Riddell renews partnership with USA Football

PRNewswire

ROSEMONT — Riddell Sports announced it has renewed its partnership with USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States.

As USA Football’s official football helmet and protective equipment partner, Riddell will continue its role of fulfilling USA Football’s annual $1 million equipment grant program to youth and high school football programs, help facilitate USA Football’s skill development events for coaches and players and assist in generating awareness for the most important issues affecting athletes on the field.

USA Football and Riddell established their partnership in 2009, marking Riddell’s first relationship with a sport’s national governing body and its most significant foray into youth football, a community composed of approximately 3 million players and 120,000 teams. The renewed partnership will continue through 2016.

“During the past three years, USA Football and Riddell have worked together to foster the sport’s growth, inspire participation and ensure positive experiences for all youth and amateur athletes,” said Dan Arment, president of Riddell Sports. “Our renewed partnership with USA Football will focus on promoting the game and will bring attention to how players can best protect themselves while playing. We believe a combination of strategies — ranging from educational programs to rule changes to updated coaching techniques, along with the most innovative equipment — is what it takes to best protect those who play the game.”

Indianapolis-based USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, the NFL Players Association and each of the league’s 32 teams and is the only organization to earn this responsibility in the league’s 92-year history. It conducts more than 80 annual football training events across the U.S., offering education for coaches and game officials, skill development for players, and resources for youth football league commissioners. USA Football members reside in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Riddell, the industry leader in player protection,” said Scott Hallenbeck, executive director of USA Football. “Our relationship will continue to be instrumental in helping America’s football community play smarter and safer as well as provide the most innovative equipment available to players.”