Semi-pro football comes to Fondy
- By Doug Whiteley ( dwhitele@fdlreporter.com )
- Fond du Lac Reporter
- Published: 1/27/2005
Fond du Lac, are you ready for some football?
Corey Giese, team president of the Fond du Lac Crusaders hopes he gets at least 35 area guys to answer yes to that question.
The Crusaders are a semi-pro team that has relocated this year, with Giese's help, from Menomonee Falls.
"We thought we should move it up here because of the talent and because there's nothing like this up here," said Giese, 25, an assistant football coach at Lomira High School and former Mayville High School player.
While the Crusaders will practice in Fond du Lac twice a week starting in April, they will play in the Ironman Football League at the Milwaukee Sports Complex in Franklin, off of Ryan Road.
The 10-game schedule will be set next week, but games are on mostly on Saturdays and Sundays. The Crusaders will take on teams from Madison, Mukwonago, New Berlin, West Milwaukee and four teams from Milwaukee.
"I'm very excited," said Cliff ! Goodacre, 23, a receiver and 2000 Fondy graduate. "Ever since you ended high school football, you'd never thought you'd play again. The IFL gives you the opportunity to play beyond high school."
There is an open tryout for the Crusaders the first week in April at one of the school fields in the city. While Giese hopes to eventually have a roster of 50 players, he's shooting for 35 or 40 in the inaugural season.
The only restriction for players is that they must be 18 years old.
Other than going to Milwaukee for games, the players are also responsible for their own equipment.
Goodacre said he expects to spend between $200 and $300 for equipment. He said that he's trying to coordinate a group of players in order to get a discounted price, or even better, he'd hope an area high school could sell them some used equipment cheaply.
Fitness America will be a major sponsor of the team, but Giese said he's still soliciting sponsors to help defray l! eague fees.
"I believe there will be enough guys," Goodacre sai d. "We had a meeting about a month ago on a kind of crappy Saturday where the weather didn't help.
"I've already gotten a couple of calls from a few old Fondy football players that are interested in playing. Once we get the word around town that we are going to have a team, we're hoping the interest will be there. Just getting the word out that football still exists beyond the high-school level if you're not looking to play college."
Giese has ideas that other Fox Valley area communities could field teams in the future, making it possible to have games closer to home.
To promote his team and to get prospective players Giese basically said it's a league for the common man; the 6-0, 210-pound guy who loves the game but maybe didn't have the all the tools for the next level, or are already finished with college.
"The league is a semipro league, that's what it is," Giese said. "It's not the NFL where guys are 6-6, 300. There's a couple of players in t! he league like that, but not like the NFL."
That's not to say guys who are 6 feet, 200 pounds can't deliver jarring hits. Broken bones and torn ligaments can happen at any time and for adults who have to go to work every day, risking their health to play football may not be the best idea.
"That's a concern," Goodacre said. "The rules they have in place they really try to protect the players. There's no blocks below the waist or chop blocks."
Goodacre said those who are serious about playing should be in shape, which will hopefully minimize the chance of injury.
If you're willing to risk injury, have the time to practice a couple times a week and play on the weekends, the Crusaders can be your outlet to playing a game you loved, and can love once again.
"It should be a fun time for anybody who's looking to throw the pads back on and knock some people around," Goodacre said.
Copyright (c) The Reporter. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc. Record Number: fnd57582554