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#1 YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE IN CALIFORNIA

Spring 2025 season is now open!

Early Bird discount is available for all our existing Fall 2024 Families if you register before the end of this season. 

Register before the end of this FALL season and save $25! 

 

Practices start in February and games begin March 14th-May16th

DESERT SANDS Friday Night Lights

#1 Flag Football LEAGUE in the Coachella Valley

22 CONSECUTIVE SEASONS AND GROWING!

 EXPERIENCE OUR EXCLUSIVE "CATCHING KIDS DOING THINGS RIGHT" REGOGNITION PROGRAM

#1 "CHARACTER DEVELPOPMENT" LEAGUE IN THE VALLEY

 

GAMES PLAYED AT Col Mitchell Paige

FUN - FUN - FUN - FUN - FUN - FUN - FUN


BEST YOUTH SPORTS EXPERIENCE PLAY WITH FRIENDS, AND MEET NEW PEOPLE

YOU WILL EVER HAVE !!

 

JOIN THE 30,000 KIDS WHO PLAY FNL FOOTBALL EACH YEAR!

 

**TONS OF FUN**

 

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS-

ONE GOAL Keep it FUN!!!

FIELD MAP FALL 2024

PARKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR FALL 2024

PARKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SPRING 2024SEASON

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

THANK YOU DSFNL FAMILIES-

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-

  • Check scores and remember MAX score differential is 22pts. We reward defense points allowed not points scored. If game gets lopsided Referees are instructed to have a running clock, no time outs. We suggest twinning team takes the foot off the accelerator and run the ball with your slowest player. No need to humiliate the other team, win with class and teach compassion for others

 

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

www.desertsandsfnl.com

NEW *ALL GIRLS* Flag Football Teams

Flag football is a ton of Fun and is one of the fastest growing sports in the USA. This season we have several NEW All Girls Teams will play on the same Friday Nights, and  same fields in our CoEd league. The female participation has dramatically increased 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.

  • Girls’ grades K-8th
  • Register NOW and Save $ -Fall season Aug-Nov
  • Tons of FUN, non-contact
  • Build you Team or sign up and play with friends!
  • Teams of 6-8 
  • No experience necessary
  • For more information go to www.desertsands.com or call with questions 760 636-8266 John M.

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.

  • Better Equipment- including balls jerseys and flags.
  • Better Referees and Coaches
  • Better trophies and team pictures
  • Added fields and security.
  • Improved special event ie-Free Mother’s Day Roses for our special ladies.
  • Multiple divisions at every age group- ensures more competitive balance

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS - ONE GOAL…. KEEP IT FUN!  THANKS FOR YOLUR TREMENDOUS SUPPORT!

 

Tom Roche and John Maldonado

DSFNL Commissioner’s Friday Night Lights

www.desertsandsfnl.com

John - 760 636-8266 Younger Grade Kinder through 4th Grade

Tom - 949 836-4753 Older Grades 5th - 10th Grade 

 

 

Arrive hungry and support our growing Vendor partners!!!

  • New- Chick-Fil-A
  • New Cold stone creamery 
  • Las Carretas Taco shop
  • E -Pel's frozen lemonade
  • Pizza
  • Crumbl Cookies - LA QUNITA

 

NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED ON SCHOOL PREMISES!

  • This is a district restriction and if violated we could lose our field use permits.

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:

  • Upload championship pictures and video to our Social Media Director on Instagram as @fridaynightlights_dsusd or Facebook as @Desert Sands FNL ...Share action photos and any academic excellence awards
  • Sponsor plaques are backordered and not expected to arrive until Jan/Feb. Our trophy supplier communicated to us that a component of the plaques is caught up in the supply chain crisis. Once they are ready, we will contact all our Teams to meet us at CMP to pick up you Sponsor Plaques.

 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.

 

Idio's High School Girl's Flag Football Coach - Abel

FNL ON ROGGIN REPORT NBC

Fred Roggin discusses the importance of community involvement

Dani Oswood - Head Coach Palm Desert High School Girls Flag Football

Chad Prest Head Coach Xavier Prep Girls Flag Football

Click here> Brett Favre says choose Flag Football until 14yrs old

Is letting your child play tackle football before age 14 ever a good idea? Brett Favre says no.

DSFNL Mailing Address

FNL

P.O. Box 11034

Palm Desert, CA 92255-1034

John A. Maldonado

COMMISSIONER K, /1st & 2nd / 3rd & 4th Grade Divisons

Phone: 760-636-8266

Tom Roche

COMMISSIONER 5th & 6th / 7th & 8th Grade Divisions

Phone: 949-836-4753

Game and practice Pictures Wanted!

 Have any photos or videos that you want to share with us? 

Send to our SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS 

on Facebook  and/or Instagram 

Join the 20,000 Kids who Play FNL Football

14 FNL Football Leagues to choose from.  Please Visit their websites for more information:

  • Los Alamitos/Seal Beach, LOSAFNL.com
  • Irvine, IRVINEFNL.com
  • Garden Grove, GGFNL.com
  • Huntington Beach, HBFNL.com
  • Murrieta, MURRIETAFNL.com
  • Temecula TEMECULAFNL.com
  • Newport Mesa, NEWPORTMESAFNL.com
  • North County (Carlsbad - La Costa - Oceanside), NCCFNL.com
  • Desert Sands (Palm Desert, La Quinta), DESERTSANDSFNL.com
  • Central Coast (San Luis Obispo) CentralCoastFNL.com
  • North San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) NSDFNL.com
  • Carmel Valley (Del Mar, La Jolla, Solana Beach) CVFNL.com
  • Corona (Norco, Eastvale, Jurupa) CoronaFNL.com
  • Santa Barbara  SantaBarbaraFNL.com
  • Edmond OKC  EdmondOKCFNL.com
  • Riverside  RiversideFNL.com
  • Rancho Bernardo  NSDFNL.com