The temperatures are finally warming up and Spring is definitely in the air… so we all know what that means!

It is time to get the ball rolling on the season, and what better way to celebrate together in style?

Our Kick-off Shindig this year is going to be one to remember as we are teaming up with the United Skeeball Association to make this a very special event indeed.

Soccer, Suds and Saving Lives

We are joining in on the A-SPAN.org Bar Game Triathlon!

Obviously, Lot 8 is not exactly ready for action yet – but we are certain that the SE’s and our friends are primed for action.

So let’s begin the party and get the competitive juices flowing for the season-opening viewing party for DC United.

That’s right – Skeeball, Shoot Out, Tailgate Toss and lots of soccer – what’s not to love?

As always, plenty of fab prizes, awesome raffles and surprises galore.

So mark it down on your calendar right now:

What:         2010 Kick-off Shindig
When:        Saturday, March 27th
Time:          6pm – Long after the DC United Victory over KC
Where:       Continental Modern Pool Lounge

Taking On All Comers

Come on down with all of your friends (21yrs. old and over) , consider forming a team and prepare for the most fun you’ve had in ages!

Whether you are playing on one of the teams or cheering them on during the course of the evening, it is all for a great cause!!

As we all struggled during this winter for the ages, A-SPAN.org was out there helping those most in need in our community and we are pleased to be able assist this wonderful charity.

This evening will exemplify what our club is all about – Our Team, Each Other, Our Community.

By the time the match comes on the big screen, everyone will be a winner this night.

Care to Compete?

Teams will compete in all 3 sports until a final victor emerges!
Registration costs just $8.50 a player and will cover:

• your commemorative Player T-Shirt
• the cost of all the games
• your first drink (from our Drink Sponsors)
• a donation to A-SPAN.org.

Then throughout the night each drink you order from our sponsors will result in an additional donation!
Those who register here with their RSVP before March 15th are ensured of getting the correct shirt size!

Come Lend a Hand

As this will be the first event of the season, there will be plenty of other fun things going on as well. We just wanted to whet your appetite. We will have more details on all the fabulous prizes and our much-anticipated raffle drawing in the coming weeks.

Whether you want to sign up for one of the upcoming road trips, discuss your latest tailgate idea or just want to hand-deliver your membership renewal there will be plenty of opportunity to do so prior to our boys in Black and Red taking the field to demolish Curt Onalfo’s previous squad.

If you have any questions, are interested in assisting in the run-up to this event or would like to help out during the evening itself, please send a note to us at outreach@screaming-eagles.com

While we still hope that the entire First Family will join us at RFK Stadium when we take on the Chicago Fire, it is still pretty darn cool to see her with Jaime Moreno, Eddie Pope and even Talon. Oh, yes and a host of soccer dignitaries as well.

She is jumping in to help highlight the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s commitment to the national fight against childhood obesity and support for her Let’s Move! campaign that emphasizes the importance of children getting 60 minutes of active play each day.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, Major League Soccer, Women’s Professional Soccer, adidas, Eurosport, Univision, and LazyTown entertainment all recognize the unique power of soccer as a tool in the national fight against childhood obesity, and are excited about collaborating with First Lady, Michelle Obama, on her Let’s Move! initiative. By harnessing our collective and complementary strengths we will help her achieve the goal of bringing an end to childhood obesity in a generation.

Ed Foster-Simeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

We are honored that the First Lady has joined us for the launch of this unique partnership between the Passback program and ¡Vive tu Vida! Get Up! Get Moving! Last year over 400 local partners joined ¡Vive tu Vida! Get Up! Get Moving!™ to deliver fun and exciting ways for people of all ages and all sizes to make movement a daily part of their lives. We are committed to bringing the First Lady’s Let’s Move! effort to all communities to help raise a healthier generation of kids.

Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health

During the event, the U.S. Soccer Foundation will announce a new and ambitious partnership with the National Alliance for Hispanic Health that brings together the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Passback Tour and the Alliance’s ¡Vive tu Vida! Get Up! Get Moving!™ the nation’s largest Hispanic family health lifestyle event series with over 15,000 participants annually.

The combined tour will provide children and their families in 25 U.S. cities with free health screenings and soccer clinics that emphasize the importance of physical activity, proper diet and healthy lifestyles and connect families with local soccer programs that will help children achieve the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Participants of all ages will also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of other activities including tennis and other sports clinics, family health walks, yoga, dance lessons, and learn about programs in their community to help families make physical activity a part of their daily lives.

The season is fast approaching and we have a number of activities coming up before the snow melts that you can sign up for:

Saturday, March 13th - Tubing Trip

Saturday, March 20th - United Builds – National Marathon

Thursday, April 1st - Eighth Annual Kick-off Luncheon

Saturday, April 10th – Philly Roadtrip(s)

Tubular, Man!

Come and join the Screaming Eagles for some pre-season fun in the snow!

Don’t worry, this doesn’t involve any shoveling.

The SE’s are organizing a tubing trip to Liberty Mountain on Saturday, March 13th.

We’ll leave for Liberty, which is only a little over an hour away, and plan spending some quality tubing time and having a blast.

Cost is TBA depending on how many people sign up (group rates for over 20). If we have enough folks sign up, we’ll arrange for a bus!

If you’re interested in joining in, driving or just want to know more – contact SE social dude Ben Owen at social@screaming-eagles.com.

Hope to see you there!

The Race is On – Again!

Get ready to rock on March 20, 2010!

The time has come to lend our spirit & volunteer action at the SunTrust National Marathon!!

We will once again be joining in on a United Builds aid station in the RFK parking lot to supply the brave marathon runners with fuel & energy!!

Last year’s Samba beat is being replaced by a Rock&Roll theme to keep the runners going! So break out your rocker shades  and join us on this Saturday morning venture.

You can sign up directly here or drop us a note at outreach@screaming-eagles.com for more info.

The Table is Set

Join us for the Eighth Annual Kick-Off Luncheon to support the wonderful programs run by United for D.C.

Thursday, April 1, 2010 12 – 2 p.m.
at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel – Renaissance Ballroom
999 9th St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

As always, we will be sponsoring a table and you can get a seat for just $110, so if you would like to attend this worthwhile event please drop a note to outreach@screaming-eagles.com.

Union Busters Roadtrips

Yup! We have a new rival in that little burg to the North famous for cheesesteaks. So let’s crack a cowbell or two as we cheer our beloved Black and Red on in Philly.

If you want to get in on either the overnight Atlantic City version of the roadtrip or just the day up and back affair  – just drop Jimi a note to roadtrips@screaming-eagles.com as the bus lists are filling up fast!

It is time for the 3rd Annual SigEp Sweetheart Week. Over the past three years the very same brothers from GWU you may have seen at tailgates and matches cheering on our beloved Black and Red have raised over $55,000 for YouthAids.

If you would like to help support this terrific philanthropic effort to help an organization that educates and prevents the spread of HIV/AIDS in over 60 countries, please donate via the link found here or drop Adam Dale a note for more information.

Next Thursday there is another great event hosted by our friends at District Sports. So mark your calendars and join in the fun at Party for Pitches at the Wonderland Ballroom.

The $10 suggested donation will go to support the Urban Soccer Initiative which works to build and rehabilitate urban soccer pitches.

Yup, it is only February but the Outreach team is just warming up. If you’d like to join in on the fun – just drop a note to outreach@screaming-eagles.com

Two Great Organizations, One Big Happy Hour!!

Tuesday, January 26
51st State (2nd Fl)
2512 L St, NW
Washington, DC
5PM – 10PM:

Featuring $3.00 – $3.50 beer and rail drinks, AND 20-cent chicken wings!

$10 suggested donation

All proceeds benefit the D.C.-based programming efforts of the US Soccer Foundation's Urban Soccer Collaborative and the Urban Soccer Initiative. Eddie Pope's sister Karen is the director of the collaborative.

About the Organizations:

Both the Urban Soccer Collaborative (USC) and the Urban Soccer Initiative (USI) are focused on bringing soccer and life skill development to at-risk youth in under-served communities. Through both of these organizations thousands of children have access to the unstoppable combination of soccer and youth development programming. Your support will help both the USC and the USI continue their programs on the pitch!

The Urban Soccer Collaborative, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, exists to support youth development programs that are using soccer to reach at-risk youth in under-resourced communities. We do this through initiatives that provide opportunities, education, curriculum resources, and more. We believe that soccer, when combined with quality youth development programming has the power to transform a child’s life. USC member organizations are using this combination to decrease gang activity, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, and school drop rates among at-risk youth in vulnerable communities. Through youth development soccer programs, thousands of kids are developing leadership skills, engaging in positive out-of-school behavior, and disengaging in high-risk behaviors.

The Urban Soccer Initiative, a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization, increases field accessibility in cities by bringing high-traffic, smaller-sized pitches to urban neighborhoods where spaces for full-sized fields is limited or non-existent, and leading in the restoration of high-traffic urban soccer pitches that are in a state of disrepair.

But first, a little SE Business: We're getting ready to mail out the SE membership renewal notices soon. If you have moved in the past year and haven't told us your new address, please send a note to James at membership@screaming-eagles.com by Friday, Jan 29. You can TCB and renew online by clicking here (you can also download form and mail in check).

SEFC Pick Up Soccer

If you want to get an early start on the activities this Saturday (Jan 23), come out to SEFC pick-up soccer in Springfield, VA. Game time starts at 9AM (kickoff by 9:30). The location is Franconia park back field at 6432 Bowie Dr Springfield, VA. More info is here.

VYSA Annual Convention

The Virginia Youth Soccer Association is holding its annual Convention Friday and Saturday, January 22 and 23, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. Details can be found here. There will be some D.C. United player appearances (check the schedule) and some former D.C. United players as well as United broadcaster (and friend of the SEs) Dave Johnson will be honored at the awards luncheon on Saturday afternoon. You can register for the convention and/or the lunch here.

USA-Honduras Viewing Party

Saturday, January 23
Home Depot Center
Carson, CA
Kick off 9:00 pm ET

DC American Outlaws Viewing Party:   ALL US supporters are invited to join the DC AO's at Molly Malone's on Capitol Hill. Specials include $3 PBR and Lager, $5 wings, mozzerella sticks and Pauly fries. You can sign up for American Outlaw membership in-person that evening. If you can't make it to Capitol Hill, check out these other places.

Arlington, VA:  Kitty O'Shea's

Baltimore, MD:  Slainte

D.C.:  Momo's

Santarchy DC
Saturday, December 12
Starts 12 noon at the steps of the National Museum of Natural History (Mall side)

The SE group will meet at the Smithsonian Metro stop at 11:30 am (Mall level, look for Santas at top of escalator) and then we will walk over to Natural History at 11:45 am.

Please read the Santarchy DC website to get full information on what to wear, what to bring and what to expect. We’re not running this event but joining in the jollification. You do need to wear a costume but as you see on the Santarchy web site you can also be an elf, reindeer, Christmas tree, angel, gift or a pimp Santa (this group is not strict on being a Santa, they're anarchists!) Bring a few cheap candies/gifts to hand out to people on the way. Please bring a copy of the song sheet for yourself.

If you have questions please contact the new SE Social Director Ben Owen at social@screaming-eagles.com

If you would like to join in later in the day, let Ben know and we can tell you know where to meet the group or you can follow them on Twitter.

(Lisa & Loretta at last year’s Toys and Toddies party)

Just because the 2009 MLS season is over (BTW, congrats Nicky Rimando and Real Salt Lake), certainly doesn’t mean the SE’s stop having fun.

Heck, we’re already plotting out 2010 road trips to our current and future northern rivals and browsing cookbooks for the next exotic tailgate entree!

We’ve got two events coming up this month, so bust out your holiday finery and join us!

Toys and Toddies Happy Hour 2009

Union Jack’s Pub in Ballston

Friday, December 4

6pm to 8pm

Suggested admission: 1 unwrapped new toy or $10

We have a proud tradition of helping to host the annual toy drive to assist United for D.C.’s efforts to fill Santa’s bag for Congresswoman’s Eleanor Holmes Norton’s holiday party for needy children.

We welcome all our fellow futbol fanatics to come join in the fun as we discuss that little Cape Town lottery taking place earlier in the day, share MLS Cup trip stories and analyze all the latest personnel moves in the league.

This year our good friends at the D.C. Chapter of the American Outlaws will be joining us for this shindig (and, of course, quaffing a few pints of holiday cheer while helping out this great cause!).

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us a note at outreach@screaming-eagles.com

Santarchy DC-SE Team

The SEs will be joining the D.C. version of the annual world-wide event Santarchy. (We thought an event where people dressed up in red, white and black, included a pub crawl and singing was right up this group’s alley. Are we wrong??)

Santarchy DC
Saturday, December 12
Starts 12 noon on the Mall (exact location TBA)

Please read the Santarchy DC website to get information on what to wear, what to bring and what to expect. We’re not running this event but joining in the jollification.

If you have questions or are interested in attending, please contact the new SE Social Director Ben Owen at social@screaming-eagles.com (we’ll have a separate SE meet up spot and then walk over to the join the bigger group at noon).

If you would like to join in later in the day, let Ben know and we can tell you know where to meet the group or you can follow them on Twitter.

D.C. United Used Equipment Sale

Holiday Equipment Sale

Saturday, December 5

RFK Stadium, VW Lounge

12 noon to 4 p.m.

The event will feature authentic D.C. United team-issued gear. All proceeds from the sale will benefit United’s charitable arm, United for D.C., which advances opportunities for economically, physically and mentally disadvantaged youth of the greater Washington D.C. area.

This sale is open to the general public so please plan on arriving early and entering through Gate A of RFK Stadium. Only cash and credit cards will be accepted.

If you don’t see what you want there, check out the United for D.C. online Holiday Auction (also a benefit for United for D.C.).

Save the Date – Friday, December 4th

Toys and Toddies Happy Hour 2009

Union Jack's Pub in Ballston

6pm to 8pm

Suggested admission: 1 unwrapped new toy or $10

We have a proud tradition of helping to host the annual toy drive to assist United for D.C.'s efforts to fill Santa's bag for Congresswoman's Eleanor Holmes Norton's holiday party for needy children.

We welcome all our fellow futbol fanatics to come join in the fun as we discuss that little Cape Town lottery taking place earlier in the day, share MLS Cup trip stories and analyze all the latest personnel moves in the league.

This year our good friends at the D.C. Chapter of the American Outlaws will be joining us for this shindig (and, of course, quaffing a few pints of holiday cheer while helping out this great cause!).

If you would like to volunteer for this community outreach effort or know of a group that would like to participate, please don't hesitate to drop us a note at outreach@screaming-eagles.com

Please consider joining in on or supporting one of the many upcoming events:

“I Would Like to Thank the Academy”

You don’t have to be a local sports blogger or famous paparazzi to attend the Sixth Annual Awards Reception next Tuesday night.

A great chance to rub elbows with fellow futbol fanatics, not to mention it could be the last time to see some of your favorite players.

Individual tickets are still available to this fun evening to support the great work that United for D.C. does in our local community.

For more information on the evening, please contact Kate Larned

Fall Frenzy is Here!

What:    More than 700 DC SCORES students will participate in a celebration of fall
When:   Saturday October 24 from 8am – 2pm
Where:  Randall Recreation Center – Map

Teams from DC SCORES’ 23 schools will come together for a fun-filled day of exercise and creativity. Plenty of soccer games, relays, arts and crafts and much more.

You too can be a part of it!

This is a rescheduled event due to all the nasty weather last weekend and the organizers are sending out a plea for volunteers.

So if you can help out, please email volunteerDC@americascores.org or call 202.393.6999 x312

Creatures Run in Search of…

The Arlington Brigade would like to invite you to join in on another event next Sunday to benefit United for DC as well as other great local charities.

What:      The Acumen Race For A Cause 8K
When:     Sunday, November 1st – 8am
Where:    Race begins at the Potomac River Running Store in Ballston – Map

The fee to participate is $30 up until October 30th and $35 to register on race day.

United for DC needs at least 100 people to register under their name in order to receive a donation from Acumen.

** Please be sure to check United for DC (its the last charity listed) when asked for the charity you would like to support.  It is on the page where you fill out your name and address. **

A perfect way to recover from the Halloween festivitities the night before – just run in your costume!

Not Just Another Jog in the Park

Scott Arrington is running in the JFK 50 Mile on November 21st and seeking donations to go to FC Frederick scholarship fund.

The scholarship allows talented, but under-priviledged youth the opportunity to play soccer at the club level.

Donations can be made online – Good luck to Scott and all the others out on the trails!!

If you would like more information about our community efforts, please drop a note to outreach@screaming-eagles.com