Welcome & Program Clarification – Dirt Dawgs / Parker Hawks

Written By Nick Simington

Good Morning Dirt Dawg Families,

With practices officially underway, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and provide some background—especially for families who are new to our program.

Hawks are still finalizing rosters so possibility of movement. Some players could still be moved to different Hawks teams but I wanted to reach out early as possible.
Please forward to the player's parent who did not receive this.
Hawks only gave us one parent email. 

For our 6U, 7U, one of our 8U teams, we are competing in the Arapahoe Youth League (AYL) through Parker Hawks. Because of league requirements, these teams will wear league-approved Parker Hawks jerseys during the Spring season.

That’s where some of the confusion can come in—so think of it as Dirt Dawgs powered by Parker Hawks.

In the Fall, AYL does not run a league, and Parker Hawks operate the season independently. During Fall ball, teams are allowed to compete under their own program name and wear their own uniforms, which is when we proudly wear our full Dirt Dawgs gear. We are currently discussing whether Dawgs hats may be worn during the Spring season and will share an update once that’s finalized.

As a program, the Dirt Dawgs include:

  • Two 9U teams

  • One 8U team

  • One 7U team

  • One 6U team

We’ve brought together a group of like-minded coaches who are committed to building something special—supporting one another, developing players the right way, and creating an environment where kids truly love the game. The coaching experience across the program is strong, but more importantly, the passion for the kids is even stronger.

If you registered through Parker Hawks and are now seeing Dirt Dawgs communications, please know this is intended only to enhance your player’s experience. The Dirt Dawgs program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit—we do not charge anything beyond actual costs incurred and are not for-profit in any way. Participation in the Dirt Dawgs side of the program is not mandatory; families may remain fully focused on the Parker Hawks experience if they prefer.

I’m also the basketball Director of Parker Hawks, so this is not meant to compete with or replace Hawks in any way—we are big fans of the organization. The goal is simply to supplement areas where we felt we could further support player development. Ultimately, our mission is to build teams that love the game, enjoy competing together, and grow both as players and teammates.

I wanted to share this before additional communications go out. Please note that your team coaches remain your primary point of contact. I handle the behind-the-scenes items so they can stay focused on coaching and the kids.

Thanks for being part of the journey.

Go Dawgs!
Nick

Nick Simington