Grand Blanc Mi

Grand Blanc Youth Football enters its fifth season

On Sept. 10, Grand Blanc Youth Football teams will begin their fifth season for the Mid-Michigan Rural Football League ( MMRFL ).

Grand Blanc is one of more than 22 regionals within the MMRFL, which is expecting nearly 4,000 players this year.

The league, which began in 2007 with only four teams, will begin practice on Aug.15. Practices will take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the GM Weld Center on Saginaw Road. However, once school starts, the practices will end at 7 p.m.

According to Craig Rabidoux, president of Grand Blanc Youth Football , this season will field four “freshman” teams and four JV teams consisting of 25 players per team. The freshman team will be made up of kids ages 8 and 9 with a maximum weight of 90 pounds. The JV team will consist of 11 year olds with a maximum weight of 120 pounds.

There also is a varsity level for players not eligible to play middle school football but unable to meet the weight requirements of the freshman or JV level. However, there will be no players for the varsity level this season.

“The program has doubled in size during its five years,” Rabidoux said. “Our first group of athletes now play football as sophomores at the JV level for the high school.”

Each team will play six games this year — three home and three away — with eight-minute quarters and following MHSAA rules as a minimum standard. The home games will be played at either Grand Blanc East or West middle schools. The away games will be played at any of the 22 areas within the MMRFL.

The teams are selected based on a draft process designed by the MMRFL which insures that the teams will be balanced.

Rabidoux is most proud of the integration the league has with the Grand Blanc Middle School and high school football programs.

“Our hope in establishing the league back in 2007 was to offer a program that could act as a feeder system to both the middle school and the high school programs,” he said. “We are an instructional-based league focusing not only on football fundamentals, but Grand Blanc Football fundamentals.

“We have developed a great working relationship with coaches from the middle schools and high school, which has made it possible for us to incorporate the high school offensive system.”

Each player must complete an MHSAA sports physical form in order to pick up their football equipment, which will be handed out Monday.

Off Season Rewards: Traveling | Passport to Paradise - Grand Blanc

An adventure awaits. You wish to conquer continents, to defy the miles. Cities linger on maps and beg for your arrival. Traveling is a goal too long denied — and you want to experience the world and its many delights.

Such delights prove costly, however — with the meager dollars you’ve tucked away unable to offer more than a plane ticket and a frown. The destinations you crave remain (tragically) elusive; and you fear you’ll never reach them.

That fear is unfounded, though. There are instead ways to craft the vacation of your dreams — as long as you choose the proper season .

Summer dominates the minds of travelers, leads them to flock to unfamiliar towns, trying to indulge in warmth. This spikes all prices, however — with hotels, transportation methods and attractions all increasing their costs (often tripling amounts). It’s recommended therefore that individuals seek areas in the winter instead: from December to February.

Many assume this is foolish, certain that cold weather and dreary skies will ruin all vacations; but the many available discounts provide easy compensation. Hotels will lower their rates (even offering incentives like free meals to draw in crowds). Air fares will lessen, with seats marked considerably down. And attractions will see their prices slashed dramatically — just to gain interest from any who pass by. Choosing the winter offers rewards.

Traveling is a worthy goal. It’s not, unfortunately, always a cost efficient one. The off-season provides relief, however, for those with limited budgets but grand dreams. Adventures can be found.

Citizens study their schools: Grand Blanc, Michigan, a study conducted at the request of the Grand Blanc Board of Education by the citizens of the district with the assistance of the Department of Administration and Higher Education, College of Education, Michigan State University

Charter of the City of Grand Blanc, Genesee County, Michigan

PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY MICHIGAN

Register

Congressional Record, V. 151, Pt. 12, July 14 to July 22, 2005