BRADENTON, Fla., June 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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 Academies 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 Academies 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.
Kim Berard, IMG Academies, kim.berard@imgworld.com, 941-752-2621
About IMG Academies
IMG Academies, a division of IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company, is the world's largest and most advanced multi-sport training and education complex. For more than 30 years, IMG Academies has helped countless youth, adult, collegiate and professional athletes reach their full potential in and out of sport, by providing world-class coaching, tailored programs and professional facilities within an energetic environment across a 450-acre campus.
Today the Bradenton, Fla.-based campus attracts 30,000 athletes from nearly 100 countries annually. IMG Academies offers youth camp and academy programs in baseball, basketball, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer and tennis, in addition to training opportunities for professional athletes, teams and leagues. IMG also runs a series of events on its campus and throughout the country on an annual basis.
For more information about IMG camps, programs and events, please visit our website at www.imgacademies.com.
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