Youth Football
Mission Statement
The San Diego Chargers are committed to the development of youth football in San Diego County and extending the opportunities and experiences the game of football provides.
The San Diego Chargers are proud of their strong history supporting youth and high school sports in San Diego County. Through the Chargers Community Foundation, the team was responsible for the creation of freshmen football and girls' volleyball in 14 San Diego City high schools. Both programs are flourishing in their third years. In addition, youth football camps in conjunction with Gatorade and STAR/PAL, the NFL Fields Grants, the Alex Spanos All-Star Classic, CIF Championship games and aiding youth football leagues are other examples of the Chargers ongoing commitment to youth sports.
Alex Spanos All-Star Classic
San Diego's premier senior high-school football players perform annually in their own Super Bowl, thanks to the support of Chargers owner Alex Spanos. Every year, Mr. Spanos makes it possible for the players to conclude their high-school careers in the Alex Spanos All-Star Football Classic. The county's best senior football players match-up for a high spirited game between the North and South Schools.
Chargers Junior Training Camp
In addition to the 11 STAR/PAL camps, the San Diego Chargers are also scheduling youth football camps in schools, recreation centers and non-profit organizations for summer and fall clinics. The Chargers Junior Training Camp is a free, grass roots, non-contact football program designed to teach children the basics of football, exercise and sportsmanship. We will be traveling to different sites within San Diego County throughout summer and into November. Unfortunately, due to player’s schedules, San Diego Chargers players will be unable to be involved with the camps. For Junior Training Camp schedule, click here.
San Diego CIF Championship Games
This year, the Spanos family was pleased to sponsor, again, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) San Diego football championships. Because of the Chargers sponsorship, teams throughout San Diego County receive an opportunity to play just like the pros…at Qualcomm Stadium. This year the CIF Championship games will gain be hosted by the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. For ticket information contact the CIF office at (858) 292-8165.
High School Coach of the Week
The Coach of the Week (COW) program recognizes high school coaches who, through their hard work and dedication to young people, have made a difference in the lives of their players, community and school, and provides high schools with financial assistance to help maintain and upgrade their football programs. Each week during the high school football season, the Chargers will select one high school football coach as the COW winner. The winner will receive a $1,500 donation from the San Diego Chargers Community Foundation to the school's athletic department. For more information, click here.
NFL Punt, Pass & Kick
Punt, Pass & Kick is a national skills program for boys and girls ages eight to 15, to compete separately against their peers in punting, passing, and placekicking. The free program, which has been in existence since 1961, is open to boys and girls in four age divisions: 8/9, 10/11, 12/13 and 14/15. For more information on how to register for a competition in your area please visit www.nflyouthfootball.com.
Play It Smart
With significant financial support from the NFL and the NFLPA, the National Football Foundation's (NFF) Play It Smart program continues to change the lives of thousands of young football players from economically underserved communities nationwide.
Under the guidance of the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield (MA) College, Play It Smart trains "Academic Coaches" to work in tandem with high school football teams and their coaches, taking lessons learned on the field and applying them in the classroom and community. In addition to one-on-one mentoring relationships, academic coaches coordinate academic support services, SAT/ACT prep classes, community service events and other team-building activities throughout the entire school year. By capitalizing on their passion for football and the positive peer pressure of the team, academic coaches work to create an awareness of the productive possibilities that scholastic and community involvement can provide in the future.
The results have exceeded all expectations with 87 percent of the seniors going on to college compared to 57 percent of their peers at the same schools. Similarly, 95 percent of participants graduated high school last year compared to 89 percent of their peers. Play It Smart student-athletes have also contributed more than 26,000 hours of community service since the program's inception in 1998.
In September 2002, the NFF, NFL and NFLPA announced the successful implementation of a $1 million grant from the NFL's Youth Football Fund to place the program in at least one additional urban high school in each of the 32 NFL franchise cities. Nationwide, 88 schools with close to 6,000 student-athletes participate. The San Diego Chargers and their community relations department selected San Diego High School to pilot the program. For more information on developing the Play it Smart program in your area please visit www.playitsmart.org or contact Jim Presbrey, national director, at 1-800-486-1865.
LISC NFL Youth Football Fields Programs
The NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program is a partnership of the National Football League Youth Football Fund (NFL YFF), which provides funding for the Program, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which provides technical assistance and manages the Program. The goal of he NFL Grassroots Program is to provide non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations with financial and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields. The NFL Grassroots Program provides grants up to $200,000 for capital improvement projects.
For more information on guidelines and eligibility, please download a LISC NFL Youth Football Fields packet here.
NFL Flag
NFL Flag is the NFL's official youth league for boys and girls, ages six to 14, and their parents. NFL Flag is a community-based program that provides an opportunity for children and families to become involved in football through participation early in life and play in an organized NFL non-contact football league. It also helps develop the first phase of player and coach development by teaching football skills while structuring the first level of a feeder system to community tackle programs (NFL Junior Player Development) and high school (NFL High School Player Development). For more information on how to join NFL Flag please visit www.nflyouthfootball.com.
