American Youth Football
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American Youth Football (AYF), established in 1996, is an international organization that promotes the development of youth through their association with adult leaders in
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
. Rules and regulations ensure players are in a safe environment with a competitive balance between teams. The
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) has made AYF a national youth football partner.NFLHS.COM - Youth Football Fund: How the NFL Can Help
The President of American Youth Football is Joe Galat. AYF allows local members to govern themselves while remaining non-intrusive. AYF has reached all 50
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and six countries with more than 500,000 participants. AYF admits participants regardless of financial capabilities. AYF programs range from financial grants to leagues which need help, shoes sponsored by
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
, field development in conjunction with FieldTurf, and Rising Stars football camps, which send inner-city kids. Former NFL players involved with American Youth Football include
Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee ...
,Randy Moss teams up with American Youth Football
Tedy Bruschi Tedy Lacap Bruschi (; born June 9, 1973) is a former professional American football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, who currently serves as the senior advisor to the head coach at University o ...
, Adam Archuleta,
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila Muhammed-Kabeer Olanrewaju Gbaja-Biamila, Sr. (; born September 24, 1977), nicknamed "KGB", is a former American football defensive end who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at San Diego State. ...
, and
Braylon Edwards Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was recognize ...
, in addition to NFL coach
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and TV personality and former NFL player
Cris Collinsworth Anthony Cris Collinsworth (born January 27, 1959) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional American football player. Collinsworth was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981-1988), all with ...
.


Academic requirements

Similarly to other national youth football programs, American Youth Football requires its participants to perform adequately in the classroom before permitting them to play. Proof of satisfactory progress in school is required. American Youth Football participants who excels in the classroom are eligible for special awards and scholarships.


Safety and Brain Health

A 2018 study performed by the VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University's school of medicine found that tackle football before age 12 was correlated with earlier onset of symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), but not with symptom severity. The study looked at 246 former players, with 211 being diagnosed with CTE after death. Of those so diagnosed, the athletes who started tackle football before age 12 displayed their symptoms an average of 13 years earlier than did other players. More specifically, each year a player played tackle football under 12 predicted earlier onset of cognitive problems, behavioral, and mood problems by an average of two and a half years."Study finds youth football tied to earlier symptoms of CTE,"
ESPN, April 30, 2018.
Parents, put off tackle football as long as possible, study suggests
''Austin American-Statesman'', Nicole Villalpando, May 25, 2018.
Age of First Exposure to Tackle Football and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
''Annals of Neurology'', Michael L. Alosco, Jesse Mez et al., 30 April 2018.
In an ''Austin American-Statesman'' article, Dr. Michael Reardon of Child Neurology Consultants of Austin states that football includes repetitive blows to the head over time which might explain a higher level of impairment than athletes in basketball, cheerleading or volleyball, who can also experience the occasional concussion. Reardon states that in elementary-age football there can be significant size differences and some players do not have fully developed neck and shoulder muscles to help absorb hits. Reardon further says that a helmet does little beyond preventing a skull fracture and may in fact lead to a false sense of security and/or invincibility. In an ESPN interview, Dr. Ann McKee, director of Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, went beyond her role as merely describing the study as one of the co-authors and suggested that, "Some argue that players should play even later than 12, maybe 18, when they are adults and can make fully informed decisions." In early 2018, former NFL linebackers Nick Buoniconti (Patriots and Dolphins), Phil Villapiano (Raiders and Bills), and Harry Carson (New York Giants) announced that they were working with the Concussion Legacy Foundation in support of a new parent education initiative, Flag Football Under 14.
CNN, Nadia Kounang, updated March 1, 2018.


Regions

There are eight AYF regions: *New England *Desert Mountain *Midwest *Southwest *Big East *Atlantic *Big West *Southeast


References

{{American football in the United States American football organizations American football in the United States Youth sport in the United States Sports organizations established in 1996