Here are my thoughts on the direction for the MFCA convention.

[WEIRDWOLF]

The MFCA’s mission statement says: Assisting the miniature football hobbyist by promoting miniature football, educating the public and providing an association which recognizes and supports the diverse coaches and leagues.
In every decision that is made, I feel that we must always look to this statement for the MFCA’s direction.

With that in mind, here is what I will recommend as the plan for future conventions.

First I think that Canton should be an annual event every first weekend of August, but not necessarily the MFCA Convention site. Instead, I would like Canton to be a “MFCA Reunion” with its focus on Fellowship, Football and Fun. Competition would take a back seat at this event and all the focus would be on getting together and enjoying miniature football mixed with real football. It would continue to host a CPC contest and a skills contest and would also still have the kids tailgate event with PFUFA at the HOF, HOF enshrinement and HOF game. This would be an annual tradition which honors our past and the game that we get our inspiration from. This event would focus on the promotion aspect of our mission statement as we would continue to build our relationship with the HOF and the PFUFA Tailgate event along with setting up a tent display at the Parking Czars where 1000’s of people pass by every day. We would have coaches volunteer to man the tent and promote the hobby just as we saw the odd table football game doing this last year.

In order to work in line with the other aspects of our mission statement, support and assist, the actual MFCA Convention would then be moved to either a June or September date with a regional based rotational schedule that would use established tournament and or league events from across the U.S. and coordinate with them. The MFCA would bring its dollars to secure a larger venue where the convention could be held and would feature the local areas event as the headliner along with our own MFCA CPC games and skills competitions.

For example…AGAIN JUST AN EXAMPLE:
Year 1: Held in conjunction with the Dixie League finals in June (Southeast)
Year 2: Held in conjunction with Eric and Daves Open Run in September (Pacific West)
Year 3: Held in conjunction with the NEFL Championship Game in June {Northeast)
Year 4: Held in conjunction with the Mid Ohio Championship Game in June (Great Lakes)
Year 5: Held in conjunction with the CBSMF in Vegas (Southwest)
Year 6: Held in conjunction with the Beltsville Bash (Mid Atlantic)
Year 7: Held in conjunction with the Mid America Melee (Great Plains)
Year 8: Held in conjunction with the Bama Blast in June (Southeast)

New events such as Texas, Virginia, Michigan or others could also be mixed into the rotation. Just as the NFL moves its Super Bowl to different cities helping to build their economies, we would take the convention to support the different leagues and tournaments and thus fulfill to a degree the support and assist portion of our mission statement.

The CBSMF has been a necessary and great partner for the last 2 years, but it is large enough and strong enough to support its functions without combining with the MFCA. As we all know, Miggle may or may not have another convention. If they do not, then it will be up to the MFCA and the CBSMF to continue on with a national presence for the hobby. I think that it is important for both the CBSMF and the MFCA to move our events as our members span across the U.S. and we need to serve the entire membership. It is also just as important that the CBSMF and the MFCA coordinate our events in a timely fashion to allow as many coaches as possible to attend each event without forcing our memberships to have to choose one or the other. The West deserves some effort on our parts to get an event in their neck of the woods. If the CBSMF goes to Vegas this year and the MFCA would come next year per the above plan, we will have started to preserve the balance needed to truly unite our memberships from one coast to the other.

Please post your responses to this idea. I believe that this plan would not only promote our hobby in other areas, but would help many of the smaller tourneys to get a chance to shine and show off their events with increased turnouts and viewers.