Post by 50yardfan on Dec 28, 2010 16:15:10 GMT -5
www.yournorthhills.com/northhillsnews/article/arena-football-growing-rapid-pace-locally
The Steelers, Pitt Panthers and the Penn State Nittany Lions are just a few of the football squads that get local fans excited every week from late summer to the winter months.
With fans as avid as ever, Pittsburgh has brought back arena football in the form of the Pittsburgh Power, which will kick off its season in March.
But, as the Steelers look like they are closing in on another division title, and with Pitt and Penn State practicing for their respective bowl games, there is a new football fix in the Steel City, and it is serving as a segway to the next level.
The Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena Arena Football League is under way, featuring local talent from the Pittsburgh area looking to catch on with bigger arena teams in the tri-state area.
"This is a great opportunity for some of these guys whom football didn't work out for in college because of an injury or grades," said Jeremy Liotta, head coach of the Harmar Hurricanes. "We have some Division I players here like Lawrence Green. He played at UConn and got hurt, but is looking to keep playing."
Liotta, who is an assistant coach for the Erie Explosion, said four of his current players on the Hurricanes are players he is developing for the professional level (the Erie Explosion team).
The players in the PISA Arena League are considered semi-pro, so they don't get paid, but for many the goal is to get to the level where they can get paid for playing.
"We started this from scratch and wanted to get some more business for the arena," said Rich Cassarino, director of football at PISA. "We do mostly soccer here, but I have been involved with semi-pro football before, and I wanted more of a football presence here."
How it began
Semi-pro football is an up-and-down phenomena in the area, with some established teams ruling the roost, such as the Pittsburgh Colts. The Colts have some name value, but semi-pro teams come and go all the time. The Western Pennsylvania Warhawks folded up after five years this past summer, while the Butler County Bears began play this past summer.
Kirk Bergbigler was affiliated with the Warhawks, and when they closed up shop, he was part of the group that brought the Bears to life. Bergbigler is the head coach of the Bears, but when he was asked to become the commissioner for the PISA League, he sat down with Cassarino and the two began to share ideas.
"We talked about rules and policies," Bergbigler said. "We were hoping to create a league of eight teams, but ended up with four.
"Some of the guys were leery. Arena football is sort of new to the area, but the Pittsburgh Power helped raise some awareness."
Players may have been leery at first, but interest is growing rapidly. All four teams in the league are allowed to carry an active roster of 25 players, with five additional players, who can be used to play if someone on the regular 25-man roster can't. All four team rosters are maxed out.
What's going on?
Every Friday night from now until Feb. 4, there are two football games held at PISA, located at 22 Rich Hill Road in Cheswick. The first begins at 7 p.m. and the second at 9.
Each team plays a 10-game schedule that will culminate with a bowl game between the top two teams and a consolation game between the third and fourth-place teams. The name of each bowl game will depend on the sponsor.
The Steel City Speed, coached by Jeff Bollinger; the Harmar Hurricanes, coached by Jeremy Liotta; the Pittsburgh Rebels, coached by Earl Work; and the Shenango Valley Storm, coached by Mike Benner do battle each Friday for a growing fan base as well as some notable arena football coaches, including Erie Storm head coach, Shawn Liotta.
"Interest has been on the rise," Bergbigler said. "Rich has received some e-mails about starting a youth league. Shawn (Liotta) told us how big youth leagues are in Erie. We are exploring that here."
Game time
Just like professional arena football, the game is played with eight players on offense, and eight on defense. Three offensive linemen, two receivers, a tight end, a running back and a quarterback try to advance past three defensive linemen, two linebackers and three defensive backs.
In arena football, there are a few neucnces such as two offensive players can be in motion at once, and one linebacker has to stay in the box. The only real noticeable difference about the PISA League is there are no dasher boards that surround the field.
"We have sidelines right now because the dasher boards are so expensive," Bergbigler said. "We are looking into them for the future."
Cassarino said he is surprised at the clean play for the first-year program.
"I thought it could look sloppy out there, but we have had pro and NFL scouts out to see the players," Cassarino said. "There is a buzz and energy about this and it is pretty cool."
Playing hard
Many players look at the PISA League as a chance to earn a spot on a team that can pay them to play.
Bergbigler said when the semi-pro arena season ends in September, many semi-pro teams don't begin again until April.
"We want to keep guys active and in shape," Bergbigler said. "We are giving guys a chance to come out and get some semi-pro and pro looks."
Jeremy Liotta's phone has been ringing off the hook, and he is rather impressed at how much the players care about attending practice regularly and playing hard each week.
"These guys want to get to the next level, so they play hard," he said. "It's fun. It's high-scoring, hard-hitting action."
With the semi-pro circuit used as a means of gathering players, many guys know each other either as teammates on another squad or as rivals from another league, so the intensity level can run high.
Work and Jeremy Liotta coach two of the most aggressive teams, and they are excited at the level of pro coaches who come to see these games.
"There is a lot of talent here," Work said. "Every week, bigger coaches are coming out."
The referees are brought in with experience in arena ball, Division II football, and semi-pro football games. They are good with the rules, and help players understand what is allowed and what is not so than the game can flow and be organized.
"It's a blast," said Harmar Hurricanes receiver/defensive back Stephon Conto. "I have not had this much fun playing since college ball (IUP).
"All of the guys on my team are trying to catch on at a higher level. I have been contacted by Erie and Johnstown."
How do you join?
Players who would like to give the semi-pro arena game a try can visit the PISA website at www.pisausa.com, and click on the football tab and scroll down to the free agent link. There, a player can enter a small biography and contact information, then wait to be contacted.
"We give everyone a fair shot," Jeremy Liotta said. "We have a good mix of DI, DII and high school standouts. If you can cut it, we will find you a spot, if you can't cut it, we tell you straight up."
Although there is no prior playing experience required, each player must have his own equipment and there is a fee to play, depending on the team and its assets.
Fan fare
Spectators are welcome to attend the games, and they have different options as to where they watch the game.
There is an upstairs pub where fans can watch the game free of charge, and food and beverages are sold.
Bleachers are set up on the field for fans that want to get a little closer to the action. These seats are available for $3.
"My dad has come to some of the games, and he told me the game is fast-paced and there is good action," Conto said. "There is a lot of talk about adding more teams in the future."
The Steelers, Pitt Panthers and the Penn State Nittany Lions are just a few of the football squads that get local fans excited every week from late summer to the winter months.
With fans as avid as ever, Pittsburgh has brought back arena football in the form of the Pittsburgh Power, which will kick off its season in March.
But, as the Steelers look like they are closing in on another division title, and with Pitt and Penn State practicing for their respective bowl games, there is a new football fix in the Steel City, and it is serving as a segway to the next level.
The Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena Arena Football League is under way, featuring local talent from the Pittsburgh area looking to catch on with bigger arena teams in the tri-state area.
"This is a great opportunity for some of these guys whom football didn't work out for in college because of an injury or grades," said Jeremy Liotta, head coach of the Harmar Hurricanes. "We have some Division I players here like Lawrence Green. He played at UConn and got hurt, but is looking to keep playing."
Liotta, who is an assistant coach for the Erie Explosion, said four of his current players on the Hurricanes are players he is developing for the professional level (the Erie Explosion team).
The players in the PISA Arena League are considered semi-pro, so they don't get paid, but for many the goal is to get to the level where they can get paid for playing.
"We started this from scratch and wanted to get some more business for the arena," said Rich Cassarino, director of football at PISA. "We do mostly soccer here, but I have been involved with semi-pro football before, and I wanted more of a football presence here."
How it began
Semi-pro football is an up-and-down phenomena in the area, with some established teams ruling the roost, such as the Pittsburgh Colts. The Colts have some name value, but semi-pro teams come and go all the time. The Western Pennsylvania Warhawks folded up after five years this past summer, while the Butler County Bears began play this past summer.
Kirk Bergbigler was affiliated with the Warhawks, and when they closed up shop, he was part of the group that brought the Bears to life. Bergbigler is the head coach of the Bears, but when he was asked to become the commissioner for the PISA League, he sat down with Cassarino and the two began to share ideas.
"We talked about rules and policies," Bergbigler said. "We were hoping to create a league of eight teams, but ended up with four.
"Some of the guys were leery. Arena football is sort of new to the area, but the Pittsburgh Power helped raise some awareness."
Players may have been leery at first, but interest is growing rapidly. All four teams in the league are allowed to carry an active roster of 25 players, with five additional players, who can be used to play if someone on the regular 25-man roster can't. All four team rosters are maxed out.
What's going on?
Every Friday night from now until Feb. 4, there are two football games held at PISA, located at 22 Rich Hill Road in Cheswick. The first begins at 7 p.m. and the second at 9.
Each team plays a 10-game schedule that will culminate with a bowl game between the top two teams and a consolation game between the third and fourth-place teams. The name of each bowl game will depend on the sponsor.
The Steel City Speed, coached by Jeff Bollinger; the Harmar Hurricanes, coached by Jeremy Liotta; the Pittsburgh Rebels, coached by Earl Work; and the Shenango Valley Storm, coached by Mike Benner do battle each Friday for a growing fan base as well as some notable arena football coaches, including Erie Storm head coach, Shawn Liotta.
"Interest has been on the rise," Bergbigler said. "Rich has received some e-mails about starting a youth league. Shawn (Liotta) told us how big youth leagues are in Erie. We are exploring that here."
Game time
Just like professional arena football, the game is played with eight players on offense, and eight on defense. Three offensive linemen, two receivers, a tight end, a running back and a quarterback try to advance past three defensive linemen, two linebackers and three defensive backs.
In arena football, there are a few neucnces such as two offensive players can be in motion at once, and one linebacker has to stay in the box. The only real noticeable difference about the PISA League is there are no dasher boards that surround the field.
"We have sidelines right now because the dasher boards are so expensive," Bergbigler said. "We are looking into them for the future."
Cassarino said he is surprised at the clean play for the first-year program.
"I thought it could look sloppy out there, but we have had pro and NFL scouts out to see the players," Cassarino said. "There is a buzz and energy about this and it is pretty cool."
Playing hard
Many players look at the PISA League as a chance to earn a spot on a team that can pay them to play.
Bergbigler said when the semi-pro arena season ends in September, many semi-pro teams don't begin again until April.
"We want to keep guys active and in shape," Bergbigler said. "We are giving guys a chance to come out and get some semi-pro and pro looks."
Jeremy Liotta's phone has been ringing off the hook, and he is rather impressed at how much the players care about attending practice regularly and playing hard each week.
"These guys want to get to the next level, so they play hard," he said. "It's fun. It's high-scoring, hard-hitting action."
With the semi-pro circuit used as a means of gathering players, many guys know each other either as teammates on another squad or as rivals from another league, so the intensity level can run high.
Work and Jeremy Liotta coach two of the most aggressive teams, and they are excited at the level of pro coaches who come to see these games.
"There is a lot of talent here," Work said. "Every week, bigger coaches are coming out."
The referees are brought in with experience in arena ball, Division II football, and semi-pro football games. They are good with the rules, and help players understand what is allowed and what is not so than the game can flow and be organized.
"It's a blast," said Harmar Hurricanes receiver/defensive back Stephon Conto. "I have not had this much fun playing since college ball (IUP).
"All of the guys on my team are trying to catch on at a higher level. I have been contacted by Erie and Johnstown."
How do you join?
Players who would like to give the semi-pro arena game a try can visit the PISA website at www.pisausa.com, and click on the football tab and scroll down to the free agent link. There, a player can enter a small biography and contact information, then wait to be contacted.
"We give everyone a fair shot," Jeremy Liotta said. "We have a good mix of DI, DII and high school standouts. If you can cut it, we will find you a spot, if you can't cut it, we tell you straight up."
Although there is no prior playing experience required, each player must have his own equipment and there is a fee to play, depending on the team and its assets.
Fan fare
Spectators are welcome to attend the games, and they have different options as to where they watch the game.
There is an upstairs pub where fans can watch the game free of charge, and food and beverages are sold.
Bleachers are set up on the field for fans that want to get a little closer to the action. These seats are available for $3.
"My dad has come to some of the games, and he told me the game is fast-paced and there is good action," Conto said. "There is a lot of talk about adding more teams in the future."