Date: January 22, 2019 Contact: Matt McPoland, Kerry DeSpain, Darren DeSpain (www.eastvalleyflagfootball.com)
Prime Time - East Valley Thrives
Becomes Arizona's Largest Youth Flag Football League
Prime Time - East Valley recently wrapped up its 4th year and now has the honor of being the largest flag football league in all of Arizona.
The league kicked-off its Inaugural season in the fall of 2015 at Hamilton High School with the participation of 43 youth flag football teams. Prime Time - East Valley now boasts a record 155-plus teams per season and has added programs including 7 on 7, first-rate skills camps and tournaments attracting dozens of teams from all over the western United States.
The gravitation of more kids to flag football has been a big driver of the growth. A couple of factors have fueled the hyper growth, including the combination of more parents wanting to delay their kids playing tackle as more is found out about the effect of concussions, the NFL's marketing of flag to families through the Play 60 program and population growth of the valley. To handle the growth, Prime Time added a Friday night league in January 2018, to go along with the Saturday league and then added a 4th Summer season that is played under the lights in June with teams playing two games each week. With both owners having daughter's only, they are most excited to see the steady growth of girls playing flag football. The league currently has 3 all girls teams, with many more playing on co-ed teams.
“I attribute the success and growth of Prime Time to the incredible community here in the East Valley,” said Darren DeSpain, Prime Time’s Co-owner. "The parent involvement and business community partners who support our mission and youth sports is overwhelming.”
Prime Time emphasizes the value of teaching youth teamwork, fair play and good sportsmanship, which go beyond the field. The league also has far-reaching benefits to the community. “Youth sports is about teaching life lessons” said DeSpain. “It’s less about the sport and more about life lessons for our youth”
“One of the things I love about Prime Time is the opportunity it offers all kids, regardless of a family’s financial standing,” said Matt McPoland, Prime Time’s Co-owner. “Since the beginning we have offered financial scholarships to families in our community to assist them in participating in our sports league. We believe it’s essential for kids to be active, have something to look forward to and learn traits to help them be successful in life. Participating in team sports teaches children so much.”
The past few years, the league partnered with BeTheMatch.org, a national nonprofit. In a joint community initiative during their end of season tournaments, more than 150 potential bone marrow donors have been registered complete with cheek swab kits. The league also has been collecting toys and gift cards for area children's hospitals toy closets during their annual winter tournaments, most recently Cardon Children's Hospital in Mesa. "It's important to give back" said McPoland, "my daughter Mia has bone marrow failure and is currently surviving on blood transfusions, she is looking for a donor match so she can be healed...which makes those two organizations very special to our family."