No items found.

Pop Warner and NFL Team Up To Further Coaching and Player Education Amid Pandemic

Share:

As youth coaches and players look to find ways to continue their development throughout the year and during the pandemic, Pop Warner,  the nation’s oldest youth football organization, is partnering with the NFL to promote proper playing fundamentals. Through the NFL Way to Play initiative, the NFL aims to protect players from unnecessary risk and foster culture change across all levels of football.

Pop Warner and the NFL kicked off their partnership with a live virtual clinic hosted by former NFL player LeCharles Bentley on December 3. Bentley delivered a dynamic presentation and engaged in discussions with Pop Warner coaches and administrators from across the country as he demonstrated proper technique and drills that players can use to practice at the field or at home.

“Learning extends beyond practices and games,” says Sam Mutz, Pop Warner Football commissioner. “We believe in providing our coaches with the type of teaching tools they can use to help our players improve their skills, maximize their ability and take a safer approach to playing the game.”

Several NFL head coaches, active players and NFL legends have worked together to develop the Way to Play curriculum, emphasizing stance, posture and technique as keys to protecting players while providing a winning edge. They’ve created a library of educational videos and other content for coaches and players to utilize as a resource when practicing proper playing technique.

Additional content highlights position-specific drills, exercise by muscle group and film breakdown is available on the NFL’s Play Football YouTube channel and the Playfootball.com website.

“As the youth football community continues to navigate these unprecedented times, it is especially important to provide resources and educational tools to ensure players and coaches remain football-ready,” says Bentley. “Through the Way to Play curriculum, we’re excited to partner with Pop Warner to continue to educate those involved at the youngest levels of the game.”

To watch the NFL Way to Play videos and for more information, visit https://operations.nfl.com/football-ops/nfl-way-to-play/.