By Stacy Case
The bright yellow goal posts and immaculately manicured fields with perfectly placed yard markers and pylons can denote one thing in this community….That’s right… it’s flag football season! With playoffs coming to an end shortly, both Coral Springs and Parkland have had quite successful seasons.
Coral Springs Flag Fun is scheduled to wrap up 2018 in the early part of this month, which will have been accompanied by the ever-popular coaches game as well as all star showcases. Parkland Flag is set to conclude around the same time, incorporating its very own post season festivities.
Both groups will also have Superbowl match-ups in their respective divisions. Coral Springs’ approximately 220 players spanned across three different age divisions: freshmen (ages 7-9), juniors (ages 10 and 11) and seniors (ages 12-14). Parkland’s 750 or so players comprise five co-ed divisions (kindergarten, 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th, and 7th-9th) and three all-girl divisions (2nd-4th, 5th and 6th, and 7th-9th).
As it all comes to a close, Coral Springs Flag Football Club’s President Mike Gorelick expresses how pleased he was with the program this year. “When we prepare for a season and once it does get started, we always expect our players to have fun and learn good sportsmanship,” says Mike, who has completed his second season as the CSFFC president. “We’ve been around for so long that sometimes the season kind of just runs itself,” he adds, referencing the league’s 1972-established program. Each year, Mike and his CS organization are met with quite a large group of the newest, youngest players to start the game for their first time. “We had some new coaches as well as a good amount of new players in our freshmen division, which is what’s most important,” Mike tells us. “It’s the younger kids who continue to make our league populate and grow.”
Coral Springs is set for its Superbowl games on Sat., Nov. 3 starting at 9:00am, followed by the all star match-ups at 7:00 in the evening this year on Aiello Field at the league’s home of Mullins Park. (freshmen- Nov. 7, juniors Nov. 8, seniors Nov. 9).
On the more northern end of this heavily-involved sports community, Parkland Flag Football calls Pine Trails its home for such games. They plan to end 2018 with Superbowl games on Nov. 2nd and 3rd, followed by an end-of-the-year picnic later in the day on Nov. 3rd, in which the league will commemorate its 20th anniversary.
“We had another great season, and our Superbowl trophies are the best around,” says Mike Bartlett, proud president of Parkland Flag Football. “The league started a (successful) social media campaign this season, asking the parents to get involved. Our Instagram account has some great pictures and videos, and they show perfect examples of how the coaches found creative ways to make (the season) a great experience.”
