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 History |
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CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS FLAG FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION HISTORY
The Central Massachusetts Flag Football Association began in 1971 as a Worcester Parks Department adult men's recreation activity.
That initial year, direction of a six-team eight-player touch football league fell to community volunteers, Edwin (Ted) Butcher and Vincent (Jake) Powers.
In 1972, the format of play was changed to nine-player and the league doubled its size to 12 teams. As demand and popularity grew, a second men's league was added in 1974 and in 1979 a third league for men and the first women's league in New England began play.
In 1985 the Worcester Parks Football Program became the first municipal recreation activity in New England to institute a mixed-gender flag football league.
In the mid-1980s, the WPFP had become one of the largest adult football activity in a municipality under one-million in population. In these years, the WPFP had five leagues enrolling almost 40 teams as well as about 1,000 players engaging in over 200 contests a season.
In 1989, a fifth men's league was begun as municipal financial support from the City of Worcester, which had been in decline for a decade, was finally terminated. Thereafter, the football program fell to the teams and their participants to sustain, Fortunately, both Ted Butcher and Jake Powers, who had directed the program, since its inception, remained to guide the now independent league. A name change to the Central Massachusetts Flag Football Association followed the alteration of game format to flag football in 1993. That same season, the new CMFFA added the Legend's League for older and more experienced players.
Entering the 21st century, the CMFFA will be playing its 30th consecutive season and remain under the direction of Ted Butcher and Jake Powers. In 1999 the CMFFA enrolled four leagues, played over 150 games involving over 600 players. It is anticipated these totals will be found in the Association's 2000 season.
In 2006, with the unexpecting passing of Jake Powers and poor health of Ted Butcher, control of the league has been handed to Fran Horuzek. For the past 12 years Fran served as coordinator of the Legends Touch League and acted as laison with the Mens Flag League as needed.
Membership in the league has deminished during the past couple of years with the league fielding 17 total teams in 2005. A renewed effort is in place to once again re-establish adult football play in the Worcester community.
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