Leagues Across the Country

On NECBL.com on July 13th, 2013

By Bradley Smart

Every summer, from early June to late August, fans fill the stands at the Recreation Field in Montpelier, Vermont, home of the town’s summer collegiate team, the Vermont Mountaineers. Over the course of a 40-game season, thousands of people come to witness a scene that is playing out in communities of every shape and size across the United States -- talent-rich, fun to watch, baseball.

Players from every college imaginable seize the opportunity to extend their baseball, playing time and do so all across the country. General managers actively recruit some of the best players schools have to offer, give them a jersey, and send them out on the field, and the fans thoroughly enjoy the talent and future professionals they’re watching.

Bleachers fill with kids, eager to get an autograph and others are there because of the captivating sport that is baseball. Summer collegiate baseball leagues bring what generations of American’s love to small towns and cities across the country. Summer baseball works because it is a fan-friendly environment with young, talented players developing their game, a game that leads some to “the show.”

The Show. Major League Baseball is where many of the boys of summer collegiate leagues end up. The team from Montpelier, a city with a population of a little under 8,000, have sent six players to the show, and another 27 are scattered in the depths of the minors, from Rookie league to Triple-A.

These summer leagues, spread all around, have hundreds of teams with alumni like that of the Mountaineers, and give fans unprecedented access to future stars.

The Cape Cod baseball league is a thriving example of this, as it’s currently entering it’s 128th year, dating back to 1885. As of June 30th, the league has had 998 players make it to the bigs.

Cape Cod is an unofficial farm league for the majors, yet if you went to a game there, you would be shocked. Every game is played out like a Little League game - free admission, bring a lawn chair or sit on some bleachers - there isn’t a stadium, just a field with a chain link backstop and players who will become the next Thurman Munson or Frank Thomas, former Cape Cod league players.

Cape Cod is one of over 40 summer collegiate leagues across the country, joining the likes of the Alaska Baseball League and the Mountain Collegiate League. However, not all of them work alone, as the National Alliance for Summer Collegiate Baseball (NASCB) has organized a group of eleven leagues.

The National Alliance for Summer Collegiate Baseball (NASCB) is sanctioned by both Major League Baseball and the NCAA. The MLB provides money to many summer collegiate leagues (to help with on field cost such as bats, balls, umpires, etc.) because of their focus on developing players to become future MLB stars. The NASCB is responsible for maintaining player development standards and regulations in the leagues, as well as helping in other ways, such as promoting financial security and providing a “buying cooperative.”

Eleven leagues belong to the NASCB, all near or along America’s East coast. All in all, the 11 leagues have a total of 103 teams and over 2,500 players. 

Starting in Florida, the Florida Collegiate Summer League (FCSL) is a six team league that was founded in 2003, and began play in 2004. It has enjoyed a lot of success, as in it’s first nine seasons, 196 former players have been drafted, including notable alumni like Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy and Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon.

Just recently, the FCSL partnered with another NASCB-member league, the Sun Belt League, located in Georgia, for a Southeast Prospect Showcase. 

“I think it’s been great. Ultimately, we focus on the players first. I think it was cool for the players to showcase their skills to the scouts,” FCSL League President Rob Sitz said in an interview about the showcase, “and then obviously playing against another team and representing your league, it was a pretty cool experience for those guys as well.”

The Sun Belt league won the showcase, 4-3, and it was a big first step as the FCSL is traveling to Georgia next year for another showcase, marking a start to leagues possibly playing against each other.

The Sun Belt league has eight teams, and was founded in 2005. Another league in the area is the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, or the SCBL. 

The SCBL is an eight-team league in towns throughout the Carolinas and Tennessee, and was established back in 1999. The SCBL schedule consists of two games during the week and then a doubleheader on the weekend, making for a 42-game schedule. The SCBL has over 50 alumni playing at the professional level, including 32 currently in the major leagues.

The Valley League, just above the SBCL, located in Virginia, and is one of the biggest leagues the NASCB has as a member, with 12 teams located across Virginia. It is also one of the most productive leagues. Since it’s inception in 1923, the Valley League has produced over 1,000 professional baseball players, including Jason Kipnis, Mike Lowell and Aubrey Huff.

The Great Lakes League is the only geographically isolated league, as all of the other leagues touch a state or states that another NASCB league belong to. Great Lakes has 10 teams, and has produced its share of future professionals over its 27-year history, including players like Nick Swisher and Jonathan Sanchez.

The other six leagues in the NASCB take up most of the Northeast United States, with locations in New York, New England, Maryland, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. 

The NECBL, ACBL, Cape Cod League, Hamptons League, NYCBL and the Cal Ripken League combine for another 60 teams, with over 1,200 players yearly playing in their parks.

The New England Collegiate Baseball League, or the NECBL, is the biggest league within the NASCB, with 13 teams spread throughout New England and New York, including the Newport Gulls. The Gulls were named the best Summer Collegiate baseball team by Perfect Game USA last year, posting a 31-10 record and winning the NECBL championship.

Next to the NECBL is another of the bigger leagues, the New York Collegiate Baseball League, or the NYCBL, which consists of 11 teams. Also in the area is the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League in Pennsylvania, the Cal Ripken Collegiate League in Maryland and the Hamptons league on Long Island.

All in all, the NASCB contains over 100 teams that are all doing something that baseball fans everywhere enjoy - bringing future stars to communities of every shape and size.

Northwoods League Rankings

This appeared on the Northwoods League website on July 12, 2013

July 12th Top 5 Hitters/Pitchers in the Northwoods League

Welcome to the weekly Top 5 presented by Northwoods League correspondent Bradley Smart from the blog Smart on Sports.

The weekly  top five hitters/pitchers rankings have come out, and the Madison Mallards and the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters both grab two. No other teams repeat, while Wisconsin Rapids OF Donnie Dewees grabs the top hitter spot and Waterloo’s Adam Dian takes the top pitcher spot.

Hitters

A potent group of hitters make up the rankings, from the league leader in home runs to the league leader in doubles. However, most of this ranking is made up from the North division, but the lone South player ranks first – Donnie Dewees from Wisconsin Rapids.

1. Donnie Dewees, OF, Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Dewees, a freshman from North Florida, has taken the Northwoods League by storm, with a .336 batting average, nine home runs and 16 steals. He’s boasted signs of power, speed and hitting for contact and has been a pain for opposing pitchers to have to deal with. Dewees also leads the league in runs scored with 34, and ranks 8th in RBIs with 31. He’s a threat everywhere, and also can work the walk, as he has 15 to just 13 strikeouts over his 34 games.

2. Marc Flores, 1B, Willmar Stingers

The University of Hawaii product can hit, as he holds a .340 batting average with nine home runs and 39 RBI, good for second on the list. Flores has also added 14 doubles and 33 runs, both good for second as well in the league. The senior also leads the league in slugging with a .613 mark and has been a cornerstone for the 26-16 Stingers, who currently sit just six games back from the Waterloo Bucks in the North Division.

3. Keith Curcio, OF, Duluth Huskies

Curcio, a sophomore from Florida Southern doesn’t normally hit for power, but he gets on base. A .450 on base percentage and a .377 average that ranks second in the league gets him into the rankings, as he’s been a key component of the 26-17 Huskies. With 28 runs scored, and 23 RBI, Curcio has also added seven doubles and 19 walks. He also has 23 stolen bases, good for second in the league.

4. Andrew Sohn, SS, Alexandria Blue Anchors

The Blue Anchors may be sitting in last place with a 12-29 record- but there has been a bright spot for them, in the form of the shortstop from Western Michigan who’s hitting .343. Sohn also has 12 doubles, 12 walks and 26 runs scored. He’s also added 4 home runs and 26 RBI as well as swiping 19 bases. His best game so far was a 4 for 5 effort against Willmar where he added a double and a home run, as well as four RBI and three runs scored, leading the charge for a narrow,10-9 comeback win.

5. Adam Martin, C, St. Cloud Rox

The 6’3, 225 pound senior from Western Carolina University has been terrifying pitchers across the Northwoods League this entire season, as he leads the league in home runs with 10 and also boasts a .320 batting average. He also leads the league in doubles with 16. Martin has scored 30 runs and knocked in 35 as well for the Rox, who are currently sitting five games under .500 and 13.5 back in the standings.

Honorable Mention: Chesny Young, Waterloo Bucks; Jason Vosler, Thunder Bay Border Cats; Drew Weeks, Madison Mallards

Pitchers:

The Madison Mallards snag two of the top five pitchers, and a third in the honorable mention section, but the top sport belongs to the top team- Adam Dian and the 32-10 Waterloo Bucks.

1. Adam Dian, RP, Waterloo Bucks

Dian has been incredible out of the bullpen for the North Division-leading Bucks, as he’s posted a 0.50 earned run average over 15 appearances, going 2-0 with six saves. He’s struck out 34 over 18 innings of work, and has walked just six. He also has a 0.72 WHIP and baffles hitters, who manage a .117 batting average against him. His numbers clearly deserve him the top stop in these rankings.

2. J.P Feyereisen, RP, Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Feyereisen returns for his second year as a Rafter, and this one is arguably more impressive. Through 17 appearances out of the pen, he’s 3-1 with a league-leading eight saves and has a 0.76 earned run average. Over the 23.2 innings he’s thrown, he has struck out 29 and walked just six. He’s been a key component of the Rafters bullpen that hasn’t blown a save.

3. Cameron Giannini, SP, Mankato MoonDogs

Giannini has been stellar on the mound for Mankato, as he’s the league leader in wins with a 5-1 record and his 1.86 earned run average is good for fourth. He’s made six starts, and has come out of the bullpen once to save the game, and has compiled 43.1 innings pitched. He’s struck out 46 batters, second on the Northwoods leaderboards and has walked just 12 guys. Giannini has been the bright point for a staff that has been struggling, near the bottom of the league in ERA, WHIP and other pitching categories.

4. Sam Forkert, SP/RP, Madison Mallards

Forkert has made 13 appearances (including one no-decision start) for the second-place Madison Mallards out of the pen, and is 3-0 with a 0.85 earned run average over 31.2 innings pitched as well as striking out 31 and walking just seven. He’s also added two saves and has allowed just 14 hits. Opponents are batting just .157 against him and his .760 WHIP is showing how dominant he’s been. He’s been reliable out of the pen and should help the Mallards on their quest for a title.

5. Luke Staub, SP, Madison Mallards

Another Mallard rounds out the Top 5, as Staub has been an ace for Madison. He’s 3-2 with a 1.58 ERA and has struck out 38 batters over 40 innings of work. He’s started seven games, and his two losses were due to poor fielding and mistakes, as he allowed just one earned run in each but picked up two losses. Pitching has been a key to the Mallards success, as Staub and others lead the league in opponent average and are second in WHIP and fourth in ERA.

Honorable Mention(s): Cam Verbeke, Madison Mallards; Jackson Lowery, Wisconsin Woodchucks; Jess Amedee, Mankato MoonDogs

Bradley Smart (@bradleysmart15) is a freshman in high school who is an avid sports fan who also writes about sports. He also has a blog, Smart On Sports where he writes about all kind of sporting news, from baseball to the Super Bowl.

Meticoulous Miles Shuts Down Opposition

By Bradley Smart

Miles while pitching at the University of Missouri

The Vermont Mountaineers are 15-7 and are sitting 2.5 games up of the closest team and holding the best record in the NECBL.

And making a huge contribution is the 6’0 John Miles, a pitcher who’s given up just one earned run over 24 innings. This ridiculous 0.38 ERA is nothing new for Miles, as the sophomore out of the University of Missouri lead the team this past spring with a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings of work.

He was a key member of the Tigers pitching staff, as he continually pitched out of trouble while striking out 23 against 11 walks. He also tied for the team lead in saves with two, as he got out of a jam against Missouri State as well as a gem against Florida, ranked 36th in the nation.

Miles shut down Florida and threw 2.1 innings, allowing just one run while striking out two.

When he arrived at the Recreation Field in Montpelier, Miles picked up where he left off- blowing by hitters and keeping the damage to a bare minimum.

He recently took time to speak with NECBL.com.

NECBL.com: You’ve pitched 24 innings, starting three games and have given up just one earned run. What’s clicking for you this summer?

I'm pitching good baseball, just getting on the mound and enjoying myself- I'm playing baseball for the sake of baseball, just enjoying myself. I feel like I'm a little league right now- I'm in the sandbox and I'm just having a good time. The biggest thing is you're so high strung out of college and you come here and you’re a little relaxed, you're able to calm down. You're able to play like you're 13 years old and it feels great, playing like a little kid. There's nothing better than that feeling that you're out here, just playing with your teammates and enjoying yourself, enjoying the summer. It's just a great feeling and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

NECBL.com: You didn’t start any games during the Missouri season, which was a lot different from both your freshman year (where you started four) and as a senior in high school where you posted a 6-0 record. Are you more of a reliever now or is it temporary?

I'm a pitcher. I'm a pitcher and I will pitch where ever I get my innings. If my team needs me out of the pen, I'll throw out of the pen, if they need me to start I'll start. It's just one of those things that sometimes, this past year, my sophomore year, had a rough start from the get go and didn't work out great but I battled through it, got more innings in the second half of the year and threw better. I just want to help my team win. And I want to win. Bottom line. And I want to put up the best numbers I can in order for my team to win. And if its out of the pen relieving, closing or starting it's what's going to happen. It doesn't matter, just trying to have fun and pitch.

NECBL.com: You’ve started games for the Mountaineers, and come out of the bullpen for them- which position do you prefer?

They're different. Some days I'm sitting in the bullpen when a teammate starts and I say, jeez, I'd really like to close today, I'm feeling good but then there's days where theres a team you're playing and you want to get out there and prove something, and throw seven shutout innings and have ten k's- you want to prove something.For me, preference is day to day. It really is.

NECBL.com: Last summer, you played for the Sedalia Bombers in the MINK league, which is in the midwest- how does the NECBL compare to that league?

It's a much  better league. The MINK league is a decent league but this is a top tier league, more guys drafted out of this league last year then the Cape, which speaks volumes for this league. I threw a lot of innings my freshman year so I only had a few starts over in the MINK league. It was a fun league, great guys but you know this is a whole new experience. You have towns coming out and supporting the team. It's a lot different how much this town is behind us and how much all the town are behind their teams. It's really cool to see towns backing teams like that.

NECBL.com: How did you land on your major, Business?

I like money and it was one of those things where going in to school it attracted me and I thought it would be a good suit for me and I would be able to enjoy all the courses I was going to take and that they would be beneficial to me later in life and it's very applicable to the real world. It's a good major and it's very very useful in society and our world.

NECBL.com: You play Newport twice on the 23rd, and Brett Graves, a fellow Missouri Tiger is on that team. He’s posted a 3-0 record with a 0.77 era- what’s it going to be like facing off against him?

He's one of my best friends, so I guess I'll go ahead and say no comment, other than the fact that he's a great kid, he's a great teammate, he's a great pitcher and I wish the best for him, no matter what, I wish the best for him.

John Miles Personal File

Favorite Food: “I got a sweet tooth. Oh my god, I love sweets. Cookies, cakes, pies. It is my favorite food, bar down.”

Favorite Movie: “The Prestige. It's a magic movie, a thriller- it's a very good film.”

Favorite Music: “Rock. Big fan of 80's rock.”

Toughest Class at the University of Missouri: “Econ. An Econ course is no fun.”

Favorite MLB player: “Chris Carpenter, hands down. He's the man.”

Players stay sharp with Babe Ruth baseball

This article originally appeared in the Times Argus on July 2nd, 2013.
By Bradley Smart

CORRESPONDENT

The Mountaineers are hitting their stride and Little League All-Star tournaments kick off this week, but not to be lost in the shuffle is Babe Ruth baseball.

This year marks the first time in more than a decade that the U-32 district will field two full teams for Babe Ruth, which is open to players in the 13-15 age range. Babe Ruth baseball was founded in 1951 and consists of four divisions: 13-year-old Prep, 13-15 years old, 16-18yearsold and 16-year-old Prep. Each of these divisions feature multiple districts, with teams entering tourneys after the regular season in an effort to advance to the Babe Ruth World Series.

Last year championships were crowned to division-winning teams from New York, Arkansas, New Jersey and Kentucky. A Vermont squad has never made it past the New England Regional. 

Since the New England Regionals’ inception in 2001, the winners have gone a combined 16-24 during the Little League World Series.The New England champs have gone down in the group stage seven times, and the farthest they’ve made it is fourth place. That happened during back-to-back years, with both teams from Massachusetts.

Newport Gulls Continue to be Ideal Franchise

This piece originally appeared on NECBL.com on June 28th, 2013

By Bradley Smart

Last season, the Newport Gulls went 31-10, owned the best record in the NECBL, and swept the Danbury Westerners in the finals to win their record fifth championship.  It marked their eighth appearance in the finals in their 12-year history. Since their inception in 2001, the Gulls have led the league in attendance six years and have never fallen outside the top five in the league, an impressive feat.

Perfect Game USA, a organization centering around amateur baseball players (high school and college) ranked them as the best summer collegiate team last season, ahead of the likes of Cape Cod’s best. 

And how do they do it? 

Year in and year out, the Gulls have placed themselves in the NECBL elite.  The reason for that originates at how the Gulls ownership have created an atmosphere at Cardines Field rivaled by none other, and an anchor in fiery manager Mike Coombs.

When the Rhode Island Gulls moved to Newport and Cardines Field, a completely new team was born. 

Under the management of Chuck Pavia, the Gulls have developed a reputation as a class-act ball club, attracting, on average, two thousand fans a game to see some of the best players in collegiate baseball.

The active crowds, the historical ballpark and great management have led the Gulls to have the ability to recruit talented players.

Management is key, and nobody does it better in the NECBL than the team with the Gulls. Since Mike Coombs has come in, the Gulls have gone 226-107 under him and the team has the most wins in NECBL history.

Coombs has led the Gulls to three NECBL championships, as well as having a 31-10 postseason record. He played two seasons in the minors, between the Rookie and A league, hitting .279 with a .377 OBP and 13 RBI over 45 games.

All in all, the Newport Gulls are exactly what future summer collegiate teams should model
themselves off of.

This year has been no exception, as Newport have gone 9-1 over their last ten games, and currently have a three game winning streak. 

This year, it is evident Newport can get some of the best players, as 13 of the 29 man roster the Gulls have were all drafted at some point, between 2010 and 2012. 

As with Gull’s teams of the past, superb pitching and offensive firepower have helped. 

Newport’s pitching has been unbelievable, with four players posting ridiculous numbers so far this year. The staff, headlined by the likes of James Mulry and Sean Hartnett have a team ERA of 1.36, and a WHIP of 1.05 and have given up just one home run over 132 innings pitched, as well as striking out 139.

Newport is one of the best pitching teams in the NECBL, ranking first in ERA, Opponent AVG, HR, WHIP, Opponent SLG and shutouts. 

The Gulls aren’t one-dimensional though, as they are also consistently one of the top hitting teams in the league. Led by Cody Jones this year, Newport is near the top of the league in most hitting categories, with a team .272 average and 88 runs over just 14 games.

The reason for this? 

Newport has slowly built a name for themselves, allowing them to recruit some of the best players in the nation, and have talent equivalent to some of the best leagues in the nation- leagues like the Cape Cod league.

The Cape Cod-esque talent on the Gulls was on display when they took on the Wareham Gateman from Cape Cod in an annual exhibition. The Gulls won 7-3. 

NECBL Realignment

This article originally appeared in the Times Argus on June 4th, 2013.

By Bradley Smart

CORRESPONDENT

In ten days time, the Recreation Field in Montpelier will come alive with the Mountaineers and their opponents, in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The NECBL has been around since 1994, growing year by year, and this years adds more excitement to the league.

The NECBL is adding three new franchises this year - South Kingstown, RI; Plymouth, RI; and Saratoga Springs, NY. The Saratoga Brigade, scheduled to open up their season in less than ten days, marks the first team located outside of New England.

“I think its really good because it does give us a foothold in a new state, a new area, and that could possibly be an area to grow our name,” said Don Leypoldt, Media Relations Director at NECBL, on the introduction of a non-New England team, “and maybe even grow more teams if strong roots form.”

This expansion also marks realignment, the first since 2003, which will find the local Vermont Mountaineers facing a new rival in the Western division, as the Saratoga Brigade, located just three hours away, makes for a natural rivalry.

“Montpelier and Saratoga aren’t that far, so that’s kind of a natural rivalry,” Leypoldt said. ”It kind of worked out that way, by adding the teams, it kind of made us rethink how to align them, and there were some natural and geographic breaks that made up our divisions.”

Other key changes were adding the Ocean State Waves (South Kingstown, RI) and the Plymouth Pilgrims (Plymouth, RI) to the Eastern division, furthering the stark difference from coastal and mainland teams. The Newport Gulls, defending league champions, face competition from not one, but two new teams in the Eastern Division.

This influx of new teams is nothing new for the NECBL, though.

Since 2008, the North Shore Navigators, Old Orchard Raging TIde, and Bristol Collegiate have come and gone, and over the 20 years the NECBL has existed, there have been 36 teams that have played in the league.

North Shore dates back to 1994, originally the Middletown Giants, then becoming the Holyoke Giants. They won four NECBL titles, but in 2012 left for the Future Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). Joining them in the departure was the Old Orchard Raging Tide, and familiar faces have been there for years.

The league they departed for, the FCBL, has been growing in popularity since it originated three years ago, in 2010. Now with nine teams, located mainly in Massachusetts, but also around New England, the FCBL has been growing not only in attendance but in familiarity. The Nashua Silver Knights, who have won the only two championships in the league’s history, average over 1,200 people in home attendance per game. The FCBL’s total attendance last year (175,943) topped the NECBL’s (173,228).

The Raging Tide and the Navigators join a growing list of defunct NECBL teams, including the Riverpoint Royals, the Central Mass Collegians and the Waterbury Barons. Other teams that don’t stop playing, simply change their name and location, and become a new team.

For example, the Mystic Schooners, one of the NECBL’s charter franchises, started out as the Eastern Tides, then transitioned under the ownership of Dan Duquette through five different team names, finally settling for the past few years on the Schooners.

However, over the past couple of years, with the exception of the Tides and Navigators leaving, and the addition of three new teams, the league has established a number of core teams that are not changing.

“We do think that this is going to be the look of the league for the next few years,” Leypoldt said. “No one likes the moving around. We certainly hope that we’ve got permanent ball clubs.”

Leypoldt continued, “I would say teams like Vermont, Newport are all pretty permanent.”

The Mountaineers, going into their 11th season in the NECBL, are amongst a group of teams in their teens, not going anywhere soon.

Vermont is part of that core group, with the Danbury Westerners (19th year), Keene Swamp Bats (16th year), Sanford Mainers and Newport Gulls (12th) and the North Adams Steeplecats (8th).

Looking forward, it appears that that a majority of the teams are here to stay, while 2013 will be a key year for teams like Plymouth, Ocean State and Saratoga who are just starting up.

Plymouth’s president Dave Dittman said, “Getting a good team is challenging, since there is over 40 leagues throughout the country. Plymouth is fired up, the town really wants this.”

That, according to Leypoldt, is exactly what the NECBL is looking for. “And, we’re never going to turn down a good opportunity,” Leypoldt said.

Futsal on the rise at Civic Center

This article originally appeared in the Times Argus on April 2nd, 2013

By Bradley Smart

CORRESPONDENT

From Friday evening to Tuesday evening, the Central Vermont Civic Center is bustling as teams from all across Central Vermont compete in futsal, in a variety of age groups and skills.

Everybody from 10-year olds to adults play in competitive leagues that span the lull between winter and spring sports.

Headed by the dragon of Capital Soccer, every March means the start of yet another seven-week season, with 10 leagues, all competing to win there league’s Capital Soccer Futsal League Championship.

The leagues are there not only to provide something to keep people occupied, but to help increase skill levels in youth soccer players, as one of futsals main components is footwork.

Soccer greats like Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Brazilian legend Pele both became star soccer players because they worked in futsal leagues to improve and refine their footwork.

The main futsal hub is in Brazil, but the sport has been consistently spreading under FIFA, soccer’s main governing body, and now has leagues all throughout the world.

Brazil is still the top Futsal country, as is evident by their dominance in past Futsal World Cups, but it extends beyond, into their soccer game.

The way Brazil plays their soccer shows that there futsal leaks out onto the field, and the world-famous style that Brazil plays is futsal leaking out on the bigger pitch.

The United States has been behind the trend, but futsal is growing throughout the United States, as leagues like the one at the Civic Center are popping up in towns and cities in America.

The Civic Center awakens on weekends, as from 9:00 to deep in the afternoon, family and players come and go, with games right after eachother. One could sit and enjoy countless hours of quality play, toughness and determination.

This league is filled with many players from various schools across Vermont, and rivals meet, determined to win, and friends clash, the friendship ignored for the time being,  making for intriguing storylines and exciting play.

One of the moments that symbolized just how determined this league is was a player on a team that was down a few goals. He had two bloody knees from scraping his knees on the hard, artificial turf, but he kept going. He toughed up and never once stopped hustling from one end of the pitch to the other.

These leagues, all 10 of them, have turned weekends in Central Vermont into days filled with futsal, a remarkable event, a event that everybody involved in this league should be proud of.