The IMG Junior Golf Tour was developed to fill a key niche in junior golf, the IMG Junior Golf Tour provides an elite setting for junior golfers to compete and gain exposure to college golf, professional golf, national junior rankings and athletic excellence.
Held in Florida every December, and open to boys and girls ages 11-18, the the IMG Academy Junior World Florida Challengeis a qualification and invitation only event featuring an international field of over 200 players.News
National 7v7 Football Association debuts
Establishes structured environment for the growing spring and summer complement to the high school football season
Today marks the debut of the National 7v7 Football Association, a membership-based body providing players and teams access to high-quality 7v7 football events sanctioned by the body and governed by consistent operational guidelines and rules of play. Recognizing how fragmented the sport currently is, the NFA 7v7, guided by an advisory board, seeks to provide a safer, more regulated, and more structured environment for player development. Candidates for the advisory board may include representatives from the NCAA Office of Compliance, NFHS and state high school athletic associations, a pool of distinguished high school coaches, event organizers, and parents.
“Recognizing the correlation between the increasing popularity of 7v7 football and a growing demand for a more structured competitive environment, we are thrilled to establish the National 7v7 Football Association,” remarked Odis Lloyd, VP, Business Development, IMG Performance, the Association’s management arm. “The NFA 7v7 creates an environment in which members can maintain their conditioning, focus on skill development, continue organized competitive play, and gain increased visibility outside of their regular football season. As a leader in athletic training and education on and off the field, IMG Performance will also add a training and recruiting education component to help players in their quest to reach the next level.”
The Association will sanction a wide variety of high school and club team 7v7 events and will debut with the IMG 7v7 series of events. This series will create additional playing opportunities at the local level, leading into regional championship events. Regional champions will then qualify for the IMG 7v7 National Championships at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The IMG 7v7 series will also incorporate NFL Player Engagement’s NFL PREP curriculum, aimed at providing student-athletes with tools to help them succeed in life both on and off the field. Topics included leadership and life skills, health and safety, and eligibility and compliance, and will be delivered in-part by current and former collegiate and professional players.
The NFA 7v7 will begin accepting members in August 2012 and is open to event organizers, coaches and players. Event organizers will gain access to online registration, a dedicated tournament micro-site, standardized operational guidelines and rules for 7v7 football play, signage for each event, online media credentialing, and promotion of their events throughout the Association’s calendar. Coaches will gain the ability to register their teams in NFA 7v7-sanctioned events, as well as access to team-only webpages and coaching education materials. Players will receive personal profiles, access to recruiting education resources, as well as insurance at official sanctioned events.
The National 7v7 Football Association announcement took place during the second annual IMG 7v7 National Championships, June 29-July 1, at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
To apply for an official event sanction or to learn more about member options within the Association, visit: www.NFA7v7.com or call 866-300-4408 or email info@NFA7v7.com.
