Indianapolis – In support of youth football athletes, coaches and communities in Indiana, the Indianapolis Colts will help 1,300 coaches prepare for the upcoming football season with USA Football Coach Certification. The Colts have provided more than 7,500 coach certifications since 2021.

The Colts and USA Football, a non-profit based in Indianapolis-based that serves as the sport’s governing body and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), strongly support the continued development and growth of grassroots football while prioritizing delivering positive experiences for athletes and their families.

“The Colts are a proud ally of Indiana’s youth football community and USA Football’s initiatives,” said Colts COO and USA Football Board of Directors member Pete Ward. “We want to continue giving back and inspiring the next generation of athletes through this great game of ours. Coach Certification helps our state’s many dedicated coaches prepare for the season and set their players up to succeed on and off the field.”

Indiana youth coaches working with leagues that enroll with USA Football are eligible to receive support from the Colts and get certified at no charge. USA Football enrollment is free and open to all youth football organizations at USAFootball.com.

“The Colts are incredible supporters of youth football across Indiana, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to work with them for the benefit of so many young athletes in our home state,” said USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck. “Their generosity ensures that thousands of athletes will experience the fun, fitness and life lessons of football while learning from coaches who are more prepared than ever before to teach the game and help their players grow.”

USA Football’s Coach Certification encompasses the Football Development Model (FDM), which focuses on progressive skill instruction, developing the whole athlete and building age-appropriate skills. The FDM was developed in partnership with a council of medical, child development, long-term athlete development and football subject matter experts drawn from the youth, high school, collegiate and professional ranks.

Since 2012, USA Football has certified more than 1.1 million coaches in 50 states and numerous foreign countries across six continents. USA Football’s Coach Certification is the only certification for youth football coaches accredited by the United States Center for Coaching Excellence’s (USCCE) National Committee for Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE).

USA Football’s comprehensive Coach Certification encompasses emergency action planning and execution, concussion recognition and response, heat preparedness and hydration, including heat acclimatization and conditioning, sudden cardiac arrest, abuse prevention, Transformational Coaching, skill and technique development for tackling and blocking and protective equipment usage.