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JPD is the National Football League’s tackle football instructional program for youths aged 11-14.

Originally developed in the United States, JPD was designed to give young athletes a meaningful introduction to and experience with tackle football before entering high school. The objective is to make the experience accessible for these young athletes, and to encourage them to stay involved in the sport while planning their future recreational pursuits.

Every participant in a JPD session receives a full range of training in every position. Equipment is loaned free of charge, and sessions are led by enthusiastic football coaches in the community. The program not only provides these coaches with practical training in how to properly teach football fundamentals, but also with a template that can be used in the future to help grow the sport.

Fundamental football skills such as tackling and blocking are taught and reviewed at each and every JPD practice session.

Since 2004 NFL Canada, working in conjunction with local and provincial football governing bodies, has conducted JPD clinics in communities across the country.

In order to make this first experience with tackle football a positive one, sessions are broken into instructional segments lasting no more than 15 minutes. The particular assigned position of the day is taught in an upbeat tempo that holds a child's interest throughout the entire practice.

Every session ends with a review of skills and a competition pitting two adjacent teams on the field that have learned complimentary positions through one on one individual competition, based on weight. This emphasizes the skills learned that day.

During each session a different life skill is also integrated throughout the on-field curriculum.

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