Austin Floorball Club partners with Exel and Youth InterACTIVE General
04.12.29 Austin, Texas: Floorball is really finding its way into Texas!
Jeff Morris shows kids in Austin what floorball is all about.
The Austin Floorball Club has joined forces with Exel Floorball and Youth InterACTIVE in an after-school athletics program in Austin, Texas USA Together they are showing the youth of central Texas what a great sport floorball really is. Spearheaded by Jeff Morris and Lee Altpeter of the US Men’s’ National Team, the pilot program has started in five middle schools and one elementary school the Austin and Round Rock school districts. The program repeats every semester and should grow to more schools as time goes by. Floorball will be growing as the program grows.
Joacim Bergstrom, International Sales Manager for Exel Floorball says this about the efforts of Jeff and Lee. “The first thing that struck me was that got a good feeling about your interest for floorball and that floorball also might be able to give "anyone" the possibility to play a fun and exciting game that is not so expensive. We believe it is important that the youth do sports; it creates good discipline, friendship and health. I see this program as one of the best presented, the content is planned well and I think now we only need to push so it takes off and that people can start testing the sport. If they test it, they will stick to it. If the program is working well and we also get local federations that really organize the sport into leagues, the future of floorball in US will develop well within 5 years to a stable sport.
”When Baker Harrell from Youth InterACTIVE asked us to participate it was a “no brainer.” We were able to line up a generous donation of equipment from Exel in Zurich during the WFC 2004. Without that donation we would have never been able to pull this off. Reaction from the kids and PE instructors has been very positive. Kids are asking the PE instructor if we can come back tomorrow, we are their favorite.” reveals Jeff Morris
Mr. Harrell has this to say about the club’s participation. “As Executive Director of Youth InterACTIVE, a non-profit organization that is committed to reversing the trend of childhood obesity, I have worked with a great number of sports organizations. Jeff, Lee, and the members of the Austin Floorball Club are, by far, the most professional, the most committed and the most enthusiastic sports organization with which I have ever had the pleasure of working. Their willingness to spread the love and craft of Floorball to the underprivileged kids whom Youth InterACTIVE serves, despite conditions (such as inadequate space, etc.) which fluster many individuals and organizations, is the standard by which we now measure all organizations that participate in our after school programs. It is a sport that America's kids need, and the model by which the Austin Floorball Club promotes the sport through its community outreach efforts should serve as the flagship model for Floorball clubs across the country.
The positive reaction has lead to the PE coordinator for the Austin school district to invest in equipment for Austin’s seventeen middle schools which contain some 16, 500 students, and possibly incorporate floorball into their curriculum. Whether as a required sport, or an optional one, has yet to be decided.
But there is still work to be done as Morris and Altpeter must present a 10 unit lesson plan as well as sell the sport to approximately 40 PE teachers.
Youth InterACTIVE will also have a Youth Floorball Club aspect so those who want to can play outside of school time.
”This is exactly the kind of project floorball needs to get going in the states! We need to reach the kids and show them how much fun this game is.” concludes USFA general secretary Adam Troy.
If you would like to contact Jeff Morris about the project you can email him at austin_floorball@yahoo.com.
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