MVAA Newsletter - Fall 2011

Some of the greatest lessons in life are learned on the sports field; unfortunately, some of the greatest lessons in life are learned on the sports field - it all depends on how you analyze the situation. This valuable conundrum is often wasted as coaches, parents, and players too often focus on themselves and what's in it for them rather than stepping back and thinking of what's better for the team. In life, there comes a point when you should stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about how you can allow others to succeed as a team. One's destiny is usually unknown, but one thing is certain - the only individuals among us who will be truly happy are those of us who have sought, and discovered how, to serve others.

With that said, I often think of influential people, which have served others through their service to the MVAA. Their service was remarkable, sustained, unselfish, and impressionable. Unfortunately, some of the most influential people that come to mind are no longer a physical presence among us, but their inspiration and dedication to community will forever be imprinted in my heart and in the hearts of others within our community. As President of the MVAA, I have had the extreme privilege of knowing four individuals who truly embody the very ethos on which the MVAA is based. Their memory and lessons learned through their actions, not words, will forever influence how I view volunteerism.

Patrick Arthur, Rick Kinna, Sam Smith, and Bob Wilson embodied the simple ethos of the term, "Know, Do, Be." These three simple words, which are the cornerstone for many military units, can transform anyone's leadership principles and how they view volunteerism, whether you're on the athletic field, or in the business field. Moreover, I believe parents should articulate to their children these words and explain their meaning, as I will briefly do for you. As I teach players under my tutelage, the "Be" emerges from what we "Know" and what we "Do." Impressions are formulated when people refer to you as the "standard"; much like the word association of Michael Jordan and basketball. What people become (BE) emerges from what they (KNOW) and how they apply (DO) what they know. In simple terms, you must know how to act by doing what you know is right to be the embodiment of what you believe; simply knowing what to do without applying, or sharing your talents, is not good enough. When you achieve this standard, people will refer to you when they converse about a certain admirable quality. To me, I refer to these four individual's service and commitment when I discuss volunteerism and community values. Their indomitable spirits will always live in my heart as I think about their contribution to the MVAA and why the MVAA is a model for youth athletic associations. In closing, think about people in your past who greatly influenced your behavior - were they volunteers? Make a difference in someone's life and see how you can volunteer today.

Respectfully,

Brian D. Moore

MVAA President

Remsberg Park

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Thanks to all who attended the Luau at Hollow Creek to make it a very successful and fun event! THANK YOU Hollow Creek for your support!

golf

MVAA hosted their fifth annual Remsberg Park Golf Tournament on September 21, 2011, at Hollow Creek Golf Club. We want to thank all of those who participated, golfers, sponsors and the workers. A special thanks to Harold Routzahn / Sportsland, Michael Smith / Fountaindale Sunoco, George Littrell III, for their continuous support to the MVAA. We also want to acknowledge Hollow Creek for their ongoing support for this project. "Hats Off" to our 2011 winners with a score of 58, Tim Fauble, Jason Fauble, Chris Fauble and Randy Wagner. Hope to see you at next September's event. If you are interested in next year's event, please contact Donald Delauter pappoke@comcast.net.

Winter Sports Sign-ups:

Basketball * Wrestling * Indoor Lacrosse Information

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Winter Sports sign-ups will be held:
Saturday, October 1st & Saturday, October 8th
from 9am to Noon at the MVAA OFFICE-Middletown Town Hall

Interpreter for the Deaf available upon request

Please register on-time!

Registrations are considered late w/$25 late fee after October 15th, 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 Winter 2011 sports must be received by 11/12/11.

MVAA Scholarship Announcement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On May 31, 2011, recipients Mr. Bryan Goodyear and Miss Emily Boyce were awarded the annual MVAA Youth Sports Scholarship for $1000 at the Senior Awards Ceremony at MHS. They were recognized for their dedicated service to the MVAA during their high school years. The MVAA Scholarship committee reviewed several highly qualified student-athlete applications and were presented with the difficult task of determining the most qualified applicants to receive the scholarship. Applicants are judged based on both academic and athletic performance, extracurricluar activities and most importantly on their essay describing how the MVAA has influenced them as student-athletes as well as how it has enabled them to give back to the MVAA community. The MVAA thanks all of the applicants for their dedicated service and leadership within the MVAA, making it what it is today!

MHS Seniors are eligible to receive a $1000 scholarship if they have participated in the MVAA and have given back to the MVAA by performing services in the way of coaching, assistant coaching, lining fields, assisting with registrations etc. An essay on the applicant's contribution of service to the MVAA is required. Two possible candidates may be chosen. Information and the scholarship application for the 2012 MVAA Scholarship will be posted on the MVAA website and at the MHS guidance office in January of 2012.

Melissa Tatem

MVAA Public Relations Director

Scholarship Committee Chairman

Congratulations to our Basketball Director, Brian Martin!

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Congratulations to Brian Martin for receiving The James R. McCartney Community Service Award from WVU for his outstanding citizenship and service. Brian will be presented with this award during the weekend of September 30th at WVU!

Click Here to read about this well deserved recognition!

Baseball ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Spring 2011 season is in the record books, and it was another successful one for Middletown baseball. We had a strong showing at all levels, punctuated by our U12
travel team winning the Mid-Atlantic Baseball Association (MABA) regular season and playoffs.

Even though the dust has barely settled on the Spring season, Fall baseball has already begun. The Fall season runs from September 10 through October 30, and we have seven teams representing Middletown across the Tri-County, MABA, and Frederick County Babe Ruth leagues. Good luck everyone!

And while the Fall season has just begun, it's not too early to start thinking about Spring 2012. Tryouts for our travel teams (U9, U12, and U15) will be held over the next couple of months. Keep an eye on the Baseball page of the MVAA web site, as well as your e-mail inbox, for information on dates, times, and locations.

Once again, thanks to all of the individuals who volunteer their time and energy, not only to baseball, but to all sports. Our athletes may get the attention and praise, but you are the foundation upon which their success is built. Thanks for all that you do!

Chris Dillard

Baseball Director

chris@mvaasports.com

Basketball

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boys from Kindergarten to 9th grade. All age groups playing in the in-house program

will start on or near the 20th of November.The goal for our program is to provide an

experience that will allow each participant to learn the game of basketball fundamentals and most importantly enjoy basketball to the fullest extent. If you would like to volunteer to help with our program please do not hesitate to call me. We are always looking for referees, team parents and coaches.

Travel Teams:

. Varsity - 8th grade and below.

. Junior Varsity - 6th and 7th grade.

Tryout Schedule:

Girls Varsity - Wednesday, October 26th & Thursday, October 27th at MMS from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Girls JV - Wednesday, October 26th & Thursday, October 27th at MMS from 7:30-9:00 p.m.

Boys Varsity - Tuesday, October 18th at the Middletown PRIMARY School (MPS) from 7:30-9:00 p.m. & Sunday, October 23rd at the Middletown Primary School from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Boys JV - Tuesday, October 25th at the Middletown Primary School (MPS) (6th grade from 7:00-8:00 p.m.; 7th grade from 8:00-9:00 p.m. & Sunday, October 30th at the Middletown High School (MHS) (6th & 7th grades) from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Please e-mail me at BrianMartin@mvaasports.com if you have any questions.

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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The 2011 Fall Cheer program is underway. The MVAA Cheerleaders are doing a great job cheering on the Football teams. We have about 100 girls in the Fall program.

We invite you to come out for a day of great football and awesome Cheering. Check out the football website for our schedule.

The MVAA Competition program added a new "one time team", to the program, this past season. A squad called, The Knight Crew, consisting of fathers, brothers and cousins of the U10 Competition squad. This squad performed their Cheer routine at the Six Flag of America Competition and was able to bring home a 1st place trophy. They dazzled the crowd with stunts, jumps, cheer and hot dance moves. These guys, football coaches and all, have a new appreciation for Cheerleading. After hours of learning, practicing, injury after injury and the fierce nature of competing, they agree Cheerleading is a Sport! This was a great experience for all involved and the Coaches want to send out a special thank you to The Knight Crew; Robert Brady, Chase Delauter, Dave Eisentraut, Jack Felton, Joey Felton, Gary Geppert, Bill Germain, Jeff Graham, Cameron Kolega, Ryan Payne, Larry Steingrebe, Brian Stauffer, Rob Remsburg, Jeff Weir and Tom Westwood.

The MVAA U10 Competition Squad is proud to wear the title of Ranked 1st in the Nation. The girls not only won first at the US Finals, in Virginia Beach but their score

was the top in the Nation for Level 3 U10. We are very proud of the girls. They put long hours into cheerleading all year and their hard work and dedication to the sport has paid off. This coming season the girls will be moving up into a new age group, where the competition will be more fierce.

Come check us out!!!

Kelly Delauter

MVAA Cheerleading Director

kelly@mvaasports.com

Field Hockey

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The Spring MVAA field hockey program is always looking for new players. We begin practice the third week of March and the season runs until the last week of May. We practice twice a week with games being on those days as well. No weekends.

The MHS field hockey players conduct warm ups at each practice and coach 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, GVAA, Frederick City, and Tuscarora. We are looking forward to a fun and successful season again in 2012.

Ginni DuMars

Field Hockey Director

Football

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The MVAA Football program is off to a solid start for the 2011 season. Our teams are performing well and there is much enthusiasm as our High School Program is off to a promising start as well.

This year we have tried something new by fielding a team in the FYFL. We had exceptionally large rosters on the teams that comprise 7th and 8th graders this year. We joined the FYFL(Frederick Youth Football League) with a new team of 7th and 8th graders in order to serve such a large number of players. The league is instructional in nature and games are played each week at McCurdy Field in Frederick. This has been a nice addition to the traditional Division 2 that is offered in the MVYFL.

The popularity of football in the area has led to even more growth in our program and the league. The MVYFL has recently welcomed North Hagerstown and South Hagerstown as the newest members of the league. Counting MVAA Football, we are now back to a 12 team league for the first time since the 2007 season.

We have had great support this season (like always) from our parents. We continue to have dedicated coaches at each level. To all present and past, thanks for your tremendous support. That's what keeps the great tradition we enjoy alive and well!

Tom Evich

Football Director

Tom@mvaasports.com

Lacrosse

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The 2011 Spring season was completed with much success, highlighted by two undefeated U11 boys teams, and undefeated U11 and U15 girls teams. The season also boasted a new record number of boys (142) registered to play, as well as the highest level of girls (84) in several years. Additionally, we fielded a record number of teams with 8 boys teams and 5 girls teams.

Upon season's end many players went on to participate in summer camps, including our annual Middletown Boys Lacrosse Camp, Hotstix, Navy, Georgetown Prep, UVA and more. Additionally, summer club team participation is on the rise with girls representing the Frederick Stars and boys filling roster spots with Buffalo Wild Wings (Hotstix), Next Level and Fastlax. Look for new local boys club option coming from Maryland Elite Lacrosse Club. Tryouts for Spring/Summer 2012 are scheduled for October 2nd and October 9th - more details and registration can be found at www.marylandelitelacrosse.com.

Options have continued to grow for Fall lacrosse as well. The Western Maryland Youth Lacrosse Conference (WMYLC - our spring league) has started its inaugural boy's fall lacrosse league comprised of teams mixed with players from across the region. We have many boys participating in this recreational league. The girls are participating on teams in the US Lacrosse Western Maryland Chapter annual fall league. For the club level player, many boys are participating in the Next Level Fall League in Bethesda.

Registration for Winter Indoor Lacrosse is open now for boys and girls and will again be held at the Frederick Indoor Sports Center (FISC). This league is games only and no practice to minimize interference with in-season sports. Registration again will be done directly at the FISC website at www.frederickindoor.com.

Our program continues to grow and we thank all of the community for sharing in our success. We appreciate your continued support and 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

We are already a few weeks into the Fall 2011 Soccer season and I want to thank all the Coaches, parents, and volunteers that have come forward to contribute their time and energy to make another successful season possible. This season we've been extremely fortunate to add a number of new knowledgeable coaches to the program including some young adults with solid Soccer backgrounds who provide the kids with great positive role models.

The program again has an extremely large number of players participating. This Fall we have a total of 27 teams ranging in age from U8 - U19, playing at the club/travel level and in various divisions in FCYSL (Frederick County Youth Soccer League). The FCYSL league encompasses 27 organizations in the Frederick County region and our MVAA program again has the 2^nd largest number of teams playing. In addition, the In-house program continues to grow for the U6 - U8 age groups.

Divisional team placement in the Fall can be exceptionally difficult given a large number of players move up into a higher age group within the league and teams are reconfigured. In addition, all roster slots on select level teams are open for the Fall season and All players are given an opportunity to attend an evaluation or tryout in late Spring for possible placement on one of these teams. Evaluations in advance of the Spring season will be held indoors as needed for open spots on these teams when some players migrate to other Spring sports. We've been very fortunate to have quality individuals with solid Soccer credentials, including our Middletown High School coaches, involved in the evaluation process.

A special note that the MSI U19 Force Girls club/travel team formerly coached by Pat Arthur before his tragic death last season has won the MSI Sportsmanship award for last Spring's season. I'm sure Pat would be proud to know his girls received such an honorable recognition. Congratulations to the girls and to John Neary who's currently coaching the team.

The goal of our program is to continue to provide and create the best opportunities for the players at All levels of play within the MVAA.

Good luck to all our teams with their remaining league matches and upcoming tournaments.

Best Regards,

Kevin Stottlemyer

MVAA/MVSC Soccer Director

Softball

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The 2011 Fall Softball season is underway! We have four (4) teams: U-8, U-10, U-12 and U15. Please check the MVAA web-site for Spring sign-up dates (early January) to register for Spring Softball. Thanks again to all of our sponsors!

Roland Hockenbery

Softball Director

Wrestling

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