USA FOOTBALL INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAM

USA FOOTBALL INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Goal: The USA Football International Student Program is being developed to help worthy teenage students from various nations to enhance their academic education, cultural awareness, as well as their athletic ability while living and attending high schools in the United States. 

Background: USA FootballSM is an independent non-profit organization whose purpose is to galvanize, support and promote the sport at all levels of amateur football. USA Football believes that the well-being of the sport depends on a broad appreciation of the game, excellence in coaching, an emphasis on safety and health, high levels of youth participation, and collaboration with the many partner organizations involved in amateur football.  Chairman Jack Kemp and Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck are committed to this mission, and have asked me to assist due to my knowledge of the international football scene, as well as my interest in high school athletics here in the USA. My focus is to identify high schools where these students can best succeed.

Proposed Plan: In an ideal scenario these students will attend a school for two years, and then matriculate to a university or college to continue their education. The proposed steps are as follows:

1. USA Football will identify schools and leagues around the USA which will be receptive to these students, and where their particular rules will allow for participation in athletics. The selected schools will not be permitted to recruit or induce the student, his family, or USA Football in order to gain an advantage.
2. USA Football will make this list of schools/leagues available to the specified National Football Federations, with information on the schools such as web site, admissions contacts, date of applications, etc. The information will also be available through the USA Football web site for the general public globally to access.
3. Qualified people within these national football federations who will make every effort to identify the ideal candidates for this program who have the right abilities, motivation, and character to succeed. All candidates will be provided with a list of possible schools which would fit the student’s goals and abilities. The foreign student and his family will make application to the schools of their choice, and provide this information to USA Football.
4. Once students are accepted, USA Football will follow up to offer assistance and guidance in regards to preparation for their arrival in the USA. A maximum of 2 students per year would be placed in any one school through this program
5. USA Football will provide a personal orientation for the students upon their arrival in America, with information that will be helpful for their adjustment to the academic, cultural and athletic environment they will encounter.

These students will ideally come with F1 visas acquired through their home country consulate, qualifying them as an "international student" rather than a foreign exchange student, as identified by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Rules: Obviously, we want to be careful to follow all state, league and individual school rules governing international students, being sure that they qualify academically as well as following athletic eligibility guidelines. Specific rules such as years in high school, courses taken in the native country, and maximum age for athletic eligibility will be followed closely.

Funding: Since many of these students’ families would not be able to otherwise afford to send their children to the USA for high school, school tuition and expenses may be paid in part by USA Football. This has been approved by the NCAA. This is not unlike what is done in other sports with support coming from national sports federations both here and abroad. The schools themselves will apply to USA Football for funding that will be provided to the international students who come through this program. Applications may also be made by the student and family to the individual schools for possible assistance with financial aid.
We will also work with the schools to locate host families within the community for these students, where applicable for the schools, again being sure to follow state, league and local school rules.

Summary: USA Football appreciates your assistance with this project, as it is exciting to know that we can help some of the world's brightest young students achieve their dreams. We are currently looking around the country to find the best schools which will fit this innovative program, with the bylaws and rules of the governing school organizations obviously a key starting point. Not only will these international students gain a great deal from their educational experience in the United States, but the host schools and local communities will also benefit from having this young man in their program.

Patrick Steenberge
Director, USA Football International Student Program
PSteenberge@usafootball.com
817-219-7274