Although the AFA has been in operation for the past 25 years it is only recently that we were able to extend AFA membership to individuals such as players, coaches, team administrators, officials as well as those retired semi-pro footballers (AFA Alumni) on our level.

While there are some 35,000 players a year currently showcasing their football talents on one of the more than 700 teams across the country - it is our hope that a good percentage of those players will want a chance to prove they truly are ‘Semi-Pro and Proud’ - and express those feelings by joining the AFA-PA.

Players joining the AFA-PA will receive a personalized plastic membership card and be assigned a lifetime players number - as well as a having their names listed in the AFA’s 2005 media guide . . . and cataloged as a player in the semi-pro football history book archives. In addition, members will receive AFA quarterly newsletter publications geared specifically at semi-pro football news and information regarding professional football free agent tryout camps, All-star game opportunities, and much more. Members will also learn what it takes to be nominated for the annual
AFA All-American selections as well as for eventual consideration for nomination and induction into the AFA’s Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Players interested in joining the AFA-PA can do so by sending a $25 tax deductible donation to the AFA national association at P.O. Box 2400, Sarasota, FL 34230. Be sure to list your home mailing address, phone number and e-mail location. Interested individuals can also download the AFA-PA
membership application indicated on the AFA-PA home page (www.AmericanFootballNews.com) - or e-mail their request to AFAPlayersAssn@aol.com.

WANT TO BECOME AFA-PA PLAYER REP FOR YOUR SEMI-PRO TEAM’ With so many things happening on the semi-pro football national scene these days the AFA is in search for players who like what they’ve seen recently from the AFA and are willing to help spread the word about the AFA Players Association as quickly as possible.

The AFA currently ‘power rates’ 716 teams playing in 62 different semi-pro football leagues across the country. While those teams and leagues do a great job of providing playing venues for semi-pro ball’ers to extend their playing careers beyond their high school and college years - they are all to often too busy with the day-to-day operations of their teams to let the players know what’s happening on the ‘national’ scene.

‘We want to help our AFA member teams get the word out about the progress the national association has been making of late’, says AFA President Ron Real, ‘and establishing a good rapport with the players on our level is one way to accomplish that important project.’

To aid in facilitating the dissemination of membership literature the AFA is hoping to get a volunteer ‘player rep’ from every team in the country. Those volunteering to distribute AFA-PA membership brochures should be the type of player who is ‘Semi-Pro and Proud’ about playing on this level and who will treat the responsibility seriously.

ARE YOU INTERESTED? If you would like to become an AFA-PA Player Rep for your team - send us your name, home mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, the position you play, number of years with the team, the name of the team you would like to represent and the league your team plays in. Send your request to: AFA-PA, P.O. Box 2400, Sarasota, FL 34230 or E-Mail it to AFAPlayersAssn@aol.com.