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JACKSON LIGHTNING semi-professional soccer
Robert Fillmore
517-783-5928
507 E. Bird
Jackson, Michigan
49203
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 My Site News: Franchises May Play Colleges in Future |
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Friday, August 11
Franchises May Play Colleges in Future
Two Jackson Sports & Entertainment, Inc., franchises, the Jackson Tidal Wave and Jackson Lightning, may be able to start play even if their leagues are not ready!
The Jackson Tidal Wave, a semi-pro basketball franchise, are a charter member of the Great Lakes Basketball Association. The Jackson Lightning, a semi-pro soccer franchise, are a charter member of the Tri-State Soccer League.
Robert Fillmore, who spent several years involved with semi-pro football with the Jackson Jaguars and Jackson Bombers, is the Founder/President of Jackson Sports & Entertainment. He has been working to bring the soccer and basketball versions of semi-pro football to Jackson for quite sometime, but to do so hes had to try forming the leagues for the Jackson Tidal Wave and Jackson Lightning as well, but without out much success.
Weve had a lot of interest from players, both for mens teams and womens teams, as all franchises are required to have a mens team and womens team, and weve had a lot of interest from cheerleaders too. Unfortunately we have not received a whole lot of interest from individuals or groups interested in forming franchises for the GLBA and TSL, and there are no other leagues in the area and less than a handful through out the United States, says Fillmore.
Earlier in the year Fillmore contacted the NJCAA, NCAA, and NAIA inquiring about whether or not the Jackson Sports & Entertainment semi-pro franchises would be able to play against the college teams without risking the players, teams, or institutions getting in trouble. Just recent Fillmore started getting responses from the three major college sanctioning bodies, which clears the Jackson Sports & Entertainment franchises to play against college teams.
This is a big deal all the way around. It is huge for Jackson Sports & Entertainment. It is huge for the Great Lakes Basketball Association. It is huge for the Tri-State Soccer League. It very well could mean that the Jackson Tidal Wave, on behalf of the Great Lakes Basketball Association, and the Jackson Lightning, on behalf of the Tri-State Soccer League, could set up booths at the colleges trying to recruit franchises (teams) for the league from within the area of the colleges as well as behind the scenes volunteers for the leagues. It also takes away the factor of not having enough franchises, since each franchise may also schedule games against the colleges. And it clears the path for the Jackson Tidal Wave and Jackson Lightning to begin play even if the TSL and GLBA are not ready to go, says Fillmore.
Even with the ruling, the soonest any games may be played is 2007-2008 for the Jackson Tidal Wave and most likely 2008 for the Jackson Lightning.
We have been told by a representative from the GLIAC that all of the institutions have their schedules set for 2006-2007 and they wouldnt be able to schedule anything until in the 2007-2008 school year at the earliest, and that this is the case with most other institutions, says Fillmore.
Jackson Sports & Entertainment is also working to form the Michigan Jayhawks semi-pro football franchise, which they hope to have started in 2007 as an independent franchise.
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