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Springtime football equipment assessments
04/08/2013 - 09:23 am
Youth football leagues across the United States are busy preparing for the upcoming season.
Commissioners are double-checking their equipment inventory to make sure they have enough certified helmets and shoulder pads for players this fall.
Regular annual inspection of football equipment allows league administrators the opportunity to recondition helmets and replace broken or old gear when necessary. Reconditioning is an important part to prolonging the life of equipment.
Read More »USA Today: Coaches gather in Indianapolis to fix football and make it safer
03/05/2013 - 11:52 am
Class is in session in the new school of football. The focus is on teaching kids a safer way to tackle, easing the fears of parents alarmed enough about concussions to ask whether their sons should play at all and ensuring a now-thriving game has a future.
The faculty began taking shape here over the weekend. It includes Chuck Kyle, who in 30 seasons as coach at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland has won 11 Ohio state titles and twice been named USA TODAY’s National High School Coach of the Year.
Read More »Helmet reconditioning: How to do it right
11/27/2012 - 05:05 pm
Attaining maximum performance in anything requires reaching full potential.
This applies to football - for the athlete, the coach ... and the athlete's equipment.
Putting football fundamentals into practice and wearing season-ready equipment bolster player safety.
Helmet reconditioning is especially important to protect players and to attain a helmet's maximum life span.
Read More »For equipment managers, taking inventory and ensuring safety are keys to success
10/15/2012 - 02:00 pm
Dirk Stevenson owns and operates a wood refurbishing business in West Milford, N.J. He also is the equipment manager for the West Milford (N.J.) Midget Football Association.
He approaches both jobs the same way – with careful planning and attention to detail.
Stevenson said that taking inventory is the most efficient way to stay organized as an equipment manager. Even if you know that the previous equipment manager took inventory before you, it's always safer to count everything again for your own records.
Read More »NFL Commissioner emphasizes Heads Up Football in message to fans
08/17/2012 - 09:28 am
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote an open letter Thursday to millions of football fans around the globe. Goodell foucses on player health and safety, endorsing USA Football's Heads Up Football program, which launched this week.
Here is the letter.
To NFL Fans:
Read More »AP: USA Football launches youth safety program
08/15/2012 - 11:57 am
In a conference room down the hall from his office, Roger Goodell played the role of running back while a youth coach demonstrated the safest way to tackle.
The NFL commissioner was impressed.
"I like your technique initiative," Goodell told three player safety coaches trained by USA Football, the national governing body for youth football.
Read More »Finding the right fit matters
07/23/2012 - 11:38 am
To find success on the football field, players need to be good fits with their teams.
The same goes for their helmets.
Riddell, USA Football’s official helmet and protective equipment partner, continues to make strides in helmet technology. Marty Cothern, a Riddell representative, spoke last week during the NFL/USA Football Youth Summit in Canton, Ohio, at Kent State Stark campus about how Riddell’s newest helmet can improve player safety.
Read More »Small mouths need protection, too
02/28/2012 - 09:21 am
No matter what a player’s age, proper mouth protection is a key component to health and safety.
For youngsters just starting out in flag football, that means finding a mouth guard that fits or trimming down one made for older players.
“When you are talking about 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds, you could have some difficulty finding one that fits their mouth,” said Todd Casey, a dentist from Oakton, Va., and a coach and commissioner in the Fairfax County Youth Football League. “For a kid that small, you often can take a regular-sized, generic guard and cut it down to fit.”
Read More »New 10-year limit set for helmet reconditioning
12/10/2011 - 11:01 am
Effective Sept. 1, National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association (NAERA) members will not recondition or recertify any football helmet 10 years of age or older.
NAERA announced today the new 10-year policy adopted at its recent winter meeting. The 10 years shall be determined by the manufacturers date as required by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE).
For example, at the end of this upcoming 2011 football season, any helmet dated 2002 or older will not be reconditioned or recertified by a NAERA member.
Read More »Flag football dress for success
11/29/2011 - 11:31 am
Dressing young athletes to play flag football goes beyond just strapping on a belt and sending them out there.
Clothing choice goes a long way toward having fun and playing safe.
Shirts and shorts should be snug and free of belt loops or pockets, said Mark Thomas, a flag football referee from Spring Hill, Fla.
Kids may like to wear long, loose styles popularized by basketball and soccer, but those outfits can work against for the athletes, their teammates and opponents.
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