NOVA "NFL" Youth Flag Program Overview
"2009 marks our 12th Year Anniversary in the Ashburn Community"
The NFL's Official Ashburn & Northern Virginia non-contact 5-on-5 flag football league and Summer Camp programs open to all kids ages 5 to 14. Proudly serving the community residents of Ashburn & Northern Virginia for the past twelve years. The league offers both a Fall League season and highly popular summer camp programs. Focus is on players "skills development" and "building confidence" for all kids regardless of talent levels. Programs available for the beginner all the way up to the highly competitive travel league player.
The National Football League is excited to have partnered with the NFL Youth Flag Football over the years. The NOVA Youth Flag Football league has since become one of the largest "NFL Flag" operators in the United States based on player membership enrollment. Around the country, boys and girls ages 5-14 enjoy playing in this fun "NFL Flag" youth program that promotes fitness and teaches youngsters valuable football lessons about teamwork and fair play. NFL Flag offers non-contact continuous action while using minimal equipment. The kids, coaches, referees and parents have simply fallen in love with our structured youth flag football program. Enrollment in our NOVA "NFL" Youth Flag Football League has increased each year since our inaugural season back in the Fall of 1997 to the point where we fill to capacity with a wait list each season.
Four Separate Age Divisions so all children can play
· Developmental Skills Division (age 5 years old)
· Mites Division (ages 6 to 8 years old)
· Junior Division (ages 9 to 11 years old)
· Major Division (ages 12 to 14 years old)
· Travel Teams in both the Junior & Major Divisions (pending coaches availability each season)
· Private & Semi Private Skills & Development Sessions available (thru DSP Sports Performance - League partner)
** based on the age of your child on September 1st
Fall Season League Schedule & General Information
· Fall Season Regular Season Games played on Saturday's in Ashburn.
· Season Starts in early September and runs thru mid November. (practices 1-2 times per week - start in late August)
· Playoffs for all teams and Super Bowl Championships for the winners !
· NFL Sponsored Regional & National Tournaments - Several of our league teams over the years have won the Baltimore NFL Youth Flag Regional and earned and all expense paid trip to the NFL Flag Nationals held in Orlando and televised by ESPN TV !
Summer Camp Programs - Week long camps from 9:00am -12:00noon held in late June and early August.
· Focus on Skills Development in a structure fun filled environment.
· Experienced trained adult coaches and High School and College players as camp counselors .
· Professional "Speed, Power & Agility" training by the certified staff at Dynamic Sports Performance (DSP)
· End of the week tournament games
· Washington Redskins staff/player appearances
What NOVA "NFL" Youth Flag Football Member Receives
National Football League Youth Sponsored Affiliation & Membership
NFL Quality Team Identified Reversible football Jersey & flag belt for the player to keep.
Participation in recognized youth community service "Charity" Programs (for school & other community service requirements)
Trophies (Individual players) to top teams.
Individual Players Certificates of Achievement Award for ALL players
Velocity Sports Team training session - speed, power & agility training (held at the Velocity Sports Performance facility in Ashburn)
Player and team photographs from Memory Maker Photographers.
Trained Instructors, Coaches and Referees that focus on skills development.
Travel teams opportunities to participate in NFL Regional & National Tournaments
Coaches Sponsored End of the Year Team Party
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the league policy on "playing time"? : The NOVA “NFL” Youth Flag Football League is a “house” league open to all children ages 5 to 14 years old – regardless of skill level. Therefore it is league policy that ALL kids play approximately 50% of the total plays in the game. The only exception to this rule would be for disciplinary reasons, or for continued excess practices being missed. In addition, with the exception of the QB position, all players should have an opportunity to play both offense and defense each game – and at different positions during the course of the season (not necessarily different positions each and every game). This policy includes for the Playoffs and Super Bowls.
ZERO TOLERANCE RULE : . What is being described is verbal abuse towards league officials, coaches, parents, opposing players, in front of the kids by a coach, player or parent that disagrees with a “call” that a referee made - or an any other action on or off the field. Referees and coaches in all youth league sports (not just our league) are very hard to find – and then train. Our league like may others, has a very hard time finding referees to officiate our games. There will be ZERO TOLERANCE with permanent ejection at the fields for any adult (or child for that matter) that abuses another individual.
GAME SUMMARIES & WRITE UPS : Referees are responsible for reporting the final scores to the league and will confirm the final score with the winning coach after the game. Coaches do not need to report final game scores to the league.
However – each team can send in a written game write up via email to novaflag@mindspring.com by SUNDAY EVENING at 8:00pm. These game summary write ups should be a few paragraphs that highlights their game and kids. Both winning and losing teams are encourage to send in these write ups that will be posted on the league web site at www.novaflag.com. Most coaches ask for a volunteer parent to handle these write ups to send to the league. It is not mandatory – but a nice feature the kids, parents and even the out of town grandparents/relatives love. Again – due to the many hours it takes to proof read and publish on the league web site – we ask that all write ups be sent to the league by 8:00pm on Sunday evenings (or they cannot appear in that weeks game summary write up section on the league web site).
ROSTERS : Rosters once published from the league are final – and each roster has the same amount of equal age kids as all others. In the history of the league, this has proven to create a competitive balance greater then youth sports league that holds “so called” drafts of players (which often get manipulated).
Despite many parents asking to have their child placed on a friend’s team (for many different reasons) – the league has stated to all parents that requested that it is logistically impossible to accommodate these requests when the league is so large. We ask that you do not send an email asking to have your child placed on a friend or specific coach's team.
SCHEDULES : Once published in late August – schedules are FINAL and cannot be changed. Often coaches will request a simply change in a game time slot in the middle of the season after the schedules have been out. While on paper it seems like nothing major, please keep in mind that if the league accommodates one coach request, it must accommodate ALL coaches requests (and the league gets many each season). A simply one game change in schedule involves four teams having their game time moved – and this effects the parents of all of these teams that may have scheduled their Saturdays around an already published league schedule of ours.
Home teams will be the 2nd team listed on the schedules and will wear their white jerseys – unless both coaches agree otherwise.
RAIN OUTS & INCLEMENT WEATHER HOTLINE : Games will be played in a light drizzle – but will not be played in heavy rain or if the fields are too muddy and risk damages. The league has built in a rain date should we need to make up any games due to inclement weather. As a rule – the league web site will post details on cancellations early on Saturday mornings (as well as throughout that day).
LEAGUE STANDINGS & PLAYOFFS : Each team qualifies for the playoffs. Playoffs will be single elimination format with multiple playoff rounds (games) being played the same day. There will be two weeks of playoffs with the Super Bowls being played at the conclusion of this second week.
League standings will be determined by WON-LOST records. Teams tied in the standings will be broken by “head to head” matchups. Where 3 or more teams are tied and one team has not beaten all of the others – then LOWEST AMOUNT of POINTS AGAINST (given up) will be used as the tie breaker.
COACHES ON THE FIELD : Below is league policy ;
** Mites Divisions : One coach is allowed in the huddle on offense as well as one coach out on the field with the defense. Please note that once the play starts, both coaches must immediately back away towards the sidelines as to not interfere with the game action.
** Juniors Division (9 to 11 year olds) : Only the Offensive coach is allowed on the field (and only in the huddle). No defensive coach is allowed to be on the field in the Junior Division and must coach from the sidelines his defensive unit. This is a change from past seasons !
** Majors Division ( 12 to 14 year olds) : No coach is allowed on the field. Must coach from the sidelines.
PRACTICES : Practices as a general rule are held in the Ashburn & neighboring vicinities once or twice times per week (pending the coach). Coaches are not official assigned practice days or locations by the league. Coaches can schedule practices on any date or times they so choose. The league advertises to parents that most coaches hold one practice per week during the season, and maybe a few more per week the days leading up to the start of the regular season. However, coaches have the final determination on the practice schedule. The league does have field permits to use Fields in Ashburn Village seven days and nights per week starting in late August. However - coaches may choose to use fields of there choice to hold practices.
SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS : Each Summer the NOVA "NFL" Youth Flag Football League holds summer camp programs in Ashburn that features week long fun and excitement of flag football drills, games and skills development. Professional "Speed, Power & Agility" training is provided by the staff at "DSP Sports Performance". Visits by current and former Washington Redskins personnel is also a highlight of the camp week. Please note that our summer camp programs are highly popular. Registration will open up in early Spring for our SUMMER CAMP 2009 PROGRAMS.
TRAVEL TEAM PROGRAMS : Our league offers our more skilled competitive flag football athletes in the Junior & Major Divisions the opportunity to play on travel teams that participate in NFL Flag Regional & National Tournaments - as well as games versus other flag league travel teams from across the country. Several of our travel teams in the past few years have advanced and earned all expenses paid trip to the NFL Flag Nationals held at the Wide World of Sports Athletic Complex at Disneyland - and televised on ESPN TV.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS NOW AVAILABLE - In response to parents heavy demand - The NOVA "NFL Youth Flag Football is now offering through our league partner Dynamic Sports Performance (DSP) private & semi private skills development sessions for those parents looking to improve their child's flag football skills, speed, agility & coordination.
