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Director of Player Safety Initiative
The best youth football programs set health and safety, both on-and-off the field, as a top priority. To help your organization meet the standard, USA Football’s launching our Director of Player Safety Initiative, designed to deliver top quality resources and support all in one location.
Having a Director of Player Safety gives your community a crucial resource and highlights to your parents, coaches, and athletes that player well-being is top of mind for your program.
We recommend that organizations share this information with the individual in your program who leads player safety initiatives. Program leaders can and should identify a 'Player Safety Contact' within their 'Associated People Report' in their Organization's USA Football Dashboard to become familiar with these resources and receive updates. More information on that can be found in our FAQ below.
This initiative is designed to give you quick and easy access to resources to help your organization put athlete well-being first.
No. These are presented as resources to help whoever you have in charge of safety and athlete well-being. That individual may choose to take these resources and share them with your community - including your coaches. Note, some of the items here, like our Youth Coach Certification, do have a cost.
Not at this time. While we ask that you identify your player safety contact through USA Football Enrollment or your organization's Associated People Report in the USA Football dashboard, that is simply to identify who we should share these resources to in a more direct manner.
Here's how to add a Director of Player Safety to your organization's Associated People Report.
Step 1: Make sure your organization is created and enrolled with USA Football.
Step 2: Log in to your USA Football Account.
Step 3: Select the appropriate organization.
Step 4: Select the "Associated People Report."
Step 5: Add "Player Safety Contact" to your Organization
Most of these resources can be accessed on this page directly without a login. Some resources require your organization to be enrolled for free access - however the link on this page will direct you to the page where the resource is listed in your program's enrollment dashboard. We also highlight our Youth Coach Certification and Membership for coaches.
GETTING STARTED
These are resources to help you get started with this initiaitive and will be items you may come back to as you dive into the rest of the resources.
Yearly checklist of high priority considerations for an organization's Director of Player Safety.
Guide to navigate common questions and appropriate responses in your organization.
Some key takeaways for USA Football's approach to Long Term Athlete Development.
A key log template of community and organization contact info. Keep it with your EAP!
More Resources to Get Started
We encourage all of your program volunteers to check out our general Health & Safety resources. You'll find additional resources and context for materials covered in the Director of Player Safety Initiative, along with other materials like Proper Equipment Fitting and Concussion Recognition & Response.
For families, we also recommend sharing USA Football's Parent Guide. It has tips on nutriition, first aid, beating the heat, sports physicals, an equipment checklist and much more.
ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURCES
These resources will largely be used by your broader organization, whether that's your board, commissioners or volunteers.
The USA Football EAP template is available for Enrolled program use in the creation of an Emergency Action Plan.
Automated External Defibrillator (AED) monthly inspection and maintenance report.
DefibTech is an official AED and Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) education partner to USA Football.
A comprehensive guide to common risk and how to respond to or mitigate them
Background checks are a critical component of any athlete protection program.
Two training videos designed to help organizations create the safest environment possible for the children in their program.
Enroll for More Resources
Did you know that enrolling your organization with USA Football adds even more resources to your league toolbelt? Enroll or login today to access your league resources.
COACH RESOURCES
These resources are designed for your coaches as they work with their team, whether that's the players, their families, or the team's assistants.
Best practices for athlete interaction and implementing a return to play progression after a sustained concussion or head trauma.
USA Football standards for athlete safety in terms of heat and hydration, including proper pre-season acclimatization.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) informational brochure to reinforce proper response time and treatment.
National Youth Practice guidelines provide a uniform standard for tackle injury prevention and season preparation at the youth level.
Warning signs, crisis resources, types of mental health providers, what to look for and how to find a mental health provider, and other helpful tips.
The (USOPC) is committed to providing athletes with mental health and performance resources to support their endeavors.
Two training videos designed to help organizations create the safest environment possible for the children in their program.
TrueSport, a branch of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), aims to support the mental health and well-being of athletes.
USA Football Flag & Tackle Certifications ($)
Every coach should be certified before they step on the practice field. Join new and experienced coaches across the country who elevate their game by getting your USA Football Coach Certification, or become a member to add even more resources and value!