COACHING INFORMATION

Please select the Grid Kid area that you coach in (eg. Hillcrest, Bonneville, Ririe, etc)- not the general Upper Valley Grid Kid organization. Also, for returning coaches, do a quick check that you are currently connected to the correct area.

Important Note: In order to track your coaches' courses, coaches will need to be associated with their respective program in your league. See below for instructions on how to associate with an organization.

Youth Coach Course

The USA Football Youth Coach Course is an online training for tackle and flag coaches covering essential health and safety topics - such as concussion awareness, abuse prevention, heat preparedness, emergency action planning, and sudden cardiac arrest - along with foundational coaching techniques, athlete development, and age-appropriate drills. Coaches taking the Course for the first time will complete Level 1 Flag or Tackle modules, while returning coaches will be automatically assigned to take Level 2 Flag or Tackle modules. Coaches must complete all modules to be considered trained, and will then gain access to age-specific practice plans, playbooks, progression guides, and other resources. Coaches can access the course by following the steps below.

• Step 1: Create or Login to USA Football account
• Step 2: Associate with Organization
  • Located at the top of your dashboard, select Organizations
  • Review and update 'Your Organizations'
  • Unless already associated, under 'Find New Organizations', locate your organization
  • Next to the organization, select 'Associate'
• Step 3: Purchase Youth Coach Course
  • Go to USA Football Courses
  • Under "Youth Coach Course" click on "Learn More"
  • Click on "Buy Course"
  • Type in Promo Code: GRIDKID26
  • Click "Update Price"
    • Price will drop from $19.50 to $14.50
  • Enter credit card information
  • Click "Validate Price"
  • You will be taken back to the Courses homepage, where you will select "Claim Course" under Youth Coach Course-Tackle or Youth Coach Course-Flag (whichever you plan to complete)
  • Start Coursework

Coach Training Program

Before registering for the Youth Coach Course, coaches should consider our Coach Training Program. For $49.50, the program bundles the Youth Coach Course with access to all USA Football Systems, OnDemand content, partner discounts, and more. It’s comprehensive, season-long support designed to help you coach safer, smarter, and more effectively. Upgrade today if you've already completed your Course!

📣 Season Kickoff Reminder for Parents 📣

As we head into another exciting Grid Kid season, we want to remind everyone that while football is a competitive and passionate game, it’s important that we all keep our reactions in check.

❌ Yelling at referees is not acceptable.
❌ Yelling at coaches—or across the field at opposing coaches—is not acceptable.

We understand emotions run high, but our athletes look to us for examples of sportsmanship.

⚖️ 24-Hour Policy ⚖️
If you are upset about something, please wait 24 hours before approaching your child’s coach. If the coach is unable to resolve the issue, you may then escalate it to your Area Director. If further direction is needed, the Area Director may choose to involve the League Board.

🚫 Please do not call your Area Director or a board member before speaking with your coach. Coaches are the most “in tune” with the day-to-day needs and challenges of your athlete and team.

⚠️ Important Reminder: Continued poor behavior from a parent may result in removal from the league.

Thank you for helping us create a positive experience for all of our players this season. Let’s make this another great year of football! 🏈💪

REMINDER CONCERNING FILM

We wanted to clarify the league's policy on the use of game film. Please note that the league will not use film to:

• Change a call made during a game,
• Alter the outcome of a game, or
• Eject coaches or players if no action was taken by the officials during the game.

However, the league may review game film to initiate discussions with coaches, players, or officials if necessary. These discussions are aimed at promoting growth, understanding, and improvement within our league. If any issues arise, we encourage direct communication with the league to address them constructively.

Also, please remember that these are young athletes we are working with. Our primary goal is to instill life skills that extend beyond football, including teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. Let’s keep that in mind as we guide them on and off the field.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued commitment to fostering a positive environment for our players.

There will now be up to 5 events allowed per week (after games start), with 1 of these events being a non-practice, non-contact event. example:  film night, team building activity, etc.