More school districts embracing Heads Up Football

The high school football season is upon us, and coaches are hard at work with August camps. Summer months mean finalizing playbooks, setting practice schedules, attending seven-on-seven camps and getting in that last bit of rest and relaxation before everything begins in earnest.

For thousands of coaches across the United States, it also means enhancing their knowledge and continuing their education through USA Football’s Heads Up Football program.

Heads Up Football is the sport’s most comprehensive high school player safety program. It creates a singular terminology and setting the foundation for learning within the sport. Supported by top medical organizations — including the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine — the program encompasses USA Football’s online Coach Certification Course through NFHSLearn.org; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concussion recognition and response; heat and hydration protocols; sudden cardiac arrest; equipment fitting instruction; and tackling and blocking fundamentals.

Heads Up is endorsed by 15 state high school associations, 10 state coaching associations and dozens of experts and organizations. It delivers benefits to student-athletes and peace of mind for parents who know that their coaches are certified. It also creates a positive environment in which children can play the sport they love.

» MORE: High schools in all states now using Heads Up Football

Some of the largest school districts have made Heads Up Football required education for football coaches. Also in 2016, every middle school and high school football coach in Oregon and Vermont will be trained through Heads Up Football.

“I’m an ex-football coach for 38 years. I’ve always been concerned with player safety, including head injuries,” said Ron Barney, the district athletic director for the nine high schools in the San Juan Unified School District in California. “Through my years, I’ve seen a lot of great coaches, but I’ve also seen coaches do not so well on safety issues.

“As a coach, you want to get better every time you go to a clinic or learn something new. USA Football is making better coaches throughout the United States, from the bottom to the top. I’m a big believer in this. I will work to get all of my coaches on board, head coaches and assistants, too.”

School districts that have made the commitment to Heads Up Football also include:

• San Francisco Unified School District; Oakland Unified School District; Los Angeles Unified School District; and San Diego Unified School District in California.
• Denver Public Schools and Aurora Public Schools in Colorado.
• Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida.
• Fort Wayne Community Schools in Indiana.
• Guilford County Schools and Wake County Public School System in North Carolina.
• Greenville County Schools in South Carolina.
• Katy Independent School District in Texas.

USA Football educates more youth and high school coaches combined than any organization in the United States.

» LEARN MORE: USA Football’s Heads Up Football program

In Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools, where Heads Up Football has been in place since 2013, overall football injuries are down 24 percent and concussions are down 43 percent districtwide.

“The data clearly shows that our student-athletes are benefitting from this partnership with USA Football and that FCPS is seeing significant returns,” said Bill Curran, Fairfax County director of student activities and athletics programs. “Players are spending more time on the field and in the classroom as we have seen the number of concussions and total injuries drop during this three-year period.”

For Nolan Beyer, the director of activities and athletics for the Millard Public Schools system in Nebraska, it’s as simple building a safer environment. That helps young athletes grow and thrive in America’s favorite sport.

“Any time we can bring additional awareness to coaches, athletes and parents in terms of safety, it’s a good thing,” Beyer said. “Nothing mirrors real life like athletics, and football is an example of that. We teach overcoming adversity and teamwork. Eventually, teammates will be coworkers, and coaches will be bosses. Anything we can do to help increase participation in athletics, including football, should be our goal.”

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Learn more about Heads Up Football High School at www.usafootball.com/headsup or contact regional USA Football high school representative at http://usafootball.com/about/your-local-contact.