FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                         CONTACT:
 NFL-134                11/18/03                                                                          Lori Hamamoto, NFL
                                                                                                                   hamamotol@nfl.com, 212/450-2435
 

YOUNGSTERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

COMPETE IN NFL FLAG NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

SATURDAY AT WALT DISNEY’S WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS ® COMPLEX

 

Winning Teams From Regional Tournament Compete for NFL Youth Football Crown
 

The 2003 NFL FLAG football champions will be crowned Saturday, November 22 at the NFL FLAG National Tournament of Champions at DISNEY’S WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS ® Complex in Orlando, Florida.

Teams have advanced to the National Championship tournament from a pool of approximately 100,000 kids who participated in NFL FLAG across the United States, 30 percent of whom are girls. All teams qualified for the NFL FLAG National Championships by virtue of their NFL FLAG regional tournament performances in October.

Teams will compete for titles in 9-11 Year Old Co-ed; 12-14 Year-Old Girls and 12-14 Year-Old Boys Divisions. Teams hail from the following areas:

·         Atlanta

·         Baltimore

·         Miami

·         New York City

·         Nevada

·         Oakland

For the third consecutive year, ESPN and ESPN2 will televise the NFL FLAG National Tournament of Champions.  Former NFL star quarterback BOOMER ESIASON, the official spokesperson for NFL FLAG, will host the telecasts.  Esiason also is an NFL FLAG coach for his children’s teams.

“We’re very excited about this year’s field of NFL FLAG Tournament of Champions finalists,” said NFL Senior Director of Youth Football Cedric Jones. “To advance to this level, these teams not only have shown talent on the football field, but also a high level of teamwork. All of these teams play well together.”

Parents or guardians may register their children to play in NFL FLAG leagues by calling 1-800-NFL-SNAP or by logging on to www.nflyouthfootball.com.

Developed by the NFL, NFL FLAG teaches values and life skills on and off the football field. The program emphasizes safety, fun, teamwork, self-esteem, discipline and goal-setting.  NFL FLAG is a non-contact version of traditional football and is offered for boys and girls ages 6-14.

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