AMICC winter sports kickoff

New year’s celebrations can only mean one thing at the Anna Maria Island Community Center: winter sports. Flag football players and volleyball players young and old have been preparing to take the field and the court for another fun-filled winter sports season at the center.

Youth Flag Football

Taking the football field in January are more than 20 youth teams, with 18 volunteer coaches leading area boys and girls. After the traditional pasta dinner banquet on Friday, Jan. 9, at 6:30 p.m., children ages 5 to 17 years old will be pulling flags, rushing, catching and throwing on the grid iron starting on the Saturday, Jan. 1 with the Tailgate Spirit Day.

Spirit Day is a fun-filled day of football, with every team meeting opponents head-to-head kicking off the season. The day is also full of team spirit. Family and friends will adorn tents and themselves with their favorite team’s colors.

Playing eight regular season games, the Center’s youth flag football league will come to an apex on Friday, March 13. The top two playoff finishers for each age group playing on the big field will meet in the ultimate and much anticipated AMICC Super Bowl.

Tailgate Spirit Day Schedule

5-7-Year-Olds (Instructional League) Packers (Coach Will Schenerlein) vs. Colts (Coach Tom Baugher) 10 a.m.

Colts vs. Titans (Coach Brad Hoover) 10:15 a.m.

Titans vs. Packers 10:30 a.m.

8-10-Year-Olds

Bears (Coach Dave Johnston) vs. Chiefs (Coach Larry Pearson) 10 a.m.

Lions (Coach Ray Gardner) vs. Bucs (Coach Gary Harlen) 10:30 a.m.

Dolphins (Coach Dusty Bates) vs. Seahawks (Coach Joe Christianson) 11 a.m.

Lions vs. Vikings (Coach Rob Alderson) 11:30 a.m.

11-13-Year-Olds

Bucs (Coach Roger Guthrie) vs. Cowboys (Coach Zak Yosnoon

Lions (Coach Joel Snyder) vs. Seahawks (Coach Mark Berreda) 12:30 p.m.

Colts (Coach Matt Ray) vs. Saints (Coach Darren Horesh)  1 p.m.

Colts vs. Dolphins (Coach David Higgins) 1:30 p.m.

14-17-Year-Olds

Cardinals (Coach Larry Pearson) vs. Ravens (Coach John Smith) 2 p.m.

Falcons (Coach Ray Gardner) vs. Bucs (Coach Ben Stewart) 2:30 p.m.

Eagles (Coach Matt Ray) vs. Redskins (Coach Joey Carder) 3 p.m.

Adult Flag Football

The winter sports season will see the big boys and girls take the football field as well. With two adult co-ed flag football leagues at Center, men and women of all ages will make up the 14 teams that will start play on Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 7 and 8. The eight-week regular season leads to the playoffs beginning on Feb. 25 for the 18 and over league, while the 30 and over league will play their first playoff games on March 5. Like the youth flag football league, the adults will end the season with the AMICC Super Bowl on March 11 and 19, respectively.

Kickoff Week Schedule

18 and Over League (Wednesday, Jan. 7)

Giants vs. Colts 6 p.m.
Saints vs. Rams 7 p.m.
Dolphins vs. Falcons 8 p.m.
Bengals vs. Patriots 9 p.m.

30 and Over League (Thursday, Jan. 8)

Vikings vs. Chargers 7 p.m.
Raiders vs. Giants 8 p.m.
Packers vs. Chiefs 9 p.m.

Adult Volleyball

The adult volleyball league played its first game last night. For the next five weeks, the volleyball court will be taken over by four tough teams seeking fun competitive play. Played twice a year at the Center, the winter league finds many veteran recreational league players spiking, lobbing, digging and serving in the gym. At the end of regular season play, the teams will meet up on Tuesday, Feb. 17, for the league playoffs. The championship game is scheduled for Tuesday, April 1, where only one team can be awarded the ultimate reward of the season.

For more information about the AMICC sports program, contact Athletic Director Matt Ray at 941/778-1586 or Matt@myamicc.com.