the sport’s national governing body, member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and organizer of the U.S. National Team for international competition, USA Football partners with leaders in medicine, child advocacy and athletics to support positive football experiences for youth, high school and other amateur players.