is this hobby dying ?

[Treks1]

Originally Posted by STEELERDUDE

Bignasty fm. Has someone opened a account on facebook? It would be a great way for people to see the hobby is still alive. People could become a fan of Electric football! I am not sure how you get looped in with the items you can be fans of. But, having Electric football there would be great!


Jeff

Not a bad idea...

Perhaps the MFCA (or the MFCA Man!) can have an account open...

I dont' think the hobby is dying out, but I wonder if we are the last generation..... . I think we are doing a good job as coaches introducing new figures, boards and the like. Through Reg and the CBSMF we have begun to broadcast games, a step that can and should present the game more to the public (now we just need to televise/play some games!) We need a base set of rules and that's obvious, but there has been so much resistance. We just need to keep doing what we have been doing, and perhaps a break-through is around the corner......

[GUTTMANN]

There is already an Electric Football group on Facebook. Erica started it 2 years ago. Go to Groups, and do a search.

[artlax]

In the CTEFL, CNYEFL and the NEFL have either youth involved or youth divisions. My good friend Coach Karim has his youth programs and is a great example of someone bringing it to the next gen. - in fact he inspired my son and I to do so at his school. The Landesman's at the Miggle fest. Matt Culp and I know there are others - this is grassroots and a very important component.

As I have stated before here - my son and his interest in the game is what brought me back after nearly 30 years away!

[HOOP]

Originally Posted by GUTTMANN

There is already an Electric Football group on Facebook. Erica started it 2 years ago. Go to Groups, and do a search.

E R I C A ???????

[ivsoptionsondeck]

Well!?, from what I witnessed in the last 3 years online, then, finally deciding I want another board. But the big ones that caught my attention!..
It's not dead in my eye's no more........It was in 1999 when my state's Toys R Us " Toy Store "stopped sales on EFL Superbowl Board games, and a Sports Equipment Retailer started selling smaller versions " From Turdo at that time" but only for 1 year of retail selling was all my state saw..
So....from that point.......The Internet is where I went praying this sport was still alive outside of my State..
Low and Behold!? Well..you all know the rest...I'm back..... i'm better than I was at decorating player's with the new way of Decaling player's.......came up with other Idea's that I didn't have 20 years ago also......... I just don't want to believe it's Dying.... even if I'm not in a EFL League..........I have fun putting these player's in Uniforms with so much realizium in them!?, I feel a reberth of my pre teen, teenager years being polished alot better than I used to be.......
Forgive me for the long drawn out conversation that's not about what can I do to perfect this game even more than it is... I'm just overwelmed with finding this.. ThIS...THIS...THIS sight Right Here!! after finding miggle!!!.... I got to see a new World Of EFL!!!!
And It's been 3 years running almost, it's at my speed too... I get to this when I get to this kinda speed.........So if it's going to be gone again.... I better stock up on player's!?, is what everyone is saying?...
I missed a Negative Post didn't I!???? because I read nothing but the negative someone outlashed that I missed right?... now there's doubt about all this EFL Excitement already generated!?...
I won't give up... Just like several of you other believer's that this games never getting Old or, losing it's prop's.. it's a possitive game board..

[detroitchild]

I say no. Some of you may believe that it's at a stand still right now and I guess you can make an argument for that. I say it's remaking itself. I think Big Jim was talking more about a few selfish guys who seem hell bent on destroying what we have. Some are doing it under the guise of "Unity". I say those types of guys are like that in every facet of their lives so it's no different when they act out here.

But back to the hobby dying. I say that the answer to that is within our own hands. This hobby has come a long way since most of us were kids. With all the other distractions out there for today's kids we still find quite a few that have an keen interest in EF. I think it was mentioned earlier but there are two markets that can be tapped. I still believe there are hundreds (if not thousands) of men in our age range that is unaware that the hobby is thriving in our little community. We have to find a way to reach them. I also believe that there are many kids that would take up the hobby if it was presented to them in the right way. With the advent of video games out there many kids still like to work/play with miniatures from other hobbies. Many are sports fans or athletes who would love to learn the strategies of EF and how it can closely simulate real football.

The real question is how do those of us on the inside reach those on the outside? The answer, and how we go about implementing it will play a role in which direction this hobby goes.

Is the hobby dying...no! Is it possible that it could...yes! Do we have the means to prevent it...of course we do. Will we let it happen...???

[Jim Davis]

DON (detroitchild), YES YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD ON WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

[eflfanatic]

Very good discussion. To really answer the question. for me electric football will die only when I die.

[Jamel_G]

Jim, this is a Great question. I wouldn't say that electric football is dying but more the growth of the hobby is becoming limited. The next generation is all about rapid movement. This years E3 Event which is for gamers the hot thing was the ability to control your players wireless using sensors. Brain waves to control body movements. The invention of the Nintendo Wii was the beginning of this type of technology. In a society where we want kids to be more active and physical because they are turning into Coach potatoes electric football tends to be the odd man out. That's ok because this shouldn't be our primary target audience. In order to have a successful product you must first identify your Primary target audience. Electric footballs target audience is 5-13 and about 27 years of age and up. The reason why is because this is the age where the body starts to slow down and you begin to look for things to challenge you mentally instead of physically. Every year there are millions of people stepping into this age bracket and it's up to us to extend our hobby to them and either re introduce the hobby or introduce the game to them for the first time. The question becomes how do you do it. NO one wants to put in the work. No one wants to be the butt of the "You still play that game" joke. Well I have and it's working trust me. Just get fliers and keep them in your car /walk around. Set a goal and you will get new members within those age brackets. The young adult and teenagers that don't have influences coming from within their house or close friends are tougher to get. Just think that's the age we all let it go. Age 15 saw that skirt and didn't touch electric football for 20 years later. However it's like this create simple letters with links to great electric football sites such as this one and others and keep them in your car. Contact a group of people who are ok with talking with new people as a phone listing to attend Sports events (pal football, pop warner football, oldschool skate night, frat house even works.) will attract new members. Trust me.

One

Technology already failed to put this game to rest. Coleco, etc. FAILED. How many of us said to ourselves when we first discovered, online or otherwise, that there were others who STILL play this game? Didn't most of us feel almost exactly the same way BEFORE we found out? "HEY! I thought I was just about the only one who STILL played this game."

Tech will continue to evolve. The game is what it is because it is NOT so reliant on that. EF is a lot like slot car racing. Less high tech, much more hands-on. Unless all the figures, bases and boards vanish, the game lives on.

That is the short and the long answer to your question Champ. As to the beefing w/certain individuals, I'm not making unnecessary time for that. It is counter-productive. Deal w/whatever gets in your way and move FORWARD.

-Mike Pratt