(Compiled by Staff) –

WHAT:                      USA Football’s 2012 St. Louis Youth Football Leadership Forum

WHO:                         -More than 20 youth football league commissioners from across St. Louis

-USA Football representatives, the official youth football development partner of the Rams and the NFL

WHEN:                      Saturday, February 18,  10 a.m. to 3 p.m.        

WHERE:                   Rams Park,  One Rams Way,  St. Louis, Missouri 63045

* Special note: The forum will take place in the Rams Park board room and youth league commissioners from throughout St. Louis will be available all day.  Media may enter through the facility’s main entrance.

BACKGROUND:     USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, 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 and its 32 teams. USA Football manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competition and awards $1 million annually in equipment grants to youth and high school football programs based on merit and need. Endowed by the NFL and NFL Players Association in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football is chaired by former NFL team executive Carl Peterson.

USA Football hosts 41 State Leadership Forums across the United States, providing youth football league commissioners and presidents the opportunity to network with peers, USA Football representatives and NFL teams to gain insight into best practices for their players’ benefit.

St. Louis youth football league commissioners will participate in an open discussion about the state of the game and learn of USA Football’s programs to benefit their organizations. In addition to the $1 million in annual equipment grants, USA Football offers coaching and game official education, innovative digital football resources for players and coaches and subsidized background checks for leagues’ adult volunteers and more.