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Parent & Guardian Resources
Resources Built for Football Parents & Guardians
Resources Built for Football Parents & Guardians
You’re there for every moment, on the sidelines, in the stands, and behind the scenes to make sure your athlete is safe, supported, and having fun. From the first practice to game day, parents and guardians are the cornerstone of every athlete’s football journey.
USA Football provides the resources and tools built to help parents and guardians navigate the season—For You. For The Game.
Tools to support your athlete and family wherever the game takes you.
USA Football's Parent and Guardian guide is free to download and offers advice on developing great relationships with coaches, officials, and teammates, as well as the benefits of staying active and the role of the football family. It also includes important tips on first aid kits, hydration, healthy in-game snacks, and treating common sports injuries.
The 5 Ways to Play framework helps parents support a positive youth sports experience by focusing on trained coaches, age-appropriate play, physical literacy, and character development. Together, these principles help keep your athlete engaged in tackle or flag football.
USA Football's Game Day and Practice Checklist helps parents and guardians stay organized and know what to expect before, during, and after practices or games. This checklist helps support safety, preparedness, and a positive experience for both your athlete and family.
As a parent of an athlete, it's important to understand the coach's thoughts on playing time, whether their focus is on winning or player development, and how much they prioritize the safety of athletes. Asking the right questions can help you find the information you need.
If your athlete wants to take their game to the next level, check out the football camps and pathways for the next generation of elite athletes. Athletes must have a TEAM USA FOOTBALL® Youth Athlete ID to participate in a National Development Team Program qualifying event.
USA Football's health and safety resources guide parents and guardians on how to protect the well-being of every athlete, including concussion recognition and response, Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), hydration and heat preparation, Emergency Action Planning (EAP), and Proper Equipment Fitting.
Find a football league near you. Discover leagues dedicated to prioritizing athletes' well-being and development through USA Football's League Finder.
USA Football provides additional resources and tools. Some of these resources may require you to create a free USA Football account to access, while others are available directly without requiring a login.
As a parent or guardian, you want the game to be safer for everyone involved. The Football Development Model (FDM) was created with athletes in mind and designed to improve America's favorite game.
Helpful stories, tips, and guidance to support you and your athlete on and off the field.
The most common questions parents and guardians ask throughout the tackle and flag football season.
Every sport our kids love to play offers an abundance of physical, emotional and social advantages. Enjoying any sport comes with a chance for injury. However, sports today – including football – are taught and played smarter and safer than ever before. It begins with trained coaches and forward-thinking developmental frameworks.
If they're trained by USA Football, then yes, they are. USA Football's Youth Coach Course, Coach Training Program, and Advanced Flag Course provide your child's coaches with a fundamental education in heat and hydration, sudden cardiac arrest, concussion recognition and response, and age-appropriate Football Development Model modules. These tackle and flag football courses also cover tackling and flag pulling, blocking and equipment fitting, as well as abuse prevention and reporting. USA Football offers the education and training courses accredited by the U.S. Center for Coaching Excellence.
If so, your league is utilizing a new approach to coaching, learning and playing the sport that meets young athletes where they are developmentally and guides them on a life-long path to health and fitness through the fun of America’s favorite sport. USA Football believes parents know their children best and should own the decision of the right football experience for them and their family. The Football Development Model encourages leagues to offer multiple entry points into the sport, providing smart options for parents.
There is insufficient data on the frequency of concussion in youth football (pre-high school) to accurately answer this question due to a number of factors like restrictions under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, availability of funding, use of human subjects and others. USA Football encourages more robust research in the area of concussion occurrence so the medical community can better assess the prevalence of the issue.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), concussion symptoms reported by an athlete in any sport include:
• Headache or “pressure” in head
• Nausea or vomiting
• Balance problems or dizziness
• Double or blurry vision
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to noise
• Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy or groggy
• Concentration or memory problems
• Confusion
• Just not “feeling right” or is “feeling down”
Across all sports, the CDC cites the following concussion signs observed by parents/ guardians: • Appears dazed or stunned • Is confused about assignment or position • Forgets an instruction • Is unsure of game, score or opponent • Moves clumsily • Answers questions slowly • Loses consciousness (even briefly) • Shows mood, behavior or personality changes For more information, check out the CDC website.
USA Football provides resources to coaches on proper technique as well as athlete health and safety. USA Football has proudly delivered over 1.35 MILLION Youth Coach Education Training records of completion since 2012. This means millions of athletes across all ages have been coached using better techniques.
A properly fitted helmet – regardless of manufacturer – is a key step in reducing the risk of concussions, facial lacerations and fractures.
USA Football has partnered with Riddell to educate coaches on properly fitting helmets as part of USA Football’s education and training courses and to help parents by providing helmet fitting guidelines, available here.
Coaches and parents should continue checking helmet fittings frequently throughout the season to ensure the helmet is still properly fitting the player. Also, helmets should have a National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) seal. We encourage you to insist that your youth football program follows the reconditioning guidelines of the helmet manufacturers.
The Football Development Model (FDM) spans three categories of football with a range of game-types across each:
• Non-Contact (flag)
• Limited Contact (Rookie Limited Contact™ and Senior Limited Contact™ through padded flag or other tools)
• Contact (Rookie Tackle® and Senior Tackle™).
Within each category, the amount of contact differs. For example, Rookie Limited Contact™ is a bridge game where athletes wear traditional equipment, plus flags or a TackleBar™ harness. Athletes learn how to block, track and engage an opponent with proper form and technique, all while staying on their feet. For the full breakdown and description of these game types, click here.
USA Football’s Levels of Contact and Youth Practice Guidelines, endorsed by football and sports medicine leaders across the country, also define contact and seek to limit full contact in practices while teaching football smarter. This approach assists the development of young athletes and allows them to learn the game and related contact and non-contact skills in a progression that best suits them. This path offers more opportunities to enjoy the sport and choose the game-type kids and parents wish to play.
Head to the Football Development Model (FDM) for more information. There are sections for leagues, parents and coaches to learn more with details on how it all works. You can also sign up for more content and updates on the future of football.
Go here to report an issue.
Under federal law, adults interacting with athletes must report any suspected abuse, including sexual abuse, within 24 hours to law enforcement or the designated agency. USA Football and all adult participants are responsible for promptly reporting incidents of abuse or misconduct. Reports must be made when there is firsthand knowledge or credible information from a victim or an informed third party. Retaliation against good faith reports is prohibited, and false reporting with malicious intent is not allowed, with no statute of limitations on sexual abuse reports.
If you need assistance utilizing USA Football's tools and resources, our team is here to help.