Hey Llamas,

We are getting close to the start of the Winter season, and a few of our teams are still looking for players. Flag Football, Soccer, Volleyball and Floor Hockey will be starting up in December. If you haven’t signed up yet, take a look at the details here: http://members.dizzyllamas.com/index.php?topic=786.0

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December also brings Llamas, Llads and Llasses, a charity drive that aims to keep kids active by donating sports equipment to children’s organizations. We are looking for new sports equipment like balls, bats and other gear a child could use, and used books that we will sell to fund youth sports clinics in the spring.

From December 1st to December 21st, your Dizzy Llamas captain will be accepting donations at your games. Any donation of new sports gear is welcome, from a Nerf football to an aluminum bat. For more information, check out the message board here: http://members.dizzyllamas.com/index.php?topic=805.0

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The Golden Llama Casino Night and Awards Banquet is scheduled for Friday, January 9th, 2009. This “Green Tie” event will offer food, fun, gaming and prizes. At the end of the night, we will name the 2008 Llama of the Year among other awards.

Like all DL events, friends and family are always invited. As we get closer we’ll release more details, but save the date. It should be a lot of fun!

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Congratulations to Cameron Stewart for winning the October Llama of the Month.

See you on the field!

The Dizzy Llamas Athletic Club is looking for donations from friends, family and Llamas during the holiday season to help promote youth sports and activity in Boston and beyond. The Llamas, Llads and Llasses campaign seeks new sports equipment and used books to be donated to organizations like Toys for Tots and local youth leagues like South End Baseball.

From December 1st to December 21st, your Dizzy Llamas captain will be accepting donations at your games. Any donation of new sports gear is welcome, from a Nerf football to an aluminum bat. Baseball related equipment would be donated to South End Baseball, a youth baseball league serving urban neighborhoods in Boston. All other sporting equipment will be given to Toys for Tots, and will find homes across the region, in the hands of children who truly need them.

Many generous folks donate dolls and trucks, but few think about sports equipment. Many of us grew up with a ball or a bat in our hand. I had a bucket of balls in my room, one for almost every sport. The thought of a child growing up in a world absent of sports is troubling. Sports equipment and childhood should intertwined. Who better than us know the value of a soccer ball or a wiffle ball bat? Small things that don’t seem like much to most helped shape our lives today.

On top of that, we’ll be conducting a used book drive. Bring a stack of old books to a game. Your captain will also be collecting them. Any books on your shelf that you’d like to donate are welcomed. Those books will be sold and the proceeds will fund clinics hosted by the DLAC for the children of South End Baseball in the Spring.

When you’re out shopping, grab a cheap basketball. When you’re cleaning your apartment for a Christmas Party, throw some used books in a bag. Everything helps. This is the first year of Llamas, Llads and Llasses, and we’d like to make it as easy for you as possible to give during the holiday season. If we all give a little, we can make a big impact by keeping kids active like we were when we were tykes.

Again, all donations can be given directly to your captain. If you have any questions, contact Dave at info@hotmail.com.

The Dizzy Llamas had their most successful Dodgeball regular season in franchise history this Fall, having all 4 teams finish above .500 and gain a spot in the 12-team Gold Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Llamas bid for a second-straight championship fell just one match short.

The night began bitterly, as DL GREEN and BLUE were placed in a first round matchup, with the winner moving on to face DL WHITE. The rookie-laden Green squad had a fantastic season led by veteran David Claffey. “The Franchise” honed the skills of these talented rookies, including Brent Soncini and Elizabeth Swanson. Both teams created a uniform attack, throwing 3-5 balls at a time as a unit. Blue, led by Mike Bizier and Jared Calise, targeted Claffey for most of the match, which proved to be more difficult than expected. The match went to a 5th-and-deciding game, with Blue’s Khahn Tran coming up with a big catch late in the game to ultimately seal the victory.

In the 2nd round matchup, the defending champion DL White was taken by surprise, as Blue captured Game 1 in what was a back-and-forth, time-consuming battle. White captain Tom Boates calmed his team down, and although each and every game came down to the wire, White took 3 straight and moved on. Key knockouts by Dave Benevides and big catches by Scott Tarentino aided in White’s victories.

DL BLACK, having their most successful season ever, drew a matchup against Fantastic Domination. The power arm of Shane Knowles pushed the series to a 5th game, where most of the drama occurred. With each team having 2 players in, veteran Danielle Sullivan came up with the biggest catch of the night, creating a 3 player to 1 advantage. Two unfortunate knockouts would ultimately result in a 1-on-1 battle for captain Brad Bodell. One of Bodell’s throws would get deflected high in the air and caught, ending Black’s Cinderella season.

Back on the other side of the bracket, White cruised through their semi-finals match 3-1, setting up a rematch of last season’s championship bout with Guerrilla Bombers. The Bombers had plenty of time to rest before the finals, which proved unfortunate for the Llamas as they fell 3 games to 0.

All 4 teams pick the action back up in the Winter Season which begins next Tuesday the 25th, where the Llamas will go for a 4th straight Finals appearance. Congratulations to all 4 teams for their success throughout the Fall season.

Rindge, NH – The first annual ‘3-on-3 Tip-Off Classic’ tournament was held in Rindge, NH last weekend and the Dizzy Llamas were well represented by Dave Grubb, Matt Austin, Justin Nelson, and Sam Davidson.

The Llamas, hampered by a flu-ridden Grubb who was dumb enough to get a flu shot several hours before the tournament began, were able to ride a wave of momentum to the finals where the eventually would fall by 1 point. It was a gritty effort all the way through as the Llamas found themselves undersized in each matchup, but tenacious defense and some clutch shooting led the Llamas to a second place finish.

The Outdoor 7v7 soccer season ended friday night November 7 on a tough Penalty Kick Loss to “Thats what she said” an exceptional team.  The game was a hardly fought battle all the way through.  The oppisition scored on a blasted ball off of a out of bounds free kick about halfway through the first half.  The llamas spirits stayed high all the way through the first half, ending that half with a 1-0 deficit. With the defense of Allie Greer and Matt “thrill” Gill leading the way as well as the help of Dave Claffey and others rotating back wonderfully to help out.

At Halftime Captain Andrea Nykiel went over some of what she saw in the first half and made the necessary adjustments.  As the second half began it was obvious that the adjustments had worked and the Llamas controlled the second half. Spending the majority of the time in the offensive zone. With around 10 mintues remaning, the llamas got a great cross from Captain Nykiel that was finished off by a hustling Dave Claffey.  That goal knotted the match at 1. Which it would stay at until the end of regulation.  Leaving only penalty kicks to decide the playoff match.

Rookie Goalie Mike Bizier who played his heart out during regulation was prepared to face great shooters fromt the oppisition.  The penalty kicks were set up as best out of three.  And after the first two shooters for both teams, none of them had reached the back of the net. Both Saam Batmanghelidj and Nick Sotak rocketed great shots that were just blocked by the keeper. The third shot by “thats what she said” did in fact find the goal and Captain Nykiel’s shot went just wide. Ending the match in a 1-1 tie with a 1-0 penalty kick loss for the Llamas. Thus ending a incredible comeback season.

This season was a great success for a llama team that struggled during the full field outdoor season.  With a bunch of new recruits and stellar talent.  The llamas soccer program is back on its feet and ready to mount a championship run.

It’s been a fantastic season for Dizzy Llama Dodgeball. With just one week remaining in the regular season, all four teams are at or above .500. If all goes well, it’ll be the first time in franchise history since expanding to four that all the teams have finished with a winning record.

The defending champion WHITE (50-9) team has kept up their winning ways, sitting at the top of the standings all season. Captain Tom Boates has been the wizard behind the team’s brilliant strategy, but the roster is solid from top to bottom. Thrower Scott Tarentino has been their top offensive weapon, while the trio of Ashley Parker, Cici Cassara, and Erin Calamari have been continually successful on the defensive side.

Contrary to white, the GREEN (30-30) roster is made up of mostly Dodgeball rookies. Softball transfers Mimi Drozd and Elizabeth Swanson have been a welcome addition to the sport, while new Llama Brent Soncini has been amazing on both sides of the ball, giving him a good chance at Dodgeball Rookie of the Season.

The other standout newcomer is on BLACK (41-17), who is having their best season in team history. Rookie Sean Morgan has been receiving the tutelage of 2-time Llama of the Month Shane Knowles, who says his protege has a good shot at not only being RotS, but also a long-time Dodgeball star. Veteran Danielle Sullivan has also helped with the team’s new success, being one of the most improved Llamas in the sport.

The fourth piece of this fantastic season has been the BLUE (36-21) team, who is also having their best season ever. Captain Mike Bizier has built a deep and powerful roster, with Jared Calise and Joe Tice succeeding on both sides of the ball. Vet Allie Greer has also been a welcome part of the team, even while dedicating her time to 2 other Llama playoff teams (Soccer, Football) this season.

Entering the regular season finale, all four teams have a great chance of finishing in the top 10 in the league, a feat that would put the Dizzy Llamas in position for a 3rd straight Dodgeball finals appearance, as well as a 2nd straight championship. Good Luck to all the teams and players involved.