American Youth Football donates 3,000 pairs of Under Armour cleats to NYC’s young athletes

American Youth Football (AYF), the nations largest youth football organization, presented its Big Apple Youth Football Conference with 3,000 pairs of Under Armour cleats for its NYC participants to start the 2009 season off on the right foot.

(New York, NY) -- American Youth Football distributed the cleats on Friday September 4th at 9:30 am on the football field of Poly Prep Country Day School. Young players from around the league were on hand to accept the donation from AYF and Under Armour's brand ambassador, Big E.

The most recent recipient of AYF’s giving back initiatives, the Big Apple Conference has 6,000 youth participants throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Thanks to Under Armour, AYF’s premier sponsor, local players received the donation of cleats in time to kick off the youth football season beginning labor day weekend.

“Many families cannot afford a new pair of cleats this season, so kids either end up playing in shoes that don’t fit or they don’t play at all,” says Jessica Abramovich, AYF’s Executive Director. “AYF and Under Armour are on a joint mission to provide all kids the opportunity to learn from the great game of football and are committed to helping young athletes realize their full potential.”

About American Youth Football (AYF)

(AYF) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that provides support services, scholarships, grants, giving back programs and tournaments to over 600,000 youth members in 50 states and several countries worldwide. AYF is committed to Giving Back and since its inception in 1996, has donated over $15 million dollars in grants and athletic product to communities that support youth football. AYF was the first national organization to offer all-inclusive football divisions, enabling every child a place to play. The late New York Giants Owner, Wellington Mara, played a pivotal role in the development of AYF, and a former NY Giants Football Coach, Joe Galat, is the organizations Founder and President. For more information visit the website at www.americanyouthfootball.com.

About The AYF Big Apple Youth Football Conference

Courtney Pollins, the son of a community activist and an NYC police officer, started his AYF conference in 2002 with 8 teams, now the Big Apple Conference has 180 teams throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Westchester. Pollins has made it his mission to spread youth football to NYC neighborhoods that don’t have it and keep kids off the cities streets. The program currently gives more than 6,000 youngsters each year the opportunity to learn and thrive on the fields of New York City. The conference website can be found at www.bigapplefootball.org.

About Under Armour, Inc.

Under Armour® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The brand's moisture-wicking synthetic fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional natural fiber products. The Company's products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.underarmour.com.

Check out the pictures from the Donation Event
and Kickoff Big Apple 2009

AYF's Jessica Abramovich, Big Apple's Courtney Pollins and UA's Big E pose with the Rockaway Ravens.

Bronx Colts hanging out

 

One Brooklyn Warrior getting Big E's autograph



Learning how to get FIRED UP Under Armour STYLE

Big E addressing the crowd

Showing off the goods!

READY FOR 2009 Kickoff!