By definition, football is a game. But it's so much more than that to the people that love it. We share stories from coaches, players, organizers and others involved with the game. A USA Football podcast, hosted by Jesse Ghiorzi.
Two high schools put that share a city and a history, put aside their rivalry to help bring football to children with disabilities.
Anthony Silvestri is a man ahead of his time. He was playing high level flag football in college before that was a thing. Several years later, he now coaches his daughter Devyn, who found her love for flag at the perfect time. The quarterback was just named the 2A State player of the year in Florida and has a bright future ahead of her.
Connor Daley started to help out the Weymouth High Football Team a few years go. His goal was to make a few friends before high school started after being bullied badly in grade school and opting to be homeschooled for 7th and 8th grade. Instead of making some friends, he made brothers and made an impression on the team and those around him that will be felt for years.
Offering multiple game types helps bring more people to the game. TackleBar is a limited contact way to play and part of the transition from non-contact to contact. We spoke with Tom Flood, an athletic director that added TackleBar and saw his participation number rise.
Part 2: When we think of football families - it's often a father and son, but that's not always the case. This is a two-episode series where we talk with a mom and son who both play tackle football, each pushing for the top of the sport.
When we think of football families - it's often a father and son, but that's not always the case. In the first of a two-episode series, we talk with a mom and son who both play tackle football, each pushing for the top of the sport.
Georgia recently added girls flag football as a sanctioned high school sport. The Atlanta Falcons were a major player in making that happen. In this episode, we speak to Amanda Dinkel, Falcons community relations manager, and Scarlett Grantham, a HS athletic director early on the flag train about how it went from a dream to reality.
After seeing a story about a type of football that let children with disabilities play the game, a Wisconsin youth league leader wanted to bring that to his community. This is the story of the start and impact of the Challenger League run by Fox Valley Pop Warner.
Guests: Darrell Taylor of the Cleveland Browns, Coach Chuck Kyle of Saint Ignatius Football and Drew Haddad, local football coach and former NFL WR. The topic - Rookie Tackle, a modified way to play football that allows kids to gradually increase contact before moving to traditional full field 11 on 11 tackle.
Guest: OJ Jenkins, CEO of the Women's National Football Conference and former U.S. National Team member. OJ shares her journey from playing football with cousins on blacktop in South Central LA to founding an adult women's tackle league primed for growth.
Season 2 of the Football For All podcast is going to be different. We talk with a women's tackle league CEO, the Browns staffer who helped introduce a new way to play in Cleveland and the best water boy in New England. Football For All season 2 starts July 13 from USA Football.
Tim Healy, CEO of TackleBar® joins host Keith Grabowski to discuss the idea behind tackle bar and how it fits as a training tool as well as a game type in the Football Development Model. TackleBar® is a limited contact football game that bridges the gap between flag football and tackle football. Players wear full pads and learn all of the traditional fundamentals of the game in a limited contact setting. This approach is providing players an authentic football experience that decreases injuries and increases participation in the sport. https://tacklebar.com https://fdm.usafootball.com
On today's episode USA Football's Andy Ryland joins us to discuss how we can better acclimate our players' bodies for the contact loads and forces they will take on during a season. With an extended shutdown which may keep our players out of contact for over a year, it's important to think about how we can prepare them for the next time they step onto the field. Prep for Contact is for all types of football, even without tackling, young players need to prepare for how they might fall or bump into other players. Ryland explains how this can fit into any practice structure for all types of football. Twitter: @CoachKGrabowski @USAFootballMT Related: soundcloud.com/user-804678956/sets/deliberate-practice
As one of the six pillars of USA Football's Football Development Model, focusing attention on physical literacy and skill development means emphasizing foundational movement and sports skills by teaching them during practice. Foundational movement skill that were for generations learned through free plat now can-and should- be taught in oder to instill baseline fundamentals as building blocks in every player. Brett Klika of Spider Fit joins us to discuss 60 Ways to Play and his roll in developing the program. Resources: http://usafootball.com/60ways/
This episode is from a webinar with Michael Krueger, Sr. Director of Education at USA Football, and Dr. Michael Koester, chair of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) sports medicine advisory committee. USA Football has developed a phased approach for the return to youth football this year. They discuss the plan that is based on phased reopening guidelines from the CDC. USA Football, the governing body for the sport in this country advises youth leagues to consult their city or county health departments to determine which CDC phase their community is in. That step begins a youth program’s local reopening procedure during the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more at: https://www.usafootball.com/resources-tools/return-to-youth-football/ Related: https://soundcloud.com/user-321104229/episode-14-return-to-youth-football-with-jesse-ghiorzi-usa-football-brand-manager
As youth football families seek a responsible return to play, USA Football works with leaders across medicine, football and athlete development to pave that path for youth leagues. Here’s a look at the ways we have your back as you get back to youth football
Mount Vernon High School (Indiana) head coach Mike Kirschner sits down with Keith on this episode of the Football For All Podcast. Kirschner, who guided Ben Davis to a Class 6A state title in 2014, his second there, shares the secrets to his successful collaboration with the local youth and middle school programs. He discusses how he prepares youth players and parents in his youth programs t see the game is fun. He also discusses how he ensures that his youth coaches are prepared to coach the game an provide a positive experience. Free Shoulder Tackle System mentioned in podcast: footballdevelopment.com Learn more: fdm.usafootball.com
Today on the Football For All Podcast we welcome former Arizona State and NFL quarterback, Jake Plummer, onto the show. After playing in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Plummer transitioned to a role as the Co-Founder of Ready List Sports. Tune in and hear about Jake Plummer's thoughts on quarterback development, whether quarterback guru's are necessary, and how we need to give kids a chance to have fun while they develop as players. 3:25 Do you need a quarterback guru 9:42 Enjoying the game 14:11 Having fun while still developing 19:09 Giving players chances to grow Learn more: fdm.usafootball.com You can follow Jake Plummer on Twitter here: @snakestakes
Dallas Cowboys Offensive Guard Zack Martin joins Keith Grabowski to discuss how playing multiple sports better prepared him for football, especially in college at Notre Dame. Martin also discusses the two-point stance and how it is useful in training young athletes to better pay the game. Learn more: fdm.usafootball.com
On today’s episode of Football for All, Nick Martin, Center for the Houston Texans, speaks about how imperative the fundamentals of football are even at the NFL level. Hear about Nick’s journey through the game and how his youth league technical arsenal helped prepare him to earn a starting spot in the NFL. 1:36 Nick’s football journey 2:52 Football is meant to be fun 5:00 Competition vs. Fun at the youth levels 6:15 The importance of fundamentals *** 8:28 Football development has changed into a transactional process* 11:24 The Football Development Model’s implementation in today’s game 12:52 The FDM’s responsibility towards the progression of football 13:44 The changes in football that have made the game safer 14:48 The game will never be “soft” 15:08 Fundamentals and technique at the NFL level 16:29 Recommendations for current players getting better during quarantine 17:17 Fondest football memory Learn more: fdm.usafootball.com
On today’s episode of Football for All, we are joined by a key uprising component to the sport of football, the female football player. Sam Rapaport is the Senior Director of Diversity & Inclusion at the NFL. At a young age, Sam was involved in flag football and then progressed to the tackle level. Now being in the front office of the National Football League, she talks about the importance of young girls and women involved in the sport of football. The presence of women in the game from playing to getting hired on to coaching staffs is a hot topic in today’s society. Sam is a living role model for any girl who has the dream of playing football or reaching employment in any NFL front office. Listen to her opinions on how football can truly be a game enjoyed by all. 1:21 How Sam got involved with football 2:50 How playing football drove her to work in professional football 4:01 Women’s presence growing in the sport 5:40 Flag football becoming a certified sport at the collegiate level 7:38 Female participation in football 9:22 NFL’s effort to expand female coaches in the league 11:05 NFL’s responsibility to overcome the barrier between playing football to coaching 13:44 The importance of diversity in a coaching staff 15:07 Bridging the gap from flag football to tackle football for young girls 17:22 How the FDM helps female athletes progress forward 18:50 The rookie tackle model shaping youth leagues 20:53 Advice for parents with daughters who are interested in playing football Learn more: fdm.usafootball.com
On today’s episode of Football for All, we hear from one of the most vital pieces to the game of football, the parent. Christine Golic is the wife of former NFL player and current ESPN co-host, Mike Golic. While being the mother of three collegiate athletes, two of which played youth flag football, then would go on to play at Notre Dame, Christine has been heavily involved in the game of football. In this episode, she dives into her personal connection with football and how watching her sons grow with the game has persuaded her to support the Football Development Model and the mission of USA Football. Christine explains how the FDM impacts parents just as much as their kids who may be interested in playing football. Parents play an imperative piece to their child’s experience with football and Christine offers how she sees that it can be a constructive game starting at a young age. 1:17 Christine’s football journey 2:10 Involvement with the promotion of youth football 3:12 What the game of football gave her sons 4:17 Positive strides in the game of football 5:49 Christine’s involvement in the FDM 7:18 The pillars of the FDM that heavily impact the parent 9:28 How the FDM is advancing the safety aspects of the game 10:46 How flag is an entry point for youth interested in football 12:27 The importance of coach certification in youth leagues 14:21 Advice to parents not involved in an FDM league 15:34 Advice to parents who are hesitant about the game of football 19:11 Something every parent should know about the FDM 21:00 The changes that the FDM will bring to football 22:07 Christine’s family podcast – Sorry in Advance Learn more: fdm.usafootball.com
The Football Development Model allows a community to develop a program that has continuity between levels and game types from the time a young athletes start playing flag football, all the way to Friday night lights. In Avon, Ohio, football is thriving at every level through the leadership of Mike Elder, the head coach at Avon High School. He sees himself as the CEO of football from kindergarten through varsity. The approach taken in Avon shows how multiple game types including flag, limited contact, modified games progressing to 11-man football provides a model that is fun and fulfilling and increases participation and retention. Learn how Avon has implemented the Football Development Model in their community. Learn more: fdm.usafootball.com
BUILDING A BETTER LEAGUE EPISODE 6 Leagues have seen a lot of change over the years. This change will make the good leagues stronger and breath life into those stuck in limbo. Guest: Bruce Scifres, Executive Director at Indianapolis CYO, Indiana Learn more: https://fdm.usafootball.com
GAME TYPES Senior contact, limited contact or non-contact - it's all football. Listen to the differences and benefits of each game type. Guest: Scott Heitland, Head Coach at Dallas Center-Grimes High School, Iowa
BUILDING A BETTER COACH EPISODE 5 Coaches will have to learn a few new tricks with this model. Let's discuss why it's more than worth the effort. Guest: Rashad Elby, USA Football's Sr. Coordinator, Education & Training Learn more: https://fdm.usafootball.com
BUILDING A BETTER ATHLETE EPISODE 4 Just like the sun is at the center of our solar system, this model is focused on the athlete. Learn how it makes better athletes, not just better football players. Guest: Dr. Paul Roetert, Director of Education and Strategic Engagement at NCAA Sport Science Institute Learn more: https://fdm.usafootball.com
WHY DO WE NEED IT? EPISODE 2 Once you understand the basics, dive into the background on why this is the perfect time for a new model of youth football. Guest: Dr. Stephen Norris, Adjunct Prof. of Applied Physiology at Mount Royal University and University of Calgary On today's episode. Dr. Stephen Norris, Adjunct Professor of Applied Physiology, Mount Royal University and University of Calgary joins us to discuss why the Football Development is needed as well as the benefits of implementing it. Understanding the purpose of this model can help the youth coach, commissioner, and parent create a better experience for their young athletes. High school coaches will be interested in how the FDM can create an overarching development plan for the football program in their community in grades K-12. Learn more: https://fdm.usafootball.com
WHAT IS IT? EPISODE 1 It's a mouthful, that's for sure. Find out what this new model means for you as a parent, coach or league. Guest: Michael Krueger, USA Football’s Director of Coaching What is the Football Development Model? USA Football's Senior Director of Education explains the six pillars of the FDM as well as the process and why it is needed. Youth coaches, parents, and league commissioners, as well as the high school coach who oversees his youth program will find this conversation beneficial. Learn more: https://fdm.usafootball.com
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