Congratulations to our Fall playoff Champions!!
1st & 2nd - Titans beat the Patriots
3rd& 4th – Buccaneers beat the Cowboys
5th & 6th (Gold) - Bears beat the Bills
5th & 6th (Silver) - Cowboys beat the Raiders Black
7th & 8th – Jets beat the Saints
Coaches and Desert Sands Families-
Final Fall season recap- please pass this recap on to your Families and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving full of FAMILY, Food and Football.
The Fall playoffs did not disappoint. Win or lose we created some fabulous memories. It started with dreams of rings and the best and most competitive competition we have ever had! It ended with Championship games in the desert rain. These are memories that will last a lifetime. Call out to all of you for a spectacular season. We exist to develop the youth in the Coachella valley through the fun game of Flag football. With out our Volunteer Coaches we cease to exist. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
We hit this Fall season out of the park with so many positive events. Its Flag football but so much more…..
Some of our Fall highlights include:
After 9 years we are so proud of what this league as evolved into. It’s a carnival like atmosphere where you can meet your neighbors in a fun safe environment. We have great sponsors and unbelievable vendors. It is so good for the community and recognized as one of the top youth sport organizations in the Coachella Vallery. We even been referred to a s as a “character development” league focused on teaching “life lessons” from sports.
Action requested-
We need you to re-up. Please confirm if we can count on you returning to Coach for Spring 2024? We are expecting a huge surge in participants based on our Fall success, Girls CIF designation, and being added as a 2028 Olympic sport. Flag football is one of the Fastest growing sports in the USA.
We need more Coaches!!
Please step up by volunteering for another season. Along with your commitment to Coach please email us your top 3 NCAA team names and any player requests.
Thank you for your collective effort to help us build Desert Sands Friday Night Lights league the premier youth sport League in the Valley. Lets keep it going!
Tom Roche (olders) and John Maldonado (youngers)
DSFNL Commissioners
Fall 2023 season 1st and 2nd place finishers-
Action requested- Swing by the FNL snack shack to take a picture and pick up your Trophies.
1ST & 2ND Grade:
RED 1st Titans – Coach Ismael Esparza / 2nd Seahawks Coach Mark Rosbarsky
BLUE 1st Lions – Coach Michael Powers / 2nd Patriots Coach Richard Romo
3rd & 4th Grade:
RED 1st Chargers – Coach Nathan Beck / 2nd Bears Coach Phil Tanner
BLUE 1st 49er’s Black – Coach Albert Houge / 2nd Tampa Bay Buccaneers Manny Bustamnte
5th & 6th Grade:
Yellow 1st Bears – Coach Rob Tanner / 2nd Bills Coach Anthony Gonzalas
RED 1st Chargers white – Coach Nathan Beck / 2nd Raiders white Coach Eddie Galvan
BLUE 1st Cowboys white– Coach Curtis Green / 2nd Giants Coach Tommy Pham
7th & 8th Grade:
RED 1st Jets– Coach Jasen Agostini / 2nd Saints white Coach Dan O’Grady
BLUE 1st (co winners)- Ravens – Coach Albert Hogue and Abel T., Chiefs white Coach Cindy Moran and Tommy Pham / 2nd Panthers Coach Jesse Prather
Congratulations on a fantastic season and best of luck in the playoffs!
Tom Roche and John A. Maldonado
Commissioner Friday Night Lights
www.desertsandsfnl.com
760 636-8266
WINNERS WILL BE AWARDED RINGS
PARKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE FALL 2023 SEASON
1) Chick-FIL-A meal award focuses on community service & academic excellence "off the field".
Here is how it works- Our DSFNL Parents and/or players inform their Coaches of any worthy community service and/or academic excellence. The Coach can select up to 1 player per week, per Team, to receive a “Free” Chic-A-Fil meal ticket. The honoree and their Coach need to stop by the FNL snack shack after their game to pick up the award.
2) Crumbl Cookies - award recognizes athletic excellence "on the field" of play
Here is how it works- Our Coaches will select up to 1 player per week, per Team, to receive a free Crumbl cookie certificate for their standout performance and making players around them better. Stop by the FNL snack shack with your Coach to pick up your certificate, redeemable at the La Quinta location
Flag football is a ton of Fun and is one of the fastest growing sports in the USA. This NEW All Girls division will play on the same Friday Nights, and same fields as the much larger general CoEd league. Girls can play in either league; however, we find that the female participation dramatically increases when we have an "All Girls" division; especially now that "Girls Flag Football is NOW an official CIF Sport".
DesertSands Friday Night Lights goal is to become the primary feeder program for the Coachella Valley High Schools. The perfect target athlete is already participating in other girls sports ie: Soccer, track and field, Volleyball, and Basketball. Please let them know about our New All Girls Division.
KESQ did a nice job recapping Desert Sands FNL - Enclosed is the clip.
Thanks for all your support in making FNL the best youth sports league in in the Coachella Valley! Let’s keep it rolling and continue to assess what’s working and what’s not and provide us feedback so we can continuously improve and become even better!
Moving forward-
Coaches coach, Players play, Referees Ref, and Parent cheer! Control your sidelines!
Thank and keep it FUN!!!
John A. Maldonado and Tom Roche
Commissioner's Friday Night Lights
In closing-
Please remember the overall purpose of our league is to develop the youth in our community. While it is more fun to win, the lessons we teach are more important than “wins and losses”.
Every Friday half the Teams win, and half the teams lose, but everyone can learn the life lessons generated from the :50 minutes of competition. They learn how to compete, how to deal with adversity, hard work, and Team commitment. No scholarships just the joy of playing flag football.
Keep the focus on personal and Team development, good sportsmanship, and having Fun!
Competition has made us better! You can expect the best youth sports experience in the Valley.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS - ONE GOAL…. KEEP IT FUN! THANKS FOR YOLUR TREMENDOUS SUPPORT!
Tom Roche and John Maldonado
DSFNL Commissioner’s Friday Night Lights
760 636-8266
Arrive hungry and support our growing Vendor partners!!!
Share the spotlight-
Parents, If you want your kids to share the spotlight, please upload and share your action photos photos with our Social Media Director on Instagram as @fridaynightlights_dsusd or Facebook as @Desert Sands FNL
Plus... if your children have been recognized for academic or community excellence let us know and we will catch our Players doing things right!
Other important information:
COACHING TIPS
Remember the regular season is about Team development, “EVERYONE makes the PLAYOFFS”; so Keep it FUN!!
The impact you can make on this Community and this new generation can be life altering. The Life lessons you teach will be much more enduring than your record.
Whether you like it or not you are role models. Control your sidelines. You set the tone for the Players, Parents, and ultimately the league; so win or lose, do it with Class. Demonstrate Good Sportsmanship, shake hands after every game, and genuinely thank the opponent for the opportunity to compete.
“New Spotlight Player award- Coaches please be active nominating your players for Community, Academic or Athletic excellence! Every week we will select an individual that best embodies the ideals we prize as a League.
Lastly, Control you Sidelines Remind your Families: “Coaches Coach, Refs Ref, Players Play and Parents Cheer. If we all stick to our roles we will have another Banner Season.
Is letting your child play tackle football before age 14 ever a good idea? Brett Favre says no.
Mortgage Loan officer- NMLS#2009708
Phone: 949-872-7657- DRE#02185766
FNL
P.O. Box 11034
Palm Desert, CA 92255-1034
COMMISSIONER K, /1st & 2nd / 3rd & 4th Grade Divisons
Phone: 760-636-8266
COMMISSIONER 5th & 6th / 7th & 8th Grade Divisions
Phone: 949-836-4753
Have any photos or videos that you want to share with us?
Send to our SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
on Facebook and/or Instagram
CHEER IS BACK
14 FNL Football Leagues to choose from. Please Visit their websites for more information: