BALTIMORE-AREA YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUES EMPLOY USA FOOTBALL LEAGUE AFFILIATION MEMBERSHIP
Four youth football leagues in the Baltimore area have committed to ensuring a positive youth football experience and advance player safety this fall by providing league-wide teaching resources and benefits for players, parents and coaches through USA Football's League Affiliation membership.
USA Football's League Affiliation membership includes all aspects of Heads Up Football, a smarter and safer way to teach and play youth football. USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL and the league's other 31 teams.
The Baltimore-area leagues, comprised of 3,460 players and 673 coaches, employ USA Football development resources through their memberships.
Benefits include access to an NFL Films video library with film clips and narration demonstrating NFL players' fundamentally sound football techniques, a computer-animated library of football drills organized by position, a player age-appropriate practice planner for coaches and more.
All members of the youth football community have access to free videos and downloads pertaining to concussion awareness and management at usafootball.com through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USA Football.
All tackle football coaches in the leagues below have access to USA Football's 15-chapter coaching education course on usafootball.com. Course content covers how to best teach football fundamentals, communicating with players and player health and safety, including concussion education and management. Flag football coaches will complete a similar eight-chapter course.
Area leagues showing a commitment to players and coaches through USA Football's League Affiliation membership:
| LEAGUE | CITY | PLAYERS | COACHES |
| Shutdown Academy | Baltimore Terrapins Youth Football Inc. | Prince George's County Boys | Mechanicsville Braves |
| Baltimore, Md. | Baltimore, Md. | Greenbelt, Md. | Mechanicsville, Md. |
| 180 | 50 | 3,000 | 230 |
| 35 | 8 | 600 | 30 |
USA Football's League Affiliation also provides cost-saving features, including subsidies for adult volunteer background checks, affordable league websites and online player registration systems as well as comprehensive league insurance policies.
"These Baltimore-area leagues show exceptional dedication to their players, families and coaches," USA Football Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK said. "Youth sports player safety demands a comprehensive solution, including coaching education, knowledge of how to address potential player health concerns, organized practices and other elements found through League Affiliation membership. Leaders of these leagues deserve to be commended for doing things the right way and ensuring a great football experience."
USA Football members – youth football players, coaches, commissioners and game officials – reside in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
