2008 USSSA National Directors Meetings

Osceola County Stadium - Home of the USSSA Corporate Office....

The USSSA Directors Meetings: Kissimmee, FL

KISSIMMEE, FL - The 1st Annual USSSA Directors Meetings were held this past weekend at the USSSA Headquarters in Kissimmee, FL.  Directors of multiple organizations that have partnered with the USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association), all met to discuss the national growth and development of their select sports, as well as facilities, sponsors, new leagues and other upcoming opportunities.

The USSSA Headquarters and Hall of Fame Museum are located in Osceola Heritage Park as part of the Osceola County Stadium Complex, which features several facilities adaptable to baseball, basketball, volleyball, flag football and other sporting competitions; as well as concerts, trade shows and meetings along with the being the official spring training base for the Houston Astros. 

More facilities are scheduled to being constructed over the next few years, which will include additional fields for hosting larger flag football and soccer events in Orlando, FL.  This, along with the availability of the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex, will allow for more youth and adult flag football events for the MCFFU in 2008 and forward.

Also discussed at the Directors Meetings were the introduction and development of new styles such as 9-Man Ineligible and 8-Man Eligible in new states, providing more media coverage for the World Championships, improving on-line services including the on-line roster management system (ISTS), growing the MCFFU Youth/High School program, partnering with other national sports to cross market and expanding the MCFFU team with more State/Area Directors, Head Officials and leagues.

The MCFFU now has more Directors, operating in more states than any other flag football organization in the country and growing.

The meetings were attended by MCFFU National Director and USSSA Flag Football Chairman Jey Jones, MCFFU/USSSA Assistant National Director Brian Alford, South Texas State Director Rick Johnson and Chuck Conover, the MCFFU/USSSA Utah State Director.

The Flag Football Hall of Fame

The USSSA Hall of Fame has now created a section for competitive Flag Football to coincide with Softball, Baseball and Basketball.  The USSSA HOF currently displays jerseys worn by over 250 current and former World Championship teams; touch screen menus, an action-packed video showcasing some of the team's greatest exhibitions, and highlighting the history of the USSSA and its affiliate sports in the Hall of Champions Theater.

The first flag football mannequin has been erected and items will be officially admitted following the World Championships 3 in Dallas, Texas this May 2008.  Footage and photos from both the Screen World Championships (Gulfport, MS) and the Contact World Championships (Dallas, TX); including championship photos will be submitted and displayed in the HOF and the first class will officially be inducted into the HOF in 2009. 

Each Hall of Fame member is honored with a large framed portrait, a biographical plaque, HOF ring, the Silver HOF football and personal memorabilia emphasizing their contributions to the sport.

The World Championships Hall of Fame Game:

This year at the World Championships in Dallas (TX) the MCFFU will present the 1st Annual Hall of Fame Game at 12 noon at Ross Stewart Sports Complex, home of the WC3.  Two of the nation’s top teams from different regions will be selected to compete during the first round of competition on Saturday (May 3, 2008).

No other games will be played during this time, as all fields will cease action until the conclusion of the HOF Game.  The 2 teams competing in the 2008 HOF Game will be selected later this month.

Union Adds More Leagues and Representatives:

The Union will be opening leagues and/or hosting both State and National events in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oregon, Nevada and Missouri this summer as well as introducing new styles in existing states.

Discussions of hosting additional National Championships in Kansas City, KS and Orlando, FL are being discussed by the Union/USSSA and state officials.  These National Championships will join the existing list of National Championships in Las Vegas (NV), VA Beach (VA), Indianapolis (IN) and Houston (TX). 

The purpose is to offer a National Championship within driving distance in every flag football populated region, which will then feed into the World Championship Series.

9-Man Ineligible and 8-Man Eligible (Contact) are in discussion to be introduced in states such as Utah, Idaho, Nebraska and Kansas to offer more competition for these styles of play.  The goal of the MCFFU is to have every style offered on the Union’s National Circuit, played in every sanctioned state with each state sponsoring a team of each style in the World Championships.