Posted:  August 14, 2009:  Charity Event #2 ASPCA / FW Animal Care & Control (Sat. August 29th) 

 On Saturday, August 29th our league will sponsor our 2nd community charity event.  This time we will be bringing in donations to help support both the Allen County SPCA and Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control.  Both of these facilities help provide food, shelter, safety to abused animals,  medical care, spay & neuter assistance and adoption of abandoned animals. 

Donations we are requesting from teams are: CANNED Dog & Cat food (any brand - this is the BIGGEST NEED), Old but CLEAN towels, sheets & blankets (without stuffing), Monetary Donations (spare change collected by the teams - every 50 cents will be counted as an item), new dog or cat toys, and rawhide bones.

Items may be turned in at the games on Saturday, August 29th.  We will count the items & announce winners by the next game.

This event is being sponsored by ULTRAZONE.  This is a great Laser Tag & Game facility located on 1104 W. Coliseum Blvd and they were excited to help us reward our top division winners with a FREE GAME OF LASER TAG! 

(For more info on their facility you can contact them at 260/471-6719 or visit their website at www.ultrazoneftw.com )

 Posted:  August 14, 2009:  Charity Event #1 YWCA Crisis Shelter (held August 8th) - Winners Announced!

 On Saturday, August 8th our league sponsored our very first community charity event.  Our teams brought in donations of school supplies and toiletry items to be donated to the Fort Wayne YWCA Crisis Shelter. 

The YWCA Crisis Shelter provides immediate crisis intervention and shelter for women, children and men who are escaping a domestic violence situation.  They provide safety, food, clothing, personal care items, transportation, domestic violence education, support groups, resources, legal navigation assistance, case manament and programs for children.  Many times when victims come to the shelter, they arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs - most are leaving a situation in which they must first think of safety for them & their children before considering their belongings.  Basic needs must be met to start rebuilding lives.  Donations provided will help these people begin developing a new life.

Various local Pizza Huts have joined forces with us to provide a reward for the top donating team in each age division.  The Pizza Huts located on West State, Waynedale, Lima Road, Pine Valley (Coldwater Rd) and Northcrest Shopping Center (Coliseum Blvd) were happy to donate 1 free Personal Pan Pizza to each team member & their coaches for their community spirit and thoughtfulness.

The YWCA  Crisis Shelter was very grateful for all of the items and was extremely appreciative of everyone who donated!  Fort Wayne Flag Football, the YWCA Crisis Shelter and Pizza Hut want to say THANK YOU to everyone who donated!  It is you who make a difference in other people’s lives and in our community!

Posted:  August 14, 2009:  PROMOTE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT & GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP ON & AROUND THE FIELDS

To all coaches, players AND parents / spectators - PLEASE practice good sportsmanship.  We want this to be an encouraging and POSITIVE environment for ALL the children who participate.  Applaud good plays for both teams.  Refrain from NEGATIVE comments.  This only belittles the person making the negative comments and does not provide a good example for these kids.  Of course we enjoy competition, but not at the expense of putting down others.  THANK YOU

Posted:  July 16, 2009:  LEAGUE FUNDRAISERS - Sponsoring Tournament Teams & Future Scholorship Fund

There will be a few fundraisers that the league will be doing this year to help support our Tournament Teams tournament registration fee ($150 per team) and to provide a Scholarship Fund for players for next year.

We will be selling League T-Shirts as one of those fundraisers. 

• The t-shirts will look similar to the Board of Directors t-shirts with a front-left pocket design & design on the back.
• Costs:  $12 for Children’s sizes and Adult sizes (AS - AXL).  $15 for Adult sizes A2XL - A3XL.
• Order Dates:  We will begin taking orders for t-shirts starting this upcoming weekend, July 18th.  Order deadline will be August 8th.  (We should receive t-shirts approximately 2 weeks after final orders are placed on 8/10)
• Colors:  you may choose almost any color from the display sample we have.  (Colors not available:  Black or Navy)
• Payment:  We will accept CASH or Personal Check only.  (Please note:  NSF / Insufficient Funds on Checks will be assessed a $30 NSF fee.)

Other fundraisers will be announced  at a later date.  However, 1 possible fundraiser we are working on is a raffle of several Indianapolis Colts game tickets.  Keep an eye out for this!

***PLEASE consider supporting this league, the children & our tournament teams!  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! :)

Posted:  June 24, 2009:    Heat Illnesses in Children

        7 Tips to Prevent Dehydration in Children:      www.webmd.com/parenting/prevent-dehydration-children

        Heat Illness:      www.childrensmemorial.org/depts/sportsmedicine/heat-illness.aspx

         Heat Exhaustion & Heat Stroke:  http://kidshealth.org/parent/fitness/safety/heat_exhaustion_heatstroke_sheet.html

Posted:  June 16, 2009    "Lighten Up, Parents! - Psychological Aspects of Youth Sports"

This is an article for all coaches & parents to read.  It’s called "Lighten Up, Parents! - Psychological Aspects of Youth Sports" by Michael L. Sachs, a sports psychologist.

Click on the link below to read the article:

findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2666_129/ai_67328811/print

Posted:  June 16, 2009    Principles for Parents (from the NFL Youth Football Website)

Principles for Parents

• As a parent, you understand the daily pressures your child faces. We believe that football should be an outlet for fun. Encourage your child and allow them to have a good time.
• Remember that your child learns more from your actions than your words. Practice good sportsmanship by being respectful to players, parents and coaches on both teams.
• There is nothing wrong with applauding a good play made by the opponents. Parents can be good role models by appreciating the efforts made by both teams.
• Most coaches are volunteers and work hard at what they do. To lessen confusion, and out of respect for their position, please allow your child’s coach to be the only one coaching players on the field.
• Please refrain from loud or rude behavior.
• Offer encouragement and positive reinforcement, not criticism, to your star player.
• Encourage discipline by having your child arrive on time for practices and games.
• Belonging to a team requires commitment. Parents can help children understand this through regular attendance and preparation.
• Whenever possible, volunteer. This shows participants the value of being a team player.
• Please respect the officials and their calls. It’s OK to disagree, but inappropriate to disparage.