AFA Seeking Cooperation From Spring Leagues For Its 2006 Media Guide Directory

In an effort to bring more attention to semi-pro football teams that play during the spring and summer months the American Football Association announced today that they plan to publish a special "Spring/Summer Edition" of the AFA's popular Media Guide (facts and records) Book – subject to the cooperation from most of the 24 different leagues playing during the spring and summer months of the year. Teams playing from January through June make up about one-third (1/3) of the total number of semi-pro teams operating in the United States these days. With so many semi-pro leagues in action during the early months of the year, the AFA figures its time to give these leagues an opportunity to promote the fact that they too are an important part of the adult-amateur football level of the sport.

If all goes well, the AFA will publish the special Spring/Summer Edition by the end of March allowing member teams to circulate copies of the AFA Media Guide to their sponsors, players, fans and even more importantly to the press outlets in their local areas. Because nearly 250 spring/summer teams will be in action just prior to the publishing date, the AFA is hoping that the league commissioners and team owners will see this as an important opportunity to promote their leagues while their teams are still in-season.

The Spring/Summer Media Guide Edition will feature many of the same end of season (2005) final statistics that will be carried in the "Fall/Winter Edition" of the AFA 2006 Media Guide. The early edition of the 2006 Media Guide will feature a page for every spring/summer league in the country display of their league logo and a brief description of the league's history and past accomplishments. The league directory pages will also list the league's website address and the names of each team in the league. AFA "Member Teams" will have their team's websites, contact E-mail addresses and phone numbers listed on their respective league directory page as well.
Complimentary copies of 2006 Media Guides (facts and records) will be mailed to every NFL, NFL Europe, Arena and Arena2 team – bringing attention to the more than 750 AFA Semi-Pro Football teams playing in 65 different leagues coast-to-coast throughout the year.

Additionally, both editions of the 2006 Media Guide Directory will contain the 26 year history of the American Football Association; a demographic breakdown of teams and leagues by regions as well as by states; final 2005 league standings and overall national power-ratings; listing of every 2005 league championship team in the country, names of the 520 Semi-Pro Football Hall of Famers (with many photos) inducted in the past quarter century; several hundred Semi-Pro Football record breakers and newsmakers; the names of every player (1327) to have his name engraved on the AFA National Championship trophy (Arthur S. Arkush Memorial Cup) in the past 26 years; as well as a listing of more than a thousand players who, over the years, made the jump from the "Semi-Pros to the Pros".

Spring/Summer league commissioners and administrators wishing to have their own league page in the upcoming directory issue of the AFA's early (spring/summer) edition of the 2006 AFA Media Guide (facts and record) can assist in the production of this important publication by sending a copy of their current team mailing list to the AFA national office at AFA, P.O. Box 2400, Sarasota, FL 34230 or E-Mail your information to USAfoot@aol.com.

Spring/Summer teams are reminded they can take advantage of the AFA's
special discount price for Wilson NFL (blem) Game Balls (as low as $35 per ball) by downloading an order form from the American Football News website at www.AmericanFootballNews.org (under links) … . Need NFL Rule Books for your coaches? Order forms for the "Official Rules of the NFL" are available on the AFN website as well.

Is your team in need of a million dollars worth of spectator liability insurance for the coming season? By joining the American Football Association member teams qualify to participate in the national association's General Liability Insurance program. To download an AFA 2006 Membership Application go to www.AmericanFootballNews.org.

Sponsor: The AFA is proud to announce its partnership with the Lease Loan Reimbursement Program (LLRP). For more details click www.LLRP.com

About the American Football Association:
The AFA is dedicated to the advancement of semi-pro/minor league football throughout the United States and serves as the National Organization for non-professional leagues and teams from coast-to-coast. For more information about the AFA, please visit their Web site: www.americanfootballassn.com.

Contact: Dave Burch, Director of Communications, American Football Association, 877-624-4485 or amerfoot@aol.com
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