Global Football Founder Patrick Steenberge Joins All Star Cast Of Coaches On 2016 Coaches Tour of American Military Bases Overseas

AFI | American Football | 02/15/2016

Global Football President & Founder Patrick Steenberge will join coaches Troy Calhoun (Air Force), Chris Creighton (Eastern Michigan) and Chip Kelly (San Francisco 49ers) on a tour of American Military bases overseas this month.

Col. Al Hunt, USAF (Retired) will conduct the tour Organized by Military Appreciation Partnerships (MAP) in association with Armed Forces Entertainment.

The group will depart from Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, GA, and follow an aggressive schedule, visiting troops stationed in various countries throughout Europe and the Middle East. The coaches are expected to return to the United States a week after departure.

“Of all the events I have been fortunate to manage and be a part of during the past 20 years, this MAP Coaches Tour has to be the most gratifying,” said Steenberge, a former University of Notre Dame quarterback. “The active military men and women we are visiting in faraway bases are dedicating the best years of their lives in defense of our country so that we can all enjoy the freedom to coach, organize, play and enjoy the great sport of football.

“This visit is just a small way to say thank you, and I am proud to share this journey and experience with notable coaches like Chip Kelly, Troy Calhoun and longtime Global Football travel partner Chris Creighton.”

Chip Kelly, the new San Francisco 49ers head coach has traveled with MAP before and said:

“I get more out of the trip than I give. It is an honor to visit our service men and women.”

The 49ers have donated a generous supply of t-shirts, hats, and other clothing for distribution on the tour.

Mike Whalen, also a Notre Dame alumnus and president of Military Appreciation Partnerships (MAP) said MAP looks for the personality, charisma, and stamina required to interact with some 10,000 to 15,000 troops during the course of a week. The program will include flag football games; autograph, photo, and Q&A sessions with the troops and visits to military hospitals. Former Congressman Jim Marshall, a U.S. Army veteran in the Ranger Hall of Fame, and former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, the Honorable Bill Anderson will moderate the Q&A with the troops.

Chip Kelly is currently the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Before joining the 49ers, Chip was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2015. Prior to coaching in the NFL, he was the head coach for the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, and led them to four consecutive BCS bowl game appearances.

In 2007, Troy Calhoun embraced the mission of the Air Force Academy to accomplish what was once considered nearly impossible: building a service academy program that often earns a postseason bid while playing in one of college football’s best conferences. In seven of Calhoun’s eight years, Air Force has been to a bowl game.

Chris Creighton is the head football coach at Eastern Michigan University, a position he has held since the 2014 season. Previously, Creighton served as the head coach at Ottawa University in Kansas from 1997 to 2000 and at Indiana’s Wabash College from 2001 to 2007 before moving to Drake University in Des Moines for the 2008 through 2013 seasons.

Patrick Steenberge is a former quarterback who played at the University of Notre Dame. He is currently the owner and operator of Global Football, which organizes competitive events for amateur athletes worldwide, allowing them the chance to experience the Global Classroom and play in the Global Stadium. During the past two decades, Global Football has been the largest exporter of American football, having produced games and events in 23 countries on 6 continents since 1996.

Click here to read the full bios of the traveling coaches.

About MAP: MAP is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity dedicated to taking the Best of America to those who defend it. Pictures, videos, and updates from the tour will be shared on Twitter @map events and Facebook.

About Armed Forces Entertainment: Armed Forces Entertainment is the official Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel serving overseas, with priority given to those in contingency operations and at remote and isolated locations. The Department of the Air Force is the executive agent of Armed Forces Entertainment. Founded in 1951, Armed Forces Entertainment brings a touch of home to more than 500,000 troops annually, embracing the best of Americana that stretches across all genres of entertainment. For more information visit www.armedforcesentertainment.com.

About Global Football
Since 1996 Global Football has provided 14,000 amateur football players, coaches, families and fans from 350 schools the opportunity to travel and compete internationally with similar people of differing cultures. During that time they have produced games and tours in 23 countries on 6 continents, including the 2012 and 2014 GIFT events staged in Ireland alongside the NCAA college football games. Through these games, clinics and tours the people involved experience and learn about unique lands, fascinating people, and the sports environment in different parts of the world. Global Football has become the world’s largest exporter and producer of American football outside of the USA.