Riddell has become the official football helmet and protective equipment partner for USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, and its 2009 Junior National Team. The three-year partnership (through 2011) with USA Football marks Riddell's first with a national governing body and represents its most significant foray into the youth football community, composed of approximately 3 million players and more than 120,000 teams.
“Welcoming an industry leader like Riddell into the USA Football family is a tremendous source of excitement for us,” said USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck. “We're proud to place Riddell equipment on our national teams and to provide their high-quality equipment to the hundreds of youth and school-based football programs that benefit from our equipment grants. We highly value our new and dynamic Riddell relationship.”
Independent non-profit USA Football, based near Washington, D.C., conducts more than 100 annual football training events nationwide offering education for coaches and game officials, skill development for players and resources for youth football league administrators. USA Football members – coaches, game officials and league administrators – reside in every state and the District of Columbia.
Riddell, whose equipment is worn by more than 80% of NFL players, will be woven into USA Football's 12-month calendar of national events and initiatives including:
*USA Football National Teams: outfit America's national teams in football for international competitions
*USA Football Coaching Schools: full-day coaching clinics exclusively designed for volunteer youth football coaches
*USA Football Player Academies: three-day player camps for youngsters aged 9-14
*USA Football State Leadership Forums: idea-sharing regional meetings for youth football league administrators
*USA Football Equipment Grant Program: provides $500,000 in equipment to youth and prep football programs
The partnership gives Riddell the exclusive right to provide helmets and protective equipment for USA Football's 2009 Junior National Team, America's first high school-aged national team in football. Team USA will compete among an eight-nation field spanning four continents at the 2009 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio's Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium from June 27-July 5. More than 50 nations have national federations dedicated exclusively to American Football.
“USA Football is a terrific fit for Riddell with its large and dedicated membership attending first-class football training events nationwide,” said Riddell President Dan Arment. “This partnership will have an immediate positive impact for us within football's passionate grassroots community. It also represents a further extension of our commitment and involvement in youth football, and we're truly honored to be an integral part of the USA Football Junior National Team.”
