About
Desert Sands Friday Night Lights Flag Football offers youth flag football, including all girls flag football teams. The program includes a preseason skills clinic, a Tournament of Champions flag football tournament, and a can food drive as part of its activities.
• Ages: 5–16 years old
• Schedule: Tournament of Champions in Los Alamitos will take place BOYS on Sat March 30th & Girls on 31st.
• Price: Register NOW to save $25 dollars. Fall season Aug-Nov.
The league has run for 24 consecutive seasons. The overall purpose of the league is to develop the youth in the community, with a focus on personal and team development, good sportsmanship, and having fun, and it states that wins and losses are less important than the lessons taught. The program is led by DSFNL Commissioners Tom Roche and John Maldonado, with John handling younger grades from kindergarten through 4th grade at 760 636-8266 and Tom handling older grades 5th–10th grade at 949 836-4753, and John M. also listed at 760 636-8266.
Desert Sands Friday Night Lights Flag Football states that it is the #1 Youth Flag Football League in California, the #1 Flag Football League in the Coachella Valley, and the #1 Character Development League in the Valley. The program features an exclusive “Catching Kids Doing Things Right” recognition program. Every team, every week, and every coach has incentive rewards to recognize players for excellence on and off the field sponsored by Chick-Fil-A and Handel's Ice Cream, with a Chick-FIL-A meal award focusing on community service and academic excellence off the field and a Handel's award recognizing athletic excellence on the field of play.
The league offers multiple divisions at every age group to support more competitive balance. It has new all girls flag football teams playing on the same Friday nights and the same fields as the coed league, with teams of 6–8 players in the all girls division and no experience necessary for that division. The program notes that girls flag football is now an official CIF sport and states that its goal is to become the primary feeder program for the Coachella Valley high schools.
The league highlights better equipment including balls, jerseys, and flags, as well as better referees and coaches, better trophies, medals, and rings, added fields and security, and improved special events including a can food drive and free Mother’s Day roses. Community involvement includes a can food drive and recognition that the Chick-FIL-A meal award focuses on community service and academic excellence off the field.
League rules include a max score differential of 22 points, with defense rewarded on points allowed rather than points scored. If a game becomes lopsided, referees are instructed to use a running clock and allow no time outs. New vendor partners include Chick-Fil-A, Handel's Ice Cream, Las Carretas Taco Shop, E-Pel's Frozen Lemonade, and pizza. No dogs are allowed on school premises.
Last updated June 15, 2026.
• Ages: 5–16 years old
• Schedule: Tournament of Champions in Los Alamitos will take place BOYS on Sat March 30th & Girls on 31st.
• Price: Register NOW to save $25 dollars. Fall season Aug-Nov.
The league has run for 24 consecutive seasons. The overall purpose of the league is to develop the youth in the community, with a focus on personal and team development, good sportsmanship, and having fun, and it states that wins and losses are less important than the lessons taught. The program is led by DSFNL Commissioners Tom Roche and John Maldonado, with John handling younger grades from kindergarten through 4th grade at 760 636-8266 and Tom handling older grades 5th–10th grade at 949 836-4753, and John M. also listed at 760 636-8266.
Desert Sands Friday Night Lights Flag Football states that it is the #1 Youth Flag Football League in California, the #1 Flag Football League in the Coachella Valley, and the #1 Character Development League in the Valley. The program features an exclusive “Catching Kids Doing Things Right” recognition program. Every team, every week, and every coach has incentive rewards to recognize players for excellence on and off the field sponsored by Chick-Fil-A and Handel's Ice Cream, with a Chick-FIL-A meal award focusing on community service and academic excellence off the field and a Handel's award recognizing athletic excellence on the field of play.
The league offers multiple divisions at every age group to support more competitive balance. It has new all girls flag football teams playing on the same Friday nights and the same fields as the coed league, with teams of 6–8 players in the all girls division and no experience necessary for that division. The program notes that girls flag football is now an official CIF sport and states that its goal is to become the primary feeder program for the Coachella Valley high schools.
The league highlights better equipment including balls, jerseys, and flags, as well as better referees and coaches, better trophies, medals, and rings, added fields and security, and improved special events including a can food drive and free Mother’s Day roses. Community involvement includes a can food drive and recognition that the Chick-FIL-A meal award focuses on community service and academic excellence off the field.
League rules include a max score differential of 22 points, with defense rewarded on points allowed rather than points scored. If a game becomes lopsided, referees are instructed to use a running clock and allow no time outs. New vendor partners include Chick-Fil-A, Handel's Ice Cream, Las Carretas Taco Shop, E-Pel's Frozen Lemonade, and pizza. No dogs are allowed on school premises.
Last updated June 15, 2026.
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