Story courtesy of the Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference, which will play host to the 2013 NCAA Division I Championship Game, will welcome 400 boys and girls ages 5 to 13 from Frisco and the surrounding region for the NCAA Football Youth Clinic on Saturday, July 28 from 9 a.m. to noon at Frisco Memorial Stadium.
Participants will have the opportunity to meet and work with college football coaches; run offensive, defensive and agility drills; learn proper techniques to promote on-field football safety; and learn about the importance of character development and good sportsmanship. Registration was open to members of the Frisco Football League and spots in the clinic filled within 72 hours this past weekend. Registration was capped at 400 participants.
Twenty-three coaches from three Southland Conference universities, including the University of Central Arkansas, Northwestern State University and Stephen F. Austin State University will run the clinic.
“The NCAA Football Youth Initiative is an incredible program and we are proud to partner with them for the third consecutive year in hosting a youth clinic,” said Tom Burnett, commissioner of the Southland Conference. “This is such a special opportunity for the youth in our community to work with top collegiate coaches and we look forward to increased participation and attendance this year.”
NCAA Football’s Youth Initiative is a $1.5 million, three-year investment that began in New Orleans in 2007. Through this program, NCAA Football strives to attract more youth participants to the game, provide them with additional motivation to pursue higher education opportunities, help them develop the necessary skills to be successful on and off the field, and help to establish a new base of lifelong NCAA Football fans.
“Learning football fundamentals, proper technique and safety is essential to youth football players’ success on the field,” said Bob Vecchione, chair, NCAA Football Youth Initiative Committee. “NCAA Football youth clinics provide an opportunity for young athletes to learn these valuable skills and more importantly, to learn the invaluable character-building and sportsmanship lessons needed to be successful off the field.”
About the NCAA Division I Football Championship
Frisco, Texas, is the host city for the 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, which will be played at the 21,500-seat FC Dallas Stadium for the third time on Jan. 5, 2013. The championship game, hosted by the locally based Southland Conference, City of Frisco and Hunt Sports Group, is the culmination of a 20-team championship bracket. The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) is comprised of institutions that compete in the Big Sky, Big South, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Missouri Valley Football, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Southern, Southland and Southwestern Athletic conferences as well as the Ivy, Patriot and Pioneer leagues and the Colonial Athletic Association. The FCS embodies a tradition of excellence through high level competition, student-athlete character and sportsmanship throughout the regular season and the championship experience. For more information, visit www.ncaa.com/sports/football/fcs.
About NCAA Football
NCAA Football USA, Inc. represents a coalition of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA), the Football Bowl Association (FBA), the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF) and serves as the collective voice to promote college football. NCAA Football is managed by IMG College, a division of IMG Worldwide. For more information on NCAA Football, visit www.NCAAFootball.com.
About NCAA Football’s Youth Initiative
NCAA Football’s Youth Initiative began in 2007 when NCAA Football USA, Inc. provided $750,000 in grants, equipment and uniforms to help rebuild the New Orleans Recreation Department’s youth football league following Hurricane Katrina. In 2008, NCAA Football committed $1.5 million to develop a three-pronged national youth program comprising youth clinics, apparel grants and a legacy gift. More than 30,000 young athletes have been positively impacted since the program’s inception. For more information, visit www.NCAAFootball.com/youth.