The BEST is yet to come...

Reginald,

I’m not going to dwell on those who try to bring the rest of us down. It is my firm belief that this hobby is in better shape now than it was at the beginning of ‘06. We were down to only 5 tournaments: Miggle, Buzzfest, Bama, and Beltsville college and Pro.

The Texas Shootout and the Duel in the Desert had been on hiatus for a couple of years, the Minnesota tournament went on hiatus, and AJ’s College tournament had shut down. Even with the losses, the hobby rebounded to have a decent year. 2006 ushered in the beginnings of the Seawall brawl, the Miniature Football forum, and the Miniature Football Coaches Association. Thanks to the other five tournaments staying strong, we went into 2007 in good shape.

2007 saw the birth of Jimbo’s College tournament, The MFCA regional skills challenge, and the rebirth of Reggie’s Texas Shootout. Fellowship and fun was in full effect at ALL the tournaments in ’07, and because of that… we should all be “most” proud. The members of this community kicked butt, and made significant strides to pull together for a change. The MFCA membership is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. People in this hobby pulling together for a common goal… You just can’t beat it.

It is my hope that 2008 will be the best year our hobby has ever seen. I hope everyone gets the chance to go to a tournament this coming year. It really doesn’t matter which tournament you attend; they will ALL offer you the chance to come out, meet people, and have some fun. Every tournament is unique and the people who put them on for us are very special. Whether it’s a league, manufacturer, or coaches association… please understand that these people are not obligated to do this; we’re blessed that they choose to do this for us.

Maybe one of the other tournaments that went on hiatus will experience a rebirth like the Shootout did, or perhaps we’ll witness the birth of some brand new tournaments like the MFCA Convention and others. Either way 2008 will be hard pressed to match what the last 24 months have brought us. Looks like we all have our work cut out for us this upcoming year.

Peace and best wishes to ALL of us.

Don Smith
2008 Optimist