The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 14 No. 7 - December 11, 2013

sports

Island NFL Flag Football season begins

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

scott dell | submitted

Teams are formed and ready for the start of the
Center’s 2014 winter NFL Flag Football

Are you ready for some football? The Anna Maria Island Community Center sure is. Last week marked the beginning of the NFL Flag Football season.

The Center’s Athletic Department registered 242 players and drafted those players into 35 different teams. The Community Center runs the only NFL Flag Football program in the area. Each team will have a local sponsor and wear a jersey from a NFL team.

Here is a preview run-down of the teams in each division: In the 5-7-year-old age group there are three teams – Broncos, Buccaneers and Packers); in the 8-10-year old age group there are seven teams – Buccaneers, Cardinals, Cowboys, Dolphins, Patriots, Ravens and Vikings; in the 11-13-year-old age group there are five teams – Buccaneers, Cardinals, Colts, Ravens and Seahawks; in the 14-17-year-old age group there are eight teams – Bears, Bengals, Browns, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jaguars, Lions and Seahawks; in the 18 & Up adult age group there are six teams – Bears, Bengals, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Giants and Seahawks; and in the 30 & Up adult age group there are six teams – Bills, Buccaneers, Colts, Dolphins, Raiders and Vikings.

Center Athletic Director Matt Ray said, “It is an exciting time of year at the Center’s athletic fields. This is my first actual season as the new athletic director and I’m looking forward to providing another awesome year.

“We set a record for most teams in a division this year with eight in the teens’ 14-17-year-old league. It is great to see that kind of interest from that age group at an all-time high. We also have two divisions in the adult flag for the first time ever.”

Practices for teams will begin this week and the first regular season games will start after Jan. 7. The season will also have a spirit day jamboree scheduled in January.

Still time for Island Sports!

There is still time to register for the upcoming sports leagues and tournaments on the Island. Opportunities for new and exciting ways to get fit in the new year at the Community Center include:

Christmas Indoor Soccer Tourney

The very popular Christmas Indoor Soccer Tournament is back after a two year break. Ray is bringing back the holiday tradition to the Center by popular demand.

The double elimination tournament will run from Dec. 12 through 19. Game times will vary in the weekday evenings and all day on the Saturday and Sunday, depending upon the age groups.

In the youth divisions, male and female age groups will be divided separately as Under 8; Under 10; Under 14; and Under 16. Playing age determination is based upon the player’s age on July 31, 2013.

In the Adult Division, it will be a co-ed format. Every team will have to have at least one female on the floor at all times. The adult division has not existed in over 10 years, but it has been brought back due to the popular demand.

Only the first six teams entered in each division will be accepted. Sign up as a team only before Dec. 9 and with a minimum of six players and a maximum of 12 per team. A mandatory coaches meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.

For more information and how you can get involved, call Ray at 778-1908, ext. 9205, or e-mail him at Matt@myamicc.com. You can also visit the website at IslandCommunityCenter.com.

Youth Afterschool Tennis

The Center is offering a new winter after school tennis lesson program. The program will start on Jan. 8, 2014, and run in eight week cycles. This program will be made possible by KidServe, the USTA and the Center.

The program all starts with a USTA Free Tennis Play Day after school on Dec. 11 from 3:30 to 5:30. This will give children of all levels the opportunity to tryout the tennis program and have fun.

The first eight-week session begins on Jan. 8, 2014. Ages 8-under will play from 3:30 to 4 p.m.: and ages 9 and up will play from 4 to 5 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday.

Those children that need transportation kids can join the Center’s TLC After school program, be picked up at the Anna Maria Elementary School, fed a snack, get homework help and then go to the tennis program. Scholarships are available for those that qualify.

For more information and how you can get involved, call Jennifer Griffith at 778-1908, ext. 9204, or e-mail her at JenniferG@myamicc.com.

Adult Co-Ed Tennis

The Community Center, for the first time, is offering a new tennis league for adults as part of their winter season. Male and female tennis players ages 18 and up can sign up as individuals or together as doubles partners.

Games will be played on Tuesday nights at the Center’s courts. Age divisions are 18 to 39 years old and also 40 years and over. The league will consist of the first 36 players to register. Match play will begin the second week of January and run eight to 10 weeks concluding with a championship tournament.

For more information and how you can get involved, call Ray at 778-1908, ext. 9205, or e-mail him at Matt@myamicc.com. You can also visit and register on-line at IslandCommunityCenter.com.

 

 

Cooking classes coming in February

The weather this week has been amazing in the entire country. My old reporter-anchor memories came reeling back as I looked at the radar images in most of the states above Florida – a reminder that I don’t work for the chamber of commerce and do this column as a volunteer. But I bet you’re as glad as I am to be right here in paradise.

I have never seen such a large splotch of pink on a radar map. It had nothing to do with breast cancer and everything to do with massive ice storms. And some snow behind it for good measure.

I was reminded how much I don't miss working in Des Moines where I spent 18 long torturous months when I first started my 18 years of TV news. That's why when a job offer came up to work as a primetime anchor in Salt Lake City or as a lowly reporter in Miami, I didn't hesitate for a second.

That worked out for a lot of reasons, mainly because I would meet my husband who shares with me our love of Florida. And one just can't help but love Florida even more looking at the weather radar map.

It seems everywhere with this week people were talking about it. From the half marathon I did last week, to the 10K (6.1 miles) on Sunday – everybody was so grateful.

If you happen to be reading this from someplace other than Florida and bad weather has you thinking about visiting here soon, just do it!

If you’re going to be here in February, you could plan them around my Thursday cooking classes. They will be at the Anna Maria Island Community Center on all four Thursdays in February starting at noon. The cooking series called A Taste of Vegan will feature recipes from my books. I’ll also conduct an immersion weekend following each class, if enough people let me know they’re interested.

So if you have always been curious about what it's like to eat vegan food, this will be your chance. The classes are incredibly cheap. I am charging enough to hopefully cover the food expenses and the fee that goes to the Community Center for turning on the lights and washing the floor, which as you can imagine, is pretty nasty after a cooking class. You may recall that I taught cooking classes at the Community Center for six years before my current books came out.

So be sure if you want space in the class to make a reservation with the Community Center. You can find out more about my classes and more on my website.

A couple of milestones this week. The title of my third book was announced by my publisher, "Paleo vegan." I was surprised since I live in the fitness world, that so many people don't know about the Paleo concept that has swept the country and Amazon the last few years.

Basically, Paleo is healthier version of high protein diets of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It eliminates dairy and is based on the concept of what our ancestors ate in Paleolithic times. I always ask that question of my audiences, “What did our ancestors eat? What did Mother Nature intend?”

Unlike some of the Paleo authors, I don't believe that we were more hunters than gatherers. The concept goes back to the Paleolithic time from 10,000 to about 1.5 million years ago. But since there weren’t any cameras then, no one really knows for sure what humans were eating. Buffalo and other wildlife didn't come strolling into the backyard very often. And they weren’t easy to catch and lasso when they did.

The other milestone was that I placed in my 60th 5K race or longer since 2006. I got my fourth Senior Grand Masters award at the Suncoast Striders Heritage Harbour 10K in Bradenton… not just the usual five-year age group award, but the 10-year category from 60-69 as well.

The only other female older than me, won the Veteran Grand Masters award. Sandra Webber, who as it turns out, told me a few races ago when we paced each other, that she too, eats vegan (nothing with a mother or face). Many athletes find that a vegan diet enhances performance and speeds in recovery. Gotta run!

You can follow Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones on her Facebook page and keep up with her just released book:,"Eat Vegan on $4 a Day," or her website: www.vegcoach.com. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and running coach. For training in a gym or private hire, contact Ellen at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.


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