Matt Leinart Foundation Encourages Urban Youth Football League
Now is the time to establish a NFL presence in Los Angeles, and give back to our youth, in a market void of professional football since the Raiders and Rams left the area in 1994.
The Matt Leinart Foundation (www.mattleinartfoundation.org) would like to invite you to join us in the creation of the LA Urban Youth Football League (UYFL). UYFL will be a full contact football league targeting 7th and 8th grade students who were either too large to participate in the traditional youth leagues such as Pop Warner, and/or lacked the financial means/resources to participate.
The projected start date for the UFYL is this April (2008). The league will be comprised of 6 teams, aka franchises, from various attendance areas within the LAUSD. Each franchise will have an ownership group of 1-4 current and former NFL players, or other prominent figures such as commentators or coaches – ideally with roots within the community where each franchise will be established.
The UYFL’s goal is to create an unquestionable bond between the franchise owners and the community by not only offering an athletic/academic outlet for the children, but also by introducing the kids to positive role models from all avenues of life. The UYFL will also present an opportunity to bridge the cultural, economic and social divides that exist within many communities through football.
As our motto states, the UYFL is focused on building character through athletics and, most importantly, in life. In addition to gaining gridiron knowledge, tutoring and mentoring programs, community service work, and regular grade checks will be key and essential elements of the UYFL.
To successfully achieve the mission, it must begin with strong ownership. Each ownership group will cover a franchise fee that will pay for: equipment; facilities; insurance; officials; coaches; transportation; and league administration. The franchise fee, which the UYFL likes to refer to as a contribution to the community, is renewable on a yearly basis. Each owner has the prerogative to treat his team and staff to any additional such as USC or UCLA game tickets, team trips to a museum, and weekly team meals to name a few options. The owners and the franchise mentors are responsible for creating an environment that promotes positive citizenship, academics, and community service.
UYFL League Management will look for people within the community to donate their time and services in many areas: doctors to perform team physicals; educators to provide tutoring; community leaders to serve as mentors or coaches; and police officers/firefighters to relate their experiences just to mention a few. Most significantly, these local leaders will be able to relate to kids the trials and travails they faced to reach their prestigious state in life.
The aim for each franchise is to have 30 students on each team. In addition to meeting the size and/or financial requirements, each participant must have a letter from a current school administrator acknowledging that the player “shows the desire to learn and participate cooperatively in the classroom”.
The season consists of five league games. Once the season is complete, the franchise will continue to promote and participate in all the non-football programs of the UYFL, making this a year-round endeavor.
We are excited to present this opportunity to the civic leaders of Los Angeles. We hope that you share our enthusiasm and decide to be a part of the UYFL. We believe everyone can benefit from a program of this magnitude with the biggest winner being the children of Los Angeles. We look forward to hearing from you.
For more information on the UYFL, please contact Chuck Price at 310-963-2594 or via email at cpfastact@aol.com.
Program Management
Chuck Price, President, 4th and 9 Sports, (Project Director for Matt Leinart Foundation) MattLeinartFoundation.org
Chuck created the NFL Air-It-Out Flag Football Tour in 1992 with David Newman and NFL Properties. Originally referred to as “Draw Play”, the grassroots flag football initiative reached every NFL Market in 1994-1996 with flag football tournaments ranging in size from 100-1,200 teams per city. Fast Action Sports managed the events in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County from 1993-1998.
From 2000-2006, Chuck was the Director of Operations for the Cali-Florida Bowl HS Football All Star Game. The contest, benefiting the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House, featured the best high school football players from California and Florida. Some of the participants in the series were: D.J. Williams; the late Sean Taylor; Matt Leinart; Devin Hester; Santonio Holmes; Maurice Jones-Drew; Ernie Sims; Marshawn Lynch; Pat Watkins and Antonio Cromartie.
