AYF News Archive
KRAFT FOODS TEAMS UP WITH CELEBRITY FANTASY TEAM TO ATTEMPT TO SUR-“PASS” RECORD-SETTING HUNGER RELIEF SUCCESS
Company Sets 25 Million Meal Donation Goal for 2011 Huddle to Fight Hunger Campaign
NORTHFIELD, Ill. (Aug. 24, 2011) – After a stellar rookie campaign in 2010, Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) will attempt to bowl over its record-setting results in the sophomore season of its largest branded hunger relief initiative, the Kraft Foods’ Huddle to Fight Hunger. Through the campaign, Kraft Foods and several of their iconic brands are on a mission to help donate 25 million meals to Feeding America – an increase of four million meals from 2010’s record-setting efforts.
Huddle to Fight Hunger builds upon Kraft Foods’ nearly 30-year relationship with Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization, to help fight hunger in the United States. Unfortunately, hunger remains a quiet but prominent issue in this nation, as more than 50 million Americans – one in six of our neighbors – live in food insecure households.
To spread the word, Kraft Foods has enlisted high profile partners and personalities to champion the cause, including dozens of retailers across the country, American Youth Football (AYF), celebrity chefs Pat and Gina Neely, football legend Joe Montana and several other football greats. The program will once again culminate at the popular Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, which will be broadcast live on ESPN from AT&T Park in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve. The game, which last year drew a record crowd and ratings, will feature Army and a team from the Pac-12.
To reach their aggressive goal, Kraft Foods is rallying communities to join their iconic brands in the Huddle to Fight Hunger on Facebook. Americans can become part of the team at www.Facebook.com/KraftFightHunger – for each “Like,” Kraft Foods will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to a local Feeding America food bank. In addition, more than 60 retailer partners from coast-to-coast are huddling to support the campaign and raise additional meal donations for Feeding America via Huddle to Fight Hunger customized programming and in-store displays.
“Huddle to Fight Hunger builds upon three things Americans are passionate about…football, food and helping others,” said Stephen Chriss, Senior Director, Consumer Engagement and Marketing Partnerships, Kraft Foods. “By leveraging our flagship brands, as well as big stages like the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and iconic partners, we hope to inspire America to join our huddle and help us tackle this serious issue.”
A Deep Bench
Joining Kraft Foods’ huddle are some of the company’s biggest superstar brands including Planters nuts, Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers, Capri Sun beverages, Oscar Mayer meats, Maxwell House coffee, Kraft Real Mayo Mayonnaise, Miracle Whip Dressing, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Kraft cheese. These flagship brands all have an equal role in fighting this domestic issue and help inspire people to support the cause.
Hunger In America
Hunger remains a serious issue in the United States. Leading the fight against hunger is Feeding America. Through its network of more than 200 food banks and 61,000 agency partners, Feeding America provides meals to more than 37 million Americans annually.
“We thank our longtime partners at Kraft Foods for continuing the Huddle to Fight Hunger program,” said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. “The aggressive goal of donating 25 million meals, as well as the efforts to educate Americans about the issue of hunger in our country, is exemplary of Kraft Foods’ ongoing commitment to support our efforts to end hunger in America.”
For more information about Kraft Foods’ Huddle to Fight Hunger, visit Facebook.com/KraftFightHunger.
This Weekend A Record Breaking 1 Million American Youth Football Players Will Take The Field
This Weekend Kicks Off the Largest American Youth Football (AYF) Season in History
New York, NY. (PRWEB) September 01, 2011
This weekend, thousands of communities across the country will kickoff their American Youth Football (AYF) season. While 3 million kids ages 5-16, play organized football in the U.S., 1 million of them play in an AYF member program, making AYF’s 2011 membership the largest in the history of organized football. AYF is a national organization that provides youth football communities support services while promoting a mission of giving back.
Recent scrutiny regarding the safety of the sport had many anticipating a decline in youth football participation; on the contrary, AYF experienced the sharpest growth in its history adding 30% more teams to its membership.
AYF attributes that growth to a mix of stringent rules to ensure safety on the field, academic achievement in the classroom, and citizenship in the community. The bulk of this growth is due to the expansion of established community-run football programs; proving the tremendous success that independent community groups can have creating sustainable programs that positively impact young people. “This growth is a tribute to the exemplary adult leaders coaching football and cheerleading across the USA. While there is no one-size-fits-all for youth sports, AYF lets parents and volunteers decide what is best for their kids and their community. Our job is to support the volunteers so they can spend more time on the field than in the office” says AYF president, Joe Galat.
AYF’s core mission is ‘giving back to the local community’. This season, that mission is realized by a partnership with Kraft Foods in the Huddle to Fight Hunger. Through the campaign, AYF’s thousands of communities will help Kraft Foods and several of their iconic brands on a mission to help donate 25 million meals to Feeding America®, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization.
AYF teams will rally their supporters to become part of the team at http://www.Facebook.com/KraftFightHunger – for each “Like,” Kraft Foods will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to a local Feeding America food bank. All season long, AYF athletes will help raise awareness about hunger, volunteer at local food banks and learn the importance of helping their neighbors.
This football season, don’t forget that kids are playing right down the street, and it's a game worth watching. For the love of the sport and for the support of your community – go catch a game!
About American Youth Football®
(AYF) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides support services, scholarships, grants, giving back programs and tournaments to 1,000,000 youth football players and cheerleaders 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. For more information visit the website at http://www.americanyouthfootball.com.
About Kraft Foods
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is a global snacks powerhouse with an unrivaled portfolio of brands people love. Proudly marketing delicious biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in approximately 170 countries, Kraft Foods had 2010 revenue of $49.2 billion, more than half of which was earned outside North America. Eleven of the company’s iconic brands – including Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia and Trident – generate revenue of more than $1 billion annually, and 40 have been loved for more than a century. A leader in innovation, marketing, health and wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor’s 500, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index. For more information, visit http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com and http://www.facebook.com/kraftfoodscorporate.
About Feeding America
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief organization, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.
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Central Marin Chargers selected to participate in halftime scrimmages at the 49ers' exhibition against the Houston Texans
The NFL loves working with American Youth Football! The San Francisco 49ers invited AYF teams out on their field. 
The Central Marin Chargers junior midgets division youth football team and cheer squad were selected by the American Youth Football NorCal organization to participate in halftime scrimmages at the 49ers' exhibition against the Houston Texans.
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AYF Stresses the Importance of Academic Achievement
By Paul Hoferer
Youth1.com
“Devoted to Youth Sports”
(Youth1) – This past April, American Youth Football and the Undergraduate Sport Business Management program at the University of Central Florida announced their partnership for the upcoming 2011  season, incorporating students from UCF to serve as tutors for the youth athletes that will be attending the AYF National Championships in December. Specifically, college students within the program will serve as the Official Higher Education Tutors of the event under the umbrella of Scholar Baller ® – a not-for-profit organization, co-founded by UCF professor Dr. C. Keith Harrison. “Scholar Baller is proud to partner with American Youth Football to market and brand academic success,” said Harrison. “We are always happy to help student-athletes balance playbooks and textbooks.”
Although Scholar Baller has its own curriculum, the UCF student tutors will solely be responsible for ensuring the youth athletes are keeping up with their homework and other studies while they are away at the competition. In September, UCF and Scholar Baller will be announcing an essay contest to the youth in AYF who will be able to prove why they deserve an academic achievement award – how they feel they are representative of ‘scholar ballers’ nationwide.
UCF professor Scott Bukstein, who is also the Director of Operations for Scholar Baller is excited about this collaborative initative and believes this will undoubtedly benefit both the tutors and youth athletes alike. “When we initially reached out to AYF, we both wanted to find a way to integrate academics into athletic competition,” said Bukstein. “In addition to our students getting meaningful and practical experience, the youth athletes will learn it is cool to excel in school.”
The goal of the Scholar Baller program is to help bridge the gap between education, sport and entertainment. “The curriculum is a tool that is unique, thoroughly researched, user-friendly, and culturally relevant to the world of our youth and young adults, as it integrates multimedia such as video clips and uses practical strategies to help engage and inform the participating youth athletes,” said Harrison.
AYF Member Communications Director Elizabeth Bray is involved directly with the Academic Alliance Program – an extension of the Scholar Baller partnership that also emphasizes community service to augment excellence in the classroom. Last year, AYF named well over 300 athletes to the Academic Alliance All American Team. 22 scholarships were awarded on behalf of AYF, ranging from $500 - $1500. “All of the AAA winners exhibit AYF’s four pillars of achievement – academics, respect, discipline and performance,” said Bray. “We initially look at the grade point average and then the overall student. We analyze their involvement in the community, any religious affiliations, athletic achievement, and any additional scholastic awards.”
Furthermore, the aforementioned athletes each hold a 98 percent or higher grade point average. “This program keeps the kids reaching higher to perform their best in school while also continuing to perform at a high level on the playing field,” said Bray. “I definitely believe education and athletics go hand in hand. When you do well in school, everything else seems to follow suit.” To supplement AYF’s four pillars of achievement, Scholar Baller also emphasizes six principles to the youth athletes that will keep them on track for many years to come – vision, industry, self-respect, perseverance, success and humility. “All of the lessons learned on the playing field can be applied in a classroom setting and vice versa,” said Harrison. “Sometimes they may not translate directly, but the overall message is always the same.”
For more information on Scholar Baller visit their website. For more information on AYF Scholastics, please visit their website. Additionally, if you any questions, please e-mail Elizabeth Bray at Ebray@americanyouthfootball.com .
American Youth Football Partners with Kraft Foods
(June 7, 2011) -- This has been a historic off-season for AYF, the growth of our membership is unparalleled thanks to quality youth programs and dedicated volunteers. We applaud you and thank you for growing our community! With pleasure, we report that we are very close to our goal of reaching ONE Million members.
Our goal to reach one million members stems from our mission to Give Back, the larger our membership, the stronger our collective IMPACT. You have all made a difference in your communities – and now we havea chance to do even greater things. Together, starting in August 2011, weare going to make a BIGGER difference…
This season, American Youth Football (AYF) is teaming-up with Kraft Foods in the Huddle to Fight Hunger, acampaignto help donate 25 million meals to Feeding America.
Hunger in America is a growing concern – in fact, according to Feeding America, more than 50 million Americans, or 1 in 6 of our neighbors, live in food insecure households. Now in its second year, The Huddle to Fight Hunger is the largest hunger relief effort of its kind. Last year, Kraft Foods and their family of iconic brands donated more than 20 million meals to Feeding America.
Kraft Foods has enlisted high profile partners and personalities to champion the cause and get the word out, AYF will join celebrity chefs Pat and Gina Neely, and several former football greats.
Leveraging the love for America’s favorite brands by bringing delicious and exciting experiences that will inspire people to help support the cause. Kraft Foods will raise awareness about the issue of hunger by taking over one of college football’s major bowl games – the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl will take place at AT&T Park in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve and will air live on ESPN.
As part of this campaign, we have developed a number of exciting programs to engage the AYF community in the Huddle to Fight Hunger.
These programs include a “Giving Back Month Challenge” in September, the first-ever Kraft Fight Hunger Giving Back Conference of the Year award, activations at regional and national championships, as well as a grants and VIP trips to the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Full details regarding these programs will be released in the coming months.
Starting on August 15th, Kraft Fight Hunger will be on Facebook. For every “Like” on their Facebook page, Kraft will donate one meal to Feeding America in one of your local food banks.
Not only will you be helping fight hunger, but you will also have access to great recipes and games. (www.facebook.com/KraftFightHunger)
We look forward to sharing more about these exciting programs with you! The AYF Huddle team will be in touch with your league contacts via email and telephone to explain how your programs can get involved in the Huddle To Fight Hunger and win grants and prizes.
Feel free to contact us with any questions at FightHunger@americanyouthfootball.com
Monroe’s Feelgood Football
By Kris Hunte
Youth.com
“Devoted to Youth Sports”
Aug 21 2011
(Youth1) - It is always said that the best way for people to be talented in a specific skill is to start them off as young as possible, especially in the sport of football. American Youth Football (AYF) and its thousands of branches work around the clock to fulfill children’s dreams of becoming exceptional football players. For Monroe, Connecticut’s youth football and cheer league this is no different, except for one outstanding feature. They want the kids to not only become exceptional football players and cheerleaders. They want the kids to become exceptional human beings.
Through their charitable Give Back Program, the Monroe Lions pride themselves on volunteer work and community service to the less fortunate. They have been able to raise money for those in need, from a pediatric center to assisting the AYF with the Kraft “Huddle to Fight Hunger” program. The President of the Monroe Lions, Jack Dellapiano, considers the respectable human quality of selflessness a paramount trait for the league’s players to acquire.
“It’s about the importance of helping others.” replied Dellapiano, “Helping people without being paid or without being rewarded for it is kind of a lost art. People who volunteer are special. We want our kids to realize that they can make a difference in the lives of people who are less fortunate by coming together and being united in a program.”
Their most successful charity occurred last weekend on the bowling lanes of Brookfield, CT. With 90 members of the Monroe Lions in attendance, including players, coaches, and parents, the football and cheer league bowled strikes for the Dr. Tom Kennedy Toy Closet at the P.T. Barnum Pediatric Center in Bridgeport Hospital. The event proved more fruitful than anyone could have imagined as they raised an overachieving $3,400.
“Our goal was to raise money for kids in the area who don’t have the opportunity to play football,” commented Dellapiano on the bowl-a-thon, “Kids take for granted their health and well-being. We wanted to open their eyes to that we are fortunate and we can take the field every day to play football, but there are kids their age who will never have that opportunity. So we wanted to come together as an organization to do something positive.”
It can be safe to say that the camaraderie demonstrated by the Lions through their Give Back program is a result of their success on the field. Dellapiano’s philosophy for his league is to prepare the kids as best as he can for high school sports. Using high school terminology as well as next level-type plays, Monroe’s athletes look to have a smooth transition from youth to competitive high school sports. With four football teams reaching the national championships in the past five years, including one first place finish, and and two cheerleading teams winning the National Championship last year, they’re doing something right up in Monroe, Connecticut.
For more AYF information go to americanyouthfootball.com.
Jersey Shore's Friday Night Lights Kickoff
(Youth1) – On Friday, September 2nd, three different sites across New Jersey will host a ‘Friday Night Lights’ kickoff ceremony for the upcoming American Youth Football (AYF) season. The ceremony will feature six games and 12 different teams in Manalapan, Jackson, and Brick Township. At all three locations, the event will begin promptly at 7 p.m.
In Manalapan, the boys of Neptune will take on the Toms River Angels in the first matchup of the evening. Home team Manalapan will be playing at 8:30 p.m., and will scrimmage a team from the Philadelphia AYF family to be named at a later date.
In Jackson, prior to kickoff, the four teams will be introduced to the crowd via a blow-up tunnel provided by AYF sponsors Under Armour. “It’s just a little something extra we wanted to do for the kids to make this event that much more special,” said AYF Jersey Shore President Craig Karahuta. Furthermore, Assemblyman Runyan will be in attendance to provide a state commendation on behalf of the Jersey Shore league, as well as conducting an NFL-style coin toss at the beginning of both matchups.
The 8:30 p.m. game will feature Ocean Township and the Jackson Jaguars, who are just coming off a scrimmage against a Staten Island AYF club. This gives the Jackson team an opportunity to compete against a Division I team they would more than likely not play as a Division II squad.
This summer, the Jersey Shore league has allowed teams to field 7 on 7 passing leagues to sharpen the skills of backs, wide receivers, and pass coverage. The passing leagues are exclusive to AYF, but the administrators make it very clear that is not to interfere with family vacations, other sports, or schoolwork. Additionally, the league also hosted speed camps and cheerleading camps last month.
In Brick, the boys of Manchester will take on the Toms River Indians in the first matchup of the evening, followed by River Plaza versus Brick in the 8:30 p.m. game. The primary difference between this year and last year for all the teams competing in the Friday Night Lights ceremony is they will all fall under the umbrella of Division II squads – reserved for small towns and regional competition – whereas Division I teams are from larger cities with larger populations, fielding teams that are able to compete on the national level.
When it is all said and done, more than 250 athletes will be welcomed into the AYF family, following stints in their respected Pop Warner leagues. In total, the organizations all have very storied backgrounds in both football and cheerleading – with the newcomers bringing a cumulative total of 99 national cheerleading championships to their new organization.
“The Jersey Shore league was always known as a cheer-specific league until four years ago when the focus shifted back to football,” said Karahuta. “We canand will always be able to compete on the nationalal level. The coaches have really stepped up their commitment in the past four years. Everyone is out there scouting their next opponent and looking for the competitive edge.”
Karahuta could not be anymore excited heading into the upcoming season, specifically the new opportunities for all the kids participating. “The fact that we will be able to play down to one overall champion – something that we haven’t be able to do in the last eight years – because of the forced structure in our previous league, is a huge bonus for us,” said Karahuta. Additionally, the Jersey Shore league will host an all-star game and send five champions down to Florida for the chance to compete for a national title. As the season rapidly approaches and the teams are gearing up for what will be a very exciting season, and the league is healthier than it’s ever been. “Our goal is to have a successful, safe and fun season for all participants, coaches, volunteers, and parents,” said Karahuta. “If I’ve accomplished that, then I’ve done my job, and chances are we will have had a great season.”
Please check back with Youth1 for exclusive coverage on all of the Friday Night Lights games, including video footage, game results and recaps.
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Big Season in Store for Phoenix AYF
By Steve D’Elia
Youth1.com
"Devoted to Youth Sports"
(Youth1) - On August 27th, teams from the Phoenix and Tucson area will compete for state bragging rights as Arizona’s American Youth Football and Cheer leagues present Kickoff Weekend 2011. Phoenix football has been affiliated with the AYF since 2005 and their partnership has helped the sport thrive in one of America’s premier athletic hotbeds.
Dee Grayer, AYF National Football Commissioner said that working with American Youth Football allows the local leagues a chance to not only get on the field, but establish their own strategiess for success. “Working with AYF just gets better every year,” Grayer said. “They allow the local conferences to get things done in their community based on the community’s needs without much intrusion from the national office – they put you in position to make great things happen.”
Grayer has epitomized the spirit of ingenuity and dependability in football since the start. A former collegiate and arena football player - who has volunteered his mind and time at group homes - has always been one to take action and responsibility. Before he moved from San Jose, California to the Phoenix area, his son’s team almost missed out on an opportunity to play football. Without a coach, the team was going to be disbanded unless a parent volunteered. “I looked around and nobody put their hands up, so I had to do the slow hand raise. I’ve been coaching from there on out,” said Grayer. A few years later when the league President stepped down, Grayer stepped up and took on the role, which continues and led him to his current position today.
When asked what makes the volunteering decisions so easy to make, Grayer’s answer reflects the state of AYF Football and the people they attract. “There are some great people that are part of a great family here. I can’t do it all by myself, and we have a great team,” he said. “I love seeing the kids get experience. I love the way football teaches kids about life.”
It is the selfless motivation of managers, coordinators and parents that help the sport thrive and Grayer passes much of the personal recognition off to his colleagues and community. “The highlight of Phoenix AYF is the people. We have dedicated, passionate volunteers on the coaching and support levels,” he said. “Each team has 13 badges for coaches and staff volunteers, with over 250 teams in the Phoenix and Tucson Areas and that doesn’t count academic volunteers and parents who help out with water, working the chain gang and other team needs, as well as local businesses and community partners.”
When all of the hard work comes together, you not only get great youth football, but extra events and promotions for the kids, like AYF Arizona Kickoff Weekend, a two-day event including football games in the Phoenix and Tucson Metro Areas, volunteer events, and participation in the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres baseball pre-game festivities at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.
With initiative on the rise in Phoenix and Tucson, and the AYF partnership continuing to grow, the hopes for the future are high. Grayer looks forward to what another season of football brings to the community. “It’s going to be families having fun, enjoying events and giving back,” said Grayer. “We’re really tied with AYF’s vision of giving back, so we’re going to give good football, sportsmanship, teach the kids to compete, make sure their report cards are right and we’ll sprinkle in some fun events, too.”
With dedicated leaders like Dee Grayer, generous volunteers and a partner putting kids first, Phoenix AYF is making a difference in the lives of its players and proving that teamwork is one of football’s key components.
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Chargers Seek Revenge Against Texas Powerhouse
July 18, 2011
By Paul Hoferer
Youth1.com
(Youth1) - In 2010, Kevin Barnett was looking to assemble a youth football team in the Akron area. Later that year, Barnett, with the help of North East Ohio American Youth Football and Cheer Director (NEOAYFC) Rob Deck, founded the Akron Chargers. Ever since then, the two have not looked back, making it their goal to attract the area’s best athletes in hopes of playing for a national championship. “This region is one of the strongest for football in the country,” Deck said.
In addition to Florida, Texas, and California, the Ohio region is recognized around the nation as a hotbed for up and coming youth football talent. Last December following their magical run through the region’s playoffs, the Akron Chargers earned a berth to the AYF National Championship. Their opponent, The Truth, hailing from Texas, is coached by football legend Deion Sanders. “Leading up to the match-up with us, [The Truth] were blowing teams out,” Deck said. “It was clear once the first whistle blew that we were not going to be easily intimidated.”
Despite their best efforts, the Chargers fell to The Truth 26-25, with the outcome being decided in the final minutes. “We  played them right to the end. I kept telling my guys to believe in one another and good things would happen,” Deck said. “Although we didn’t get the result we obviously wanted, all the boys on the team recognized how valuable of a learning experience it was. A lot of those boys took a big step forward following that game.”
As a result, Sanders asked Deck following the game if the two would be able to play next year, as a kickoff to the upcoming 2011 season. “Deion came right up to me and basically told us that we were the best team they saw all year,” Deck said. “It was quite a compliment coming from a man of his stature and reputation.” Naturally, Deck agreed, and since the agreement was made, the Chargers have had August 4th circled on their calendars since last December. “The energy, determination, and atmosphere made the experience unforgettable. We’re hoping for a repeat performance this year, with the only change being the final score in our favor,” Deck said.
After taking the majority of the winter and spring off, the Chargers returned to the playing field nearly four weeks ago to begin preparation for the August match-up. “We’ve been doing some 7-on-7, lifting, and conditioning,” Deck said. “We’ve also been doing a lot of drills and preaching the fundamentals. We’re doing everything by the book. This year, there’s no margin for error.”
As a warm-up to the highly anticipated game, the Chargers will play an exhibition game versus the Atlanta Vikings, coached by former NFL player and Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis. “If you want to beat the best, you have to play the best,” Deck said. “It all begins with your attitude and how you approach the lead-up to the game. If we’re focused, I have no doubt that we’ll perform at a high level.”
Despite having the majority of their team move on to high school, Deck identified a few key members of this year’s Chargers team as being the impact players that will help lead the team to victory. #77 and Captain Amadeo Davis will lead the Chargers, as the coaching staff expects big things out of him this year, following his brilliant performance in last year’s championship game. Additionally, Gremaine Griffin, RaVon Logan, Miles Price, and Evander Christian are all difference makers on both sides of the ball, and are already foaming at the mouth to get another chance at The Truth. “Those guys are all great players. The bigger the game – the better they play,” Deck said. At the beginning of this year’s game, the Chargers coaching staff will honor last year’s team and their achievements, with the Mayor of Akron Donald L. Plusquellic participating in the coin flip. Moreover, due to last year’s turnout, the city of Akron is co-sponsoring the event, providing help running the concession stands, as well as helping prepare the playing field.
The Chargers will begin their quest for another berth to the AYF National Championship on August 4th at Ellet High School, with festivities kicking off at 10:15 a.m., and the game kicking off at 11 a.m. Additionally, the game will be broadcast on FootballChannelUS.com, with live play-by-play and commentary from Ken “The Scout” Becks. “It’s really difficult to put into words how excited we are to have a chance to play The Truth again,” Deck said. “It’s really a great way to begin our season. We’re just hoping to get the better of them this time around.”
For more information on the Akron Chargers, please visit their website.
For more information on American Youth Football go to Americanyouthfootball.com.
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GET IN THE GAME with Alex Rodriguez, Joe Montana, Joe Galat and dozens more exclusivly on iTunes.
July 11, 2011
Get in the Game® is a sports training application featuring one-on-one coaching tips from legendary players and coaches such as baseball icon Alex Rodriguez, quarterback Joe Montana, AYF's own Joe Galat and dozens more. The Get in the Game app is a free download available exclusively on iTunes for $9.99. Aspiring athletes can unlock up to an hour of exclusive coaching tips from their favorite sports stars.
Alex Rodriguez, who is a founding partner along with Joe Montana, said “Get in The Game provides kids of all ages with a fun and interactive way to improve their game and build upon their existing techniques.” He continued, “we have assembled a unique collection of diverse athletes and coaches who are all considered among the most talented in their field. Their unique styles and approaches will be presented in this application.”
“Once you take the intimidation factor out of the game by knowing you are using the proper technique, your natural ability can take over and the game becomes a lot more fun and rewarding,” said Montana.
There are over 30 coaches available in a variety of sports, ranging from football and baseball, to tennis and soccer. The Get in the Game roster includes legendary sports icons such as Andy Roddick, Barry Sanders, Bill Parcells, Hines Ward, Hulk Hogan, Michael Vick, Jennie Finch, Jerry Rice, Jimmy Rollins, Joe Torre, Kristi Yamaguchi, Martin Brodeur, and more. In addition to conventional competitive sports, Get in the Game offers yoga by Ricky Williams, and insights on poker from Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth.
Get in the Game utilizes the latest in mobile and digital technology and will continue to add to its All Star lineup.
For more information visit www.Getinthegame.com
Click Here to download the free app now
Facebook Fans will be entered to win cool prizes as well as one-on-one experiences with our athletes.
FACEBOOK PAGE
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-In-The-Game/147256375285733?sk=app_222578207775395
YOU TUBE CHANNEL
http://www.youtube.com/user/GetinTheGameTV
Remembering Your Roots: AYF's Ring of Honor
July 3, 2011
By Kris Hunte
Youth1.com
(Youth1) - Think of your favorite NFL player. Most likely you know when he was drafted, what awards he’s won, the college he attended, and maybe even what high school he played for. As sports fans, we all revel in this type of trivia bowl knowledge, but how far back in a player’s career do we actually search? Before all the Superbowl rings and Heisman trophies, most of our favorite NFL stars started off in youth programs that taught them essential football skills at an early age to make them the icons they are today. The American Youth Football (AYF) organization has made it a goal to remember young players from its nationwide programs by creating the Ring of Honor, a group of AYF alumni who have gone on to play at any level. Some NFL members of the Ring of Honor include former Superbowl MVP and current New York Jet Santonio Holmes and defensive end for the St. Louis Rams, Chris Long.
One successful AYF program in Louisiana has recently produced eight athletes for the Ring of Honor who will be playing collegiate football: the Dutchtown Youth Football League. Some of these athletes will be lacing up their cleats on Division I turfs such as Louisiana State University, Tulane, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The league is coached by Elmo F. Le Beouf III.
So what’s in the water down in Dutchtown, Louisiana? What makes this particular AYF program a breeding ground for top football talent? Le Beouf believes that there is a multitude of methods that he uses for the children.
“We believe in developing the total athlete. Physically, we go through all the drills and we develop the total athlete on not only athletic skills but also nutrition and hydration. One thing that we do is a lot of one-on-one drills and individual attention. We also help with academics and do mentorships with our kids.”
Elmo and the Dutchtown Youth Football League start from the drawing board for their participants when practicing drills. Their main focus is to teach the children the fundamentals of blocking and tackling, regardless of position. Whether it is an offensive lineman or the quarterback, each athlete will know the basics of these important abilities. This allows them to advance to more intricate drills, such as teaching wide receivers to be more aggressive to the ball and running backs how to read blocks.
This type of physical preparation cannot be accompanied without the proper mental stimulation, and the Dutchtown Youth Football League focuses on that aspect quite well. Elmo and the coaching staff have developed a talent for teaching quarterbacks as young as nine or ten years old to read coverages and call audibles; a very difficult task even for professional athletes. The league’s ability for selling their football philosophy to the young athletes is a huge factor of this. “We allow our athletes to make decisions on the field by teaching [them] not only how to play the game, but how to think the game,” stated Le Beouf, “We don’t just tell them what we’re going to do; we tell them why we’re going to do it. Once they understand why they’re doing it, it makes it easier for them to accept what we’re trying to accomplish. It’s just like being in a job. Once we get them to buy into what we’re doing, it makes it a whole lot easier because then it becomes a group effort.”
As fruitful as its athletic progression has been, the Dutchtown league prides itself the most on off-field programs. What makes these Louisiana players stand out in the AYF crowd is that they are greatly motivated to do well in the classroom. In order to play for the Dutchtown Youth Football League, athletes must maintain a 2.5 GPA. If a participant happens to drop below that, they are suspended for at least one game. Coach Le Beouf fully believes that this is an effective method for getting his point across. “We want ethical kids. We want kids who are going to do well in school. We want them to understand that football at that level is secondary to school,” he said.
The most unique aspect of Dutchtown’s off-field importance is a team-oriented program called “Brother’s Keeper.” This program was developed to increase the emphasis of teammates helping out each other, whether it is with academics or behavior. It starts by having members of the coaching staff communicate with schools to gain a better understanding of what is occurring with the athletes. Then at the beginning of practices they will create an opportunity for the players to say if they need help with any work. This camaraderie gives players the confidence to communicate with each other if one was to start misbehaving as well. “It’s a program that we really believe in,” stated Le Beouf.
The number of athletes from this league that are going to play football at the next level is directly attributed to this.
“Championships come and go, but we believe in developing our kids to be able to be a success not only on the field but off the field. With eight of our kids going to play collegiate football, which means a free education, that’s the most important thing.”
The AYF Ring of Honor will have to do some expanding to welcome its newest Louisiana residents. Some of those athletes include running back Effrem Reed Jr. (Dutchtown High School, going to UL-Lafayette), quarterback Leon Blouin IV (Dutchtown High School, going to Tulane), linebacker Parris Stewart (Ascension Catholic, going to Southeastern Louisiana), and ESPN 5-star wide receiver Jarvis Landry (Lutcher High School, going to LSU). Each athlete expressed that Coach Le Beouf’s persistence on academics to play at a higher level made them work harder in the classroom and remember most the off-field interaction they had with him, which helped them grow as role models.
Youth1 congratulates these young men and Coach Elmo Le Beouf for their dedication and excellence.
If you would like to highlight a Ring of Honor Alumni email your information to craig@americanyouthfootball.com or visit americanyouthfootball.com/ringofhonor.
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American Youth Football teams with ASEP to bring coaching education to youth football coaches
July 2, 2011
American Youth Football (AYF) has partnered with leading coaching education provider American Sport Education Program (ASEP) to offer online training and certification for AYF’s football and cheer coaches.
Customized with AYF-specific content, the courses Coaching Youth Football: The AYF Way and Coaching Youth Cheerleading: The AYC Way are available through the website www.AYFCoaching.com. AYF strongly encourages all coaches to participate in the program, and AYF tournament team coaches will need to provide documentation of course completion with tournament entry forms.
American Youth Football coaches can visit www.AYFCoaching.com to register for the course for their sport. The course price is $24.95, which includes $2 million in liability insurance coverage. The courses are also available for purchase in bulk at discounted rates. Administrators interested in purchasing courses in quantity (a minimum of 25 is required to receive discounts) should contact Jennifer Mulcahey at ASEP at JenniferM@hkusa.com or 800-747-5698, ext. 2304.
Each course includes a handy Coaches’ Clipboard featuring electronic forms, checklists, drill sheets, and sample season and practice plans. Coaches have access to the course and its online resources for an entire year. The course concludes with a 30-question online test that is scored automatically. Coaches can print a certificate of course completion directly from the Web site to document their achievement.
“I couldn’t be more excited that AYF has partnered with the American Sport Education Program to develop an online coaching education program for the nearly 90,000 volunteer coaches in all divisions of AYF,” says Joe Galat, president of AYF. “This partnership with ASEP allows us to arm even more coaches with the resources they need to make the game better for even more youth football players.”
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AYF’s Joe Galat and the Value of Youth Football
June 5, 2011
By Lindsay Stein
(Youth1) - Joe Galat, President of American Youth Football (AYF), the fastest growing youth football organization in the country, is on a mission to change the public perception of football safety and show how playing the sport can actually benefit children.
Galat, who founded America Youth Football & Cheer (AYF) in 1996, also currently serves as the dean for the Fieldturf Sports Safety Institute. Fieldturf Sports, the leading turf supplier in the country for the NFL, the NCAA, high schools and parks, works with Penn State University on performing athletic surfaces research and concussion studies in order to prevent as many injuries as possible. With his experience as a coach, a former player and a safety advocate, Galat is leading America’s effort to focus on youth football safety on both a physical and mental level.
“The old saying goes, ‘If you don’t cook the meal, you shouldn’t sit down and eat,’” he says. “I’m speaking as a person who’s had concussions and has also had experience coaching on all different levels from youth all the way up to the NFL, so I think I know where things are in terms of what we need to do for our kids, and when you look at the whole landscape of football, we all need to start cooking.”
One of the main ways to keep young players from getting hurt, Galat says, is by ensuring that the coaches are trained and certified. All AYF coaches must go through an online coaching course and background check, along with the Center for Disease Control’s “Heads Up” program, which teaches them how to recognize and treat concussions. But Galat doesn’t only want AYF coaches to be well-informed; he wants every coach across the United Sates to be educated, and that’s why he wrote the book “Coaching Youth Football,” which explains safety techniques, training methods and much more.
According to a recent study performed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, it seems like having knowledgeable coaches and better turfs is making a big difference in youth football safety. The study compared the athletic injuries of different sports among children five to 15 years old, and the results showed that organized football had 12 percent fewer injuries than organized soccer, 50 percent fewer injuries than bicycle riding and 74 percent fewer injuries than skateboarding.
And while the statistics are promising, Galat and AYF want everyone to realize that physical safety isn’t the only area to focus on—mental and emotional growth are just as important.
“AYF’s founding principle is for exemplary adults to give back to the kids the values they can learn through the vehicle of football,” he says.
Part of AYF’s mission is to develop well-rounded student athletes, and in order to do that, coaches spend time with the kids on and off the field, giving them social safety advice, like staying away from drugs, alcohol and bullies. By teaching work ethic and responsibility, kids will learn how to become confident, mature adults, which will prepare them for life outside of football. Most children are not going to play in college or the NFL, but regardless of whether or not they continue their athletic careers, Galat wants to make sure they have their education to fall back on, as well as a sense of independence.
“I always say the football field is the largest classroom in the country,” he says. “It’s a 100-yard classroom and it’s very beneficial.”
Not only are kids taught life lessons from football, they are also kept physically fit by learning the importance of staying active and eating right. Galat says that he doesn’t want to downplay athletic injuries, but he wants to put “the safety issue in perspective.” Youth football organizations, especially AYF, help keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. Plus, football offers structure and discipline to their lives while always keeping their safety as a top priority.
“We’re trying to change the culture of youth football,” Galat says. “Instead of having the perception out there that it’s extremely dangerous and brutal, we have to go back to what the value is and look at all the good that happens out of football.”
Many AYF alumni have gone to play in college or the NFL, and others have become lawyers, doctors, esteemed members of the military and other core members of the community, but no matter where they go in their lives, the former youth athletes take what they’ve learned from football and use it to make their dreams come true.
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Eagles and Warriors win 1st Annual Team Maryland 7-on-7 Tournament
May 26 2011
By Alan Popadines
Youth1.com
Baltimore, MD (Youth1) –Last weekend more than 200 American Youth Football (AYF) players took to the turf at Calvert Hall College High School in Baltimore, Maryland for the 1st Annual Team Maryland 7-on-7 Under Armour Tournament.
“To see the skill position players throw passes, run routes and play man defense showcased the great ability and coaching we have here,” said Team Maryland AYF President and Tournament Director, Quinton  Askew.
The 7-on-7 style tournament, which is fairly common in more advanced levels of football, was a groundbreaking event for the youth athletes in the Baltimore area, and they all relished in the opportunity to make history. With radio station 92Q broadcasting live and providing the soundtrack for the event, as well as appearances from members of the Baltimore women’s professional football team, the Baltimore Burn, there was a buzz in the air.
The participating teams, more than a dozen in all, participated in two age brackets, 11/12 years old and 13/14 years old, and with a championship to be had in both age groups, the teams took the field and got to work.
It didn’t take long for the tremendous play and upsets to start rolling in the 11/12-year-old bracket. In the opening game, the defending AYF Champion Jr. Pee Wee Forest Park Blackhawks were upset by the Charles County Spartans, preventing a repeat of last year’s state championship game and sending the entire tournament field into frenzy. When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, the Spirit of Faith Warriors, a regional tournament participant in 2010, earned the tournament title in a tough game over the Prince George Storm. Rounding out the top four were the Charles County Spartans, who finished 3rd and the Mechanicsville Braves, finishing 4th.
The 13/14 year-old-bracket also provided its share of great moments. In arguably the most highly contested game of the tournament, the Prince George Chargers and the 301 Panthers, both from the Metro Washington DC AYF, had a legendary 1st round battle that took three overtimes to decide, which the Panthers won in the end. Another interesting twist in the 13/14-year-old bracket was the upset of popular favorite Forest Park Blackhawks in the 2nd round by the Panthers. When the final whistle blew, the Southern Maryland Eagles were crowned champions, followed by the 301 Panthers, Forest Park Blackhawks and the Montgomery County Cowboys.
The flawlessly executed tournament already has teams from surrounding states looking to get involved next year, and with sponsors providing the necessary tools to help the youth athletes grow and excel, it should come as no surprise.
“This event couldn’t have been what it was without Under Armour  providing the shirts, shorts, wristbands, polo’s and visors,” saidvAskew, who also thanked Dick’s Sporting Goods for providing footballs, equipment bags and tents.
All the AYF athletes put on a spectacular show and will look to improve throughout the summer months, setting up what will surely be an outstanding 2011 football season for Team Maryland AYF and Metro Washington DC AYF.
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Under Armour Holds Combine for AYF Athletes in New Jersey
By Alan Popadines
May 25 2011
Cherry Hill, NJ (Youth1) – Under Armour, the presenting sponsor of the 2011 NFL combine, has brought their top development experts and ex-collegiate and NFL coaches to the youth level for a series of combines in association with American Youth Football (AYF).
Last Saturday, in an effort to give AYF athletes an early taste of NFL experience and an inside introduction to Combine drills, Under Armour brought their event to the Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey where over 100 kids got a chance to learn form the best.
Under Armour and AYF share the same mission; to help youth athletes take their training to the next level, and head Combine Coach Daryl Jones saw the opportunity in Camden as a chance to help the next generation of football players learn the fundamentals to succeed. “Under Armour’s mission is to make all athletes better through passion, science and the relentless pursuit of innovation.”
The atmosphere was truly electric from the moment the athletes stepped on the turf, as the kids, many from the newly formed Jersey Shore and Pennsylvania Elite chapters had an extensive and electric warm up period. From there, the group split into groups and rotated through four different stations where they would have their speed, agility and technique tested.
At the first station, former Dallas Cowboy offensive lineman George Hegamin put the athletes through a series of drills using bags and tackling dummies. A mountain of a man, and affectionately called “Big George”, Hegamin coached the young athletes on keeping their heads up and using proper technique to ensure safety. George started his station with a series of agility drills which emphasized proper stance, footwork and the ability to change direction with a low center of gravity. He concluded his station with competition drills while the athletes had a chance to learn the proper rush concept and learn from Hegamin’s experience with the Cowboys.
The second station highlighted two-time Pro Bowler Barry Foster and hard hitting George Teague who stressed the importance of quick feet and field presence by running athletes through multiple cone drills designed to improve change of direction while running full speed. In one of the drills the athletes had to change direction while catching a pass from Foster, and when enough athletes caught passes, Teague was forced to do 10 pushups which brought smiles to everyone in attendance.
At the third station, former NFL quarterback Elvis Grbac and Former NFL Defensive Coordinator Zaven Yaralian taught the kids how to properly and safely recover a fumble. The pro’s would throw the ball on the ground and the AYF kids would recover the loose ball using proper recovery and roll technique. This drill is designed to help protect the athletes from injury while recovering a fumbled football ball.
The final station had All-American Game Coach Don Cox, Combine 360 Trainer Tim Robertson Jr. and former NFL All-Pro Mushin Muhammad coaching the kids on correct catching technique and reaction to quick passes. As passes were thrown towards the sidelines, kids were shown how to properly look the ball into their hands, and tuck the ball on their body while getting two feet in bounds to ensure the reception.
Elvis Grbac, who threw for nearly 20,000 yards as a pro saw the day as a great chance to help the kids. “I really enjoy showing these kids all kinds of different techniques,” said Grbac. “Under Armor did a great job of bringing in these coaches and ex-NFL athletes to help teach them the proper fundamentals and I am happy to be a part of that.”
Following the one on one instruction at each individual station, the kids all received an opportunity to show off their skills by competing in 4 of the combine drills used at Under Armour High School Football Combines. Each athlete was timed/measured in the Broad Jump ( a combine test designed to measure lower body explosiveness), the 20 Yard Dash ( the developmental drill to prepare for the 40 yard dash), the NFL Pro Agility (or 5-10-5 shuttle, designed to measure an athlete’s ability to change direction) and the ‘3’Cone Drill (where athletes are tested on their ability to burst, bend, balance, while running full speed in a “L” shape pattern). Best scores were recorded by the coaches and placed in a national data base in an effort to compare youth athletes around the country.
After all the testing and drilling, the end of the combine served as a real treat for everyone in attendance as Ty Detmer and Grbac led the group in a pass catching competition. All enjoyed the chance to snag balls from both QB’s, but it was Daulton Hose, of Levittown, PA that won the competition by staying in the longest.
“It was really hard and really fun to catch such deep passes from those guys,” said Hose.
From getting better through proper technique, and learning the skills to help improve athleticism and confidence, AYF is proud to offer these special Under Armour Combines to their members. And while the start of the official American Youth Football season is still months away, don’t tell the kids or the former NFL players coaching them. They are ready for action now.
Check out the next Under Armour Combine’s in Tampa, Florida on May 28th, Charlotte, North Carolina on June 4th and Chicago, Illinois on June 11th. For more information go to americanyouthfootball.com.
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Under Armour Posts Top Scores of NJ Combine
May 25 2011
By Alan Popadines
Cherry Hill, NJ (Youth1) – Under Armour’s Youth Combine at Cherry Hill, New Jersey tested over 100 American Youth Football (AYF) athletes designed to take their game, training and attitude to the next level.
With ex NFL athletes and top level Under Armour and Combine 360 coaches leading the way, the day was designed to improve overall power, speed, strength, endurance and flexibility for the kids.
“Under Armour holds these combines to teach kids the basic fundamentals and movements, regardless of skill level, to help improve their athleticism and confidence at a young age,” said Head Combine Coach Daryl Jones.
During the combine testing, the AYF athletes were put through many of the same tests that Under Armour puts their high school All-Americans as well as NFL players through. While getting a strong score or time is important, Under Armour stressed the importance of doing the tests properly and efficiently. Below is a summary of each drill including the top performers.
1. ‘L’ Cone Drill
In the Three Cone or ‘L’ Cone drill, athletes were tested in their ability to change direction and turn and cut while not taking any unused or unnecessary steps or movements. Three marker cones are placed to form an ‘L’ with cones at the corner and at each end, 5 yards apart. The player starts by getting down in a three-point stance next to cone 1, and on the command he runs to cone 2, bends down and touches a line with his right hand. Then he turns and runs back to cone 1, bends down and touches that line with his right hand. He then runs back to cone 2 and around the outside of it, weaves inside cone 3, then around the outside of cones 3 and 2 before finishing back at cone 1. The player must run forward while altering his running direction, as opposed to strictly stopping and starting in opposite directions.
Top 5 performers:
- David Calderone – 7.44
- Keelan Thomas – 7.64
- Nicholas Grande – 7.75
- Daulton Hose – 7.94
- Michael Grasso – 7.97
2. 5-10-5 Shuttle
The 5-10-5 shuttle is a drill used in combines at every level. At the youth combine, Under Armour coaches pointed out a number of little things to the AYF athletes that will help them to become better athletes in every sport, for example staying low and having a solid base at all times. The 5-10-5 shuttle is designed to test an athlete’s lateral speed and ability to change direction and the drill begins with three marker cones placed along a line five yards apart. On the signal, the athlete turned and ran five yards to the right side and touched the line with their right hand. The athlete then ran 10 yards back to their left and touched the other line with their left hand, then finally turned and finished by running back through the start/finish line.
Top 5 performers:
- David Calderon – 4.61
- Daulton Hose – 4.69
- Michael Grasso – 4.71
- Nicholas Grande – 4.72
- Keelan Thomas – 4.75
3. Broad Jump
In the broad jump, Under Armour and Combine 360 coaches helped teach the athletes the importance of technique and sticking the landing. Many of the AYF athletes had questions about the drill, but when coaches explained to them that Julio Jones, the 2011 first round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons, recently broke the combine record with a broad jump of 11’ 3” they were eager to attempt. The AYF athlete stood behind the line marked on the ground, with feet slightly apart, and jumped forward with a swinging of the arms and bending of the knees to provide forward drive, with the ultimate goal being to jump as far as possible, landing on both feet without falling backwards.
Top 5 performers:
- Daulton Hose – 7’ 4”
- Michael Grosso – 6’ 11”
- Robert Wright Jr. – 6’ 11”
- Connor Panzarella – 6’ 9”
- Gregory Lichtenstein – 6’ 8”
4. 20 Yard Sprint
The 20 Yard Sprint drill tested the AYF athletes on their ability to accelerate and reach top speed over a distance of 20 yards- different than high school, college and NFL combines which perform this test over a distance of 40 yards. Beginning in a comfortable, athletic stance on the goal line, athletes were coached with an emphasis on proper sprinting techniques as well as running through the 20 yard distance, not running to the 20 yard marker, ensuring an opportunity to record a better time.
Top 5 performers:
- Daulton Hose – 2.92
- David Calderon – 3.02
- Nicholas Grande – 3.15
- Haaziq Daniels – 3.15
- Yasir Thomas – 3.2
The 2011 Under Armour Youth Combine in New Jersey was the latest stop in their combine series. Next up will be Tampa, Florida on May 28th, Charlotte, North Carolina on June 4th and Chicago, Illinois on June 11th. For more information go to americanyouthfootball.com.
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AYF’s Northeast Under Armour Combine
By Lindsay Stein
Youth1.com
May 15 2011
(Youth1) – This week on the Pulse: American Youth Football’s (AYF’s) upcoming Under Armour® Cherry Hill, NJ/Philadelphia/Northeast Combine.
From the middle of February through July 25th, AYF, one of the largest and most popular youth football organizations in the country, works with Under Armour (UA) to run youth football clinics around the country. Under Armour, a key sponsor of AYF, wants to help athletes ages eight to 13 years old develop their skills on the football field and showcase their talent to coaches.
What makes AYF/UA combines unique is that the children are trained by UA’s top experts, as well as former collegiate and professional football coaches. By going through actual NFL drills at a young age, the kids will learn important fundamentals of the game for their high school careers.
The Northeast Combine, which will be held in Haddonfield, New Jersey on May 21st and 22nd, will feature many activities targeting agility, strength and skill development, such as the 20-yard shuttle and the broad jump. But in addition to physical training, coaches will teach athletes about key mental aspects of the game and proper nutrition facts.
“It is a joy to watch these kids and coaches come together with some of the best trainers in the world,” says AYF Marketing Operations Director Arielle Krieger. “The excitement from the event, mixed with the skills they learn on the field will stay with them and will help them grow. It is events like these that keep AYF searching for any great opportunities to offer to the AYF/AYC communities.”
During the fast-approaching Northeast Combine, between 100 to 150 youth athletes will be ready to learn from the best and showoff their skills. After completing sets of drills, the players will have a chance to gain media exposure in the 7-on-7 showcase, which will be attended by various news outlets. The kids who are noticed for their outstanding abilities will be put on the All Star Team Watch List, which will give them a better chance of making an All Star Team for the 2012 AYF Under Armour All Star Game in conjunction with the 2012 Under Armour All America Game.
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Dallas Cowboys to play in basketball fundraiser
Posted Monday, May. 16, 2011
By Terry Evans
EULESS -- Current and former Dallas Cowboys will switch sports during a benefit basketball game Thursday.
Ballin With The Boys III at Trinity High School, will benefit anti-truancy and dropout-prevention programs in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district, said Bryan Lockhart, a Trinity fan who organized the event.
The game starts at 7 p.m. in the gym at 500 N. Industrial Blvd. A VIP ticket gets you into a 6:30 p.m. meet-and-greet party where Cowboys will sign autographs.
Texas School Business magazine honored the district's anti-truancy and dropout-prevention programs with its 2010 Bragging Rights award.
Nate Hearne said the programs he oversees serve economically disadvantaged students who miss days for various reasons.
"Whatever reason they give [for truancy], we provide a resource as a solution," he said.
Students meet professionals who explain the importance of attending school and keeping up their grades, Hearne said. Parents get classes with college professors who teach "parenting in the 21st century. If you don't work with the parents at the same time you work with the kids, it's a lost cause."
Euless Police Chief Mike Brown said that the programs benefit the community and require community-wide involvement.
"There's no question that this helps prevent crime, too," he said. "A recent study in the Tarrant County Jail found that 86 percent of the inmates share a common crime [in their histories]: truancy."
Damon Tackett, Lockhart's partner, said proceeds also benefit American Youth Football & Cheer Southwest.
"We wanted to deal with charities that are centered on kids and helping them make better decisions and become better people," he said.
Online: www.ballinwiththeboys.com
Terry Evans, 817-390-7620
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/05/16/3079771/dallas-cowboys-to-play-in-basketball.html#ixzz1McdJIdPc
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Cheer for a Cause raises funds and seeks partners for “1Love” Camps for Special Needs Athletes
With over 300 special needs teams in the U.S.A. and no organized summer cheer camp program, Cheer for a Cause is taking the lead to make dreams come true for our very special athletes! The camps will be in memory of Cheer Florida’s Alina Maria Brady, a 12-year old athlete and buddy to a special needs cheerleader.
Lake Mary, Florida, May 13, 2011 – Cheer for a Cause is raising funds and seeking partners for their 1Love Camps campaign, a project to offer summer cheer camps for our special needs athletes. Nfinity, the first women’s performance team sport company, has joined as a partner.
Cheer for a Cause had planned a cause to raise awareness for our special athletes this spring. Then the unexpected loss of 12-year old Alina Maria Brady on February 8th, who was a buddy to a special needs athlete, hit Florida’s cheer family hard. That is when the idea came to Cheer for a Cause founder, Julie Bolton, and Melissa Kaplan-Jablonski, head coach of Spirit of Cheer Florida, to create and an opportunity for our special needs athletes to go to cheer camp – just like all the other cheerleaders – and do it in Alina’s memory.
Alina’s heart stopped unexpectedly at school, just a few weeks before her 13th birthday. Alina’s family, her classmates at St. Joan of Arc Catholic School and her Cheer Florida family were devastated. Her Jr. Coed 3 team struggled at NCA in Dallas, coming in last place, and again at UCA in Orlando, taking 4th. Their season-ending win at NCA in Daytona Beach was bittersweet.
The impact was especially hard on Katie Collins, the special athlete that depended on Alina to be her “buddy”. Katie is autistic. After Alina was gone, Katie did not want to cheer any more. This past weekend, while filming her spot on Cheer for a Cause’s “1Love” video, Katie said, “I think she (Alina) wants us to cheer for our hearts. We’ll do it for Alina.”
Cheer for a Cause produced the video “1Love” that can be viewed on their YouTube Channel at http://youtu.be/Vzli_xvklL0. It includes photos and inspiring personal interviews with our very special athletes at CHEERSPORT Nationals, NCA in Daytona and Cheer Florida.
Alina’s memory can live in the hearts of each special athlete that attends a 1Love Camp. The Rasta-color theme comes from Alina. “She loved Bob Marley,” said Ashley Jablonski, a good friend and Spirit of Cheer Florida’s head teen coach. “With your support we can honor my friend Alina and make many dreams come true!”
Alex Fernandez, owner/partner at Miami Elite Training Center and owner of EZ Designs personally created and donated the 1Love shirt and campaign design. To support this cause, visit www.cheerforacause.org and purchase a shirt, bow or make a donation to sponsor an athlete. To partner or for information, email weshare@cheerforacause.org.
The goal is to hold several camps this summer and many more next year. The first camps will be held at Cheer Florida in Coconut Creek and Premier Athletics’ Kentucky Allstars gym in Lexington, Kentucky. Alina’s mother will be at Cheer Florida for a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the first 1Love Camp.
Cheer for a Cause is a nonprofit corporation. Their mission is to unite the giving and giving back in the cheer and dance world, celebrate efforts to help others, unify support for athletes and teams experiencing tragedy and raise awareness and funds for causes. Find Cheer for a Cause at www.cheerforacause.org, on Facebook and twitter.
Contact:
Julie Bolton, President and Founder
Cheer for a Cause, Inc.
407.257.2224 × weshare@cheerforacause.org
Youth1 Media to Partner with American Youth Football
Montclair, NJ (Youth1) – American Youth Football (AYF), one of the fastest growing youth organizations in the country, and Youth1 Media, the most trusted brand for youth sports news and information, have come together to form a partnership for the 2011 season and beyond.
With their association, Youth1 will produce exclusive content on AYF activity, including game scores and recaps, community outreach and team initiatives.
"Our association with American Youth Football is further indication of the rapid growth that Youth1 continues to build upon," says Adam Levitt, Youth1 Chief Creative and Content Officer. "Their mission of sportsmanship and equality on the field and support in the community off of it is a vision we share, and we are proud to partner with them."
Arielle Krieger, Director of Marketing Operations for AYF says, “Working with Youth1 is a tremendous asset to American Youth Football. This will enable us to share the wonderful stories and accomplishments of our youth football players and cheerleaders across the world, as well as the accomplishments of our dedicated coaches and organizations. With the help of Youth1 we hope to promote American Youth Football and our members to the world. Our goal is to show everyone why they should join American Youth Football and help us reach our goal in our Drive to 1 Million Members.”
The partnership kicks off this spring with AYF’s community and health awareness months. Youth1 will post news, feature original content and provide football fans a direct link to everything American Youth Football.
If you are an AYF member with an event or story that you would like Youth1 to consider covering please contact Arielle Krieger or Craig Heitczman.
Contact:
Akrieger@Americanyouthfootball.com
Craig@Americanyouthfootball.com
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Danbury Vikings join forces with American Youth Football
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Hat City Youth Sports board of directors announced in a press release that the Danbury Vikings football and cheerleading programs have left Pop Warner after nearly 40 years and have joined forces with American Youth Football. The Vikings field teams in grades 2 through 8.
"We made the change to AYF because we no longer wanted to turn away any more kids in Danbury from playing football," said HCYS vice president Dean Grecco. "We also feel that by playing by grade and with no weight restrictions we can better prepare and develop players to be ready for high school football."
The change also received praise from Danbury High football coach Dan Donovan. "The DHS football staff is very excited about the change to AYF," Donovan said in a statement. "This change will not only allow the bigger kids to play in their age group, but will also allow them to play with the same players from ages 10 and up."
"We are excited to build a real relationship with the Vikings that will bring Danbury football back to where it should be," Donovan added. "If you look at all of the state and FCIAC powerhouses in the sport of football, there is a direct correlation to their success and the their relationship to youth football."
Read more: http://www.newstimes.com/default/article/Danbury-Vikings-join-forces-with-American-Youth-1315744.php#ixzz1IBjGwpDm
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Any helmet dated 2002 or older will not be reconditioned/recertified
For Immediate Release:
Effective September 1, 2011 NAERA members will not recondition/recertify any football helmet 10 years of age or older.
National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association, NAERA, announced that the new 10 year policy adopted in their winter meeting. This policy will become effective at the start of the reconditioning season September 1, 2011 for the 2012 football season. The 10 years shall be determined by the manufactures date as required by NOCSAE document 001.
For example at the end of this upcoming 2011 football season, any helmet dated 2002 or older will not be reconditioned/recertified.
NAERA is an association of 21 athletic equipment reconditioners and 4 helmet manufacturers whose mission is to increase awareness and acceptance of high quality athletic equipment reconditioning / recertification. Particular emphasis is directed towards reducing the risk of injury for athletic event participants. Members are licensed by NOCSAE to recertify football, lacrosse, softball/baseball helmets, and face guards. NAERA members reconditioned/recertified over 1.7 million helmets last year.
For more information and a list of NAERA members please see our website at www.naera.net
To recondition your football equipment, we suggest using Riddell.
Contact us at services@americanyouthfootball.com.
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AYF Coaches Training now provides $2 Million in Liability Coverage
Due to today’s safety concerns for our AYF youth, all AYF football and cheer coaches are strongly advised to complete the online course for the sport they coach. The course includes $2 million extra liability coverage—this is twice the amount offered by our competition!
All tournament team coaches should be aware that a course completion certificate will be one of the items on the registration checklist for the AYF National Championships.
For more info visit www.ayfcoaching.com
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American Youth Football to Collaborate with the Undergraduate Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida and Scholar Baller® to Inspire Academic Achievement
April 27, 2011:
University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Undergraduate Sports Business Management Program has joined forces with American Youth Football (AYF) to serve as a paradigm of the ultimate academic goal and pursuit for our young athletes — college. AYF, the largest youth football and cheer organization in the world, has made a commitment to partner with higher education in an effort to teach today’s youth how to pursue college degrees and achieve academic success. AYF has always stressed the importance of education by instilling the four pillars of achievement – academics, respect, discipline and performance in our young athletes. AYF’s official rulebook contains a “No Pass, No Play” rule.
A primary focus of the Undergraduate Sport Business Management Program at UCF is to develop business leaders committed to using the power of sport to improve life in a more-inclusive society. Scott Bukstein, one of the professors for the Sport Business Management Program at UCF, explains that the “UCF sport business management students are excited to function as tutors at the American Youth Football national championships in December. Community service and leadership are two of the core values of our program. I know this will be a rewarding experience for our students as well as the student-athletes participating in the national championship tournament.” The Sport Business Management Program at UCF is led by Professor Rich Lapchick, Professor Bill Sutton, Professor Keith Harrison, and Professor Scott Bukstein.
American Youth Football is excited that students from the Undergraduate Sport Business Management Program at UCF will be the Official Higher Education Tutors for the 2011 Under Armour American Youth Football National Championships. Nationals takes place annually in Central Florida, and represent the largest football tournament in the world. Out of the 850,000 AYF athletes, over 140 teams from across the United States vie for a National title. This event takes place during the first full week of December with more than 15,000 AYF fans, friends and family members. This year, UCF students will be working as tutors with the student-athletes to make sure they study and get their homework done while they are away at the tournament.
AYF also plans to collaborate with the nonprofit organization Scholar Baller® to recognize and reward student-athletes who are excelling academically. Professor Keith Harrison, who is a professor at UCF and the co-founder of Scholar Baller, says that “Scholar Baller is proud to partner with American Youth Football to market and brand academic success. We are always happy to help student-athletes balance playbooks with textbooks.” In September, we will be announcing an essay contest to the youth in AYF who will be able to prove why they should deserve an academic achievement award. Youth will be awarded with press, a letter of recommendation, and achievement certificates. “The ultimate reward of working with youth is enabling them to foster the discipline, confidence and sense of self-worth that they learn in sports, and extend it beyond the gridiron and into the school, family and community. Working with UCF and Scholar Baller will inspire our kids to crave the next level of education,” says Arielle Krieger, director of marketing operations for American Youth Football.
For any AYF inquiries, contact Arielle Krieger at akrieger@americanyouthfootball.com
For any UCF inquiries, contact Scott Bukstein at sbukstein@bus.ucf.edu
For any Scholar Baller® inquires, contact Keith Harrison at keith@scholarballer.org
About the Undergraduate Sport Business Management Program at UCF
The Undergraduate Sport Business Management Program at UCF is a challenging program designed to develop future leaders in the sport business and entertainment management industry. Students in the program earn a minor in sport business management. The courses within the program strive to provide students with substantive knowledge and practical skills that will help students succeed as business professionals. Students in the program also learn about the business side of the sport and entertainment industry by participating in a variety of volunteer, internship and other experiential learning opportunities. The Undergraduate Sport Business Management Program at UCF has experienced an increase in the number of students, from 10 students in Summer 2007 to over 250 students in Spring 2011.
About Scholar Baller®
Established in 1995, the Scholar Baller movement evolved in response to concerns that the student-athlete’s athletics role increasingly superseded the student role. In order to address this issue, the founding members of Scholar Baller developed a groundbreaking program to bridge the gap between education and sport utilizing student-athletes’ passion for entertainment and athletics. As a result, the Scholar Baller program has produced unprecedented outcomes in student retention and academic achievement. To learn more about Scholar Baller, please visit www.scholarballer.org.
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Former NFL Coach Mike Ditka Hosts The American Youth Football Hall of Fame Awards at Mike Ditka's Runaway Beach Club Resort
Nov. 12, 2008
Orlando, FL
Mike Ditka Resorts, Super Bowl winning Coach Mike Ditka, and American Youth Football (AYF), the nation's largest youth football organization, have united for a special lineup at the 2008 Under Armour American Youth Football National Championship Games and Cheer Competitions in Orlando from Dec. 6-13.
On Dec. 10, "Da Coach" Mike Ditka, former NFL Coach of the 1985 Super Bowl champs the Chicago Bears, will welcome AYF coaches and players at his Runaway Beach Club Resort with a celebratory barbeque showing his support to today's youths playing the game. Mike Ditka's Runaway Beach Club Resort is the recipient of Orbitz's "Best in Family Stay" Award for the Walt Disney World area. It is located in the heart of the Orlando attractions area and is just 20 minutes from the Austin Tindal football fields where the Championship games will be taking place.
Coach Ditka jumped at the chance to be one of AYF's role models at this year's championship games, offering support and motivation to its young participants. He will be available for autographs and photos with his resort guests and young athletes. "These kids should all feel like champions," said the Coach. "They hold the promise of our future and I want them to know it! I want them to remember to work hard, stay focused, and not let anything get in the way of their dreams and goals."
Ditka will personally visit the football fields throughout the day to interact with these young athletes and influence good sportsmanship and the importance of teamwork in a competitive setting. Later that evening, Mike Ditka's Runaway Beach Club Resort will host the "AYF Hall of Fame Awards" ceremony. The evening will honor those who have donated more than 20 years of their time to coaching youth football across the nation. During the ceremony, Joe Galat, President of AYF, and Coach Ditka will be speaking and presenting awards to this year's Hall of Fame recipients.
MIKE DITKA'S RUNAWAY BEACH CLUB RESORT
Runaway Beach Club Resort offers all of the conveniences of a resort with the space and luxury of a private residence. Guests for the tournament can reserve a large one-, two- and three-bedroom Villa or a one-, two- and three-bedroom Loft Villa. The sprawling grounds feature a heated "Key West" zero-entry family pool with water features for kids, a heated "South Beach" adult pool and tanning deck, a 24-hour professional fitness center and complimentary shuttle service to the Walt Disney World theme parks. For more information visit www.mikeditkaresorts.com or call 888-512-2200.
AMERICAN YOUTH FOOTBALL
AYF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, and National Youth Partner of the National Football League. AYF provides support services, scholarships, grants, "Giving Back" programs and tournaments to over 500,000 youth members. Representing more than 1,800 local associations with participants in more than 2,000 cities, AYF is the only youth football program with members in all 50 states and several countries worldwide. AYF is committed to Giving Back and since its inception in 1996, has successfully donated over$14 million dollars in grants and athletic products to communities that support youth football. AYF offers all-inclusive football and cheer divisions to every team and league, enabling every child a place and an opportunity to play. For more information visit www.americanyouthfootball.com.
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Under Armour and American Youth Football Form New Partnership
Baltimore, MD -- Under Armour, Inc. and American Youth Football, Inc. (AYF), today announced a multi-faceted partnership to join forces in their support of young athletes. The agreement designates Under Armour, a leader in performance footwear and apparel, as the Presenting Sponsor of American Youth Football, the largest youth football organization in the nation representing 500,000 participants in 50 states. As the Presenting Sponsor, Under Armour is now the exclusive supplier of performance apparel and footwear to AYF and its member programs.
As part of the partnership, Under Armour will serve as the title sponsor of the American Youth Football and Cheer National Championships, which take place in Florida in December. Under Armour will also support a Giving Back Program that will donate Under Armour products to underserved youth throughout the country. Additionally, future AYF National All-Star Games will be played in conjunction with the Under Armour High School All-America Football Game.
“We’re excited to partner with an organization that shares the same core values as the Under Armour team and we look forward to helping the American Youth Football teams and young athletes perform at their best when they are on the field,” said Kevin Haley, Senior Vice President, Sports Marketing, Under Armour. “This partnership allows us the opportunity to expand our efforts and build new relationships with the athletes participating in American Youth Football programs.”
“In addition to being the most sought after brand by our athletes, Under Armour shares our vision for the future”, says AYF National Executive Director, Jessica Abramovich. “We could not imagine a better partner to support our efforts to help grow youth football and serve our members and the communities they live in. Our membership will benefit tremendously from the programs that American Youth Football and Under Armour are developing.
AMERICAN YOUTH FOOTBALL
(AYF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, and National Youth Partner of the National Football League. AYF provides support services, scholarships, grants, “Giving Back” programs and tournaments to over 500,000 youth members. Representing over 1,800 local associations with participants in over 2000 cities, AYF is the only youth football program with members in all 50 states and several countries worldwide. AYF is committed to Giving Back and since its inception in 1996, has successfully donated over $14 million dollars in grants and athletic product to communities that support youth football. AYF offers all-inclusive football and cheer divisions to every team and league, enabling every child a place and an opportunity to play. For further information contact the website www.americanyouthfootball.com.
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.
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Riddell Announces 2009 Partnership with American Youth Football
March 17, 2009
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Riddell, the official helmet of the National Football League®, announces that it has signed on as the Official Hardgoods Supplier of American Youth Football (AYF), the largest youth football organization in the U.S. Under the agreement, Riddell helmets and shoulder pads will be available to some 500,000 youth members of the organization.
“Riddell is pleased to be a part of the American Youth Football organization”
Riddell is revered throughout the NFL and NCAA for its industry-leading protective wear. The technology built into helmets such as the Revolution Speed, for instance – worn by many NFL and college football players – is shown to reduce the incidence of concussion by nearly a third.
“Riddell is pleased to be a part of the American Youth Football organization,” said Dan Arment, president of Riddell. “We recognize the importance of protection for players of all ages and we embrace AYF’s belief in creating an atmosphere where all kids deserve equal opportunities, special attention and respect.”
Riddell will be offering its protective technologies in the form of helmets and shoulder pads, in addition to comprehensive tutorials and educational information aimed at players, parents, coaches and administrators alike.
“AYF is excited to have football’s most respected protective equipment company on board,” said Jessica Abramovich, Executive Director of American Youth Football. “Our players will benefit from this partnership, as it fulfills our continued mission to provide them with the highest level of protection.”
To receive more information or schedule an interview with a Riddell representative, contact Allison Chonko at Riddell at (773) 794-1994 or via e-mail atachonko@riddellsports.com.
About American Youth Football
American Youth Football, Inc. (AYF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, and National Youth Partner of the National Football League. AYF provides support services, scholarships, grants, “Giving Back” programs and tournaments to over 500,000 youth members. Representing participants in over 2000 cities, AYF is the only youth football program with members in all 50 states and several countries worldwide. AYF is committed to Giving Back and since its inception in 1996, has successfully donated over $14 million dollars in grants and athletic product to communities that support youth football. AYF offers all-inclusive football and cheer divisions enabling every child a place and an opportunity to play. Visit www.americanyouthfootball.com for more information.
About Riddell
The name Riddell is synonymous with football protection. Riddell football helmets and shoulder pads are the equipment that players at the highest levels demand by name. The Riddell Revolution® helmet is the standard against which all football helmets are measured – shown in published research to reduce the risk of concussion by nearly a third. The Revolution Speed football helmet – Riddell’s latest breakthrough innovation -- is a combination of protection, comfort, and style that is taking the football world by storm. Riddell’s proud history has been built on their passionate quest for the next improvement in athlete protection and their drive to advance the state-of-the-art in athletic equipment. Visit www.riddell.com for more information.
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Harvard's Gino Gordon Named to American Youth Football Ring of Honor
March 22, 2011
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Harvard senior running back Gino Gordon has been named to the American Youth Football (AYF) Ring of Honor.
AYF has always focused on promoting good sportsmanship, teamwork, high moral and physical standards and the importance of scholarship and academic achievement. These lessons and values have allowed AYF members to succeed in the classroom and on the field and a select few are honored each year for bringing their abilities to the high school, college and professional ranks.
Gordon, a co-recipient of the Asa S. Bushnell Cup which honors the Ivy League Football Player of the Year, was previously honored in a ceremony at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City. Gordon is the sixth Harvard player, and fifth in the last 10 years, to earn Player of the Year honors.
Gordon (Bonita, Calif.), a two-time All-Ivy League first team selection and three-time all league honoree who was also named to the New England Football Writers' All-New England team, ran for 1,059 yards this season, the seventh-highest single-season mark at Harvard, becoming the first player in four years to reach the 1,000-yard mark.
Gordon led the Ivy League at 6.3 yards per carry and became just the fifth player at Harvard to record 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season. Notably, Gordon did significant damage on the road, where he averaged a gaudy 7.7 yards per carry this season in five games away from Harvard Stadium.
He had six 100-yard rushing efforts including one 200-yard outburst on the season. In the month of October alone, he collected more rushing yards than he had in all of 2009 in a year in which he was a first team All-Ivy selection while averaging 8.1 yards per carry. The month of October saw Gordon start with 170 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries at Lafayette. He played in just one series of the second half with the Crimson up big – and capped his day with a 74-yard touchdown, marking the longest run from scrimmage for Harvard since 2006. Following 158 yards against Cornell and 118 versus Lehigh, Gordon had a career day on the road at Princeton.
Against the Tigers, Gordon had 204 ground yards on 20 carries with a touchdown and four receptions for 30 yards to earn the New England Football Writers' Gold Helmet as the top performer in the region.
The following week, Gordon ran for 93 first half yards in a win at Dartmouth before sitting out the second half with a comfortable lead. That broke his string of 100-yard games but he was back at it the following week with 109 yards against Columbia. Against defensive stalwart Pennsylvania, Gordon had 113 yards, becoming the first player in 33 games to do so against the Quakers' de fense.
For his career, he ran for 2,643 yards – the fourth-highest mark in school annals. He ran for 23 touchdowns and had 25 scores in all. Gordon will graduate as Harvard's all-time leader in yards per carry at 5.3, ahead of the Ivy League's all-time leading rusher Clifton Dawson '07. Following the season, he was chosen by his teammates to receive the Frederick Greeley Crocker Award as the program's most valuable player.
2011 AYF Ring of Honorees:
Santonio Holmes, New York Jets
Chris Long, St. Louis Rams
Marcus Smith, NFL Free Agent
Gino Gordon, Harvard
Mike Bellamy, Clemson
Brett Hundley, UCLA
http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/fball/201011/releases/110322_Gordon_AYF
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Joe's Presidents Corner
It's UP to you!
Spring is near and associations will be looking for staff, volunteers and coaches. BE CAREFUL!
I am not talking about just background checks. Background checks may reveal issues with the law. Ironically, no matter how potentially damaging to our kids a person may be, you are not permitted to reveal these findings publicly. You may suspend or sanction volunteers, as a result of an unfit background report. We wish you the best judgment in handling this important challenge.
When I cautioned "be careful," I was referring to your selection of staff, coaches and volunteers. The most important quality to seek is PMA. The common thread with us all, is our desire to provide a safe athletic environment for our children. When one's own child is involved, it becomes an emotionally explosive situation. Can your staff be UPlifting for other than their own kids? Yes, of course. There is no way to predict a person's attitude and leadership under pressure. When asked, "What is the single most important quality for a football player, coach or administrator in AYF or AYC?" I always answer, "PMA!" (Positive Mental Attitude)
Performing a "Check UP from the neck UP" is difficult. No victims allowed. Hint the test word is "UP". UP is the opposite of Down. Avoid those who are Downers. One down person will bring others down with them. Never take on someone who is a downer. You know the type. The kid in the back of the class who will always seek attention through negative behavior. The word UP has thirty definitions - yet to me, that one word defines our choices in our daily lives. We can Wake UP, Dress UP - then we have a choice. We can Fire UP or Mess UP according to our attitude. When faced with a problem, are we UP to it? Do we say, if it's to be, it's UP to me? Or do we fail to Speak UP and Clam UP or just sit back and grumble.
Being involved in football in the USA at any level brings instant credibility. Sadly, that credibility can be used in the negative manner. Abraham Lincoln said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." While raising five children, I have witnessed the good and bad of youth sports. It does not take long to see the difference. Be careful when selecting your staff. Good managers manage good people. The AYF National Staff is an example of PMA and UPlifting enthusiasm in every project they tackle.
I hope you have similar staffing success when selecting your staff. Be careful! Some administrators assign their staff a trial period to see how they handle that credibility and power. Setting UP a trial period is a good idea to determine if a person is UP to the tasks assigned. Associations need to conduct yearly reviews of their volunteers and coaching staff. The most valuable resource in America is our children. AYF is dedicated to those exemplary adults who teach the values learned on the football fields and cheer mats (the practical classrooms).
It is said of Joe Montana (49ers Super Bowl-winning quarterback) by his teammates, "when he looked at you in the huddle - you became UPlifted, more confident, we played better than the sum of our team's individual talent."
Let's dedicate
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AYFPLAYERS.com presents AYFers Unplugged:
AYFPlayers is the only social media site where kids can play online in a private, controlled, safe environment and win great prizes. To sign up, use your AYF Membership Card number.
Excerpt from a blog, "How do you PROTECT your house?
I protect my house by never quitting! I play nose guard and the A and B gaps are mine. If you gain 1 yard on me, I take it personally. When my teammates make a tackle, I hit them in the head and tell them, fire it up! I keep my team fired up! My team is my house and we all protect each other. We all help each other, and we all win together.
~ 11 years old, 3.5 GPA
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The AYF Under Armour All Star Watch List
Top AYF Combine performers are added to the Watch List following each combine. Check the Website Weekly to see the TOP AYF Performers in the Nation start their campaign for a spot in the 2012 All-Star Game!
Click Here to view 'The Watch List'
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XP XTREME PROCISION: Coaches Corner
A patent pending training system, geared to teach everyone from young children to professional- level athletes safe maneuvers on the field with body-mapped apparel. XP's revolutionary design incorporates white target zones, illustrating proper and safe hand and body placement. The XP system consists of six different training models, in both compression tees and practice jerseys. Tees and jerseys come in seven different team colors with corresponding offense and defense DVDs. Click here to learn more and see the promo video.
Visit the New AYF/XP Coaches Corner for training tips from LaVar Arrington.
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New Divisions to Football and Cheer
In support of AYF and AYC's belief that every child has a right to play, we have created two new divisions. Both cheer and football will now have the Contender Division and an Age16-18 Division.
- Contender: Supports youth athletes with disabilities. For AYC, this is a mixed-age division is solely based on skill set.
- 16-18: Championship division for youth athletes' whose local high schools do not support a football or cheer program. In addition, AYC has increased their age divisions to 18 & under to accommodate athletes who do not qualify for their Junior Varsity or Varsity Cheer Squads. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for these squads to showcase their skills at competition only. We do ask that they not participate in outside competition to avoid injury and increased insurance coverage.
- See complete 2011 AYC Cheer Divisions
- Contact the AYF National Staff with any questions.
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Giving Back
Time to Give Back! Donate money that will go directly to helping young players, teams or even leagues play football. (100% of donations go directly to community football and cheer programs in need) If you've got extra equipment or uniforms, let us know. To help understand where money or donations go, AYF has created a new web page dedicated to it. Click here and see how you can help and please pass this link along to potential 'Givers'!
Look Who's Giving:
Here's a big thank you to Don Lipari and his Central Florida Youth Football, who donated 250 helmets to Ocala Youth Football Association.
Riddell Donates $25,000 in Product:
All AYF/AYC Sponsors participate in the Circle of Giving Back. This month Riddell donated an assortment of equipment and pad sets to inner city L.A. programs in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC)
Coming Soon:
AYF, our partners and members have given more than $15 Million in donations to AYF communities. We are now working on taking our mission of Giving to another LEVEL! We are making it easier to donate and request equipment and uniforms! Visit Myayf.com for more and stay tuned!
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Growth of the Big East Region
The BIg East Region got a MAJOR boost thanks to the arrival of New Jersey AYF, which has close to 30 associations!
We want to extend a warm welcome to a conference with a long history of excellence.
AYF is gaining a stellar football program and a cheer program that has won more than 90 national titles since the early 90s!
Learn more about New Jersey AYF on their site
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Are you in?
Please watch AYF's newest videoand help us "Find a way to help every body play" Giving Back to the largest football and cheer organization in the world.
Watch the video here
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Let's Give a big AYF Welcome to our New Members
ABT Gators, AYF Oklahoma, Baton Rouge AYF, Bell Creek Ravens, Bell Eagles, Central Charles Jaguars, Charles County Spartans, Easterwood Packers, Colonial AYF, Coweta County Cobras Youth Enrichment Association, Dallas AYF, Delaware Youth Football and Cheer, Easterwood Packers, Florida Youth Football, Gainesville AYF, Granite Hills Eagles, Inland Valley AYF, Jersey Shore Conference, Macon AYF, Milan Italy Association, Murrietta Rams, Norcal East, Norfolk Panthers, North Smithfield XPress, Northeast Ohio, Northborough Southborough Youth Football and Cheer, Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Saints, Panama Central America Association, Paramount Junior Pirates, Pennsylvania Elite AYF, Port Jervis AYF, Prince Georges Storm, Riverside County AYF, Saint John's River AYF, San Francisco Warriors, SIRFCC Florida, Southside Saints, Watts Rams, Westborough Youth Football and Cheer, Western Pennsylvania AYF, Westside Cubs Youth Football and Cheer, Winston Salem AYF.
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Planning on Membership in AYF for the 2011 Season?
Renew or Join Now at JoinAYF.com!
On March 31, all 2010 Season AYF memberships will expire and your organization will no longer have access to MyAyf.com or AYF services. Annual Membership begins April 1. In order to avoid an interruption in service and get the most out of your membership - Register Now at JoinAYF.com and be prepared for kickoff 2011!
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Joe's Presidents Corner
Congratulations to the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers!
The Rest of The Story
Sadly, the football withdrawal pains are everywhere. No football on Friday, Saturday or Sunday until August. Big Ben and Aaron Rodger's Super Bowl performances will be discussed for a few days, only to be drowned out by the controversy of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Expect posturing by the NFL Commissioner and the NFLPA Representatives up until the March deadline for a lockout.
I will treasure the memories of this 2010 football season. In youth football, history was made by AYF's National Championships, it was the largest football event ever. 144 teams participated and yet there were many wild card teams turned away. The NCAA National Championship was a surprise to most when Auburn dominated Oregon. As for the NFL, it is always entertaining (even the commercials). Hey Troy, did you use my Head and Shoulders? Did ya? Honestly?
You have to love the game: Giant lineman Sumo each other while the Quarterback Matadors himself from the charging bulls to throw to a receiver, who leaps high for a catch with a ballet dancer finesse. What about The Packers' huge nose tackle B.J. Raji holding the ball like a loaf of bread as he showboated his way across the Bears' goal line.
AYF ties are everywhere. Ben Roethlisberger (whose father was an AYF President in Findlay, Ohio) avoiding the rust to complete a third down pass to ice the victory over the Jets. The spectacular Green Bay Packers receivers coached by Jimmy Robinson (who I coached with the NY Giants) has a proud brother in AYF's Shelton, CT organization, Kevin Robinson.
But this past season's headline across America was the NFL's implementing of the new 'Helmet-to-Helmet Contact Rule.' I have to admit, when I watched Julius Peppers hit Aaron Rodgers, I cringed. Most NFL Players reacted negatively to the rule against hitting of a defenseless player, helmet-to-helmet. They are taking away our aggressiveness! Put a skirt on those QBs! If you can't catch over the middle - don't play the game! Wow! That is harsh. But look at the rules over the years - in 1956, face mask tackles, 1960s, clothesline tackles, 1977, head slaps, clipping, blocking below the waist and horse collar tackles. We can live with the severe penalties for helmet-to-helmet tackles, which will greatly reduce, if not eliminate the threat of concussions. Every rule change has resulted in players protesting, then adjusting. Rules cannot really change the greatest team sport known to man. The game will continue to be America's Passion.
Perhaps we would do well to remember why the game is so revered. I say it is the players who make the game of football special. As Teddy Roosevelt said, "The credit goes to those in the arena, whose faces are covered in the dust, sweat and blood. Those who know their place, need never be with those cold and timid souls, who know neither victory or defeat."
I maintain that the players themselves are the rest of the story of our passion for the game. I wish every volunteer could spend just one day with an NFL team. I have been priviledged to have coached some of the best that ever played the game. Most possess unique athletic skill, humor (wackiness) and compassion. I love players who honor the game that gave them the platform to help others. Curtis Martin, Jets running back always put aside 15 percent of every paycheck for charity. He donated to third world countries and Manhattan's homeless. Warrick Dunn donated a house to single moms, each year in honor of his single mom. The hundreds of NFL Players' Foundation's established to help the needy is proof of these unique characters who play the game we all love. Let's all remember the rest of the story, when faced with those daunting inevitable headlines and broadcasts covering the CBA.
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All 2011 Member Resources at the new MYAYF.com
Coming April 1
On April 1, all 2011 Members will have access to the new MyAYF.com.
Please note your organization must RENEW its membership at joinayf.com or your users will experience an interruption in service and access.
Updates will include: Rulebooks- Manuals -Resources -Insurance Packages- Donations - Sponsorship Programs -Risk Management Support- 501C3 Details - Forms - Competition and Event Details - Nominations & much much much more!
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Looking for Uniforms, Equipment and Apparel?
Get what you need at the best Prices available!
Contact AYF and we will get you in touch with the right representative at our sponsors' brands. Contact Us with questions and requests.
Have Equipment to DONATE to a League In Need?
Need to Request an equipment DONATION?
Contact Us to Participate in the Circle of Giving Back!
E-mail: Arielle Krieger akrieger@americanyouthfootball.com
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Plan your camps and clinics!
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Background Checks with LexisNexis
Since 2001, LexisNexis has screened more than 3.7 million potential employees or volunteers, identifying over 189,000 indivisutals with criminal convictions. There are many considerations for conducting background checks, AYF has taken care of the research for you. Prices for AYF members start as low as $1.50. To learn more about how AYF organizations can CONFIDENTIALLY conduct checks and set up Self-Screening for its volunteers. Visit the website.
Get Discount Codes at myayf.com
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Celebrating Achievement
There is no greater privilege than awarding youth for their achievements. The top 2010 AYF and AYC student athletes have been celebrated and awarded with selection in All Star Divisions and participation at highlight Events.
$75,000 in scholarship, apparel and equipment has been distributed to the 2010 AYF and AYC All Stars!
Thanks to UNDER ARMOUR for providing:
- 8 National Championship Conference All Star Teams with Uniforms
- Travel Grants to every National Under Armour AYF & AYC All-Star and All-Star Coach
- The Latest uniforms, equipment & apparel to the National 2011 Under Armour AYF & AYC All Stars'
Thanks to WILSON for providing:
- An AYF Wilson Leather Game Ball to every National Championship Team
- A Wilson Mouth guard to 4,000 National Championship Football Players
Coming Up Next:
Training Scholarships to be awarded for UA Combines and The IMG Madden Football Academy. (Players must be enrolled at AYFplayers.com)
AYFs Academic Achievement Alliance will announce its 2010 All American Team and Eastbay & Carl Allegretti Scholarship Winners.
Stay Tuned!
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Let's Give a big AYF Welcome to our Newest Members
Riverside County Youth Football & Cheer Conference - American Youth Football Conference of Oklahoma - St John's River Youth Football & Cheer Conference - Colonial Youth Football Conference - Western Pennsylvania AYF Conference - Pennsylvania Elite AYF Conference - Port Jervis American Youth Football & Cheer Conference - Dallas AYF - San Francisco Warriors - NorCal East - Northeast Ohio AYF - Norfolk Panthers - SIRFCC Florida - NFYFCC Florida - Gainesville AYF - MIlan Italy - Panama AYF - Porterville Youth Football League - South Menendez Athletic Association - Manteca Cowboys - Palm Bay Rockets - Ritchie County Youth Football - Ozarks Football League - Chester-Mendham Twin Boro Bears - Ultimate 8 Football League - Gilmer County Youth Football & Cheerleading League - G.A.C Youth Organization - Crusader Youth Football Association
AYF continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Check out our membership map!
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AYF Kicks Off The Drive to A Million!
Only 1 Month into 2011, AYF Membership is already driving past 800,000 Members.
All AYF National Tournament Conferences are reporting consistent Growth & New Conferences and Associations from across the country are Joining everyday!
Please help this initiative: tell neighboring youth football programs how AYF can serve them, either by joining forces with your group, or as a "direct" member of AYF!
Remember, AYF serves any Youth Football Organization, from teams to cities and state-wide conferences. AYF remains a NON-INTRUSIVE SUPPORT SERVICE for youth football programs in all 50 states.
Contact us for support recruiting new programs in your area!
E-mail: Shannon Shy - Shannon <shannon@americanyouthfootball.com
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Joe's Presidents Corner
Happy New Year to All AYF Members!
What a year 2010 was for AYF/AYC. The AYF National Championships were the largest ever and the AYC National Championships were equally exciting. The Under Armour All-Star Game was a motivational experience for those football and cheerleading youth going on to high school. Next year looks bigger and better with all eight regions already growing new conferences.
I love to read the Mike Lopresti on the sports page of the USA Today. He is almost always bang on target. He frequently mentions how the sports world reflects our current society. His recent article started "lets take a moment to think about who we are and what we have become and then everyone could get back to football and pretending." But hey, we are Youth Football, we don't pretend. We speak only of facts, or do we?
I have received many calls lately about wild rumors. None are true. We live in a free market society where those who have a better idea or product will win. There will always be start ups that claim they can better serve our AYF Associations. Rumors and gossip are seldom facts. Facts come in writing with a signature of a person with integrity. As Mike Lopresti said, "it is easier to attack than to think. The Internet provides the cowardly every opportunity to spread poison anonymously - for in this modern and wired world, accountability went out with the postcard."
Thank you to all volunteers for your support of AYF. AYF/AYC's New Years Pledge is to provide you with peace of mind, service and real value. Looking forward to helping one million youth in 2011.
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It's Here! AYF/AYC's New Online League Registration System
This new initiative will allow your entire organization to register online, including players, coaches and volunteers - representing a tremendous reduction in paperwork and hassle! For 2011, this new system will also be an alternative to roster submission via MyAYF.com and can be used to facilitate background checks via LexisNexis.
Click here to learn more and get started!
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Welcome Sportography to the AYF/AYC Family!
AYF is proud to announce our newest sponsor - Sportography! Sportography specializes in running work-free, value packed photo programs for youth organizations. As our official photography partner we highly encourage you all to visit their website to learn more about the many things they can do for you next season.
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How to Build a Successful Youth Organization
At AYF, we are constantly growing our family. Here are a few tips for growing your local organization, from our own Director of New Membership - Shannon Shy.
You hear the mantra, "It's for the kids" a lot in youth organization circles. I know that it is big here at AYF/AYC. Recently, a community leader looking over the fence at AYF from another football organization asked me, "What does that mean? 'For the kids?'"
Click here to read the entire article
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FREE Glazier Coaching Clinics from Riddell
Glazier Clinics is partnering with Riddell to present "AYF Youth Coach Scholarships." This program allows AYF coaches to attend any of the 34 Glazier Clinics absolutely FREE.
It is simple - register online now
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IMG Madden Football Academy hosts 2011 Kickoff Weekend
Chris Weinke and other prominent IMG coaches welcome AYF 1/28-1/30
As 2010 season wraps up, off-season preparation begins! American Youth Football is committed to identifying and delivering cutting edge opportunities for our youth to succeed and excel as athletes on and off the gridiron. Top players will be distinguished and placed on the 2011 All-Madden Team!
To register or for more information contact Josh Clark, 941-739-7397, football@imgworld.com
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Under Armour Youth Combine Clinics
Develop your skills with the Under Armour's best coaching experts.
At the Under Armour AYF Youth Football Combine Clinic, AYF athletes will be taught the tests that top high school and college players go through to get recruited. AYF athletes will receive skill training from the best in the business. After the Combine Clinic, post combine scores on AYF Players to see how you stack up against other AYF athletes from across the country. Top performers from each combine will win a roster spot on the 2012 Under Armour AYF All Star Team.
Click here to see the upcoming schedule, register and learn more.
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2010 Award Winners
Congratulations to all of our dedicated 2010 Award Winners
2010 Volunteer of the Year
Deb Smith - New Hampshire
2010 Football Coach of the Year - All American Division
Joe Cianfione - Mint Hill, NC
2010 Football Coach of the Year - National Division
Curtis Covington - Forest Park, MD
2010 Cheerleading Coach of the Year
Kathy Robinson - Oak Grove, CA
2010 Academic Team of the Year
New Hampshire Youth Football & Spirit Conference
2010 Giving Back Association
Garden Grove Falcons, CA
2010 Giving Back to the Community Conference
Pacific Coast Conference, CA - President: Dean Pliaconis
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AYF/AYC Leadership Meeting 2011
AYF's leaders from across the country joined together in Bradenton, FL to discuss the 2010 season and new initiatives for 2011. IMG and Manatee County were wonderful hosts to this event as AYF's administrators from coast to coast were treated to the AYF Awards Dinner in a waterfront mansion and an evening on the pristine white sand beach with terrific food, drinks and football.
Thank you all for making this weekend a great success!
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Let's Give a big AYF Welcome to our Newest Members
San Francisco Warriors - NorCal East - Dallas AYF - Tulsa, Oklahoma -
North East Ohio - Norfolk Panthers - SIRFCC Florida - NFYFCC Florida - Coastal Connecticut - Gainesville AYF - Milan Italy Association - Panama Central America Association
AYF continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Check out our membership map!
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AYF/Under Armour All-Star Game 2011
AYF and AYC rang in the new year with another great All Star event at the Under Armour All America Game. The AYF & AYC All Stars took over Disney/ESPNs Wide World of Sports and The Tropicana Dome and had the opportunity to meet and mingle with the top High School players and coaches in the nation and Pro's: Mike Ditka, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Keyshawn Johnson and Chris Weinke. The AYF ALL Star Game final score was East 38 and West 16.
Congratulations to all the players, coaches, families and friends who supported this years All-Stars! We hope to see back as All-American's in 4 years!
Click here to read more about the event, view the rosters, see pictures.
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‘Under Armour’ sports equipment company donates to AYFS
A generous donation of football equipment was made to the AYFS (American Youth Football Samoa) league yesterday, Sept. 21, at the AYFS warehouse, located in Fagaima. The football equipment was donated by the well-known ‘Under Armour’ sports equipment company, located in Baltimore, Maryland.
The donation, composed of football equipment and apparel, is to be used by the AYFS football players and coaches of the league. The donation consisted of coach’s caps and visors, inside under garments, duffle bags, girdles, beenies (worn under the helmets), coach’s sports shoes, padded shirts, chin sleeves, helmet visors, socks, gloves, and tee-shirts.
“The donation was coordinated by AYF (American Youth Football) president, Joe Galat, and the director of the National AYF, Jessica Ambromavich, who worked with the ‘Under Armour’ sports equipment company to bring this equipment here,” said Shiloh Pritchard, president of the AYFS.
“I would really like to thank, ‘Under Armour’ sports equipment, and the director of the National AYF, Jessica Ambromavich, and the president of the AYF, Joe Galat, for this equipment, for it will be put to good use, for the future of our young athletic ball players, and all of the equipment will be divided equally, between all of the AYFS teams,” said Pritchard.
According to Pritchard, the total cost of this equipment, is $14,131.45.
“Just to let all of the teams know, registration for each team, should be completed by the end of this month,” he said.
The AYFS season starts Jan 8, 2011 with its first game, while the first practice will be mid November.
There are 11 teams this year.
Raiders, & Buccaneers-from the Leone area.
Chiefs-Vaitogi district
Falcons-Pavaiai district
Bengals-Malaeimi district
Steelers-Tafuna district
Seahawks-Nu’uuli district
Chargers-Fatu ma Futi district
Dolphins-Fagasa district
49ers.-Amouli district
For more information call 699-5156 or 770-AYFS
(Reach the sports reporter at jeff@samoanews.co)
http://www.samoanewsonline.com/viewstory.php?storyid=19065
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A Spolight on GIving Back: Stories about making a difference
Sleepless in Los Angeles, AYFers Fight Homelessness.
On the night of April 24, 2010, members of the Garden Grove Falcons got an eye-opening lesson about what our homeless population goes through and participated in a fundraiser to help the Los Angeles Mission. The L.A. mission is an organization that “strives to be a world leader among missions that provides for the poor, restores the addicted and eliminates the homelessness.”
Coaches Travis Tillman & Ronald Bell heard about the Mission at a meeting with the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) in March. When they found out about this fundraiser they were eager to help. They recruited five boys: Trevor Tillman, Dalante Bell, Danny Sanchez, Andrew Fuller and Jayden Webb. The seven of them began fundraising immediately. The Garden Grove Falcons put up their registration fees, the “sleepers” started getting sponsors and the PCC added a donation as well. All in all, the Falcons did so well that our group took second place among all fundraisers. Check out our work.
This event is called “Sleepless in Los Angeles, the First Annual Benefit to Fight Homelessness.” When our team arrived at the gates, they were greeted by woman named Mary Alice who gave them an orientation. They then went with their guide, Ed Santiago. During their tour, they were taught how to make a cardboard shelter and learned some of the myths and facts about homelessness. I interviewed three of the boys and they were very insightful. They were obviously moved by what they saw.
When I asked Danny Sanchez what struck him the most he said “I couldn’t believe how many people were lined up to get in.” I then asked Dalante Bell what he could tell me and he said the three primary reasons for homelessness:
1. Mental illness
2. Drugs and alcohol
3. Joblessness
Trevor Tillman added, “They told us most homeless people are ashamed and try to stay hidden. Most of the beggars with the cardboard signs are a scam. It’s better to donate to a real (legitimate) charity than to give money directly to someone begging because they might use the money for alcohol or drugs.”
The team slept in sleeping bags on the hard ground but was under constant police protection. And that’s why the lines are so long: The Mission provides a safe, clean environment and some dignity for those who can’t provide that for them selves.
Please feel free to donate to this worthy cause. You can still sponsor one of our campers by donating in behalf of his name. Click here
Thanks,
Mark Magyar
Way and Means/Publicity
Garden Grove Falcons
Pacific Coast Conference
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LONG-TIME FOUNDER AND COACH OF YOUTH FOOTBALL CARL ALLEGRETTI PIONEERS NATIONAL AMERICAN YOUTH FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
The Carl S. Allegretti scholarship award goes to the top American Youth Football (AYF) Academic Athlete; Carl Allegretti inducted into AYF Hall of Fame
Carl Allegretti, a man who embodies the spirit of American Youth Football, through his life-long dedication to academics and athletics, has contributed to yet another initiative that focuses on the development of our youth. The annual Carl S. Allegretti scholarship reinforces the values of the world’s largest youth football organization and will be awarded to the top AYF Academic Athlete. Carl Allegretti has also been inducted into the AYF Hall of Fame for his long-time dedication to youth football and his emphasis on education.
“Football has been a huge part for my life, as I played from 4th grade through college,” stated Allegretti. “After college I spent time coaching kids, and eventually started the youth football program in Frankfort, Illinois--- the Frankfort Falcons. After 6 years, the Frankfort Falcons have almost 700 football players and cheerleaders. It is an honor to be inducted into the American Youth Football Hall of Fame. The annual Carl S. Allegretti scholarship is being set up to support the continued efforts of Mr. Galat and the whole AYF organization. I hope that the annual scholarship helps young men continue to play the great game of football and learn life lessons in the process.”
Carl attended Butler University in Indianapolis on an athletic scholarship. He played 4 years of football, lettering in the sport. Carl majored in Accounting, achieving a 4.0/4.0 in Accounting, and graduated cum laude, with high honors in Accounting.
He attended Andrean High School in Indiana from 1975 through 1979. During his high school career, he achieved academic and athletic excellence. Just some of Carl’s athletic high school accomplishments included becoming a nine-time letter winner (including football, wrestling and track), the 5th sophomore in history of the school to letter in football, a 1975 freshman MVP(football), the captain of the 1978 football team, and the most valuable lineman in 1978.
Carl Allegretti is widely known as a family man, dedicated football enthusiast and a first-class working professional. His life today is a reflection of success in both school and sports.
Chelsea Pride Football is committed to Giving Back
Chelsea Pride Football day was held on Sunday April 26th, 2009 at a local park in Chelsea MA.
Part of the days festivities was a bone marrow drive for Javier Mendoza.
Javier Mendoza is a 29 year-old dad and husband who is currently an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard. He needs to find a bone marrow match in order to survive. Javier was diagnosed with ALL(Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) in November 2008 while stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii with his wife, Jaclyn, and his young son,Cameron. Javier travels to Stanford, California for weeks at a time for chemotherapy. His leukemia is in remission, but the likelihood that he may relapse is higher than normal due to his genetics. The mission at Javi’s Army is to find a life saving match for Javier and to bring awareness to the Hispanic Community.
Less than 6% of the National Bone Marrow Registry is identified as being Hispanic. Patients in need of bone marrow transplants can only be paired with donors of the same or similar ethnic makeup, creating a need for ethnic minorities and multi-ethnic people to be donors.
The people from Javi's Army said the Chelsea Pride Football day was the biggest turn out they have ever recieved. We helped doubled their drive numbers.
This is part of our community outreach program that Chelsea Pride has. We vowed as a community to give back at every possible opportunity. After all everyone is giving back to our program.
"It is selfless acts like this that seperate programs and how they operate. Any chance that the Pride gets to give back to less fortuante is a success in our eyes. We have preached family, school/work, then football to our kids from the very begining. One day it might be one of our children or family members who needs bone marrow. I would love to see this type of practice across the country not just with AYF but with all communities."
Gary May
Executive Director;
Chelsea Pride Youth Football & Cheering
AYF Salutes Mike Ilitch Owner of the Detroit Tigers
Because AYF Members are “united in sport and giving back”.
AYF salutes Mike Ilitch “ owner of the Detroit Tigers and Redwings” told his people to thank the potential paying customers, but to say that the coveted centerfield fountain this year was spoken for. It would be the feature site for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.
For free.
No charge.
Not one penny.
So starting with the home opener at Tigers Stadium the Chrysler,
General Motors and Ford logos will be on an equal plane above the fountain. And beneath those logos will be a few new words:
"The Detroit Tigers support our automakers."
It may be as close to a social statement as centerfield
has ever made.
We do it because we love our past and we believe in our future.
Detroit may be the new home of the bumpy ride, but as the
Three Musketeers once discovered, it's a little smoother
when you grab hands with others. Think about that the next time a home run sends that fountain shooting up to those logos. Sometimes it really is all for one and one for all.
The Little Warriors Lift up a Neighboring Community
When Dave Bickel (AYF's Giving Back Coordinator) received Gary May II emails
about a new AYF organization in MA called the Chelsea Youth Football Pride needing equipment so that the league could reach their goals of a successful 2009 season, he immediately contacted John Hornberfer, head coach of the little warriors football team in Hampton, NH who had fortunately contacted AYF a few weeks before with 120 helmets to donate to a deserving program.Thanks to The Little Warriors donation, the Chelsea Pride, only 45 miles away will have a chance to create a strong program in the community and get some kids onto the football field.
Article from the Sea Coast Online
Little Warriors donate helmets to Chelsea, Mass., program
January 09, 2009
HAMPTON — The Little Warriors made the Chelsea Pride very, very happy.
"They were just thrilled," said John Hornberger, referring to the 100 football helmets that the Pride
received from the Little Warriors football program. "They're just fantastic people."
Hornberger, the Peewee coach of the Little Warriors, presented a number of coaches, parents and
players from the Pride — a second- through eighth-grade youth football program from Chelsea, Mass. — the helmets recently.
This past year the Little Warriors Board of Directors purchased 120 new helmets and decided to seek
out an inner city start-up program that could benefit from such a donation.
They found one through American Youth Football (AYF). The AYF has a "Give Back " program to
allow such donations and on its list were a number of youth football programs, many of them
inner-city start-up programs from across the country, which were less fortunate and didn't have the
resources the Little Warriors have at the present time.
The Little Warriors found a perfect match only 45 miles away — Chelsea Pride Youth Football."These people were ecstatic," said Hornberger. The Pride, noted Hornberger, not only will strive to produce good football players, but they hope to
build character and responsibility in them and produce future community leaders in a city that has
many obstacles to overcome for their youth..
The Little Warriors and Pride hope to have an ongoing relationship. There's already talk about
scrimmaging their teams in the upcoming season.
"We look forward to having that relationship," said Hornberger. "They're only 45 miles away, and they
live in a totally different environment. I'm just amazed how grateful they were. It was great. It was a
great experience.
"The Little Warriors are proud to be a part of such an undertaking and wish the Pride the best in the
future."
The Pride will replace the Little Warriors' metallic blue with their own colors — black and red.
The Glencoe Trevians Host "Friendship Weekend"
When Mark Rice says Giving Back “is what youth football is all about”, he means it!
For the Past two years the Glencoe Trevians have hosted a "Friendship Weekend " with the Chicago Heights Panthers before each season. Glencoe is 60 miles away from Chicago Heights geographically and as Mark explains,, “is also very different racially, economically, and religiously. So we get together for a weekend of Friendship and to make friends and celebrate our diversity. We also play football and raise money for both programs. Our boards working together to plan and organize to the kids and coaches working together to put together an entire weekend of friendship, football, fundraising... Last year we all went to a Northwestern University football game and had a sleepover the night before our own football games. Having the families and players truly get to know each other is a life lesson that will not be forgotten. We have raised $20,000 over the past two years".
Article from Glencoe News/Neighborhoodcircle.com
Story By: Heather Leszczewicz | Staff Writer
Pour Elle's Pascal Ibgui earned his official Glencoe Titans jersey by helping the team with Friendship Weekend. The Glencoe Titans' philosophy stresses the need for sportsmanship on and off the field. Because of the Titans' strong belief in a team ethic and learning lessons, the team reached out to the newly established Chicago Heights Panthers, also part of American Youth Football, for a weekend of building friendships and playing football.
The team declared the weekend of Sept. 15 "Friendship Weekend." The Chicago Heights team will visit Glencoe for non-contact games, tailgating, a raffle and auction on Saturday before an actual football game on Sunday. Glencoe families will host the Chicago Heights players not only on the field, but also in their homes, organizing sleepovers for players on both teams.
Chicago Heights Panthers Commissioner Derrick Dord said that he's excited for this opportunity. "It gives the (Chicago Heights) kids a chance to mingle with other kids they don't usually mingle with," he said. "Whatever gets them out of their neighborhood is a plus too. A lot of kids don't get a chance to get out and get away. In their area they're surrounded by negativity. For the kids to get outside and mingle with other kids, it's good for them." Willie Green, Glencoe Football Association board member, said that the weekend would never have been possible without a generous donation of $5,000 from Pascal Ibgui, owner of Pascal Pour Elle, a salon and spa located at 368 Park Ave. in Glencoe.
"The main reason I wanted to contribute is because I don't think anybody should be left behind because of financial reasons, particularly when dealing with kids who don't have what we have here (Glencoe)," Ibgui said. "I remember as a child being deprived of many things, moneywise. Things have been good for me and if I could be able to give away something and help a kid to succeed in something they love, I think that's the goal." In addition to Ibgui's donation, the Glencoe Titans have raised more than $3,000 to help the Chicago Heights Panthers hire new coaches and buy other equipment. "It'll go towards equipments for the kids and there's other things that we have planned with banquets for the kids, trophies," Dord said. "Anything that we get we're going to get back to the kids one way or another."
Dord said that when the Panthers first started, it was started on a zero balance and most funds came from out of pocket, his included. "We pretty much struggled to get this program off the ground but with God's help we've succeeded and as far as getting sponsors, we have no support, everyone turned us down," he said. "We want to help some kids keep them off the streets so that for four hours parents know where their kids are. All our kids are first year players. Parents are happy. We want to keep this program going in order to keep the program going takes funds to keep a program."
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AYF's Naperville Patriots 46 The Truth Select 42 during
Super bowl Week in Miami Florida
A Special Congratulations to The Naperville Patriots Coached by Doug DiFusco who defeated Deion Sanders Truth Select Team 46 - 42
in a Super Bowl week invitational in Miami, Florida.
The lead changed hands or became tied six times. The Patriots trailed 42 - 30 with three minutes remaining. Then after scoring two touchdowns to take the lead The Patriots held off the Truth Select on the one yard line with .01 second on the clock.
Doug's and Deion's teams competed with class and dignity and made us all proud.
One referee said was the most exciting football game he has seen in his twenty eight years of officiating; and everyone from the professional football players to the fans in the stand agreed - it was one of the most exciting football games ever seen -- on any level!
Among the stars in attendance were Will.I.AM (Black Eyed Peas), Snoop Dogg, Flo Rida, Breanna, Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin, Ronnie Brown, Deion Sanders, Willis McGahee and many more.
Along with the AYF National Championships (the Largest in America) and The AYF All Star Game- this was another great experience for AYF and one of it's member Associations.
To learn more about this even Click Here
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ESPN Recognizes AYF Central Arizona League
As part of the Monday Night Football 'Chalk Talk' Series, a joint effort between ESPN, the NFL and the Arizona Cardinals, The Central Arizona American Youth Football League was recognized as an outstanding organization that gives back to the community. The luncheon was hosted at the University of Phoenix Stadium by Cardinal President Michael Bidwell and featured Cardinal Alumni Eric Swann, Mark May and Aeneas Williams spoke about their days playing football.
Thanks to Juliet Gilliam, ESPN Sr. Director of Corporate Outreach, the NFL, the Phoenix Cardinals and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The Central Arizona Youth Football League, represented by Conference President and AYF Desert/Pacific Regional Director Rhett Turner, was awarded the “Fans Helping Fans” award.
About the Fans Helping Fans Community Service Award:
From ESPNChalk Talk.com
Football brings communities together as they cheer for a common goal – our favorite teams, the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers. But The NFL, ESPN and Dick’s Sporting Goods know that a dedicated fan base has another critical role these days - making a positive impact on their communities.
The MNF Chalk Talk Fans Helping Fans Community Service Award is our way to salute local organizations which are committed to helping people in their communities. This year we are putting a special emphasis on charities that focus on youth health and fitness initiatives. We believe in supporting our kids and recognize the importance of providing them with programs that not only encourage positive character development but also promote physical fitness. Today, we salute two youth organizations making a difference in their community and we are proud to recognize our honorees who truly exemplify the notion of “Fans Helping Fans.”
Central Arizona Youth Football League
The Central Arizona Youth Football League enriches Arizona’s commmunities by inspiring youth through the great game of football while teaching good sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, can-do attitude and discipline. CAYFL also encourages community service and focuses kids on the determination required to achieve their dreams.
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Hard Work
by Pollins leads to success for NYC football
By Marty Gitlin
The two most effective means of promoting American Youth Football are word of mouth and experience.
In that order.
Once kids and families hear about the benefits of AYF, they are drawn to it. And once they participate, they are hooked.
Nobody is more aware of that than Courtney Pollins, who is an organization president based in New York. The Big Apple was small potatoes in AYF four years ago, with just eight teams. It was on the verge of collapse in the nation's largest city. Pollins refused to let it die. He began a campaign to revitalize AYF.
He spoke to officials and parents involved in another youth football organization. He bragged about the positive differences of AYF, including cost and competition. He lured former Coney Island Sharks president Rodney Knight to revitalize that organization, which had folded four years earlier.
By the start of the 2003 season, AYF boasted 14 teams encompassing Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
"After that conquest, I was interested in telling everyone what we could do for them with our organization," says the 42-year-old Pollins. "I told them what we could do for them not just today, but two or three years from then. We were able to get a lot of people … just based on faith."
The campaign resulted in 37 teams and 11 organizations, but Pollis was just getting started. He contacted AYF President Joe Galat, who told him that it would be possible for his group to receive a grant from the NFL to help defray the costs of participating in the national tournament in Florida.
"I never had spoken to him before, so I was a little skeptical about that," Pollins said. "After all, we New Yorkers are a little bit rough around the edges."
Pollins was eventually convinced. He sent his Renegades Midget and Junior Midget teams that had captured AYF titles in New York to the national event. Not only did he receive a grant from the NFL, but the Midget Renegades placed second in the national tournament, which resulted in publicity from the New York media. By the time the 2005 season rolled around, 74 teams and 20 organizations were in the fold for 2005.
The proverbial snowball was rolling downhill in a hurry. It now features 30 organizations with 110 teams and is still growing.
What does that mean to Pollins?
"What I've been able to do makes me think about what Dr. (Martin Luther) King said," Pollins says. "Dr. King said, 'If I can help somebody as I travel along, then my living shall not be in vain.' I like to think I helped somebody."
Pollins didn't just help kids and families involved in other youth football organizations. He visited neighborhoods without youth football and developed AYF teams there. That created more work for Pollins, but he it considers well-worth the time and energy.
"I would say to myself, 'This neighborhood doesn't have any youth football,' and we would work to give birth to it there," Pollins says. "And we're still creating new organizations."
All of which makes Pollins think about the work of his parents. Father Edward was a community activist who pioneered the East New York Little League in which his son played baseball. Mother Barbera spent her professional career as a police officer.
Even more rewarding for Pollins, who played baseball and football at Tilden High School in New York, is that his parents are still alive to be proud of his work creating an athletic outlet for the youth of their city.
From eight AYF teams to 110 in four years? Pollins is helping a heck of a lot more children and their families than ever before.
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Two young players deliver a life lesson for Southern Dutchess Packers
By Marty Gitlin
The mission that drives American Youth Football delves far beyond learning and playing the game.
The experience for coaches and players is a life lesson. The folks on the Southern Dutchess Packers in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., which rests halfway between New York City and Albany, understand that particularly well.
Why? Because two kids named Peter have opened their eyes and touched their hearts.
Peter Carellini plays center for the sixth-grade team despite a prosthetic leg. Teammate Peter Headley plays on the defensive line despite being legally deaf. And both have displayed an inspirational attitude.
"There are so many different emotions I feel when I think of those two kids," says Packers president and coach John Corbett. "You think of all your problems, but the two Peters give you get a much better perspective and you see what you've taken for granted in your life.
"You see them running around and it just chokes you up inside. And the other kids on the team really feed off them. You see the two Peters hustling and they look at the kid next to them and they want to try harder."
A birth defect robbed Carellini from the knee down, yet he played lacrosse through much of his childhood. He does nothing to disguise his handicap.
"Peter showed up the first day of practice and I knew right away who he was because the prosthetic leg had a colorful design on it," Corbett says. "He was not hiding anything. I set up an obstacle course and he started running some drills. I was hesitant, but Peter stayed right with all the kids. I started thinking 'this kid has more heart than anyone here.'
"I started feeling guilty as a coach after he ran the obstacle course. I said 'Peter, do you want to be fitted for a helmet?' And he said 'let me finish the drills first.' The other kids were complaining that they were thirsty, but Peter went back in line and did it again and again. He was a little awkward, but he made it through every time. Now when I watch Peter, I get welled up once in a while."
Corbett also recalls his first encounter with Headley. He immediately took note of his significant size and became excited at the notion of Headley playing for his sixth grade team.
The coach tried to strike up a conversation, but Headley didn't react. That's when his mother explained that he's totally deaf in one ear and significantly hearing impaired in the other. He hears nothing without his hearing aid. She requested that coaches talk loudly while looking in his direction.
"The coaches started using Peter as a center, but as a center you have to hear all the calls and snap the ball at the proper time," Corbett explains. "I started thinking we'd have to use him on defense so he could look at the ball. But before I could say 'he can't play there,' I heard a 'hike' and he snapped the ball.
"As it turned out, the other players knew Peter and they used a system on the school playgrounds where the quarterback gave him a little tap and that's how he knew when to snap the ball. We have since moved him to the defensive line because he's a monster on defense."
Corbett soon learned that Headley can "kick the ball a country mile," so he also uses him on kickoffs and field goal attempts.
Both Peters would have been too large to compete on the sixth grade team in the organization where Southern Dutchess team had been housed before this season. Unrestricted weight classes is one of several reasons why Corbett is so pleased at the switch to American Youth Football.
"The switch to (American Youth Football) has been very successful," he says. "The new program has enabled a lot of kids to play who normally would not have the chance an opportunity to play."
That includes the two Peters. And that has touched the hearts of everyone associated with the Southern Dutchess Packers.
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Giving Back is What AYF is
all About:Thank You Palos Verde AYF!!
Palos Verdes Football and Cheer has not forgotten our leagues in hurricane affected areas in the Gulf Coast and has donated $20,000.00 to help re-build youth football programs. Thank you to league president Steve Micks, representative Lisa Kohl, the entire board of directors, coaches volunteers, players and families for your extraordinary act of giving. You have set a standard we call all be proud of. Thank you Palos Verdes!
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American Youth Football Victorious
over Pop Warner in the Second Annual Drew Brees Gridiron Classic!
The Brees Gridiron Classic
presented by Macys matches American Youth Football and Pop Warner teams
against each other for the youth football championships of San Diego. AYF came out on top capturing 4 out of 5 San Diego
Championship titles.
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AYF TAKES THREE OF FOUR IN INAUGURAL DREW BREES GRIDIRON CLASSIC
The San Diego Youth Football and Cheer Conference,
a member of American Youth Football, had several teams invited to play
in the First Annual Brees Gridiorn Classic in San Diego.
The Brees Gridiron Classic
is presented by Macys matches American Youth Football and Pop Warner teams
against each other for the youth football championships of San Diego
The games were played on Dec. 4, 2004 at Qualcomm
Stadium. The event is a charity created by Chargers quarterback Drew
Brees.
The Skyline Tigers Jr Pee Wee - Midget teams
participated, and three of the four teams won their games against
opponents representing Pop Warner.
- AYF Pee Wee Skyline Tigers 36, PW Escondido Fighting
Eagles 0
- AYF Jr Midget Skyline Tigers 28, PW Oceanside Fighting
Pirates 0
- AYF Midget Skyline Tigers 15, PW Escondido Aztecs 0 -
- AYF Jr. Pee Wee Skyline Tigers 6, PW Carlsbad Battling
Lancers 14
Congratulations San Diego American Youth
Football!!
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Remembering Wellington Mara
"Once a Giant, you were a Giant for life," were the words of New York Giants owner and NFL patriarch, Wellington Mara, who died Tuesday November 1st, 2005 at age 89.
AYF President Joe Galat knows these words well, having worked for Mara as a coach of the Giants. Galat recalls the "Duke" (Mara's nickname) joining the team in the locker room and dressing up in his Giant's blue sweat suit and taking the field with the players for practices. "Well never missed a practice while I was linebacker coach with the Giants. He was a friend who lead by example. Well often said to his staff and players "we have no ex Giants once a Giant always a Giant".
He reminded me of that loyalty when he called me when I was coaching the Houston Oilers. "Joe Would you speak with Rob Carpenter? He refused to report to the Giants after we traded for him," asked Mara, I did and Rob became the leading rusher for the Giants. Later Well thanked me for helping. I had no choice "once a Giant always a Giant".
Mara's legacy extends beyond the NFL and the New York Giants to American Youth Football; Mara was a supporter of AYF and was instrumental in its early development. Under Mara's leadership Giants' head and assistant coaches included: Tom Landry, Vince Lombardi, John McVay, Alan Webb, AYF President Joe Galat, Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Bill Belichick, Al Groh, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Ray Handley and many others. Wellington Mara was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame on July 26, 1997. Mara is survived by wife Ann, 11 children and 40 grandchildren.
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Long list of accomplishments lands Dini in AYF Hall
By Mike Scandura
 Jerry
Dini has been involved in youth sports for 35 years.
He's been president of Tucson Youth Football from
1986-88 and 1994-present.
His list of honors and accomplishments is long as,
well, a football field. Most recently, he was one of four men nominated
for induction into the American
Youth Football Hall of Fame.
And at 62 years of age, this long-time U.S.
Government Department of Commerce employee would be justified in exiting
youth football and, as the saying goes, taking time to smell the roses.
Wrong. Asking Dini to do so is like asking New
England Patriots coach Bill Belichick to do stand-up comedy during a
Super Bowl halftime show.
Neither is going to happen.
"First of all I love youth sports and youth
football in particular," said Dini, who in 2003 led a movement that saw
Tucson change affiliations to AYF. "I love its passion … it's a unique
sport, and it makes me feel younger.
"Given my health and schedule, I've never really
thought of quitting. And I haven't been asked," Dini said with a
chuckle. "Nobody wants the job."
Dini's first job involving youth football was in
1975, as a parent volunteer in Tucson . Since, he's built an impressive
resume:
- He's received the Adams USA Lifetime
Achievement Award.
- Under Dini's leadership, Tucson obtained its
own IRS letter of determination and has achieved financial stability
beyond its wildest dreams. According to Dini, Tucson has "over
$125,000 in the bank, we are fiscally independent and we have the
toughest fiscal policy in effect of any youth organization in the
country. This includes annual CPA certified audits." In 1992, he took
over a bankrupt association, paid off all debts and purchased new
uniforms and equipment.
- Dini's efforts led to the establishment of a
permanently endowed local scholarship fund.
- In 1993, Tucson Youth Football included
approximately 800 players and 300 cheerleaders. In 2003, the number of
players soared to 2,100 with a commensurate increase in the number of
cheerleaders (to 900). If everything goes as planned, Dini expects to
enroll 3,700 participants next fall.
- In 1987, he implemented mandatory clinics for
head and assistant coaches. But instead of focusing on Xs and Os, the
clinics' theme is risk management, injury prevention, first aid and
the psychology of coaching youth.
- At his urging, in 2003 Tucson implemented
mandatory coach fingerprinting and background checks.
- Dini's vision led to the introduction of a
summer passing league plus in-season play at Division I and II levels.
"What gives me the most satisfaction is how we've
evolved as a group," said Dini. "We're a very progressive group. We've
tried to do things and we have the best people in the world. That's why
we're able to put on large events. That's why we're going to host the
2005 AYF Championships.
"It will be interesting, but we'll be up to it."
When Dini says his organization will "be up to
it," he's talking about a very broad time frame.
"The biggest hurdle we have is for people in our
association to understand this is a 12-month program but it only
operates for four months," he said. "That's a very difficult situation.
Then, we had to have people understand this is a business as well and we
must be fiscally sound so we can provide programs for the kids.
"I'm in it for the kids. The pain in all youth
sports is the adults. Our job is to provide (youngsters) with every
opportunity to blossom and grow. I think youth football provides the
proper forum for them."
When youth football debuted in Tucson in 1969, it
was on an independent basis. It remained independent for 17 years until
it joined a formal organization and then switched to AYF. Because of its
stability, Tucson Youth Football is in position to give rather than just
receive.
"We became involved with the Nike Global Shoe
Program and last year were able to provide shoes for eight of our high
schools," said Dini, who played at Yarington ( Nevada ) High. "They've
never had this before, but we're all about giving back and all about
kids.
"We continually strive to make it a positive
experience for kids. Football's been the kingpin sport in America for
some people, and it's on the rise here in Arizona ."
Due in large part to the contributions of Jerry
Dini.
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Things looking up for Pacific Coast Youth Football & Cheer
By Mike Scandura
Craig Burris, who serves as the Pacific Coast Youth Football & Cheerleading commissioner as well as the Western Region Director for American Youth Football, may not be a fan of the hit TV show "Survivor." But Burris can imagine what it's like to be all alone on an island.
"We raised weights five pounds across the board when we joined AYF last April, whereas the other organization we were with had constraints," he said. "If we didn't play within those constraints, we would have been on an island by ourselves.
"We also dropped the older-lighter concept and didn't make older kids play even though they were lightweights. Coaches were getting older kids and squeezing them into sardine cans to play."
Not good. Even worse, by the end of last season Pacific Coast was "down about 1,000 kids." According to Burris, joining AYF has helped boost membership by nearly 24 percent — to the point where the program numbers more than 100 teams and some 3,000 youngsters in football, plus 1,200 cheerleaders.
In the process, Pacific Coast added three cities (Belmont Shore, Monte Bello and Long Beach) and now numbers 16. Virtually every association added one team, and some added more.
That's not all. Burris raves about the benefits of having "an NFL partnership" and the fact that each association saves over $1,000 when it comes to insurance, registration fees and the fact they're not required to attend various conventions. But the impact on kids was of paramount importance.
"I think what we were doing was unhealthy, with the older-lighter concept," said Burris. "We took them out and made them play within their own peer group. We've increased (the number of) teams, and going into the playoffs 75 percent of the cities participating have a team in the playoffs.
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AYF opens doors for middle
schoolers
By Mike Scandura
There was no middle ground as far as the Charlottesville/Albermale Youth Football League (CAYFL) was concerned when it came time to discuss changing affiliations.
In fact, there also was no middle ground as far as middle school sports in Virginia were concerned - because there aren't any teams at this level in the entire state.
So, when the CAYFL board of directors decided to sign up with American Youth Football last spring, it proved to be a marriage made in football heaven because central Virginia's high schools also reaped the benefits.
"Because there are no middle school sports programs - period - in Virginia, there was a gap to be filled," said CAYFL president Gary Popovich. "Our high schools had no feeder programs whatsoever.
"Kids playing in (other organizations) were timid because they were used to playing against kids their own sizes. Most weren't playing at all, so they had to be taught the basics ... this is a three-point stance, that kind of stuff."
There's another problem that CAYFL is in the process of solving now that it's with AYF.
"There's a limited number of paid staff at the high school level," said Popovich. "Most high schools have one head coach and two assistants. You go to any practice and you'll see kids standing on the sidelines waiting for someone to work with them.
"Since a lot of kids weren't getting the work that they need, they were being turned off to the sport - so they quit."
Just the opposite has happened with the CAYFL. According to Popovich, the organization had "between 800 and 850 participants (including cheerleaders)" at the end of the 2001 season. At the end of September, the CAYFL had signed up nearly 1,300 youngsters - an increase of over 65 percent.
"All of our teams weren't filled out by the third week of August, so we decided to leave (registration) open one more week, until school started," said Popovich. "We were bombarded! I'd venture to say we've picked up an additional 500 to 600 (participants)."
Might this have happened if CAYFL had maintained the status quo? Perhaps not.
"This is my second year as president and one thing that bothered me last year was we were turning away kids who wanted to play football because of their weights," said Popovich. "One of the things we wanted to do was come up with a structure that would support more kids and not turn them away.
"Last year we had eight Junior Pee Wee, six Pee Wee, four Junior Midget andtwo Midget teams. That was disheartening because the Midgets got to play three games - total. The reason was the maximium (weight) we could go up to was 145, and we were turning away kids who were 155 and above."
Now, go back to the connection between the CAYFL and the high schools.
"I met with the coaches and athletic directors from the (seven) high schools in our area and tried to get a feel for what we could do to better provide the training for kids coming up," said Popovich. "They said if we could get kids to come out and teach them the basics, they would be most appreciative.
"We looked at several options, and AYF was one of them. The thing about AYF is we could adjust our program to fit the needs of the area. This is a rural area. If you want a major, metropolitan area you have to head to D.C. or Richmond or the Tidewater (Norfolk) area. We just didn't have the numbers to make it work within the strict guidelines of the organization we were affiliated with."
The numbers in the Middle School Division are almost off the charts.
"We changed the (weight) restrictions a bit and have 30-plus kids per team," related Popovich. "But we had to split up one team because 66 kids came out."
One of the Middle School kids is a son of NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long, a boy who wanted to play but had run into a brick wall not unlike the one his father threw up during his prime with the Oakland Raiders.
"Kyle, Howie's middle son, never would have been able to play (in the previous league) because of his weight," said Popovich. "Howie Jr. was able to play, but not Kyle. Now that we've changed this structure, Kyle - who's an eighth grader (at Henley Middle School) - signed up.
"We were beginning to believe that football was dead in this area," said Popovich. "But when we got that spurt from the middle school, it led us to believe we have something special going on here."
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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Mountaineer Youth Football a model program
By Mike Scandura
Freedom of choice.
As much as anything, that's what led the Mountaineer Youth Football Conference from West Virginia to join the semi-fledgling American Youth Football program in 1997, the year after it was established.
"We were in (another) organization at that time and our president and board of directors wanted to change weights," recalls Randy Workman, who's in his second term as the MYF president. "We wanted to move from a 95-pound limit for Pee Wees up to 105 pounds and we wanted to go from 125 pounds to 135 pounds for Midgets. We felt that was a better fit for the kids in our area."
Workman didn't like the answer he got.
"We had to remain under their strict weight limits and guidelines," he said. "As I look back on it now, it affected 10 percent of our children ... about 100 kids."
There's more. MYF also wanted to change age guidelines. MYF wanted a Pee Wee program for kids who were 8, 9 and 10. And MYF also wanted to change Midget ages - to encompass kids who were 11, 12 and 13 (the 13s would have a 115-pound weight limit).
"American Youth Football had the type of arrangement where we could see it was a better fit for what we were trying to accomplish, so (the board of directors) voted to join," says Workman, whose program draws children and adults from Harrison, Upshur, Lewis, Barbour, Marion and Tucker counties.
How did the change impact MYF? In 1997, at the time of the move, approximately 900 players and cheerleaders were involved. As the 2002 season gets under way, that number has soared to 1,750 — an increase of nearly 50 percent.
The Dow Jones Average should do so well over a comparable period of time.
"Was (the increase in participation) because we went to American Youth Football?" queries Workman. "It has been a tremendous help because we're able to control our own destiny. My Bridgeport club (Harrison County) alone has over 200 players and cheerleaders involved.
"There's a league in Charleston where their weights are heavier and their ages are different and they're also with AYF. Again, flexibility is the key."
What's also noteworthy is the increase in participation has been accompanied by an increase in adults who want to serve as coaches and cheerleader advisors.
"You'd be surprised ... we haven't had trouble finding coaches at all," says Workman. "A lot of fathers step up and say they want to do it. There's an abundance of volunteers.
"There's even a waiting list to get on the board of directors for these clubs. I believe that the parents of all the children understand the values of this sport because of the people we have running it. We encourage basic participation, fundamentals, safety, sportsmanship and scholarship."
One other basic ingredient has gone into the success of MYF - money. And American Youth Football has played a role in this aspect of the program.
"To run one of these clubs ... to buy uniforms and equipment and maintain the fields, we had to raise $20,000," says Workman. "But parents probably have to spend the least amount of money for their children to participate with us — $125 per child (per season). A good baseball bat, alone, costs $150. We'll suit up your children, and all they have to pay is a registration fee and buy their own shoes - and we'll provide all the equipment for them.
"AYF has given us suggestions regarding what to do for fundraising. But one thing that the AYF does which is a tremendous help is secure grants for our youth leagues. Last year, alone, they gave us roughly $2,000 to distribute to the needier clubs. They get the grants from the NFL, which is a big contributor to youth football around the country."
Workman feels that, even though there's still one hurdle to overcome — name recognition — the future for MYF is bright.
"We've had to tell people 'Hey, we're with American Youth Football.' We've had to work to get that name out and inform people that we operate under different standards," he said.
"(MYF) is going to continue to grow. When I first took office, what I tried to do was grow the league professionally and keep safety first. As long as we continue to do that, this conference will grow."
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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Rising Stars shine brightly at camp
The 60 boys who recently attended the Rising Stars football camp sponsored by American Youth Football got a little more than they bargained for.
The boys, age 10-12 from inner-city neighborhoods in a number of different Ohio cites, got some lessons in life in addition to learning about football, according to Camp Director Karl Gaston.
"We worked on football skills in the morning, and in the afternoon we would have speakers come in and talk to the kids," Gaston said.
The speakers handled a variety of different topics, from how people are perceived based on their actions to a motivational speech to a talk on perseverance to the power of visualization.
"Everything we did was a lesson," Gaston said. "Even to sit down and have breakfast, it was an etiquette lesson on how to act when you're eating a meal in a public situation."
The four-day camp took place at the Camp America facility in Oxford, Ohio. The purpose was to get the boys away from their usual environment and give them a chance to experience football and learn about life.
"We wanted to offer them a structured situation to understand just the basic fundamentals of the game of football, and really, above and beyond that, to give them life lessons to really plant some serious life seeds in these boys," Gaston said.
"These kids had a chance to be in a situation they were not normally in. They got three structured meals a day, with snacks and desserts -- these kids are not used to that."
The highlight for the boys was the football.
"They couldn't wait to get to that part where they could get out there and play the flag football games," Gaston said.
The success of this first effort will allow the program to double in size next year, adding a second four-day session for an additional 60 kids.
"This was a great opportunity and I'm excited to do it again next year," Gaston said.
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The Shoes for Study Program
"Giving Back" is not just a slogan with American
Youth Football.
The Shoes for Study Program, through which
youngsters pledge regular school attendance and allocated time for
study, was launched by American Youth Football in the spring of 2001.
Since then, hundreds of pairs of athletic shoes were distributed to
student athletes. American Youth Football will track the improvement of
these students and update our membership at the end of this school year.
Nike Global Community Affairs has contributed nearly $1 million in shoes
as part of this program. We are confident American YouthFootball
recipients will respond with improved academic performance.
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National Football League Selects AYF as National Youth Football Partner
President Joe Galat is happy to announce that the
National Football League has selected American Youth Football as
National Youth Football Partner. The directive from the NFL office read: "We are excited to work with you on the National
Partners/Local Agency Grant programs and salute you on the tremendous
work that you do to assist the youth of this country."
This alliance will enhance football at its most
critical level through various programs. This partnership allows AYF to enhance our publications, web presence and
recruitment. Our AYF staff is dedicated to spark the
passion of football communities where no teams exist, and increase the
support for existing teams.
Those of us who have served as volunteers in youth
football appreciate the priveleged few that are paid to play the game we
love. We are remembered as the first to help develop the skills that
elevated them to success. Many of these fellows, with all of their
training, meetings, practices taking up much of their time, still find
the time to volunteer in their communities on their day off. NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz is actively involved in
establishing community coaches clinics.
The game of football has come full circle. Thanks
to NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, the grass roots
football programs are now part of the big picture. The programs are
beneficial to the inner-city as well as the suburban programs. The NFL
has made selected grants to spearhead the rebuilding of inner-city
football fields. Benefits include local agency grants ($500 - $2,500)
towards equipment, field repair, scholarships, staffing and development.
American Youth Football, Inc. will make applications available
to all of our teams. American Youth Football, Inc. is
committed to help the National Football League to positively influence
its most valuable resource: America's Youth!
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The story of a champion, the Oro Valley Dolphins:
It actually all started back on Aug. 1, when 33 boys and coaches
got together for the first time. On that day we came up with a goal of
being the best we could be – whatever that might be. Well, on
Thanksgiving weekend we found out. We traveled to Los Angeles to play
in the First Annual American Youth Football National Championships.
We qualified by going 12-0 and winning our city and regional
championships in Tucson, Arizona. We arrived in Los Angeles on Friday,
Nov. 28, and let the kids unwind a little by going to Universal
Studios – some of our kids had never been out of Arizona, so this was
a great thrill. We then had our first game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
against a team from San Diego. We came ready to play, our guys were
very focused and we won going away, 42-0. It was an unbelievable game
where we had five defensive touchdowns.
By winning that game, we qualified for the championship game less
then 18 hours later on Sunday at noon against the Torrance Panthers
from Los Angeles. Not only did we have to play two games in less then
18 hours, but we were also playing the home team who was able to sleep
in their own beds and had actually played five hours earlier then us
on Saturday. What a challenge.
What can I say about the championship game? With our win on
Saturday, that brought our record to 13-0 and to that point we hadn't given up a
single point all year. Well, on Sunday we took the early lead with a
touchdown early in the second quarter — 8-0. But on the ensuing
kickoff Torrance brought the ball all the way down to our 30-yard
line, and five plays later we gave up our first points of the year on
a great touchdown pass by the Panthers.
So at halftime, the score was Dolphins 8, Torrance 6. I was so
proud of our kids — facing adversity for the first time all year, we
took the opening kickoff of the second half and on a 70-yard drive
punched it in the end zone for a 14-6 lead. What champions these kids
are. But Torrance are champions also and in the fourth quarter they
came up with a huge turnover as they blocked our punt and got the ball
at our 15-yard line. Nine plays later they punched it in and tied the
game, 14-14.
Our kids were tired; we were getting beat up by a very physical
Torrance team all day. We actually lost our starting middle linebacker
to an arm injury in the fourth quarter and at one point late in the
game, we had to put in our second unit because our first unit was so
banged up. Our boys fought hard and as the clock ticked down in the
fourth quarter the score remained 14-14.
OVERTIME: The next seven plays were the most nerve-wracking in the
11 years I have been a head coach. Each team got the ball at the
10-yard line. Each team would have four downs to score and would
continue alternating possessions until both teams had the ball and one
team outscored the other. Torrance won the toss and elected to get the
ball first, which actually made us happy because all year we felt we
had the best defense in country and also we would know what we would
have to do on offense.
Torrance on first down gained 3 yards, on second down gained 3
yards, on third down gained 3 yards — all on run plays right at our
defense. This brought up fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. What
happened next was amazing — they gave the ball to their best running
back and he ran right at us and we stopped him at the 1-yard line. No
score, no score.
So now it is our turn. On first down we gained 5 yards, second down
we gained 3 yards — third and goal from the 2 — the Panthers called
timeout. The boys came to the sideline and the only thing we said was,
"we are two yards from a championship." The look in the kids' eyes was
amazing. They were so into the moment, they so much wanted to be a
champion.
We ran back to the line of scrimmage and what do you know. we jump
offsides. (Remember these are only 11-year-old boys — can you imagine
the pressure?) So now we have third-and-goal from the 7-yard line. We
had been running the ball around the right side all day to one of our
big running backs who scored both our touchdowns in the game. So on
this play we called to fake it to him and then have the quarterback
bootleg around the left side, hopefully to the end zone. On a side
note, this was our second-string quarterback, who has only started
three games in his career at this position due to our starting
quarterback getting hurt in the city championship game. What happened
next is only a blur as our quarterback came around the left side the
entire defense went to the right with our running back. Next thing you
know, every kid is jumping and crying — coaches are jumping and crying
— it was amazing! We won. We are National Champions.
When we came back to Tucson on Monday night, we were met by Channel
4 news and Mike Neback did a very nice story on the kids and we were
showcased that evening on the 10 p.m. news. We also had a couple
newspapers run nice stories about our victory. I just can't say enough
about these kids and what they accomplished. We were 16-0, counting a
preseason game, only 14 points given up all year. Fourteen shutouts on
defense. Outscored opponents 438-14. Never trailed in a game all year.
On top off all that, they made the sacrifice of over 65 practices and
still kept their schoolwork up to date. This is an amazing bunch of
10-12 year olds who taught me that if you truly believe, you can
accomplish anything if you stay together.
Steve Marshall
Head Coach
Oro Valley Dolphins Pee Wee team
15-0 National Champions
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Two Amazing stories of Giving Back
A letter home from Iraq
American Youth Football is proud of our brave
men and women in uniform. One such person is Ray Maternick, who is
returning home this month. Ray started the Northern Virginia Unlimited
Youth Football Association. He recently sent us this note from Iraq:
I started the NOVA UYFA three years ago because the local youth football
program did not allow the big guys to play. The program has grown
since that initial year and is now institutionalized in Fairfax
County. My goal is to continue improving the program and especially
stressing the "3xA's"..."Academics, Attitude and Athletics, In That
Order." Regarding the league ... you can get more info on the web
site ... http://www.novafootball.com.
A story of giving back
The 2003 edition of the Halifax Midget team has
achieved many impressive accomplishments this past season including a
perfect regular season record for just the second time ever. Halifax
has outscored its opponents by an impressive 304-30 margin and has
blanked 7 of 11 opponents this season. This season the Cats have
stretched the limits not only on the playing field but once again in
the community.
The Cats once again participated with the
Halifax United Methodist Church in collecting food, blankets and
monetary donations for the homeless. The team slept out in cold boxes
following the game with the Swatara Tigers for their annual Box Night
activities for the homeless. The team also this year provided
additional community service to the area younger youth by doing
several major cleanup projects for the Halifax Midget Baseball program
that will benefit them in the spring season. The Midgets sponsored
their 4th annual Buddy Day program with their younger teams and with
the Halifax Varsity team and sponsored a Drug Awareness program at the
Buddy day activities.
The team's biggest accomplishment, however, came
at the start of the season, when the Midget Football team and
cheerleaders -- through multiple team activities and fund raisers --
raised almost $15,000 in six weeks for an American Youth Football
scholastic exchange program trip to Bar Harbor Maine with the MDI Hurricanes of Bar
Harbor just after Labor Day. The trip itself can be looked back on as
possibly the catalyst activity that has inspired the Halifax Midgets
to a special and unique team unity that they have carried following
the trip to Maine. Since returning from Maine, the team has formed a
special bond that makes them seem inseparable and determined with
desire in their quest for "the perfect season."
Several Halifax coaches have been with the team
for all eight seasons including Head Coach Dave Bickel, Asst. Head
Coach Jerry Leader, and Line coach Kim Matter. Additionally the
coaching staff also consists of line coach Paul Ilgen (5 years), back
coach Dave Mongold (5 years), coaches assistants Bob Lahr and Dave
Herrold (2 years), receiver coach Jeff Gonsar (1 year).
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Colombo's legacy felt at AYF
By Mike Scandura
Throughout New England, coach Armand Colombo is synonymous with Brockton High football.
Why not? The 72-year-old Colombo has carved out a reputation as the greatest high school football coach in Massachusetts history.
But what may not be as well known is the reputation Colombo has carved out in another venue - American Youth Football. President Joe Galat, who helped found AYF in 1997, knows that without Colombo's influence, the organization may have remained a figment of somebody's imagination.
"Even before AYF was founded, if I had not met a guy like Armand I wouldn't have had as much interest in youth football," said Galat, who's been an assistant coach in the NFL and a head coach and general manager in the CFL. "He set an example for me to get involved.
"Once Armand got me going in the youth arena, I could never shake it."
Galat and Colombo first met around 1979, when they spent five summers working together at the Cape Cod Football Camp in East Brewster, Mass. But since Colombo was running a top-notch high school football program, teaching physical education and raising a family of six, the obvious question is, why would he devote his summer vacation time to youth football?
Dumb question.
"I did it because of the love of the game, and the desire to help these young kids who we felt could benefit from participating in the game," he said. "Many of them took advantage of it to the point where they went on to college and benefitted tremendously.
"Not everyone played (college) football but many benefitted from the education they received."
How so many youngsters benefitted from being around Colombo was a question Galat didn't hesitate to answer.
"Armand was so good helping the kids with that fatherly approach," said Galat. "People have a misconception that football coaches have to be stern. But Armand's warm, and he cares about their development.
"I felt this is what a football coach is supposed to be. You know that saying, 'You're never so tall as when you stoop to help a child.' That's what I've always looked at Armand as. Here's a guy who knows the sports world and has had huge success, but he's always giving back."
As Galat's quick to point out, "Giving Back" is AYF's theme. And despite the age differential, Colombo's ability to give back has been one of his strengths.
"The way I heard it best is that kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care," said Galat. "Usually, the older you are, the less you show you care. That's not true with Armand.
"He understands that your future is in the kids, and he always had time for kids. He unselfishly gave up a lot of his time, not only for the kids but also for the youth coaches who don't have a lot of experience."
Colombo's experience in influencing AYF's birth has left him enamored of the organiztion.
"There's no question this is an organization that can truly benefit those young kids who take advantage of it," he said. "It's a positive way to introduce the game and introduce the kids to the discipline of the game.
"As for me, well, you never get sick of football and of trying to help people in football."
Colombo has helped Brockton to such a level of success that he's smashed every coaching record in the books. Prior to this season, Colombo was the head coach for 13 years at Archbishop Williams in Braintree and then for the next 30 at Brockton - where he built the Boxers into one of the state's all-time powers.
Colombo's won a state-record 316 games, while losing 100 and tying 5. And since the inception of Super Bowls by the MIAA in 1972, he's won a state-record nine bowls (while losing five), all at Brockton.
Want more? When Brockton played in the old Suburban League, Colombo's teams won 16 championships. Since the Big Three was formed 13 years ago, Brockton has captured eight titles.
Hard as it may be for the current generation to believe, there was a time when another name was 10 times as well-known in Brockton as Colombo's - a name that's very well-known to those of a certain age: Rocky Marciano, the only heavyweight boxing champ to retire undefeated and who died in a tragic plane crash on August 31, 1969.
Colombo is Marciano's brother-in-law since his wife of 48 years, Betty, is one of Rocky's three sisters.
"That's where this whole thing comes from," said Brockton director of athletics Tom Pileski, who played baseball for Colombo in 1960. "Like Rocky used to say, when you can't make the commitment, they don't call you champ any more.
"Armand has that same commitment, that same philosophy."
It doesn't take prodding for Colombo to admit he shares something else with Marciano.
"I remember talking with him and he always mentioned that he respected everyone he got into the ring with," said Colombo. "We always preach to the kids that you should have respect for your fellow players, your coaches, the other team.
"Rocky never lost because of the type of individual he was and we want our kids to be the same way."
Beginning with their involvement in youth football.
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Program benefits emergency workers
AYF's Shoes for Study Program,
which provides athletic shoes to youngsters who commit to school
attendance and study, has had a side benefit for emergency workers, too.
Some of the shoes that have been donated were too large for the
youngsters, and they have been donated to police, EMT and firefighters
in appreciation of their heroic efforts. The program has been run in New
York City, New York State, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Cincinnati.
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Story of the Little Vikings
By Tom Carothers
What began as a promise to a son four years ago is turning into quite a success story for the southern Minnesota town of Hayfield.
“It all began with a promise I made to my son Dylan that we would have youth football,” Little Vikings coach Dean Bungum said. “In his first year of youth football, he had to go to Kasson-Mantorville (16 miles away) because we did not have any youth football in Hayfield.”
In just five years, the town of Hayfield has gone from not even fielding a youth football team to boasting an undefeated team — the 8-0 Hayfield Little Vikings.
Hayfield, as the name suggests, is not a large town, but this rural burg of 1,300 people are a proud grouping of people.
And just as many similar towns do, a great amount of identity is derived from the local football team — in that respect, Hayfield had suffered.
“The varsity program here has had maybe two winning seasons in 10 years,” Bungum said. “When people saw the fruits that could come from having a youth football program, many were interested in supporting it.”
In that vein, the Hayfield/Brownsdale Youth Football Association was formed in 2002. One thing that was clear from the get-go was that there was a definite yearning among the children of Hayfield for pigskin.
“We had 75 kids come out, which was odd because we had been told there wasn’t any interest in football,” Bungum said. “What happened was that just about every kid in fifth and sixth grade came out — these kids were hungry for some football.”
Of course, the clothing and equipping of 75 growing children doesn’t exactly come cheap. It cost $110 per child to get them ready for the gridiron — to that end, Bungum and the newly-formed football association fanned out to local businesses for support.
They were pleased with the results.
“Local business will always do something for youth, and this became truly a community effort,” Bungum said. “We went to all the major players in the Hayfield/Brownsdale area to see if they were interested in becoming charter members of the association for $500 apiece.
“They were all very willing.”
So, with the funds secured, football kicked off in Hayfield. Just one thing — the Southern Minnesota Youth Football League, of which the Hayfield/Brownsdale teams were to play in, had already started its season. Yet, it may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“We just played each other that first year,” said Bungum, who was also getting his first crack at coaching a football team. “We learned as we went, picked out football strategies from books and the internet and put things together by trial and error, basically.”
The experience paid off as Hayfield joined the SMYFL for the 2003 season. Bungum’s sixth-grade team started off slow, but improved drastically throughout the season — so much so, that they played in the championship game, where they lost to a team from Le Centre.
As word spread about Hayfield’s success as well as the “Little” Vikings having an opportunity to play on the same field as the “Big” Vikings, as they did in a mid-season game against the same Le Centre squad, more and more towns wanted to be part of the SMYFL.
“Suddenly, we went from six to 12 teams in the league with all these teams joining,” Bungum said.
The Little Vikings finished third in the league in 2004 — the last year of a single-division SMYFL. Four more teams joined the league for the 2005 campaign, necessitating a move to a two, eight-team division format.
“People really like the structure of it,” Bungum said. “Everyone in the league plays by the same rules and codes of conduct for the players, coaches and parents.
“People see it as a good thing to be a part of.”
Yet, while the 2005 season consisted of teams from Hayfield, Le Center, Cannon Falls, Blooming Prairie, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Pine Island, Randolph, St. Clair, Glenville-Emmons, Madelia, Alden-Conger, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton as well as a trio of squads from Waseca, it all came down to the Little Vikings.
Bungum’s team caught lightning in a bottle and dominated the SMYFL, rolling to a perfect eight-win season on the strength of a stifling defense that did not allow a single point until Kenyon-Wanamingo managed a touchdown just before halftime in the league semifinals.
“It was the first year of having a team where players had been in the program for three years and it showed on the field,” Bungum said. “Everyone was out there playing unselfishly and as a team.
“There are no prima donnas, everyone works together.”
The Little Vikings etched their name into SMYFL lore with a 19-0 victory against Waterville in the league title game played in the dome.
“My other son Adam quarterbacked the team, and that was very special,” Bungum said. “Dylan is now in eighth grade.”
Whether Dylan or Adam plays on a future Hayfield team that does have a winning season or better remains to be seen. However, the chances are growing because of the efforts of the HBYFA and the SMYFL.
“I think we’re going to continue to grow and get better,” Bungum said.
To that note, the SMYFL is looking at adding up to four more teams for 2006 and has requested to join American Youth Football in hopes of a Hayfield or Le Center or Waseca team playing on a national level.
“We’re looking at not only what there is for us to get out of it, but also what we can put into it,” Bungum said. “But it would be pretty cool to be able to go forward, get to the next level and be a part of something like a national championship game.”
Quite a ways from the days when the only football youth were playing in Hayfield was on a video screen.
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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Trinity County strikes gold with American Youth Football
By Marty Gitlin
Million-dollar mansions. Hollywood glitz. Cosmopolitan San Francisco.
Such are the associations most conjur up when the subject of California arises.
But there is another side to the most populous state that remains light years away from the typical American's mindset. And that is the patchwork of tiny rural counties that may share the same state flag as areas of tremendous prosperity, but are as distant from them economically as any in the country.
One of them is Trinity County, which rests in the far northern section of California. It has been on the verge of bankruptcy.
What it lacks in wealth, however, it makes up in pride. Just ask Keith Bigham, who speaks emotionally about this small county and his little hometown of Weaverville.
Bigham now has more reason to be proud because of the rousing first-year success of American Youth Football in Trinity County, an effort he spearheaded. He expected enough representation for about three teams. Instead, a whopping 130 players and cheerleaders participated, enough to form seven teams in two separate age categories (7-10 and 10-13).
"The response was amazing," Bigham said in a recent phone interview. "Especially when you consider that every town in Trinity County is about 30 miles away from one another."
What brings Bigham literally to the brink of tears is the close collaboration exhibited by all facets of the community to achieve a common goal. Trinity High School donated its fields. Businesses promoted the endeavor through sponsorship. Volunteers donated their time through coaching and any tasks necessary. Financially struggling parents scraped together enough money to properly equip their kids. And the players and cheerleaders themselves came out in droves from as far as an hour away.
No wonder Bigham was choking with emotion as he spoke of that community effort.
"You know, there are two things for kids to do," he said. "Those are to get in trouble or to not get in trouble. So the people here were doing it for the kids. There are only two ways a kid gets out of here in their lives. Those are through athletics and through academics."
Bigham, who heads the county's little league baseball program, was assigned the task of forming a football league. Others proved too expensive, so he turned to AYF. It was a perfect fit financially and organizationally.
Other organizations required financial guarantees, but "AYF allowed us to field whatever number of teams we could field. It's just what we needed," Bigham said.
Every team played 10 games as Mother Nature cooperated quite well on the weekends. The crescendo was reached in early December on Trinity County's very own "Super Bowl Sunday." The 7-10 age division championship was decided when a 67-yard touchdown pass broke a tie with 15 seconds remaining. The 10-13 age division title game ended on a defensive stand that halted the final drive.
Adding to the dramatics and to the emotional aspect of the event was that each game had been dubbed the "Medal of Honor Bowl" due to the contributions of Trinity County veterans Jim Swett (World War II) and Jim Taylor (Vietnam).
That notion was struck when Bigham, a Vietnam veteran as well, was speaking with Trinity Youth Football vice-president Bob Jeangerard one day when Taylor walked in.
"I said to Jim, 'I want to name the trophy after you (and Swett),'" recalled Bigham. "He said 'No, you name it after someone else.' So I decided to call it the 'Medal of Honor Bowl.' I'll tell you what. Those guys are really committed to this community."
It seems everyone is. And that's why Keith Bigham must fight back tears when he talks about it.
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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Mission accomplished for Kinsfather
By Marty Gitlin
Special to americanyouthfootball.com
Rikki Kinsfather never wanted to be known as "the woman who runs that San Diego youth football league."
Rather, she just wanted to be known as a darn good commissioner.
Mission accomplished.
Kinsfather has served as head of the San Diego Youth Football and Cheer Conference, an affiliate of American Youth Football, for 10 years. And her resume continues to grow. The organization now includes 6,000 boys and girls, 21 separate associations that even extend into Baja, Mexico, and a popular new indoor football league.
But it's not the grandiose numbers that flips Kinsfather's switch. It's turning raw kids into responsible, confident adults and knowing she played a part in those transformations.
"I really love seeing young men and women grow," she says. "I see them go through the program, then come up to me when they're in high school or college and still talk about their experiences with youth football and at the cheer level. It makes me feel great that I've given something back to these kids.
"We've had several at-risk turn themselves around going through our program due to the coaches they've had. I think it's important to get involved in kids' lives."
Kinsfather has indeed done that for boys and girls ages 5-15. There are six age categories for both football and cheering. There are also a smattering of girls crossing over into football and boys following suit into cheerleading.
But it's the new indoor league in which Kinsfather is taking particular pride these days. The first year of the program for kids ages 10-12 has just completed with the help of the Arena Football San Diego Riptide. Kinsfather managed to rather quickly put together eight teams for the league, which runs from April through July.
"It gave a lot of kids something to do," she says. "A lot of kids don't play baseball or basketball and football is their whole lives. Now we're open to expanding."
Kinsfather is always open to something new. But she gives you the rather standard, but heartfelt, answer when asked what she wants the kids to extract from playing San Diego youth football.
"Our kids are the best and I want the best for them," she says. "I expect the coaches to teach kids to respect other children and other players, to always be honorable and to teach them the great game of football and that when the game is over, to have their heads held high and to be proud."
As for Kinsfather, having her head held high is no problem. But she still finds her position as a woman football commissioner can be rather implausible to some.
"I still get e-mails that start out 'Dear Sir,' " she says with a chuckle. "It's been a challenge, but I know I've gained respect."
No. She's earned respect.
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Inner-City Girls Benefit from Cheer Donation
American Youth Football and Team Cheer cooperated on a
Giving Back back program for needy youngsters in California, Arizona, Texas,
and Florida. Cheer uniforms were donated through American Youth Cheer. The
girls were extremely excited, and some of them were even in tears!
Giving Back has been the motto of American Youth
Football since its inception. One highlight is the "Shoes for Study"
program, in which youngsters who sign a written pledge to stay in school
receive athletic shoes. To date, more than $2 million dollars in shoes have
been awarded through the program.
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The Need for AYF
There are more than 20 million youngsters in North
America participating in football. Boys and girls are involved in flag,
touch and tackle football, and cheerleading. Most teams are
community-sponsored and run by volunteers. This currently fragmented
participation needs structure and vision. American Youth Football will fill
that void!
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Carson In!
Congratulations to all of the inductees to the class of 2006 Pro Football Hall of Fame. Troy Aikman, John Madden, Warren Moon, Reggie White, Ridgfield Wright and Harry Carson.
Giants linebacker Harry Carson made his presence felt during his 13 seasons as a linebacker with the New York Giants. Voted to nine Pro Bowls, he recovered 14 fumbles during his career that spanned from 1976 to 1988. Carson's induction has a special meaning to American Youth Football, while at the NY football Giants, Harry Carson was coached by AYF's own, Joe Galat.
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On championships-bound squad, secret weapon is
coaches, parents
By Amy Oakes
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
December 3, 2005
It didn't take long for Ralph Taylor to realize
that coaching the Balboa Raiders Midget football teams was more than
just teaching the game.
He talks to the boys, mostly 13 and 14 years old, about their
troubles at home, in school and with girls. He gets calls from
parents when their sons are acting up or struggling with grades.
And, he even taxis a few of them to practice.
JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune
The Balboa Raiders, who went undefeated this year, practiced
into the night to get ready for the American Youth Football
Championships in Tucson next week. More than 90 squads from
across the country will compete starting Tuesday. |
Many of Coach Ralph's 34 players are from working class families,
mostly in southeastern San Diego. Several only have one parent or
guardian, who works multiple jobs and has little spare time.
Coach Ralph, a city sanitation worker, said he can relate to the
boys. And they have responded on the field and off.
The team was undefeated this year in the midget division of the
San Diego Youth Football and Cheer league. By doing so, it qualified
for the American Youth Football Championships in Tucson next week.
The Balboa Raiders and its counterpart in the junior midget
division are two of five teams from San Diego scheduled to compete,
said Jerry Dini, a tournament organizer. The other teams are from
Mira Mesa-Scripps and Valencia Park football associations.
More than 90 squads from across the country will compete from
Tuesday to Saturday, Dini said.
All of the teams have faced obstacles throughout the season. For
the Raiders, it has taken the dedication of the coaches and parents
to overcome their challenges.
If it wasn't for the coaches and team "moms," Terreance Harris
couldn't play football. Harris, 14, is one of six children under the
care of his grandmother, who lives in Emerald Hills. She works, he
said, so she doesn't have time to take him to practice or help with
homework.
JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune
With the defense dominating in practice, Balboa Raiders coach
Ralph Taylor, (right) known to his players simply as Coach
Ralph, asked his offense "Can you score?" while coach Tony
Gomes waited for an answer. |
Coaches pick Terreance up for practice after work and they have
helped him improve his grades. Some of the coaches and moms also
have taken him in, spending weekends at their homes.
"Before I started playing, I didn't have anything to do or anyone
to look up to," Terreance said. "I feel welcome here."
When Brandon Ursulich joined the team five years ago, he had
terrible grades and was prone to fighting. Coaches helped him with
his homework before practice and taught him to control his temper.
"I came here and it's been better for me," said Ursulich, 15, who
lives with his aunt, brother, sister and some cousins in Oak Park.
His little brother plays on the junior midget team.
Team moms help tutor some boys during the first hour of practice.
Coach Ralph, 46, has benched players for bad grades or getting in
trouble.
Players must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average. They
submit report cards to the coaches throughout the season.
This will be the Balboa Raiders first trip to the National
Championships in several years. Teams have qualified in recent
years, but couldn't afford to go, said Ed Smith, president of the
Balboa Raiders Association.
This year, coaches and families were intent on sending them. The
boys excelled all season, worked hard to maintain their grades and
stayed out of trouble, Smith said.
Coaches and supporters have scrambled to raise half of the
$10,000 needed for the trip. Players and cheerleaders are trying to
raise the other half and plan to seek donations at the Chargers game
against the Oakland Raiders tomorrow at Qualcomm Stadium.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these kids and
these coaches," said assistant coach Steven Billingslea.
The assistant coach's son and nephew, who also lives with him,
play on the team. But, like Coach Ralph, he considers all the boys
as his to watch over.
"I got a big heart," said Billingslea, who has had a hungry
player or two over for dinner a few times. "I love these kids."
To play for the Balboa Raiders organization, which has teams
playing at different age levels, coaches and players said, is to
join a family.
The four team moms wash their jerseys, cook for them and do
fundraisers all season to help cover the $180 registration fee and
buy equipment for those who can't afford it. The money also helps
cover costs to play in local tournaments.
Two of the moms host weekend gatherings, said Jaione Cummings,
known as "The Mom." On any weekend, Cummings said, up to 10 boys
will stay at her daughter's Mission Valley house.
Her daughter spent $300 on pizza one weekend. But the moms don't
mind.
"We know the situations," Cummings said.
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A $6.5M TD
for Tucson: City to host national youth football, cheerleading
championships
Tucson could see a $6.5 million economic boost with the city landing a national youth football and cheerleading championship that will be held in early December.
City and county officials are set to announce the event at a Wednesday press conference. Dates and fields have not been set, but the cheerleading competition is planned for the Tucson Convention Center.
Local players, coaches and parents are ecstatic because it means teams will not have to raise travel money through car washes and other fund-raisers.
"It's going to be great," said coach Steve Karp, whose Marana Broncos Pee Wee team won the national title last year in Orlando. "Last year Tucson could have taken eight teams, but only two were able to raise enough money."
Karp's team, made up of players 11 and younger, had to come up with $28,000 to make the trip to Orlando. The Broncos, who outscored opponents 501-20 in 2004, beat Inglewood (Calif.) 30-12 for the title.
"We'll see a lot more local teams (this year)," Karp said. "It's huge that all the parents and coaches will be able to watch the other teams. They will see what the national championship teams look like."
Debbie Walkovich, coordinator for the Tucson Cowboys cheerleading squads, took three teams to the championships in Orlando last year and one won a national title.
"This will bring in teams from all over the country," Walkovich said. "We are hoping for more than 100 cheer squads and 50 to 80 football teams" to compete.
The $6.5 million economic impact would be the sixth-biggest for an event held in Tucson, the visitors bureau said.
That would place it just ahead of the Coldwell Banker Shootout, a youth soccer tournament that pumps an estimated $4 million into the local economy in mid-January.
The American Youth Football competitions include youths ages 9 to 15.
"I'm very happy to have the championship here, and it's great for Tucson," said Jerry Dini, president of the Tucson Youth Football and Spirit Federation.
Dini was inducted into the American Youth Football Hall of Fame in December.
He oversees 15 local football programs, including the newly formed Vail Vikings. Teams can qualify for the national championships by winning a city title.
In addition to the Marana Broncos' national title, the Oro Valley Dolphins took second in the junior midget football event last year. And three local cheer squads won national titles (see below).
Stuart Karp, 13, a Broncos Midgets player and son of Steve Karp, said it will be nice to have all his family and friends attend the games.
"It also gives you the feeling that you want to protect (your turf), Stuart Karp said. "You don't want to lose the title to another (city) because you are in your hometown."
ECONOMIC IMPACT:
Event: Amount (in millions)
1. Gem shows: $76.5
2. Spring training: $20.0
3. Tucson rodeo: $13.5
4. PGA Tour golf tournament: $13.0
5. El Tour de Tucson: $12.0
6. Youth football championship: $6.5
7. Coldwell Banker Shootout (soccer): $4.0
Source: Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
Susan Keenan is the head coach for the national champion Cowboys Junior Pee Wee Cheerleading squad.
"We worked hard with a lot of fund-raisers last year," Keenan said. "It was a really phenomenal experience. Now we have a chance to see that level of competition here in Tucson."
Her daughter, Bethany Keenan, 10, competed on the squad.
"It was pretty scary, but really exciting," Bethany Keenan said. "It was cool to travel last year, but it will be even cooler here in Tucson. We get to stay in our hometown and go to nationals."
LOCAL HEROES:
Tucson teams that placed in the American Youth Football and Cheerleading National Championship in Orlando, Fla., Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 2004:
Football
Pee Wees: Marana Broncos - national champion
Junior Midgets: Oro Valley Dolphins - national runner-up
Cheerleading
Tucson Scorpions Junior Pee Wee, national champion, Small Show Standard
Tucson Cowboys Junior Pee Wee, national champion, Small Show Intermediate
Oro Valley Dolphins Junior Midgets, national champion, Small Show Standard
Tucson Cowboys Junior Midgets, national runner-up, Large Show Elite
Tucson Cowboys Midgets, national third place, Large Show Intermediate
WHO'S COMING:
Last year's AYF event in Orlando, Fla., drew nearly 40 football teams from 25 programs across the nation, including Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Massachusetts, New York, plus Nova Scotia.
Local officials hope 50 to 80 football squads and 100 cheerleading teams will compete here this year.
The championship football age divisions, with players' maximum weight in uniform:
Junior Pee Wee: 10-under (123 pounds).
Pee Wee: 11-under (133)
Junior Midget: 12-under (154)
Midget: 14-under (179)
3rd, 4th & 5th grade - unlimited weight
6th, 7th & 8th grade - unlimited weight
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A new day dawns for Mohawks in AYF
By Mike Rego
Thursday, August 25, 2005
On the field, the game the East Providence Mohawks will play this fall remains quite the same as the one played by their brethren in the area youth football ranks. Away from the gridiron, however, the Mohawks became the first and most visible organization to split with the well-established Pop Warner league and join up with the burgeoning American Youth Football association.
"There were a lot of reasons why we decided to change, but most of them revolved around money," Mohawks president Kevin Gaugher explained.
"Pop Warner basically got greedy," he continued. "The final blow for us really was the request that all organizations have "Pop Warner" included in their names. We didn't want that."
Nor, Gaugher added, did the Mohawks group want to be constricted by other national office mandates including increased licensing fees along with the use of only Pop Warner affiliated vendors for balls and other equipment.
It made the Mohawks officials uncomfortable and in a sense tied their hands when it came to financial matters.
"The fees for AYF are much more realistic," said Gaugher. "The more money you have to send up to Pop Warner the less you can spend on the kids."
Most organizations collect and spend 10s of thousands of dollars each season when adding up all the costs involved in equipping players, travel, facility rentals and insurance.
Anywhere a deal can be found is a benefit, an idea the Mohawks felt was taken away by Pop Warner's recent edicts.
"We think we can save almost half of what we spent last year in Pop Warner by joining the AYF," said Gaugher. "That means we have that much more money to put back into the organization."
The Mohawks weren't the only team to contemplate the move. The Darlington Braves in Pawtucket also agreed to make the jump with East Providence from what was then the Southwestern R.I. Pop Warner Football League.
The Braves, however, got cold feet and remained in Pop Warner with a revamped grouping, now called Southeastern New England Pop Warner, alongside several other local teams.
The Riverside Raiders, for one, decided to remain in Pop Warner, though the other East Providence-based organization is keeping tabs on the Mohawks' experience.
"I still talk to their coaches and administrators almost daily. We have a good working relationship with them," said Riverside president Tom Peno. "We're still committed to Pop Warner. But we're going to keep and eye on how that (AYF) league works out."
Over in Seekonk, leaders of the Tigers are likely to take the same tact as those in Riverside.
"I don't much about (the AYF)," said Seekonk president Bill Vieira. "We'll see how this season pans out and go from there."
It appears many interested parties will be paying close attention to how the Mohawks fare this season, both on the field and off.
For now, however, both Seekonk and Riverside remain committed to Pop Warner.
"We still have some excellent programs remaining in Pop Warner," Vieira added. "Portsmouth always has a strong team. Darlington just won a national championship a couple of years ago. New Bedford is good. And assuming the size of Fall River, I expect them to be a good program as well."
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Bengals, Marvin Lewis to Announce Youth Football Collaborative
8/19/2005
The Cincinnati Bengals, Marvin Lewis Community Fund, Hatton Foundation, and Cincinnati Recreation Commission are teaming up to form the Inner-City Youth Football Collaborative. An official announcement will come Monday.
The collaborative will impact over 2,600 youth in Cincinnati in the National Youth, American Bantam, and Buckeye Youth football leagues. The ICYFC will provide new equipment, offset league fees, and secure field time for practices and games. American Youth Football, with the help of NIKE, has agreed to donate cleats for every child in each of the three leagues. Long-term, the ICYFC plans to work with the collaborative to build a state of the art Youth Football facility in Cincinnati.
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Score one for the kids, Bengals, Marvin Lewis' foundation join in football collaborative
By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer
About two dozen youth football players ran up and down the field Monday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium.
Not more than 12 years old, and as young as 4, with the names Titans and Middies printed across the fronts of their over-sized jerseys, they had just heard an announcement that could help their chances of some day playing in such a place.
Several organizations, including the Cincinnati Bengals and coach Marvin Lewis' foundation, revealed plans for a youth football collaborative and presented three youth leagues with a $100,000 check.
"Youth football is a worthwhile activity for all who participate in it," Bengals president Mike Brown said. "I'm pleased to see how it is coming together."
The initiative will affect 2,600 Cincinnati area youngsters playing in the National Youth, American Bantam and Buckeye Youth football leagues. The collaborative will provide equipment, offset league fees and secure field time for practices and games.
The collaborative also has secured the participation of the Nike shoe company. It has agreed to donate a pair of cleats to each of the players in the three leagues.
"I appreciate the fact it pulls all of us together," said George Jackson, president of the American Bantam League. "We've been out here for 20, 30 years working with the youth. This gets all of us on the same page working toward the same goals."
Long-term plans focus on efforts to build a state-of-the-art youth football facility in Cincinnati.
"Our wish is to empower these young people," Lewis said.
"At-risk youngsters will be able to receive guidance they need."
Several Bengals players made financial contributions to the collaborative. Among them were tailback Rudi Johnson, quarterback Carson Palmer, offensive lineman Eric Steinbach, defensive linemen John Thornton and Justin Smith and wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson.
Chad Johnson spoke at the press conference and dubbed himself the league commissioner.
"We all started small like this," Johnson said in a room filled with young players and cheerleaders.
Johnson encouraged the players to have fun and work hard.
In addition to the Bengals and the Marvin Lewis Community Fund, other participating organizations in the collaborative are the Hatton Foundation and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission.
Each of the three participating leagues received packets containing 300 tickets to the Bengals' preseason finale against the Colts on Friday night, Sept. 2.
"It gives the inner-city youth a chance to stay off the street," said David Brantley, president of the National Youth Football League. "It's heartfelt. The kids are the ones, it's a dream. It's been something we've been wanting for years."
League organizers credit Lewis, in the high-profile position of Bengals coach, for pulling the initiative together.
"With Marvin stepping forward, it lets us know the city really cares about the youth of Cincinnati," said Richard Bedgood, president of the Buckeye Youth Football league. "Our programs are very important."
The Cincinnati Enquirer is a financial supporter of the Marvin Lewis Community Fund and another of its partner organizations, the Anthony Munoz Foundation.
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Football: Youth football league grows to 4,000
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Shelly Lewellen
Tucson Citizen
Football dreams are dancing in the heads of Tucson-area American Youth Football players. Their season starts Saturday with a record number of teams.
Jerry Dini, the local AYF conference president, said enrollment is booming.
"We have close to 4,000 kids participating this year," he said. "It's by far the largest group we've had."
The Tucson-area AYF conference is the Tucson Youth Football and Spirit Federation.
With a new association of teams from Vail coming into play, the federation will field 76 tackle and 26 flag teams, Dini said.
In addition, there are 78 cheerleading squads.
Dini said Vail-area residents worked very hard to get the association going.
"President and founder Wendy Counes was instrumental in getting this done," Dini said. "We didn't think there were enough kids out there, but enrollment has more than surpassed our expectation. It's a lot of hard work. It can take from $40,000 to $50,000 to start an association of teams."
The Vail Vikings practice and play games at Cienega High in Vail. Dallas Dukes, who coaches the Vikings' peewee players, said the players and coaches are eager to start. This is Dukes' first season with AYF.
He and his family moved to the area last October. Dukes coached youth football in Indianapolis, where he lived previously.
"The kids hit hard; they are pretty competitive already," Dukes said.
The pee-wee teams are for 11- and 12-year-olds.
"There are a lot of kids who are playing for their first time and that makes a huge difference," Dukes said. "So we're starting the year in division two to see where we belong."
Dukes said it's not all hard-nosed competition.
"I try to make it a learning and a growing experience. We really want the kids to have fun, too," he said.
Dukes' son, D.J., is the fullback for the team.
"I think the team is doing really well," D.J. Dukes, 11, said. "There are a lot of newbies, but our defense is really tough. We have a quarterback who is fast and tall."
Dukes, 4 feet 11 inches, also plays linebacker.
Tucson will host the AYF National Championships this winter. The event, Dec. 4-10, is expected to draw almost 100 teams from all over the nation. T
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Youth football coaches say 'no hard feelings'
By Franceen Shaughnessy
Staff Writer
Thursday, September 1, 2005
Two months ago, six suburban teams split from the Bay State Pop Warner Football League.
The league disbanded, and the move set off a flurry of reports and accusations.
Talk circulated that the suburban entrants - including Weymouth, Natick, Needham/Wellesley, Walpole, Norwood and Framingham - no longer wanted to play city teams. Complaints were filed about loud rap music, a sense of insecurity at White Stadium and a vague charge that the city teams were too rough. The names of parents and team officials who placed the complaints were never specified.
In turn, talks of racism surfaced among the city teams toward the suburban counterparts.
But coaches say the split was due more to the league's weight structure, and hoped that a recent Jamboree between city and suburban teams helped to set the record straight, especially for the kids. The Jamboree came about following a meeting between Boston Raiders coach Harry Wilson and Needham/Wellesley's John Sullivan.
"We knew we had to get these kids together in some fun event," Sullivan said.
So all six suburban teams and eight city teams met at White Stadium in Franklin Park on Aug. 20 for a day of fun and unity.
Sullivan said Pop Warner wouldn't allow for interleague scrimmages, but the teams participated in other interleague activities.
Josh Pruce, media relations for Pop Warner, said the league didn't allow for the interleague scrimmages because there would have been a different weight structure. Pop Warner has its own weight structure different from the suburban teams' new affiliation with the American Youth Football [League].
Nonetheless, Needham/Wellesley's David Schindler said it was a great day.
"...I think these teams that are playing [today] have a great amount of respect for the Boston Raiders," Dennis Wilson, Raiders assistant coach, told the Boston Herald following the game. "I think this will show those parents and programs that were reluctant to come into the city that it's safe and competitive, and that there's no reason to stay away."
According to coaches, it was Pop Warner's weight structure, among other reasons, that originally caused the teams to split from the Bay State Pop Warner Football League.
Under Pop Warner, for example, there can be 7- to 9-year olds with a 45-pound difference playing in the same division, Sullivan said.
According to the Pop Warner Little Scholars Web site, 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds who are between 45 and 90 pounds are in one division. Schindler said with Pop Warner's grouping, one kid could be double the weight of another child.
In Needham/Wellesley's new league, AYF], the squad is split up, Sullivan said. The 9-year-olds are in a separate squad because they know the game. The 7- and 8-year-olds are in another squad because they are just learning the game.
AYF allows for different structures, he said.
"We can tailor our program," Schindler said. "We can teach kids football at an even level."
The city teams are competitive teams with good coaches, he said.
"I don't think the [suburban] kids have ever had a problem with coming in to play against inner-city kids. I think it came from some unhappy, out-of-touch and prejudiced parents. But no one organization has ever been identified as not wanting to come in," Raiders assistant coach Wilson told the Herald.
Another draw to make the switch to the AYF, Schindler said, is that it's costing the suburban teams about one-eighth less than it did for Pop Warner.
Additionally, Sullivan said, with nationals, AYF lets the teams choose its transportation and accommodations. Whereas, he said, with Pop Warner, teams are offered three packages.
"The AYF doesn't charge anything of its teams," Wilson said, who noted that the Raiders were forced to raise $53,000 to send their C-level team to the national Pop Warner tournament in Florida last year. "The suburban teams left because of the Pop Warner's fees and its inability to subsidize teams going to its national tournament."
Wilson noted that consideration is being given to eventually joining the AYF.
Franceen Shaughnessy can be reached at fshaughn@cnc.com.
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Metro: ‘More than just football’ League teaches life’s lessons
October 12,2005.
The Journal Gazette
Fred Doughty stood in an end zone last Wednesday at Memorial Park Middle School taking his Omega Colts junior varsity football team through drills before its game with the Chargers.
After starting with some simple running plays, the 9- and 10-year-olds executed a couple of option pitches that would make former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne proud.
“You don’t want your kids out there looking sloppy,” Doughty would later say with a smile.
For 30 years, the Metro Youth Sports football league has shaped kids on and off the field.
There are close to 1,000 participants in this year’s football and cheerleading program for ages 7-12. Among Metro Youth Sports’ goals are to develop mutual and self-respect and to grow positive attitudes between youths, family members, peers and the community.
“It keeps kids out of trouble. It keeps them involved in something rather than running the streets,” said Doughty, a coach in the program for the past 13 years. “This league is a really good league for the kids and for the parents as well.
“So many kids get lost. We have a lot of parents working two jobs and a lot of single parents. By us being there, it helps out a lot. A lot of these kids look up to us coaches. I like working with them.”
Doughty can also speak from his experience as a player. Without hesitation – or much prodding – he’ll proudly point out that he was the starting quarterback for the Raiders in 1983 when they won the league’s Super Bowl, 45-0.
“We formed relationships, and bragging rights,” said Terence Bramley, who played for McCullough Center in 1976 and now has two sons participating in the program.
“To this day, we still talk about which team was better than which team at this time. You’ll carry it with you always.”
The program has three divisions: pee wee (7-8), junior varsity (9-10) and varsity (11-12). There are eight teams in the pee wee division and nine each in the junior varsity and varsity.
Wednesday, with several spectators parked in lawn chairs beyond the fence, an announcer called the action and two groups of cheerleaders went through routines – and that was just for the junior varsity game.
Bramley spent the evening cheering on his son Jibri, who plays on the Chargers’ junior varsity team.
“It’s well worth the watch,” he said. “You see some of these kids still coloring in coloring books, but they go out here and they can play the positions they came out here to play. They are tough and mean, but then they will come and hug their mom and dad and ask if they can go to Dairy Queen. It’s a trip how they change.”
Bramley’s 7-year-old son, Malik, is already well versed in the role of a linebacker.
“I learned how to keep my feet moving, from side to side, and if I see the person, just rush in and get him,” Malik said.
Who knows, Malik or Jibri might become the next Vaughn Dunbar. The former NFL running back is one of the famous alums of the program. Others include current college football players Larry Bostic (Ball State), Bernard Pollard (Purdue) and James Hardy (Indiana).
“Over 30 years, we have one of the best programs, not in the city, but across the country, from a black perspective, serving black children,” said Jim Winters, the program’s president. Winters said more than 100 volunteers lend a hand, assisting in everything from coaching to concessions to working the chains. The league is also looking for sponsors to help with the rising costs associated with providing items such as uniforms.
Metro is affiliated with the American Youth Football and Cheer association. Through the collaboration, three of the league’s teams will compete at the AYF championship Dec. 5-10 in Tucson, Ariz. Winters said 118 kids, including a group of cheerleaders, will make the bus trip to Arizona.
Next on the docket are the program’s annual playoffs. The first round begins 9 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Park Middle School. There will be eight games (four junior varsity and four varsity), leading up to the Metro Youth Sports Super Bowl on Oct. 23 at Wayne High School.
Beyond the playing field, Winters said plans are in place to link playing time to education. Some coaches, like Doughty, have already sat out kids as a way to stress the importance of performing well at school.
“It’s more than just football. We try to reach out to them, and help them with tutoring, meals, the league gives out free physicals to people who might otherwise be disadvantaged,” Bramley said. “It’s well worth the time and effort.”
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Southern Califiornia Youth Football Program To
Host New Orleans Area Team (I-Newswire) - ( PALOS VERDES
PENINSULA, CA )
A Los Angeles area youth football team felt compelled to do something in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; but it didn’t quite know how it could help. The team, the Palos Verdes “49ers”, decided it could encourage fellow 10 to 12-year olds boys from the New Orleans area by inviting them to Southern California to play a game of football and to enjoy Thanksgiving Day together.
The 49ers will host the “Eagles” from Pearl River, Louisiana ( a few miles North of Lake Ponchatrain ) in the 1st Annual Palos Verdes Scholastic Exchange Bowl on Thanksgiving Day, 1:00 pm, at Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, CA.
At halftime, Pete Carroll, Head Coach of USC Football, will speak. A $10 donation per ticket can be purchas
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Pearl River youth team heads west for Thanksgiving
By Jacob Brooks
ST. TAMMANY NEWS
PEARL RIVER - There's almost 2,000 miles separating the communities
of Palos Verdes, Calif., and Pearl River, La.. Palos Verdes, a
peninsula in Southern California, overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Pearl
River is nestled in the piney woods of Southeast Louisiana, just
north of Slidell. But an upcoming youth football trip is bringing
the distant communities much closer together.
On Thanksgiving day, the Pearl River Eagles and Palos Verdes 49ers,
teams comprised of 10- to 12-year-olds will play a game in
California that promises to ascend above the sport and show the
compassion that one American community can have for another.
It all started with a phone call from 49ers coach Marc Mills.
"He called me about a month and a half ago and asked me of the
possibilities of it," said Virgil Phillips, coach of the Eagles.
With the devastation of Hurricane Katrina still fresh, an invitation
to play (airfare included) in California was a spark of light during
a dark time.
"I need to go buy a
lottery ticket," Phillips said, comparing the seemingly random phone
call to winning the jackpot.
It was Katrina, however, that was at the root of the opportunity.
Considering the hurricane's devastation, Mills, along with his wife,
whose family is from Louisiana, began to think about what it would
be like to lose so much, including youth football.
Some of the players' families and coaches on the Eagles team lost
everything, others had to drop out of the program and three weeks of
the Eagles' season was cancelled.
"We thought about how special our team was," Mills said.
Youth football teaches so much to the players involved, Mills said,
including how to plan, prepare and execute.
"We thought that if there's any way to preserve that," Mills said,
then it was worth it.
And, "It's been great for our kids," he said, describing all the
effort his team and their families have put into organizing the
trip.
The 49ers 10- to 12-year-olds are taking what they do on the field -
planning, preparing, executing - and using those skills off the
field. California players' families are hosting Louisiana players
and really going all-out to make the trip a success for everyone,
Mills said.
The schedule for the Pearl River youth football players has them
arriving in Los Angeles Wednesday, then heading over to a meet and
greet as well as dinner. After spending the night with host
families, they'll wake up Thanksgiving Day and head over to Palos
Verdes Peninsula High School's football field to prepare for the 1
p.m. game.
The 49ers coach doesn't have a prediction on how the score might
turn out.
"We haven't exchanged intelligence," Mills said, adding he's looking
forward to a good matchup.
After the game, players and families head to a church in Palos
Verdes for Thanksgiving Dinner. On Friday they're scheduled to go to
a theme park, Knott's Berry Farm, and a harbor cruise off the coast.
The Pearl River football players will return home Saturday.
The American Youth Football Association, which both the Eagles and
49ers are a member of, helped Mills find a team. The 49ers coach
contacted other teams before Pearl River, but they weren't able to
go by Thanksgiving. But when Phillips got the call, he jumped right
on it.
"I really can't say enough about the people in California," said
Phillips, who travels to the Golden State along with 17 players and
four assistant coaches. Some of the Pearl River players' families
are also traveling.
After the Eagles' coach spoke with Mills, the whole situation seemed
too good to be true, Phillips said. But he knew the opportunity was
too big to pass up.
Since then, Pearl River players have been corresponding with their
opponents in California via mail, e-mail and over the phone.
And for many of them, just getting on an airplane will be a first.
"I haven't ever been on a plane," said Pearl River center Hunter
DeJean.
Hunter said he talked to the center on the Palos Verdes team about
the California community's coastal environment.
"How you can go the beach and put a foot in the ocean," Hunter said.
Of course, Hunter points out, that's similar to going to a beach
here near the Gulf of Mexico. Still, though, he is looking forward
to seeing the Pacific Ocean.
Linebacker Robby Daigre has talked to his California counterpart,
also a linebacker, "about what we could do when we get there," he
said.
Robby said he also let his host family know what kind of food he
likes best - pizza.
Of course they'll also be feasting on Thanksgiving food Thursday,
but what Robby is looking forward to most is pretty simple.
"Just having fun in California, and meeting my buddy," he said.
Even though Palos Verdes is taking care of many of the expenses,
Phillips said he is seeking donations from the local community to
cover expenses such as lodging, food and other incidentals. An
account (No. 20424255594) has been set up at Hibernia under the name
Pearl River Youth Football (bowl game).
"It's a time right now, we're getting a lot of support," Phillips
said, adding he appreciates the efforts of the community and the
Pearl River Youth Football Association.
What is Phillips looking forward to most on this trip?
"Seventeen smiling faces," he said. "And so many memories, they'll
last a lifetime."
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