The Miami Dolphins partnered with Nike to donate equipment and apparel to the Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School girls’ flag football program during a recent visit to the school in western Lake Worth.
The Junior Dolphins program provided support to the newest flag football team in Palm Beach County as they continue to promote girls’ flag football in South Florida.
The Dr. Joaquin Garcia flag football program was greeted at the school’s athletic facility by a truckload of donations, which included training equipment, new cleats, beanies and apparel. The Bulldogs flag football squad led the Junior Dolphins representatives in a countdown before the equipment truck was opened.
Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School opened last August. The flag football program is under the direction of head coach Carlton Smith.
“The donation from the Dolphins was a blessing,” Smith said. “It was humbling to receive the recognition. The Dolphins acknowledged our efforts into building a program. Their visit gave the girls a boost in excitement and understanding of flag football. Commitment, dedication and hard work truly does pay off.”
According to Bulldogs team captain Camila Carmona, it was a great opportunity for the new school to receive the gifts.
Dr. Joaquin Garcia athletic director Pam Romero said the Bulldogs had been overwhelmed with gratitude. The Dolphins leaders had expressed excitement for their inaugural program and the importance of involving girls in the sport of flag football.
Dr. Joaquin Garcia started its inaugural flag football season with a 12-7 victory against McArthur on Feb. 19.
“A majority of our players have never played the sport,” Smith said. “We have literally been teaching and coaching from ground zero.”
The Junior Dolphins program is designed to provide instruction for youths to learn and play sports while also promoting a fun and safe environment. They help educate coaches, parents and youths on health and safety. They also hold camps, clinics, academies and community initiative events for youths and coaches. The Junior Dolphins program focuses on character development and recognizes athletes and teams with awards and donations.
Visit juniordolphinsfootball.com.
Travis Burnett
A pioneer in the flag football community, Travis helped co-found the Flag Football World Championship Tour, FlagSpin and USA Flag. Featuring 15+ years of content creation for the sport of flag football, creating and managing the largest flag football tournaments on the planet, coaching experience at the youth and adult level as well as an active player with National and World Championship level experience.
