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Are You READY? It's Time For IGLFA 2009!!
We are just a few short days away from the highlight of everyone’s summer – the 2009 Official IGLFA World Championship! Now, before you get here, we’d like to let you know what to expect upon arrival.
Saturday June 13:
Registration begins at 12 noon at the Host Hotel - Marriott Wardman Park. Registration will go until 6pm. If you are here by then, it is a good idea to come on down and get your registration squared away. If you have not yet uploaded your picture (and we just know you have!), be prepared for your close-up. You will also receive your welcome materials and a schedule for the rest of the week. Also on Saturday is the DC Pride Parade. For all of you interested in marching, the IGLFA group will assemble at 25th & M Street NW at 5PM. We ask that you wear your team jersey, some sort of representation of where you are from (team banners and flags are welcome), or something really festive. The parade steps off at 6pm, so please be sure to be on time. As a special treat the Brazilian drum group Batala Washington will be leading our contingent and setting the samba beat. Wear your walking/dancing shoes!
Later that evening, the Official 2009 Capital Pride Party will be one not to miss! Starting at 9PM that evening will be The Last Dance which is the first time a Pride Party will be held in an outside venue and at a major DC attraction - The Smithsonian Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens. The event will run till 2AM. We advise that if you want to attend that you purchase your tickets in advance as we are told this event WILL sell out. This promises to a unique event that will be one to remember and experience.
Sunday June 14:
For those not in town yet on Saturday, registration will continue at the Host Hotel - Marriott Wardman Park on Sunday beginning again at 12 noon and again goes until 6pm. We would like to advise you to show up for Registration earlier in the day so you can fully take part in all of the activities going on around DC on Sunday - which is also the DC Pride Festival. The Festival, set up a few blocks from the Capitol on Pennsylvania Avenue, goes from 11am to 6pm. Be sure to stop by the FTSC/IGLFA 2009 booth, and meet our guests from the DC United and the Washington Freedom who are each providing a player to sign autographs. We also suggest you try to get to the Festival around 4PM when the headliners will be hitting the stage - including Martha Wash aka Miss "It's Raining Men" and the reigning Super Model of the World...and the host of LOGO's Drag Race, RuPaul!
The IGLFA Referees’ Meeting will be at the Marriott Wardman Park from 2pm to 3pm. In addition, the IGLFA Team Captains’ Meeting will be at the Marriot Wardman Park from 3pm to 4:30pm. All team captains must attend this meeting to go over IGLFA Rules, housekeeping items, schedules, and, most importantly, the tournament draw. This year’s draw will happen at the end of the Captain’s Meeting. The final schedule will then be posted on the IGLFA 2009 website, as well as publicized at the Opening Party. Speaking of which….
The IGLFA 2009 Opening Party on Sunday, June 14, starts at 8pm at Halo, located at 1435 P Street, NW. Join us for a splendid program welcoming all of the teams and getting the entire group pumped for the week ahead!
Monday June 15:
The tournament begins! Games start at 9:30am at the Maryland Soccerplex. It is imperative that everyone give himself enough time to get to the fields. Buses will begin running at 8am from the Shady Grove Metro Station to the Soccer Plex. Volunteers will be on hand at the hotel to assist you in getting out on time, and at Shady Grove to direct you to the buses.
After the games, there will be a Welcome Reception at the Marriott Wardman Park. Beginning at 6:30pm. The IGLFA House of Delegates will take place on Monday evening at 7PM. Please make sure that your club is represented.
So, now you know what to expect! Schedule updates will be provided upon your arrival. We can’t wait to see you! We hope you are getting excited To BE The MAIN EVENT!
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IGLFA Delegates Meeting - Monday June 15th at 7PM
Dear Soccer Friends,
There are only a few days more to go – then all of us will be part of the biggest International Gay and Lesbian Soccer event worldwide in 2009.
On behalf of IGLFA, I would like to welcome each and every participant and guest to this year’s IGLFA world championship. A week of soccer with many exciting matches, as well as a long list of social events, are waiting for us.
Soccer is the main focus of the tournament, but there will be an event, that is as important as the finals of this tournament: I am talking about the “House of Delegates Meeting,” which is the annual assembly of the IGLFA.
Unfortunately we have not met during the last two tournaments, so it is more important than ever that every club send delegates to this meeting.
The Board will report exciting changes, regarding the organization itself and about future tournaments. There will be elections for all Board positions – some board members will return; other positions are vacant; we have to find good people to fill all positions. In other words: This meeting will determine the future of the entire organization.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 pm Monday at the host hotel. Additional information will be available at the coaches meeting on Sunday. The agenda for the meeting will be published at our website www.iglfa.org
Please make sure that your club will be part of this meeting – please send your delegates to this important meeting!
We look forward to seeing you in a few days in Washington, DC,
Klaus Heusslein
Interim President IGLFA
Travel Advisory - Information To Help Your Trip Go Smoothly
Getting to Downtown Washington DC from any of the three major airports is rather simple. From Reagan, a cab will cost your around $20USD to get to the Tournament's Host hotel (Marriott Wardman Park). You also have the option of taking the famed Washington DC Metro.
Getting to DC from Dulles and Baltimore is a bit more complicated, but still not that difficult. From Dulles, you can take a Washington Flyer taxi for about $60USD. You also have the option to take Washington Flyer Coach Bus to the Metro. From Baltimore, you can choose to take a free shuttle to the MARC BWI Rail Station and board a quick train bound for DC. This option should cost you about $6. You will arrive in Union Station in DC and have the option to take the Metro or a taxi. Lastly, from both Washington Dulles and BWI you have the option to take the Super Shuttle. Most shared van rides on the Super Shuttle range from $33USD - $40USd.
For those of your traveling to the US from another country, please make sure that you have all your paper work in order before arriving. This is very important as security in US Customs is very tight.
IGLFA 2009 Sponsor Spotlight - Whole Foods Market
IGLFA 2009 is very thankful to our many sponsors - who without their support, we would not be able to put on this tournament.
Whole Foods Market recently came on to IGLFA 2009 as a Host Sponsor. Thanks to the generosity of Whole Foods Market, each IGLFA 2009 participant will receive a Whole Foods "Better Bag". These bags are part of Whole Foods Market sustainability program. These bags are made from 80 percent post-consumer recycled plasitc bottles. In fact, each bag represents approximately two or three 20-ounce plastic bottles.
These bags will be very useful to everyone during the tournament....but event better, you can take them home to use every time you to your local Whole Foods Market to stock up on all the good food!
Thank you Whole Foods Market!
Getting Around DC
The IGLFA 2009 Tournament Committee is very excited to have so many players from around the world coming to Washington DC this summer for the tournament. One of the great things about the Washington Metropolitan Area is that while it is a big city - geographically - it's also pretty easy to get around.
The Washington Metro runs throughout the city and surrounding Maryland / Virginia suburbs with both by bus and train (the Metro or subway). You best travel option in DC is The Metro and you can buy a 7-Day Fast Pass MetroCard for only $39. This pass provided unlimited travel during those 7 days to anywhere the trains go! As the fare to the SoccerPlex from the Host Hotel is $4.50 each way, the 7-Day unlimited pass is the most economical option. You can purchase your Metrocard in advance from the WMATA Online Store, or purchase your pass at any metrorail station.
The Washington Metro Area Transit Authority recently unveiled a new bus route that links the IGLFA 2009 host hotel, Marriott Wardman Park, with the lively DC neighborhoods of Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, U Street, and Logan Circle. The route is part of the city's Circulator system that is improving transportation in vital parts of the city. The Circulator stops right outside the hotel at the Woodley Park Metro Station, runs every ten minutes, and costs just $1 (this is also the best option for getting to and from the Host Hotel to the Opening Night Party at Halo on the evening of Sunday June 14th). Visit the Circulator website for more information on routes and service hours.
IGLFA 2009 Announcements: ; Arrange Your DC Tours with EYRE; Volunteers Needed; DC United / Washington Freedom Games; Did You Upload Your Photo?; and more!
- Arrange your DC Tours with EYRE NOW - IGLFA 2009 has a number of great tours of the Washington DC area with IGLFA 2009 Sponsor - Eyre Travel. EYRE has graciously arranged and extended discounts on local tour packages, including sailing in the Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis, getting up close and personal with iconic DC Monuments or discovering the past and future of Baltimore.
Packages range from $35 to $99 per person. All the information on the tours can be found here on the IGLFA 2009 website. If you would like to arrange a tour on Wednesday June 17, please make your arrangements right away as the tours are based on prior reservations. Contact Deborah Jayne: deborahj@eyre.com right away. All tours will start from the Host Hotel on the morning of Wed. June 17th.
- Volunteers are needed for IGLFA 2009. We are looking for lots of volunteers to help with the IGLFA 2009 Tournament. If you are interested in coming, already coming with someone who is participating, or just live in the Washington DC area and would like to Volunteer, please sign up to Volunteer now! You can do so at the Volunteer Sign Up Page at IGLFA 2009.
- DC United / Washington Freedom - IGLFA 2009 is happy to announce that on Saturday evening June 13th, the host club - The Federal Triangles Soccer Club - has partnered with DC United of Major League Soccer (MLS) for a special ticket promotion of the DC United and Washington Freedom (Womens Professional Soccer) double header at the historic RFK Stadium in Washington DC. A portion of every ticket sold will go to help support the IGLFA 2009 Tournament.
The Washington Freedom will kick off vs. the Chicago RedStars at 5PM.
DC United will kick off vs. the Chicago Fire at 7:30PM.
Discount Tickets are available for $18 amd $23.
For information and tickets go to Click Here
- Did you upload your photo? If you registered for the IGLFA 2009 tournament, but have not uploaded your photo for your badge yet, please do. This will save you time at registration!! All you need to do is go back into your registration and attach a photo. Important information about your photo: File must be a .GIF or .JPG image, maximum file size is 10MB. If you need assistance, please contact IGLFA 2009 Registration Coordinators - Zach Strauss (zachiglfa2009@gmail.com) or Glenn Auve (glennauve@gmail.com)
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Are You Ready?
By now, we hope you've made all your travel arrangements. If so, you are probably flying into one of the three world class airports in the Washington, DC area - 
