The New York Jets are part of a pilot program with the NFL to launch a helmet replacement and education program for youth football programs.
As part of the league's and the Jets' commitment to player health and safety at all levels of the sport, the NFL has joined with a number of groups to launch the program, which targets youth football leagues in underserved communities. The program will remove helmets that are 10 years old or older and replace them with new helmets at no cost to the beneficiary leagues.
The groups involved in the program are the NFL Players Association, USA Football, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association (NAERA), NCAA, National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), Rawlings, Riddell, Schutt, and Xenith. It is supported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,
This endeavor is being administered as a pilot program in four target communities this year. The communities include the tri-state region around New York City, the California Bay Area, the Gulf Coast region, and Northern Ohio. Click here to see a map of the eligible regions.
The program includes a strong educational campaign that features important safety information from the CDC and USA Football, including materials on concussion awareness, proper helmet fit, and teaching fundamentally-sound football through USA Football's innovative Tackle Progression Model and Levels of Contact module. In addition, leagues that receive helmets through this program will be required to have their coaches complete USA Football's Certified Coaching Education Program.
To learn more and apply, visit usafootball.com/playersafety. Applications will be accepted through May 30.
