CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are renewing their commitment to the development of sports initiatives for young children in Ohio.
The NFL team announced Tuesday the creation of "Jr. Browns NEXT,” a program for local-sports leagues hoping to provide athletes with leadership skills and athletic abilities through football.
Jr. Browns Next will now account for all of the Browns' current youth-centered programs, including PLAY! Football, Rookie Tackle, Jr. Browns NFL Flag, the Annual Cleveland Browns Youth Football Camp, and more.
“Through Browns Give Back, we are fully dedicated to promoting engagement, participation and health and safety initiatives for youth and high school football throughout Ohio, and Jr. Browns NEXT provides us a great opportunity to unify our current efforts, create new programs and maximize the resources available to all youth football participants,” said Vice President of Community Relations Jenner Tekancic. “Jr. Browns NEXT will allow us to provide even more avenues for coaches, parents and athletes to succeed both on and off the field as they prepare to take the next step at the high school level.”
Along with the launch of Jr. Browns NEXT, the Cleveland Browns have also announced $25,000 in grant-funding for local youth sports programs.
Teams will be able to register for consideration to receive a grant following their registration for Jr. Browns NEXT. Any team interested in applying for a grant can do so here.
Jr. Browns NEXT participants will also receive discounted rates for a performance analysis program, Hudl, used by coaches and teams to enhance performance.
“Hudl is excited to partner with the Cleveland Browns to deliver its first football video library exchange for youth and high school teams in the Cleveland area.” said Greg Nelson, Vice President of Competitive Sports at Hudl. “The content generated by the Browns and High School coaches will enhance both the coaching and playing experience for youth teams in their tradition-rich football community.”
For more information on Jr. Browns NEXT, click here.