The 2013 Saturday Morning Footy summer session is set to begin June 8 at Bluemont Park in Arlington VA.  It should be a great season with 6 sessions running to July 20 (with a break for July 4).

Each session will begin at 9am (SHARP!!) and run to 10.30am.  Players should arrive about 10 minutes before so that they can have a kick of the footy with their mates and their parents. We will begin at 9am with an introduction including going over the three most important skills in footy - handball (hand passing), kicking (punting) and marking (catching).  We will then warm up and break into groups to work on particular skills including foot and hand skills, as well as team play.  Each session ends with a match.  Then we have snacks!

The U15s will break out and work on skills with our experienced and knowlegable coaches and play in matches that are both fun and competitive.

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Spring is in the air and so are the footy’s! Lions won the NAB Cup and now the regular AFL season is just getting underway and so too should our preparations for the summer sessions of Saturday Morning Footy. It is a good reminder that we all need to get in shape and focus on fitness. It was good to see some familiar faces out on the field (Marina, Daniel, CJ). It was also nice to see some new faces … Yeah I noticed those North Melbourne jumpers…much better than that horrible black and white team I will not mention here.

The spring training was great! We started the workout with emphasis on the basic skills and shaking off the winter rust. Some of us, unfortunately, did absolutely nothing during the off season and needed to get loose. After the general session we divided the group up to work on specifics.  The under 8’s focused on skills development and fun while the older kids learned roving skills and how to shepherd. Both sides played great games and I know that they had a lot of fun. I even heard a rumor that even Coach Chris kicked a goal, WOW, shocker. Fantastic job Eagles and Blues!

As always I could go on and on with people to thank (Chris, Deena, Joao, Brenda and others), but instead I will end with this. I was impressed with the level of involvement from the Parents and Eagles players at the spring training sessions. That type of involvement is an important part of the continued development of the program. Your time, treasures and talents are always welcomed. We can always use the help and there are plenty of training aids and opportunities for those of us not brought up with the game.

Either way, I can’t wait to see everyone for the summer sessions of Saturday Moring Footy.  Come bring a friend and introduce them to this great game!

March 23 is the Eagles Open Day with a SMF clinic kicking things off at 9am.  The program will take place at Long Bridge #1, which is the new turf field in Crystal City Arlington VA.  The program is for boys and girls aged 5 to 15.  No experience is necessary at it is FREE!

March is Colon Cancer Awareness month, so in support of the 1 million colon cancer survivors, please WEAR BLUE and consider donating to Chris4Life.  Chris4Life (no relation) is a DC based charity that works to raise awareness of colon cancer, increase screening and fund research.

The 90 minute program will include fun game and activities for boys and girls aged 5 to 9.  The U9 program will work on learning the skills and rules of Australian football.  The session will end with a non-contact game.  The U15 group will work on drills and games to teach skills, teamwork and communication.  The U15 group will also end with a game.

 The 2012 Saturday Morning Footy Annual Report is now available .  The seventh year of the program ended with our Winter Camp and some 98 girls and boys participating over the last twelve months.  Since the program was founded in 2006 it has grown steadily, with participating doubling around every three years.  We are very grateful to all the parents, coaches, and Baltimore Washington Eagles players that made 2012 such a great success.  This program is only as successful as the volunteers that help make it run.

The 2012 Winter Camp was another resounding success. The Washington and Lee High School field was a great venue for our youngsters to display their talents especially with all the other people that are out there exercising and watching.

On this chilly December morning, we started the Training Session with a special treat from Coach Chris: an exciting game of Sharks and Minnows. I think he does that just to remind me that I need to continue my conditioning efforts during the off- season, but I don’t have proof of that… yet. After we were warm, the group worked on skills development with an emphasis on kicks and handballs. You would think that after being in the program for as long as I have, I would be better at those skills. As always, both the newcomers and old timers showed-me up and continue to dazzle me with their love of the game and their exceptional talents.

After some initial work, we split the group. The under 9’s worked on kicking, handballs and played a game of “Rob the Nest.” The older kids focused on similar skills adding an emphasis on communications while moving the ball in traffic. At one point, we had six crossing lines passing and dodging. It was a little crazy with everyone moving through the middle but the kids were having fun.

The under 9’s divided-up and had a game. They suited up as Blues and Eagles. Coach Matty told me afterwards that the youngsters combined to produce over 60 points between the two sides… without even trying. Excellent job Eagles and Blues!

The under 15’s played a game of Kids versus Parents. The two sides combined to generate over 80 points, but in keeping with tradition, the outnumbered parents again beat the kids. Good job parents and kids… but I believe that the kids will have the last laugh, as I am already feeling sore in too many places to count.

Just when I thought it could not get any better… someone, you know who you are… gave out a box of 2012 AFL cards. WOW what frenzy! I am still not sure how I ended up with nothing …especially when I started with a couple of packets, traded them for my beloved Western Bulldogs and now nothing. I suspect that some of those Collingwood, Sydney, Hawthorne, and St Kilda supporters got the better of me…again!

It was another great winter camp. Thanks to everyone who assisted and participated with special thanks going out to Chris Adams and Deena Ackerman. I look forward to seeing you all in the spring, until then keep practicing.