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NCAA Football Grant Application
Field of Dreams
NYSCA Training
Pro camps

NCAA FOOTBALL Grant Application

The 2009 NCAA FOOTBALL College Replica Apparel Grant Application was due on June 26th.

Download the 2009 NCAA Grant Application

Field of Dreams

Another AYF “Field of dreams” success via a unique approach

For many schools and communities, a new state-of-the-art synthetic turf field seems like an unreachable, far-fetched dream. A perfectly consistent field that children and athletes love to play on, which requires little-to-no maintenance, and can be used safely in all weather conditions – no rocks, no dust, no holes, and no mud bowls.

There have been hundreds of field of dreams projects completed nationwide – but this one is truly unique.

A dream that Dean Greenberg from Tucson, AZ and Dennis Bene, head football coach at Salpointe Catholic High School were determined to turn into a reality for their community. And so, they put forth a unique fundraising plan aimed at creating a vision for families in the local area, and obtained a much higher number of small-to-medium contributions rather than relying solely on convincing major corporations with large sums of money. The plan was marvelously successful and raised an impressive $950,000. “We obtained a prompt approval from the school for the project and created a donation package. The fundraising was targeted toward families and companies who could provide us with smaller sums of money for a longer period of time – up to five years” explained Greenberg. He went on to describe the blueprint to his plan:

Create a vision and target the right contributors: People need to care about the project before they contribute their hard earned money to it. The people who are known to immediately care should be contacted first. This would include parents of current student-athletes, parents of future students, individuals who went on to college with scholarships and the high school’s alumni. “Do not underestimate what parents will do for the future of their children. You must draw out the tangible benefits that this type of field will provide directly to their children.”

Dean’s son was a standout player in American Youth Football (AYF), the largest youth football and cheer organization on earth. The Greenberg family clearly understands the values that AYF portrays. Giving back, team work, determination, and love for the game leads to long-term success in sports and in life.

Demonstrate commitment: As individuals, Dean and Dennis willingly disbursed their own monetary contributions to the project, aside from the voluntary time spent during the ten weeks of fundraising. “I run my own companies and gave up much of my free time for this. I think that people recognized the honesty and genuineness of our efforts which made it easier for them to come on board.” Dean and Dennis also believed that they owed their investors the absolute best synthetic turf product on the market – and that is exactly what they got with FieldTurf.

Add value to the proposition: In the case of Salpointe, a mosaic of tiles with the contributors’ names will be displayed near the field, conveying the community ownership of the facility. As well, the campaign added further interest to potential donations by being designed to fundraise an extra $100,000 for financial aid offered to all students at Salpointe, and therefore expanding the vision of a community giving back.

“Don’t give up”: The advice which Greenberg would give to anyone who is about to undertake a similar project. “Some people will tell you ‘no.’ Your job is to find a way to make it work for them and to convey the vision that you originally set out for the school and for the community.”

Once the funds were secured, Greenburg explained that FieldTurf’s top of the line synthetic turf was the product they wanted for their field. Used by many NFL and NCAA football teams, FieldTurf was the product which offered Salpointe with the safest, most durable and highest-performing synthetic turf available. Even in a climate as dry as the one in Arizona, the Salpointe Lancers football, lacrosse and soccer teams will have a modernized perfectly-conditioned field for years to come.

Salpointe will be holding a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the tremendous efforts and contributions from the organizing committee and the community. This will take place at the first home football game of the season.

For more information, contact us

NYSCATraining

AYF football coaches benefiting from NYSCA training at Bethel Parks and Recreation (Conn.)

As one of the longest standing National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA) chapters in the country, Bethel Parks and Recreation (Conn.) understands the value of volunteer coaches training. That is why when they became affiliated with American Youth Football (AYF) five years ago, they immediately made it mandatory that all football and cheerleading coaches receive proper training and education before stepping onto the field.

“We’ve been affiliated with NYSCA since 1986. All our youth programs that we co-sponsor, or who use our facilities, are playing in a fun and safe environment, so it’s been a real great fit for us,” said Eileen Earle, director of Bethel Parks and Recreation.

Since NYSCA training was always so successful with all of Bethel’s sports programs, it was only natural that when they become affiliated with AYF that all football coaches be trained and certified as well.

“With AYF they seem to be making the teams balanced, and with the coaching certification it keeps them on track in a positive manner,” Earle said. The AYF program in Bethel provides organized football and cheerleading for more than 425 children. With a group this large, Bethel Parks and Recreation wanted to make sure that all children were in good hands – which is why they use NYSCA training.

“The most important aspect of the training is the philosophy that is communicated. It reminds them that this is not the pros, that these are children,” Earle said. “Plus, I like the support of the code of ethics.”

The NYSCA Code of Ethics must be recited and signed by all coaches before assuming coaching duties. The Ethics reflect the philosophies and beliefs of NAYS and are intended to promote youth sports as a positive, safe and participatory activity for all children. The goal of NAYS’ volunteer training programs is to ensure that the adults involved are aware of their roles and responsibilities and that they maintain proper perspective at all times.

“I think that without NAYS we would have a lot more overzealous parents and coaches that would be forgetting that these are 9- and 10-year-old kids,” Earle said.

A youth sports environment can be an emotionally charged atmosphere, especially so with football, which is why it is imperative that adults be held accountable at all times. NYSCA training properly prepares coaches for how to react during those moments.

Not only are Bethel’s AYF coaches getting advanced training and education on how to work with kids, they are also receiving top-notch tips on various football skills and drills. Typical NYSCA training consists of watching a 90-minute video on general aspects of coaching youth sports, followed by a 60-minute sport specific video that helps coaches with the Xs and Os.

“The sport specific portion gives them a great chance to learn about the sport they’re coaching,” Earle said.

Although traditional NYSCA clinics are held in classroom-like settings, Earle allows her coaches to utilize NYSCA’s convenient online clinics. Even though Bethel’s AYF coaches can attend their initial training online, Earle still holds an annual coaches meeting where she reinforces the NYSCA Code of Ethics.

For the past five years NYSCA training has greatly enriched Bethel’s AYF program by helping to train responsible and qualified volunteer coaches – just as it has all their youth sports leagues. For this reason, Earle is a firm believer that such training and education is a perfect fit for any AYF affiliate looking to offer top quality youth football and cheerleading.

“It wouldn’t be extra work because you have all the services online,” she said. “Plus, the positive experience that kids will receive makes any extra work you have to do worth it.”

Pro camps

There are tons of NFL Pro Players leading youth football camps this summer! We couldn't possibly attempt to promote them ALL, but check your local listings and on your local NFL team website to get details.

Some of these camps have high costs, but many are free or priced fair!

Check out the Kellen Winslow Camp coming up soon at the Bucs Training Facility.