Hi Footbag enthusiasts!

Footbag is a great activity that is beneficial to all who participate.  Footbag is a fun
way to get the
government recommended 30-60 minutes of moderate daily exercise* not to mention the
"win-win"
spirit in social interactions when playing with others. Whether you are an expert player
or someone
who doesn't have many footbag skills but are enthusiastic, you can become an IFPA
Certified
Footbag Instructor on November 12th, 2006 in our initial offering of a program we hope
will help
 to grow the sport worldwide, from a grass-roots level.   Part of the mission of IFPA is
to promote
the sport of footbag, and in an effort to educate the public, IFPA's Education Director is
launching
a program to Certify and to train footbag Instructors who can then benefit from the
credibility of
IFPA and teach the sport of footbag to anyone.

Announcing the first formal instruction program for the sport of footbag since 1988!
	-Learn effective techniques for teaching footbag to groups and individuals
	-Get a comprehensive understanding of the rules and history of the sport
	-Become an expert at presenting the sport of footbag to large groups
	-Physical Education teachers can now confidently add footbag to their curriculum
	-Offer footbag classes at your local school or park district
	-All instructors receive a shirt, an Official IFPA Certified Instructor card and
		access to a private area of the IFPA site that contains documents to help
		you present yourselves to your schools and park district, course guides and more!
	-We are hoping to provide a listing of all IFPA Certified Instructors at footbag.org by
state
		and country, so that people looking for an instructor can quickly find one in their
area.

Date:	Sunday, November 12, '06
Time:	8:30am Registration - 9am to 6pm Training (with 1 hour lunch at Noon)
Where:	Chicago - 850 N. Lake Shore Drive (Yoga State School & Studio)
			Site Info: http://www.yogastate.com
Who:		Anyone who wants to be a Certified Footbag Instructor, no experience required
Cost: 	$75, includes a shirt, printed course materials including a printed copy of the
"Official Rules 
		of Footbag Sports" and Certified Instructor card (after passing test)
		-Cost will cover our fixed expenses, all extra revenue will be donated to IFPA and
		earmarked for Certified Instructor program.
		-Make checks payable to International Footbag Players Association
Parking:	Take public transit instead, easy access.  Contact Scott if you need to park
downtown.
Note:	Participants are invited to join us on Saturday evening (the night before) at 6:00pm
for a
		kicking get-together which will be followed by a meal at a nearby restaurant at
9:00pm...
		TBA
Info:         http://www.footbag.org/events/show/1161087222

Why does the IFPA Education Committee want to develop a network of Certified Instructors?
As educators, we realize that schools and large organizations that involve children and
young
adults are our best opportunity to build a broad base of people who understand what the
sport of
footbag is, and to give them a chance to participate.  We believe that by adding
credibility to the
individual instructors skills, and by offering a variety of tools that can be utilized to
reach out to their
communities and schools, we will enable them to be professional in giving footbag
demonstrations and
to offer top quality instruction in all aspects of the sport of footbag.  All of this
ultimately leads us
towards our mission, which is to spread the word about the benefits of this wonderful
sport!

Why would an individual want to be an IFPA Certified Footbag Instructor?
	-Anyone who wants to teach or present the sport of footbag to others!
	-Certification lends credibility to your skills!
	-Certified Instructors have tools available online to help in curriculum development,
presentation
		formats and more!
	-Certified Instructors have access to information and resources that will give them ways
that they
		can parlay their skills into a profitable sideline.
	-Teach footbag classes at Park Districts and Schools
	-PE Teachers can add a low-cost footbag curriculum to your school's sport program

We hope to offer these trainings at each World Footbag Championships starting in 2007, and
in
different locations globally as requested by our membership.  This is the very first
training session of
its kind offered by IFPA, so this is your chance to be a part of the history and the
growth of the sport
of footbag worldwide.

Best regards,

Scott Davidson
enlightener@footbag.org

* According to the "The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease
Overweight and
Obesity," it is recommended that Americans accumulate at least 30 minutes (adults) or 60
minutes
(children) of moderate physical activity most days of the week. Even greater amounts of
physical
activity may be necessary for the prevention of weight gain, for weight loss, or for
sustaining
weight loss. 
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_adolescents.htm