ISSUE 13 contents SUMMER 2010

CLICK A STORY TO JUMP TO ITS PAGE

Kickoff
with USA Football
Executive Director
Scott Hallenbeck
PAGE 4

Summer-School,
Football Style
PAGE 6

News & Notes coaching center commissioner center

Art of State Forums raise the game and

Tackle and Flag coaching Protecting unite America’s football community
courses strengthened with the Football PAGE 22
player health material PAGE 14 Meet a USA Football Member
PAGE 8 PAGE 23
USA Football’s Merril Hoge USA Football Regional Managers
Indianapolis to become new inspires to “Find a Way” PAGE 24
home of USA Football PAGE 16
Quick-Hitter Grid
PAGE 9 health & safety PAGE 25
Incentives, Management and
A Play Doctors weigh-in on parents’
Deadlines Key for Fundraising
football FAQs
for Every PAGE 18 PAGE 26
Situation What Football has Taught My officiating center
PAGE 9 Son: Augustine Okoye
PAGE 19 USA Football Officiating Members
Team USA tops World in getting ready for the season
USA Football represents youth
nationally-televised showdown PAGE 27
football at multi-sport concussion
PAGE 10 summit High school and college officials
PAGE 20 get starts at youth level
USA Football ready for USA Football and Shock Doctor
PAGE 28
Women’s World Championship show mouthguards matter Multiple Sports Keep Veteran
PAGE 12 PAGE 21 Officials Sharp
PAGE 29

Football Meet a USA What Football

Facts, Stats Football Staff Taught Me:
& Figures Member Greg S. Jones
PAGE 30 PAGE 31 PAGE 32
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kickoff

Dear Readers,

Summer is here and the start of football season moves ever closer to the front
page of the calendar.
I am pleased to share our newest issue of USA Football Magazine. The following
pages in digital format feature new graphics, web links and exciting video to help
get you, our members, ready for the weeks ahead. usafootball.com
USA Football regional managers recently completed a successful schedule
of State Leadership Forums for youth football Executive Director
commissioners. Our Coaching Schools continue SCOTT HALLENBECK
through late July and we look forward to
welcoming young players to our Player Academies
(pg. 6) that are about to kickoff.
USA FOOTBALL
In partnership with the Independent Women’s EDITORIAL STAFF
Football League, USA Football has assembled Managing Editor
the first U.S. Women’s National Team (pg. 12). The STEVE ALIC
45-woman squad will travel to Stockholm, Sweden, Contributors:
to compete in the inaugural International Federation GARY DEL VECCHIO,
of American Football Women’s World Championship ANTHONY EDWARDS, DAVE FINN,
MICHAEL KUEBLER, BILL LeMONNIER,
against five nations from June 27 to July 3. NICOLE LUKOSIUS, TIM POLZER
Coaches will find USA Football’s online
Certified Coaching Education Program was To contact USA Football: 
recently bolstered with additional chapters covering concussion awareness and (703) 918-0007
management, proper hydration and equipment fitting. Also, USA Football’s Equipment
Grant Program received more than 1500 applications for $1 million worth of football
equipment from Riddell, which is awarded to youth and high school programs across
TRACTION MEDIA STAFF
the country based on merit and need.
This issue also includes information on USA Football’s upcoming move to Publisher
Indianapolis to better serve you (pg. 9), tips on protecting the football from youth RUDY J. KLANCNIK
and high school coaches and an NFL running back (pg. 14), an interview with Editorial Director
Augustine Okoye on what football taught his son, Amobi Okoye, of the Houston TIM POLZER

Texans (pg. 19) and a Q&A with doctors about youngsters playing football (pg. 18). Designer
WILLIAM BRIDGEFORTH
Click through the following pages for all this and more.
And like a veteran offensive line, USA Football’s regional managers and office Traction Media
staff is ready to lead the way and serve you. Refer to your USA Football regional Editorial Offices
map on pg. 24 to contact your regional manager for help gaining an edge or 7115 Tartan Trl.
Garland, TX 75044
strengthening your league. In addition you’re only a toll-free call (1-877-5-FOOTBALL)
Tractionmedia@aol.com
or a mouse click away (usafootball.com) from our office.
Good luck this summer as we count down to the kickoff of another great season Editorial Department Phone
together. (972) 896-8006
Custom Publishing
(972) 898-8585
Sincerely,
USA Football Magazine is published by
Traction Media, LLC©. All rights reserved.
Traction Media does not accept unsolicited
manuscripts. Publisher assumes no
responsibility for return of unsolicited
manuscripts or art. No part of this magazine
Scott Hallenbeck may be reprinted or otherwise duplicated
without the written permission of the editor.
USA Football Executive Director
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 Summer School
Football-Style
BY MICHAEL KUEBLER

through position-specific and age-appropriate

development training. What makes the Player
Academies different than other camps is the
instruction goes beyond the field and even
football.
“It’s an NFL-style setup,” Player Academy
Clinician Frank Kolencik said. “It starts from the
beginning from
the standpoint “The kids who come
that you have to the Academy are
the classroom excited about playing
[instruction] football and learning.”

M
odeled after NFL training camps with before you go – David Holm
top youth and high school coaches, out in the field.
USA Football Player Academies have After lunch, we address grades and getting into
become recognized as blue-chip football colleges and high schools. I think that right there
learning experiences. is one of the biggest separators between the
USA Football Player Academies are three days Player Academies and other camps.”
in length and take place this summer in nine From a parent’s standpoint, Player Academies
cities across the United States. alleviate safety concerns by simulating game
Players aged 7-14 receive individual situations with controlled contact.
attention, segmented in two-year age groups. “I liked the fact that it was a limited contact
As the official youth football
development partner
of the NFL, NFL Players
Association and the
league’s 32 teams, USA
Football Player Academies
feature keynote speakers from
throughout the NFL and other top
football organizations.
“There were a lot of local coaches there, and it
was neat because they had a couple of NFL guys
come in there too,” said Todd Casey of Vienna,
Va., whose son attended a Player Academy in
2009. “They worked great with the kids and got
them excited about what was going on.”
The curriculum focuses on fundamentals
 camp,” Casey said. “So there was a little
‘thudding up’ that was going on but no real
big knockout hits. My concern with sending
him to a full-contact camp is I’m not sure
how well they monitor that, and I’m worried
about injuries at that point.”
All attendees receive an Academy-
branded practice-tee, shorts, practice
jersey and cinch sack, a Shock Doctor
performance mouthguard, a USA Football
Player Membership and daily lunch.
In addition, USA Football provides the “I think back to the camp, and all I’d have
following registration incentives: to do was just whisper to my son, ‘It’s time to
• League Equipment Credit: Receive up to get ready for football,’” said John Ziegelbauer
$500 in Riddell equipment credit when whose son Matthew looked forward to the
players from the same league register Player Academy every morning. “Even on
• Group Rates: Receive up to 15% off using game day he never gets up that fast, but he
group rates. Email playeracademy@ really enjoyed this camp. He had a lot of fun
usafootball.com for more information with it and I know he’s eager to go ahead and
• Refer-a-Friend: After registering for a sign-up again.”
Player Academy, get a friend, teammate USA Football Player Academy keynote
or sibling to list you as the referring party speakers for this summer already include
when they register, and you will receive a past and present NFL players, including Rocky
$50 gift card from Dick’s Sporting Goods Boiman, Boomer Esiason, Merril Hoge, Don
Majkowski, Terance Mathis, Keith Rucker and
PHOTOS BY SHAWN HUBBARD

“The kids who come to the Academy are Lance Schulters. The season kicks off at Lassiter
excited about playing football and learning,” High School in Marietta, Ga., on June 14.
Clinician David Holm said. “Their energy motivates Click here to register for a USA Football
me, and it makes it a great experience.” Player Academy today.
News & Notes

Tackle and Flag coaching

courses strengthened with
player health material
BY DAVE FINN

A
merica’s favorite athlete’s well-being is in
sport runs on question.”
team-first values, The recent
sophisticated strategy and improvements come
elements of physicality. in video form and are
USA Football’s included in USA Football’s
successful coaching eight-chapter flag football
education courses have coaching course and its
covered the sport’s X’s 15-chapter tackle football
and O’s since 2007. The coaching course. Herring,
computer-animated who also serves on the
curriculum was bolstered independent non-profit’s
in late April with new Football and Wellness
material covering Committee, and USA
concussion, hydration and Football Board Member and
proper equipment fitting player communication, player health former NFL running back
with the help of leading medical and more. Merril Hoge lead coaches through
professionals and organizations “Youth football participation today the concussion education and
such as the Centers for Disease is higher than it has ever been, and management chapter.
Control and Prevention (CDC). USA Football’s coaching courses make In addition to the concussion
By the start of the 2010 season, the sport better and safer,” said Dr. education portion of the course,
hundreds of youth Stanley Herring, the medical Seattle Seahawks Head Athletic
football leagues will director of the Spine Center Trainer Sam Ramsden leads a
have partnered with at Harborview Medical Center 13-minute segment about hydration
USA Football to employ in Washington State and and the importance of acclimation,
its coaching education a clinical professor at the communication, understanding the
resources, resulting in University of Washington. signs and symptoms of heat illnesses
educating more than “Player health – particularly and how to respond to them.
50,000 youth coaches on matters of concussion Gatorade Sports Science Institute
spanning all 50 states. – is rightfully commanding also contributes to the chapter.
USA Football’s online DR. STAN HERRING
attention in every youth Leading football equipment
courses and full-day sport. With USA Football’s manufacturer Riddell provides
coaching schools now encompass leadership, football coaches are well instruction on techniques and
how to best teach the sport, prepared to monitor their players advice regarding proper helmet and
practice organization, coach-to- and know what to do when a young shoulder pad fitting.
 Indianapolis to become new home
of USA Football
BY DAVE FINN
F
rom just outside Washington, D.C., since 2002,
USA Football has furthered the development of the
sport closest to the hearts of countless Americans.
Fittingly, the organization will be making the move to the
center of the American heartland.
Following eight successful years on the East Coast,
football’s national governing body on youth and amateur
levels announced in April that it will relocate its national
headquarters to Indianapolis in August – a change
executive director Scott Hallenbeck views as beneficial
to USA Football’s growth.
“Indianapolis is the ideal place for USA Football on
many levels and we are excited to make it our home,”
Hallenbeck said. “It quickly became apparent to me and
to our board of directors that this community provides
PHOTO: LACEY EVERETT, OFFICE OF MAYOR GREG BALLARD
unmatched advantages from a business and a quality-
of-life standpoint.”
As USA Football prepares to begin working in the
capital of Indiana, the city of Indianapolis is also
enthusiastic about the imminent partnership.
“USA Football’s decision to relocate to Indianapolis
and conduct its national and international operations for
the sport in the Circle City demonstrates our continued
A Play for Every Situation
With USA Football Playbooks, youth coaches have a
play for every situation in their back pocket.
USA Football offers two offensive playbooks and one
defensive playbook for coaches, whether they’re rookies
or veterans looking for a change. All three
are available now for the 2010 season.
Each playbook is filled with play
diagrams outlining formations, position
assignments and coaching points, a
play sheet for diagramming your own
plays and a glossary of terms.
Playbook: Offensive Football – A Great Way to Start
[Split Backfield & I-Formation] helps coaches establish a
dependable running and passing game from a core set
of plays and formations based on a foundation of a two-
back system with attacks to all areas of the field.
On April 20, USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck (left),
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard (center) and Indianapolis Convention
and Visitors Association President and CEO Don Welsh (right)
announced USA Football’s upcoming relocation to Indianapolis.
ability to draw reputable organizations to do business
here,” Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said. “We welcome
the investment by USA Football in our community and
thank them for choosing Indianapolis, a great football
city proud of its NFL championship team with a climate
that encourages economic development.”
While the organization’s central location will be
different, USA Football’s commitment to strengthening
the game and supporting those who power the sport will
always remain firm.
BY MICHAEL KUEBLER
Playbook: Spread Offense details an offense focused
around spreading the ball to multiple players, becoming
more popular in youth leagues.
Each offensive playbook includes run-blocking and
pass-protection schemes for each system.
Playbook: 4-4 Defense focuses on
a run-stopping defense essential for
youth teams. It describes simple blitz
schemes and provides visual instruction
for shades, alignments and position
responsibilities. The 4-4 Defense is
difficult to read, creates lanes to attack the football
and develops a defensive unit that understands
pursuit and good tackling.
USA Football Playbooks are available online for $25 at
the USA Football Shop.
News & Notes
Team USA tops World in nationally-
televised showdown
BY DAVE FINN
W
hile the gap between the United States and
the rest of the world in football continues to
close, wiggle room remains for the Americans
as illustrated in USA Football’s “Team USA vs. The World”
Game, presented by Riddell, on Jan. 30 in Fort Lauderdale.
USA Football’s U19 National Team defeated a World team
composed of players from eight countries, 17-0.
The game was played one day prior to the NFL’s Pro
Bowl in South Florida and was nationally televised by NFL
Network.
After battling to a scoreless tie for most of the first
half, Team USA’s Ethan Grant (North Broward Prep, Fla.;
TCU) capped off a lightning-quick two-play drive –
highlighted by a 50-yard strike from quarterback Tyler
Smith (Wilson Area H.S., Pa.; Maryland) to receiver Josh
Reese (Miami Central, Fla.; Central Florida) – to give the
U.S. a lead it would not relinquish en route to victory.
USA Football U19 National Team linebacker
Mike Hull (#44) tackles World Team RB Hampus
Hellermark of Sweden last January. Hull, who
will play at Penn State this fall, was named
Team USA’s Player of the Game.
The World team, spanning four continents of high
school-aged football standouts, twice penetrated
America’s 20-yard line but was unable to score. Team
USA linebacker Mike Hull (Canon McMillan H.S., Pa.; Penn
State), who will play for coaching legend Joe Paterno this
fall, earned Team USA’s Player of the Game honor with
eight tackles and a key red zone interception.
“I’m very proud of how the team came together in
about four days,” USA Head Coach Chris Merritt of Miami
Christopher Columbus H.S. said.  “It would be easy for
them to think about where they’re going to be playing
in college, but throughout the week it was great to see
them become a team.”
USA Football’s “Team USA vs. The World” series,
featuring the top high school-aged players from
TSS PHOTOGRAPHY
across the globe, will continue in 2011. Stay tuned to
usafootball.com for details.
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 USA Football ready
for Women’s World
Championship
BY MICHAEL KUEBLER

I
f there was any question about players in the Independent Women’s as basketball, soccer and softball.
football’s global appeal among Football League (IWFL). Pickett plays While they now play football
women, consider it answered for the D.C. Divas as 20 of the IWFL’s professionally, they also work full-
and answered soundly. 51 teams are represented on the time jobs and seek out sponsors
USA Football recently announced national team. Players range from top in order to play the sport they love.
the roster for its 2010 Women’s newcomers to seasoned veterans. All Team USA consists of attorneys,
National Team which will compete in enjoy the opportunity to play football administrators, business owners,
the inaugural International Federation in the IWFL and look forward to further coaches, firefighters, police officers,
of American Football (IFAF) Women’s their experience by representing their students and teachers.
World Championship in Kelly Barker of the
Stockholm, Sweden, this Boston Militia paved her
summer from June 27-July 3. course to professional
Competing with the football beginning with
United States for the gold basketball, softball and
medal will be Austria, volleyball in high school.
Canada, Finland, Germany She went on to play Division
and Sweden. II basketball at Bentley
The tournament, OKIIMA PICKETT LAUREN PRINGLE KELLY BARKER
College and professionally
covered by usafootball. in the Netherlands. She has
com, will be a football first for a sport country in the sport. now played five years of professional
that is growing and is running out of “Being able to play a sport that tackle football and is also a seven-
“firsts” to produce. for so many years has been out of year veteran of the Boston Women’s
The IFAF Women’s World Championship my reach has been something I am Flag Football League. Barker also has
is a strong advancement for the game blessed to be a part of,” said the Dallas experience as a collegiate basketball
of football and women sports. Diamonds’ Ann Richardson who will and volleyball coach.
“There are so many young girls play on the defensive line for Team “It is an honor to be selected to play
out there in the world that are USA. “Never would I have thought that I with the best in the country, and I will
just hungry to get inside of some could play this sport I love so much on accept nothing less than playing to
shoulder pads and a helmet and play a worldwide scale and represent the our full capabilities with the ultimate
a ‘real’ game of football,” Team USA United States while doing so.” goal of winning games,” said Barker
running back Okiima Pickett said. To go along with playing who will play tackle for Team USA.
“I have what it takes to be a very professional football for the With the tradition and history of
productive member for Team USA Diamonds, Richardson also works as American football on their side, the U.S.
and all of women’s football … I am the owner of an auto detail business. players are confident in a positive result.
willing to do whatever it takes and This is evidence of the status of “I love football, and the opportunity to
work as hard as it takes both on and women’s professional football. play for my country is so thrilling,” New
off the field to get the recognition Some players may have played York Sharks wide receiver Lauren Pringle
woman’s football deserves.” football on boys’ teams or flag said. “I want to prove that the inventors
The 45 Team USA roster selections football as youths, but most excelled of the game of American football can
were made from among the best as athletes in other sports such play the world and come out on top.”
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 coaching center
RYAN GRANT
Art of Protecting the Football
BY MICHAEL KUEBLER
S
everal of the most famous plays in NFL lore
received monikers describing their offensive
brilliance: “The Catch” by the 49ers, “The Hail
Mary” by the Cowboys and the Steelers’ “Immaculate
Reception.” However, one holds its place in infamy for its
deflating consequences: “The Fumble.”
Every football player, team and fan has suffered
through their own version of The Fumble: whether by
fumbling on the one-yard line and losing the 1979 junior
college state championship in California or by knowing
that nine fumbles in an early-season game in 2005 was
the only blemish on a 9-1 season for the high school
team you coach.
These two versions of The Fumble haunt John Rico and
Rich Stuart, respectively. As tough as the experiences
were, they have also turned into tremendous learning
experiences.
Rico, a USA Football coaching member, coaches
the Central Catholic Saints of the Trans Valley Youth
Football League in California. Because of the lesson he
learned 30 years ago playing for Cabrillo College, he truly
understands the importance of protecting the football.
“Turnovers are the biggest difference-maker in a
game,” Rico said. “So I would put fumbling as high as any
mistake that you can make, probably the No. 1 mistake
with regards to winning or losing.”
Stuart, the head coach at Miami Belen Jesuit High
School and USA Football’s 2010 U19 National Team
running backs coach, clearly recalls his team’s only loss
– and their fumble – in 2005. “For the coaches that are
still here that were there that day, that’s always some
motivation for us,” Stuart said.
Both Stuart and Rico use similar drills to teach their
ball carriers to protect the football such as the gauntlet
drill. In this drill players run with the ball in between two
lines of teammates who reach in and try to strip the ball
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREEN BAY PACKERS
away. Another related drill involves having the rushers
run low through a chute and protect the football from
pads or other players again.
Through the drills, the coaches try to instill proper
ball-carrying techniques in their players. After taking
the handoff, Rico teaches his players to use both hands
 coaching center

minimum of 100 carries.

“It’s something that doesn’t come
natural to a lot of guys, and I’m not
going to say it came natural to me,”
Grant said of protecting the ball. “We
emphasize it and it becomes a habit
because we work on it so much.”
One way to make it into a habit is
to show your players that you trust
them even when they do fumble.
“What I usually do when a kid
fumbles is give him the ball back
right away,” Stuart said. “That’s
something I’ve learned over the years
just to get his confidence back.”
Rico and Stuart both got their
confidence back and were given
the ball again following their own
and their team’s big fumbles. Rico
to hold the football and cover both ends while running went on to play in the Canadian Football League while
through the line of scrimmage and linebackers (levels 1 Stuart’s Belen Jesuit squad had only one fumble all
and 2). Once they are in the secondary (level 3) or out in season in 2009.
the open, they can then switch to one hand. Here Stuart With the ball back in their hands, they can now hand
teaches “wrist above the elbow.” This keeps the ball high off their lessons and tips to their youth and high school
against the body and tucked in tight. players. Just as long as they remember “all-in-one” and
While these tips for protecting the football at levels “high and tight.”
1, 2 and 3 are common throughout
football, the terms and descriptions
vary. Green Bay Packers running
back Ryan Grant describes the
same thing Stuart and Rico teach as
“all-in-one” and “high and tight.”
“It’s especially important at our
level. It’s great fundamentals,”
Grant said. “So as soon as you get
the ball, it’s all-in-one, and then
once you break through the traffic,
it’s one hand on the ball, high and
tight.”
During his three seasons with
the Packers, Grant has become one
of the NFL’s best at protecting and
PHOTO: BRIAN FEENER

holding onto the football. In 2009 he

was one of four NFL running backs Coach Rich Stuart of Miami Belen Jesuit High School huddles with his running backs during a
without a rushing fumble with a USA Football 2010 U19 National Team practice in Fort Lauderdale earlier this year.
 coaching center
USA Football’s Merril Hoge
inspires to “find a way”
BY STEVE ALIC
U
SA Football Board Member Merril Hoge has football
coursing through his veins. The game and its
values have shaped his life.
He’s played it on the NFL level, coached it in youth
leagues, analyzes it on ESPN and now serves it as a
member of the USA Football Family. His NFL running back
career cut short from concussion, Hoge is featured in USA
Football’s concussion awareness and management video
for coaches.
A father, a football contributor and a
cancer survivor, Hoge’s philosophy is
“Find A Way,” which is the title of his book
rich with inspiring life experiences of a
hard-nosed American.
USA Football recently spoke with the
Pocatello, Idaho native, who leads its 16
board members in career NFL scrimmage
yards (5,272) and touchdowns (34).
USA FB: As an ESPN NFL analyst with
a heavy travel schedule, you have little
spare time. What inspired you to be
involved with and make time for USA Football?
HOGE: I’m a youth football coach first. I was taught the
game of football by one of the greatest teachers the NFL
has ever known in Chuck Noll (Pro Football Hall of Fame,
1993). I want to give back to our youth the football and
life lessons Chuck taught me. Football is the greatest
team sport but it’s also a great game to mold and develop
young people to be productive and successful in life.
USA FB: Your son just finished his fifth season of
youth football and you’ve served as his coach for all five
seasons. What have you learned from that experience?
HOGE: One of the great lessons I have learned from
coaching my son’s teams is how important it is to teach
in the yardsticks of their years, not mine. And teaching
kids the correct fundamentals of the game allows them to
have success playing it. And with success, they have fun
playing it, too.
USA FB: You recently wrote a book titled, “Find A Way.”
What led you to write it and what does it entail?
HOGE: I was inspired to write this when sitting in a
chemotherapy chair and reminiscing about the first
time I wrote those three words – “Find A Way” – on my
corkboard wall when I was 12 years old. I wrote those
words in response to all the negative things people
would say to me when I told them I would play in the NFL.
I was told, “That is so hard to do,” and
“The odds of you making it are so slim.”
So, my response was to “find a way.”
That has always helped me channel
my energies toward things I wanted to
have happen. These three words have
helped me achieve goals like playing in
the NFL, overcoming a farming accident
as a boy that almost cost me my hand,
the death of my mom as a young man,
concussions that ended my NFL career
and my battle with cancer.
USA FB: You’ve said that your
daughter, then 9 years old, steeled your will in your fight
against cancer (Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma). How did she
do that?
HOGE: When my doctor confirmed that I had cancer
(2003), I still do not have the words to describe how
empty and dark I felt. One thing I love more than anything
is being a dad, so my immediate concern was to let my
kids, Kori and Beau, know that there would be some
changes for me in a few weeks. When I told them I had
cancer, my daughter ran across the room, jumped in my
lap, threw her arms around me and looked me in the eye
and said, “Well dad, you’re going to have to ‘find a way.’”
I had been using my “find a way” philosophy as a parent
and here she was challenging me to do the same thing
I had been teaching her. When I heard that, being sick,
being tired and dying were not options. Inspiration can
PHOTO: ESPN
come from anywhere. Thank goodness for that kind,
wise little daughter of mine.
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 health & fitness

Doctors weigh-in on parents’

football FAQs
BY NICOLE LUKOSIUS

F
ootball is a contact game. Dr. Lehtinen: I guess it really
It’s also one of the few youth depends on the child’s development
sports that employ protective and if they have been part of any
equipment from head to toe. other sports previously. Try to get
More than 3 million American a background on what they’ve
youngsters aged 6-14 play been doing and that way you can
organized tackle football, making assess their ability based on their
it one of the country’s most skill level, maturity level and level
widely played youth sports. of interest. It can also depend on
According to a 25-year study DR. DAVID JOYNER DR. JOHN LEHTINEN if it’s the mom and dad that want
by the University of North the child to play or if it’s the child
Carolina, the number of injuries sustained playing high who wants to take on this additional activity. I would ask
school football per athlete is smaller than in other sports, these questions to parents - what’s the goal here? I’m more
including gymnastics and ice hockey. concerned that kids are involved in some type of physical
USA Football recently spoke with Dr. David Joyner, activity, and whether it’s organized or not is debatable, but
chairman of USA Football’s Football and Wellness as long as they’re physically active, I’m happy having them
Committee, and Dr. John Lehtinen, a sports medicine do whatever physical activity they choose.
physician who also serves on the committee, about
youth football and parents’ frequently asked questions USAF: What are the greatest health benefits that
regarding the sport. youngsters gain by playing football?
Dr. Joyner: I think being active to start with is very important
USAF: What would you tell parents who are for our youth because our society is an under-exercised,
uncertain if their child should play tackle football? over-eating population, so promoting physical activity
Dr. Joyner: Anything you do in life has risks. There are is very positive. Secondly, kids learn teamwork, working
risks in after-school activities with lots of kids playing together, collaboration skills, things that begin to hold up
on the playground well later in life. A lot of successful people in the world, not
and kids get hurt Anything you do in that you have to be a CEO of a company to be successful,
just by playing. but many if not most played football and other sports.
life has risks. Football
There aren’t great You learn many things from coaches - proper
statistics that seems to be no more technique and position - and hopefully they also
support one way hazardous than other learn about hydration and proper ways to take care of
or the other, but themselves. If they incorporate the values that USA
there are several
types of activities. Football is teaching, they’ll do a good job. I think it’s just
activities and – Dr. David Joyner getting them started. P.E. class in schools is really going
sports that seem down in most school districts and is a problem in other
to be more hazardous. Football seems to be no more places in the world, so promoting athletic development
hazardous than these other types of activities. Anything and other physical skills is important.
you do in life has risks, and football certainly does, but Click here to read an expanded version of this Q&A
it’s not an outlier for kids at that age. on usafootball.com.
 Amobi Okoye with parents Edna and Augustine on Day 1
of the 2007 NFL Draft after being selected No. 10 overall
by the Houston Texans.
what football has taught my son:
Augustine Okoye
BY DAVE FINN
F
ootball is a fairly recent addition to the lives of
Augustine Okoye and his family, yet the game’s
effects on his son, Amobi – a starting defensive
tackle for the Houston Texans – and all those he has
touched have been far-reaching.
Amobi and his family moved from Nigeria to Huntsville,
Ala., when he was just 12 years old. Amobi tested into
the ninth grade upon his arrival to America where he
discovered football soon thereafter. After starring at the
University of Louisville, he was chosen by the Texans
with the 10th overall selection in the 2007 NFL Draft
at age 19, making him the youngest first round draft
selection in NFL Draft history.
USA Football Magazine spoke with Augustine to
discuss Amobi’s meteoric rise to the NFL and football’s
influence on his son both on and off the field.
USA FB: Did football and its core values help to
accelerate Amobi’s maturation process as a 19-year-old
rookie?   understood the whole thing better than I did. The negative
OKOYE: Football did accelerate his maturity even from
college. I see playing professional football as being in
the military because of the discipline in the game and the
teams as well.
USA FB: How has football helped to mold Amobi as a
person off the field?
OKOYE: The zero tolerance in discipline maintained by
the teams helps the players in a lot of ways, especially
off the field. Amobi has combined this discipline with
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HOUSTON TEXANS
his home training, family values and his big heart to
reach out to children in the Houston area, Huntsville, Ala.,
Louisville, Ky., and in Nigeria, where he was born.
USA FB: When did Amobi become interested in football
and when did he start playing?
OKOYE: His playing football was actually by accident.
We had teased him in a family dinner that he was adding
too much weight and needed to trim down a little. So he
joined the track team and when his friend who played
football was going for practice, [Amobi] asked if he could
join him and he replied, “You don’t want to be broken
there!” So he took it as a challenge to play football. All
this happened in his 10th grade. He knew nothing about
football before this time.
USA FB: What was the college recruiting experience
like for your son and for you as a parent?
OKOYE: It was exciting for both of us even though he
side of it was that his coaches were always bringing
recruiters to my office like three or four times a week. If
I did not own my own business I would have been fired
by my employers. As parents we did not want him to play
because we did not understand the game and also felt
it was rough. The good side was that the colleges were
offering full scholarships, and you know what that means
to parents with three kids in college.
USA Football’s Player Membership is free. Sign up
today and be a better player.
 health & fitness

SCOTT HALLENBECK
USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck
helped lead the creation of a national Youth Sports
Concussion Coalition to establish consistent
concussion-related messaging for coaches,
athletes and parents in all youth sports.

The ACSM invited sports medicine

leaders to the full-day meeting while USA
Football reached fellow national sports
governing bodies to attend.
“Having US Lacrosse and the US Soccer
Federation at this summit underscores
the attention placed on concussion
awareness and education,” USA Football’s
Hallenbeck said. “We commend sports

USA Football organizations committed to their young

athletes’ well-being and we encourage

represents youth others to join us.”

Twenty individuals from 14

football at multi-sport
organizations participated in the summit,
including the Brain Injury Association
of Washington, Centers for Disease

concussion summit Control and Prevention (CDC), NCAA, NFL,

National Federation of State High School

T
he American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
and USA Football partnered to conduct a
summit on concussion in youth sports on Feb. 22
at the ACSM’s Indianapolis office, drawing national
governing sports bodies and medical experts from
across the country.
Summit participants, including US Lacrosse and the US Soccer
Federation, discussed common goals in
youth sports safety.
“The leadership that was assembled
in one room for this meeting holds the
makings of something historic and of
fundamental importance,” ACSM Executive
Vice President Jim Whitehead said.
Representing USA Football in
Indianapolis were Executive Director ®
Scott Hallenbeck and Stanley Herring, M.D., co-medical director
of the Seattle Sports Concussion Program and a member of USA
Football’s Football and Wellness Committee.
“This is a youth sports problem affecting multiple sports,”
Herring said. “No one’s tried to organize national governing bodies
like this before – there was value to this meeting.”
Associations and Sanford Medical Center.
Among the summit’s objectives was
to discuss common language between
youth sports organizations pertaining to
concussion. USA Football and the CDC
introduced a concussion awareness and
education plan for the youth football
community in December 2009, which the
CDC has shared with other sports’ national
governing bodies, including those for
lacrosse and hockey.
Attendees also discussed existing
youth sports concussion legislation,
including the Zackery Lystedt Law,
a Washington State law passed in May
2009 that requires parents and athletes to
read and sign an information sheet about
concussions; the removal of a youth
athlete who is suspected of sustaining
a concussion in a practice or game; and
written clearance for that athlete to
return to play from a licensed health care
provider knowledgeable in the diagnosis
and management of concussion.
 health & fitness
USA Football and Shock Doctor
show mouthguards matter
BY MICHAEL KUEBLER
A
ll sports have their associated
equipment. Some is used for
function, some for style. Still
other pieces are used for safety and
protection.
Football is no different. Its players
wear helmets, gloves, pads, eye
black and cleats with each having its
own purpose.
There is one small piece of
equipment that is rapidly growing in
importance in football and all sports:
the mouthguard.
Mouthguard technology has
advanced immensely. They are no
longer simply pieces of rubber or
Youth football coaches, parents
and players need to be aware of the
growing importance of mouthguards.
Not only do they need to know the
safety and performance benefits,
but also how to choose the right
mouthguard. Shock Doctor and USA
Football provide some tips to follow:
3 Make sure the
mouthguard fits tight
yet comfortably without
affecting breathing or
speaking.
3 Mouthguards of optimum
thickness, such as multi-
layer mouthguards,
absorb more impact.
3 A mouthguard designed
to protect the lower teeth
TSS PHOTOGRAPHY
can provide additional
protection.
plastic that you rip out of a package
and pop in your mouth. They can
be molded to personal, form-fitting
specifications both at home or by
dentists.
The mouthguard has historically
been viewed as something that
protects your teeth. This is still true
as an athlete is 60 times more likely
to damage their teeth if they are not
wearing a mouthguard according to
the National Youth Sports Foundation
for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries.
But they do more.
Mouthguards also protect against
dangerous lacerations in the mouth.
They assist in preventing jaw
fracture and can protect the TM joint
(jaw joint) from dislocation.
“Mouthguards play a pivotal role in Linebacker Steele Divitto of USA Football’s
protecting athletes,” said Jay Turkbas, U19 National Team, seen here employing his
senior vice president of product Shock Doctor mouthguard, helped shutout
the “World Team” this past January, 17-0, in
development at Shock Doctor, USA
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (see page 9). Divitto will
Football’s official mouthguard partner. suit up for Boston College this fall.
“Shock Doctor is committed to leading
the efforts in mouthguard technology, Shock Doctor mouthguards protect
research and education.” all of USA Football’s national teams.
Safety and protection are not the “As the official mouthguard of USA
only areas that mouthguards improve. Football, Shock Doctor is committed to
Research is being conducted to providing youth football players with
confirm that mouthguards can mouthguards that provide the highest
level of protection,” Turkbas said. “We
increase player performance as well.
It is believed that a properly-fitted support USA Football in providing training
mouthguard allows an athlete to and education to players, coaches
breathe and communicate better, and officials. Shock Doctor was also
will stay in place without creating honored to support USA Football’s
recent ‘Team USA vs. The World’ game
a distraction to allow the athlete to
and to provide our state-of-the-art
focus on performance and provide
mouthguards to all the players.”
stability to the jaw.
 commissioner center
State Forums raise the game and
unite America’s football community
BY DAVE FINN
O
n football fields
spanning from
the Statue of
Liberty to the sandy
beaches of Hawaii,
youth leagues thrive in
their own unique way.
But all of them have
one thing in common:
ART ORTEGA
an impassioned
commitment to further
strengthen the roots of America’s
favorite sport.
As USA Football helps unify the
youth football community with
best practices and exciting new
standards, NFL teams showed
their continued support toward the
cause by hosting USA Football State
Leadership Forums from January
through May.
From coast to coast, youth
football commissioners, presidents
and board members gathered for
exciting days of learning and idea
sharing at USA Football’s forums,
many of which were hosted by NFL
franchises and led by USA Football
regional managers.
“USA Football is doing a lot of
good,” said Art Ortega, the vice
commissioner of Peninsula (Calif.)
Pop Warner who attended the
forum at the 49ers’ Santa Clara,
Calif., training facility on Feb. 27.
“There were a lot of things from
the forum that I took away, ranging
from their fundraising ideas for our
association, the work USA Football
does in awarding equipment grants
Leadership Forum on March
6. “We share issues that
affect our leagues at
these forums and take
good ideas back to our
organization to make it
better.”
In addition to
providing attendees with
DARREN FORTIN CLYDE OLSON
comprehensive football
and more. It was very informative knowledge and player safety
and helpful.” education, forums housed discussions
At each of its forums, one on issues such as how to best
attendee was selected to represent promote player registration, coaching
that region at the 2010 NFL/USA and officiating training resources,
Football Youth Summit in Canton, a national youth football playing
Ohio, in July. Approximately 200 standard, pre- and post-season
coaches and administrators from events and fundraising guidance.
every state take part in the annual “The safety of our players is
event to discuss topics vital to the extremely important and USA
continued success of youth and Football’s concussion information
high school programs. package is vital for anyone in football,”
“USA Football brings people said Clyde Olson, commissioner of
together involved with youth football the Jersey Shore Pop Warner Football
that wouldn’t normally interact League who attended the Tri-State
with one another to share ideas Leadership Forum at Giants Stadium
and knowledge,” said Darren Fortin, on March 13. “USA Football is doing a
president of the Illini Youth Football great job with youth football programs
League in Harvard, Ill., and an attendee so far and I look forward to what they
at USA Football’s Chicagoland have to offer in the future.”
For the third consecutive year, one youth league commissioner from
each USA Football State Leadership Forum is selected to participate in
the NFL/USA Football Youth Football Summit in Canton, Ohio. This year’s
summit will take place from July 20-22 in the NFL’s birthplace.
The NFL/USA Football Youth Summit assembles nearly 200 youth and
high school coaches from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
For a list of the 36 summit participants selected from USA Football
State Forums, click here.
 commissioner center
Meet a USA Football Member
John Moore
J
ohn Moore remembers the days when he
played youth football. He also recalls and
commends the job done by his junior college
coach. Today Moore runs a youth program as part
of the CrossPoint Community Church’s community
outreach in Katy, Texas, and values the training
his coaches receive through USA Football. Moore
recently spoke with USA Football Magazine to
discuss his league and USA Football.
USA FB: What got you involved in youth football?
MOORE: I was involved in youth football when
I was a kid. Since I was about 9 years old, I was
playing youth football. I went through school and
played junior high, senior high and junior college
football and then coached my son for a number of
years. Then when I came to work for the church,
we decided to use football as one of our outreach
programs here. We started with NFL Flag Football and
gradually moved into tackle football as well.
USA FB: When and how did you learn about USA
Football?
MOORE: Probably about a year ago, and I believe
it was an email I received from USA Football as an
advertisement.
USA FB: What inspired you to become a USA
Football member?
MOORE: The concept behind having a national
governing body for youth football was something
that was needed for a long period of time. There
were a lot of independent groups out there,
and nobody reeled everybody in and got them
formalized under one governing body. With that
comes a lot of the great stuff USA Football provides
like the coaches training, which I think is invaluable.
Name: John Moore
Resides: Katy, Texas
USA Football Membership:
Commissioner
Position: Director of Sports
Ministry
League: CrossPoint Youth
Football League
Number of Players: 500
Number of Coaches: 44
USA FB: Has your membership benefited you?
MOORE: Definitely, especially the Certified Coaches
Education Program as well as the other tools out
there for the coaches, such as the practice planner
and playbooks.
USA FB: What is your favorite football memory?
MOORE: When I was playing in junior college, I
played for a very cool coach, a great coach, who
always had us completely prepared for the games.
We were always confident going into the games.
So he was a good motivator and really emphasized
being prepared for things.
USA FB: What do you enjoy most about youth
football?
MOORE: The kids. I really enjoy watching their
enthusiasm and their excitement and seeing them
learn.
USA FB: What advice would you give to other
commissioners with respect to USA Football?
MOORE: Don’t go out there and try to reinvent the
wheel. USA Football has everything you need to put
on a great program.
 commissioner center

USA Football Regional Managers

America’s favorite sport is powered by you – dedicated youth league commissioners, coaches, game officials and
volunteers. For each of you, there is a face and name to place in your football Rolodex: your USA Football Regional Manager.
USA Football Regional Managers are current and former coaches, players and administrators working for you. Each has
the experience needed to help you make your league or team even stronger with USA Football’s resources.
Contact your USA Football Regional Manager to learn how you can kick off your free commissioner membership or to ask
about coaching certification, the nearest USA Football Coaching School, Player Academy or State Leadership Forum. Stay in
touch with your regional manager, whether it’s to share news about your league or team or to ask about member resources.
In addition, you may always contact our office, through usafootball.com or by phone at 1-877-5-FOOTBALL. Let us know
how we can serve you better.
Together we’ll ensure that teamwork and leadership continue to serve as the laces binding our favorite game.

Northeast Region
Ed Passino
Northwest Region Great Lakes Region (703) 992-8246
Bassel Faltas Central Region Scott LeVeque epassino@usafootball.com
Joe Owens (571) 730-4815
(571) 730-4816
bfaltas@usafootball.com (571) 730-4822 sleveque@usafootball.com
jowens@usafootball.com

West Region Southeast Region

Bucky Brooks Rick Peacock
South Region Mid-Atlantic Region
(818) 921-7616 Dave Fanucchi Deno Campbell (703) 992-8107
bbrooks@usafootball.com rpeacock@usafootball.com
(571) 730-4821 (703) 992-8653
dfanucchi@usafootball.com dcampbell@usafootball.com

QUICK-HITTER GRID
With members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, USA Football recently caught up with four Commissioner members
from coast to coast. Below are their straight-ahead thoughts on football topics including stadiums, tailgating and touchdowns.
COMMISSIONER: GLENN CUMMINGS
ORGANIZATION: Northern Vermont
Youth Football
RESIDENCE: Colchester, Vt.
Most rewarding Watching high school football
aspect of running games and recognizing the
a youth football players’ names who played
league youth football as kids
Favorite football Playing my first college
moment football game and looking
into the stands to see my
Dad watching
Your greatest Getting all of Northern
achievement as Vermont Youth Football
Commissioner programs on board to take
the USA Football coaches
course and requiring coaches
to become members
Coolest Ickey Woods doing
touchdown the “Ickey Shuffle”
celebration
Best football New Dallas
stadium Cowboys
Stadium
Best fundraiser League raffle with
you’ve run each program
donating a prize
Most important Right-sized grill and all the
tailgate necessity beef to go with it
Favorite USA Football The online
Commissioner articles
member resource
Three people you’d I’d have to say four: my
like to watch a wife and three children
football game with
USA Football offers resource-packed memberships to give coaches, game officials, youth league commissioners and players
an edge. Learn more at www.usafootball.com/register.
commissioner center
JOE GUY CHAD HENRY PAUL WATKINS
Englewood Youth Football Southeast Columbia Youth Arizona Pop Warner
Tennessee Athletic Conference Football League
Englewood, Tenn Columbia, Mo. Phoenix, Ariz.
Being involved with and Watching the kids having Assisting in development
getting to know our fun and learning a great of our youth and preparing
community’s youth and sport them for their future
having a positive influence endeavors
While coaching, my linebacker My last game as a coach Our Far West Jets winning
called to me and pointed to a and watching my kids the 2009 Division II
cloud in the blue sky as the celebrate after winning in National Championship in
offense came up to the line. overtime Orlando
He was just having fun.
Team effort in structuring Growing from 450 to 700 Leading an organization
coach training and players with the work of committed to excellence
certification standards our volunteers and re- and leading by example
organization of our Board
of Directors
A youth player scoring a Just the excitement Terrell Owens
late-game TD and having it in the eyes of autographing a
called back after spiking the player that football
the ball like the pros scores
Our own at University of University of Phoenix
Englewood Missouri Memorial Stadium, home of the
Elementary School Stadium Arizona Cardinals
Pancake Running a youth football Golf Tournament
breakfasts camp with the University
of Missouri
Comfortable chairs A big grill Good people
for my wife. If momma ain’t
happy, nobody’s happy
State Forums, usafootball.com Coaching
Coaching Schools education
and coaches training material
My sons Brady, Jackson John Madden, Coach Vince Lombardi,
and Will Gary Pinkel (Missouri) and Tony Dungy and John
my friends Madden
 commissioner center

Incentives, Management and

Deadlines Key for Fundraising
BY MICHAEL KUEBLER

Presented by

W
ith the tough economy, It sure has as the raffle nets $46,000 for the league.
fundraising can be The South Tahoe league doesn’t let its efforts rest
increasingly important with just the raffle. The league is looking into selling
for youth leagues. Chuck Leonard, BRAX Spirit Cups, USA Football’s exclusive fundraising
President of the South Tahoe partner. The Spirit Cups are 18-ounce, heavy plastic cups
(Calif.) Pop Warner Football featuring all 32 NFL teams with a 3-D holographic design.
Association, has some fundraiser “BRAX has been awesome, and we will recommend
tips that are key for being selling the cups to all five communities we play football
successful: against this season and beyond,” Elyria (Ohio) Youth
• Have a short, defined CHUCK LEONARD Football President Patrick Verburg said in a testimonial.
timeframe. “The cups look great. The kids loved them, and the
• Use incentives for the kids. parents said ‘Nice job’ to me for selecting such a cool
• Include more than one main prize in a raffle. fundraiser.”
• Have one central person run it. Whatever fundraiser your league uses, if it’s run
Leonard’s main fundraiser is a raffle for a Hawaiian properly and efficiently, it can help both the league and
vacation to a condo donated by a parent for a week. lower fees for the families.
Local merchants donate other prizes. The fundraising “By doing [the Hawaii raffle], that takes a lot of the
coordinator of the league manages the raffle which runs strain off of our budget,” Leonard said.
for only a month. The kids and teams all have incentive Something everyone could use these days.
rewards to reach. Youth football leaders can get more fundraising ideas
“We find that giving the kids an incentive helps a lot,” from usafootball.com’s Fundraising page presented by
Leonard said. BRAX Spirit Cups.

Shock Doctor Mouthguard Giveaway

in USA Football Shop
With every July purchase, USA Football Shop customers will receive a free
Shock Doctor mouthguard valued at $25 (limit one mouthguard per order).
Shock Doctor, the market and technology leader in mouthguards, is the official
mouthguard partner of USA Football and its gold-medal national team program.
USA Football Shop offers an array of exciting items for every coach, player,
game official and fan. USA Football and national team apparel, coaching
handbooks, playbooks, rulebooks, instructional DVDs and more will raise your game this season.
Visit USA Football Shop today and take advantage of this free special offer.
 officiating center

In Their Own Words: Game Officials

USA Football Officiating Members share insights on getting ready for football season
BY DAVE FINN

L
ike players and coaches,
football officials have an Jason Soistman Galen Killiam
offseason and routines to get
ready for the next season’s kickoff. City, State: Glen Burnie, Md. City, State: Appleton, Wisc.
New officials may be entering their Levels Worked: Levels Worked:
first season, while seasoned veterans High School, Division III
might be back for their 20th year in Division III, (WIAC)
the game. Two USA Football officiating American Experience:
members recently weighed in on Indoor Football 16 years
everything that goes into being ready Association
for September. Experience: 14 years

What do you do to prepare for a physically ready to officiate a game; the game. They are designed to put
season as an official? and study my positioning and my keys you in the best place to officiate the
SOISTMAN: Study the rules of the game.  and responsibilities within the game. game.  Read them and master them.
I try to read the rule books once a month If you’re a referee you’re responsible Ask for feedback. Take it, listen, and
from May until the season starts. I will for the quarterback, if you’re a back put it to use.  If you don’t understand
also read any case books or other rules judge or a field judge or a side judge, something, speak up.  The chances are
quizzes that I can locate online.  Check you’re responsible for certain receivers very good that if you have a question,
with your local group to see if they have or guys blocking on the line. And someone else out there had the same
any rules, study groups, or other type you’ve got to make sure you’re ready question.
of off-season training material. for every single type of play that you’re And most of all, have fun.
Something that I have recently going to see.
started was an offseason conditioning KILLIAM: I would advise them to get in
program.  At some point we have to What advice would you give and give it a try. Find somebody who
realize that we are getting older. someone thinking about becoming knows officiating or somebody who is
Review game film of yourself or an official? an official and give it a shot.
other officials if possible. I am a firm SOISTMAN: Find a local officials group It’s as much fun as you can have,
believer that you can improve the most that will provide you with training.  really. You’re part of the game, it’s a
by watching yourself on film.  You may Many officials groups have mentor way to stay close to the game and not
be doing things that you don’t realize.  programs in which you will have a let the game go on without you.
Update your uniform, oftentimes particular person to go to with any I would also suggest contacting the
officials dig out their uniform the day problems, issues, or just help in state athletic association to get a listing
before the first game.  I try to get all general.  If you know an official who of your local officiating associations.  A
my stuff out months in advance to has been around for awhile, ask them local officiating association will be
see what items I need and what items to be your mentor. able to set you up with a mentor and
need replacing.  You should know the rules but don’t also direct you to clinics that will teach
overburden yourself with them right the fundamentals of officiating.  This,
KILLIAM: There are three things that I from the start.  The rules will come. in association with the USA Football
do: study rules all year; keep physically Know the mechanics – mechanics training information, will help you
active and healthy so that I’m are in place to assist you in officiating become a great official.
 officiating center

High school and college officials

get starts at youth level
BY MICHAEL KUEBLER

“M
y main interest in
officiating is to give
back to the sport.”
Those are the words of Ray
McCormick who lives in Normal, Ill.,
and officiates Division III college
games in the NAIA. The technical
analyst for State Farm Insurance has
officiated for 22 years after getting
his start at the youth and high school
levels.
For McCormick, who also played
football as a youngster and in high
school, a friend is what ultimately
drove him to officiating both literally
and figuratively. After three years
of trying to influence McCormick to
become an official, his friend told him
he’d be at his house on Monday to
pick him up to sign up.
McCormick remembers the lack of
instruction available when he started
and cites USA Football’s officiating
resources as valuable tools for
today’s officials.
“The material that is provided,
if I had that when I started, I
could have gone a lot further a lot
quicker,” McCormick said. “I highly
promote belonging to USA Football’s
[membership] especially for new
officials starting out.”
Tom Rau is a high school football
official in the Genesee Country (Mich.)
Coaches and Officials Association.
Football official Tom Rau (middle) began officiating football to stay in the game after his
playing days. His son, Tom (far right), would follow in his footsteps.
“I love the game and I’m not much
of a spectator,” he said.
Rau’s love of the game goes back
to when he played in high school. After
breaking his leg in a recreational league
as a player, Rau was out of football for
a few years. An ad for officials in a local
newspaper caught his eye and brought
him back on the field.
Rau even got to officiate some of
his son Tom’s junior varsity games.
He once found himself in a tight spot
when he threw a flag for roughing
the passer, which called back an
80-yard interception return for a
touchdown by his son.
“My umpire’s bringing the ball back up
field, and he says you’re not going to be
very popular at home today,” Rau said.
Everything must have turned out
official. Perhaps the No. 1 difficulty is
being assigned games when starting
out. Like most professions, you get
caught between needing experience
to get work and needing work to get
experience. Another obvious struggle is
learning the rules and their application.
Rau deals with young, new
officials often now and advises them
to take advantage of the camps,
clinics and training in order to get
past initial roadblocks.
“Take advantage of the camps and
take advantage of the training,” Rau
said. “Because the sooner you learn
the right mechanics and application
of the rules, the sooner you’re going
to move up. And getting games is
going to come through observers in
the approved association.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF RAU FAMILY

He also officiated at the youth level
and has been calling games for 33
years. He lives in Grand Blanc, Mich.,
and works as an account manager for
Country Fresh Dairy.
all right at home that night because
the younger Rau also officiates at the
college level.
Family issues aside, officiating
can be a daunting task for any new
Whether you’re a past player
or fan looking to get out of the
stands and into the game, check
out usafootball.com to learn how to
become an official.

Multiple sports keep veteran
officials sharp
BY DAVE FINN
G
ene Steratore, most commonly recognized as
an NFL referee, has also officiated 383 Division
I men’s basketball games, including San Diego’s
70-69 first-round upset of Connecticut in the 2008 NCAA
Tournament. Throughout the country, there are more
officials just like him.
One sport – especially football – and its rules are
intricate enough for officials to master, but imagine
adding one or two more to your plate. Tom Hahs and
John Nash, two USA Football officiating members,
know what that’s like.
Hahs primarily dons the stripes for
football (he is a Division I official
in the Ohio Valley, Mid-American
and Big Ten conferences) and
basketball (high school) as
well as occasionally calling
youth baseball games.
Even among different
sports, Hahs observes key
similarities that translate
from season to season.
“You’ll likely have issues
with coaches, I think there’s
a lot of overlap there,” the
Bourbonnais, Ill., native said.
“You’ve still got to handle different
personalities and coaches on the
sidelines and on the bench. And it doesn’t make
a difference what sport you’re playing, kids will be kids.
You have to keep control on the field and on the court.
“I think one [sport] complements the other. It’s still a
sport, you still have rules. You have to make decisions.”
In addition to the common ground that exists
across sports, Nash, who works baseball and football
on the high school and Division III levels in the
Chicago area, uses aspects of one sport to help him
improve in another.
“Especially in baseball, you get a lot of feel for letting
the play happen and then making a call,” Nash said. “I
officiating center
think baseball has helped me a lot with slowing down
and letting everything happen before making a call.”
Despite cross-sport similarities, it remains a challenge
for officials to make the transition from one game to
another. Not only are rules completely different, but the
style and pace vary depending on the sport.
“One of the differences is basketball is a little bit of a
faster game, in the sense that they’re up and down the
floor,” Hahs said, “And you might have to make a decision
a little quicker than you normally would on a
football field where you have time to kind
of think about it.”
While basketball may maintain
a quicker tempo than football,
the dynamic between working
games on the diamond and
the gridiron is completely
different.
“In baseball you do more
standing around, a lot
of squatting,” Nash said.
“So you need a lot of leg
strength and endurance. With
football it’s a lot more running
and sprinting and stuff and
especially working deep, there’s a
lot more backpedaling.”
In order to make the switch, both Hahs
and Nash have their own techniques for jumping
from football season into their other sport, and vice versa.
Beyond the nuts and bolts of calling penalties, fouls
or balls and strikes, Nash also sees far-ranging benefits
that transcend the field or the court for officials who
involve themselves in multiple sports.
Adds Hahs: “I would highly recommend not to limit
yourself to one sport.”
Officials looking for resources to prepare for
football season can visit USA Football’s Officials
Center for articles, officiating education, rules
interpretation and expert analysis.
 football facts, stats & figures
BY DAVE FINN

U
SA Football Coaching Schools are likened to a full-
day training camp for youth coaches, but the real
beneficiaries are the players whose coaches are
prepared in Xs and Os and learn how to address player
health issues, like concussion and proper hydration.
USA Football recently surveyed more than 500
coaching school attendees from coast to coast to learn
more about them and their coaching school experience.

How many years have you Had you attended a USA Football Rate your coaching school
coached football? Coaching School in the past? experience.
Other

> 1 year
6+ years 16.1%
Yes
31.1%
33.8%
2-3 years No
4-5 years 29.4% 66.2% “Excellent”
23.4% or “Good”
93.6%

Football Hotbeds
Of the 255 players selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, more than half hail
from one of seven states (Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, New
Jersey, Ohio and Virginia). The first five of these seven accounted for
nearly 60% of the draft’s 32 First Round selections.

2010 NFL Draftees’ Home States

Florida 13.3%
USA Football
Equipment Grants
USA Football will award $1 million in
Texas 10.2%
football equipment grants through our
official partnership with Riddell. Nearly
California 9.8% 800 youth and high school programs
spanning 46 states and Washington, D.C.
applied for a USA Football equipment grant
Georgia 5.9% in 2009. Below are states that received
the greatest number of grants which were
awarded based on merit and need:
New Jersey 4.7%
Top 5
1. California, 59
Ohio 4.7% 2. North Carolina, 49
3. Ohio, 48
Virginia 4.7% 4. Pennsylvania, 45
5. Florida, 41
0 5% 10% 15%
Percent of 2010 NFL Draft
 Meet a USA Football Staffer

Gary Del Vecchio

Membership Director
What are your primary responsibilities for
USA Football?
I lead the membership program for USA Football. I
oversee the Member Services department as well as
the regional managers. I am responsible to ensure that
a regional manager has the tools necessary to show
members and potential members how we can help
strengthen their leagues. Another part of my job is to make What does football mean to you?
certain that we provide the highest quality of customer Football is a sport I grew up playing every day. I
service through our Member Services department. developed a passion for it as a kid and that passion
has led to me this position. Football provides
What is the most rewarding part of your job? participants with life-long lessons and memories.
Two things: I am able to work in America’s favorite
sport and I am able to help provide a safe and How do you enjoy spending your free time out of
enjoyable football experience for the youth football the office?
community – from commissioners to coaches to Spending time with my family is No. 1. And as
players and parents. It’s rewarding to see the work they would tell you, I am an avid sports fan so I
that we put in and the resources that we provide enjoy attending and watching sporting events of all
having a positive impact on youth football families. kinds. I also enjoy playing golf (not well) when the
opportunity presents itself.

In your opinion, why are USA Football members

important for youth football?
Youth football commissioners, coaches and officials
have a huge impact on the lives of the children they
interact with. Almost without fail, adults remember their
youth football coach and what he or she taught them.
It is a special connection and USA Football brings a
critical education component to these roles. We help
commissioners, coaches and officials perform their role to
the greatest extent possible in order to positively influence
the players and parents who drive this great sport.

What are your goals for USA Football this year?

Increase the adoption of our youth football resources
through membership and certification programs.
Expand our reach and impact by providing valuable
PHOTO: ANTHONY EDWARDS

programming and benefits to our growing number of

members. And I’m also preparing for some new and
exciting programs that USA Football will launch in 2011
that will further propel our members and the sport.
 What Football Taught Me
Greg S. Jones, Bookkeeping Express CEO
AS TOLD TO TIM POLZER
Football’s life lessons have taken Greg S. Jones from the youth fields of
Western Pennsylvania, to massive Beaver Stadium on the campus of Penn
State, and eventually into the corporate arena.
Jones worked his way up from Punt, Pass & Kick participant to captain
of the Nittany Lions under Joe Paterno in 1980 and still feels like every
business day requires the same competitive approach and teamwork
learned under the legendary Penn State coach.
In 2007, Jones and two partners acquired Bookkeeping Express, a company
based in McLean, Virginia that sells bookkeeping franchises across the country.
I
’m a Western Pennsylvania guy who grew up in
Newcastle, about 50 miles northwest Pittsburgh, and I
started playing at 7 years old. I played Midget Football
– as we used to call it back in the day – and then continued
to play through my high school and college
career at Penn State. Playing football has
been a major part of my life and I continue
to use the lessons I’ve learned off the field
in the business world.
When I’m asked how I apply football to
business, the first thing I think about is the
discipline. It takes discipline to get up every
day and do the things you have to do. It’s
not easy for a lot of people, especially when
it’s 90 degrees and you have to put on the Greg S. Jones
pads and go through the same plays that
you’ve practiced the past three months or whatever the
case may be.
I look at football and business using the same
principle: What you put into it is what you’re going to
get out of it. Most of the people who rise to the top
of the NFL or the business world get it. They make it
look so easy on Sunday or Saturday, but in reality their
performance has been 12 months in the making. They
get up every day to have the discipline and persistence
to get back in there. In the business world it’s the same
battle. I don’t know anyone who makes it in business
without having a passion and getting up everyday
swinging. Football taught me to put my full effort into
everything I tried.
When I played in high school, I had to learn how to
excel on the field with the help of my teammates. I wasn’t
a kid who had the confidence to take on the world. What
I always enjoyed was being part of a team. I knew I didn’t
Bookkeeping Express has franchises in 14 states provide accounting services
for small businesses typically earning revenues of $5 million or less.
Jones still leans on his experience as a linebacker to call the signals of
Bookkeeping Express’s growth and rally its franchisees.
“Whatever your passion is, you’ve got to work on it every day,” Jones
says. “It ties into football: When you’re leading a company, you’re part of a
team. If it’s structured properly and if it’s led properly it will win.”
Jones recently spoke to USA Football Magazine to share what football
taught him.
have all the skills. I couldn’t take on every lineman. I didn’t
have blazing speed. But there were other guys on my
team who did, so you relied on them to do their job and
you would do yours. Business works the same way.
Football also taught me about the value
of preparation. Some of my best times
and memories, even coming out of the
off-season, was when we were all working
together, working out in the gym or the
weight room, getting ready for the next
season. We all had this aspiration of doing
something special next year. I feel the same
when I’m working at Bookkeeping Express.
Playing football at Penn State obviously
was a world of difference compared to high
school. I walked in and saw these monsters,
bigger, faster players than I had seen in high school. I
asked myself: “How the heck am I ever going to be able to
compete?” I learned that size and speed aren’t everything.
More goes into it than physical talent and appearance.
The biggest life lesson I learned playing football at Penn
State: Don’t assume these people around you – whether
it’s in business or in sports – are who they seem to be.
The second biggest thing I took out of playing football at
Penn State was that it never stops. Whatever your passion
is – football or business – you’ve got to be into it every day.
Business can be competitive in many areas, whether
creating a competitive culture within your own company
or taking on a company with a competitive product. It’s
funny, but the competitive challenges in business will
work themselves out like a football team. We study and
have strategy sessions hoping to get over the next
mountain. The entire process boils down to: “How are we
going to win this next big game.”
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