I am nominating Chip because I feel his career reflects all the qualities of an MVP. First, at the young age of 9 months old, he had surgery to repair a luxating patella. After the surgery, his Doctor said he would be able to do "normal activity" but, not Flyball. Chip, in typical JRT fashion, not only proved the Doctor completely wrong but, has been an outstanding height dog ever since. In his long career surpassing 12 years, he has accumulated 46,823 points and has run on 9 different NAFA Clubs. He has also played in 7 different States, and has had over 3 dozen different handlers, many running Chip as their first dog ever and teaching them to love the sport just as much as he does. He always plays with such gusto, this is the only way he plays and he gives 110% each and every time. Chip is the kind of dog that any club would be proud to have on their roster as a core height dog. In my opinion, he is the dog this award has been made to honor. Ruth VanWert-Wooferines (455)

The 2014-2015 racing year would end up being Kia's last as she crossed the rainbow bridge in September 2015 after a sudden illness. Kia was an amazing 7 inch height dog with the ability to run 5.7 second times even at age 13. Her last tournament would end up being Animal Inn's summer tournament where she shared a spot and did a great job of racing. Kia would earn more than 58,000 points in her career with a best time of 4.9 secs. in her younger days. She was always very excited barking and ready to go. Kia earned an irondog in October 2011 and ran several more years in the height dog position. Her first points were earned 5-31-2003 and her last 6-14-2015. The other amazing thing about Kia is that she had a very winning personality. Kia loved to be petted and participate in any activity that Lana was doing. This award would mean the world to her owner (Lana) as final recognition that she was a fine flyball dog and a great team Outrun dog. The illness robbed her of the opportunity to have a retirement party. Please consider recognizing this outstanding height dog as regional MVP.

BC Boomerangs would like to nominate Mojo for Regional MVP. Mojo is a Katrina dog rescue hence his name "Mojo up from the storm". He came to BC Boomerangs as a potential "height dog" but he kept growing. Currently Mojo has 63,000+ points and is still running strong. He is an easy going guy who runs any position and loves to break in new Teammates. A solid performer he loves his Flyball and wants to run everyday. Mojo has been a BIG asset to the BC Boomerangs since the start of his Flyball career. Mojo is a different kind of dog. Please consider hime for Region 4 MVP.

Decker started off life for the first 18 months living at Citizen's for Animal Protection (CAP). The staff would take him out for short walks on a leash a couple of time a day. Many of the staff didn't like taking him out because of his behavior, but Kate saw something special in this boy and took him home. Kate started training Decker in Flyball at a time when CIA didn't have enough dogs to make a team for a tournament. With Kate's patience in training, Decker became a mainstay for CIA teams and it was not uncommon for him to run on two teams so that all the dogs had the opportunity to run Flyball. Decker's first tournament was February 14, 2009 and he is the first dog that started with CIA to earn 30,000 points. Because of this we feel that Decker and Kate deserve to be the Region 5 MVP. Pate Mapes, CIA Sheri Leavitt,, K9-Kommotion

I would like to nominate Tessa for region 7 M.V.P. on behalf of Fierce Flyers Flyball club. Without Tessa, it is likely we wouldn't have formed our club. She is the hardest working dog in our club, running in every heat; without her we would be lost. She is reliable and we couldn't ask for a height dog with more heart. She is very easy to run-point and shoot and has an amazing rerun-you don't even have to touch her-just tell her to wait then go! In less than 3 years of racing, she earned her Onyx and got her 40,000 a year ago. Our club is what it is today because of Tessa and Sue and we think she deserves this award. Thanks for the consideration, Pat Gerow

Sketch is a well know, incredible border collie here in region 8. She has always been a reliable dog, in any position. She has helped a handful of teams reach new personal best team times and still to this day continues to race on our division 1 team on Flyball N~R~G. She is also a great trainer, helping new handlers or new dogs learn the ropes. She is a key member we can always rely on to pick up the pace. Sketch also excels in other dog sports and recreational activities. She has passed down all her amazing traits to her 20 kids and grand kids. All of which have proven to much like her. She has an amazing personality, and I haven't met one person who doesn't like her. Please vote Sketch your Region 8 MVP.

Elphaba (Flying Puck's Wicked Witch of the West)! Elphaba (Flying Puck's Wicked Witch of the West)! Elphie is a power house height dog for the Fur Fun club. Running for Leerie, Elphie wows us with her speed, versatility and stamina. She debuted in the summer of 2012 and four months later was running in the CanAm Champions class, boosting Fur Fun to a 4th place finish. Running starts or in the pack, this little dynamo is never daunted by her speedy competitors regularly posting sub-4 times (best of 3.82) at her height. The little witch has lots of magic in her broom, often putting up her best times at the end of the weekend. Elphie really put the Fur Fun Multi program on the map pacing them to the FY2014 CanAm Multibreed Championship! Regionally, Fur Fun won the Regular and Multi Championship for the 2 prior years and is on pace to repeat in FY2015. She put Fur Fun in a very strong position to win the overall FY2015 NAFA Multi Championship. If you're ever at a tournament and see the team in pink in the lanes, take a second and watch Leerie and Elphie put on a show! I'm dang proud she's in Region 9!

She began her Flyball career at the age of 7 after being adopted once again from the local shelter and needing a job to do. She'd been a three time shelter resident because of her difficult attitude. She ran her first tournament as a Veteran. She has since become our team's go-to height dog. Still clocking low 5 second times at 12 years old as a 9" height dog, she has helped us set our best team times. She can run any position as has been known to be a toss-in start dog when the "real" start dog decided it wasn't going to run. She's known by her no-nonsense, chest to the floor take-offs, her solid, no-mistake runs, and her "I'll take you down if I have to" runbacks. She's a true rockstar in the lanes. Without her, our team wouldn't have gotten where we are today. She's proof old dogs can learn new tricks!

Rocket Relay's Fired From A "Kannon" is a nearly four year old BorderStaffie loved, owned, and handled by Chris Higginbotham. Kannon has spent all of her racing career as the Airwave height dog for Fast n FURious. She has led her team to two regional championships and can run with any dog for any handler. Kannon loves the anchor spot because she loves trying to pull off the win vs all those other great R10 anchor dogs. She debuted in June 2013 and has raced her little heart out and will achieve her FMCh title this year. Kannon is a versatile dog and has spent time working as a Animal Assistance Therapy Dog at one of our city schools, helping many children calm down and do their best in school. She loves to Freestyle Dance with her students and will do her tricks for anyone who has a treat and gives the right cue. Next to flyball, her favorite thing is hanging out in a Staffie pile with her housemates, Kombat, Shazam, and Krieger. You can always tell when she is on the lane and her nickname-Screaming Greased Pig- is very apt! Thank you for your consideration of our nomination!

Kew started her flyball career in 2005. Since then she has run in 173 tournaments throughout regions 10, 13 and 20, often making the trip with club members to help out on those away tournaments. She can run in any position and can be handled by anyone, just point her in the direction of the box. She has been on 6 FAME teams as they set club records. She earned her Iron Dog Award in 2013 and as she approaches 12 years old and 70, 000 points she still shows the enthusiasm, focus and endurance that she always has brought to whatever she does, be it flyball, agility or herding. She has been a steady and consistent teammate on many teams and can be easily heard cheering on her team and declaring her love of the game.

We would like to nominate MOOKI, a 6 year old Border Collie on Paws on Deck for Region 10 MVP. MOOKI was a quick learn of the sport and has been an integral part of his team since he stepped on lanes back in 2010. As a consistent sub 4 dog, MOOKI has helped Paws on Deck achieve new personal best times. He can be handled by anyone, run in any position and his experience on the lanes has helped him train new dogs on the team. It is always a pleasure to watch MOOKI on the lanes, whether it is with George in start or with Donna passing in the pack. You can tell they all love the sport and they simply go about their business, not requiring any recognition or praise. We feel MOOKI epitomizes the characteristics of what an MVP should be and that is why we are nominating him for the Region 10 2015 MVP.

Most Valuable Player – Google states an MVP is "the player judged to be most important to a sport". Important – Google defines important as "of great significance or value; likely to have a profound effect on success, survival, or well-being". Blue Skies Dualling It My Way – "Dooley" – lives up to these definitions for Region 11 flyball. He has been the solid, steady, "perfect dog" that rounds out teams, teaches new dogs to pass, and teaches new handlers the ropes of the sport. He is the go-to guy for "naughty dogs" to learn to race against, and without his help, dogs on several teams in the region would not be racing today. What many people may not know about Dooley is that besides being about as perfect a flyball dog as you can get, he is also a steady agility dog and a much loved therapy dog. He has graced the cover of Clean Run magazine, been read to by kids at the library, and rung the Salvation Army bell at Christmas time. He is a true ambassador for not just flyball dogs, but dogs in general. We are extremely lucky to have Dooley in Region 11!

Torque is a Bo-Staff that began his flyball career in 2013. But in just three years he has proven to be a huge asset to his team. In 2013 he went to Can-Am as a green dog, proving himself to be solid in the first 2 days, he was asked to fill a big roll for a small dog by stepping up as a height dog jumping 11" to help the Barkaholics earn a spot in the finals on CanAm where we went on to win our first CanAm Division Championship. This little dog with a big heart continued to be the regular height dog for the Barkaholics Region 11 Division 1 team and has a personal best time of 4.0, jumping 11 inch jumps. He provided the power , speed and "Torque" needed for the Barkaholics to tip the scale in region 11 and give them their first Region 1 Division Championship for 2015, proving himself to be a huge asset to his team! This merry little terrier, who never met a tennie he didn't like, has an indomitable spirit and truly embodies the criteria of the MVP award!

Abby was adopted from Edmonton Humane Society after an Edmonton Tournament and became a star flyball player for our region. Abby started racing in June of 2003 in Springbank. Abby was only suppose to do run-backs but another dog shut down and she was "thrown" in. She has run almost flawlessly for over 10 yrs. Back in those days Abby ran consistent 4.2's which was considered fast at the time. She was considered one of the fastest dogs in the region for many years. Most of her career she ran under the 4.5 mark. Abby could run in any position and never really cared who held her as long as the tug was there when she got back. Abby has helped train numerous green dogs and handlers. When new handlers came along we would offer her up to show them what it is like to race. We cannot recall Abby ever missing a jump or interfering. Abby is an invaluable member of Tailwind and this is her last chance to be nominated for MVP. She has been diagnosed with kidney disease & flyball is no longer healthy for her. A heartbreak when her heart and spirit still loves the game.

For the past 12 years, Sting has been a backbone of flyball in our region. His tireless efforts have helped many clubs, teams and dogs reach their collective and individual goals. He has taught many handlers the game, from the novice junior handlers to the most experienced. While Sting has spent most of his career as a start dog, he can run any position and there's nothing like watching him turn on the afterburners in anchor. Even at 13, he's burning a solid 4.2 seconds and is closing in on his FG60K. But most of all, Sting's love the game is contagious, inspiring and never ending.

Heidi, a rescue BC mix, has spent most of her career as a much needed height dog for her team. While early in her career she would only run for me, she is now well known for running for everyone but me. Her flyball "dance", bouncing and prancing from one front foot to the other and barking the entire time shows just how happy she is to be out there in the lane. Heidi will run in any position, pass any dog, has trained many a new handler how to play the game and helped numerous green dogs and handlers learn how to pass. Even now at 12 years old she is a solid dependable dog that makes few mistakes and always loves playing flyball. Her long and steady career, marked by her HOBBES, MBGDCh, and Iron Dog awards, make her very worthy of this Region 15 MVP nomination.

2015 was a banner year for little Lexi Lu. Although she only debuted in May 2014, she has run like a seasoned veteran since. As she and Dawn have gained experience, Lexi's times have consistently dropped, and in April she set her current PB of 5.225 running in the pack. As of 9/29/15, she was ranked #19 in NAFA points earned this year with 14,497. Not too shabby for a little dog who sets the jumps at 7", and who used to be afraid of the box! Those points have been earned in Regions 9, 13, 14, 15 and at CanAm, not only with HEA but with other clubs who needed a reliable height dog who can run anywhere (except start) and pass and be passed by anyone. When we found ourselves short (haha) a height dog right before a tournament, Lexi had no problem stepping up and running a spot and a half. When I am putting line-ups together, I know I can stick her on any team and not have to worry about it. For all of these reasons, Lexi deserves to be acknowledged as the Region 15 MVP.

AK is a fierce little border/staffy force in the lanes and is always firing up her teammates – both human and canine – for each heat. Last October with AK as the height dog, our team ran the fastest time ever recorded in NAFA to-date: 14.615 in the CanAm regular class. AK is one of the fastest dogs to ever run in Region 16, and she just happens to be a height dog. No matter what situation you put her into, AK runs her heart out and amazes you with her times. She regularly runs 3.7s in the pack, with her best time being a 3.67. With her all-business attitude, she can run in any position and still turn in incredible times. But whether in or out of the ring, AK's love for Dave and the partnership that they share is almost palpable when they are together. I can think of no dog in our region that more thoroughly represents the very best of what we all hope for in our flyball dogs: spirit, competitiveness, heart, partnership, and at the end of the day, the very best pet that we could ever wish for.

When Carol adopted Casey as a high-energy rescue dog she had to find an outlet to channel that energy and took her to a flyball class. Casey understood the game quickly! There were no local teams doing flyball then, so Carol and Casey helped start Dogspeed so Casey could start racing. Casey and Carol also helped start PHP, then in 2008 helped form Blazin' K9s. Since 2007 Casey has been a solid racing dog. She absolutely loves flyball! Casey is known by the song she sings when she is ready to race. She will run for anyone and we often say she could run herself if she had to. She has helped train new handlers and given junior handlers the opportunity to run her. She has also run on many other teams in the region as a backup dog. She helps train new dogs in passing or as a distraction in the other lane. At 11 years old, she is still racing strong as our team's start dog. She is currently a Flyball Grand Champion and is approaching 40,000 racing points. We believe that Casey's contributions to the sport, the team, and the region earn her the title of MVP.

Jack Jack, a Border/Staffie mix on Bay Racers Flyball Club, is our nomination for Region 16 MVP. Many in the region may remember the early days of his career when we ran a Just Jack Jack team dedicated to getting him in the ring for warmup. From those early days, Jack Jack has turned into the fastest dog on Bay Racers. Jack Jack is the dog that can be relied on to run in any position, pass any dog, and happily anchor a regular and multibreed team. Running Jack Jack on two teams gives more dogs a chance to play and earn points. While he's always ready for tournament competition, Jack Jack is equally important to the club as a great training partner to our new dogs at practice. Jack Jack is Bay Racers' MVP, please consider him for Region 16 MVP.

INXS Flyball Club nominates Zeke for MVP of NAFA Region 16 during the 2015 racing season.  Zeke is a nine year-old Red Merle Australian Shepherd owned by Erika and Steve Heine.  In eight racing seasons, Zeke has earned 49, 284 points, the FG40k and Muti-Breed Onyx awards. The reason Zeke deserves to be the Region 16 MVP is that he's extremely versatile; he runs in any position, in any lineup, on any flyball box, and in any division of racing.  He's a dog that we can bring to any flyball tournament and run him on any of our own teams, or have him run with another club, with any handler, to help fill an open spot. Zeke rarely bobbles the ball, never runs out of his lane, and turns-in a solid performance all day, every day.  Zeke is extremely easy to handle and has "trained" several first-time competitors at tournaments. Zeke is a crowd favorite at every tournament venue, creating interest in flyball with spectators all over California and Arizona, with his unique looks and his obvious love of racing.  Zeke is an Ambassador for NAFA Flyball and is very deserving as the Regional MVP for Region 16.

Colonel Carlsbad Bogart McKenzie, "Bogie", is a legend in his own right. This West Highland White Terrier began his flyball career in 2009 with another region 18 club and very soon became the inspiration for his own club, The Glacier Shakers! A terrier of terriers he and his owner Holly overcame obstacles, chasing being one of his favorite pastimes, and became a height-dog pair to contend with! Bogie is not only THE height dog for the Glacier Shakers, he also is responsible for completing teams, running as the height dog, for the other two region 18 clubs making it possible for us to actually hold tournaments! Ranked the #4 Westi in the country this tiny-but-mighty has a personal best of 5.37, earning most of his 10,076 points in the last three years. Bogie attended two Canam Tournaments, at one of them he ran open with yet another club as the much desired height dog. Bogie is synonymous with flyball. Without this tenacious white lightening, flyball would have taken a different path in Alaska. Bogie is responsible for our ability to field enough teams for a tournament and for the competitive direction we are traveling. Bogie is an MVP!

Sinjin is a sleek 20-pound flyball fanatic! He debuted in 2013 as Region 18's first and only Border Jack, forever changing the landscape of Alaska flyball. Sinjin has incredible speed, especially for his size, often posting 3.7s and 3.8s. He runs reliably in any position and can be handled by anyone. He also has fantastic endurance, making him perfect for starts, his most frequent position. During the 2015 racing year, Sinjin played a crucial part in achieving several goals set by his club, Glacier Shakers. He was the fastest dog in the lineup that set the current regional record (16.406 seconds), and he was the predominant speed demon in the lineup that posted the fastest time ever by an Alaska club at CanAm (16.197 seconds). Sinjin was also instrumental in helping Glacier Shakers win their first regional championship (soon to be official). The 2015 racing year has been positively awesome for Sinjin, the rest of his teammates, and Region 18.

Ali-oop ia a 10 1/2 year old Border Collie with a fantastic attitude; she loves people and running flyball. Ali has been running flyball since July 2006 and has always supported her teammates which is evidenced by her having earned over 60,000 points and her Iron Dog. Ali was in the top 250 point earning dogs in 2007 and 2009 and continues to be a reliable competitor. Ali loves flyball and tells everyone about it when she is at a tournament!

Crystal loves flyball, & loves the opportunity to cheer for her teammates. A versatile flyball dog, able to run in any position, with any handler, any type of dog and extremly reliable. Crystal helps train new dogs in our club, teaching passes without creating fear in a new dog, willing to run with them (and new flyball handlers). There is great value in a dog that can be used as an example & teacher. Crystal kicked off her competitive side with flyball, earning 365 points on the first day of her first tournament; she had flyball fever, with a great career ahead of her. Multi-talented dog, she has earned titles in agility and competed in nationals in several venues. She has titles in obedience, rally, and conformation. She was a successful therapy dog for several years. Crystal loves an audience. At a Denver Nuggets game, she loved the cheers of 15,000 noisy fans along with the lights, sounds & commotion for a flyball demo. Crystal earned her Iron Dog @ 11. Then earned her 50K title a couple of months before she turned 13. Her recent 4,000 points were running almost exclusively on vet teams.

RUFF would like to nominate Greta Jurgens for Region 19 MVP. From day one Greta was a flyball standout. Greta is the best anchor dog, she loves to come from behind and take the win. Over the years Greta has raced on several teams and not just her own, she is always willing to run extra to help another team. Greta has helped many new dogs get their start and instilled a love of flyball to her brother Fallon. Next time you watch Greta race, check out her big smile as she crosses the finish line.

Launch Flyball is pleased to nominate Maggie for Region 19 2015 MVP. Maggie, the destroyer of pinatas and height dog extraordinaire, began representing the region on September 4, 2005, and achieved Iron Dog status on Dec 13, 2014. Still active, she has to date accumulated 19 titles and 80,851 points racing in 11 states on more than 200 tournament days. These achievements are rare for any dog, especially for a Boston Terrier, but her heart, easy-going manner, and competitive spirit truly capture what flyball can be for any dog. Fearless in every competition, she became the #1 Boston Terrier in NAFA on April 30th, 2011, a position she holds to this day. Maggie has well-represented Region 19 over the past decade and, with great regard to all the wonderful dogs and handlers she has raced with, we feel she is very deserving of MVP recognition.

Ready Set Go is thrilled to nominate Katie as our MVP for 2015. Point & shoot dog is probably the best way to describe how easy she is to handle. Katie is a Border Collie mix... nothing fancy but what is unique to her is her focus and determination to always excel no matter what position she runs in. To-date, Katie has helped train no less than 15 different dogs and handlers. Katie started racing back in 2006 and has since earned many titles including ONYX and is now up to FDGCh 30K and quickly heading towards her 40K title. She is still very much part of Ready Set GO's main line-up and even at the age of 11, she still manages to pull low 4's consistently. Never wanting anything other than to be led into the ring for some genuine canine fun is all she's ever asked for. Please support Katie's nomination for MVP. She truly deserves this! Thank You

Twist is a 12 yr old border collie. She is a extremely valuable member of BR. She helps train our green dogs and green handlers. On top of that a reliable dog to run on any team still running mid 4s at her age. Last year twist got very sick and almost died, she faught for her life for over a month. Somehow came through and ran this season. She may not be our fastest dog on the team but without twist a lot of our dogs debuting wouldn't have already.❤️

Gabby has only been racing for two years, but has been a very important height dog for our team. She sets the jumps at 7" and makes very few mistakes. She is an essential part to any team she is on. What's super awesome is that Gabby's owner doesn't even play flyball, yet this little blue blur's love for the game gets her out of the house and into the lanes. We are very lucky to have such a special tiny ball of fur on our team. She truly is an MVP for Omaha Speed Racers!