USA Football

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USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, today completed its 2009 Junior National Team roster which will compete in the sport's first junior world championship this summer.

Forty-five (45) graduating high school seniors soon to enter one of 33 college football programs have been selected to play on America's first national team in the sport comprised of players aged 19 and under. USA Football announced its initial 36 players on April 14 and its remaining nine roster slots were confirmed today.

USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, has built America's first junior national team in the sport to compete in the eight-nation, four-continent 2009 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio, from June 27-July 5. National football teams from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Sweden have qualified to join the United States to pursue the sport's first world championship on the international junior level (19 and under).

USA Football's Junior National Team is led by CHUCK KYLE, head coach of Cleveland St. Ignatius High School, who has led his Wildcats to 10 of Ohio's past 21 large-school state titles, including two USA TODAY "national championships."

"Much like the country we love and represent, this football team is composed of immense talent and strong character from small towns, big cities, and places in between," said Kyle, whose team is assembled of players entering one of 13 college conferences, with the Big 10 having the most players on Team USA with nine. "This collection of young men - proud Americans - will become a team during our 13 days together before facing France on June 27.

"We realize - coaches and players alike - that we're playing for something greater than ourselves. It is aprivilege to representthe United States in this historic tournament, further propelling football's international strength."

All eight national teams will live and practice at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio, throughout the tournament (June 27-July 5).

USA Football's 2009 Junior National Team (*new player selection):

Players selected for USA Football's Junior National Team were nominated by high school and college coaches from around the country. Roster selections are ultimately determined by USA Football's coaching staff, which collectively possesses 33 state titles and 155 high school head coaching seasons of experience.

USA Football's Junior National Team Coaching Staff:

With national football federations in existence worldwide for decades, IFAF, the sport's international federation, was created in 1998 to organize and further develop the game throughglobal cooperationand competition. All IFAF Junior World Championship games will be played in Canton's historic Fawcett Stadium, home of the NFL's annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Action kicks off on Saturday, June 27, and continues on Wednesday, July 1 and Saturday, July 4, before the Championship Game on Sunday, July 5.

All-day general admission IFAF Junior World Championship tickets are $10; reserved tickets to all 12 tournament games are $50 and are available at www.jwcfootball.com and via phone at 1-800-574-5874.

All-inclusive travel packages to Canton with tournament game tickets are available at www.usafootball.com/jwc/tickets or by calling 1-888-310-4255 (Continental U.S. and Canada).

Media Credentials to cover the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship in Canton may be requested via email at jwcmedia@usafootball.com by June 5. A limited number of Canton hotel rooms are available for media at a discounted rate.

For more information about USA Football's Junior National Team and the IFAF Junior World Championship, visit usafootball.com and jwcfootball.com, respectively.

About USA Football

Independent non-profit USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions. USA Football hosts more than 100 football training events annually and is comprised of members in all 50 states (coaches, game officials, youth league commissioners). The organization also provides more than $1 million annually in equipment grants and youth league volunteer background check subsidies. USA Football, America's sole delegate to the International Federation of American Football, which spans 52 nations and five continents, was started by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund.