With a USA Football League Commissioner Membership, members can sign up their organizations for the Certified Coaching Education Program and also utilize the background screening subsidy - just as the Bartlett Hawks Youth Football League in Illinois has done.
The Bartlett Hawks Youth Football League won't be entering its third season until the fall, but preparations have already begun.
By teaming up with USA Football, the Bartlett Hawks have ensured that their coaches will receive proper training to teach the fundamentals of the game through the non-profit's Certified Coaching Education Program (CCEP).
But it doesn't end there.
The league will also be taking advantage of USA Football's background screening subsidy program, which help conduct background checks on all 100 adult volunteers.
Joseph Miceli, league president and founder, has been involved with youth football for nearly 10 years, so he knows how important it is to the parents of youth football players to have these types of measures in place.
"Scott LeVeque [USA Football Great Lakes Regional Manager] came out to do a presentation in January of this year and showed us all the online capabilities, coaches training and we talked about the background checks USA Football offers," Miceli said. "I just think it's a value added that we at the Bartlett Hawks Youth Football League offer these things to our membership."
The CCEP course takes coaches through coaching philosophy, practice planning and communicating with young players and parents. The course also covers how to teach football fundamentals, including proper blocking and tackling techniques.
Coaches can only advance through the online computer-animated course if a score of 80 percent or higher is reached on the 11 quizzes throughout the curriculum. It takes about two hours to finish, but Miceli believes it is time well spent.
"My hope is that the coaches will have an understanding of the basics within the game and will be able to set up a detailed practice plan that allows their time with the football players to be as efficient as possible," he said. "The most difficult thing for coaches is to have a structured practice plan and be prepared to maximize their time in teaching the fundamentals."
All USA Football league commissioner members are eligible to participate in the background check program, which is serviced by the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI). USA Football's subsidy program offers youth football leagues a $25 screening check for its volunteers at only $15.NCSI checks every volunteer for two full seasons for the $15 subsidized rate.
"We had a different program in place before this one, but this program is more cost-efficient," Miceli said. "I like utilizing as many of the services that USA Football has to offer, and this is just one of many."
Background check screenings bring to light crimes such as sexual assault, child abuse, drug possession and others.Approximately 4 percent of the 15,000 screenings subsidized by USA Football since 2007 have drawn "red lights," effectively eliminating hundreds of inappropriate applicants from entering youth football's coaching pool across the United States.
Miceli said it makes him feel comfortable and confident knowing that USA Football, the sports national governing body on youth and amateur levels, is taking action on this matter.
"Our mission is to have the kids play in a fun environment," Miceli said. "It's also our responsibility as an organization to try and provide them with the safest environment possible."
