Sports
Youth Football Alive in Greenbelt: A Q&A with League Commissioner Anthony Davis
The Greenbelt Boys & Girls Club has organized a football league for many of its 60 years of existence.
The Greenbelt Boys & Girls Club, developed around 60 years ago, is a non-profit organization which caters to Greenbelt residents and provides various athletic programs to children in the area. Anthony Davis serves as both president of the club and commissioner for the football team.
Greenbelt Patch: Tell us a little about your role in the Greenbelt Boys & Girls Club Football League.
Anthony Davis: My son started playing. I started out as a team coach and then was elected President [of the board] and became commissioner for football.
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Patch: How are the teams organized?
Davis: There are six teams this year categorized by age and weight. There's a 150-pound weight team, a 90-pound team, two 75-pound teams and two 65-pound teams.
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Patch: Who can play on the teams?
Davis: They have to live in Prince George's County but anyone can play ages 6 to 17. The team is usually mostly Greenbelt residents but there's some Berwyn Heights, some random [other towns].
Patch: Do athletes play on their high school teams too?
Davis: No, they can't play in any high school team.
Patch: Who do they play against?
Davis: Other Boys & Girls Clubs. There are 33 clubs within the county. Sometimes we have scrimmages against other leagues in another jurisdiction.
Patch: What is enrollment like in the league?
Davis: Average enrollment is about 120. It's down this year, though, at 107. Kids are getting bigger and not meeting the weight limits. At 9-years-old, they can be no more than 75 pounds to play.
Patch: How competitive are the teams?
Davis: We have developmental teams and competitive teams for more experienced players. We try to designate it so all developmental teams play each other.
Patch: What determines whether an individual plays on the competitive team versus the developmental?
Davis: We normally have a mini-camp two weeks before the season. Based on their developmental process, we determine which team is best. There's no exact science.
For more information on the Greenbelt Boys & Girls Club Football season, or other club activities, visit http://www.greenbeltbgc.com/index.html.
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