NEWS | 2018 End of Season Awards Night

07 Sep

The Ouse Valley Eagles 2018 Player of the Year Awards take place tonight at the Slug and Lettuce, Milton Keynes.

A total of seventeen awards will be handed out to members of the Eagles senior team, Bedford Blackhawks (Flag) and Bedford Blackhawks Youth teams. We’ll announce the results over the weekend, but in the meantime here’s a reminder of the previous winners:

Bedford Blackhawks Youth

2017 Winners

MVP – Fin Jones
Coaches Player – Oliver Chester Lewis
Players Player – Sam Butterwick
Offensive MVP – Harrison Reed
Defensive MVP – Connor Perrett
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Alex Gedny
Defensive Rookie of the Year – Rom Dougla
Most Improved Player – Oliver Crampton
Dhesi Award – Harrison Smith

Bedford Blackhawks Flag

2017 Winners

MVP – Matthew Couldridge
Offensive MVP – Jake Cooper
Defensive MVP – Jed Parisi
Exceptional Contribution – Zech Smith

Ouse Valley Eagles Senior

2017 Winners

MVP – Kase Chibwe
Players Player – Kase Chibwe
Coaches Award – Stuart Cooper
Offensive MVP – Stuart Holland
Defensive MVP – Mike Turner
Special Teams MVP – Stuart Holland
Lineman of the Year – Stuart Holland
Rookie of the Year – Bobby Benney
Most Improved Player – Ryan Bowtell

2016 Winners

Players Player of the Year – Ross Hubbard and Danny Cousins
Most Valuable Player – Ross Hubbard
Defensive MVP – Gareth Pullen
Offensive MVP – Ross Hubbard
Lineman of the Year – John Rudgard
Rookie of the Year – Nathan Spencer
Most Improved Player – Rhian Shirley

2015 Winners

Players Player of the Year – Justin LaRoda
Most Valuable Player – Justin LaRoda
Defensive MVP – Gareth Pullen
Offensive MVP – Justin LaRoda
Lineman of the Year – John Rudgard
Rookie of the Year – Danny Cousins
Most Improved Player – Martin Day

2014 Winners

Players Player of the Year – Gareth Pullen and Darren Gregory.
Most Valuable Player – Chris Parr
Defensive MVP – Darren Gregory
Offensive MVP – Dale Hawes
Lineman of the Year – Andy Larwill
Rookie of the Year – John Rudgard
Most Improved Player – Vasco Dias

NEWS | Milton Keynes Redwings training sessions announced

24 Feb

The club are delighted to announce that training sessions for the Milton Keynes Redwings U17s contact team will begin next week.

The sessions will take place every Saturday from 3rd March between 11am and 1pm at Stantonbury Campus in Milton Keynes.

The Redwings are open to anyone aged 13-17 and will initially play friendly matches during a development year in 2018 with a view of joining the National League in 2019. These training sessions are a key first step towards achieving those goals.

How to get there

What you’ll need

If you are coming along there are a few things you’ll need to bring with you:

– Plenty of water
– Footwear suitable to be worn on grass
– Warm clothes
– Gumshield (optional but recommended)

Register your interest

To register your interest in joining the Redwings, or any of the other teams under the Ouse Valley banner (Ouse Valley Eagles senior contact, Bedford Blackhawks U17 contact, Bedford Blackhawks senior flag) please complete the form below:

Your privacy is important to us. For more details about how we use your personal data, please read our Privacy Statement. We would like to send you additional information that is relevant to you. By ticking the boxes below you consent to receive information about:

Rookie SessionsTraining SessionsUpcoming Events

We will not pass your details to third parties. You may opt out of receiving these communications at any time by emailing gdpr@oveagles.com or using the opt-out facility on each email.

NEWS | Coaches Required

17 Nov

The club are looking for coaches to work with each of our four teams ahead of the 2018 season.

The Eagles were formed in 2013 following a merger between the Milton Keynes Pathfinders and Bedfordshire Blue Raiders, initially as a Senior contact team offering football to those in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

The Bedford Blackhawks Flag team were created in 2016, and were soon joined by the Blackhawks Youth (now U17) kitted 5v5 team.

Last month we launched our Player Development Programme, which focuses on strength and conditioning, diet and nutrition, football education and skills measurement.

We also recently announced the formation of a second U17 contact team – the Milton Keynes Redwings – who will initially play friendly matches during a development year in 2018, with a view of joining the National League in 2019.

Requirements

The ideal candidates will hold a Level 1 BAFCA Coaching Qualification in American Football and have previous coaching experience, or be willing to obtain the qualification at the earliest opportunity.

They will be available for practice sessions and games, highly organised, able to communicate effectively, have a forward-thinking approach to American Football, a positive attitude and a passion for developing talent.

Player retention, recruitment and development is a central part of our coach’s role. As such you will be expected to work alongside our existing coaches in order to facilitate the transition of Academy players into the senior program, and from flag to contact football (and vice versa) as appropriate, demonstrating and promoting the values of the Club at all levels.

Application Process

To register your interest in coaching with our club, please complete the form below. All correspondence will be treated in confidence.

NEWS | Notice of 2017 AGM

15 Nov

The 2017 Annual General Meeting will take place at 11am on Sunday 10th December at the University of Bedfordshire’s Bedford Campus.

Who can attend?

All club members, coaches, committee, friends, family and supporters are welcome to attend the AGM. This includes all teams under the Ouse Valley Football banner: Ouse Valley Eagles Senior, Bedford Blackhawks Flag, Bedford Blackhawks Youth, Milton Keynes Redwings Youth.

Agenda

We’ll try and keep things short, and focus on giving you a chance to ask questions rather than listen to us talk at you. We’ll cover elections to the committee for the year ahead (see below) as well as a brief financial update, a review of 2017 and then look ahead to the upcoming year.

Voting

All registered players, coaches, committee members and staff over the age of 18 will be eligible to vote. While we’d love to see former and prospective club members, players, coaches etc. on the day, only those registered for the 2017 season will be eligible to vote.

What if I cant go – can I still vote?

If you can’t make the meeting, you can ask someone to be your proxy. This means that you can ask someone to vote on your behalf, but you have to let us know in advance.

Constitutional amendments

We are currently reviewing our constitution to make sure it’s in good shape. There will be some minor amendments required to support the positions detailed below, and we’ll discuss those on the day.

Items for discussion

If you would like to request an item be raised or discussed at the AGM please let us know at least seven days in advance, i.e. by 11am on Sunday 3rd December.

Positions up for election

All committee positions will be up for election at the meeting, except for the role of Club Chairman which has a two-year term and was elected last year:

– Treasurer (two-year role)
– Academy Coordinator (two-year role)
– Flag Football Coordinator (two-year role)
– Communications Manager (one-year role)
– Child Welfare Officer (one-year role)
– 3 x Ordinary Members (one-year role)

How to apply

As per the Club Constitution, all persons intending to stand must give notification of their intent prior to the AGM by completing the form below. All nominations also have to be proposed by two team members – one of whom must be an existing Committee member.

All roles involve a significant amount of commitment. Prospective Committee members will need to to attend regular meetings via Google Hangouts, attend team events, own the delivery of specific pieces of work and have the time available carry out any tasks required.

There are a number of alternative ways to help the team without being on the Committee. We will be posting details of some particular vacancies we have shortly, so if you’d like to get involved in other ways, please watch this space!

Applications are now closed.

NEWS | Milton Keynes Redwings launched

08 Nov

The club are proud to announce the formation of a new U17 contact team, the Milton Keynes Redwings.

The Redwings join the Bedford Blackhawks under the Ouse Valley Eagles banner as a 5v5 contact team, and represent a major step forward in the club’s goal to expand the number of people playing the sport in our area.

Initially the team will play friendly matches during a development year in 2018, with a view of joining the National League in 2019.

Training times and locations for the New Year will be confirmed in due course, but in the meantime anyone who is interested in joining the team should attend one of our Open Sessions taking place this month – continuing on Sunday at Stantonbury Campus between midday and 2pm.

Anyone interested joining the team in a coaching capacity should contact Club Chairman Michael Dilley in the first instance via michael.dilley@oveagles.com, or get in touch via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The new Redwings logo is a nod to the one used by the Milton Keynes Pathfinders, who merged with the Bedfordshire Blue Raiders to form the Eagles in 2013.

Speaking on the news, Academy Coordinator Mark Chilton said:

“As the only senior club in the region we have a responsibility to promote and grow the game in our area. A major part of that is providing playing opportunities for U18s interested in American Football, and provide a pathway through to our senior team should they want it.

This announcement is part of an ongoing program of starting youth/junior affiliate teams and introduce the game to young people in our region. As a resident of Milton Keynes I am particularly pleased to have helped to provide this unique opportunity for the young people of our City”.

Club Chairman Michael Dilley added:

“When the club was founded one of our priorities was to create multiple youth teams across the area.

We started that in Bedford with the Blackhawks and I’m delighted that we’re able to build on those solid foundations by establishing the Redwings in Milton Keynes.

The future is looking really bright and I’m excited to see how the team develops.”

Open Sessions

Open to those interested in playing for the Ouse Valley Eagles senior (18+), Bedford Blackhawks Youth (13+) and Milton Keynes Redwings (13+) full contact teams, as well as the Blackhawks senior flag (16+) team, we will be running three further Open Sessions during November:

– Sunday 12th November | Stantonbury Campus, Milton Keynes (12pm-2pm)
– Sunday 19th November | Northampton High School, Northampton (10am-12pm)
– Sunday 26th November | Lealands High School, Luton (10am-12pm)

To register your interest please complete the form below:

Your privacy is important to us. For more details about how we use your personal data, please read our Privacy Statement. We would like to send you additional information that is relevant to you. By ticking the boxes below you consent to receive information about:

Rookie SessionsTraining SessionsUpcoming Events

We will not pass your details to third parties. You may opt out of receiving these communications at any time by emailing gdpr@oveagles.com or using the opt-out facility on each email.