Playing football on any game station from Atari to Wii might be fine for foul-weather days, but Feb. 27 was not one of those days. Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) put together a flag football tournament for Fort Sill children at the Youth Center.
"Events like this help the kids to stay active," said Spc. Kevin Murphy, BOSS president.
Some BOSS members helped fill in the gaps to make up full teams for the youths. There were enough participants to compose five teams of five players each. Teammates huddled together and came up with their own team names for the sake of keeping score. The teams that played were: Beast Mode, No Fly Zone, Hell Hounds, Marvel and Youngins.
The tournament started with a game between No Fly Zone and Marvel.
The rules were modified slightly to accommodate the scaled down, makeshift football field. Flags flew almost as frequently as the football did. Leaps in the air to catch an overthrown football were rewarded with a graceful catch and a rush into the end zone for a score. Field goals were banished due to the lack of field goal posts.
Like any well-trained Soldier would do, they improvised by making another pass and run to the goal line. Tension was low, as all participants acknowledged it was just a time for fun.
By the tourney's end, two teams remained -- the Youngins and No Fly Zone, that churned out a final score of 44-28, as the Youngins claimed victory.
The tourney provided an active event to participate in, as opposed to sitting on the couch.
"It's a good chance for the kids to get outside and interact with others," said Murphy.
BOSS tries to promote a healthy and effective contribution to the youth programs on post.
"This is the first time we did a flag football game with the kids, and we had a better turnout than I expected," said Murphy "We also did a three-on-three basketball tournament inside the Youth Center last month."
Pictures of the basketball game are posted on the wall inside the Youth Center. BOSS members plan recreation events and also volunteer programs to get the youths participating in fun events where they can meet other youths.
Murphy added with the moderate temperatures of spring and early summer, he expects BOSS will ramp up its activities for children on post.
BOSS is a part of the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (FMWR).
For more information call Murphy at 580-442-3575 or visit the FMWR website.
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