Volume 5, Issue 17

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Believe it or not, this weekend is the official start of our fall season! Be sure to join us on Saturday for our New Player Orientation and QB Clinic. On Sunday, we'll see you at GPub for our Meet Your Team party!

Read below for important details about the Fall Season.

QB Clinic & New Player Orientation - Sat, Aug 19

Our Quarterback Clinic, Football 101 Whiteboard Session, Referee Training, and New Player Orientation will be held this Saturday, August 19 at North County Club Field (160-168 Monroe St, Warwick, R 02888)

Quarterback Clinic: 9:00-9:45am

If you're interested in playing quarterback this season, we strongly encourage you to attend the QB clinic. This is an opportunity to show the captains what you can do! Any player, new or returning, who wants to play QB this season is encouraged to attend this clinic. Please wear non-metal cleats and pocketless shorts and be sure to bring water and sunscreen. Arrive by 8:30am to check in and warm up.

Football 101 Whiteboard Session: 9:00-9:45am

If you're new to our league and would like a basic football overview, we encourage you to come out for our new Football 101 session. Veteran players will explain the rules of the game, different positions, strategy, etc., in a casual setting. This session is not required but is being offered for anyone with little to no football experience who would like to learn more about the game before we get into the more formal new player orientation exercises on Saturday. Arrive by 8:45am to check in.

New Player Orientation: 10:00am-1:30pm

All new players are strongly encouraged to attend New Player Orientation. This important event is your opportunity to meet this season's captains and other new players, learn football basics, talk through our league's rules, get coaching tips on position-specific technique, and scrimmage with other new players. All players must wear non-metal cleats and pocketless shorts. These are league requirements and are vital for player safety! You will not be allowed to play if you have metal cleats or your shorts have pockets. Please also remember to bring sunscreen and water. During Orientation, players will be coached through different stations to learn about specifics aspects of flag football (rushing, receiving, flag pulling, etc.) and will then have an opportunity to put their new skills into practice in a fun new player scrimmage. Arrive at 9:30am to check in.

Join us afterwards at Grid Iron Ale House & Grille (1599 Post Rd, Warwick, RI 02888) for food, drinks, and league social.

Volunteer Referee Incentive Program

Referees are vital to the success of our league, and we always need more people who are willing to officiate! This year, we're introducing a new incentive program. In addition to our paid, non-playing referees, we're looking for players who are willing to referee before or after their team plays. Any volunteer who completes the prerequisites below will receive early - and free - registration for our Spring 2024 Season. In order to qualify you must:

• Complete referee training program (includes online and in person instruction and a brief quiz)
• Referee at least six games during the Fall 2023 season
• Earn an average rating of 3 out of 5 during the games you officiated (evaluations to be submitted by head referee and team captains)

If you're interested in participating or have any questions, please email Red@pvdgffl.org and be sure to join us on Saturday for referee training (see above).

Upcoming Events & Important Dates

Aug 19 -- Fall 2023 Open Division Orientation

Aug 20 -- Fall 2023 Open Division Meet Your Team Party

Aug 26 -- League Scrimmage

Sept 16 -- Helmets & Heels 2023

Oct 5-8 -- Gay Bowl XXIII (Seattle, WA)

Oct 21 -- PVDGFFL Family and Friends Day

FALL 2023 SEASON DATES

• Sat, Sept 9 (Week 1)
• Sat, Sept 16 (Week 2)
• Sat, Sept 23 (Week 3)
• Sat, Sept 30 (Week 4)
• Sat, Oct 7 - No Games (Gay Bowl Tournament)
• Sat, Oct 14 (Week 5)
• Sat, Oct 21 (Week 6) - PVDGFFL Family and Friends Day
• Sat, Oct 28 - No Games (Spooky Bear) - Makeup date, if necessary
• Sat, Nov 4 (Week 7)
• Sat, Nov 11 (Playoffs & Rhody Bowl)

Additional events, including league socials and fundraisers, are constantly being planned! Check our events page for the latest details.

Meet Your Team & Season Kickoff Party - Sun, Aug 20

If you're new to our league, you might be asking, "How do I find out what team I'm on?" The answer? Come to our Kickoff Party!

The captains of all 14 teams will unveil their rosters at our Meet Your Team and Season Kickoff Party on Sunday, August 20th, at Providence GPub (100 Dorrance St, Providence, RI 02903). Come find out which team you've been drafted to, meet your new teammates and captains, and celebrate the start of another great season!

This event is for registered players and registered athletic supporters (sorry, we cannot admit guests or waitlisted players). Our waitlist will be updated after New Player Orientation and all players will be informed if they're on the waitlist or registered by Saturday evening.

League Scrimmage - Sat, Aug 26

We are going to have an League Scrimmage on Saturday, August 26th from 9:30-11:30am at North County Club Field (160-168 Monroe St, Warwick, R 02888). Anyone who wants some playing time before we start the season is welcome to come play! 

2023 PVD Lobsters Non-Player Supporter Jersey

Help us raise money for our Gay Bowl tournament teams by purchasing these awesome supporter jerseys, which include panels from all of our tournament teams, our PVDGFFL and PVD Lobsters logos on the front, and sponsors on the back. Thank you, Red, for this incredible design, which not only looks amazing, but also captures the heart, spirit, and unity of our league.

The deadline to order a jersey is Friday, Sept 22. Jersey cost is $45.



You will be contacted in late September regarding a date/time for you to pick-up your jersey.

Helmets & Heels 2023

Remembering Christian Sherrow

We invite our PVDGFFL family to take a moment to pause and honor the memory of Christian Sherrow, who passed away last week. Christian was a member of the Worcester Kickball League, before being introduced to our league earlier this year. Christian had registered to play with us this fall and we extend our deepest condolences to Christian's partner, family, and friends. We will be sharing additional information about services as it bcomes available.

2023 Board of Directors

Chris Almonte — Commissioner

Rolfe Hubley — Assistant Commissioner, Open Division

Red McSwiggan — Assistant Commissioner, Women’s+ Division

Greg Polzer — Treasurer

Josh Klemp — Secretary

Chelsea Beaudoin — Director of Travel Teams

Michael Lucerto — Director of Captains

Marc Perkel — Director of Marketing and Communications

Sean Corcoran — Co-Director of Football Operations

John Mancone — Co-Director of Football Operations

Sean Davis — Director of Recruitment and Player Development

Anthony DeRose — Director of Fundraising and Sponsorships

Jay Potter — Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Red McSwiggan — Director of Rules and Referees

Theresa Waterbury — Director of Health and Safety

Michael Maio — Director of Events

Pat McIlveen — Director of Volunteerism and Community Outreach

2023 League Sponsors