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The Teams USA, New Zealand, France and Sweden got a guided tour of the Hall of Fame on Friday, June 26.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel (blog, 5/19): C.S. Charter’s Davis a Team USA selection (Jamal Davis, Florida Atlantic)
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-t.cgi/148525

San Marcos (Texas) Daily Record (5/16): Texas State recruit to play for USA Football Junior National Team (Prestin Brown)
http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/sports/local_story_136175557.html

LoneStarGridiron.com (5/15): Four Texas players named to USA Football’s 2009 Junior National Team (Texas H.S. football site)
http://www.lonestargridiron.com/2009/05/14/four-texas-players-named-to-usa-footballs-2009-junior-national-team/

Associated Press (5/13): ASU football signee picked for national team (Phillip Butterfield)
http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApSports/200905130748

espn.com (Big 10 blog, 5/13): Junior national team adds two more from Big 10 (Tyler Dippel, Aaron Price)
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/bigten/0-3-401/Junior-national-team-adds-two-more-from-Big-Ten.html

espn.com (Independent 10 blog, 5/13): Two more added to Junior National Team (Brian Winters, Phillip Butterfield)
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/others/0-4-444/Two-more-added-to-USA-Football-Junior-National-Team.html

Indianapolis Star (5/13): 3 Hoosiers on USA Football national roster
http://www.indystar.com/article/20090513/SPORTS/90513031/1004

IndianaRivals.com (5/13): Second IU signee named to national team (Aaron Price & Nick Zachery)
http://indiana.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=945579

Ft. Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette (5/13): Second Hoosier to play in junior football event (Aaron Price)
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090513/BLOGS08/905139916

Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Times (5/14): Local Briefs – Aaron Price (subscription access only)
http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2009/05/14/iusports.qp-3604551.sto
Copy: South’s Aaron Price, who will attend Indiana this fall, has been selected to play on USA Football’s 2009 Junior National Team in the first junior world …

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (5/14): Prep Notes (2nd note: Tyler Dippel, Wisconsin)
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/44944662.html

Cleveland Plain Dealer (5/13): Hudson lineman Brian Winters added to Team USA for Junior World Championship
http://highschoolsports.cleveland.com/news/article/-3467025221397852756/hudson-offensive-lineman-brian-winters-added-to-team-usa-for-junior-world-championship/

Canton Repository (5/13): Hudson lineman added to final roster U.S. roster for junior world championship (Brian Winters)
http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/x362995788/Hudson-lineman-added-to-final-U-S-roster-for-Junior-World-Championships

Akron Beacon Journal (5/14): Local Sports Briefs (2nd note: Brian Winters, Kent State)
http://www.ohio.com/sports/44957137.html

Akron Beacon Journal (blog, 5/13): KSU recruit Winters named to Team USA (Brian Winters)
http://www.ohioverticals.com/blogs/kent_state/2009/05/13/ksu-recruit-winters-named-to-team-usa/

ArkansasSports360.com (5/13): Lake Hamilton’s Phillip Butterfield chosen for National Junior Football team
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/sports_article.asp?aID=114763.48072.126846&spID=3

Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard (blog, 5/13): Local Sports Briefs (2nd note: three SU players named to USA Football Junior National Team)
http://blog.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2009/05/wife_of_former_syracuse_offens.html

Miami Herald (5/14): High School Briefs (2nd note: Phillip Thomas, Syracuse)
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/high-schools/story/1047462.html

Brooklyn (N.Y.) Daily Eagle (5/8): Local Sports Briefs (last note: Oday Aboushi, Virginia)
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=8&id=28248

Birmingham (Ala.) News (5/14): ASU football signee picked for national team (Phillip Butterfield, Arkansas State)
http://www.al.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/sports-21/1242256250257810.xml&storylist=sports

Syracuse, N.Y. – WSTM-TV, NBC-3 (5/14): Three incoming SU freshmen to play for USA Football
http://www.cnycentral.com/sports/sports_story.aspx?id=299400

Madison, Wis. – WKOW-TV, ABC-27 (5/14): Dippel named to USA Football Junior National Team
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10359243

Hot Springs, Ark. – KTHV.com, CBS-11 (5/14): Butterfield Named to USA Football Junior National Team
http://www.todaysthv.com/sports/highschool/article.aspx?storyid=85038

Fayetteville, Ark. – TV-5 News (5/14): ASU football signee picked for national team (Phillip Butterfield)
http://www.kfsm.com/sns-ap-fbo–butterfield-nationalteam,0,1964087.story

Jonesboro, Ark., KAIT, ABC-TV, Ch. 8 (5/14): ASU football signee picked for national team (Phillip Butterfield)
http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10359948

La Crosse, Wis. – WXOW, ABC-19 (5/14): Dippel named to USA Football’s Junior National Team
http://www.wxow.com/global/story.asp?s=10359243&ClientType=Printable

SUathletics.com (5/13): Three Football NLI Signees Selected for USA Football Junior National Team (Syracuse)
http://www.suathletics.com/news/2009/5/13/FB_0513092124.aspx

KentStateSports.com (5/13): Brian Winters to play for USA Football Junior National Team
http://www.kentstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=3737630&DB_OEM_ID=11400

astateredwolves.com (Arkansas State, 5/13): Butterfield Named to USA Football Junior National Team (Phillip Butterfield)
http://www.astateredwolves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7200&ATCLID=3737811

UWBadgers.com (official site, 5/13): Dippel named to USA Football’s Junior National Team
http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/fb/headlines/story.html?sportid=111&storyid=17969

IUHoosiers.cstv.com (official IU site, 5/13): Price named to USA Football’s Junior National Team
http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051309aaa.html

GoHolyCross.com (official site, 5/13): David Herman named to U.S. Junior National Football Team
http://goholycross.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051309aab.html

South Florida Sun-Sentinel (5/10): Local Sports News (2nd Note: Florida Atlantic’s Jamal Davis)
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flcnspdigestbr0510cwmay10,0,1753743.story

Ellis County (Texas) Press (5/7): America’s first junior national team in football to face world’s best in Canton, Ohio (Baylor’s Petty & Reese)
http://elliscountypress.com/news/125/ARTICLE/3756/2009-05-07.html

This summer USA Football is sending out the road crew to some of the finest cities and towns in the Midwestern United States.

Matt (R) and Mick (L), the two biggest fans of Team USA are heading out to talk to you and your neighborhood about how Team USA is going to take home the gold at the 2009 Junior World Championship of American Football. They’ll be bringing games, free swag and the Team USA Bus.

Check back here every day to read articles, see pictures and watch video about their experiences on the road.

Need to get in contact with them? Follow Matt and Mick on Twitter or drop a line at any time at usafootballtour@usafootball.com.

By Steve Alic, USA Football

With less than 75 days remaining until the start of the inaugural International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship, Team USA is now starting to take shape one player at a time.

USA Football, the sport’s national governing body on youth and amateur levels, announced its 2009 Junior National Team, which will compete in the sport’s first junior world championship this summer. Thus far, 36 graduating high school seniors soon to enter one of 27 college football programs have been selected to play on America’s first national team in the sport comprised of players aged 19 and under. USA Football’s Junior National Team roster will ultimately consist of 45 student-athletes.

USA Football has built America’s first Junior National Team in the sport to compete in the eight-nation, four-continent international competition in Canton, Ohio, from June 27 to July 5. National football teams from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Sweden have qualified to join the United States to pursue the sport’s first world championship on the international junior level.

Team USA is led by Chuck Kyle, head coach of Cleveland St. Ignatius High School, who has led his Wildcats to 10 of Ohio’s past 21 large-school state titles, including two USA TODAY “national championships.”

“This is a football team built firmly on talent and character,” said Kyle, whose team is assembled from players entering one of nine college conferences thus far, with the Big 10 having the most players on the squad with seven. “These young men have already earned their college scholarships – this team isn’t about individual honors or player rankings, it’s about winning a world championship and representing the United States with integrity. You can’t assign jersey numbers to ‘patriotism’ or ‘pride,’ but they’re part of our roster.”

Players selected for USA Football’s Junior National Team were nominated by high school and college coaches from around the country. Roster selections are ultimately determined by USA Football’s coaching staff, which collectively possesses 33 state titles and 155 high school head coaching seasons of experience.

With national football federations in existence worldwide for decades, IFAF was created in 1998 to organize and further develop the game through global cooperation and competition. All IFAF Junior World Championship games will be played in Canton’s historic Fawcett Stadium, home of the NFL’s annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Action kicks off on Saturday, June 27 and continues on Wednesday, July 1 and Saturday, July 4, before the Championship Game on Sunday, July 5.

“Life is about challenges and we – as a team – have a great challenge ahead of us in Canton,” Kyle added. “I look forward to our first practice together on June 14 and preparing for our first game against France on June 27.”

All-day general admission IFAF Junior World Championship tickets are $10; reserved tickets to all 12 tournament games are $50 and are available online and via phone at 1-800-574-5874.

All-inclusive travel packages to Canton with tournament game tickets are available online or by calling 1-888-310-4255 (Continental U.S. and Canada).

VIEW THE ROSTER

The bus is gearing up to leave very soon!  Matt and Mick are currently folding t-shirts and putting the last of their snacks into the refrigerator.

Subject to change, here’s what their schedule looks like…

• April 22-26 Columbus, Ohio
• April 28 Newark, Ohio
• April 29 Sylvania, Ohio & Canton, Michigan
• April 30 Detroit, Michigan
• May 1 Lansing, Michigan & Grand Rapids, Michigan
• May 4 East Chicago, Indiana & Chicago, Illinois
• May 5 Sheridan, Indiana
• May 6 Carnegie, Pennsylvania
• May 7 Medina, Ohio
• May 8 Westlake, Ohio
• May 13-17 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• May 21-24 Erie, Pennsylvania
• May 28-31 Cleveland, Ohio
• June 4-7 Youngstown, Ohio
• June 11-14 Akron, Ohio
• June 18-26 Canton, Ohio
  

Check back regularly to read about their adventures on the road and where Team USA excitement is at its peak!