SMYAC Flag Football
Who we are
The Prince Frederick Eagles (PFE) is a community, non-profit, volunteer organization providing the area youth (4-15 years of age) the opportunity to engage a constructive and active lifestyle while mentally and emotionally growing in a fun and family-friendly environment. PFE proudly offers recreational football, cheerleading, poms, and lacrosse programs, as well as select basketball, lacrosse, and baseball programs.
Registration is currently open for our fall recreation programs of football, cheerleading, and poms at http://www.princefrederickeagles.com.
What is SMYAC Flag Football?
PFE Flag Football is a full participation and fun activity built within the football framework typically practicing twice a week with one game on the weekend. PFE Flag Football is for boys and girls with birthdates between August 1st, 2010 and Decembe 31st, 2012. The first practice is August 1st and the season runs to about mid-November. The teams play approximately a dozen games against other area youth organizations in Calvert, St. Mary’s, and Charles counties.
Each player’s equipment consists of a team jersey (given by PFE to the player to keep as a part of registration) and a set of flags (provided by the coach for use during practice and games.) The playing field is approximately 20 yards wide and length is sideline to sideline on a normal football field. During a game, each team is provided 5 plays on offense and then 5 plays on defense. This sequence continues until time allotted for the game expires. During a flag football play, the offensive team will snap the ball as done in regular football. The offensive players will look to move the ball down the field while trying to impede and engage defensive players whom will be looking to reach the offensive ball carrier so they may pull a flag attached to a belt around the player’s waist. By pulling the flag, the play is ended. Typically at this age, most – if not all – plays are running plays. With PFE and our flag football approach, we do our best in the allotted opportunities to get each player a chance to run the ball each game. Some contact at this age group is inevitable, however the players are taught not to tackle, not to “finish” blocks, and how to and not to impede other players.
What are our goals?
Our goals are to teach the players on the foundation of sport to include the concepts of teamwork, discipline, focus, and opportunity. While engaging the players, we also stress the importance of school and respect – on and off the field – to include teammates, coaches, parents, and teachers.
Our athletic focus is based on the USA Hockey American Development Model (ADM), which for this age focuses on the ABC’S of athletic development – Agility, Balance, Coordination, and Speed – while having fun and typically not even recognizing they are “practicing” certain skills.
Winning is a goal and a mentality we set with our young players, however our coaches look to put a model in place where winning is not necessarily determined by the scoreboard, but a tailored list of objectives. Even the youngest of players recognize elements of winning and losing. With this mind, we facilitate the opportunity for teaching the players about setting and reaching goals and how to act and respond in both “winning” and “losing” situations. With providing such an opportunity in a closely supervised environment, coaches and parents have the ability to observe the player and team behavior to determine strengths, weaknesses, and teaching points.
Though many activities will focus of football-specific activities needed to create a successful game environment and preparation steps for tackle football, a majority of time is intended to transcend football with investment on skills and concepts applicable to everyday life.
How we help your children which you may not know
Our top priority is for all children to enjoy the experience while growing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Attention to this priority will be recognized immediately within the organization’s operations and fun activities engaged during the first practices.
Flag football teams are constructed with the child’s mental well being and development in mind and are not based on skill or experience. We do our best to accommodate team placement requests for friends and carpoolers to be together. PFE takes placement a step farther realizing many of our flag football players are about to engage one of the toughest transitions to date with starting at a new school, we attempt to setup teams based on the school to be attending. Our practices start August 1st, so the children (and parents) can create important relationships several weeks prior to the new school year starting. Over the past several years, this technique has shown to help children transition to their new surroundings by having recognizable faces and friends day 1 of school.
Additional information
Feel free to obtain additional information on the PFE website at http://www.princefrederickeagles.com, by email to our Flag Coordinator Justin Wyvill at
, and on Facebook.
PFE is always looking for volunteers to help the mission of advancing our youth. The organization is primarily a parent driven operation. If you are interested helping out, please contact us at
or by submitting the relevant information on our standard online coach application by clicking here. There are varying levels of involvement and any assistance improves the experience and is appreciated. Prior coaching experience is not required.
Please come join our PFE family!
