The NFA’s Blackshirt Elite Training Program

Qualify for the NFA’s Blackshirt Advanced Elite Training Program

The Blackshirt Academy Elite Training Program is reserved for athletes seeking a competitive advantage. To qualify for the Blackshirt Program athletes must attend one of the Off Season Development (“OSD”) camps or contact one of the NFA regional coaches and request an evaluation to see if they qualify for the Blackshirt Program. Athletes are evaluated during the OSD camp or in a one-on-one training session with a regional coach. The athlete is graded on a 4-part assessment:

Physical: Base Fitness Level & Athleticism
Psychological: Character, Academics, Mental & Emotional Maturity
Progress: Skills & Football IQ
Performance: Game Film Assessment & Competition

Athletes that are deemed eligible for the Blackshirt Program are segmented into one of the following groups based on age, and performance:

NFA Alumni Blackshirts – This is advanced training for multi-camps athletes. This segment of Blackshirts is driven by number of camps attended and the athlete’s age.
Varsity Blackshirts – College level training reserved for Starters on their Varsity teams.
Elite Blackshirts – Elite level training for athletes that have received College scholarship offers.

Athletes attending a Blackshirt Program will be working with and learning from our most Senior Coaching staff. The Blackshirt Program athletes will:

Increase their operational tempo under pressure without faltering
Learn the 3 most important strategies to accelerate coverage recognition
Discover footwork alone isn’t enough when it comes to peak athletic performance
Sustain emotional discipline in game-like situations
Develop a plan of action based on a personal evaluation with a Blackshirt Coach
Seize the 2 steps they must take to achieve their goals for the coming season
Unlock the power of specific, customized drills at the right time to produce sustainable change
Rely on the 4 keys to unleashing devastating consistency and accuracy
Are introduced to the one thing that will ensure their failure and how to avoid it

The NFA and the Blackshirt Program has been holding camps for 24 years and they have shown that it is possible for an athlete to perform up to 2 years ahead of his current grade. In other words, we want the…

Freshmen playing like Juniors
Sophomores playing like Seniors,
Juniors playing like College Freshmen,
And Seniors playing like College Sophomores

The 2-year metric accounts for flaws and weaknesses often present in an athlete’s overall development. He may be 3 years ahead in throwing, but 6 months behind in footwork, etc.

Plotting the developmental data points provides a statistical average that not only shows overall positive progress, but highlights potential areas for growth without a wholesale diminishing of the athlete’s confidence.

There are three tiers of the Blackshirt Academy for an athlete to consider with varying components of involvement and price points.