See It: The Community being helped

Prior Project Description
Our prior years as a Midget league program have brought us 7 youth football league championships and 3 times runner-up. Though our success has been a good experience our kids’ future is much more important. This has been an experience that our kids have enjoyed. Yet our kids have not played outside the city of Hartford and have not played more than 4 other teams the past 4 years. Therefore, they do not get to obtain the sportsmanship and diversity that is gained when playing a sport in a different city or town against other athletes. Their opportunities have been very limited due to our previous league. We are hopeful with the kindness and the generosity of our community we will be able to make this effort come forth. Also there are no opportunities for young women to join and become a part of our youth football teams in prior years due to our league rules.
Current Project Description
In August of 2007 A Better Way Foundation noticed our efforts and decided to support the Hartford Hurricanes as the fiduciary agent. Our Primary focus is education and athletics. We were unable to implement measures that we feel is necessary to have a strong, positive, educational football program.. Mainly due to our program not being able to hold kids responsible for their actions at school with our new league and football program additions we have added some additional program requirements. Kids (players and cheerleaders will now have to provide satisfactory grades to remain on the team. Children that did not pass the year before will be eligible to participate on our team but will asked to get their grades up to satisfactory level on the 1st progress report. This measure has been put into place to let the kids, parents and community know that we are interested in the Childs future far beyond their physical ability and to prepare them for the future whether they decide to further their sports careers or not.
Another goal of Hartford Hurricanes Organization is to invite Hartford youths to a program where the can enjoy their experiences as a football player or a cheerleader, while gaining life long skills that will help them prosper as they move to the next level of the learning road. We will maintain the highest standards for the City of Hartford kids. We want to better prepare our youth football members for high school sports and our youth cheerleader for high school cheerleading.

The Hartford Hurricanes Organization is devoted to child welfare and is undergoing profound changes with the advent of an innovative football league. Our Organization will be joining the American Youth Football League (AYF). The league is presently 10 teams strong. With our new league the Hartford Hurricanes will expand our range of teams from 3 to 4, with the addition of a Mighty Mites team dropping our age limits to 7 years old. This gives our inner-city youths a chance to start their football careers two years earlier. Another aspect of the new league will be our cheerleading squads. We will also be adding four cheerleading teams to our organization. Our cheerleading teams will participate in annual cheerleading competitions. This gives our young woman a chance to experience cheerleading before they enter high school. The Hartford Hurricanes Organization has decided to make these changes to better the football and cheerleading experiences of our young men, women, and kids.

Needs Assessment
Our Organization feels that this is a necessary change to better the lives of our youths and make a difference in a city where they are faced with so many roadblocks and hardships. The advantages are as follows;
- keep more youths involved with activities and off the street
- escalating the numbers of children that can participate in youth sports
- gain lifelong skills such as sportsmanship and friendship
- witness and understand that sports are a diverse game
- meet new friends
- learn and understand the concept of team at an earlier age
Budget Narrative
Our Target Goal of this proposal is to purchase the youth football equipment which would allow us to participate in our new league. This will cover our team uniforms (game and practice) and some field expenses such as chains and field markers. A detailed quote from All Sports America has been included within this package which can provide information about each individual cost and a total amount.
Population
All youth participants of the Hartford Hurricanes will reside within the city of Hartford and be between the ages of 7 and 14. We are a equal opportunity organization and accept youths of all creeds, colors, races, and religions. We can offer approximately 200 – 250 children a chance to engage in a 6 month program.
Hurricanes Staff
We currently have approximately 10 football coaches, 4 board members, 4 cheerleading coaches, and numerous volunteers from parents and the community. Our coaches give about 15 volunteer hours per week to our organization from August – December. Our staff also provides $150 per person donation to the Hurricanes organization from personal funds. No person on our staff has or will receive any money for their services. All coaches, board members, vendors, and parents are 100% volunteers. No one will receive a stipend or any financial benefit from any funds received.
Head Coach – Certified Coach in the State of CT, First aid and Safety certified, M.A. in Educational Psychology (UCONN)
Assistant Coaches – 5 with First aid and Safety certification
Conclusion
Currently Hartford Inner-city youths are not being given the best possible opportunity to learn and enjoy themselves inside a football organization as other surrounding youths are. The Hartford Hurricanes Organization hopes to make that dream possible for the inner-city kids of Hartford by bringing parents, children, and the city together as one, to help improve our youth football program. Furthermore these young men and women is our future and the need to invest in their future is of great importance.