The Chicago Bears and USA Football welcomed nearly 1,000 youth football players and coaches from across the Chicago area to Soldier Field on Thursday, August 14 in celebration of the Bears USA Football Month Game. Tickets to the Bears vs. Jaguars game were donated to several youth football leagues who participate in the Heads Up Football initiative. Teams from the Chicago Park District Junior Bear Tackle football league, the Chicago Park District Inner City Flag football league and the Bill George Youth Football League lined up on the sidelines with players from the Bears and Jaguars during the National Anthem and participated in a youth football demonstration during halftime.
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As part of our year-round support of youth football, the Bears hosted free USA Football Heads Up Player Safety Coaches Clinics at our indoor practice facility, the Walter Payton Center, on June 28 and July 19. The events, organized by USA Football, were attended by hundreds of area coaches. The clinics featured concussion awareness, hydration, helmet and shoulder pad fitting, Heads Up Tackling classroom training and on-field Heads Up Tackling drills. After workshop completion, Player Safety Coaches will oversee their leagues' implementation of Heads Up Football and will monitor practices and games throughout the season.
On August 10, the Bears hosted our first annual Youth Football Jamboree at the Walter Payton Center. The jamboree included four teams from The Chicagoland Youth Football League and four teams from the Bill George Youth Football League. The Bloomingdale Bears won the championship game over the Buffalo Grove Bills. Both leagues participate in the Heads Up Football initiative through USA Football.
