JFLOCI SPORTS

CHEERLEADING

FOOTBALL

JFLOCI INFORMATION

The Junior Football League of Central Illinois (JFLOCI) is the Midwest's preeminent youth sports league, offering Flag Football, Tackle Football, and Cheerleading. The JFLOCI is committed to ensuring a positive youth sports experience and advancing player safety by providing league-wide coaching education and teaching resources that benefit players, parents, and coaches. To enhance this commitment, the JFLOCI has partnered with USA Football and promotes their Heads Up Football® program.

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JFLOCI Executive Director, Zo Evans, said, "The JFLOCI is about more than just a game; it's about teaching lifelong lessons such as teamwork, humility, honesty, integrity, hard work, structure, and determination. Each one of our Areas has developed a family atmosphere that fosters growth in our young athletes. This growth is something that will forever enhance their lives and we are proud to carry out that responsibility. A championship trophy is won based on the outcome of a game, but we are far more concerned with equipping our young athletes with life skills and a 'championship character' than anything else."

JFLOCI coaches will be trained in Heads Up Football® techniques before leading their teams each season. They will also attend an annual league-wide Coaches Clinic to ensure they are equipped with the proper knowledge to help their teams succeed. Clinic topics include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concussion recognition and response protocols; heat illness prevention information; proper helmet and shoulder pad fitting; as well as shoulder tackling, defeating blocks, and blocking techniques, which aim to reduce helmet contact.

“Heads Up Football is changing how coaches are trained, players are taught, parents are informed, and safety is addressed,” USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck said. “We are proud to have the Junior Football League of Central Illinois join us in leading America’s youth football community, helping to further establish important standards rooted in education for the good of our young athletes.”

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*USA Football, the sport’s National governing body, educates more youth and high school coaches than any other organization in the United States.

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