Defense Logistics Agency Employee Manages Minor League Football Team in Richmond,...

Defense Logistics Agency Employee Manages Minor League Football Team in
Richmond, Va.

RICHMOND, Va., July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Darryl Badley likes to watch
football, but he didn't expect to one day manage a team.

Badley is the manager of the Virginia Hornets, a minor league football team
based in Richmond, Va. In April, the semi-pro team brought Badley onboard as
their new general manager, which is a volunteer position.

Badley's full-time job is as a customer account specialist in the Defense
Supply Center Richmond's corporate intern program. DSCR is the aviation demand
and supply chain manager for the Defense Logistics Agency, and Badley helps to
support its Navy customers.

After supporting the Navy's F-18 Super Hornets during the day, Badley's
attention turns toward supporting the Virginia Hornets. He spends evenings
trying to stir up more of a buzz about the Richmond team by securing sponsors,
working with other organizations and getting more people interested in
attending games.

Badley said one of the team's goals is to provide high-quality football at an
economical price. Regular season passes are $20 for the general public, and
per-game tickets are $5.

"You get to enjoy football with your entire family and not have to put aside a
whole paycheck to do it."

Despite affordable tickets for fans, and the exciting rush of adrenaline for
players and coaches on game days, Badley said the all-volunteer team serves a
higher purpose than just offering entertainment to the community.

"Football is our main vehicle to help bring awareness to our mission," Badley
said. "We are a non-profit whose primary aim is to serve the community by
volunteering at organized events, such as our recent participation with the
(Susan G. Komen) Race for the Cure and March of Dimes Race. Most of our games
are dedicated to other organizations with a portion of the proceeds from those
games being donated to them."

The charitable work done by the Hornets is also part of their solution to
helping players in their second-chance program, which Badley said is aimed at
getting "guys off the street" through playing football. "It helps them to feel
needed and good about themselves. Many of our guys come from rough backgrounds
where appreciation and self worth were, at best, non-existent. Volunteering
helps to build these vital aspects in each of them."

Badley said the other focus of the second-chance program is helping players
get into college through mentoring and guidance. "Many of our players were
standout football players in high school, but due to issues like grades,
family, or trouble with the law were not able to continue playing or go to
college. Playing with our team gives them the training and exposure they need
to get a second chance to play at the next level."

To date, Badley said the program has helped eight young men get into college.

The father of four boys, ranging from ages 4 to 20, Badley first came in
contact with the Hornets when his oldest son expressed interest in joining the
team. "The coach, Clifford 'Perk' Jefferson, called him in April and invited
him out to try out," Badley said. "When I got there I was truly amazed. I had
no idea that minor league football was such a large and organized entity in
the U.S."

Badley learned that Jefferson was responsible for almost every aspect of
coaching and management for the Hornets, and asked if he could do anything to
help. "He told me that he needed someone to take the weight of managing the
team off his shoulders," Badley said. "I volunteered and the rest is history."

Although the volunteer job entails many extra hours of work, Badley said it is
not without its rewards.

"What I enjoy most about working with this team is knowing that I am not only
helping the 65 football players cope with and deal with life on and off the
field, but that I am able to use my position to do good for more than just my
players. I can honestly say that it is helping the thousands of kids we
personally impact every year that makes doing this job truly worthwhile."

The Hornet's full schedule is available on the team's Web site at
www.virginiahornets.com.

As the Department of Defense's combat logistics support agency, DLA is
responsible for providing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, other
federal agencies, and joint and allied forces with a variety of logistics,
acquisition and technical services. These services include procuring and
distributing nearly four million items such as rations, medical supplies and
equipment, clothing and textiles, repair parts for land, sea and air weapons
systems and platforms, fuel and energy services.

DLA, which is headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., employs 23,000 civilian and
military employees, with Fiscal Year 2008 business revenues of $42 billion.
For more information about DLA, go to www.dla.mil.

SOURCE Defense Logistics Agency

Stephen J. Baker of DLA, +1-804-279-2388, Stephen.Baker@dla.mil