Southern California - meet a new sport. Well, it's new to Fox College Sports. read on.
For more information visit www.scafl.com Contact: Spencer Robinson, spencerbrobinson@gmail.com
Nursing a fat lip and bruised body with many a cold pint after last Saturday's match, Beachside Sharks President Adam Howarth described Australian Rules Football as "Contained Chaos. It's a game of agility, athleticism, strength, and speed combined to form a team strategy that closely resembles reckless abandonment hell-bent on destruction!" To this I replied, "Next round's on me, Cheers!"
True to Adam's statement, Footy (as Australians call it) is a sport which lacks clear cut definition and understanding unless one actually plays it. To many Americans, such as myself who never knew the sport existed until stumbling upon a group of Aussie's playing it on a neighborhood field, Footy seems best defined as a hybrid of rugby and soccer with a touch of American football thrown in occasionally � faster pace than rugby, hard hits not found in soccer, ball distribution and game strategy similar to rugby, long kicks reflective of soccer, and crushing runs similar to plowing into linebackers and safeties of American football.
With these pseudo-distinctions luring American intrigue coupled with grassroots promotion by Australians in the states, Footy has exploded on the American sports scene with ever-increasing popularity. "I was drinking beer and lifting weights in my dorm room," states Los Angeles Swans President and US National Team player Andy Lindsey, "and they told me I could hit people." Sold.
Andy's sentiments have been echoed by countless other players who have locked onto the sport for its camaraderie, skill, hits, and boisterousness. Many of these players from the Metro Los Angeles area will kick off the 2008 season with a match at the Staples Center this Friday night, February 29th. As they set their sights on a United States Australian Football League National Championship, the Beachside Sharks, LA Swans, OC Bombers, and Riverside Raiders will match up on the turf with bragging rights and pride on line.
"We don't play for money and we don't play for fame," states Howarth. "We play because we love the game, we love to compete. And when it's all said and done, we'll take over the closest pub, share some laughs, lick our wounds, and knock a few back."
Speaking of, this round's on me.
To find our more about the Southern California Australian Football League, visit their website at www.scafl.com or e-mail me, Spencer Robinson -spencerbrobinson@gmail.com.
ABOUT THE SCAFL
The Southern California Australian Football League (SCAFL).
The SCAFL is a newly formed alliance between players and administrators from the Orange County, Los Angeles County and Inland Empire region of Southern California who saw the need for something to be done to preserve the game in Southern California. We are very excited about what the future holds for Australian Rules Football in this region and we are willing to make sacrifices for its betterment.
In 2006 the SCAFL will be made up of four teams; the Los Angeles Swans, the Inland Empire Fire, the Orange County Bombers and the 951 Purple Raiders. The main purpose of the league is to minimize travel costs and maximize game time while fostering the mateship and camaraderie that makes being part of a football club the rewarding experience that it is. The aim of the league this season is to run the 4-team competition throughout the year including a Finals series, as well as to participate in the newly formed WAAFL season with a representative side made up of the 4 teams in the league. Also, it is hoped that the SCAFL will be able to yield two teams able to compete at the 2006 Nationals.
We urge everyone to have a look around our new site, www.socalfooty.com and visit each club's own pages. The league and each club have a merchandise section that is fully stocked for quick delivery. The sites will be updated regularly with news stories, results and player and member features. Also, the old Calfooty forum can be found here and it will continue to be a great source of communication, information and entertainment provided by our regular contributors.
The SCAFL board and member clubs are committed to seeing this venture succeed, and ultimately becoming a breeding ground for future USAFL stars. We have modeled our organization on the example set by other Leagues in the US that have shown the way over the last few years, and it is hoped that the SCAFL will be up amongst them very shortly.
Article courtesy of Contributing Writer, Spencer B. Robinson, FOXSports.com
http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/7847104/SoCal-Australian-Football-Set-to-Invade-Staples-Center |
