Raiders, Intermountain Healthcare Host Football Clinic for Youth Coaches

The Las Vegas Raiders teamed up with Intermountain Healthcare for the second consecutive year to host an in-person clinic for youth league coaches and commissioners in Southern Nevada and Southern Utah in preparation for the return to football in 2021. 

The Raiders and Intermountain Healthcare also provided the opportunity for more than 600 coaches statewide to virtually receive Heads Up certification. The Raiders and Intermountain Healthcare covered all clinic costs, including underwriting USA Football Heads Up certification for the coaches to receive training at no charge.

The clinics are developed by football experts and medical specialists to help coaches provide exceptional football experiences to their players and become Heads up Certified by USA Football. Coaches gain insight on running more productive and efficient practices as well as an effective approach to teach contact, proper heads up tackling and blocking techniques. Dr. Tony Kemmochi, a licensed clinical sports psychologist at Intermountain Healthcare, was on hand to discuss the topic of understanding athletes’ unique psychological needs for success. Including, understanding psychological factors that can impact athletes’ performance and well-being and learning common psychological challenges faced by athletes.  

Dr. Kemmochi said, “Professional athletes often tell me how they wish they could have gotten help sooner. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure after all. High school coaches can play a vital role in student athletes’ mental health and quality of life, through education about mental health and early intervention to protect the future of youth.”

“By providing this invaluable opportunity that can help us better shape the future of our youth athletes, the Las Vegas Raiders show us that football is not the only game they are capable of changing,” said Dr. Kemmochi.

Additionally, both the live and virtual sessions included discussions on proper equipment fitting, season preparation, X’s and O’s strategy and coach/player relationships. Raiders Alumnus Chris McLemore was in attendance to support the event.

This clinic comes on the heels of the recent Nike 11-On event at Valley High School in Las Vegas when around 600 Southern Nevada boys high school football players at all positions partook in on and off-the-field team-building activities. Las Vegas area high school teams participated in the Nike 11-On, a scholastic-based, team-oriented, character-building program. The one-day curriculum kicked off with Raiders Alumni Isaiah Ekejiuba and Jay Schroeder speaking to the student-athletes about character development, film study, nutrition as well as strength and conditioning. The Raiders held the inaugural Nike 11-On event at Clark High School in Las Vegas in 2019, where over 500 Southern Nevada boys participated. Raiders Alumnus Mervyn Fernandez addressed the student-athletes during the character development phase. 

As part of their ongoing commitment to Youth Football, the Raiders partnered with the Southern Nevada Flag Football Coaches Association and Allegiant to host the Southern Nevada High School Girls Flag Football All-Star Game.   Prior to the game, the girls took part in a combine event which served as a showcase to perform physical and mental tests in the hopes of attracting the attention of college recruiters.   The Raiders opened Allegiant Stadium to Southern Nevada high school football teams selected by the Clark County School District for Spring practices in late April. The nine teams each had two hours to utilize Allegiant Stadium for their individual sessions and inter squad scrimmages.

–Raiders.com–

About Intermountain Healthcare

Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals, 225 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,600 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Nevada, Utah, and Idaho. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes and sustainable costs.