The newly formed Friends of King Greenleaf Booster Club (KGBC) sponsored a Homecoming 2008 event Saturday, Oct 4, 2008 to kick off the Pop Warner football season at the beautiful Greenleaf Parks and Recreation center, located at First and N Streets SW.   The formation of the Friends of King Greenleaf Booster Club (KGBC) started this summer when a small group of parents from the 75 pound King Greenleaf football squad got together to discuss how they could support their team.  After holding informational meetings with other parents with children involved in sports at King Greenleaf, they realized the interest was there for supporting all the sports programs at the Center.  The mission of KGBC is to advocate, support and provide financial assistance for all King Greenleaf Recreation Center’s athletic and spirit programs.

With a little more than a week’s planning, the parents organized the 2008 King Greenleaf Football Home Coming Event.  It was a well organized  The three Greenleaf teams all were dressed in black and white color uniforms and gear, with matching color shirts worn by coaches, mothers, cheerleaders, and supporters.  The mother’s shirts were personalized on the backs.  e.g. Brandon’s Mom followed with players’ uniform number   The WolfPack logo – a beautiful large graphic design of two black and white wolves’s heads is on the front of the shirts.  The shirts were designed by Tiffany’s Tantalizing Graphic Designs & T-shirts, owned by one of the parents.  The KGBC secretary/treasurer Tia Fossett-Swain is also a professional events planning consultant, whose organization contribution was evident. The interim President is Linda Dean, whose son Brandon ran a touchdown in the first few minutes of his team’s game.

There are three teams in the King Greenleaf Wolfpack squad:  The Mitey-Mites are the youngest football squad weighing no more than 65 pounds. Their record is currently 2-1-2. Their head coach is Coach Greg assisted by Coach Apple and Coach Deno.  The 75 pound squad began the season with the motto “Losers Complain-Winners Train. Their record is 1-2, looking for a “W” going into the Homecoming game.  Their head coach is Tony, assisted by Coach Bruce.  The 90 pound squad has begun the 2008 season with a 3-0 record, with each game a shut-out.  They have not been scored on by their opponents.  Their coaches, Coach Malcolm, Coach Hines, and Coach Greg feel the team is destined to go to Florida this year for the 2008 Pop Warner Championship. There is an average of 25 players on each squad (at least one girl was noticed in uniform).  The teen girls in the cheer leading group that were already a part of the recreation center’s program  quickly adopted the Wolfpack squad, and dressed in spare team football pants with their own white  tee shirts and team football socks.  They performed at the rally and at the homecoming, adding to the overall completeness of the Wolfpack Squad.

A mandatory Parents Meeting was held Wednesday night followed by a pep rally on  Friday night before the Saturday morning Homecoming Celebration at the King Greenleaf Recreation Center.  Approximately 400 parents, children and supporters attended the rally.  On Saturday, after game lunch was provided to all players, courtesy of parents.  Fund raising sales of candy, hot dogs, tee shirts and other items were sold at the event.

While not all of the parent leaders come from the SW community, the majority of the parents and children engaged in the athletic programs live in the King Greenleaf service area.  All live in DC.  The Councilmember, Rick Bardash, co-chair of the Youth Activities Task Force of SWNA, ANC Commissioner Ron McBee, and the King Greenleaf Recreation Center Director, Henry Moton and staff members Ms. Schue, and Ms. Shannon quickly pitched in to support the initiative, motivation and achievement of the parents, friends and families demonstrated by the formation and hard work of the Friends of King Greenleaf Booster Club.