FFWC Teams Take To Practice Field

　　Teams Take To Practice Field To Prepare For World Finals

　　DESPITE THE BEIJING weather turning from stiflingly humid to pouring rain, several of the teams competing at the NFL Flag Football World Championship took to the practice field on Tuesday.

　　The 12 to 14-year olds got their first look at the Xian Nong Tan Stadium that will host the sixth annual NFL grassroots tournament and ran through some basic drills to shake off the effects of their long journeys to China.

　　MAR JCC head coach David Fried was eager for his side to return to football action having spent the past five days sightseeing in Xian, Shanghai and Beijing. His team also practiced in the morning before some teams had arrived from Europe and North America, but not before the stormy weather produced a downfall.

　　“We’ve been traveling for a week, so I wanted to get them stretching and get a ball back in their hands,” said Fried. “It rained, so we got wet, but we need the practice to be in good shape for Thursday’s games.

　　The NFL Flag Football World Championship kicks off on August 18 when defending champion the USA faces teams from Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain and Thailand in defense of its world crown. The action kicks off on Thursday and continues through Friday and Saturday.

　　The Gymnasium Meerbusch Eagles (Germany), Pere Vives Viches (Spain), Bangmod Wittaya School (Thailand) and Guangzhou #41 Middle School (China) also took to the practice field and ran through some basic plays. Canada’s Tomken Road Middle School team arrived in Beijing later in the day after almost 24 hours of traveling and Las Aguilas from Mexico landed in Beijing via Monterrey, Houston and San Francisco. Completing the arrivals were Liceo Scientifico ULIVI from Italy and Rushers Football Club Junior of Japan.

　　Wednesday sees the teams and a large following of family and friends head to the Great Wall of China for a sightseeing tour, followed by a much anticipated draw to determine into which of two groups each team will be placed for the preliminary rounds.

　　“Whoever we play we’ll face a tough challenge,” added USA coach David Fried. “I can see from the practices that the teams have all improved form last year and it will be a difficult competition to win.”

　　Fans, family, friends and media can follow each team’s every move by logging onto the website www.NFLYouthFootball.com, which will be updated daily from Beijing. Game recaps, quotes, player diaries and the highlights from each day of flag football action will be featured on the FFWC section.