POP WARNER, USA FOOTBALL TEAM UP TO ELEVATE COACHING EDUCATION AND PLAYER DEVELOPMENT NATIONWIDE

Agreement raises the bar for tackle and flag coaching standards, improving youth fundamentals through required USA Football training 

Pop Warner players and coaches to benefit from expanded partnership as nation’s premier football organizations explore additional collaborations  

LANGHORNE, PA. and INDIANAPOLIS, IND. – Two of the nation’s most influential youth football organizations are coming together to set a new standard. 

Pop Warner Little Scholars, the nation’s leading youth football and cheer & dance organization, and USA Football, the sport’s National Governing Body and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, today announced they have extended their longstanding partnership to strengthen coaching education, enhance player development, and support the long-term growth of youth football in the U.S. 

As part of the renewed agreement, all Pop Warner tackle and flag coaches will complete USA Football’s Youth Coach Course. 

Through USA Football’s nationally recognized curriculum, Pop Warner athletes and coaches will benefit from world-class standardized coaching practices, age- and developmentally appropriate training, and a safer, more technically sound approach to the game. 

The course equips coaches with: 

• Practical training in technique, safety, and practice design 

• Resources that support both new and experienced coaches 

• Tools to build positive, development-focused team environments 

• A nationally recognized digital badge and a record of course completion 

“Expanding our work with USA Football reinforces our commitment to leading the way in youth football," said Steve Strawbridge, Pop Warner President and CEO. “We prioritize making football safer and better for young people while preserving everything that makes this game great. By grounding our programs in best-in-class education and safety standards, we ensure every coach is equipped with proven practices and every player learns the game the right way.”  

“As leaders of our sport, we have a responsibility to support coaches and collaborate to set new standards for the youth football experience. Our partnership with Pop Warner represents a full commitment to reaching – and raising – that bar,” said Scott Hallenbeck, USA Football CEO and Executive Director. “We’re just scratching the surface of what we can accomplish together.” 

Since 2012, more than 1.3 million of USA Football’s coach courses have been completed, confirming the football community’s focus on ensuring the sport is coached and played smarter than ever before. Additionally, USA Football’s program is an approved pathway for coaches in Alabama and Arkansas to satisfy their states’ Coach Safely Acts. 

Pop Warner was the first national organization to adopt USA Football’s Football Development Model (FDM), an evolved approach to youth football participation featuring step-by-step progression through non-contact, limited contact and contact game types. The FDM is designed to make the game safer by reducing contact and teaching the game based on an athlete’s age, skills development, and game type. 

About Pop Warner Little Scholars: Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Langhorne, PA, Pop Warner Little Scholars is the nation’s oldest youth football, cheerleading and dance organization and the only youth sports organization that emphasizes academics as a prerequisite for participation. Pop Warner participants enjoy the opportunity to learn and compete in their sports in an atmosphere that emphasizes fun, safety, academics and character. For more information on Pop Warner and its programs visit www.popwarner.com or follow Pop Warner on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook. 

About USA Football: USA Football is the National Governing Body (NGB) for American Football in the United States and the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport of American football. USA Football selects, trains and leads Team USA Football® in tackle and flag football disciplines, while delivering world-class football development resources, sport standards and competitive opportunities to empower athletes at every level. USA Football is committed to ensuring every athlete has access to develop and compete in the game through safer, inclusive and innovative pathways. For more information, visit usafootball.com.