Please note that the introductory course Coaching Youth Football the AYF Way is a prerequisite to the recertification course. Only coaches who have completed the introductory course are eligible to take the recertification course. Also, no discounts or bulk purchases are available for this recertification course.
At AYF, player safety is our number-one concern. Providing a safe playing environment and ensuring our coaches interact with the athletes entrusted to them in a safe and responsible manner are of paramount concern. This recertification course is an integral part of that effort. Through this online course, you’ll gain important information and knowledge on concussion management, sexual abuse and molestation, and sport-specific points of emphasis identified by AYF for the 2012 season. As an additional benefit, you’ll continue your $2 million liability insurance coverage by completing the recertification course.
The online course blends reading from the book Coaching Youth Football, Fifth Edition (which is included as a PDF within the course) with interactive activities and quizzes, audio clips, and coaching scenarios that emphasize key concepts and challenge coaches’ decision making ability. The course concludes with an online 10-question test.
As we continue to learn more about the cumulative effects of head injuries, it’s of utmost importance that we properly prepare, protect, and instruct our youth participants to minimize their risk of injury. We’ve turned to the leading authority on concussions—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—for course content dedicated to the prevention, management, and treatment of concussions. As part of this recertification course, you’ll actually take the CDC’s Head’s Up: Concussion in Youth Sports course, used as a training resource for thousands of sport organizations across the country.
In addition to the CDC course, two units in the recertification course address technique and safety, with the former focusing on proper technique for blocking and tackling to avoid head injuries. With this knowledge, coupled with the CDC tutorial, you’ll be better prepared to coach your athletes to be “head smart” when playing the game.
Another area in which our kids need absolute protection is against abuse and molestation. AYF has for many years required criminal background checks for coaches and maintained a formal policy addressing these issues, but we felt strongly about including this content in the course to raise visibility and awareness of these policies and to impress our commitment to addressing these issues upon our league administrators and coaches. This course unit includes information from the AYF risk management policy encompassing criminal background checks, warning signs of and policies for addressing abuse or molestation, required procedures to follow in the event of an allegation, and communication advice surrounding these topics.
The final course unit provides coaches with tips, guidelines, and checklists to help them prepare for game day, coach during the game, and communicate with players and parents after the game.
Thank you for being an AYF coach. Don’t ever underestimate the influence you have on your athletes. By taking this course, you’ll show your commitment to being the best coach you can be. Upon completion of this course, you’ll be better equipped to instruct your athletes on safe play and to create a positive environment in which they can grow, flourish, and realize their potential.
