WELCOME LETTER

GREETINGS PRIDE BOWL UNIVERSE!

When we concluded Pride Bowl 2019, none of us would have expected the unintended adventure the intervening 24 months would become. And yet, here are we are fired up and ready to go for the first national LGBT inclusive flag football tournament since January of 2020.

This tournament would not happen without the leadership and trust of the local leaders in each city. Thank you for your patience as we pulled together the pieces and solved the Pride Bowl puzzle. We know that it could not have been easy to kickstart your teams and align everyone for their first travel football experience in 18 months.

I would also like to thank my colleagues on the board of directors of the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association. The board has deftly navigated the obstacles of the past year. The care they have shown for the health and safety of our players has allowed us to stay on the fields for the sports we love, and ultimately to welcome each of you to Chicago this weekend.

Thank you to Dusty Carpenter for stepping up early on and arranging for our awards ceremony to be a part of Pride in the Park. Dusty is a top-notch event producer and Pride Bowl partner, we are excited to be with him and his team at this new Pride weekend tradition.

To our friends at Sidetrack, Hydrate, and The North End, we know these have been challenging times for your businesses, and your dedication and partnership of this event is noticed and treasured.

Finally, to my “kitchen cabinet” who I depend on to fuel the engine of the tournament: Derek Wooten, Brian Golden, R McKinney, Matt Simpson, AJ Canzolino, Shawn Albritton, and Matthew Ardoin. Thank you for bringing your enthusiasm for the tournament to the table these past months.

My first involvement in Pride Bowl was exactly ten years ago. I am just as excited for kickoff on Friday as I was back in 2011. It feels truly right for us to be here together in the greatest city in the world.

Best of luck this weekend, I hope you have the choicest of experiences and make memories that last a lifetime.

Yours in football,

Matt Herek Tournament Director