ITEM ONE:

GLOBAL JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP TRYOUTS UNDERWAY

The teams that will contest the sixth annual Global Junior Championship during Super Bowl week in New Orleans this January are starting to take shape on opposite sides of the Atlantic.  This weekend in Düsseldorf, Germany, Team Europe head coach TONY ALLEN will direct 70 prospects during a three-day minicamp.  Players from 10 countries will compete for a roster spot as Team Europe seeks to win its second championship in the past three years.  “We have an opportunity to evaluate these players through a true training camp situation,” said coach Allen.  “Bringing youngsters in from all corners of Europe is a major exercise and we are limited in the number of times we can be together.  Those players who are smart football players are the ones we’re looking for.”  Team USA head coach DON WATTIGNY of Karr High School in New Orleans will choose players from nominations sent in by coaches throughout the area.  Final selections will be made on December 6, the night before the Louisiana State championship game.  Europe will face Team USA at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30 in the tournament semifinal in New Orleans, following a matchup between Canada and Japan.  The championship will be played on Saturday, February 2.

ITEM TWO:

NORMANDEAU NAMED NFL/CFL HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE YEAR

The NFL and CFL have named PAUL NORMANDEAU of Kelvin High School in Winnipeg, Manitoba as the NFL/CFL High School Coach of the Year.  As part of Coach Normandeau’s award, the football program at Kelvin will receive $7,500 in new Wilson and Riddell equipment, courtesy of the NFL and CFL.  “Coach Normandeau has inspired a lot of young football players in Manitoba, and we’re proud to recognize that,” said GORDON SMEATON, NFL International senior director of marketing.   “Our winner exemplifies everything our award represents – a long-term commitment to coaching that goes beyond the won-loss column.”  Normandeau was selected from high school coaches from across Canada to receive the honor.  The NFL/CFL High School Coach of the Year award, in its third year, is not based on wins and losses, but rather on recognizing coaches who positively impact the lives of their players.  SCOTT COE, a Kelvin graduate starting at linebacker for the Manitoba Bisons, nominated Normandeau.  For drafting the winning nomination, Coe has earned an additional $1,000 in funding for the University of Manitoba football program. A panel of NFL and CFL officials, as well as journalists from across Canada, selected the winner.

ITEM THREE:

ENGLAND TAKES ON SCOTLAND FOR SKY SPORTS NFL SUNDAY TROPHY

England will seek revenge against traditional rival Scotland on Sunday, December 9 when the two nations meet at Saffron Lane Stadium in Leicester for the Sky Sports NFL Sunday Trophy.  The under-19 youth football teams feature many players who hope to ultimately earn a roster spot on Team Europe at the Global Junior Championship next January in New Orleans.  “We are delighted to give promising football stars of the future a platform on which to shine,” said Sky Sports American football producer KARL BAUMANN, whose network will show highlights of the game during NFL coverage later this season.  “We are pleased to support American football at the grassroots level.”