Team of the Week: Des Moines Blaze

Staying with the local champions theme I've kind of started the past couple of weeks, this week's Team of the Week is the Des Moines Blaze football club, 2011 and 2012 MFA champs!

The Des Moines Blaze is a founding member of the Midwest Football Alliance and is the 2-time winner of the MFA championship.  They also finished the 2012 season ranked #1 in the Semi-Pro BCS poll.

From desmoinesblaze.com:

The Des Moines Blaze was established to bring a permanent,  501(c)(4) non-profit, semi-professional adult men's football entity in the greater Des Moines area. Our focus is to create a stable, professionally maintained organization, positively interacting and affecting our community while putting a top notch, nationally recognized competitive team on the field.

We strive to give players a forum in which to develop, refine, and display their talents whether it be in hopes of advancement to the next level or simply to continue to pursue their passion for the game. We encourage our athletes to continue their personal development as well as pursuing their aspirations on the field, generating positive interpersonal relationships within the organization and the community.


Find out more about the Des Moines Blaze at www.desmoinesblaze.com

Follow them on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DesMoinesBlaze

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/DesMoinesBlaze  

You can also check out video of the team in action on their Youtube channel:  Blaze Youtube

There is also an app to follow the MFA!  Check it out!
The official Midwest Football Alliance App is available

QUAD CITY RAIDERS HOST FIRST ANNUAL COMBINE

QUAD CITY RAIDERS HOST FIRST ANNUAL COMBINE

Rock Island, IL – October 23, 2011: The Quad City Raiders will host their first ever football combine from 3:00pm to 6:00pm on October 27th at the Rivers Edge sports complex in Davenport. This event is designed to mirror the NFL Scouting Combine that measures potential NFL players with six basic but critical workouts. Along with the professional staff from QC Barbell, the Raiders will measure athletes in the following workouts: 40 yard dash, 225 pound bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 3 cone drill, and the shuttle run. Each of these workouts is specifically designed to measure strength, endurance, movement, speed and acceleration. For those that are looking to improve their combine results we will have staff from QC Barbell to discuss strength training, Apex Elite Fitness to discuss speed and cardiovascular training, and representatives from Take Shape For Life to discuss a weight loss solution.


Immediately following the combine, the Quad City Raiders will evaluate the athletes that are interested in joining the roster for the 2013 season. This will be an informal position review with new and returning players to see where they are with overall knowledge of their position as well as how they perform in a group setting.


The cost for new athletes is $45 at the event and $35 with preregistration at http://combine.qcraiders.com and $20.00 for returning players. Interested athletes can get more information at http://www.qcraiders.com or on our Facebook page.


The Quad City Raiders are a second year minor league football team that completed their first season by reaching the second round of the Midwest Football Alliance playoffs. Comprised of local players and coaches, the Raiders are member of the QCA community and participate in a schedule of events throughout the year.

Contact: James Tinney Tel: 563-940-0841
Website: Http://www.qcraiders.com
Email: jamestinney@qcraiders.com


If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with James Tinney, please e-mail at contact@qcraiders.com

Team of the Week: Your Mom Men's Roller Derby

This week's featured team is Your Mom Men's Roller Derby!

Many of you may be aware that there are several women's roller derby leagues around Iowa, but did you know there is also men's teams in Iowa?  Central Iowa's own Your Mom Men's Roller Derby is one of them!

Your Mom Men's Roller Derby recently won the MRDA - Gateway to the Best 2012 Championship!  You can read more about it here:   MRDA Championship: #1 Your Mom Edges #2 St. Louis, 136-135, for 2012 MRDA Title

Abput Your Mom:
YOUR MOM Men’s Roller Derby is an organization with a singular focus: Being the best and proving it. Please join us in 2012 as we embark on a journey to bring a Men’s Roller Derby Championship to Central Iowa! Our team includes skaters of all skill levels, from extremely dedicated beginners, to World Champion speed skaters. This year marks our second season as a member of the Men’s Roller Derby Association, the governing body for US Men’s Roller Derby.


 You can find out more about Your Mom Men's Roller Derby by visiting their website:  http://yourmommensderby.com/

And follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/YourMomMensRollerDerby

and Twitter at https://twitter.com/YourMomMRD

Congratulations to Your Mom on winning the 2012 MRDA championship!

Team of the Week: Des Moines Roosters

This week's featured organization is the Des Moines Roosters, Australian Football Club.

The Des Moines Roosters is Iowa's only Australian Football club! The team was formed in March of 2009, by 2 brothers and a native Australian who were not willing to let go of the sport they'd grown to love. As a relatively new team and sport to the area, the Roosters are always seeking new recruits, fans and volunteers to become a part of their community.

The Roosters have become more than just a team and are building the Australian Football culture here in Des Moines. The sport - difficult to compare to American sport, is governed by the USAFL - www.usafl.com and partners with its professional affiliate the AFL - www.afl.com.au. The Roosters compete against other midwest teams including the Minnesota Freeze, the Kansas City Power and the Milwaukee Bombers and will be competing in tournaments in Kansas City, and Madison.

Also, The Des Moines Roosters recently finished off their 2012 season by winning the USAFL Nationals Title Division IV with a tournament win-loss record  of 3-0!

Find out more about the Rooster and follow them at their website:  http://www.desmoinesroosters.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Des-Moines-Roosters/212343665459348

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMRoosters

Team of the Week: Iowa Crush

This week's featured Iowa sports team is the Iowa Crush, women's football team!  Check them out!  Maybe YOU could be a member of the Iowa Crush organization!

The purpose of the Iowa Crush women's football team is to provide an opportunity for women to participate in predominantly male sport at a high level of competition nationally through the IWFL. Through sports, women are able to learn multiple life skills to not only apply on the field of play, but also in real life.  The Crush strive to give an example to our community as well as all Crush team members.

 In the 2013 season, the team will be looking to continue on their success in the 2012 season.  After a 4-4 regular season, the team lost in the first round of playoffs and look to improve on that in 2013. The team comes in with a strong group of veterans and a group of young, exciting rookies.

Also, the Iowa Crush are looking for more coaches for next season.  Contact them if you are interested in trying out for the team, or being part of the organization in any other capacity. 

Iowa Crush Looking for More Coaches


You can find out more about the Iowa Crush by visiting their website:  http://www.theiowacrush.com

Their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/IowaCrushFootball

Or follow them on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/theiowacrush

American Gridiron Association Established

American Gridiron Association established

AGA League Staff - 10/3/2012

Football season:  a season that has some of the loudest and most boisterous followers.  Today, fans, participants, and local fanatics of the sport in the region should be excited to have football available to them on a near year round basis. Over the past few weeks, various entrepreneurs have met and discussed a venture to help perpetuate the excitement at the local level and have come up with what they feel is a real opportunity for communities across the Midwest to enjoy the sport outside of its traditional season. The solution is a new venture into the semi-pro level of football in the Midwest, and the creation of the American Gridiron Association.

The American Gridiron Association is a minor league football organization that provides its various members and individual franchises an opportunity for advancement and competition within their individual communities and the football world.  It is our ever striving goal to assist in the development of the franchise and player in accomplishing their own goals within the community as well the refinement of their own skills on the gridiron.  With several connections to various arena/indoor teams, agents, and other professional organizations, we believe this venture is a real opportunity for players to move from their small communities into the realm of professional football.

In the inaugural season of the AGA, it is the goal to have eight to twelve franchises throughout the state of Iowa and Nebraska with hopes of expanding throughout the Midwest into states such as Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri. The Executive Committee of the AGA has been hard at work to incorporate a mixture of new and existing franchises for the first year, with intent of making it the most competitive minor league football league in the country. Several franchises have been voted in as the original charter members of the AGA, and all current and future members will announce their involvement on their own terms.

The AGA will follow the most current NFL rules and regulations as well as hold regular league meetings and continue oversight of the development of this venture. The first official meeting between owners and league executives will take place in mid-October with a mandatory owner’s meeting following soon after.
For any further information, check the AGA out online at www.americangridiron.org and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanGridiron.

Team of the Week: North Iowa Bulls

Spotlight this week is on the North Iowa Bulls of the North American 3 Hockey League!

The North Iowa Bulls are a junior league hockey team based in Mason City, Iowa.  They just opened up their second season in the NA3HL in 2012.

From the Bulls' Facebook page:

The Bulls are a new member of the North Iowa Community. The Bulls plan to provide fans with good, wholesome family entertainment at affordable prices. Players are not paid and area host families are relied upon to provide a home for them while they are in town. In this way, the Bulls are truly a community team. The support we receive locally is vital to our existence, and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with community businesses, families and fans during the 2011-2012 season.

You can find out more about the Bulls at their website:  http://www.northiowabulls.com

Go and "like" their Facebook page! : https://www.facebook.com/northiowabulls

Follow them on Twitter!:  https://twitter.com/@NorthIowaBulls