World Footy News

The largest youth Australian football program in the United States, Saturday Morning Footy, begins its 6^th year on June 18.  The program started in 2006 with 22 boys and girls participating in two sessions.  In 2010, over 100 boys and girls participated in six sessions throughout the year, including one with AFL Coaching Director Peter Schwab.  In 2011, we are hoping to run five sessions in the summer with over 150 participants.  The program is free to participants and operates through the generous donation of time and money by parents and volunteers, as well as support from the Baltimore Washington Eagles ARFC and the Australian Embassy Social Club.

 Saturday Morning Footy comprises of a clinic based program for boys and girls aged 5 to 8 and a coed tag/flag league for ages 9 to 15.  The clinic based program is derived from AFL Auskick – a highly successful youth sporting program with over 70,000 participants in Australia.  Auskick emphasizes teaching the skills and rules of Australian football through fun games and activities.  The coed tag/flag league will place emphasis on fun and learning the game of Australian football in a low-key competitive environment.

Saturday Morning Footy is run by the United States Australian Football League and the Baltimore Washington Eagles Australian Rules Football Club.  The USAFL began in 1997 and is a grassroots amateur sports organization dedicated to growing the great game of Australian football in the USA.  The Baltimore Washington Eagles were formed in 1998 and have won two Division II national titles.  The Eagles have both men’s and women’s teams with 4 members of the men’s team representing the USA as members of the US Revolution and 3 members of the women’s team representing the USA as members of the US Freedom.  The Revolution and Freedom will compete for the men’s and women’s International Cup in Australia in August 2011.

One of those Revolution players is Jay Levesque.  Jay is former O’Connell soccer player, who also played for Frostburg State and the Virginia Royals.  Jay is stand out for the Eagles on the wing and will represent the USA in Australia this summer.  Jay is an elementary school PE teacher in Fairfax county and coach in Saturday Morning Footy.  Hulu is currently airing a documentary We Will Be Brothers on Jay’s and his teammate’s experience during the 2008 International Cup in Melbourne Australia.

More information, including photos, can be found at http://www.satmorningfooty.com .