Is tha CRFL, goin to be around next season? Shopping around i heard tha crusaders are crfl champs are tha crusaders going to defend thier title if so allen county Lions would like to get a shot (taste) at it
Where's your team located...try the ifl as well.
Ft. Wayne
Do not go into the crfl thats all have to say
Why not go to the CRFL?? At least that league only had one team folded and they didn't have 2 teams only play 4 games. Yes do your homework, the IFL is in a decline and the MSFL is too expensive for new teams to get into.
I will agree, the IFL did take a step back the past few years, but not for lack of talent, how many people could honestly say they saw the Mustangs not fielding a team this year? Not I that is for sure. I like what the MSFL does, personally I do not know too much about the CRFL but what I do hear more often than not is about the fighting which to me damages the product that you are trying to put out even worse than teams folding, dont get me wrong, they are both bad acts but when a kid or an adult, that does not know anything about the way semi-pro ball works, comes to a game they do not know that 4 teams folded this year or that team is in danger of folding, what they see is what happens on the field. Teams arguing, cursing and fighting will never be a good look. NOW, AGAIN, let me say I do not know all of the things that go on out there in that league, I am simply going by what travels through the wire. WE, the IFL, must do a better job of selecting and screening the teams that we allow in, WE, SEMI-PRO, must do a better job of communicating with one another ACROSS LEAGUE LINES, if we know that a certain person or persons have been involved with SEVERAL TEAMS that are known for folding, fighting or cheating we need to inform our league heads and make them aware of what is going on because PASSING THE BUCK from one league to another is why we have the issues we have now, letting teams in that have consistently folded from year to year only to be reborn under a different name is another reason we are here. We need to begin working together more often than not, not every team can afford to travel like the Nados, however that doesnt mean that they can not compete like they do, that should not be a knock on that team because they cant MOVE UP when that would only cause them to be like the other teams that play 3 games and are done. Truth is the most localized game schedule is probably the IFL just based on the way things are set up, then the CRFL, then the MSFL and so on and so forth....I only say that because the MSFL has those Illinois trips, which are not that bad to be honest, especially when you get to play on some of the fields that they have up there.....man....
I said all of this to say, do your homework, understand that there will be ups and downs to ANY LEAGUE that you join, however if you have a good product other teams and league take notice
Well said, Dre. There is a responsibility there to communicate between leagues to prevent the problems that seemed to plague semi pro as a whole this season. There is rarely a truly "new" team and most are recycled from other teams including personnel that have been problems in the past. It's the responsibility of the owners of the teams to properly gauge the character and commitment of their players as well. It's not unusual for a new team in an area to have 50 guys showing up for practices early on. The team gets accepted into a league partially based on the fact that they are showing good numbers. Then, guys start realizing there's a big time commitment. They don't have money for equipment. They don't have money for player fees. Or they don't think they need to come to practice. So, by the time the season rolls around there are 15 guys showing up to games. Some of that is unavoidable, but I believe some of it can be prevented. Don't just conduct tryouts. Interview your potential players. If they've never played or haven't played since high school ask them if they realize this is real football and not two-hand touch. I've seen guys show up to an early practice all gung-ho and then never come back after they get popped a couple times. Ask them if they are aware half the games are away games and if they are willing to go to those. Make sure they know that even though this is recreational, there are expectations.
If they have played for another team, ask them why they don't play for them anymore. If that team still exists, was this player an issue? Was he lazy or didn't pay fees or did he cause trouble? Or did he leave the team due to issues with the team itself? Owners can weed out their own problems by asking those questions and investigating. And if you've done that and don't have enough to field a team, then maybe it's not the right time to start a team in that area. Forcing it simply won't work.
That same philosophy goes for leagues as well. It's not hard to tell whether a team is solid or not. Even though you may want 10 teams in your league, it's better to go into the season with 4 that you know will finish the season then to have teams folding or forfeiting all year.
You're right. One punch thrown resonates throughout the entire community. The ESPN thing really put semi-pro in a bad light and it had nothing to do with the team involved. They came in with a preconceived notion and had every intention of making our level of football look like a joke. Every time someone throws a punch on the field, threatens someone, or comes on here and acts like an idiot, it undermines what a lot of people have worked for.
I reread what I wrote and I have to add something. I did not mean to imply it's only teams that should look out for players. That's unfair. Players should do research on a team history or the owner's history if it's a new team. Find out their philosophy, their plans, who their coaching staff are, and what their finances are. Any team who isn't transparent about these things to players is to be avoided.
That's not to say that a team owner's plans can't be impacted by other things. A team could be counting on a sponsor and then that sponsor doesn't come through leaving little to no money. Maybe there's a field lined up and then a high school A/D decides not to let that team play on the field. Other things like health issues, family issues, or work issues can crop up that make it impossible for that team owner to be involved in the team. Those things can happen and it's just circumstances, but research is still important.