ELITE FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM GUIDE

ELITE FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM GUIDE

Elite Flag Football Program Guide Introduction Welcome to the i9 Sports Elite Flag Football Program Guide. The purpose of this guide is to provide a simple framework for how to successfully execute this new age appropriate program. What is the Goal of Offering i9 Sports Elite Flag Football? The intent of Elite Flag Football Program is to provide an age appropriate level of play for flag football participants 11+ years of age while maintaining the cultural integrity of an i9 Sports program. IMPORTANT: Elite Flag Football is not intended to be a separate, stand alone division or a carve out program for your older, more competitive kids! It is merely an age appropriate flavor or level of play within our existing core flag football program. Just as we have made age appropriate adjustments to attract and serve our pee wee players, our Elite format is reflective of the level of play appropriate for all kids ages 11+. Why offer Elite Flag Football? Flag football participation drops sharply at 11 years old. Kids at that age, and especially those who have played in i9 Sports for a couple years, want and need something more aspirational. By providing a different jersey and more age appropriate level of play, the Elite Flag Football program will help retain participants in the older age groups. i9 Sports Flag Football Registrations for 2012 2

Not only will the new level of play encourage your current customers to continue playing, it may increase your market share by attracting new ones too. By retaining/adding more players to your programs, you will increase the number of kids you are able to get on the field thus further scaling your business. More players in the same field space means more profit for you. What Makes Elite Flag Football Age Appropriate for 11+? The following are key points of difference in the Elite Flag Football program format: Special Elite jersey designed for ages 11+ Player rotation through positions is not mandatory Players must play 33% of game vs. 50% Age appropriate rules (see revised Flag Football Rule Book*) Special Sportsmanship Values Larger trophy for champions (recommended) Travel across venues within an AD s territory (optional) *Flag Football rules that are unique for Elite have been identified and highlighted within the standard i9 Sports Flag Football Rules book found on the Portal. Program Offering Age Group Elite offers a natural progression for kids who want to continue playing flag football from age 11 and above. Similar to age appropriate programming for the pee wee division, Elite is recommended as THE standand format for all of your flag football participants ages 11+. It is NOT recommended that you offer both rec league and Elite level formats simultaneously for ages 11+ because you will not be able to get enough players to support a sufficient number of teams in both. The Elite Flag Football format has been created for boys and girls ages 11+, but in unique circumstances, a ten year old may play up with the consent from a parent (use good judgement). Please continue to create the teams with an age separation of no more than three years as stated in the Standard Operating Procedures. 3

DO NOT create Elite for ten year olds; you will dilute the younger age groups which is not the goal of the program! Season Availability Elite Flag Football can be offered four seasons year round. Your 12-month calendar should be elevated to your i9 Sports website at all times. In the fall season, be prepared for fewer registrations due to a higher level of tackle football paticipation among kids ages 11+. Season Format Eight weeks total (one week of jamboree, six weeks of play and one week of bowl games/playoffs). Each week starting with Jamboree should include both practice and game. Practice & Game Times As with our standard i9 Sports format, practices should be held once a week on game day. It is recommended that practices be 45-60 minutes in length with each game consisting of 2 x 22 minute halves. Sportsmanship Values Specific Sportsmanship Values have been created for the Elite Division and can be found on the portal. New Sportmanship Values include: Determination, Self-discipline, Being a Role Model, Responsibility, Dependability, Compassion, and Being a Motivator. Awards It is recommended that the Elite Division champions receive a larger trophy than the younger divisions. This will add to the aspirational nature of Elite. Travel To add another dimension to your Elite Division format, you may choose to offer travel games to your participants, but ONLY BETWEEN VENUES WITHIN YOUR TERRITORY. Franchise Manager does not currently have the ability to support travel between different franchises because statistics, schedules and communication cannot be driven to parents through multiple franchises for one program. If your Elite program will entail travel between multiple venues within your territory, please remember that the i9 Sports Child Abuse/Molestation Risk Management Policy strictly prohibits the pick up/take home of athletes by any league personnel. This includes providing busing or any other type of transportation service through a third party. i9 Sports cannot accept the liability. 4

Playing Field We recommend that the Elite Division playing field be set up like your standard Flag Football field: 50 yards in length and 30 yards wide, with ten yard end zones at each end. As always, these dimensions can be modified to suit your area, but using a consistent field size will provide you more operational flexibility. No-Running Zones: Will be marked five yards from each end zone, and five yards on both sides of mid- field. The no-run zone is only in play when there is a line to gain (i.e. attacking to the midfield line and end zone). Staffing Considerations In addition to your Site Manager, your officials will be key in helping manage the culture of this age division. It is our recommendation that you have your strongest, most well - suited officials in place to call these games. i9 Sports Officials play a key role in the i9 Sports experience for parents and players alike, as they are on the front lines of direct interaction. Officials responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Knowing the Elite rules Being professional Call tight games early Start firm and then ease up 5 Don't lower your standards. Instead, wait for people to rise up to your expectations.

Showing respect to players, coaches and parents Explaining rule changes Being consistent Always remaining calm Taking each game seriously Managing the game clock efficiently Managing Expectations Your Expectations: Have realistic goals. Remember, you are offering Elite to the 11+ age group, the smallest group we currently serve. Offering age appropriate programming to all of your kids in this age group will help retain some, but it is not likely to revolutionize your flag football program. Since 11+ is your oldest age group, the level of competition will become overly aggressive if you do not manage it well. While the level of competition natually rises as kids get older, you must establish the culture early each season by instructing your officials to call the first two week s games tightly. There's much more potential for trash talking and physical play and attitudes compared to the younger divisions...you have to set the tone and be strict. Brian Samilian i9 Sports Area Developer Managing Your Customer Expectations Like all i9 Sports programs, it is important for you to make sure your customers know what to expect from your Elite program. This will be accomplished through educating your parents during two main times: (1) the Sales Process, and (2) your Coaches' and Parents' Meetings. Vision, purpose During the sales process, be sure to properly explain the structure of your program so parents know exactly what they are signing up for, and there will be no surprises. Make sure to include a description of your program format on your website, and in the notes section of the program. Be as detailed as possible, but still allow yourself latitude to make changes dependent upon registration needs. You can also add notes for the Customer Service Center, so they can better sell your offering. and a great offering without a values system are empty promises" 6

Parent and Coach Expectations Since Elite Flag Football is focused on older ages, you can expect some parents and coaches to be more competitive, so it is crucial that the i9 Sports values are communicated on the front end, as well as throughout the season. Attendence at Coaches' Meeting is mandatory Practice is only one day a week, and on the same day as the game 120 minutes of total playing time (60 minute practice and 60 minutes of gametime) It is not mandatory that players rotate positions, but each player is required to play 33% of the game. (i.e.1 out of 3 plays or drives) FUN is always the #1 priority! The i9 Sports Culture Spend extra time during your Coaches' and Parents' Meetings to review the culture of an i9 Sports program. Give them a clear picture of the program format and operations. Also, make sure to review their role in the i9 Sports Experience. Good sportsmanship should be overemphasized as a means to counter-balance an upward pressure in the level of competition. Coaches' Meeting A unique and separate coaches meeting must be held in person 7-14 days prior to your Jamboree Day. The coaches meeting is important to set the culture of the program. This is when you gain buy-in from all coaches to work together in creating a positive experience for all involved, while being able to speak to program specifics (i.e. rules, expectations etc.) With the progression of Elite Flag Football, you need to take the time to lay a foundation and thoroughly explain what Elite Flag Football is, and is not. The intent of Elite Flag Football Program is to provide an age appropriate level of play for flag football participants 11+ years of age while maintaining the cultural integrity of an i9 Sports program.. Having FUN is always our #1 priority Not an opportunity to break away from the fun, convenient aspect of i9 Sports brand standards. Not a program for unbridled competition Not a renegade program (tackle, trash talking, obscenities etc) 7

Not a 7on 7 passing league. Not the answer to unbalanced teams. Take the time during the Elite Flag Football meeting to address rules, including good sportsmanship, as the older age group will tend to push the boundaries. Grouping the Elite meeting with all other sports will make it more difficult to fully prepare the coaches for the Jamboree Day. We highly recommend holding separate coaches' meetings for different sports. Remember, if a program starts poorly, it is difficult to rein in.... and the most important rule of all... HAVE FUN!!! MARKETING Promotional Website Message Promote Elite Flag Football on your website for new and existing customers to obtain additional information with the ability to register quickly. (See sample email in the Elite Communication Guide located on the portal) Introduction Registration Email Send a stand-alone email to your entire member base announcing the addition of Elite. We do not recommend bundling the message with other announcements as it is easy for the message to be lost. Because emails can easily get buried in your members in boxes, you should plan to do a four tier, monthly, stand-alone email drip campaign. (See sample email in the Elite Communication Guide located on the portal) At the Venue Display road signs and pass out flyers during all programs in operation leading up to the launch of Elite. Additionally, the Site Manager should distribute flyers to all parents at the field and announce the new Elite Flag Football League. Distribute amongst the older age divisions. During any Jamboree parents meetings or closing awards ceremonies, share the new look of the Elite jersey. 8

Road Signs It is not our recommendation to place the Elite signs out in the community in general locations as you would your core sport road signs. Your regular Flag Football signs will continue to drive customers to your site thus promoting Elite. We DO recommend that you place Elite road signs at your field and at special targeted locations such as middle schools, skate parks, baseball batting cages, and areas where the 11+ age group will be. While mom may still be the decision maker, this age group will influence her decisions more than younger kids. Keys to Success Establish Elite as your ONLY Flag Football program format for ALL players ages 11+ Set clear expectations among officials, coaches and parents about what Elite is and isn t Prepare Coaches and Officials by educating them on rule differences Maintain the core i9 Sports values and culture Avoid culture slip by starting stern and then easing up. Frequently Asked Questions Is it mandatory that I run Elite? No it is not. However, if you choose to offer Elite, you must work within the established program guidelines so that we offer customers a consistent experience across the network. Can I charge more for my age 11+ Elite players? Not currently. Franchise Manager does not currently offer the ability to price differently by age. However, this capability is something that will be added in the future. Some of my teams want to hold practices. Can we make additional practices part of our Elite format? There are four key issues in endorsing extra practices: 1) You are not covered by K&K insurance unless the practices are held at your regular playing venues; 2) If you hold them at your playing venues on days other than game days, your venue costs will increase; 3) If some teams practice and others choose not to, your league will grow unbalanced and your customer satisfaction levels may drop; and 4) You run the risk of extra practices bleeding back into your lower age divisions. How will Elite show up on my website? As an age appropriate division of Flag Football, customers will not see details about Elite until they enter the general Flag Football sport link. Your Elite program details will be 9

displayed as part of your Flag Football program details. Elite will not be a separate program type and will not be displayed on the map as distinct from regular Flag Football. How will I be able to tell how many Elite jerseys to order? A report will be created to reflect the number of Elite jerseys needed by size based on your Elite division registrations. 10