Miami Dolphins Host Football Unites Program Plus Week 9 Junior Dolphins Award Winners


Marcus Benjamin @_benjaminmoney

Miami Gardens, FL – Miami Dolphin home games at Hard Rock Stadium are one way that a large number of people from the community are united from many different backgrounds and cultural differences.  The franchise builds on this unity by hosting their Football Unites program for the third consecutive year. The Dolphins hold tailgates to strengthen the relationship between community leaders, youth and law enforcement before regular season home games.

The organizations participating are 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, Art Detectives, Community Justice Project, Inc., Miami Gardens Police Department, National Organization of Black Law Executives South Florida Chapter (NOBLE), North Miami Police Athletic League, North Miami Beach Police Athletic League, Pridelines, SAVE, Trayvon Martin Foundation, Urban League of Broward County and YWCA Miami.  Members of the United States military branches also took part being that the Sunday game versus the New York Jets was the NFL’s Salute to Service game.

The tailgates which take place before every regular season home game feature giveaways, games, food and a live DJ with educational components designed to create dialogue and foster positive relationships and unite groups of different races, genders, sexual orientation and identities to help level the playing field in South Florida.

The tailgate initiative stems from a solution-oriented town hall hosted in the fall of 2016 by the Dolphins and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) during which players and local leaders discussed actionable steps that could be taken to address issues of racial inequality and unite the community. Founded and created by Ross in Oct. 2015, RISE harnesses the unifying power of sports to improve race relations and drive social progress. To learn more about RISE, visit risetowin.org.

 

Junior Dolphins PlayFootball Awards

For each home game, the Dolphins also identify a high school coach of the week, high school player of the week, youth player of the week and team mom of the week.

The Dolphins also recognize a team of the week for their efforts in the community who will be on field during the national anthem.

The program is designed to celebrate youth football in South Florida.

Tyler Larco, K, Miami Palmetto

Award recipients receive tickets to a Dolphins home game, be presented with a plaque on the field at Hard Rock Stadium and receive acknowledgement of their accomplishment in the game program and through the Dolphins’ social media platforms.

2018 Junior Dolphins PlayFootball Award Winners

HS Coach of the Week HS Player of the Week Youth Player of the Week Team Mom of the Week Team of the Week
Week 1 Dave Coleman

Piper HS

Nay’Quan Wright Miami Carol City Keymari Robiou

Miami Xtreme 11U

Brenda Aldana

Miami Xtreme 13U

Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS
Week 3 Nate Hudson

South Dade HS

Nik Scalzo

Cardinal Gibbons HS

Jamarie Hostzclaw

Weston Warriors

Laurie Richardson

Boca Braves Peewee

South Miami Senior HS
Week 6 Brian Coe

Santaluces Community HS

Jaylan Knighton Jr. Deerfield Beach HS Termain Sherman

Fort Lauderdale Hurricanes Super Peewees

Consuelo Lewis

Pompano Chiefs

Suncoast Community HS
Week 7 Benedict Hyppolite

Miami Carol City HS

Anthony Solomon

St. Thomas Aquinas HS

Jose Leon Jr.

Tamiami Colts

Maria Leon

Tamiami Colts Peewees

Dr. Michael M. Krop Sr. HS
Week 9 Matt DuBuc

Cardinal Gibbons HS

Tyler Larco

Miami Palmetto HS

Dereion Darby

Delray Rocks 9U

Brooke Walker

Pembroke Pines Optimist Bengals

Dillard HS

 

The Junior Dolphins program encourages youth players and coaches to learn, teach and play football in a fun and safe environment.  The Junior Dolphins program is designed to give kids access to learn the fundamentals of football using the NFL’s top resources. To grow the game, the Junior Dolphins program will work to educate coaches, parents and youth on the health and safety of football with a strong emphasis on character development.  

Derrion Darby of Delry 9U

Junior Dolphins is building the next generation of Dolphins Fans.

 

Marcus Benjamin works as the senior writer and editor for FootballHotbed.com. He attended Florida A&M and Florida Memorial University completing a bachelors degree in communications in 2010. He's covered high school football in the South Florida area since 2010 for the Miami Herald, Miami Sports Tribune and ShawSports.net. He is married and lives in Fort, Lauderdale, FL.

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