Football offers youngsters skills to play the game, but more importantly skills and opportunities to succeed in life. The National Football League and the Tennessee Titans care about young people both on and off the field, which is why youth football is a top priority for the NFL, the Titans and our players. We have a number of physical programs and funding to assist youth football programs in our market that we hope you will take advantage of.

In 1998, Titans owner Bud Adams, the other 31 NFL team owners, the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) formed the NFL Youth Football Fund (YFF), a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation which supports the game at the youth level and promotes positive youth development. The 32 NFL owners contribute approximately 25 million dollars annually to support all of the initiatives of the YFF.

Through the YFF, hundreds of thousands of youngsters nationwide have been given the opportunity to learn the game of football, get physically fit, and stay involved in productive after-school activities with adult mentors. The YFF also provides youth football participants with safe and accessible places to play, as well as programs and initiatives that address the importance of proper coaching, academics, health and safety, and life skills development.

There are a number of grant opportunities that local youth football programs may be eligible to apply for funding. Here are some of the programs and funding opportunities that we encourage you to take advantage of. For more information on any of these programs and the YFF visit www.nflhs.com.

GRANT/FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

NFL Grassroots Community Football Fields Program - The NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program is a partnership of the National Football League Youth Football Fund (NFL YFF) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to provide non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations, middle schools and high schools with financing and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields.

Parks and ball fields can serve as tremendous community assets because they offer opportunities for recreation, education, and relaxation that contribute to the local quality of life, especially for young people.

In five years of programming, the Fields Program has awarded $12.5 million in grants for 116 projects with total development costs of $53 million in over 40 cities across the country. Grants are announced and awarded annually in the fall.

How the Fields Program Works: The NFL and LISC issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), or an open invitation to all qualified non-profit organizations in NFL markets to submit proposals for funding. LISC reviews the proposals, requests additional information where necessary, and makes site visits to the finalist organizations.

Then LISC recommends to the NFL which organizations have the capacity, plans, and partners to renovate their local football fields and to attract increased youth football programming to the site. The Board of Directors of the NFL Youth Football Fund makes the final funding decisions.

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