Are you ready for some football?

The Anna Maria Island Community Center’s winter NFL Flag Football program begins this week. Thirty-seven teams will begin their run for the Center’s Super Bowl championship.

The league will begin this Thursday with the Adult co-ed league. The kick-off season dinner banquet has been canceled for Wednesday night Jan. 2. With the children still being on holiday break, a census was taken and too many players would be missing the annual event on that night. A new date is soon to be announced.

Registration is over, tryouts taken place, teams have been formed in the draft and countless hours of practices have been held all in preparation for the season to start. Here is a preview of how the divisions stacked up and their volunteer coaches:

Adult co-ed league: AFC Division

B Y Construction Bears – Matt Ray
Duncan Real Estate Cardinals – Jason Vancleave
Florida Discount Signs Colts – Troy Shonk
Slim’s Place Patriots – Dave Johnston
Southern Greens Seahawks – Tyler Bekkerus
The Island Sun Bills – Scott Dell
Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings – Captain Robert Mandarine

Adult co-ed league: NFC Division

Agnelli Pools & Spas Giants – Tim Shaugnessy
Beach to Bay Construction Ravens – Don Purvis
Duffy’s Tavern Raiders – Chris Gillum
Harrington House Bucs – Richard Fosmore
Lobstah’s Lions – Matt Piermarini
Sato Real Estate Browns – Jason Sato
Waterfront Restaurant Dolphins – Jonathan Moss

Adult co-ed Flag Football schedule:

Jan. 3, Thursday, 6 p.m. – Beach to Bay Construction vs. Lobstah’s
Jan. 3, Thursday, 7 p.m. – Waterfront Restaurant vs. Florida Discount Signs
Jan. 3, Thursday, 8 p.m. – Agnelli Pools & Spa vs. Duffy’s Tavern
Jan. 3, Thursday, 9 p.m. – Duncan Real Estate vs. Slim’s Place

14 – 17 Year Olds:

Beach to Bay Construction Browns – Will Case
Eat Here Packers – J. T. Goode
Integrity Sound Falcons – Joe Carder
Lobstah’s Colts – Matt Ray
Walter & Associates Bears – Mike Walter
West Coast Surf Shop Bucs – Ben Stewart

14 – 17 Year Olds Flag Football schedule:

Jan. 8, Tuesday, 7 p.m. – West Coast Surf Shop vs. Walter & Associates
Jan. 8, Tuesday, 8 p.m. – Eat Here vs. Integrity Sound

11 – 13 Year Olds:

Beach Bums Ravens – John Smith
Edgewater Realty Jaguars – Will Case
Holy Cow Ice Cream Cardinals – Larry Pearson
Lobstah’s Bucs – Randy Langley
Mr. Bones Colts – Troy Shonk
Ross Built Construction Dolphins – Greg Ross
Walter & Associates Bears – Mike Walter

8 – 10 Year Olds: East Division

Beach Bistro Bucs – Mark Barreda
Coastal Orthopedics Bears – Chuck McCracken
Lobstah’s Browns – Darrin Horesh
Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings – Will Case

8 – 10 Year Olds: West Division

Air & Energy Jets – Mark Pennell
LPAC Cardinals – Larry Pearson
Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins – Scott Achor
Miller Electric Chargers – Monica Simpson

8 – 10 Year Olds Flag Football schedule:

Jan. 8, Tuesday, 6 p.m. – Miller Electric vs. Tyler’s Ice Cream
Jan. 9, Wednesday, 6 p.m. – Manatee Cancer Center vs. Beach Bistro

5 – 7 Year Olds:

Lobstah’s Broncos – Ron Balais
Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings – Rob Alderson

Adult co-ed Volleyball

Duncan Real Estate – Mark Pennell
Island Real Estate – Ryan Moss
Lobstah’s - Troy Shonk
Tyler’s Ice Cream – Matt Ray

ADULT CO-ED VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE:

Jan. 8, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. – Duncan Real Estate vs. Lobstah’s
Jan. 8, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. – Island Real Estate vs. Tyler’s Ice Cream
Jan. 8, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. – Duncan Real Estate vs. Island Real Estate

 

There's no place like home

If you’ve been curious about The Villages north on Interstate 75 between Tampa and Orlando, you’ve stumbled into the right column.

I had been hearing about The Villages for years. I had always heard that it was Disney World in a Celebration-type community of town homes and condos for the 55+ crowd…non-stop activities from sunrise to the next sunrise. Everything you might expect on a cruise without the water.

In fact, if I had to say anything negative, that was it…by golly, if I’m going to pay to live in Florida, I am living within a mile of the water…the “real” water…the Gulf or the Atlantic.

A two-hour drive to the real beach (sorry, lakes do not count. I can get those up north, thanks!) is out of the question. Call me silly, but I’m a waterholic, I guess.

As tempting as The Villages could be, you’ll have to pry me off our beaches first. Even with the unseasonable cold and stiff winds we had this week, I enjoyed my runs on the beach. I enjoy them even more when our allegedly nasty weather scares everyone else off the beach. Throw on a couple of jackets, make sure my headband and headset from my iPod cover my ears, and I’m good. Not real pretty to look at, but hey, there’s no one on the beach to see me anyway.

My hubby and I got invited to The Villages by some friends of his who are retired FBI. They worked in Miami when Clarence and I both worked there in TV. Clarence is working on a cold case on an unsolved Miami kidnapping. He thought they might have some leads, but they didn’t. We did get an extensive tour of The Villages.

Beyond the general legend, I had heard about The Villages from a friend who has a great job in Washington, D.C. Her long-time boyfriend, Ed, a soon-to-be retiring doctor began looking for “cultural” places to winter in Florida. We gave them our incredibly biased tour of the Island along with the “Why would anyone live anywhere else?” routine, but Ed said he wanted more. Within the year, my friend told me Ed had run away to The Villages and was attending meet-ups, associations, and clubs of all kinds. She was devastated. Apparently the ladies were lining up.

Then, two weeks ago, when I competed in the state Senior Games in Winter Park, there was a whole team from The Villages. You couldn’t miss them in their team neon tank shirts. Even the brochures advertising the Florida Senior Games had photos that were taken showing the athletes practicing at The Villages.

I try not to take all of this placing in 29 5/10K races since ’08 seriously. Though it isn’t totally true, I like to joke that part of winning my age group is about showing up. But I imagined that these ladies from The Villages had been training 24/7 with the finest coaches in the country. After all, our hosts told us, all the top politicians visit The Villages because of their exploding population and power block of 100,000 among more than a half dozen little “villages.”

Suffice it to say, racing at the Senior Games against these well-trained ladies, I was delighted to have placed third in State in the 200, 400 and 1500 meters, and fourth in the 100 meters.

Our host, Lydia, asked if we would like to see some of the seven “rec centers” at The Villages. “Like with gyms and sports areas?” I asked. “Sure,” Lydia said. She took us to several and seemed surprised that she couldn’t find any gyms. “Rec centers here are done by themes and mainly include classrooms and common areas to socialize.”

One rec area had a sailing theme, and another, which I found incredibly offensive, was the “Western” rec area that had cowhides in ostentatious floor-to-ceiling frames. You could touch the multi-color thick hair that was still left on the cowhide. In the community newspaper Lydia gave me, I actually did see a monthly vegan potluck dinner announcement. That told me there was certainly a diverse community. We never found a workout area, though I saw them later when I looked at a map. We drove by at least a half dozen golf courses.

There’s no place like home. Or Anna Maria.

You can follow Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones on her Facebook page and keep up with her just released book:,"Eat Vegan on $4 a Day," or her website: www.vegcoach.com. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and running coach. For training in a gym or private hire, contact Ellen at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.