Published by USA Football…
Ventura Buccaneers Employ USA Football Coaching Education Program for All Head Coaches
Published: September 29, 2008, revised September 29, 2008
Sept. 24 – Helping foster great football experiences for its youngsters, the Gold Coast Youth Football League’s Ventura Buccaneers football program in southwest California has enrolled all seven of its head coaches into USA Football’s Certified Coaching Education Program (C.C.E.P.). USA Football, the national governing body of youth and amateur football, has trained more than 16,000 youth football coaches nationwide since March 2007 to further strengthen the sport.
The Buccaneers now require head coaches to successfully complete the first level of USA Football’s C.C.E.P. to help ensure that youngsters benefit from quality coaching. To advance through the course, which takes approximately two hours to complete, a coach must receive a cumulative score of at least 80 percent on all 11 chapter quizzes administered throughout the curriculum.
The USA Football C.C.E.P. encompasses coaching philosophy, practice planning, communicating with young players and parents and how to teach football fundamentals, including proper blocking and tackling techniques though computer animation and audio narration. USA Football’s online coaching course enrollment is $9.99 per coach. Upon course completion, coaches receive a USA Football coaching certificate and have their name added to usafootball.com’s national coach registry.
“It standardizes football language and basics principles of the game,” said Ventura Buccaneers Head Coach GUS BERNAL. ”A lot of new coaches come in and they start working with the kids and develop their own their own style of football that may hinder the kid’s ability to learn the basics football. Teaching the coaches the same language and proper basics helps the kids perform well and creates a safe environment for fun and competitive football.”
“The best way to shape America’s favorite sport at the youth level is to provide coaches with resources to become quality instructors and mentors,” said USA Football Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK. “The Ventura Buccaneers are doing that in an exciting way through our online coaching education courses. Prepared and dedicated coaches result in youngsters having more fun playing a game they love – that is precisely what is happening for youth football in Ventura.”
About USA Football
USA Football, the sport’s national governing body on youth and amateur levels, hosts nearly 100 football training events annually offering education for coaches and game officials, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent non-profit also manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions and provides nearly $1 million in equipment grants and youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Approximately 3.2 million American youngsters aged 6-14 play organized tackle football and 1.14 million American high school boys play football, more than doubling the next-most popular sport among that group. USA Football was started by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund and is chaired by former U.S. Congressman and professional quarterback JACK KEMP.