MVAA Newsletter - Spring 2011

As the President of the MVAA, I have had the privilege to witness a myriad of volunteer efforts, all of which make the MVAA the "bench mark" for other youth associations to emulate. Unfortunately, at the same time, I am constantly reminded of parents and youth who continually "limit" themselves by embracing relatively low personal expectations while engaging in team-oriented activities. The major reason I coach, as well as many others within the MVAA, in to inspire a sense of passion, commitment and accountability within your child. More importantly, I "teach", through athletic oriented activities, to respect one's self, one's team and not to "limit" one's self in any chosen endeavor.

So, what exactly do I mean by the word "limitation?" The best example I can use is the analogy of a bird. The first thing that comes to mind when you think of a bird, is flight. No one uses the verb "to walk" when describing the fundamental attributes of a bird, hence, one of the limitations of a bird is the act of walking. With that said, what are some of the limitations of human beings? Humans are created to serve and help each other by interacting as a "team" to foster "team" oriented goals. Most of the time the things in our life that limit us are the things that we are doing to ourselves, or for ourselves, which limit our ability to understand how sports and team achievement can be instrumental in allowing us and our children to live successful lives. The following advice is partially my own, but also a compilation of conversations I've had with various MVAA Board members and coaches over the years. I believe if you practice theses attributes, you will strengthen and nurture a relationship within yourself, your community, and your children.

· When it comes to volunteer activities - say, "Yes" before rationalizing reasons to say, "No" and then figure out a plan to make it work. This concept is thinking with the end in mind. Everyone has excuses as to why they can't do something, while few seize the opportunity to educate youth and lead by example.

· Make time for those things that are important to you. Only you can schedule the activities that will get you to your goals throughout your day. Make them just as high of a priority as any other appointment. Put them in your weekly schedule and hold yourself accountable for working on your goals during those times.

· Volunteer until it hurts. Offer your expertise to a volunteer organization to foster a sense of community, whether it's within athletics, church, civic activities, school, etc. Once you feel overwhelmed, learn how to delegate by recruiting others to help volunteer and continue to inspire volunteerism through leadership.

· Ask yourself, "What type of legacy do I want to leave behind?" Trust me, no one will remember what a great professional you were in the end; people will tend to remember your service to family and community. The only people that will carry on your legacy will be your children. Therefore, spend your time engaging in their activities and lead by example.

· It's not what you say that counts, it's what you do. Growing up as a kid, I really don't remember much of what was said to me but I definitely remember what people did and how they reacted in any given situation. I remember the bad examples as well as the good "emulating" examples.

· Never complain unless you have a solution to the problem. Most importantly, if you complain without offering a solution, you have no creditability and hence, people won't implement your solution. You need to personally implement your ideas and offer guidance and assistance.

Bottom line, the MVAA has many munificent volunteers, past and present, who offer professional expertise that many corporations would collectively pay millions of dollars to attract. Over the past four years, I have received more from my volunteer participation than I have received. Get involved and show your children and community what truly matters.

Brian D. Moore President, MVAA

Remsberg Park Update

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Remsberg Park Update

Spring is here which means fair skies to continue construction on the park! Poole and Sons has been doing a great job. All five fields are excavated and they are working on final grading to get ready for seed. We are also working with the Town of Middletown to hopefully be awarded additional Project Open Space Funds to install fencing for the fields. Once all grading is complete we will be installing the "Etch My Name in Remsberg Park" pavers. The pavers are still available for purchase and forms are on the MVAA website.

We will be hosting our 4^th annual Remsberg Golf Tournament in September and will be sending out information soon, so plan on joining us for a great day of golf and fun.

If anyone is interested in assisting with projects and fundraising at the park please contact Linda@MVAAsports.com. As we continue fundraising efforts for the future, the needs will be fencing for the multipurpose fields, backstops, outfield fences and player benches for the softball/baseball fields to name a few. We would also like to see if we could get basketball courts installed.

As always thank you for your support!!

Fall Sports Sign-ups:

Baseball * Cheerleading * Football * Soccer & Softball

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Fall Sport sign-ups will be held:
Saturday, May 14th & Saturday, May 21st
from 9am to Noon at the MMS Cafeteria.
Interpreter for the Deaf available upon request

* FOOTBALL PLAYERS: PLEASE ATTEND 1 OF THE 2 REGISTRATION DATES FOR UNIFORM SIZING*

* Those interested in FALL CHEERLEADING & COMPETITION CHEERLEADING must attend 1 of the 2 sign-ups for additional information *

Please register on-time!

Registrations are considered late w/$25 late fee after May 28th, 2011.

Registrations can be mailed in or dropped off
Forms are available on MVAASPORTS.COM - Click on Registration

Office Location and Hours:
Our office is located at: 31 W. Main St. 2nd floor of Town Hall

Monday               9:00 am until 2:00 pm
Wednesday          9:00 am until 2:00 pm
Thursday             1:00 pm until 6:00 pm

Registration Policy:

To be eligible to participate in any MVAA sport you must first become an MVAA Family Member. The Family Membership fee is an annual fee of $90.00 beginning during our January sign ups. Sports fees vary and are based upon league fees, insurance, referee/umpire, uniforms, etc. Members must be current and in good financial standing in order for players to participate in sports.

NOTE: Registration is not complete until full payment is received. Please contact the office for special arrangements. Incomplete registrations will not be processed and will be returned to be resubmitted with complete payment.

MVAA Late Fee- A registration is considered to be late if received one week after our second sign-up date, check our web site for late registration cutoff date. All late registrations require a $25.00 late fee. Registration is not complete until full payment is received.

MVAA Refund Policy/Procedures - All refund requests must be sent to our MVAAOffice@verizon.net address. Please review the refund policy and procedures located on the MVAASPORTS.COM website. Refund requests for Fall 2011 sports must be received by 6/25/11.

Baseball
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The Spring 2011 baseball season is officially underway, with 10 recreation teams and 3 travel teams representing Middletown. We also have several of our recreation players participating on the Western Frederick County All Stars teams, which are comprised of players from Middletown, Myersville, Braddock Heights, and Carroll Manor. Best of luck to everyone for a successful season!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the coaches and parents who contribute their time and energy to ensuring the best possible experience for our young athletes. I firmly believe that we have one of the best youth baseball programs in the state...from the quality of instruction, to the condition of our fields, to the high degree of sportsmanship we exhibit. This would not be possible without the commitment of our volunteers. Thank you!

Lastly, we are always looking for ways we can improve upon our already strong program. If you have any suggestions or would like to volunteer your services, please feel free to contact me at chris@mvaasports.com.

Chris Dillard

Baseball Director

Basketball

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I would like to thank each player, parent and coach who played a key role in making this a very successful basketball season. I would especially like to thank the traveling team coaches and coordinators at each level for providing many hours of their time ensuring each player is learning the game of basketball and having fun.

This past season MVAA added a U10 boys team to the Monocacy Youth Basketball Association which is a rec-travel league. This once again proved to be a great opportunity for our kids (u10, u12, u14 and U16 boys) to experience playing against higher level of competition and other communities across the county. Our travel teams also enjoyed success this past season. The 8th grade Varsity Girls team played in the league championship game for the second season in a row. If anyone is interested in coaching, being a referee or a coordinator next season please feel free to contact me at BrianMartin@mvaasports.com.

Brian Martin

MVAA Director of Basketball, 301.346.0015

Our Motto:

"Play Hard, Play Smart, Play Together and Have fun"

Cheer Time!

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Congratulations to our MVAA Competition Cheer squad for an awesome season! Our girls won first place in Virginia Beach at US Finals. The cheerleaders have been working very hard and it Shows, they are undefeated!!! GREAT JOB Ladies!!!

Upcoming cheer events:

Sign-ups for Fall May 14 & 21 Grades K-8^th

Spirit Camp June 20-23 Grades K-2^nd

Spirit Camp July 18-21 Grades 3-8^th

Conditioning Camp July 5,7,12,14, 19, 21, Grades 3-8^th

Start of Fall Cheer Season August 1 Grades 3-8th

Start of Fall Cheer Season August Grades K-2^nd

We have a busy cheer summer planned. Come join us!! For more details Check out the MVAA website.

Kelly Delauter

MVAA Cheerleading Director

kelly@mvaasports.com

Field Hockey

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The Spring MVAA field hockey program is underway! We have 25 young athletes participating. The MHS field hockey players conduct warm ups each practice and soon will be coaching their individual teams. Practices consist of stick work development, passing and stopping skills and game strategies. This year we will meet up the following teams twice per season: LUYAA, Frederick City, and Tuscarora and Walkersville. We practice Tuesdays and Fridays with games on those respective days as well. Play Day is June 5th at Ballenger Creek Middle School. We are all looking forward to a fun and successful season.

Ginni DuMars

Field Hockey Director

Football

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The 2011 MVAA Football program has its unofficial start this coming May 14^th and May 21^st (Saturdays) during the MVAA Fall sports sign-ups. This year we will fit and distribute our new black football helmets to all players during sign-ups. We will also fit and distribute shoulder pads during sign-ups. Be sure to bring players to the sign-up/equipment distribution event on these two dates. Time will be from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on each date.

This year our first day of practice will be Monday August 1 at 6 p.m. This date kicks off the 4 week preseason stretch that leads up to game 1 which will be played at Brunswick Saturday August 27^th. Other important dates this summer for football are the MHS Champions Football Camp (July 18 - 21) and the MVAA Football conditioning camp which will take place July 25 - 29^th.

The MVYFL has two new football programs joining this season. North Hagerstown and South Hagerstown will each field teams from Mini-Pony level through Varsity. In addition to the new teams this year, there will be a new sequence of games on game day. The new order of games is as follows: Pony Division 2, Pony Division 1, Mini-Pony, JV Division 2, JV Division 1 and Varsity. Programs that use lights will begin this schedule at 12:30 p.m. while Programs that do not use lights will begin the game day schedule at 9 a.m. Flag games will have an independent schedule this year. Games will continue to be played on Saturdays or Sundays. Our tentative game schedule is currently up on the website mvaasports.com.

JV through Varsity teams will practice at the usual location behind the high school and the adjacent Middletown Park Field. This year Pony will join Mini-Pony at the Wiles Branch Park Field for practices.

We'll have information for the high school camp available at sign-ups as well as all the information that players will need to have to participate in the MVAA football program. Returning players and newcomers are all welcome. Any questions contact Tom Evich. (H) 293-1979, (W) 301-631-7110, Thomas.p.evich@mssb.com or Bill Poffenbarger (301) 471-6111 wpoffenbarger@mlend.com.

Tom Evich

Football Director

Lacrosse

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MVAA Spring Lacrosse 2011

The 2011 season is underway and a new record number of boys (142) have been registered to play, as well as the highest level of girls (84) in several years. Additionally, it is a record number of teams being fielded with 8 boys' teams and 5 girls' teams.

The season continues to present many rainy weather related challenges in getting practices and games in, but we are working through it and any postponed games will be rescheduled if possible. Practices began March 1st and league games began on the weekend of March 19. We are about halfway through our season and all the teams are enjoying much success, learning the game and having FUN.

The spring campaign is filled with bright spots and great opportunities for the community to share in our success and love for the game. Mark your calendars and save the dates for the following Lacrosse Highlights:

April 16: MVAA Youth Lacrosse Night at the University of MD vs Johns Hopkins Men's Lacrosse Game

May 3: MVAA Girls Lacrosse Night at MHS Varsity Girls Game vs Brunswick

May 5: MVAA Boys Lacrosse Night at MHS Varsity Boys Game vs Walkersville (Senior Night!)

May 7: MVAA Lacrosse Boys and Girls Team Picture Day

May 25: WMYLC U15 Boys and Girls All-Star Games at MHS

June 4/5: WMYLC End of Season Festival/Play Day (Boys Saturday/Girls Sunday)

June 20-23: 7th Annual Middletown Boys Lacrosse Camp

Our program continues to grow and we thank all of the community for sharing in our success. We look forward to seeing you more this spring and appreciate your continued support. TOGETHER we make this work for our children!

Please contact myself or Girls Lacrosse Coordinator, Tom Karcewski any time if we can be of help to you.

Mike Hallman

MVAA Lacrosse Director

mikehallman@comcast.net

Tom Karcewski

MVAA Girls Lacrosse Coordinator

ladylax@comcast.net

MVAA/MSVC Soccer

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MVAA/MVSC SOCCER

Our Spring 2011 Soccer season is now under way and I would like to thank all the Coaches, parents, and volunteers that have stepped up to donate their time, energy, and expertise to make the continued success of the program possible. The number of players in the Soccer program continues to grow with a lot of new sign-ups registering to play this Spring.

This Spring we have a total of 27 teams playing in various leagues at the club/travel level and at different divisions within the Frederick County Youth Soccer League (FCYSL). These teams range in age from U8 - U19. We also have a larger than anticipated number of U6 and U8 registrants within our In-house program this season which is set-up in an Academy format and provides our youngest players with the opportunity to play twice per week. Congratulations to many of our select level teams that finished strong within the divisions of their respective leagues and in tournament play. Out of 27 programs within the FCYSL league, which includes teams in Frederick and Carroll Counties, PA, and WVA the MVAA has the 2nd largest number of teams playing.

A reminder that all Uniforms for teams playing in the Frederick County Youth Soccer League (FCYSL) need to be returned after the Spring season (jersey and shorts). We're in need of a few volunteers to assist with organizing the Uniforms after the season for the upcoming Fall. If anyone would be willing to help out please let me know.

A very special thank you to Joyce Tuten who will be moving to Boston with her family in late June. Joyce has a solid background in Soccer having played club/travel in New Jersey and Division 1 Soccer in College at William & Mary. She's been a dedicated coach and coordinator within the program and has volunteered countless hours of her time to the benefit of the children in our community. She's also an individual that truly understands the importance of striking a balance within the program that creates opportunities for the players at ALL levels of play. Her help has been Greatly appreciated and we wish her family the best.

I'm looking forward to another great season of Soccer.

Best Regards,

Kevin Stottlemyer

MVAA/MVSC Soccer Director

Softball

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The spring MVAA softball season is off and running this year. We have four teams this season, one at each age group: U-8, U-10, U-12 and U-15. The season has started slowly because of all the rain this spring. Hopefully mother nature will lighten up so all the spring sports can get on schedule.

Fall softball sign-ups are right around the corner - May 14th and May 21st at MMS. The fall season is more instructional, but still competitive and fun.

Also, I'd like to thank all the sponsors and volunteers - your time is very much appreciated by the players and parents!

Roland Hockenbery

Softball Director

Wrestling

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Spring wrestling is continuing at the high school 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM Mon & Wed nights. Spring wrestling is international Olympic style wrestling and can be a lot of fun for kids that have only done American folk style wrestling. The Middletown high school coach, Coach Schartner runs the spring practices. There are lots of summer camps going on. Please contact me at the email below, if you are interested in the summer camps. Wrestlers can get a big jump on the competition by doing some off season training. We had a successful regular season. The team went 7-3 on dual meets with a majority of first year kids. Looking forward to next season, and the continued growth of the MVAA wrestling program.

Blaine Carbaugh

MVAA wrestling director

blaine@mvaasports.com

Treasurer's Report

As of April 7, 2011 the bank balances are as follows:

MVAA 2011 Operating Funds: