Registration for the NFL Flag Football League is being managed through Avon Recreation and Parks.

Sarah Hicks hikes the ball to TJ Wang as their fellow Miami Dolphins team members Jadyn Green, Griffin Frauenhofer, and Jack O’Donnell run to stay away from defender Noah Walton of the Seattle Seahawks. Submitted photo

Submitted by Barbara Thomas

Registration is open through Aug. 14 for the Farmington Valley NFL Football League, a non-contact program for boys and girls entering Grades 1 through 12. No previous experience is necessary.

The league was formed last fall by parent Laurie Hicks of Avon, whose children had played in an NFL Flag Football League when the family was living in New Jersey. Given that experience and with a passion for football, she contacted Avon Recreation and Parks with the idea. Players from throughout the Farmington Valley, Burlington and West Hartford are welcome to participate. The fee is $100 per registrant.

Practices will be held one weeknight per week at the coaches’ discretion from Aug. 25 to Nov. 1. Games are held on Sundays to try and avoid conflicts with other sports and are 44-minute 5v5 games. Practice and game locations are yet to be determined. Team size is eight to nine players per team.

The Farmington Valley NFL Flag Football League program is co-ed up until 7th grade and then there are separate girls and boys teams through high school. Backed by USA Football, the league is recreational with no tryouts or cuts. There is a full set of rules for each division developed by NFL Flag. Each player must bring cleats or sneakers (cleats are preferred), a mouth guard, and his or her own water bottle. A reversible NFL game jersey and flag belts are provided.

Hicks’ reasons for starting an NFL Flag Football League in this area go beyond her passion for football that stems from growing up in a family of female football fanatics who watched games every week. Raised in southern New Jersey, she is a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. Another impetus was that the Avon mom will do anything for a son whose doctor told her how important it is for him to play sports.

Hicks and her husband, Greg, have three children, 11-year-old daughter Sarah and 10-year-old twin sons, Eric and Jack, who were born two months premature. Jack was diagnosed at 18 months with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects body movement and muscle coordination.

“At the age of 3, he had to have surgery to correct his gait and the surgeon told me to ‘get him into as many sports as possible throughout his life in order to strengthen his leg,’” she said. “That was my goal and I pursued as many sports as I could find for him.”

The couple involved Jack and his siblings in a variety of sports when living in Avon the first time. Then in 2011, Greg Hicks’ employer transferred him to New Jersey, where they lived in Moorestown. That is where they were introduced to flag football.

“My boys played in a very well-run NFL Flag Football League that consisted of 700 kids ages first grade through high school,” Hicks said.

It was a great option for two boys and a mom who love the game.

“I wouldn’t allow my twin sons to play tackle and this was a perfect alternative for two boys who desperately wanted to play football, especially for Jack,” Hicks said.

When the family moved back to Avon in late 2013, she promised her kids that she would start an NFL Flag Football League so that her daughter and sons could all play.

“I contacted Glenn Marston, the former Avon Recreation and Parks director, and he was happy to help me get this program started in Avon,” Hicks said. “Glenn even took it a step further and recommended that we offer it to the entire Farmington Valley and beyond.

In their first season, 55 kids participated and parents were very pleased with the program, she said.

“One parent approached me during the season and said, ‘Thank you for doing this because for the first time, my son is now able to play on a team in a sport that he likes and feels comfortable playing’,” Hicks said. “At the end of the day, that made everything I did to start this league worth it.”

The league’s mission is to ensure a fun experience by providing physical activity and encouraging full participation. Fundamental skills of football are taught while incorporating values of teamwork, responsibility, and sportsmanship. Every participant is given the chance to learn the fundamental skills of every position and be able to apply those skills in games. The league ensures an environment of safety, respect, and fair play.

Registration can be done in person through Aug. 14 at the Sycamore Hills Pool, 635 West Avon Road, Avon, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or online at http://www.avonct.gov/recreation-and-parks-department.