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Photojournalistas.com |
| Sept/Oct, 2002 |
 A problem that haunts teams when they are not winning is keeping players motivated enough to show up for all of their practices and games, especially those away games where lengthy travel might be required. When the season starts and the slate is blank almost all of the teams enjoy a full complement of players showing up for games, regardless of whether or not it’s a home or away game. This soon changes as some teams start to deal with loss after loss. Players that might have changed their work schedule or played through an injury earlier in the season start to stay home when the losing begins. The games that require an hour or more travel can be brutal on the players that do show up.During an away game in Nashua, New Hampshire, the NEFL’s Beachside Tomcats ran into this problem head-on. At game time the Tomcats had only the bare minimum number of players required to avoid a forfeiture in their game against the Nashua Predators. The day was humid and scorching hot. Those players that did show up had to play both offense and defense without a break until reinforcements started to show up shortly before halftime. Adding to their problems was a misunderstanding that left the Tomcats with little drinking water until mid-game. These are the kind of breakdowns that, if they occur often enough, cause teams to fall apart. The result is usually a string of losses and ultimately a team that no one really wants to play for the next year. The NEFL was formed partly as an attempt to bring an end to these problems. League  President, Tom Torrisi played in the EFL for years and wanted to create a league format that would make teams more competitive. One of the goals that the league, formed in 1996, had was to keep players on same team for a longer time period. Players that want to play for a team in the NEFL have to sign a contract that keeps them with the same team for at least two years. The idea behind this is that the contract will help keep good players with new and developing teams. This gives them time to grow or rebound into a good team before the better teams can lure them away. When teams that have a bad year or two are able to hold onto some of their better players longer, they are more likely to eventually field a team that has a chance to win.This formula has not solved all of the problems associated with losing teams but it has allowed the NEFL to grow enough to add a third conference for the 2002 season. There are now "AAA", "AA" and "A" conferences within the NEFL. The "A" conference was created for teams that do not want to have huge player rosters, and newly formed teams entering the league. Tomcats player/owner Peter Vorias was an advocate of the new three tiered structure in the NEFL and moved the Tomcats into the "A" conference for the 2002 season. Vorias wanted a conference in which teams could have smaller rosters and fewer requirements so that there would be a competitive place for teams trying to establish themselves. The NEFL’s attempts to keep things competitive might be working. They have expanded into all six of the New England states, Connecticut being the latest addition. |
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