USA Football recently selected CODY BARBIERof Gray, La., to attend the 2011 NFL/USA Football Youth Football Summit from July 20-21* *in Canton, Ohio. Barbier is the coach and vice president of Bayou Titans and the representative for Terrebonne Parish Recreation, a league comprised of approximately 2,500 youth football players and living in Bourg, Chauvin, Cocodrie, Dulac, Gibson, Gray, Houma, Montegut and Schriever.
Barbier and youth football leaders from throughout the region attended USA Football's Louisiana State Leadership Forum at the New Orleans Saints training facility in Metairie on Feb. 26. USA Football's Louisiana State Forum is among dozens of meetings that the non-profit holds across the country to share best practices within the youth football community.
USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the Saints and the NFL. USA Football's 2011 State Leadership Forum schedule will reach hundreds of youth football league commissioners nationwide to impact approximately 20,000 coaches and 500,000 players.
"The thing I am looking forward to most is being able to try and learn ways to partner USA Football with large recreation leagues in order to promote players safety and coaching certification as well as gaining resources for the players, coaches and parents in the league," Barbier said. "I hope to gain the knowledge and guidance from USA Football in order to make all leagues in Louisiana come together as a whole and one day have a true state championship."
"The dedicated volunteers who power youth football unite and share their knowledge and ideas at our state forums," USA Football Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK said. "We're pleased to have Cody contribute to this discussion on a national level at this summer's youth football summit in Canton, thanks to the support of the NFL, its teams and its players."
The NFL/USA Football Youth Summit, funded by the NFL and its players, assembles nearly 200 youth and high school football coaches from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., along with youth football league commissioners. Among the summit's participants are former NFL players who now coach high school football.
Among the topics to be discussed at the NFL/USA Football Youth Summit in Canton, Ohio:
- Inspiring youngsters to reach their potential as people and football players;
- USA Football's CDC-approved concussion awareness and management information;
- Role-playing demonstrations regarding coach-player-parent relationships.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association have made a major commitment to invest in football's future with the establishment of the NFL Youth Football Fund (YFF) and other programs.
Established in 1998 by the NFL and the NFL Players Association, the NFL YFF seeks to use football as a catalyst to promote positive youth development, support youth and high school football needs nationwide and also ensure the health of grassroots football in future generations. Through the YFF's youth football initiatives and support programs, youngsters are provided with opportunities to learn the game of football, get physically fit and stay involved in productive after-school activities with adult mentors.
About USA Football
USA Football, the sport's national governing body, hosts more than 80 football training events annually offering education for coaches and game officials, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent non-profit is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association. USA Football manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions and provides more than $1 million annually in equipment grants and youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Endowed by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football (www.usafootball.com) is chaired by former NFL team executive Carl Peterson.
